Mozilla Thursday released the latest version of its e-mail client with a host of new features, including better security, automatic updating and other enhancements aimed at providing a more user-friendly e-mail experience, according to the company. Thunderbird 1.5 features several enhancements, including:

- Streamlined and Automated Updates: Thunderbird 1.5’s new software update mechanism streamlines product upgrades, making it easier for users to get the latest security and feature updates to Thunderbird. Thunderbird automatically downloads these small updates in the background and prompts users when they are ready for installation.

- Greater Spam Control and Security: Thunderbird 1.5’s spam filtering helps users block out unwanted junk email. Its new built-in “phishing” detector helps protect users against email scams by flagging suspicious email messages.

- Enhanced Support for RSS and Podcasting: Thunderbird’s support for RSS allows users to receive feed updates as email messages, filtering and organizing these updates as they would ordinary email. Thunderbird 1.5 also allows users to access podcasts via a dialog box that provides access to a “helper” application such as a Web browser or audio player.

- Improved Productivity: Thunderbird 1.5 boasts several refinements that take the hassle out of email, including “spell check as you type”, “auto save as draft” mail composition, and the ability to delete attachments from email.

The Thunderbird 1.5 email client can be downloaded for free at http://www.mozilla.com/thunderbird/.