Internet News

Chrome and Secure Google Searches

Chrome extension forces secure Google searches by Seth Rosenblatt, Download Blog (Aug 9)

If you work from hotel rooms and airports you might want this.

"Google now offers an extension for Chrome that automates the process of adding the secure Google search site as a search engine to the Chrome 6.x branch. "

Main browsers

Which browser is right for you? , by Dakshana Bascaramurty, Globe and Mail (Aug 2)

The way I read this article, Firefox is the best choice. Internet Explorer gets this slam in a quote - "Honestly, I could not recommend Internet Explorer to anyone. I really can’t. " IE is used in offices - there's no choice. But at home, PC users will use Firefox (for add-ons) or Chorme (for speed), and Mac users are likely to choose Safari.

Peek at Firefox 4

Peer into Firefox's future in latest beta, Seth Rosenblatt, Download Blog, CNet (July 6)

Firefox has opened beta version of Firefox 4 for use. There are changes to the interface which some say are similar to what Chrome and Opera have done. Under the hood they are working on html5 and other code handling.

PS: Video shows the features. from Firefox's future looks like other browsers (video), Cnet (Jul 8)

Alternative browsers

A collection of alternative Web browsers trying to hold their own, Polina Polischuk, Download Blog, Cnet (Jun 23)

You think Firefox and Chrome are alternative browsers. Wait til you look at these. Your needs have to be very specific and you have to like using software that isn't mainstream, but you may find something you will want to use in these browsers.

+ Flock - for people into social networking - integrates Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr into its interface

+ Maxthon 2 - looks like IE but isn't

+ Slimbrowser - innovative - "multiple translating options, page-viewing options, and shortcut tools. SlimBrowser saves time with auto form-filling and the ability to open a group of Web pages simultaneously along the tab bar. "

+ Comodo Dragon - very secure - looks like Chrome

See the full comparison in the article.

Browser in 5 years

Your Browser in Five Years, Jeff Bertolucci, PC World (Jun 16)

Predicts - "Not only will Web browsers become commonplace in cars, but they'll also incorporate voice recognition, text-to-speech, and touchless gesture controls for applications where keypads, touchpads, and even touchscreens can be either inconvenient (smartphones) or downright dangerous (when driving). Browsers will stream Internet radio to our cars, and perhaps even adopt a 3D-style interface--only without the clunky glasses."

It won't really be a browser - it's an "application platform" - "For many of these devices, the browser doesn't deliver simple Web pages. Instead it acts as an application platform, an entertainment hub, and a gateway to user files that are securely stored online."

It also means much more cloud computing. ANother prediction - "business-oriented tools such as Microsoft Office, will vanish completely by 2015. "

Wondering about html5?

HTML5 is going to make a difference to the browsing experience. Stephen Downes has a post about html5

"It's a specification that adds new functionality, interaction, and multimedia to web pages. " And it's mostly about the embedded video.

Get a quick take on it through this info-graphic.

Safari 5

Safari 5: Fast like a cheetah, tame like a house cat, Seth Rosenblatt, Download Blog (Jun 9)

"Safari 5 for Windows and Mac comes with several big feature announcements. There's the new Reader option for streamlining articles reading, broader support for HTML5, default support for searches on Bing, and performance improvements. However, the biggest new feature of them all--Extensions--won't be available until later this summer, and depending on what you're looking for in a browser, Safari can be seen as lacking many helpful options. "

Firefox 3.6.4 coming with Sync

As Mozilla readies latest browser, Weave becomes Firefox Sync, by Seth Rosenblatt, Download Blog (Jun 1)

Firefox 3.6.4 is nearing release. It will have the "Out-of-Process Plug-in (OOPP) "sandboxing" feature". "OOPP prevents plug-in crashes from Adobe Systems' Flash, Apple's QuickTime, and Microsoft's Silverlight from bringing down the entire browser."

Firefox Sync, previously, Weave, will be available in the browser as a way to keep bookmarks, passwords and perferences synced across computers.

"Sync can be found under the Tools menu or on the Status bar at the bottom of the browser. It currently allows users to synchronize bookmarks, preferences, passwords, history, and tabs. The new option to easily access synced tabs has been added as Tabs from Other Computers under History. Users can also toggle synchronizing an account without having to re-enter their username or password using the Disconnect button next to their account name in the Sync tab on the Option menu. Firefox Sync replaces features that have been previously available only from third-party add-ons such as Xmarks. "

Browser market share

Chrome continues usage gains over rivals, by Stephen Shankland (Jun 1)

Net Applications released May market share figures for browsers.

+ Chrome 7.1%
+ IE 59.7 -- IE8 was 28.9%
+ Firefox 24.4
+ Safari 4.8

Time to update your browser

Google Reader ditches support for past browsers, Stephen Shankland, Search Engine Land (May 28)

Google Reader, a web app for reading RSS and ATOM feeds, is dropping support for Chrome 3, IE 6, Firefox 1.0 and 2.0, and Safari 2 and 3 - yet another warning to offices and individuals to upgrade browsers (and if necessary, systems).

"In days of yore, browsers changed relatively slowly and were used to browse largely static Web pages. These days, however, browsers and the Web standards they employ are changing fast, developers want to be able to take advantage of newer technology such as Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) for formatting, and advanced programmers are building full-fledged Web applications that can be impossible to run on old browsers. "

FoxVox - text to speech

Don’t Read Webpages, Listen To Them With FoxVox, by Ryan Dube, Make Use Of (Apr 13)

Here's a terrific plugin for Firefox - FoxVox - reads web pages to you. Great for people with sight impairment, and for anyone who can multiprocess - listen while working.

For example - "I find that while I could never concentrate on writing an article while my Google Reader articles are being read aloud to me, there are actually a number of activities where having a digitized voice read articles aloud doesn’t hamper concentration at all. A few examples include IM chatting, conducting Internet research, shopping on eBay or Amazon or shopping for music."

Navigation Extensions for Chrome

5 Chrome Extensions For Faster Navigation by Varun kashyap, Make Use Of (May 3)

Chrome users - go to town with these add-ons for quick navigation.

Private Browsing

Force your browser to always start in private mode, by Seth Rosenblatt, Download Blog (May 7)

Seth Rosenblatt shows in this short video how to set your browser so that it will not keep your history by default - covers Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome, Opera.

Microsoft IE browser share

Microsoft's browser share dips below 60 percent, by Ina Fried, Beyond Binary (May 3)

Microsoft browser share slipped to 59.95% with Chrome and Firefox gaining. It is working on Internet Explorer 9 but this is months away from being available.

Tools for Homeschoolers and Researchers

100 Amazing Firefox Add-ons for Homeschoolers, OnlineDegrees.net (April 2010)

This list of tools was compiled for homeschoolers, but there is gold here for everyone. All are add-ons for Firefox but you can get the equivalent of most of these for Internet Explorer, and can also use the resource sites directly.

Has categories for:

+ Math
+ Science
+ English Language Arts and Reference Materials
+ Foreign Languages
+ Productivity
+ Research (mainly tools for saving, adding notes, and sharing)
+ Parental Controls and Computer Security
+ Search Engines and Web Browsing
+ Miscellaneous

To this I would add tools for access books online, especially the Internet Archive. And - as it happens - there is one for the Internet Archive. "Search for anything on the archive and it gets sorted by popularity/most downloads. "

You may find others. Run a search at Google for firefox (plugin OR addon) , eg firefox (plugin OR addon) canadian encyclopedia

Google Related

Find Similar Sites With Google’s Similar Pages Extension For Chrome, Abhijeet Mukherjee (April 1st, 2010)

Chrome users can add an extension to quickly find Google Similar Pages. This is the same as clicking on the related link beside a Google result to find pages that seem to Google to be similar in content. It's been many years since Google has said what that is based on - but it is probably based on link analysis.

