Firefox Touts Lower CPU Use for Large JPEGs, Faster PDF Viewer Startup (and AI Controls) (omgubuntu.co.uk)
- Reference: 0185665558
- News link: https://news.slashdot.org/story/26/09/16/0352217/firefox-touts-lower-cpu-use-for-large-jpegs-faster-pdf-viewer-startup-and-ai-controls
- Source link: https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/09/firefox-156-released
> In Firefox 156, the browser now uses [3]libjpeg-turbo's IDCT scaling to reduce images during decoding, rather than loading a full-size image into memory and then shrinking it. [4]Benchmarks from the bug report show up to 20Ã-- less memory used during very large image loading, and decoding is up to twice as fast. Since these speeds were quite fast already, there's no perceptible difference to users. Behind the scenes, it's more efficient.
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> Firefox's built-in PDF viewer starts up to 45% faster in this release. The browser now [5]loads the background PDF.js worker sooner , rather than launching it only when needed.
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> Sponsored suggestions in the address bar are live for users in France, Germany and Italy ( Ouais!, Juhu! , etc). These are already available in some other locales. Don't want them? Disable them via Settings > Search > Firefox Suggest > Suggestions from Sponsors .
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> Besides that, the rest of this release is primarily bug fixes — worthwhile and welcome as always.
And in about two weeks Firefox 157 will be released, [6]reports PC World . "That update should add support for JPEG XL (JXL), a modern image format that offers the same quality as JPEG at a significantly smaller size. Although JPEG XL was launched in 2021, Safari is the only browser to support it yet. For a short period, Chrome also supported it, but that ended in 2022."
Also, a recent Firefox blog post [7]emphasized that it supports whatever level of AI engagement "is right for you... Because the only person telling you how much AI you need should be you."
> Opting out of upcoming and current AI features on your browser should not require endless navigation through multiple Settings pages. That's why Firefox offers an [8]AI controls section within its General Settings panel. A single, easily located place where you can block current and future AI features and related pop-ups with the swipe of a toggle...
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> For the many people who sit in the middle of the AI usage spectrum, we made sure you can opt in and out of specific features in line with your preferences. Capabilities like AI translations, image alt text in Firefox PDF viewer, tab group suggestions, and key points in link previews can all be individually switched on and off, ensuring you can enjoy such offerings on a case by case basis as it suits your needs...
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> [9]Smart Window is Firefox's most integrated AI experience, but that doesn't mean it compromises our commitment to choice, privacy, and transparency. Our newest window type, which we've been polishing and testing in beta, uses only the context you share with it to help you move work forward and across the finish line. When permitted by you, its built-in, AI-powered assistant can work directly with your open tabs and browsing history to connect the dots. This means comparing information, generating recommendations, summarizing pages, and planning projects without having to feed every crumb of context from your previous and current browsing activity each time you enter a new prompt.
And if you want to block Google's AI Overviews, there's [10]over 100 extensions to choose from .
[1] https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/07/firefox-two-week-release-cycle
[2] https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2026/09/firefox-156-released
[3] https://libjpeg-turbo.org/About/SmartScale
[4] https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=2033250
[5] https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1966721
[6] https://www.pcworld.com/article/3235795/firefox-156-opens-pdfs-45-percent-faster-plus-a-few-annoying-bug-fixes.html
[7] https://blog.mozilla.org/en/firefox/firefox-ai-on-your-terms/
[8] https://blog.mozilla.org/en/firefox/ai-controls/
[9] https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/smart-window
[10] https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/search/?q=google%20ai%20overviews
AI. (Score:3)
None, thanks.
If I need a virtual friend, I can open a tab and navigate myself to copilot/deepseek/grok/gemini websites.
Remember the backlash when you integrated Pocket?
'Cuz they'll stop making non-AI versions (Score:1)
You will get an AI toaster and you will like it!
(Unless the damned bubble pops)
Re: (Score:2)
" e ybofy want toest" qote tesd dwarfs toeasrer
Re: (Score:2)
But they neither have access to your tabs nor they should have access to them.
Re: (Score:3)
> Remember the backlash when you integrated Pocket?
No, they don't. They don't actually listen to users.
