What's new in Thunderbird 15?

For a while now, I've been wondering why Mozilla would announce taking a step back in the development of your email client Thunderbird. It is one of the most popular email clients. Perhaps the company wants to revitalize itself, putting the same resources in its other projects, such as Firefox OS or the Firefox browser, especially in its mobile version. However, the company launched a updated version from Thunderbird earlier this week: Thunderbird 15.

Not only does the new version come with a much more polished interface, but it also incorporates security patches and a captivating design. Also, the guys at Mozilla have added a couple of new features, like chat support and Ubuntu One integration.

New Theme: Australis

The development and "look" of Firefox and Thunderbird were always in sync. The latest version looks more like Firefox than the email client we all knew. The most important change is seen in the toolbar and menu design, which according to the company, tries to "replicate the new look and feel of Mozilla Firefox", so the Australis theme will be shared by all software packages of the company.

Integration with Ubuntu One

As a Thunderbird fan, you may have heard that Mozilla Thunderbird introduced a new feature in June that allows you to upload large attachments via email to an online storage (FileLink). This not only saves you the hassle of putting large files in your emails, it also means less email bouncing. Now, Mozilla has included support for Ubuntu One and YouSendIt.

Do Not Track

Mozilla introduced the Do Not Track option along with Firefox 4, but it wasn't included in Thunderbird until now. This feature allows you to choose to prevent third parties from tracking and tracking your web searches, which may lead to "personalized" ads. To activate this function, click on Options in the Tools menu and then go to the Security tab. Once there, click on Web Content and "Tell websites I don't want to be crawled."

Instant messaging and chat

Thunderbird now allows instant chat messaging with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, GTalk, IRC, and XMPP. Thanks to these new features, you will be able to talk to your friends and colleagues from one place. To configure Chat settings, on the File menu, hover your mouse over New and then Chat Account. Following a few simple steps will allow you to connect to your favorite services. The chat opens in a separate tab, displaying a list of contacts on the left.

In addition to the changes mentioned, the company fixed a few remaining security holes and other minor bug fixes.