I have never thought it has been particularly useful - sometimes worth a shot if the result is especially good and you're not having much luck seeing anything else.

Chrome 5 in beta

What's Google planning for Chrome 5?, Stephen Shankland, DeepTech (Apr 1)

The new Chrome 5, available in beta now for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux, has

+ geolocation
+ windows 7 features
+ extensions
+ syncing - goes beyond bookmarks
+ built-in flash
+ webgl - "WebGL permits sophisticated, low-level, hardware-acclerated 3D graphics from a Web application, a feature some hope will lead to elaborate interfaces and better online gaming. "

IE9 won't run on XP

IE9 Won't Support Windows XP, PCWorld (Mar 18)

Microsoft has said that the next version of Internet Explorer, IE9, will not run on Windows XP. There is no date given for its release - it's still in development - but my guess is about a year.

"No other major browser maker has announced plans to stop supporting Windows XP, but several have dropped other operating systems or platforms. Last month, for instance, Mozilla said it would not support Apple's Mac OS X 10.4, known as "Tiger," in future upgrades to Firefox. Google's Chrome for the Mac, meanwhile, only runs on Intel-based Macs, not on the older PowerPC-based machines that were discontinued in 2006."

Glue gives suggestions

Killer Browser Add-On Glue Is Now In Your Search Engine And Favorite Blogs by Alex Wilhelm, The Next Web (Mar 3)

This is quite the description for a new browser-assist add-on with the power to recommend sites. Glue works with Chrome and Firefox.

"Everyone’s favorite semantic browser add-on, social network, and content recommendation system Glue is today rolling out upgrades across its system that will bring its tools into your search results and your daily blog reading."

You'd want this on for only when you were browsing for yourself - imagine if you are doing searches for others, or other people using your browser.

Glue has a 60 second screencast to show you how it works.

Choice of Browsers in Europe

Europeans get pick of browsers , AP via Globe and Mail (Mar 2)

Lucky Europeans - those using Microsoft Windows will be given a choice of browsers to use. It's part of European anti-trust laws.

"Microsoft is starting this month to send updates to Windows computers in Europe so that when computer users log on, they will see a pop-up screen asking them to pick one or more of 12 free Web browsers to download and install, including Microsoft's Internet Explorer."

The top five are IE, Firefox, Safari, Chrome, and Opera.

Chrome Browser

Watchout Firefox. Chrome is building momentum and market share.

Google Chrome only browser to make gains in February, ZDnet (Mar 1)

"Google Chrome saw a jump in usage share to 5.61%, up 0.39% from 5.22% in January. This means that so far over 2010, Chrome has grabbed 0.96% market share."

Innovation is one of the reasons.

Coming Soon To Chrome: Extensions That Can Alter Your Browsing History, MG Siegler, TechCrunch (Mar 1)

"Simply put: Google Chrome is amazing. Ever since it was finally released for the Mac late last year, I’ve been blown away by its big things (speed) and little things (search box that is also the URL box). But the true power of Chrome may lie in what third-party developers are able to do with it."

As for an extension lets you change the browsing history - this could work into using history for setting discovery preferences.

Firefox 3.6 tabs

Firefox 3.6 Fix – Open New Tabs in Far Right, Firefox Facts (Jan 22)

We can't have enough tips on how to manage tabs. Firefox changed tabs a bit in 3.6 - new ones open beside the one in use. If you don't like it, this posting shows how to change it.

Posting also has related tips and trick - like at "visual tab switcher'

Browser news: Opera, Chrome, Firefox, IE

Opera Updates Web Browser to Version 10.5, Daniel Ionescu, PCWorld (Mar 2)

"Opera on Tuesday released version 10.5 of its Web browser, claiming it's the fastest browser available for the Windows operating system. Opera 10.5 includes a new design and private browsing options, and arrives just in time for the arrival of the controversial browser ballot screen in Europe." ... "The ballot screen is supposed to make it easier for Internet Explorer users in Europe to switch browsers."

Google Chrome Beta Browser Adds Translation, Privacy Features

"Google Chrome Beta Browser Adds Translation, Privacy FeaturesGoogle added two new features to the Windows version of Google Chrome beta including integrated translation and enhanced privacy features that allow for better browser cookie managment."

Elements of Firefox overhaul arrive for testing, Stephen Shankland, DeepTech (Mar 1)

Tech article on three things Mozilla will be doing to Firefox.

"First is a new JavaScript engine that--with a transfusion from the project behind Apple's Safari--should run Web-based programs at least 30 percent faster. Second is a new graphics engine for Windows that will take advantage of hardware acceleration for graphics and text. And third is a programming tool to help bring to fruition a new system for Firefox add-ons. "

Mentions an IE9 in the works - "Not a lot is known about Internet Explorer 9, currently under development, but Direct2D support is definitely a feature. In a Microsoft IE9 demonstration in 2009, the browser prototype showed dramatic speed improvement in some graphics chores such as panning around online maps. "

SiteAdvisor Secure Search

McAfee SiteAdvisor for Firefox, PCWorld (Feb 15)

McAfee's free SiteAdvisor has been a tool for warning of risky sites in search results. Yahoo builds it into its search results now, and Google has its own system. Now McAfee has added a Secure Search box to the browser (Firefox or IE) so that you can customize the warnings when you are using Yahoo. It will work with Google but without being able to customize.

"McAfee's SiteAdvisor has always alerted you when Web search results list potentially risky sites. The latest version, with a new feature called Secure Search, is designed to make searching the Web even safer. But to do that, it places some restrictions on your surfing-and those restrictions may be too severe for some users."

New Opera browser for Windows

New Opera 10.50 beta aims to surpass Chrome, Seth Rosenblatt, Download Blog (Feb 24)

"The Opera Browser made some serious headway in keeping itself relevant when it introduced a new JavaScript engine for its upcoming revision. The latest edition of Opera 10.50 beta 2 for Windows contains no new major features, some minor feature improvements, and is mostly a bug-fixing release that incorporates around 100 changes since the first beta."

Chrome Gaining Share

Google Chrome Cracks 5% Share as It Creeps Up on Firefox, IE, eWeek Googlewatch (Feb 1)

Google's Chrome Web browser continued to gain market share through the first month of 2010, garnering 5.2 percent of the worldwide browser market, up from 4.63 percent in December 2009.

What's New in Firefox 3.6

Tour the new Firefox 3.6 by Seth Rosenblatt, Download Blog (Jan 21)

Firefox 3.6 will be faster (maybe by 20% than 3.5), and supports Personas. See more in this CNET video [2.34 min]

Digg Extensions

Digg reworks its browser extensions, Boxee app, Josh Lowensohn, Webware (Jan 19)

Fans of Digg for news will enjoy new browser extensions.

"Social news site Digg relaunched its Firefox extension on Tuesday, adding a small number of iterative improvements. The company also launched an extension for Google's Chrome browser, which lets users see if a story has been submitted to Digg, as well as vote on it--all without leaving the page."

