The Firefox development merry-go-round has moved on again, withFirefox 9 Beta and Firefox 10 Aurora builds being joined by two separate versions of Firefox 11: Firefox 11 Nightly and Firefox 11 UX, the most intriguing build of all.

Those looking for major new features or a revamped interface will be disappointed, as the emphasis in Beta and Aurora builds is very much one of performance improvements and stability fixes. With this in mind, which version should you install? Read on for our updated guide to what’s happening with each version of Firefox.

Opera has released the latest beta version of its popular web browser, Opera 11.60. Code-named “Tunny”, the new release makes some significant changes, both visible and in the browser core. And these start with a revamped address bar.

Type a keyword, for instance, and Opera won’t only search your bookmarks and history. It’ll now also offer search suggestions, so typing "Windows" will provide links for Windows Update, Windows Live, Windows 8, and so on. And once you’ve reached a page, a new star icon allows you to bookmark it at a click. These aren’t exactly the most original ideas, then, but they’re worthwhile additions that will speed up your browsing just a little.

Mozilla has uploaded the final build of its open-source, cross-platform browser Mozilla Firefox 8.0 to its servers ahead of its official release tomorrow. Version 8.0 is the latest in a rapid series of releases from Mozilla that has seen development accelerated to rivals likes  Google Chrome.

Whereas version 7, released six weeks ago, concentrated on behind-the-scenes improvements, version 8 does feature some noticeable changes, including an Add-ons Compatibility Assistant plus an option for speeding up startup.

Google has updated both Google Chrome Beta to version 16, and Google Chrome Dev to version 17, respectively.

Chrome Beta’s standout feature is support for multi-user profiles that can be standalone or linked to separate Google accounts for sync purposes. This allows users to access their own personal settings from another machine, but should be considered a feature that’s convenient rather than secure.

One of the curses of modern day life is remembering, storing and managing passwords. Whether you use a password manager, store passwords in your browser or try to remember the lot, there are always challenges. Storing in your browser is the easiest option, but how can you be sure that they’re safe? Secure Login for Firefox is a very handy extra layer of security.

Like Opera’s magic wand, Secure Login helps you to log into sites where you’ve already saved your username and password in Firefox. If you have an account stored, when you rest the mouse pointer over the key icon to the left of the address bar, you’ll see if it's available to login. Just click this button to securely authenticate yourself on this site.

Do I have your attention now?

Google Chrome's assault on Internet Explorer continued a pace in October, according to browser usage share data that Net Applications released today. Chrome gained share for the 12th consecutive month. Since November 2010, IE share fell 7.72 points, while Chrome gained 8.05. Want to guess from where Google's browser is taking usage share? Hint: It's not Firefox.

Testing a site for mobile browser compatibility can be a tricky matter. Each of the different mobile platforms has their own built-in browser in addition to downloadable third-party ones, there are the different screen sizes and resolutions, different orientation sensors, and different processor power profiles.

And there's the ever-present problem of plug-in support and support for the new, growing browser technologies like HTML5 and CSS3.

In the rush to cover Nokia World and new Windows Phones, I missed something kind of ground quaking yesterday. Microsoft is promoting Firefox with Bing. The default search engine, which users can change, is Google on standard Firefox. Now they can get the browser with Bing as default. Did hell freeze over and I miss the tweet?

Firefox exists today because of Google. People can rabble on about the importance of open-source and raise Firefox as the poster application for the movement's success. Software development isn't free, and running an organization and marketing products require capital. Firefox launched 7 years ago next month, and Google not only has powered search but provided through the bundled service the cash that keeps the organization running. Why on earth, or any planet, then would Mozilla jeopardize that relationship?

Google has updated its web browser, Google Chrome, to version 15. As expected, changes are evolutionary rather than revolutionary, and some features that were present in the beta version have yet to be migrated across to this stable release.

The only notable change is an extremely visible one: a redesigned new tab/window page. This splits apps, bookmarks and most visited sites into separate sections, accessible via a series of buttons at the bottom of the page. There’s also a Recently Closed page, making it easier for users to open the window of their choice.

To accompany the new stable version of the Chrome browser Tuesday, Google updated its Chrome App Store Apps with a new look and new interface.

The new App Store is marked by big images for the featured apps and extensions, that users need only to hover over to reveal a short review, user rating, and "add to Chrome" button. A left-hand navigation panel contains the store's search feature, and lists of popular apps and extensions, collections, and categories.

Individual pages for apps and extensions have been updated as well with a tabbed interface that breaks the app up into Overview, details, and reviews. The reviews interface now links to a user's real identity with their Google+ profile.

One way to stay safer online is to run your browser in a sandbox, where it’s isolated from your main PC: even if you’re infected by something unpleasant, this greatly limits the damage that malware can do.

You don’t have a sandbox? Then one simple alternative is to download and install Dell KACE’s free Secure Browser, which essentially provides a virtualized version of Firefox 3.6.13.

Dolphin HD 7.0 for Android has been released by its developer, Mobotap. Version 7.0 showcases a new browser sync feature called Dolphin Connect along with enhanced Webzine functionality. In a move that may anger some Android users, Dolphin HD 7.0 will exclusively be available only through the GetJar App store until Sunday (October 23).

Initially available only on Android, Dolphin Connect will eventually be rolled out in a future version of Dolphin Browser for iOS, making it possible for Dolphin users to keep bookmarks, passwords and gestures synchronised across both Android and iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices.

The Next branch of Opera’s development has been updated to build 1090, with a number of interesting changes that see alterations to the skin’s appearance and improvements made to the plugin installation process. Of course, there is also the usual swathe of bug fixes and performance enhancements, and despite the fact that this is a fairly early glimpse of the next version of the browser, it already seems surprisingly stable and polished.

There are a number of changes that can be summed up as polishing -- icons and buttons have been updated as has the badge graphic. The overall size of the skin has been reduced in terms of file size, and the padding around some screen elements has been adjusted to improve alignment.

Mozilla is doing some damage control following last week's double-data whammy from Net Applications and StatCounter. Both firms show Chrome gaining usage share on Firefox. StatCounter claims Chrome will unseat Firefox from second place as early as the end of year. I don't believe it, but that's because I trust NetApps stats more, and they're different.

The statement begins: "Firefox demonstrated just how important browsers are but it's important to remember that the reasons for building Web browsers are significantly different from one company to the next". There's a lot of hidden meaning in that one sentence. Google's intentions are pretty clear, as the company builds up a development platform and seeks an anchor for search and ensuring its dominance -- all while integrating its many web services.

You might think almost no one after looking at results so far to Betanews poll: "Which is your primary web browser?" Only 9.88 percent of respondents answer some version of Internet Explorer, while 50.01 percent choose Chrome. These results could change dramatically, particularly if a fanboy war erupts or simply thousands of IE-loving Microsoft employees take the poll. But for now, the (currently) 1,812 respondents hugely favor Chrome. I'm shocked.

Betanews readership tends to be highly technical, with tech enthusiasts, IT managers and Windows fans core among them. So I expected early poll results to skew towards Internet Explorer. Instead, Chrome 14, which only released about two weeks ago, locked 35 percent in early polling and has stayed there since. Who are these people using Chrome?