Firefox 3.0 gets one step closer to its release, as Mozilla unveiled Released Candidate 2 for Windows, Mac and Linux. The release is for testing purposes only, but everyone suspects it won’t be long before the final version of the browser will become available.

Offering more security, improved performance, more personal and easy-to-use features, Firefox 3.0 promises to be the browser we’ve been dreaming of, and not only that, but also make us contribute to a Guinness World Record.

The new browser includes malware protection, web forgery protection page, anti-virus integration, Vista parental controls, better protection against cross-site JSON data leaks and much more.

In terms of performance, Firefox 3.0 promises better speed, by bringing improvements to the JavaScript engine, a reduced amount of memory used (after hundreds of leaks have been fixed), and better reliability (with user bookmarks, cookies and preferences stored in a secure database format) preventing data loss and system crashes.

In addition to all that, the new address bar will make search a lot easier, by allowing the browser to automatically search for matches in the user’s bookmarks and history. The new Smart Bookmarks will enable the categorization of user’s folders by several criteria, such as the most frequently visited, recently bookmarked and recently tagged websites.

The Release Candidate 2 has fixed some bugs, and Mozilla is waiting for some feedback before advancing in the next phase of the release process, as they said.

In the meantime, Mozilla is trying to make the waiting fun, by involving users in a campaign with one clear mission: to turn Firefox 3.0 into the most downloaded software in 24 hours. All users have to do is start downloading Mozilla Firefox 3.0 during the Download Day (which is still a mystery for now, but at least users will get the feeling they’re part of something great).