The release of a new version of a browser used to be a
notable event. New releases only came along every couple of years, and usually
included plenty of new features or a fresh design. Now, most browser companies
issue rolling updates, with new features being continually added to the
browser, which is updated automatically, often without the use even noticing.
The release of a
new version of a browser used to be a notable event
Google’s Chrome browser, for example, is only five years old
but is already on version 31, at the time of writing. The first version of
Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, on the other hand, was released in 1995, but
it’s only at version 11, although Microsoft has said that it also has plans to
update its browser more frequently.
Many of the leading browser makers release preview versions
of their browsers so that developers can test new features before they’re
unleashed on the public at large. There’s nothing to stop your downloading and
playing with these experimental browsers, although you should be aware that
they are often unstable and buggy.
Here’s how to try forthcoming versions of two of the major
browsers, to get an indication of what’s coming in future releases:
Chrome
Google Chrome runs several ‘beta channels’ that allows you
to install versions of the browser at different stages of development. The most
interesting is the so-called Canary version of the browser, which is updated
daily and includes the most cutting-edge features. Unlike other Chrome betas,
it doesn’t install over your existing version of the browser, so you can test
the new features and return to the stable, regular version of Chrome for
day-to-day surfing. You can download Chrome Canary from bit.ly/canary334.
Google Chrome runs
several ‘beta channels’ that allows you to install versions of the browser at
different stages of development
At the time of writing, the latest Canary build includes a
handy new feature that displays a little speaker icon in any browser tab that’s
playing audio, so when a web advert suddenly starts playing unwanted sounds,
you can spot which tab it’s coming from. Google is also experimenting with a
new malware detector, which automatically prevents users from installing known
viruses from websites.
Firefox
There are a couple of experimental versions of Firefox that
you can try. The beta version of the standard Desktop browser (www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/beta)
includes the Auralis design – a minimal new look for Firefox. In common with
most other browsers, it keeps buttons and menus to a minimum to focus attention
onto the websites themselves.
There are a couple
of experimental versions of Firefox that you can try
The Aurora browser (www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/aurora),
is Firefox’s pre-release version of a touch-friendly browser for Windows 8 PCs.
This introduces big, finger-friendly buttons at the side of the screen for
going back to or opening a new tab, and other tablet-oriented features. To
access this special Windows 8 mode, you will need a Windows 8/8.1 device and to
set Aurora as your default browser (you’ll be given the option during installation).
Then you need to click the Aurora tile on the Windows 8 homescreen. If you’ve
not got a tile, find the Aurora icon in the All Apps view, right-click it and
select ‘Pin to Start’.
You can keep an eye on other changes to Firefox through its
Nightly channel (nightly.mozilla.org), which releases new builds of the browser
to developers for testing purposes. Downloads are available for Windows, Mac,
Linux and Android.
