The four extensions that were dead with the upgrade were the following:

• coComment
• Google Gears
• Google Notebook
• New Tab to Window

The tab function was okay to lose as moving tabs around was a specific feature added in the new version of Firefox 3.5. coComment I enjoyed using, but figured I could do without it if necessary. I’m kind of surprised that Google Gears wasn’t prepped for the upgrade and I no longer use Google Notebook, having ditched it for Evernote instead.

Post from: EveryJoe

Four Add-ons DOA After Firefox 3.5 Upgrade

I’ve had to use the compatibility feature on a couple of sites, ones that I’ve developed for clients, so there’s so more work for me to take care of and make sure those are up to par.

I’m still using Firefox as my browser of choice. I still say that the main reason I stay with Firefox is because of all of the plugins and extensions that are available on this platform. Hopefully IE8 will get more activity from developers and Microsoft will keep improving this browser. Competition is good for everyone. Let’s hope both of these browsers keep pushing each other.

Post from: EveryJoe

Now Running Internet Explorer 8

Do not make the mistake of installing it or upgrading it now.

Firefox’s “Find Updates” in Tools –> Add-ons could not find the latest version 2.9 just like the Mozilla Add-ons website couldn’t recommend it because Site Advisor is not your normal .XPI add-on. One has to download and install a .EXE through the Site Advisor download page.

The latest version is about 3.0MB large, takes a lot of time to install, asks for a reboot, and even then creates annoying problems post-installation until you disable it. The problem is that every time you open Mozilla Firefox or Internet Explorer, a popup asking you about post-installation settings appears again, asking you to Accept or Decline their EULA. The annoyance stops only after declining.

I tried this (by mistake) on a friend’s and my laptop and the problem was persistent. On one of the two, the pop-ups stopped but McAfee Site Advisor no longer had its search bar and it wasn’t showing whether a site is safe or not. That is because one has to “Decline” to get there in the first place.

I couldn’t find any fixes online yet. Let me know if you have any.

Image Source: McAfee Site Advisor Screenshots taken on my laptop.

Post from: EveryJoe

Do Not Install or Upgrade McAfee Site Advisor

Gmail With Google Gadgets: To run the official Gmail Google Gadget, you will need Google Desktop 5 or above installed on your computer. The gadget is tiny (79KB) and offers all the basic features of Gmail including reading, sending, searching and starring messages; keyboard shortcuts; and contact auto-complete. But it doesn’t yet have the sound notification for new messages received. The gadget has been released only yesterday and is bound to have bugs though I hope they are fewer than in iGoogle.

Gmail With Mozilla Prism: Mozilla has been working on a project called Prism (add-on) which can be used to convert any website into a stand-alone desktop application outside the browser. Prism is available as a Firefox add-on, and is easy to use. You can read my opinion on Prism in greater detail here and let me know if you need any help with creating your own desktop app of your favorite website. I’ve tried this five months ago, so there is a good chance that the technology has gotten better.

Post from: EveryJoe

Gmail on Your Desktop

While Internet Explorer still has over 70% market share, and while there is no straight answer to which web browser is the best, there are several reasons why users are preferring Firefox: open source, security, speed, and add-ons. In fact, the last factor is the most weighing factor for a majority of the users.

Following are a few Firefox add-ons that I depend quite a lot on:

Streaming videos from hundreds of youtube-like websites is easier thanks to DownloadHelper.

FireGestures enables mouse gestures. Customizable mouse gestures.

Flash ads are some of the most annoying critters on the Planet Web. Flashblock blocks all Flash content by default, replacing it with a simple ‘f’ icon. It costs an extra click when you want them running though.

Security is increasingly a concern when online. McAfee SiteAdvisor warns you immediately if a site is a dangerous destination. It gets its data from McAfee’s large dynamic library of websites and their statuses.

URL Fixer trusts our capability of typing erroneously and automatically fixes them for us, making us get used to the typos.

There are add-ons alternative to almost all these, and more. You can get them from the addons home page on Mozilla. If you’re new to Firefox, and are lost about finding and installing add-ons, let me be of service.

Which Firefox add-ons do you use?

Post from: EveryJoe

Which Firefox Add-ons Do You Use?