Google's URL Shortener

Google Rolls Out an URL Shortener, Research Buzz (Dec 17, 2009)

URL shorteners are essential today for short postings. Google has opened a limited service for Google products at Goo.gl

Addendum: Tip: Make Googl URLs without Google's toolbar by Josh Lowensohn, Webware (Jan 11) - Firefox add-on - GooglLite.

Browser Share Dec 2009

Chrome passes Safari in browser usage by Stephen Shankland, Cnet News (Jan 4)

IE is slipping in browser share and even Firefox dropped a bit, as Chrome gained.

+ IE 62.7%
+ Firefox 24.6%
+ Chrome 4.6%
+ Safari 4.5%
+ Opera 2.4%

Chrome Extensions

Top 10 Chrome Browser Add-ons by Julie Bort, Network World (Jan 3)

Slideshow about extensions for Google's browser that may help in productivity. I see that Xmarks, the excellent online bookmarks service, will now work with Chrome.

Incredible Bookmarks Add-on for Firefox

Incredible Bookmarks Helps You Find Your Way in Firefox by Erik Larkin, PCWorld (Jan 2)

Incredible Bookmarks - here's another way to manage bookmarks in Firefox (Windows XP and above). It will also work with Xmarks for synching bookmarks across computers.

"Incredible Bookmarks adds a new toolbar to Firefox that acts like a supercharged Bookmarks Toolbar. This free add-on introduces many nifty features for displaying and managing your bookmarks."

Get More from Your Browser

Internet Explorer Tips: Inline Search, Gmail, Xmarks, Rick Broida, PC World (Jun 16, 2009)

"Get the most from Microsoft's browser: search within pages in IE 8, access multiple Gmail accounts, and sync bookmarks."

Firefox Tips: Fix Print Size, Add Personality, Refresh Tabs Rick Broida, PC World (Dec 29)

"Learn how to change the print size in Mozilla's browser, dress it up with Personas, set tabs to refresh automatically, and more."

Red Panda for reading news

Special Report: Introducing Red Panda, Altsearchengines (Dec 28)

Red Panda - "real-time discovery engine" - looks interesting.

Red Panda is a browser for news and information but it comes as an extension to the Firefox browser. It promises to cut information load by understanding what you want and gathering it for you.

"Reconciling this information overload requires a three-face solution: universality (reaching all sources), immediacy (consistent updating) and finally accuracy (results pertaining to the current interests of the users). Red Panda has been designed specifically to address all these requirements, and in so doing succeeds as a true democratized news reader."

Watch the video to see the interface. Looks like something to try.

Available in English and French.

Some Firefox Add-Ons

The 10 best new Firefox add-ons of 2009, Seth Rosenblatt, Webware (Dec 26)

There are some promizing add-ons in this list.

+ Weave Sync - "This homegrown tool for synchronizing Firefox across computers and devices introduces incremental syncing and a more-streamlined, less-obtrusive experience, fitting in smoothly in your Options pane". But is it compatible with XMarks for synching bookmarks?

+ "WebReview makes your start page smarter and more suggestive based on past browsing habits. It's a bit like the Speed Dial feature in Opera, Chrome's new tab page, or Top Sites in Safari, but Firefoxified. "

What is a Browser?

Choosing a web browser, Pandia (Dec 3)

Firstly, what is a browser? It's the software on your computer that you use to navigate the web - visit sites, use tools, look at videos, view documents. But many people don't know this. And if they don't know this, they won't know that there are different browsers with different capabilities.

Choices are Internet Explorer, which will be loaded on every Windows machine, Safari, which will be on the new Mac, Firefox, Chrome and Opera.
Why would you pick one over the other? Pandia points to speed, security, some special functions - depends on your needs, and gives a thumbnail description of each of them.

Chrome as a Search Aid

Google's speed freaks tweak suggestions, Chrome by Tom Krazit, Webware (Dec 11)

Google's Chrome browser has some search smarts.

"Google has released an extension for its Chrome browser called Quick Scroll that is essentially Google's take on the Control-F (or Command-F for you other folks) basic search function."

Firefox 3.6 and file handling

Latest Firefox beta offers file-handling feature by Stephen Shankland, Webware (Nov 30)

Firefox 3.6, expected in the next month, will have 133 changes in it. Among these will be better file handling.

"Among its abilities are uploading multiple files at once, showing thumbnail previews of images that have been selected for upload, breaking a long video upload up into chunks to protect against network interruption problems, and integrating with drag-and-drop Web applications. "

Tabbing in Browsers

Why to embrace Firefox 3.6's new-tab ethos, Stephen Shankland, Webware (Nov 25)

There's a lot more to tabs than meets the eye. Stephen Shankland is a tab-master at getting better browsing productivity as he exploits new handling at Firefox and Chrome. He compares those to IE8, Opera, and Safari.

Firefox 3.6 will open a new tab next to the active tab when you open a link. This keeps related pages together.

If you're tabbing through a lot of content this could keep the process orderly.

"There's a pattern to how I spawn the dozens of tabs I use as a day progresses. On a variety of pages--Gmail, Google Reader, Yahoo Finance, somebody's blog post--I'll encounter a host of links to other pages. I'll middle-click my mouse button to open interesting pages as background tabs, then use Ctrl-Tab to switch to the new pages when I'm ready. I repeat this pattern many times a day. "

Browser Security

Browser security features compared by Dennis O'Reilly, Webware (Nov 20)

Set up your browser to give you maximum security.

"Internet Explorer 8, Firefox 3, Google Chrome 4, Apple's Safari 4, and Opera 10 include features that block sites known to host malware and malicious downloads. All but Opera also let you browse without leaving any tracks. But just as important as these protections is ensuring that whichever browser you use is thoroughly patched."

New Versions of Browsers To Come

Fortunately competition in browsers continues. Firefox is at its 3rd beta version for 3.6, and Microsoft has begun work on IE 9. The browser is a searcher's best friend as well as the interface to the increasing number of web-based applications. Improvements in speed and security matter.

With IE 9, Microsoft fights back in browser wars by Stephen SHankland, Webware (Nov 18)

Microsoft is concentrating on acclerated text and graphics, and in faster javascript.

"Under the covers, the IE 9 acceleration works by employing Microsoft's Direct2D interface rather than its GDI (Graphical Device Interface). Direct2D provides a general way for software to take advantage of hardware acceleration for graphics, and IE 9 will employ it. "

New Firefox 3.6 beta aims to cut crashes by Stephen Shankland

Speed and security are part of the work, and Personas - a way to "reskin" the interface.

Also -Firefox 3.6 Locks out Rogue Add-ons by Gregg Keizer, Computerworld (Nov 19)

"The new feature, which Mozilla dubbed "component directory lockdown," will bar access to Firefox's "components" directory, where most of the browser's own code is stored. The company has billed the move as a way to boost the stability of its browser."

Firefox 3.6 Beta 1

Mozilla releases first beta of Firefox 3.6, by Stephen Shankland, Webware (Oct 30)

Firefox users can look forward to some neat features in 3.6 - now in beta.

+ personas
+ faster javascript
+ drag and drop between browser and computer
+ video built into web pages

Final version will be by end of 2009.

Firefox and New Versions

Two articles today about browsers: Firefox and its competitors - the now fiercely competitive browser market; and upcoming features in Firefox.

