Mozilla is allowing users to try out two exciting new features via its Test Pilot program: the Firefox Color and Side View.
Test Pilot Program
Firefox's Test Pilot Program is designed to give users access to experimental Firefox features that are in the early stages of development. This helps developers decide whether or not certain features should be incorporated into future versions of the browser.
Firefox Color and Side View are both available for testing now through the program and can be downloaded for free. In due course, if they do end up garnering enough positive feedback from users, both extensions could make it to Firefox's mainstream releases.
Although not every Test Pilot experiment makes the cut, some of the recent experiments that did pass the test include the screenshot tool Page Shot, Containers, and Activity Stream.
Firefox Color
The first feature released by Mozilla is the Firefox Color extension. This new feature is essentially a theming tool that allows users to customize different elements of their Firefox web browser, including background color, text, toolbar icons, the search bar, toolbar color, and so on.
Users can also choose from a number of preinstalled themes and even share their creations with others. One of the reasons why Firefox is still in the browser game is because it has always been about customization and this feature takes things to the next level.
Side View
The second feature that Firefox is testing is an incredibly useful multitasking extension called Side View. As the name suggests, the tool allows users to open up two tabs side-by-side within the same browser window.
Once the Firefox extension is installed, users can simply select the Side View icon from the toolbar, pick the tab they want to open up within the current tab, and it will pop up within the browser's sidebar. Alternatively, one can also right-click on links to open the website in the Side View panel without having to leave the page they're currently browsing.
Although without Side View, users were still able to do this by lining up windows alongside each other or by adding a second monitor. The Side View feature is a convenient tool that saves a great deal of time.
The feature can be very useful when working on a report or making comparisons, such as checking out prices between two retail stores or deciding which new smartphone to purchase.
