Fennec: development of the younger brother of Firefox 3 mobile intensifies

Mozilla is preparing to publish the final version of the Firefox browser 3 and began a more intensive phase of development of Firefox Mobile, which is expected to have a first glimpse in September.

While the finalized version 3 of Internet browser Mozilla Firefox is in the starting blocks (due June 17), everyone looks to the little brother mobile also in preparation. Known so far under the code name Fennec, Firefox Mobile is still at the stage of development, but it is expected to accelerate in the months ahead. According to Tristan Nitot, President of Mozilla Europe, interviewed by drafting BusinessMobile.fr there should be a first overview of mobile browser in September, and have a first beta at the end of the year.

The stakes are high for Mozilla, which aims to bring the engine very powerful in Firefox 3 Fennec it intends to be the true extension of mobile browser fixed. Thus, dans le cadre du projet Weave Mozilla Labs (diagram below), it is ultimately possible to synchronize its favorites, its history, even its preferences, passwords and other customizations (plug-ins) with a server Mozilla (data will be encrypted), then find them on another computer or on a phone equipped with mobile Firefox.

If support a maximum of mobile platforms is planned (Windows Mobile, Symbian, Linux), Mozilla has already confirmed it will be impossible to develop versions iPhone and Android. According to the explanations of Tristan Nitot on his blog, “For the iPhone, Apple’s licence can not install software to have an interpreted language. But Firefox includes JavaScript, which makes it legally impossible to carry on the iPhone … [...] For Android, Webkit is integrated into the OS, and only Java applications can run. And Firefox is not written in Java. So that’s why. However, in both cases, things may change in future, but it does not depend on Mozilla. ”

An initial concept of a tactile interface Mozilla Labs

With Opera (Mobile and Mini) as the main competitor in this sector, the future Firefox Mobile is clearly intended for both terminals and non-tactile touch. Aza Raskin, head of user experience at Mozilla Labs, has just published a video demonstration of a tactile interface Firefox Mobile, as he imagines. If it does not in any way that will ultimately Firefox Mobile, whose first models have already been published, this demonstration provides an interesting insight into directions that wishes to take Mozilla’s user interface for its future browser.

This prototype tactile interface (finger) shows, among other things, a flexible space at will, with bookmarks accessible with one click, where you can open several windows, click on a page, zoom in and move on a page web finger, then return to the original space by dragging the page to a edges of the screen. As for basic functions (following precedent, adding the favorites, information on the page), they appear on the left by dragging the page to the right. These concepts ergonomic attractive, drawing on good ideas for iPhone Safari browser or Symbian, while the excess. It remains to be seen what emerges in the final version of Firefox Mobile.

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