| Mozilla releases important updates for Firefox and Thunderbird The Mozilla Foundation recently released major updates for their Firefox Web browser and Thunderbird e-mail client. The Office of Information Technology recommends updating to version 1.5 of these products if you have not already done so. Firefox is Mozilla’s free open-source Web browser recommended by IT. Firefox offers a safer browsing experience than Internet Explorer and some additional features that the current version of Internet Explorer lacks. One of the features that sets Firefox apart from Internet Explorer is the ability to open different Web pages in separate tabs all in the same browser Window. You can Ctrl-click on a link to open it in a new tab so you do not have to leave the original page. In addition to bookmarking a single Web page, Firefox also allows you to bookmark a group of open tabs so you can quickly call them up later. Version 1.5 allows you to drag and drop browser tabs so you can reorder them. Another Firefox feature is support for RSS (Really Simple Syndication). Some Web sites allow you to subscribe to an RSS “feed” that sends the latest headlines to your browser’s bookmark list. Lotus Notes is the recommended e-mail client for faculty and staff, and Mozilla Thunderbird is the recommended alternative. Since Thunderbird can be downloaded quickly and configured easily, it is the e-mail client most often recommended for students. It also is the fastest way to read AU e-mail over a slow dial-up connection. Like Microsoft’s Outlook, Thunderbird can be used to read e-mail from multiple accounts. If you already use Outlook, Outlook Express, or Netscape Messenger to read your e-mail, Thunderbird automatically will import your e-mail and settings. Like Firefox, Thunderbird also supports RSS feeds. Instead of RSS headlines appearing in your bookmarks, Thunderbird displays new headlines and articles from your favorite Web sites as separate messages under a News & Blogs folder. Version 1.5 adds support for podcast feeds. Podcasting uses RSS technology to push audio and video rather than text only. Thunderbird displays new podcasts as messages with audio or video attachments that you can open and play on your computer. Version 1.0 of Firefox and Thunderbird automatically will prompt you to update as far as version 1.0.7; but you may need to download version 1.5 and run the installer to get the latest version. It automatically will update your existing versions. The new versions include an improved automatic update system that will keep the browser secured against the latest threats from malicious Web sites and e-mails. To check your version in either program, click the “Help” menu and select “About Mozilla Firefox/Thunderbird.” Microsoft is not stepping aside as the popularity of the Mozilla products grow. The first major update to Internet Explorer since version 6 was released in 2001. IE 7.0 is currently in the “beta testing” stage of development and will be released this year. It will offer new features like tabbed browsing and RSS support, but only time will tell if the security is improved. Whether you use applications from Mozilla or Microsoft, automatic updates are critical for keeping your software protected against the latest security exploits. While many programs will update automatically without prompting you, some require that you confirm the installation of an update. If you ignore the prompts to install updates for your software, you may leave your computer open to viruses and other malicious software. For more information on Firefox and Thunderbird, as well as installation and configuration instructions, visit http://help.american.edu or www.mozilla.com. |
