Mozilla Corp. has officially released Firefox 34, the latest version of its browser for Windows, Mac, Linux and Android. We’re certainly getting high into the Firefox version numbers, but has the 34th iteration added anything to convince users to make it their default browser?

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Here’s a recap of Firefox 34’s most notable new features.

5 things you need to know about Firefox 34

Extra protection against hackers

Most online services use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) or Transport Layer Security (TLS) to encrypt and protect user information. This makes it harder for hackers to intercept, spy on and modify user information during transit between the device and one’s service provider. Yet in October, Google researchers discovered the security threat Padding Oracle On Downloaded Legacy Encryption (or POODLE), which is a flaw in the SSL version 3 (SSLv3), as well as an archaic means of encrypting the connection between users and the network provider.

If an attacker manages to get in your system because of POODLE, they can hack accounts including social media sites and even bank profiles. To minimize risk, Firefox 34 has disabled SSLv3, making it no longer vulnerable to POODLE.

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Firefox Hello

Forget about Skype or other third-party communication tools requiring download. Firefox Hello is a Web Real-Time Communication (WebRTC) feature that makes it easier for people to communicate with one another. The feature is powered by the OpenTok real-time communications platform from TokBox Inc., a Telefónica Digital company.

Users need not give up any information to use the service, as they can contact anyone as long as they are using a WebRTC-supported browser. If others need to contact you, they would need to have Firefox 34 installed. The service is free to use and allows you to make video and phone calls without installing additional software or an app.

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New search interface

Choose an engine, any engine! Firefox 34 makes it easier for people to choose a source for search results, toggling with just a click thanks to an upgraded search interface. Just type a query in the search box and a drop-down menu appears with suggestions for search terms and sources. You can also choose the default search engines or sources for all your queries, such as Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, eBay Inc., Amazon, Twitter, Inc. and Wikipedia.

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Yahoo! Inc. or Yandex

Mozilla Corp. announced in early November that it has struck a partnership with Yahoo! Inc. to make it the official search engine for Firefox’s North American users. Overseas, Yandex is now the default search engine used for Firefox 34 in Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. Under this partnership, Yahoo and Yandex will support Firefox’s Do Not Track feature to keep the user’s identity safe.

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Android mirroring

A perk for Android users is that they can now mirror their whole web browser to their TV via Chromecast. In Firefox 33, an earlier version of this feature allowed users to send videos to Chromecast and Roku.

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