Firefox 21: Mozilla's Browser Becomes Even More Social

Article by George Norman (Cybersecurity Editor)

on 15 May 2013

The recently released Firefox 21 is even more social than its predecessors. That’s because the Social API introduced with Firefox 17 now comes with support for multiple providers.

Back in November 2012, Mozilla rolled out Firefox 17 to the public. That version came with support for a new Social API and prelim integration with Facebook Messenger for Firefox. This meant you could use the browser to very easily stay in touch with all your Facebook friends.

Thanks to the Social API, social services can be integrated into the browser, thus allowing you to have a more social browsing experience within Firefox. Features such as a social sidebar, toolbar notification buttons and the ability to easily chat with your friends are provided by the Social API. As you surf the web, you can stay connected to your favorite social site and with your friends; you do not have to open lots of tabs and switch between them while surfing the web.

It’s May 2013 and Mozilla rolled out Firefox 21 to the public – get the Windows or Mac edition right here on FindMySoft. This new release brings a very nice change, mainly the fact that the Social API supports more providers. Facebook, the first social integration partner in Firefox, is now accompanied by several new social providers:
  • Cliqz - delivers a real-time stream of the most relevant articles, stories, and videos based on your interests directly to Firefox.
  • Mixi (Japan only) - stay in touch with your friends on the Mixi social network in Japan.
  • msnNOW – see trending stories and viral trends from Twitter, Facebook, Bing, YouTube and other parts of the web.
“Social sites are a key part of online life and with Firefox we want to make it easier to use the Web the way you want. Mozilla developed the Social API to enable social providers to integrate directly into Firefox to make your browsing experience more social, customizable and personal,” explained Mozilla. “The new social providers in Firefox make it even easier for you to keep up with friends, family, news and events while you surf the Web. You can get real time updates about news activity, entertainment or your personal network while you browse the Web,” the developer added.

Besides adding more providers to the Social API, Firefox 21 comes with a few other new features:
  • Enhanced threee-state UI for DNT (Do Not Track).
  • Prelim implementation of Firefox Health Report.
  • Suggestions for improving startup times (will be shown if needed).
Check out the Firefox 21 Release Notes for more info on what’s new with this release.


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