Firefox 4.0 is bringing together all sorts of new features for the ultimate web browsing experience.  It comes with a ton of awesome features, like the Awesome Bar, 3D, and more! For a complete picture of everything 4.0 has to offer, visit http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/features.

Let’s start with the Awesome Bar.  What makes it so awesome?  It lets you get to your favorite sites quickly, even if you cannot remember the URL’s!  All you need to do is type a term into the bar and it will automatically bring up possible matches from your bookmarks, browsing history, and tabs.  The more you use the Awesome Bar, the more it adapts to your preferences.

You now have the ability to connect your desktop and mobile Firefox by using Sync.  Sync allows you to access your passwords, browsing history, bookmarks and tabs on either device.  This is probably one of the coolest features I have ever heard of.  With Sync, you can begin a browsing session on your desktop, and then pick up your mobile device and continue browsing from the exact same spot.  All of the tabs on your desktop are on your device too!  This is beyond convenient.

With Firefox 4.0, your privacy and security is the #1 priority.  Anti-virus and anti-phishing integration, parental controls, outdated plugin detection, secure updates and more are all working together to keep you safe on the internet.  One of the more interesting features is Instant Website ID.  If you think a site is not as legit as it should be, you can click its “favicon” for an instant overview of the site.  This helps you to determine if the site is really what it claims to be.  This is very handy if you are questioning on whether or not to make a purchase from the site.

Firefox continues to improve features and security as the latest version is 7.01.  My post today covered the major features of 4.0 (which was released about 6 months ago) which remain as central features of Firefox.

Internet Explorer 9 offers you increased performance in both functionality and security.  There are several features in particular that I would like to highlight for you.  For a more complete view of all the features that IE 9 has to offer, visit http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/internet-explorer/products/ie-9/features/fast.

The updated notification bar allows for faster browsing.  You no longer have to deal with pesky dialogue boxes popping up everywhere, because all messages are consolidated in the notification bar at the bottom of your screen.  You can tend to the notifications whenever you fancy, or you can completely ignore them.  All of the messages, error notifications and warnings that show up in your handy notification bar are now easier to understand and act upon.

You now have the ability to go to your favorite websites straight from the taskbar on your computer!  It’s called pinning a site.  When you click on your pinned site, the internet will come up, where the navigation controls and browser frame will have incorporated the site’s icon and primary color.  This provides an exceptional viewing experience of your site.

In terms of security, let’s just say IE 9 has got your back!  There are a lot of filters and threat detectors that all sound very impressive.  In particular, the SmartScreen Filter.  This handy filter protects you from all sorts of things you can encounter during your internet experience.  It features anti-phishing protection, application reputation, and anti-malware protection, all working together to keep your computer and online information safe.

There is another security feature called InPrivate Browsing, which is great if you are using a shared computer or one located in a library or internet café.  InPrivate Browsing  works to prevent your browsing history, cookies, form data, passwords, and other information from being retained by the browser.  You can start an InPrivate session with a simple Ctrl+Shift+P, and end your session by closing the browser window.

So many features are presented with the release of Internet Explorer 9, I can agree with Microsoft when they say that IE 9 is fast, clean, and trusted.

According to Apple, Safari is now “more fascinating, more secure, and more fun.”  I couldn’t agree more.  With so many new features, I have no idea where to begin.  Since I can’t talk about everything, you can satisfy your thirst for knowledge about Safari at http://www.apple.com/safari/whats-new.html.

There’s the handy Reading List, ideal for those of us who don’t have enough time to spend on a web page when we come across it.  Simply save an interesting page to the Reading List, and when you have some time on your hands, go back and check it out.  This way, you won’t have to try and remember what you wanted to look at earlier this week, because it will be peeking at you from over on the reading list.

With the latest version of Safari comes the most secure version to date.  The Privacy Pane, found in Safari preferences, shows you what kind of data websites are storing and lets you remove it if you so desire.  It also lets you choose whether websites request your location, as well as lets you customize your cookies (delicious!).  There is also Private AutoFill.  Personally, I love it when my browser fills in my information into a web form.  But, there are times when that isn’t the case.  With Private AutoFill, Safari detects when there is a form to be filled in, and lets you choose whether or not you want your information automatically filled in.

Apple continues to make some nice improvements to its browser.

Google Chrome is known for its speed, simplicity, and security.  The newest release is version 11.0.696.50, and comes with the features to back up its reputation.  Let’s look at some of these features today.  For a complete look at Google Chrome, check out http://www.google.com/chrome/intl/en/more/index.html.

Chrome has its own V8, literally.  It is a more powerful JavaSript engine that was built in order to run complex web apps with speed.  And we all know that incredibly speed = extremely convenient for us!  It is also fast and easy to search and navigate.  Gone are the days of separate navigation and search bars, as they have united into Chrome’s Omnibox.  Simply start typing in what you want, and a suggested list of both websites and search results will be provided by what Chrome calls the “Instant Feature,” all before you hit enter.

Chrome helps to protect you and your beloved computer from malicious websites through several different technologies.  Safe Browsing displays a warning page if you go to a site that is suspected of containing malware or phishing, a warning page will show up in your browser to alert you.  Another technology, Sandboxing, is used to help prevent malware from installing itself on your computer.  It also protects you from pages that attempt to monitor your internet activities, steal information from your hard drive, and leave programs on your unsuspecting computer.  Finally, there are auto-updates that make sure all of your security measures are up-to-date.  They are updated automatically – you don’t have to click or do anything.

Your private information should stay private.  Chrome allows you to browse in Incognito Mode, which keeps any of your actions from being recorded.  This comes in handy when you don’t want to keep changing your privacy settings back and forth between browsing sessions.  When in Incognito Mode, you get to see a cool little incognito man icon in the corner of your screen!  (It looks really cool).

Chrome always sets its standards high by continually improving their blazing fast speed and peace of mind security and privacy settings.