Firefox's crossroads: Cutting-edge or mainstream? by Stephen Shankland, Webware (Oct 21)

Firefox captured roughly 20% of the browser market by being the renegade and the alternative. But, as this article points out, it has to meet new challenges now.

"First, for new growth, Mozilla must make its open-source browser appeal to an even more mainstream crowd, one that's more interested in working and playing online than in sticking it to Microsoft or being part of a cause. Second, it's got to keep the loyalty of the technically savvy early adopters and Web developers that Google now has been courting with its Chrome browser."

Of interest, Mozilla, which competes with Google's Chrome browser, has a close relationship with Google.

"Google is an unusual rival. Even as Google and Mozilla vie for popularity, they're tight allies in the "Open Web" movement to augment Web standards to today's static pages into tomorrow's applications. And Google almost singlehandedly funds Mozilla by sending back a portion of search-ad revenue that originates from Google searches within Firefox. "

Changes are coming in the web markup language for video.

"The first update in a decade to the HTML standard used to describe Web pages is under way, and one major feature is a video tag that builds video directly into the Web rather than relying on a plug-in such as Flash, Microsoft's Silverlight, or Apple's QuickTime. Though Mozilla, Google, Apple, and Opera all like the tag, they don't see eye to eye about what format video should be encoded in, which complicates how well the technology works in practice. "

Firefox's future features: 3.6, 3.7, and 4.0

These new versions seem to come fast and furious. Three new releases are due over the next year.

"The present version of Firefox was to have been called 3.1, but with significant new features, it became Firefox 3.5--and arrived later than 3.1 had been planned. Version 3.6 is slated for release in final form this year, with 3.7 in the first half of next year and 4.0 about a year from now, Lilly said. "

Browser Add-ons for Google Search Results

5 Ways to Add a Search Sidebar to Google SERPs by Ann Smarty, Search Engine Journal (Oct 12)

Ann Smarty describes five browser add-ons (two for Firefox) that add to a Google search results page another panel of search results from other sources.

The Greasemonkey script for the Google Search Sidebar strikes me as the most useful, since it does what Google should do with its "web" search.

"The script “puts aside “extra things” and get simple and neat Google search”.
Those “extras” include blended search results: Google blog search results. Google image search results, Google video search results, as well as related searches."

Search Firefox History

Get a Visual Overview of Your Firefox Browsing History, by Rick Broida, PC World (Sep 8)

Going through history in Firefox could get a lot easier with this tool - History Tree - "gives you a visual overview of your browsing history. You can view this history as either a tree (hence the name) or a grid of site thumbnails."

Once installed, it can be activated from Tools > History Tree.

Creator has this tutorial.

Browser Sync

Mozilla Weave revamps synchronization features by Seth Rosenblatt, Webware (Oct 1)

Another method for synchronizing bookmarks:

"The key feature in Mozilla's Weave add-on for Firefox is the ability to synchronize tabs, bookmarks, history, and other browser-sourced, data-rich fields. The latest update, Weave version 0.7, gives a big overhaul to the synchronization component, redoing the setup and configuration interface, and adding incremental download support."

Tips for using IE8

Eight exceptional things you can do with Internet Explorer 8 by Logan Kugler, itBusiness.ca (Sep 21)

There seems to be universal agreement that IE8 is a much better browser than earlier versions and competitive with Firefox. This article has 8 tips on using new and enhanced features.

Using Firefox's Address Bar

5 Ways to Pimp Your FireFox Address Bar by Ann Smarty, Search Engine Journal (Sept 9)

Here are five ways to get more function from the address bar in the Firefox browser.

+ search from the bar. Default is Google, but Ann shows how to change to another engine.

+ send tweets from address bar

+ add to social bookmarks through a Firefox addon. Shareaholic has lots of choice.

+ make the address bar the progress bar.

+ see page server location

+

Opera 10 Faster

Opera 10 browser is here by Jessica Dolcourt, CNet (Aug 31)

Opera 10 will be good for people with slow connections.

" Opera Turbo, the browser's much-publicized compression engine for slow-poke connections, remains a feature highlight. Opera claims that Opera Turbo runs the browser up to eight times faster on suffering connections than do competing browsers."

And there are improvements to the interface:

"The refreshed user interface is also noteworthy. Joining the new default skin (changed from version 9.6), are changes to tab bar behavior. The conventional tabs double as thumbnail images. Double-click the thin gray bar below the tabs (indicated by dots) or click and drag to expand open tabs into preview windows that you can navigate by clicking among them. "

Malicious Firefox Extension

Firefox add-on spies on Google usage, search results, ZDNet (Sept 1)

Be careful in what extensions you add to Firefox. There is a fake update to Flash Player around that inserts ads into Google search results.

"The malicious Firefox extension, called “Adobe Flash Player 0.2,” injects ads into the user’s Google search results pages and even has the capability to monitor the user’s browsing activities, particularly Google search queries using the Firefox browser. It then sends the information it gathers to a hacker-controlled server."

Browser Stats

Convulsion in browser share stats: Safari plunges by Stephen Shankland, Cnet (Aug 5)

Browser share statistics have been adjusted to correct some assumptions. July 2009 charts show IE with 67.68% and Firefox with 22.47%. Chrome is up to 2.59% Some people (.67%) are still using Netscape!

Plugins for Safari

Safari plug-ins that improve your browsing by Don Reisinger, Cnet (July 30)

Good news for Safari users - there are plugins to aid in searching, and in finding and viewing videos. Safari has 8 percent of the browser market

Search ADDon for Firefox

Selected Search speeds up on-page searching by Josh Lowensohn, Webware (July 9)

"Selected Search is a new add-on for Firefox that makes it easier to start a search from any page you're on. It works by taking text you've highlighted with your mouse, and then bringing up a small pop-up list of all the search engines you have installed. From there you just pick the one you want and it opens up behind the scenes in a new tab."

Browser market share

Since March, Internet Explorer Lost 11.4 Percent Share To Firefox, Safari, And Chrome by Erick Schonfeld, TechCrunch (July 5, 2009)

Haven't seen so much action in browsers for several years. IE, according to this report, has dropped to 54.4% in the US, with 11% of share switching to Firefox, Chrome, Safari.

Firefox vs Others

Firefox 3.5 Can Still Learn From Its Competition, by Michael Scalisi, PCWorld (Jul 3)

Message to Firefox - the new 3.5 could be better still.

+ Apple Safari - fast
+ Chrome - "clean, fast and simple". One tab can crash without taking down the browser
+ IE 8 - has coloured tabs

Reminder about Firefox - "Firefox 3.5 has caught up in some key areas. It improved its speed with its new Gecko 1.9.1 rendering engine and TraceMonkey JavaScript engine. It borrowed from Google Chrome the break-away tab feature, which lets you drag a tab from the main browser window into its own window. This feature is highly useful in multi-monitor setups where it’s desirable to compare two pages side-by-side. Finally, Firefox 3.5 adds Private Browsing Mode (aka "porn mode"), which all other mainstream browsers already had."

Firefox 3.5

Firefox 3.5 in pictures by Seth Rosenblatt, Webware (June30)

Interesting approach - 10 slides showing changes in Firefox 3.5 including geolocation, and removing traces.

There's more information on the features in With 3.5 launch, Firefox faces new challengers by Stephen Shankland.

Of interest: Market share data.

