Tag Archives | Firefox

Top 12 Firefox Extensions for Regular Folks

Now I have seen top Firefox extensions lists for everybody and anybody out there. They have ones for Web developers, they have ones for tech-savvy mothers, they even have ones for your five year old brother. I have never seen a list of Firefox extensions for us regular people though. Here is a list of extensions no regular person can be without.

1. Nightly Tester Tools

Now the main reason I added this one onto the list, is it made all my older extensions I had (when jumping from Firefox 1.5 to Firefox 2) work again. Now since some extension authors haven’t gotten around to updating their work, Nightly Tester Tools will be an extension to keep around for the time being. By the time all my favorite extensions are update though, it might be time to roll out Firefox 2.5 or Firefox 3!

2. Download Statusbar

I do not really like the built in download manager that comes with Firefox. It just does not get the job done for me, because I really don’t need another box popping up at me. The folks at Mozilla should have turned to the Download Statusbar extension. This tool gives you progress bars and either a big toolbar across the bottom, or a tiny icon in the status bar. This is a must have extension if you do a lot of downloading.

3. Google Browser Sync

When I got my laptop, I needed a quick and easy way to keep Firefox in sync via both my desktop and laptop systems. Now there are a hundred and one different extensions that promise to do this, but Google’s Browser Sync does it the best. Plus, I think Google is the only place I would trust with all this information I am sending back and forth anyways. You can sync your bookmarks, cookies, saved passwords, history and tabs. This is a nice ability to have when you are using more than one machine.

4. Greasemonkey

I love Greasemonkey so much, I could do another top scripts list on it alone. It is alike a series of extensions inside of an extension. Once you install Greasemonkey – you can install any number of “user scripts” that add functionality to any number of Web sites. You easily control any aspect of a web page’s design or interaction.

5. IE View

IE View allows you to open any link up in Internet Explorer. I used to use IE Tab, but once I moved up to Firefox 2 it seems like it broke an awful lot. That was about the time I figured it was time to go back to old reliable. IE View is really simple – just hit a button or click a menu option and your present Web page opens up in Internet Explorer. You can also set some links to always open up in Internet Explorer as well. I know it hurts you to think about it, but we all need to still use IE from time to time.

6. McAfee SiteAdvisor

SiteAdvisor was one of those extensions I was really excited about every since it’s release. Since being bought by McAfee – it is still good, but doesn’t have that same feeling. No matter who owns it though, it is still a nice tool to have. Think of it as a safety helper while searching randomly on the Web. For the most part, they are usually spot on with their warnings as well. A green icon means good, yellow is a warning and red means bad. They really couldn’t make it any easier.

7. Menu Editor

After you install a dozen or so extensions, your Firefox menus start running a little wild. The Menu Editor extension allows you to bring all these options and links back down to a list you can manage. There is nothing worse than right-clicking on a Web page and it taking 10 minutes for your right-click menu to load up. It might not be spring, but this extension is perfect for doing some spring cleaning around your browser.

8. Resizeable Form Fields

For anybody that spends a lot of time posting things Online or writing in any text box you find, the Resizeable Form Fields extension is a must to own. This extension allows you to drag and resize your text forms to any size you need. When you refresh the Web page – they will go back to normal. This is handy when writing long posts and you want to see everything you have typed thus far.

9. TinyMenu

You can never be saving enough space when it comes to your browser. The TinyMenu extensions allows you to shrink the “File, Edit, View, ect” options down to one drop down menu that says “Menu”. This will save you precious space when it comes to laying out your toolbars and icons inside of Firefox. I like to keep things nice and neat, and this extensions does the trick.

10. StumbleUpon

I am not a man of unlimited ideas, so when I need to find something to cover that I haven’t covered before, StumbleUpon is a great tool to use. StumbleUpon allows you to browse randomly through the Internet going to Web pages that other folks have marked via the StumbleUpon toolbar. The only thing I don’t like about StumbleUpon is that the toolbar for it is a little large. When not in use though – you can always hide it.

11. Video Download

This extensions allows you to download all those neat videos you find via the Web’s most popular services. Download content from Youtube, Google Video, iFilm, Metacafe, Dailymotion, Myspace, Angry Alien, AnimeEpisodes.Net, Badjojo, Blastro, Blennus, Blip.tv, Bofunk, Bolt, Break.com, Castpost, CollegeHumor, Current TV, Dachix, Danerd, DailySixer.com, DevilDucky, Double Agent, eVideoShare, EVTV1, FindVideos, Free Video Blog, Grinvi, Grouper, Hiphopdeal, Kontraband, Lulu TV, Midis.biz, Music.com, MusicVideoCodes.info, MySpace Video Code, Newgrounds, NothingToxic, PcPlanets, Pixparty, PlsThx, Putfile, Revver, Sharkle, SmitHappens, StreetFire, That Video Site, TotallyCrap, VideoCodes4U, VideoCodesWorld, VideoCodeZone, vidiLife, Vimeo, vSocial, Yikers, ZippyVideos, and any other Web page with embedded objects.

12. WebmailCompose

I like using Yahoo! Mail as my default E-mail application. I manage all my different E-mail account via them, so trouble comes when I click a “mailto” link on a Web page. I have no real “default mail client” to use. This WebmailCompose extension lets you use any number of Webmail applications to act as your default mail client. That means when you click one of these E-mail links, you will automatically be brought into your Webmail.

