Wednesday, Aug 27, 2008    Text size: 

Although the open-source giant did not include any private browsing features with the latest release of its flagship application, the Firefox web browser, they're on the way – and soon.

Slated for release later this year or in early 2009, Firefox version 3.1 should include a private-browsing mode that aims to trump Microsoft's.

"We want users to not only be able to enter [a private browsing session], but tell the browser that they want to delete all evidence starting a couple of hours ago," said Mozilla's Mike Beltzner, who added that he can't guarantee the addition of this new feature to Firefox 3.1.

Beltzner said that Firefox is taking its time to make sure that these new features are built directly into the browser – offering a simple add-on feature that users would have to install wouldn't be good enough.

"What we're seeing in Firefox is that people want their browsers to remember more, not less," he said, referring to a new feature in Firefox 3.0 that lets users type words directly into their browser bar to call up relevant links in their histories.

If all goes according to Mozilla's plan, that kind of simplicity should define their program's own "porn mode."