Firefox 15 debuts silent updates, fixes 31 security flaws

Mozilla has published Firefox 15, the new browser release plugs 31 security vulnerabilities, including 23 that are rated as "critical" - so you better update asap. You can go to the "About Firefox" dialogue in the browser's "Help" menu to start updating or download it manually over here.

The update also promises significant performance enhancements, Mozilla claims they've finally plugged the main cause of memory leaks in Firefox add-ons, and touts enhanced 3D gaming performance thanks to native support for compressed textures in WebGL.

Last but not least, Firefox 15 addresses complaints about Mozilla's rapid release cycle by introducing a silent update model, similar to Google's Chrome browser.

What's New:

• NEW: Silent, background updates
• NEW: Support for SPDY networking protocol v3
• NEW: WebGL enhancements, including compressed textures for better performance
• NEW: Localization in Maithili (see all available locales)
• CHANGED: Optimized memory usage for add-ons
• DEVELOPER: JavaScript debugger integrated into developer tools
• DEVELOPER: New layout view added to Inspector
• DEVELOPER: High precision event timer implemented
• DEVELOPER: The CSS word-break property has been implemented.
• DEVELOPER: New responsive design tool allows web developers to switch between desktop and mobile views of sites
• HTML5: Native support for the Opus audio codec added
• HTML5: The
• HTML5: The element now supports the media attribute
• FIXED: Focus rings keep growing when repeatedly tabbing through elements (720987)

A new version of Firefox for Android tablets was also released, you can find it in the Google Play store. Mozilla says the new version offers quicker startups, faster page load times, better web app performance and quicker panning/zoomin. More details about the new Android Firefox browser can be read at Mozilla's blog.