Have one I missed? Add a comment and let everybody else know what it is and why it should be here.

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Need Firefox 2 Coverage?

With Firefox 2 coming out today, you might be wondering what to do with it next. You got it, but how can you make it better, faster, stronger? I’ve been updating Firefox Facts with launch coverage today, and as always you can expect a lot of extension reviews, themes and much more. To celebrate the launch I also updated the style of the Web site as well. Also, don’t forget to download the free Firefox Facts eBook! No installation of Firefox is complete without it.

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Misleading Users

Now I love Firefox as much as the next person, but isn’t this chart from Read/Write Web’s Review of Firefox 2 a little misleading?

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+ See More of the Review at Read/Write Web!

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Adding New Feed Readers to Firefox 2

start.jpgOne of the few annoyances I have found with Firefox 2.0 is there was no way for me to add Rojo in as my feed reader of choice. By default, if you don’t use one of the recommended ones, you are out of luck for right now. I decided to look around to see if I could find a solution though.

1. The first thing you need to do is go into about:config. Just type “about:config” into your address bar.

2. Now the second thing you need to do is decide which feed reader you are going to replace. I replaced the Google Feed Reader with Rojo.

Now scroll down in about:config till you find the string called:

browser.contentHandlers.types.2.title

Right-click this string and choose “Modify”. Now get rid of the name that is there, and add the name of your new feed reader. (I typed “Rojo” in this box) Then hit “OK”.

3. Next you will need to look a little further down in about:config till you find the string called:

browser.contentHandlers.types.2.uri

Right-click this string and choose “Modify” again. This time you are going to have to change the URL that your service in question uses. In the place where the feed would go, put in “%s”. So for Rojo, I typed this into that box:

http://www.rojo.com/add-subscription?resource=%s

last.jpgThen hit “OK”.

4. After you get done with that, restart Firefox 2. Go into Tools, then Options, then Feeds. If all goes well, you should see your feed reader of choice replacing the old selection you had. Instead of Google, I now have Rojo. Select your new option, hit “OK” and you are done!

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Only Two Applications

Almost ninety percent of the time, I am only using two applications on my computer. Sure, I have a lot of other things installed, but I really don’t use them that often. So which two are the lucky applications that I use?

Firefox covers my Web browsing and feed reading. NoteTab Pro covers all of my writing. The truth is, no matter how much I really don’t like all the Web 2.0 hype, I am doing a lot more things Online.

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TrackMeNot

With all this talk about your privacy being attacked and people snooping on what you have been searching about, you are bound to feel a little paranoid. You might be watching over your shoulder as you type. You might be turning the lights out before you get Online. How can you protect yourself from being tracked in your searches though? If you use Firefox, you need the TrackMeNot extension.

Here is what the developer of the extension has to say about it.

TrackMeNot runs in Firefox as a low-priority background process that periodically issues randomized search-queries to popular search engines, e.g., AOL, Yahoo!, Google, and MSN. It hides users’ actual search trails in a cloud of ‘ghost’ queries, significantly increasing the difficulty of aggregating such data into accurate or identifying user profiles. TrackMeNot integrates into the Firefox ‘Tools’ menu and includes a variety of user-configurable options.

With how the world is going these days, I might also be inclined to ask the Firefox folks to put this feature into the next version of Firefox by default. With TrackMeNot, actual web searches, lost in a cloud of false leads, are essentially hidden in plain view.

This Firefox extension is for versions 1.5 and up of the browser. To pick up your copy all you need to do is download it via the Mozilla Add-ons Web site.

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Web Hosting Show Firefox Sidebar

whssidebar1.jpgI was bored yesterday, so I decided to create a little sidebar for everybody to enjoy. All you need to do to get it up and running is click the link at the end of this post. I wish I could say this took me hours to create, but honestly it only took a few minutes. Now you can listen to the number one hosting podcast across the nation all the time.

+ Add the WHS Sidebar Player to Firefox!

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Top 5 Reasons I Hate Top 10 Firefox Extensions Lists

firefoxlogo.jpg1. Most of the list entries only have a few words of text to describe what they are really about. You really don’t get as much information as you might want.

2. I am tired of seeing them.

3. A monkey trained to type could come up with a better list topic than this.

4. You are likely to see the same 10 extensions listed on at least 5 different lists.

5. They are a cheap ploy by bloggers to get attention from social networking Web sites like Digg.

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Greasemonkey Scripts on Firefox Facts

firefoxlogo.jpgDue to the popularity of Greasemonkey within the Web and myself lately, I have decided to give it a little more coverage here on the Firefox Facts Web site. Along with themes, tips, extensions and links, Greasemonkey deserves a spot here because it does one thing. It makes Firefox better. So watch out for the newest Greasemonkey posts, and if you have any scripts to suggest just send them in to me.

+ Check out the new Greasemonkey Category on FirefoxFacts.com!
+ Subscribe to the FirefoxFacts.com RSS Feed!
+ Download the Free Firefox Facts eBook! (.zip)

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Add Mirrors to Digg.com

diggmirrors.gifAs many of us do, I get tired of finding a story on Digg, get excited about reading it, and then finding out the Web page has already gone down due to traffic. Every so often, via the comments on Digg you can find mirror links, but I am tired of waiting.

That is why I plugged the Digg – add mirrors script into my Greasemonkey extension for Firefox. It adds a nice small box of mirrors to the side of the link on Digg. From here, if a link is down, I can still get to the content.

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