"Firefox has gained about 3 percentage points to 22.5 percent in market share, according to Net Applications' statistics since July 2008, and Firefox backer Mozilla doubtless hopes for more gains with Tuesday's release of Firefox 3.5. But Apple's Safari and Google's Chrome each gained 2 percentage points, to 8.4 percent and 1.8 percent, respectively, indicating a growing appetite for alternatives to Internet Explorer that's not completely met by Firefox. Opera stayed flat at about 0.7 percent. "

Firefox over the years

Ch-ch-ch-changes: A visual history of Firefox by Josh Lowensohn, Weware (June 29)

Mozilla's Firefox emerged around 2003 from the ashes of Netscape. This article shows the progression from version 0.8 to the soon-to-be-available 3.5 in navigation, tabs, bookmarks, and the settings menu. I've been using it since 2004 and although I try new browsers (even the improved IE 8) cannot be drawn away.

Lately, much of the work on browsers has been in making them faster and more secure.

Soon we'll be seeing changes in navigation tools - and, it would seem, re-finding what you saw and need again.

"One of the most exciting features that's planned for 3.6 is what Mozilla is calling "task bar navigation." It's described as a way for a user to "organize tabs, history, downloaded files, and other resources according to the task they were attempting to accomplish," which means you're going to spend less time tracking around menus or third-party sites, and more time simply typing a few letters into Firefox's address bar to do tasks. Other features include a way to search through open tabs, and more easily open up sets of tabs you had open in an earlier session."

Firefox Extension for Copying

The best Firefox extension: AutoCopy by Seth Rosenblatt, Webware (Jun 25)

"Developed at Mozilla, AutoCopy is a lightweight, single-feature add-on that copies any text you highlight to your clipboard. No more hitting CTRL+C, or using the context menu. That in and of itself is not so revolutionary. The feature has been around for a while in other programs. What makes it the must-have extension is that there's practically no other reason to highlight text on a Web page except to copy it to your clipboard. "

Page Search with IE8

Search Within Web Pages Faster in Internet Explorer 8, by Rick Broida, PC World (June 12)

This new Find-on-page feature in IE8 - at long last - is reason enough to upgrade.

"In IE8 (as in the last several versions of Firefox), searching within a page (a.k.a. inline) is dynamic: Hit Ctrl-F to bring up the search field (it appears just below the tabs), then start typing. The browser will highlight the closest match with each character you enter."

Chrome v Firefox

The Real Deal 164: Chrome vs. Firefox, Webware (June 2)

Podcast in which Rafe and Tom do a bake off between Chrome and Firefox. Learn lots about ways to improve your browser use. Really need some screenshots to get the "picture'. Chrome is still new - may crash and will not display all pages well. Mainly notes that there is a lot of overlap between Chrome and Firefox.

Opera 10

Speedy Opera 10 beta reconfigures as Web suite, by Seth Rosenblatt, Webware (June 3)

We're back to the web suite

"Opera 10 has entered beta with the unstated goal of becoming more than a mere browser. Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, the Norwegian program hopes to become a speedy utility--Turbo-charged, in their words--that handles browsing, e-mail, RSS, and torrents with robust features. "

Future of Browsers

Google shows Native Client built into HTML 5 by Stephen Shankland, Webware (May 28)

Google is working on making browsers run software swiftly and work with hardware for accelerated 3D graphics. It's coming down the pike.

Specifically, David Sehr, a tech lead for Native Client, showed off Web Workers standard to let Web pages assign different tasks to independent processing "threads," effectively letting a browser walk and chew gum at the same time rather than waiting for one chore to be finished before the next begins. Web workers are one element of the ambitious but still not finalized HTML 5 standard.

Why care? Because today your browser runs software excruciatingly slowly compared to native applications that run on your computer, but Google wants to speed them up tremendously, a move that would add a lot of muscle to its ambition to make Web-based software more competitive.

IE8 Add-on for Real Time Search

Microsoft Launching Real-Time-Focused IE8 Bundled with OneRiot Search by Jolie O'Dell, Read Write Web (May 28)

Microsoft has a real-time search add-on for the IE8 browse from OneRiot

"For users who have already installed IE8, Microsoft also offers three real-time add-on packages, which add the same OneRiot components contained in the fully optimized browser. Add-ons include OneRiot's real-time search results, top videos, and top shared items of the day."

Saftey First Through Firefox Extensions

Ten Firefox extensions that help keep you safe by Don Reisinger, Webware (May 26)

These extensions will help in protection from worms, hackers, phishers, and secure some privacy. The top three are:

+ Noscript for managing the running of Java and Javascript.
+ Web of Trust - warns of risky sites
+ Locationbar - decodes urls to look for phishing scams

Suggest Addons

Featured FireFox Extension: Add-ons Suggestion Tool by Ann Smarty, Search Engine Journal (May 21)

Like Firefox addons for search. This tool will recommend more of the same.

Add-ons Suggestion Tool (experimental addon)

"The tool essentially looks at what you have already installed and based on the combination of addons on your FireFox profile, it suggests many more you might be interested of."

Chrome 2.0 is faster but ..

Google Chrome 2 benchmarked: World's fastest browser. Again., by Nate Lanxon, CNET UK (May 22)

Chrome Version 2 is faster than all others in rendering a page - it handles javascript better. Chrome has also added "full-screen browsing and form auto-complete" - features that others have already.

Google's Chrome 2.0: First Impressions by Uchendu Nwachuku, PC World (May 21)

This is a more critical review saying that sure it's fast, but ,"It isn’t going to win any functionality awards or come out on top in feature comparisons, and the new stuff is completely unremarkable."

Wolfram Alpha on the Side

Firefox add-on puts Wolfram Alpha in your Google, by Josh Lowensohn, Webware (May 20)

Get search results from Google and the new Wolfram Alpha with this Firefox extension that puts Alpha on the side.

Advice: "This makes it a good way to test some of the limitations of the new search engine, as it only covers so many topics. My favorite use for it is to pull up nutritional information for fast food and cast lists for movies. Both are activities that usually require going off the results page to find the information I was looking for, whereas Wolfram simply grabs and displays it in an orderly fashion."

Search Add-Ons

3 great Firefox search add-ons, Pandia (May

+ Semantifind - get help in clarifying and refining search queries
+ Hyperwords - take a word and search on it thru several tools
+ KwiClick - move quickly between search tools

Chrome and What HTML5 Will Bring

Chrome extensions draw near, but advanced HTML 5 features recede, by Stephen Shankland, Webware (May 13)

Google keeps working on its Chrome browser - now in adding extensions.

"The new version also lets you allow pop-ups from a specific Web site, fixes a few bugs, and upgrades to the latest versions of two major components, WebKit for rendering Web pages and V8 for handling JavaScript. "

Article also talks about HTML5, the new version of Hypertext Markup Language that's used to describe Web pages. The examples give us an idea of what will be possible with browsers in another year or so. From the article:

• Local storage, technology for storing information on a person's computer. That's good for using your Web-based e-mail system while offline, storing browser extension preferences, and other more sophisticated aspects of Web usage.

• Video support that permits easier embedding of video on Web pages and better integration than is possible with current video technology such as Adobe Systems' Flash.

• Web workers, which let a browser perform processing chores in the background. This technology enables more sophisticated Web applications that can get work done without bogging down the user interface.

Browser Speed Test

Browser Showdown: IE 8 vs. Firefox by
Nick Mediati, PCWorld (May 4)

In speed tests Internet Explorer 8 against Firefox 3.0.7, IE 8 was just a wee bit faster at about 1/2 second on average.

