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Mozilla releases new versions of the Firefox web browser roughly every 6 weeks, so not every new build has a lot of shiny new features. But with the launch of Firefox 37, the team did make a few interesting changes.
There are a number of security improvements, support for native HTML5 playback of YouTube videos in the Windows version of the browser (no more Flash required), there’s a new Heartbeat user rating system, and Firefox for Android tablets features a new design that looks a little different from the smartphone version.
Here’s a roundup of tech news from around the web. You can always keep up on the latest headlines (and often get the news a little faster) by following Liliputing on Twitter, Google+ and Facebook.
- Firefox 37 released for desktop, tablet, and mobile
Tabs have been moved to the top, where they’re always visible on Android devices with larger displays. [Mozilla/Medium] - Looks like the Microsoft Surface 3 just hit the FCC
Microsoft’s new tablet went up for pre-order today, but it won’t ship until May. It also showed up at the FCC website… but the listing doesn’t tell us anything we didn’t already know. [FCC] - Old Chromecast learns new tricks
Concerts from Qello, talks from TED, sports coverage from Pac-12, and whatever it is MTV broadcasts these days. It’s all available on Google’s $35 media streaming device now. [Google] - Atmel introduces a low-power chip that can run for 10 years on a single battery charge
The SAM L21 32-bit microcontroller isn’t going to power a smartphone, but this little chip for embedded application uses just 35 microamps of power per megahertz, which is several times lower than most chips in its class. [Ars Technica] - Open Source, cross-platform audio editor Audacity hits version 2.1
The new build adds real-time preview for effects, improved noise reduction, and more. [Audacity] - Amazon launches a white version of the Kindle eReader in Japan and China
It’s been a few years since Amazon offered a white option in the US, possibly because black borders make the screen itself look whiter. But it looks like the company’s producing white versions of its latest Kindle hardware again. There’s no word on if or when we’ll see this version in the US or Europe. [Ink, Bits, and Pixels]
It took forever to get HTML5 video on the desktop version of Firefox. But now that it is finally here, maybe it won’t be long before we see it in the Android version.
Hey, I just got the Firefox 37 update in Android, and HTML-5 YouTube videos work!