Mozilla launches latest Firefox 3.5 beta

Firefox 3.5 Beta 4 contains advanced location-based features

Mozilla has launched a new beta release for the next version of its Firefox web browser, promising a number of new features and performance gains.

Firefox 3.5 Beta 4 was released on Monday, just a few days after Mozilla patched a number of critical security flaws in the previous version.

Mozilla said in a blog post that the latest release offers improved privacy and advanced location-based features. Using the new location technology, the browser will be able to 'tell' web sites where the user is based, enabling the sites to serve more relevant information.

The Geolocation in Firefox features are optional, but if selected would make searching for services quick and easy, according to Mozilla.

"For example, if you're looking for pizza restaurants in your area, a simple search for 'pizza' will bring you the answers you need [with] no further information or extra typing required," the company said.

"Or if you're mapping out directions to get somewhere, Firefox will know where you're starting from so all you have to do is tell it where you want to go."

Firefox 3.5 also offers a Private Browsing feature, which lets users surf the web without leaving any cached information about the session. However, this also means that no passwords will be automatically filled in during the session, and no new passwords will be saved.

Improved performance and stability when running JavaScript is attributed to the use of the new TraceMonkey JavaScript engine, while the browser is also being made available in 70 different languages.