Mozilla has rolled out Firefox 23, the foundation's latest beta release for PC, Mac and Android platforms. Unlike most betas though, this latest release is accompanied by yet a more emblematic milestone: a newly design logo. The new artwork is slated to appear across all other Firefox versions, websites and promotional materials within the "coming weeks".
Download Firefox 23 Beta now: Windows / Mac OS / Linux / Release Notes
The new design sports a mostly softer appearance with less shine and fewer intricacies. Interestingly, the latest artwork resembles Firefox's first design more closely than any other prior logos. The emblem's last update was in 2009, when it received brighter colors and an undeniable touch of glossy shine.
With Firefox 23 beta, Mozilla is introducing a "Mixed Content Blocker" which prevents non-secure HTTP elements from loading within HTTPS websites. Having both types of content enables unscrupulous page designers (and hackers) to circumvent HTTPS security through scripting. Also appearing in 23 beta is DXVA2 support (DirectX video acceleration) which will speed up H.264 encoding in Windows Vista/7/8, a network activity monitor for developers and a more simplified interface for plug-in notifications.
Perhaps one of the most noticeable changes though, is the introduction of Mozilla's Social API. Firefox now has a "Share" button which allows users to share content across various social networks. The API allows social network notifications, like status updates, to be delivered within the browser's UI. By default, Firefox will display this type of content in a side panel.
Mac users will also notice Lion's scroll snap (aka. elastic scroll, scroll bounce) behavior has finally slipped its way into Firefox as well as Lion's newer scroll bar design.