Mozilla releases Firefox 25, includes Web Audio support

Mozilla released Firefox 25 on Tuesday, hours after dishing out the browser on its servers.

The not-for-profit company touted as its flagship feature for the updated software Web Audio, which extends existing APIs across platforms, including Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android.

In adding the technology, developers can now significantly improve audio support for browser-based games, services, and applications. Essentially, the browser is one step closer to completing the full-circle support for the more memory- and processor-based games and applications.

In a blog post, the company explained the real-world benefits, by tuning the soundscape:

We can attach the sounds of a roaring fire to my magicians fireball, hurl it away and hear the fireball moving towards its target. We can hear the siren of a police car approaching and hear how it passes by from the pitch shift known as doppler effect. And we know we can use these features without needing to manage the production of an audio engine.

Also in the updated software, resetting Firefox no longer clears the browser session, while the browser now supports the option to migrate from another browser's history and settings if Firefox isn't used for months.

Firefox 25 also includes security fixes for more than five critical vulnerabilities, as well other less critical fixes.

Meanwhile, Firefox for Android was also updated, and is making its way to Google Play throughout the day. As its main feature, guest browsing has been added to the software, allowing phone and tablet users to share their browsers with friends without losing their existing tabs. 

According to market share statistics firm Net Applications, Firefox has more than 18 percent of the overall browser usage share, ahead of Chrome's 16 percent, but behind Internet Explorer's 57 percent.