Tag: Firefox

  • Firefox for Android to get some useful extensions soon

    Firefox for Android to get some useful extensions soon

    After Firefox for Android received a major redesign one month earlier, now Mozilla is working on improving the user experience on the mobile browser even more. The company is now going to add some welcome browser extensions, however, these are first coming to Firefox Nightly for testing.

    The company says that the new extensions will be available in the release version of Firefox for Android in November, that’s why they are currently being tested out on the browser’ Firefox Nightly version (used to be called Firefox Preview).

    The new extensions the mobile browser is getting include some quite useful features. The first one, called Video Background Play Fix will keep videos playing in the background when you switch to a new tab. The browser will also get Image Search Options, a tool that will help you dig deeper into web content and find images more easily.

    In the privacy department, the browser will get the extensions FoxyProxy, which is a proxy management tool, and Bitwared, a password manager tool.

    Keep in mind that these extensions are for now only available in Firefox Nightly (if you want to test them, you can install Firefox Nightly) and will be available in the official Firefox for Android in November.

  • Google Earth Timelapse Finally arrives on Mobile

    Google Earth Timelapse Finally arrives on Mobile

    The zoomable time-lapse video feature that allows Google Earth users to see how the planet’s surface has changed in the last 35 years, Google Earth Timelapse is now available on mobile. The Mountain View company has just announced it has released a new update that adds two additional years of imagery, as well as mobile support and visual improvements to make exploring more user-friendly.

    Besides being able to see how various parts of the Earth have changed in the last 35 years, Google Earth Timelapse allows more in-dept geospatial analysis since it includes more than 15 million satellite images coming from the US Geological Suvey/NASA Landsat and European Sentinel programs.

    Naturally, Google Earth Timelapse is available tablets as well, not just on smartphones. Apparently, mobile browsers would disable the ability to autoplay videos, which is absolutely mandatory for Timelapse. However, Chrome and Firefox have reinstated support for autoplay (sound muted), which is why Google was able to add mobile support with the latest update.

    Along with support for mobile, Google also added the new Material Design to Timelapse, which features simple, clean lines and clear focal ares to make is easier for usersd to navigate Google Earth Timelapse’s huge imagery database. Also, a new “Maps Mode” toggle is now available for mobile users to enable them to navigate the map using Google Maps.

  • Firefox latest update makes it a much better browser for iPad users

    Firefox latest update makes it a much better browser for iPad users

    If you’re using Firefox on your iPad, you’ll be pleased to know that Mozilla is now making your life much easier. Since the iPad offers a bigger display than the iPhone, which means you can use it differently like for example watch a video and browse the Internet.

    In order for that to work, your browser must support split screen, a feature that allows you to have two apps side-by-side making it easy for you to share links or take notes without having to switch back and forth between apps. The latest Firefox update enables iPad users to divide the screen between the browser and another app like Google Maps or Slack.

    Besides split screen support, Mozilla also included some quality of life improvements, such as better tab management, easier to access Private Browsing, and keyboard shortcuts.

    After the update, you’ll notice that Firefox will display tabs like tiles, which makes it easier to see them. Also, whenever you try to get to a private page on an iOS device, you usually have to go through a couple of steps, but the latest version puts Private Browsing in the lower left corner of the browser window so that you can access it with just one click.

    Now, if you’re using an external keyboard with your iPad, you’ll be happy to learn that you can hold down the command key on your tablet to show keyboard shortcuts. Mozilla has implemented some shortcuts exactly as they are on the Mac, so you might be familiar with many of them. There’s also another feature introduced which will allow you to send tabs between devices without having to leave the browser, but you will need a Firefox account for that.

    Last but not least, a much-requested feature is now being implemented in Firefox, but only to some extent. Since iOS doesn’t allow Mozilla to enable users to set Firefox as the default browser, the developers have found a way to allow them to set it as default browser when they open email links from Microsoft Outlook.