While there may be no great advantage for Firefox users to switch to IE, IE users will do better to move up to 8.0

Desktop for Customized Start

Desktop gives your Firefox bookmarks a new look by Josh Lowensohn, WebWare (May 4)

"Desktop is a new experimental Firefox extension that lets you create a customized start page with quick access to some of your bookmarks. Similar to what Opera, Chrome, and Safari offer with their bookmark start pages, Desktop shows you a live preview of each of your bookmarked pages, and takes you to each site whenever you click on that thumbnail. The big difference is, you get complete control over that layout in a way that resembles moving files around on your computer's desktop."

Firefox for Digg users

Firefox add-ons for the Digg fanatic, by Don Reisinger, Webware (Apr 24)

If you are a frequent user of Digg, these addons could save you time.

Coming in Firefox

The Future of Firefox: No Tabs, Built-In Ubiquity, by Frederic Lardinois, ReadWriteWeb (Apr 14)

Will Firefox lead the way to a tabless design?

"The most radical proposal we have seen so far would do away with the standard browser tabs, and replace them with an interface that looks more like iTunes than Firefox."

A change we'll see sooner is ubiquity - a command language.

"Mozilla is also moving ahead with the integration of Ubiquity, a command-line style interface for common browser tasks, into Firefox's 'awesome bar.' Mozilla plans to add this project, dubbed Taskfox, into the main Firefox interface by the time version 3.6 of Firefox is released. "

I'm not sure that appeals to me. There is already too much to remember.

Addon for Highlighting Text

Auto Context Firefox Addon Powers Up Highlighted Text, by Liane Cassavoy, PCWorld (Apr 18)

AutoContext helps in handling text you find.

"Whenever you highlight any text on a Web page, Auto Context automatically displays a pop-up menu that offers easy access to some of the tasks you're most likely to need. You can, for example, copy the text (as plain text, HTML, real HTML), print it, open it as a URL, save it to a file, search for the term in Google, or search for the term at various Web sites, like eBay and Wikipedia."

Update to IE8

Internet Explorer 8 Auto-Update Coming, by Scott Loganbill, WebMonkey (Apr 17)

Internet Explorer 8.0 is coming whether you want it or not through an auto-update. It's a better browser than earlier versions, and it's time to get off IE 6.

Firefox Personal Menu

Personal Menu saves screen space in Firefox, by Seth Rosenblatt, Webware (Apr 15)

Personal Menu is an addon for Firefox that "adds an icon to your toolbar customization window which you can then drag-and-drop onto the toolbar of your choice".

"The reason to go with Personal Menu, though, is that it lets you heavily configure the menus that it hides. From Personal Menu's Options menu, you can configure which menus appear behind the button, and in which order they're listed. These choices aren't limited to the standard File, Bookmarks, or Tools--any sub-menu from the main menus can be pulled out and added to the drop-down."

Software-Free Toolbars

7 sites that use software-free toolbars (and why it matters) by Josh Lowensohn, Webware (Apr 3)

Better than sliced bread - software-free toolbars are becoming more common. Digg put many features into a DiggBar; Stumbleupon introduced a small frame that shows at the site you're on; Google, Yahoo, Live, and Ask image searches have a bar for modifying the search. However, these are browser frames - not everyone will love them.

WebReview - Firefox addon

WebReview makes your browser's history, start page smarter by Josh Lowensohn, Webware (Apr 2)

Oh sweet - a new addon for Firefox that tracks history better than Firefox does, and show you the pages you have been visiting and make suggestions.

" WebReview is a new extension for Firefox that attempts to make your start page smarter, and more suggestive based on past browsing habits. If you've used Google's Chrome, or have been keeping up with Mozilla's latest efforts to change what users are seeing when they first fire up their browser or open a new tab, the idea behind WebReview is the same."

Review of IE8

My painfully poky week with IE 8 by Stephen Shankland, Webware (Mar 31)

Thorough and fair review of the new IE8 browser. Verdict seems to be that it is better than IE7 but be prepared for slow performance and quirky differences.

"Overall, my assessment depends on the point of comparison. I prefer Chrome and Firefox. Still, IE 8 is a big step forward from IE 7. And I, for one, encourage people to upgrade for the security alone. "

20 Firefox Addons

Find the right Firefox add-ons by Don Reisinger, Webware (Mar 28)

Bonanza for Firefox users - especially new users - in this organized list of 20 addons . There are four categories: business professionals, shoppers, social-network fanatics, and students.

Add Engines to IE Search Bar

Add search engines in Internet Explorer 8 by Tom Meritt, Webware (Mar 26)

"Internet Explorer 8 has a cool feature where you get more than just one option in the search bar when you type in a keyword. But the default only gives you two options. Here's how to add more search options to the IE 8 search bar."

Malware Lurking

IE8 best at blocking malware sites, says study By Gregg Keizer, Computerworld (Mar 24)

"Microsoft-funded report claims new browser is more than twice as effective as Firefox"

Of course, the report did come from Microsoft. Of interest is the description of the kinds of attacks we might be subjected to.

+ "socially engineered malware: Sites that dupe visiting users into downloading attack code. Typically, the download is disguised, often as an update to popular software such as Adobe's Flash Player."

+ "sites that attack browsers without any user interaction, an increasingly common tactic by hackers who often infect legitimate sites with kits that try a number of different exploits in the hope of compromising an unpatched PC." [not tested for]

Browsers do offere protection against malware - mainly through reference to a blacklist.

Google in IE8

Google Tests Enhanced Suggestions for IE8, Google Operating System (Mar 20)

Google may have better search suggestions for users of the new IE8.

"Google tests two features that could save a few clicks: displaying the top result for navigation queries, which usually have a single best answer, and showing ads related to the query at the bottom of the list of suggestions"

Safari 4 beta

Apple’s Safari 4: fastest browser ever? By: Rafael Ruffolo, itWorldCanada (Mar 23)

Now Safari 4 claims to be the fastest browser, but of course, most of the speed component depends on the web site you're visiting and the connection.

"In the latest release, the feature that everybody is talking about is Safari’s new Top Sites screen, which allows users to look at thumbnail pictures of their most visited sites. The screenshots are regularly updated and any site that features new content will be identified."

The Safari 4 Beta - available for Mac and Windows.

IE8 Web Slice

How Internet Explorer 8 can help you find a job By: Nestor E. Arellano, itWorldCanada (Mar 20)

Here's an example of using the Web Slice feature of the new IE8 to monitor part of a web page.

"Workopolis, which has been testing the new browser since last year, is using the Web Slice feature on IE8 to enable jobseeking visitors to the site get continuous updates on positions or companies they are eyeing, according to Roy Bernhard, the jobsite's managing director for information systems."

Browsers Compete in Javascript Speed

Browser war centers on once-obscure JavaScript by Stephen Shankland, Webware (Mar 20)

Javascript performance is one of the differentiating qualities of today's browsers. Javascript is used extensively now at web sites to deliver function.

"The Internet is growing from a Web made of static pages to be read with links to be clicked into a Web that also includes applications that perform computational tasks and that people interact with. In other words, browsers now have to process data as well as load pages. Microsoft's dominant share--67 percent according to Net Applications' figures--reflects the more mainstream world, and the challengers are aiming for where they think the mainstream will be going. "

This will increase with more web-based applications and cloud computing. This article has a chart showing relative performance with Chrome and Firefox being the fastest, and IE 8 the slowest.

