Firefox 142: The link preview is there – for some users
As with Wikipedia, Firefox wants to introduce a link preview for the entire web. At present, this only works in English. Version 142 also offers more AI.
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Firefox 142 is here and offers the link preview for the first time. If you click on a link for a long time or right-click in the menu to select the preview, you get a preview comparable to the Wikipedia feature. A description of the website in keywords generated by a local AI is optionally included. To use this function, the client must have at least 3 GB of RAM. At the official launch, the link preview is also only available in English (en-US, en-CA, en-GB and en-AU).
Now the LLM extensions are coming
Another important change affects extension developers: Firefox now supports the wllama API, allowing functions of large AI language models (LLMs) to be integrated directly into add-ons. However, it is questionable how much enthusiasm the renewed focus on AI features will meet with among users. After the last update of the tab groups including AI, complaints about the significantly increased CPU load that this entailed increased. However, all AI enhancements remain optional, unlike the AI tab groups and the link preview.
Speaking of tab groups: Users can now leave a tab active in a minimized group, so it remains visible, although the rest of the tabs are collapsed in the service of the overview. In the address bar, the search for suggestions will no longer show duplicate entries.
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Updates for administrators
From Firefox version 142, companies can set in the guidelines whether users are allowed to share their browser screen. Administrators can also centrally define protection against activity tracking; if they do so, users can no longer change this setting. This policy now also includes whether Firefox should use fingerprinting protection. This allows a user to be identified even without cookies, using a combination of web browser version, client data and additional software. Firefox protection adds additional, random information that makes fingerprinting more difficult.
There are also bug fixes and minor updates. The new article recommendations when opening a new tab are only available for users in the USA. They group the linked websites by topic. Whether and when these will also be available in other countries remains to be seen. All information on Firefox 142 can be found in the release notes.
(fo)
