In this series of Firefox add-on we will concentrate on the add-ons that give your browser extended capabilities and save you from installing third party software to perform the same task. This type of not only save your disk space but bring extra features right at your finger tip. Needless to mention, this increase your multitasking capability, so equally valuable to9 s6tudents and professionals.
Yep it’s true not everyone use Gmail, but this also true that it’s a growing email service on the planet. So if you are using Gmail this Add-on will get your attention without a doubt. This light weight Firefox extension features several Greasemonkey scripts that enhance Gmail, such as adding saved searches, attachment icons, label colors, keyboard macros, a filter assistant, and right-click conversation previews in one handy Firefox extension. For Gmail aficionados, one must-have Firefox add-on is the Better Gmail extension from Lifehacker editor Gina Trapani. Current Version, at the time of this writing: – 1.0.
Pros: Actually the magic is for those who don’t want to install half a dozen of Greasemonkey scripts, just to get those features. BetterGmail got a huge list of parks, so I will just point out the major kick-ass stuffs. It converts the attachment paper clip to an appropriate icon. It gives you a conversation preview window, a search-by-date option, a filter creation assistant, and label colours. What? Expecting more? There is three skins to customize your layout and as well as an attachment reminder. You can easily turn on or off a feature through the preferences window. Well documented and regularly updated FF add-on that you should have.
Cons: Well off course you are not expecting it to work like Thunderbird or Gmail, are you? This is an extension not a God dam replacement. There are drawbacks like there is no option for multiple signatures, which is handy for power users, no preview option, applying Label colours can be tricky (Need better documentation for that), greatly reduce browser speed.
Regardless of few drawbacks, this is one of the best FF extensions for mail, which will be adored by any Gmail power user for sure.
No need to say that web is crawling with slimy, creepy websites that no way you can trust. How to know which to trust and which not? Off course third part help is need to get out from this mess. Google do pretty good job blocking/warning you from some malicious sites before you enter, when you search via Google off course. But it’s not complete, it took a long time to update their database and off course a lot of people don’t use Google. So easiest solution is McAfee SiteAdvisor, the name you can rely on. It gets better now there is FF extension for that. Even the most advanced antispyware security can’t guarantee your computer’s safety, because most programs scan your site for digital goons after they’ve already taken root. So stop it where it all begins, by not visiting those creepy sites. This resourceful Firefox extension warns you about covert spyware and browser-hijack attempts as you visit a site.
Pros: SiteAdvisor operates as an unobtrusive signal in your browser interface, turning green if the site is safe, yellow if it’s suspect and red if it senses threats or annoyances. He! He! Just like the Home land security stuffs. Currently works with only Yahoo and Google search. Clicking those status icons provides full diagnostics of the sites’ threats, including links to other suspect sites, high spam counts, and the number of dangerous downloads. You will also love the URL highlighter function which displays site rankings directly from your search engine, helping prevent drive-by installs that may initiate as soon as you type a URL.
Cons: SiteAdvisor is accurate and reliable but lack of additional feature richness. There is possibility to improve in many aspects. For example-instant ability to vote for a site you trust, extending capabilities for MSN/Live search. Currently they do not cover all sorts of sites, which might be a keyhole scumbags are looking for.
Despite several minor limitations, SiteAdvisor is simply brilliant, don’t surf without it.
For power users browsing speed is essential, unless he/she is in booze J Firefox has many sparkling perks/virtues, but with loads of extension, sometimes it starts to crawl like a turtle. Firefox is the answer for that, which will allow you to tweak many network and rendering settings such as simultaneous connections, pipelining, cache, DNS cache, and initial paint delay. Owh! Sounds complicated! Relax and read on!
Pros: Instead of forcing you to dig through geeky config files to tweak your browser’s settings, this extension makes the process as easy as selecting one of five options. Using the built-in stopwatch, you can see which preset suits you best. Users with broadband connections will appreciate the perfechting feature, which starts downloading pages before you open them. In my tests I found it equally effective in both Mac and PC.
Cons: There isn’t much room for extra feature; it does what it supposed to do. The speed may vary system to system. Prefetch cases some occasional freezing issues.
Have you seen Michel Schumacher blazing in F1 track? This Firefox plugin won’t exactly give you same experience but for sure make your Firefox run faster. You got nothing to lose and it certainly won’t hurt your performance. Give it a shot.
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