Firefox 27 beta is out: Simultaneous Social API notifications, TLS 1.2 support, and more languages on Android

Following the release of Firefox 26 just two days ago, Mozilla today announced updates to its Firefox Beta channel, which is now on version 27, on desktop as well as Android. This doesn’t appear to be a major release; the Social API is getting tweaked, TLS 1.2 support is being added, and the Android version is getting a few more languages.

Transport Layer Security (TLS) version 1.2 has been added to both desktop and mobile versions of Firefox. This is the latest release, although it was originally defined over five years ago in August 2008.

Desktop

The new desktop beta, available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, includes an update to the Social API that allows multiple social integration partners to send notifications at the same time. Previously, users could only see notifications from the social provider they had indicated in their Firefox toolbar.

For more details on what else is new in Firefox beta, here are the release notes:

• NEW: You can now run more than one service at a time with Firefox SocialAPI, allowing you to receive notifications, chat and more from multiple integrated services.
• NEW: Implemented support for TLS 1.2 (RFC 5246).
• CHANGED: Added support for SPDY 3.1 protocol.
• DEVELOPER: Ability to reset style sheets using ‘all:unset’.
• DEVELOPER: You can now choose to deobfuscate javascript in the debugger (see 762761).
• DEVELOPER: Added support for scrolled fieldsets (see 261037).
• DEVELOPER: Implemented allow-popups directive for iframe sandbox, enabling increased security (see 766282).
• DEVELOPER: CSS cursor keywords -moz-grab and -moz-grabbing have been unprefixed (see 880672).
• DEVELOPER: Added support for ES6 generators in SpiderMonkey (see blog post).
• DEVELOPER: Implemented support for mathematical function Math.hypot() in ES6 (see 896264).
• HTML5: Dashed line support on Canvas (see 768067).
• FIXED: Get Azure/Skia content rendering working on Linux (see 762761).

As you can see, the Shader Editor for live editing WebGL shaders isn’t mentioned. Mozilla said it would be introduced in Firefox 27, but looks like it’s not yet ready.

Android

Firefox Beta for Android hasn’t gained any major new features. Support for Lithuanian, Slovenian, South African English, and Thai locales has been added, but that’s about it.

Firefox beta for Android has the following release notes:

• NEW: Added Lithuanian, Slovenian, South African English and Thai to android multi-locale builds.
• NEW: Implemented support for TLS 1.2 (RFC 5246).
• CHANGED: UI improvements due to rewrite of favicon system (see 914296).
• CHANGED: Removed overscrolling on web content (see 705246).
• CHANGED: Experience better readability with default font set to Clear Sans.
• DEVELOPER: Ability to reset style sheets using ‘all:unset’.
• DEVELOPER: You can now choose to deobfuscate javascript in the debugger (see 762761).
• DEVELOPER: Implemented allow-popups directive for iframe sandbox, enabling increased security (see 766282).
• DEVELOPER: CSS cursor keywords -moz-grab and -moz-grabbing have been unprefixed (see 880672).
• DEVELOPER: Added support for ES6 generators in SpiderMonkey (see blog post).
• DEVELOPER: Implemented support for mathematical function Math.hypot() in ES6 (see 896264).
• HTML5: Dashed line support on Canvas (see 768067).

Mozilla is planning to release Firefox 27 for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android in early February. We’ll keep you posted.

Top Image Credit: T. Al Nakib