TMCnews Featured Article

Allowing users to access Facebook (News - Alert) directly from the browser, Mozilla's latest update of its Firefox Web browser, released earlier this week, includes Facebook Messenger for Firefox, which brings two key Facebook features into the Mozilla (News - Alert) browser, notifications and instant messaging.

Those who’d like to turn on this feature, can do so by going to Facebook’s Messenger for Firefox. Once there, users will be able to see four Facebook icons appear at the top right of their browser. They include the buttons for friend requests, message alerts and notifications.

Whenever the user receives new requests, messages or notifications, the icons light up and show red alerts, just as it does on the website. On the left, users will see a button that looks like the Facebook logo. That button has the settings for the feature as well as a shortcut to their profiles.

A chat sidebar is located directly below the icons that shows friend’s activity as it happens and below that, users will be able to see who’s online. A chat window opens to the left, when it is clicked. No matter what website the users go to, the sidebar and chat windows stay open on top of their browsers.

"We tried to make the experience for users who interact with social media just a lot easier and more seamless," said Todd Simpson, Mozilla's chief of innovation, to The Times.

Firefox is not the first browser to integrate Facebook features. That distinction belongs to Rockmelt (News - Alert), a social-media browser that has been around since 2010. Between the latest version of Firefox and Rockmelt, Simpson said that there are similarities; however since Firefox allows its users to choose what social network they integrate with their browser, it is different.

Mozilla has added tools that social networks and websites can tap into to integrate its features and services into the browser, with the latest Firefox version.

Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO Miami 2013, Jan 29- Feb. 1 in Miami, Florida.  Stay in touch with everything happening at ITEXPO (News - Alert). Follow us on Twitter.