Mozilla Corp. on Friday released the second alpha of Firefox 3.1, adding new video support and increase the speed of some calculations JavaScript.
Firefox 3.1 alpha 2, code-named "Shiretoko" is the latest in a series of short alpha editions, Mozilla has established a code of the end of September freezing of Beta 1, and presumably deliver the first preview for the general public next month.
Mozilla adds support for the new video element to Alpha 2 and the opening round of what is called "Web worker threads", but also improves performance and enabled browser drag and drop tabs between windows.
Support for video label, which is part of the HTML standard 5 has been launched by the developers as a way to ditch proprietary formats, including the popular Flash, and allow site designers to embed the video directly on the pages, and then manipulate and control the video with scripts.
Mozilla is playing catch here with Apple Inc. 's Safari, which already bears the label. Other browsers, however, including Google Inc. 's new chrome and Microsoft Corp.' s Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2, have yet to offer support for the item.
Also in Alpha 2 is the initial support for the "Web worker threads", more functional script that allows Web developers to change JavaScript calculations to a string of fund in case you do not beat the performance of the user interface Firefox.
"The user interface will remain sensitive, while the [JavaScript] drums engine, and shipping off the page, including a break of his execution," said Mozilla in support of workers documents on the wires.
Other additions and changes in Firefox 3.1 appears for the first time include: support for between-windows drag and drop; support for several new CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) 2.1 and CSS 3 properties, and improve performance when viewing images embedded color profiles.
Mozilla does not include its new JavaScript interpreter TraceMonkey in Alpha 2, however. The engine, recently said that Mozilla JavaScript runs as much as 28% faster than the Chrome, will remain available only in Firefox 3.1 is based night, the day that Mozilla posts for their own developers. Instructions for turning TraceMonkey build in a night can be found here.
Firefox 3.1 has been promoted as a fast track to upgrade from version 3.0 in June; edition that worked its way through eight full-alphas.
Mozilla has refused to set a hard deadline for the browser, only saying it is shooting for a late 2008 or early 2009 release. Last week, however, the developer of open source Firefox 3.1 Beta 1 reversal of the program for three weeks.
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