One of the many benefits of the Firefox browser is the vast number of add-ons that enhance the software's capabilities. Designed by other users, these extensions can help organize your schedule, keep track of your favorite websites, or allow you to update your blog without having to visit the actual site. Navigating through Firefox's add-ons directory, however, can be frustrating and confusing. Not all extensions work well or fit your individual needs. The following is a guide to some of the most useful - and stable - extensions I use regularly with Firefox. All of these extensions are available at Firefox's add-on directory. Individual links to each program are also included.
Tiny URL Creator: Sick of sending people interminably long URLs? Tiny URL Creator is a great tool for automatically transforming long addresses into shorter ones. This is particularly useful for services like Twitter, which limit your word count. I've found Tiny URL Creator to be an indispensable plug-in. Right-click anywhere on a site and a box appears telling you that a shorter link has automatically been created. The new address is instantly copied to your clipboard. You can either click on the “Go To” button to double check the link's validity, or click “save” so you don't have to remember the new URL.
Twitterfox: If you utilize Twitter to send frequent blog updates, try this useful tool. After installing the plug-in, the Twitter logo appears in the lower right-hand corner of your browser. Simply click on that icon to view friends' updates and enter your own status in the box provided. You can manage your friends' tweets and update your own - all without visiting the actual Twitter site! Twitterfox functions as a valuable time saver and often works even when Twitter is down for repairs.
Fotofox: Online photo albums can be quite a convenience; friends can view your pictures, you can create slideshows, and best of all, there no bulky physical albums to take up space and collect dust. But uploading a large number of images can be time consuming: you visit your site of choice, log in, and then use that page's uploading tool to select files. What if you could log in and upload all from a sidebar in your browser? Thankfully, such a tool exists: Fotofox, a plug-in that works with Kodak Easy Share Gallery, PixelPipe, Tabblo, Flickr, Marela, Zooomr, 23, and SmugMug. Select one of those sites, enter your username and password, and then you can browse the hard drive for photos or drag and drop your image files right in. Click the “upload” button and watch the photos automatically transfer to the appropriate site. You can even create new albums or upload to existing ones without visiting the actual picture sharing site. Click on the “view” button and instantly visit your online album, skipping the tiresome login process. This handy plug-in really helps organize your photo albums and speeds up the file adding process.
Article comments
1 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
Nice Review...
'Bout time someone does an article on the massive add-ons that Firefox has to offer. The consumer's ability to control their internet experience is one of the reasons why IE will soon become obsolete.
Here are a few I always suggest:
NoScript:Allows you to control what scripts get loaded from any website. This will dramatically reduce your chances of getting viruses.
Google Toolbar for Firefox: Not only will this brilliant "Search" bar block pop-ups it will also allow you to access Gmail as well as provide bookmarks that follow your account from wherever you log in.
Greasemonkey: used in conjunction w/Google Secure Pro:This handy little add-on will force gMail, gCal, Google Docs, History, Bookmarks and Reader to use (https) secure connection.
1-Click Weather:Reports up-to-date weather information in the lower right task bar of the Firefox browser. Fully customizable via "options".
FireShot:FireShot is a Firefox extension that creates screen shots of web pages.
It also allows you to edit the captured webpage...All this for free?!
I also use IE Tab but have only needed it for Netflix when I "Watch Instantly".
[I couldn't keep all the links because "askimet" thinks this comment is spam...HA!]
2 - bliffle
It's ironic justice that Firefox is becoming so powerful and knocking off IE because MS's IE was intended to takeover the users internet experience in order to allow MS to push their agenda. The real agenda will be Firefox.
3 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
bliffle, you are absolutely correct... I can't wait for Mozilla or Google to release an inexpensive or free OS (because I neither have the balls nor am I a powerful enough user yet to switch to linux...maybe one day)
I think it is time that Microsoft cleans up its act or they will be history. It was proven with their crappy Vista OS. I'm thinking maybe they should have named it Ciego. (or maybe mierda)
4 - Matthew T. Sussman
It's deprecated, but I always appreciated the Firefox add-on that kept track of Abe Vigoda's dead-or-alive status.
(Still alive.)
5 - Mark Saleski
greasemonkey? isn't this the same thing that was used to mod gmail so that html .signatures could be attached?
that's my one beef with gmail, as i'd really love to have that feature (and the gmail add-ons for that don't seem to work anymore, or so i have read).
6 - Robert Barga
Is there any way to edit this and include the versions of FF they work with. As far as I can tell, Twitterfox crashes FF3
7 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
Mark.. I'm not sure. I know it is an extension that allows users to install scripts that make on-the-fly changes to most HTML-based web pages. So, I would think that maybe the user script used to mod gmail so that html signatures could be attached may have been flawed. Again, these are scripts designed by users.
8 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
Greasemonkey
UserScripts.org
Robert... I'm surprised as most add-ons through Mozilla's website state whether they are compatible or not. Actually, I don't think Firefox will let you install an incompatible add-on.
9 - Kit O'Toole
Thanks for commenting, everybody. I totally agree that a Google or Mozilla OS would pose a serious threat to Microsoft--already both companies offer software, often free, that are more stable and easier to use than Microsoft programs. I have used Greasemonkey before--if you know exactly what you're doing, it's a useful add-on. As for Twitterfox, I haven't had any problems with it conflicting with FF3--you might want to visit the Twitterfox site and look at their support section.
10 - Mark Buckingham
Robert...that's strange; they usually list what FF versions an addon is compatible with, though in the TwitterFox example, they didn't. Sooner or later they'll undoubtedly update it to be compatible with FF3, or Mozilla will just integrate the better plugins into the browser, like they did with Session Manager.
11 - Robert Barga
A google and mozilla OS would pose no real threat to microsoft, as they would likely be similar to Linux. That said, we can watch the mobile market to see if google can do anything there
They do list what they are compatable with, but most say FF3 and mean FF3.01beta, which doesn't work with the polished version
FF lets you add incomparable ones, I think it might simply in good faith that you are trying to debug it
12 - Brian King
Being the author of Fotofox, I just want to say a big thanks for the review. We have plans to add more features and make it even better.
Nice article in general!
13 - Nicole
Hey Kit,
Nice article - would like to post you about Grouptivity's new share to social firefox app.
Let's you e-mail a friend and post to social networks with one click right from your browser.
Nicole