Information Research Weblog

Firefox 1.5 Beta 1 has just been released - part of a planned programme, which should see the finished version out sometime next year. The enhancements include:

• Automated update to streamline product upgrades. Notification of an update is more prominent, and updates to Firefox may now be half a megabyte or smaller. Updating extensions has also improved.
• Faster browser navigation with improvements to back and forward button performance.
• Improvements to popup blocking.
• Better accessibility including support for DHTML accessibility and assistive technologies such as the Window-Eyes 5.5 beta screen reader for Microsoft Windows. Screen readers read aloud all available information in applications and documents or show the information on a Braille display, enabling blind and visually impaired users to use equivalent software functionality as their sighted peers.

The automated update feature sounds useful, particularly in the light of a recent bug announcement.