Although Firefox 3.5 (formerly Firefox 3.1) is still in beta, Mozilla is already developing Firefox 3.6 code-named Namoroka (a Madagascar national park.) Slated for an early-to-mid 2010 release, the browser will be marketed as Firefox.next (FX) moniker in a nod to new technologies set to take Firefox to the next level. Speed remains the paramount focus, especially in terms of user interface improvemens, startup time and tab handling. There is also a better integration with the host OS and web apps, new personalization and customization features, souped up tabs management.
Firefox developers tout "dramatic" speed increases on startup (>50ms), reduced memory requirements and JavaScript optimizations as key features of the new browser. In combination with the updated Gecko 1.9.2 layout engine (1.9.1 in Firefox 3.5), we can expected the race between Google Chrome and Firefox to remain interesting. The first 3.6 build delivers tab thumbnails and supports dragging of individual tabs between browser windows as well as an upcoming feature that will allow users to save and load groups of tabs. Selecting Ctrl + Tab shows a serach box that overlays the opened tab thumbnails and helps users to narrow down the list of groups. The bookmark and download managers will get bulk tagging support and file-related tasks (copy, move, etc.), respectively.
A smarter location bar
A new privacy setting enables users to set suggestions for history items and bookmarks. Suggested items can be removed from the location bar without deleting them from the system. Enhanced support for web apps and the ability to save pages as web apps will allow FX to act as "the intermediary between web applications and the user's OS desktop," Mozilla claims. FX will integrate with OS X Dictionary, Services menu, AppleScript and Keychain (to store passwords), while natively supporting Windows 7, Aero Glass and Aero Peek looks.
Experimental add-ons now standard
FX will integrate the currently experimental Ubiquity command infrastructure, now called Taskfox. Basically IE8's Web Accelerators on steroids, Taskfox will extend the browser's functionality with user-generated mashups that perform common web tasks like mapping a location or defining a term, without the need to visit another web site. Taskfox will also expose itself to a location bar, enabling users to combine complex mashup-based queries (see gallery for early concepts). Personas is another experimental project that will come with FX to provide support for lightweight UI theming.
Some of the 3.6 alpha 1 Gallery: 
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