Re: (Score:2)
> Remember the backlash when you integrated Pocket?
I remember it was a Shakespeare play. "full of sound and fury. Signifying nothing"
Firefox has some kind of leak (Score:1)
on my PC. I can't see it in Task Manager, but start getting "out of memory" errors after a couple of weeks and have to reboot. Restarting Firefox alone is insufficient to clear it. I suspect it has something to do with the graphics card rather than primary RAM, and could be co-caused with some other app.
Re: (Score:1)
check URLs: about:memory and about:processes
Re: (Score:3)
> Restarting Firefox alone is insufficient to clear it.
So if you restart Firefox (at which point the process and its resources are released by the OS) and it doesn't fix your memory problems, what makes you say Firefox has a leak?
Re: (Score:2)
You could document your issue and submit a bug report.
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I have noticed that my Firefox browser has had similar issues in the last week.I haven't had real issues in years. I didn't think about checking memory at the time. I wish I had. Hopefully, it's a non-issue or gets patched soon.
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If closing firefox do not release the memory, it is either not firefox fault (while all browser use lot of memory, but firefox now actually used less than chrome) and you have other things consuming memory, or firefox is not existing, check your process list and see if there is no stuck firefox process
Re: (Score:1)
LibreWolf user here ... no problemos.
What? (Score:3)
"Benchmarks from the bug report show up to 20Ã-- less memory used during very large image loading"
20 what? Angstoms? Amperes? Or is that the Stargate symbol for Earth. Sorry I don't speak Ancient...
And yes I am reading this summary in the latest version of FF
Re: (Score:2)
Ok that gave me a chuckle. This site has been around for what 30 years now and it's literally the only site I can think of that can't properly display text.
Re: (Score:2)
> itâ(TM)s literally the only site I can think of that canâ(TM)t properly display text.
There, fixed it for you.
Re: (Score:2)
He found the seventh symbol!
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20%, but it's only when loading very large images that are scaled down for display. And when you zoom in on them, it has to decode them again.
The PDF viewer isn't really a gain, it just pre-loads it like the bad old days of Internet Explore pre-loading itself on every boot.
Re: (Score:2)
> 20%, but it's only when loading very large images that are scaled down for display.
Once again showing the world you guess and bullshit with authority while not doing the bare minimum to educate yourself. Or do you think 4MB is 20% of 84MB?
If you're going to "help" someone, be right for a change. The screwed up symbol was the multiplication symbol. It's 20x less, or 5% of the original memory use. Stop spreading your ignorance.
Re: (Score:2)
Oh come on! Slashdot can handle a percent sign just fine. It's just some [1]Slashdditor [xkcd.com] that can't enter the correct character.
[1] https://xkcd.com/739/
Re: (Score:2)
That's a multiplication x, unicode 0x00D7, encoded as a two-byte UTF-8 sequence (0xC3, 0x97), which reads as à (A-tilde) followed by an em-dash if interpreted as Windows-1252 characters.
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> Amperes?
I just hate it when Firefox trips my breaker trying to sort out Slashdot character encoding.
Still can't turn off update notice (Score:2)
For all they keep doing, the one thing they can't seem to do is make a checkbox to stop being harassed about updates. Apparently there is no way to do to this. It's much too complicated for them to figure out.
Perhaps they should put out a notice asking if anyone has the skills to create the checkbox and make it work.
Firefox Not Private by Default Bug (Score:1)
[1]https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/s... [mozilla.org]
[1] https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=2057659
Re: (Score:2)
Well, I tried.
Feature Request (Score:2)
Wow, they sure have been putting in work adding features, I almost hate to ask for one more. But it really needs it. Can we get a browser mode?
Re: (Score:2)
And just what do you suppose a browser that already browses and has a plugin system to customise your browsing do to improve the browser?
Re: Feature Request (Score:2)
Browser mode would remove all non browser features with a single setting
Re: Feature Request (Score:1)
Which if they hadn't completely lost their way would be unnecessary because anything not related to browsing would be an addon.
Re: (Score:2)
If features that don't impact you and you can ignore while browsing impact you it's not a dedicated mode you need, it's ADHD medication.
Re: (Score:2)
Only if you pay for the VPN.