Waterfox 16.0.1 promises better performance than Firefox on 64-bit-powered PCs

64-bit Firefox variant Waterfox 16.0.1 has been released, providing Windows users with a stable version of Firefox that’s optimised for 64-bit systems.

The latest build of Waterfox 16.0.1 finally appears 19 days after Firefox 16 itself was released, and includes all the changes and improvements found in the 16.0.1 build of Firefox. However, it has already been effectively made out-of-date by the appearance of Firefox 16.0.2, which contains a critical security fix.
Waterfox 16.0.1 contains all of the new features introduced in Firefox 16.0.1, including initial support for web apps, performance improvements based on incremental garbage collection and a new Developer Toolbar. This latter feature includes buttons for quick access to developer tools, plus a new command line for quick keyboard access and recently opened files list for Scratchpad.
Users can also discover which tabs are consuming most memory in Firefox by typing about:memory into a new tab, while several CSS3 features – including animations and transitions – have been unprefixed, recognising the fact they’re now stable. Like Firefox, the inline PDF viewer is present but hasn’t been switched on due to ongoing development – you can trial it manually with the help of our guide.
Waterfox 16.0.1 also drops the AVG Security Toolbar, which was briefly added to version 15’s installer as an optional add-on in an attempt to help support Waterfox’s development. A largely negative response led to its quick removal.
Unlike Firefox, there’s no built-in updating yet implemented in Firefox – instead users are prompted to launch the updater tool manually with the /checknow parameter added to its shortcut.
Despite the delay, the new build is already out of date, after Mozilla released Firefox 16.0.2 FINAL, which contains a single critical security fix – see here for full details – that we presume will lead to the quick release of Waterfox 16.0.2. In the meantime, for those who can’t wait, Waterfox 16.0.1 is a freeware download for PCs running a 64-bit version of Windows.

Five years of Android, five landmark devices

Android has just turned five – here are five products that have helped define Google’s OS

Android was first revealed five years ago today, so we thought we’d take a stroll through the past half-decade, looking at five products that have defined Google’s mobile OS.

HTC Magic

The HTC Magic was a real game-changer: the first great Android phone and the possessor of a fantastic touchscreen. A quick glance down the specs list shows us how far Android phones have come since: the screen is 320 x 480, the camera is a mere 3.2MP and there’s just 512MB of built-in storage – but for its time it was a top class smartphone.

Motorola Xoom

Until the Xoom, Android tablets used a “blown up” version of the smartphone software, leading to them being buggier than a spider’s web after “flying ant day”. But Motorola’s 10.1-inch slate rocked Android 3.0 Honeycomb, a version of the OS designed specifically with tablets in mind. While not quite as smooth a customer as the first-gen iPad, the Xoom had a sharper 1280 x 800 screen, twin cameras and multitasking, making it the first Android slate to offer up a decent alternative to Apple.

Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich

OK, so it’s not a device per se, but in our opinion Ice Cream Sandwich is the version of Android that made it a true “mobile ecosystem” (ugh, sorry about that). Offering a unified user interface across both smartphones and tablets, along with a great big pile of new features (including the ability to take screenshots!), it remains a slick platform for any mobile device.

Samsung Galaxy S3

Combining stunning form with immense power and a stack of features longer than a basketball player’s arm, the Samsung Galaxy S3 is the first Android phone to be, in our opinion, better than its closest Apple rival (in this case, the iPhone 5). This handset has put down a marker by which high end smartphones should be judged.

Google Nexus 10

The Nexus 10 is Google’s latest tablet, and its first to really challenge the might of the full size iPad. And challenge it does: for a piffling price point, it offers a sharper-than-Retina-Display screen, speedy dual-core processor and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. The build quality is fantastic too. It’s enough to tempt away many a would-be iPad 4 purchaser...