Firefox 3 beta arrives

The beta version of the third incarnation of Mozilla's open source browser, Firefox, is available to download online.

However, Mozilla has cautioned anyone who isn't a developer or part of its testing community not to download it.

"These beta releases are targeted to web developers and our testing community to gain feedback before advancing to the next stage in the release process. The final version of Firefox 3 will be released when we qualify the product as fully ready for our users," Mozilla said.

Firefox is a popular option for those who shun Microsoft products. It generally doesn't suffer the same level of security attacks as the Internet Explorer browser, though the current version, Firefox 2, has required patching up recently.

Many of the new features in the beta of Firefox 3 are security-focused, including better malware protection and integration with your existing anti-virus software, informing it when you download files.

Other changes are introduced with the aim of making it easier to use, with better password management and a new download manager. Mozilla said it has also improved the integration with Windows Vista and Mac OS.

More information about the Firefox 3 beta is on the Mozilla website.

www.mozilla.org

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