It's not just javascript. There is also Flash from Adobe, and Microsoft's Silverlight.

Internet Explorer 8.0 here

Hands-on with IE 8: A giant step for Microsoft by Seth Rosenblatt, Webware (Mar 20)

It's not as fast as it could be due to handling of javascript, but the new Internet Explorer 8 browser does have features.

+ Web slices - "save predefined sections of a Web page for at-a-glance viewing." - do through an addon
+ Accelerators - quick clicks for repetitive tasks such as getting a definition
+ InPrivate browsing - turn cache and history off and on
+ Tabbed recovery - one crashing tabs doesn't bring down the whole browser
+ Security - "SmartScreen and cross-site scripting filters throw up a red warning page when you're about to visit an unsafe site"

Watch this video before installing: IE 8's more secure, interestingly innovative: video with Seth Rosenblatt for what's good and not so good. [2.38 min]

Chrome 2.0 for XP/Vista

Google offers better-tested Chrome version by Stephen Shankland, Webware (Mar 17)

New, faster version of Chrome for people who don't mind working with beta.

"The new version offers a number of new features, including zooming that increases or decreases the graphics as well as text; autofill to ease the chore of re-entering information in Web site forms; and new tab-dragging features that let you dock browser windows to the sides of the screen."

Firefox 3.1b3 beta

New beta paves way for Firefox 3.5 by Stephen Shankland, Webware (Mar 12)

Further improvements are coming for Firefox judging from this report on the newly released beta version.

"According to the Firefox 3.1b3 release notes, the new version includes better "Web worker" multitasking abilities, a faster Gecko rendering engine for showing Web pages, and upgrades to the TraceMonkey engine for faster, more stable execution of Web sites' JavaScript programs."

Speed up Firefox

Firefox Preloader still works, mostly by Seth Rosenblatt, Webware (March 12)

If you have many extensions in Firefox and keep a lot of tabs open, this preloader will save you time when loading Firefox.

"It hasn't been updated since February 2005, but the free Firefox Preloader continues to help users who want faster boot times while maintaining a heavy load of tabs and extensions. Weighing in with an installer at 840kb and using around 30MB of RAM, the program gave me dramatically improved start-up times on a fully loaded Firefox 3.0.7. "

Also mentions a "svelt autocopy". Autocopy add-on lets you select text and have it automatically saved to clipboard.

Printing Web Pages - Bookmarklets

Readability: Web reading that's easier for you, less profitable for publishers by Josh Lowensohn, Webware (Mar 9)

Three tools for rejigging a web page to make it easier to read and/or print.

+ Readability - bookmarklet - makes it easier to read and print [but might not work on all pages]
+ TidyRead - bookmarklet - strips away the extras to pick out just the news. Can adjust font size, width etc.
+ Printwhatyoulike - bookmarklet - mark the parts of the page you want to print - takes some setup.

Lunascape for universal browsing

Three-in-one Web browsing with Lunascape by Dave Rosenberg, Webware (Feb 27)

The browser market is not dull. Who would have guessed that Microsoft could drop its share from 95% 3 or 4 years ago to 65% today?

"Microsoft's Internet Explorer commands about 65 percent of the market, Mozilla's Firefox about 20 percent, Apple's Safari about 8 percent, and Google's Chrome about 2 percent. "

This article explains that there are three rendering engines being used and unfortunately often sites are designed for on in particular (usually IE Trident engine). Solution - have a browser that can handle all three types - enter stage right - Lunascape as a background utlity that lets you change the rendering engine from inside your browser of choice.

"Lunascape, (currently Windows-only) is a triple-engine browser that has a new take on the "browser wars." Launched in November 2008, Lunascape continues to push the envelope with its latest beta. In addition to improving the core triple-engine technology, new features include toolbar shrinking, appropriate for Netbook users who require low CPU usage. With this update, Lunascape claims to have the fastest JavaScript execution, according to the SunSpider JavaScript test. "

New Safari 4 in beta

Apple announces Safari 4 public beta by Tom Krazil, Webware (Feb 24)

New Safari browser looks as if it will be stunning for searching browsing history. Check out the Cover Flow interface.

Safari available for Mac and Windows. This new one (in beta) will be faster and better with Javascript. Sounds progressive -- "Croll emphasized Safari 4's support for Web standards like HTML 5, which allows Web applications to work while offline, and CSS 3 for adding graphical effects. Safari 4 has passed the Acid3 test developed by the Web Standards Project, while FireFox 3 and Internet Explorer 7 have yet to do so, he said."

Postscript: Safari challenges Chrome on Web app speed by Stephen Shankland, Webware (Feb 24) Safari processes javascript more quickly, it seems from these tests.

Viewing PDFs in Firefox

Two ways to master PDFs in Firefox by Matt Asay, Webware (Feb 20)

Firefox doesn't work as well with pdf documents as other browsers - it downloads rather than rendering the document in browser window. There are two plugins for Firefox that might help -- for the Mac, the Quartz PDF viewer; and for others, a Download Statusbar that helps in managing and viewing all downloads.

IE 8 will be competitive

Internet Explorer 8 Offers Improved Privacy and Security by Rob Vamosi, PCWorld (Feb 10)

Strong endorsement for IE8 as being competitive to Firefox, Chrome, and Safari --

"In light of its robust new features and the ease with which it can be deployed, IE 8 appears poised to be the most network-ready browser of the bunch. Organizations currently running Internet Explorer should definitely upgrade to IE 8 when Microsoft releases it, and those that have migrated away from Internet Explorer should evaluate the productivity and security benefits they stand to gain by returning."

Foxmarks across browsers

Browser Tips & Tools From Hassle-Free PC by Rick Broida, PCWorld (Feb 10)

Foxmarks can be used to keep Internet Explorer bookmarks in sync across computers. Foxmarks works for Safari now too. And furthermore, between different browsers.

"Say, for example, you use Firefox at home, but at work you're stuck with Internet Explorer (not that there's anything wrong with that). Foxmarks will keep your bookmarks in sync between the two PCs and the two different browsers. (It also makes your bookmarks available online from any PC, smartphone, etc.)"

More Like This

SimilarWeb shows you sites like the one you're on by Josh Lowensohn, Webware (Jan 30)

"Called SimilarWeb, this small Firefox (and soon Internet Explorer) add-on sits on the side of your browser and pulls up sites that are similar to the one you're currently on."

Posting has a demo video. This is a good idea - but will slow down the browser.

Firefox 3 with Chrome Look

New Google toolbar gives Firefox a Chrome look by Stephen Shankland, Webware (Jan 30)

So that's what it looks like - new toolbar makes Firefox 3 look like Chrome.

"In Chrome, when you open a new tab, the browser displays a page with up to nine miniature versions of pages you visit often--a selection of what you've shown to be your collective home page. The new beta version of Toolbar 5 does the same for Firefox, including not just the miniature pages, but also the list of recent bookmarks and recently closed tabs that Chrome shows. "

IE8 Preview

What's New With Internet Explorer 8 RC1: JR Raphael, PC World (Jan 26)

"Here is a Look Microsoft is readying the final release of its browser Internet Explorer 8. Here are images of IE release candidate 1 along with descriptions of the features."

Also Internet Explorer 8 Focuses on Improved Security and Privacy by Nick Mediati, PC World

Some of the features of Release Candidate 1, now available to the public, are similar to functionality that’s already included in Firefox 3.

