Windows Browsers Firefox V62.0.2

Firefox 62: Variable Fonts and Better New Tabs

Released in September 2018, Firefox 62 brought a refined focus to typography and user customization. For the Chasms.com community, this version felt like a "designer’s update," introducing modern web standards that made websites look more like high-end magazines while giving users more control over their "home" experience.

Variable Fonts: A Typography Revolution

The standout technical feature of Firefox 62 was support for OpenType Variable Fonts.

• One File, Infinite Styles: Instead of needing a separate file for bold, italic, and light versions of a font, a single "variable" file allowed developers to adjust weight and style with pinpoint accuracy.

• Faster Load Times: By reducing the number of font files a browser had to download, websites became lighter and faster, making the deep archives on Chasms.com even snappier to browse.

A More Flexible New Tab Page

Firefox Home (the default New Tab page) received a much-requested upgrade in flexibility:

• More Rows: Users could now expand their "Top Sites," "Highlights," and "Pocket" sections to show up to four rows of content.

• Quick Data Wipe: A new "Clear Site Data and Cookies" button was added to the identity popup (the icon next to the URL), allowing you to wipe local data for a specific site in just two clicks.

Pro Tools: Shapes and 3-Pane Inspector

For the builders in our community, Firefox 62 turned the Developer Tools up to eleven:

• Shape Path Editor: A brand-new tool was added to the CSS inspector, allowing you to visually click and drag to edit CSS Shapes (like circles and polygons) directly in the browser.

• 3-Pane Inspector: To make the most of widescreen monitors, the Inspector could now be split into three columns, letting you view your HTML, CSS rules, and computed styles all side-by-side.

Security and Sync

• Sync Wipe: When disconnecting your account from a public or shared computer, Firefox 62 offered a new option to wipe all personal data (bookmarks, history, passwords) from that specific device during the sign-out process.

• Parallel-Off-Main-Thread Painting: For Windows users without dedicated graphics cards, this update improved rendering speeds, making the browser feel more responsive on older hardware.