Firefox 118 brings two important features - TUXEDO Computers

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Firefox 118 brings two important features

The Mozilla Foundation released Firefox 118 on 26. September 2023. The new version of the browser is already available in TUXEDO OS on the same day.

What’s new?

Firefox 118 brings two important features to the users. The Firefox Translations were already integrated in the predecessor, but not yet activated. Now the former extension for translating websites is natively anchored in the browser and can be used via an icon in the address bar or via the main menu.

Why another translator?

The special thing about Firefox Translate is that the data to be translated does not leave your computer. With cloud translators such as Google Translator, Bing Translator or DeepL, the data is sent to their servers, translated and sent back to your device. This allows profiles to be created of which websites are translated from a particular IP address, which is an invasion of privacy.

That is why we at TUXEDO find it very welcome that Mozilla is taking a different approach and now offers translations where the data does not leave your computer. Firefox Translations is the result of the Bergamot Project research, funded by the European Union and coordinated by a consortium led by the University of Edinburgh with partners Charles University in Prague, the University of Sheffield, the University of Tartu in Estonia and Mozilla.

We have already described how Firefox Translations works in a recent news item.

Fractional Scaling for Wayland

The second important feature is the support of Fractional Scaling in Firefox for Wayland. This technique allows HiDPI monitors and high-resolution laptops to be fully optimised. By fine-tuning the scaling, you can create a balanced and aesthetically pleasing desktop screen that is neither too large nor too small. For optimal adjustment, you can therefore set non-integer scales such as 0.5 or 2.5.

At the moment, most TUXEDO OS users probably still use X11, as we do not yet officially offer Wayland with TUXEDO OS. However, this will change in the spring of 2024 with KDE Plasma 6, which will be delivered with Wayland as standard. Then this new function will also be interesting for you.

Security and privacy

Firefox 118 also closes 10 security holes. For this reason alone, a timely update is recommended. With Firefox Translations, Mozilla brings a unique selling point to the browser that helps protect privacy and further proves Firefox’s relevance as an open source browser.