Location-Aware Browsing

With Location-Aware Browsing, users can allow Firefox 3.5 to share their current location information with websites. Firefox does this by using network information and the local IP address for the users connection. To ensure privacy, users are first asked for permission before location details are sent. The accuracy of the locations will vary from location to location, in some places, a location within a few meters may be available, while in others, it may be much more than that. The location information is sent over an encrypted connection to protect each users privacy.

To ensure privacy, users are always asked if they want to share their location. Now, you may ask why you'd want to allow your browser to let a web site know where you are. The Location-Aware Browsing feature will provide users with location specific information that relates to their local area, which can be helpful for online mapping applications or searching for nearby businesses, such as a local grocery store or movie theatre. Currently, Firefox uses Google Location Services as their default geo-location service provider and the W3C Geolocation API, an online standard that's also being adopted by other major browsers. Should users want to completely disable the location-based features, they can do so by typing about:config into the address bar, selecting the geo.enabled preference and double clicking to turn it off.

Privacy & Security

Firefox 3.5 now includes a certificate error page for untrusted security certificates. Users now have more control over their privacy in the 3.5 release with the inclusion of a completely redesigned Privacy preference pane. A user can choose to keep or discard any information, such as their history, downloads, cookies and form field information. Should a user not want to include their history or bookmarks in the location bar's automated suggestions, they can easily disable those features. Firefox now handles SSL certificate errors differently. Previously a certificate error would result in a standard network error page (about:neterror) that wouldn't describe the specific issue. Now it displays a new error page (about:certerror) that says that "The Connection is Untrusted" and provides technical details about the problem. Should a user still want to continue to the page, they are given the option to add an exception.

The new Private Browsing feature prevents any trace of a browsing session from being left on the local system's hard disk. Originally announced in November of 2008, Firefox 3.5 now includes a "Private Browsing" feature that allows users to start a web browsing session that doesn't leave any traces on the local system's hard disk. The feature, often referred to as "porn mode", is a great feature for users who are at someone else's computer, use a shared computer, or may be purchasing a gift for someone and wish to keep it secret. Enabling Private Browsing means that Firefox will not store any information about a users session, including their history, cookies and other private information. Should a user want to remove a specific site, they can view the history, right click on the site and select "Forget About This Site" to remove all traces of it.