And Worth the wait for IE 8 Release Candidate 1? by Seth Rosenblatt, Webware

"The feature improvements from IE 7 haven't changed: Web slices, InPrivate browsing, and Microsoft's new add-on system known as Accelerators remain the big-ticket items. Security enhancements include the SmartScreen Filter, which warns you in advance if other users have reported an URL as suspicious. "

Has screenshots. Comprehensive review that tells me I shouldn't be in rush to try it.

OS in a Browser

Next-generation browsers will supplant OS: Deloitte says, itWorldCanada (Jan 21)

Predictions from Deloitte for 2009 include -- "Operating systems will be supplanted by next-generation browsers that have more resiliency, more memory, and cross-platform functionality"

Veoh Search Plug-in

Veoh releases search plug-in, by Rafe Needleman, Webware (Jan 9)

We are moving to a video view of information where people look for answers in the clips rather than the text. Veoh, a video aggregator, aims to help people find more with a new plug-in that that inserts video results into a strip at the top of search pages from Google, Yahoo, YouTube, MSN Live, and Ask.com.

Available at http://labs.veoh.com/labs/

Contextual Web

Will Google Help Contextual Web Blossom With Chrome? , by Clint Boulton, EWeek (Jan 7)

So, that's what it is called - Contextual Web - "a world in which technologies sit in, bolt on or plug into the browser or Web site, monitor a Web surfer's activity and make recommendations or draw connections for a user who might otherwise be oblivious to them. "

Surf Canyon,, an add-on to Firefox, does this in adding search-result recommendations to Google, Live and Yahoo.

This article shows that there are many initiatives and new products that do even more.

Alex Iskold, founder and CEO of Adaptive Blue, described the direction he sees:

"Iskold's vision is one of a contextual Web where you as the user can mash up the Web your way and personalize it within the context of your actions. That's why he and his team have created Glue, a Mozilla Firefox add-on that sits in the browser and recognizes books, music, movies, restaurants and other items users search for around the Web."

There are others:

+ "Zemanta, a browser add-on for Firefox and Internet Explorer that lets publishers add relevant content to augments their blog posts."

+ "Zentact whose Firefox add-on lets users import e-mail contacts and apply different tags that reflect their interests. Zentact co-browse the Web with users, offering in the browser to contact a person if it deems the page relevant based on the tags"

+ "Lijit, a search technology that lets Web surfers search your blog or Web site, or simply, you in your Web context. The company also makes Re-search, a widget that piggybacks on Google searches to provide additional results. "

+ "Mozilla is arguably the contextual Web king, with efforts such as Ubiquity, which lets nontechnical Web users create mashups"

Of course there is a social element. "Iskold big bet is that the social Web will be where context plays the most in 2009. Services such as Glue will enable contextual social networks within the browser."

Article also speculates on whether (or to what extent), Google will add contextual web extensions to its browser Chrome.

Will contextual web tools live together or will they clash? Interesting times.

Firefox Extensions

Three super Firefox add-ons by Dennis O'Reilly, Webware (Jan 5)

Many Firefox browser extensions are good for boosting productivity online. Here are three more.

"A big reason for the growing popularity of the Mozilla Foundation's Firefox browser is the amazingly creative and abundantly useful add-ons that are being created for Firefox. My three new favorites let you ax the ads on a site, see the tracking pixels on the current page, and gain a wealth of options when you select and right-click text in your browser. "

Browser Market Share

Microsoft's browser sees notable decline in usage
By John Letzing, San Jose Mercury News (Jan 2)

Market share in browsers is shifting. Microsoft's Internet Explorer was 68% in December, Firefox up to 21 %, Chrome already at 1%, and Safari at nearly 8%.

Browser Pastimes

Cool Browser Tricks From Hassle-Free PC, PCWorld (Dec 23)

"Rick Broida tells you how to make free phone calls with GizmoCall, send video mail with Eyejot, and more."

Also has 5 Firefox keyboard shortcuts.

Chrome Ready

Google Chrome breaks out of beta by Rafe Needleman, Webward (Dec 11)

Google's Chrome browser is now out of test and stable enough, supposedly, for the general public. A few new features were added to bookmark management and privacy.

"Features that the team is still working on include autofill for forms, native support for RSS feeds, "and so on." But the top three features that Pichai says he and his team are working on are extension support and Mac and Linux versions. "

Firefox 3.1 beta 2 out

Second Firefox 3.1 beta brings significant changes, By Stephen Shankland, Webware (Dec 8)

Firefox 3.1 is expected to be released in early 2009. Meantime, there is this 2nd beta version for Windows and Mac which looks quite attractive.

"In the new version are support for video and audio built into Web pages, a built-in service for telling Web sites a user's location if users permit it, private browsing, Web worker support for more powerful Web-based programs, and my favorite feature, the TraceMonkey engine for running the JavaScript programs used to build sophisticated Web sites. TraceMonkey was released before, but now it's switched on by default. "

There are instructions on how to use the privacy provisions in this article - Firefox 3.1 gets some privacy .

Google's Chrome and Safari also have private browsing.

Opera 10 Alpha

Opera 10 alpha: Compliant and faster--but not fastest by Seth Rosenblatt, Webware (Dec 4)

"Testing Opera 10 alpha confirms it can boast that it's the second browser in development that is fully compliant with the Acid3 benchmarks. It's also markedly faster than Opera 9.62 at processing JavaScript, but it's half as fast as the fastest Web browser currently available."

Chrome vs Firefox

Why I switched from Firefox to Chrome, by Stephen Shankland, Webware (Nov 25)

Stephen Shankland argues persuasively for using the Chrome browser in spite of its weaknesses.

"Here's what coaxed me away: Chrome starts way faster than Firefox. Web pages load faster when I type in an address or click a link. The Omnibox--Chrome's combination location bar and search box--often gets me where I want to go at least a keystroke faster, and I'm not terribly worried about sending Web navigation and search data to Google. "

But read the comments to that posting before you switch.

Also - Google's new Chrome beta gets bookmark control by Stephen Shankland

Browser for Geeks

Have it all: Lunascape, the browser with three engines by Rafe Needleman, Webware (Nov 24)

New browser, Lunascape http://www.lunascape.tv/ , lets you use IE Explorer, Firefox, and Chrome.

"Lunascape, handles all three of the rendering engines at once. When you open a new tab or click on a link in Lunascape, you can tell the browser which engine you want to use. You can also set up certain sites to open using a particular engine. If you're trying to figure out which engine is best for a given page (or if you're a Web developer and need to test your site in the three engines), you can reload any page with another engine."

Firefox 3 Tips

Browsing Tips and Tools From Hassle-Free PC Rick Broida, PC World (Nov 18)

Tips - how to back up your bookmarks and filter out unwanted Web sites--plus two terrific Firefox add-ons.

Especially love this one for moving between tabs - "Enter FLST, or Focus Last Selected Tab, a Firefox extension that lets you hop between any two tabs using a simple keyboard shortcut (Ctrl-period). Alas, you can't customize the shortcut, but I find it extremely easy to hit while typing along."

Reminder - can also use "Press Ctrl-Tab to switch to the next tab, Ctrl-Shift-Tab for the previous tab."

Chrome with bookmarks

Bookmark management comes to Google Chrome by Stephen Shankland, Webware (Nov 12)

Chrome developers will see bookmark management - "version 0.4.154.18 adds the a bookmark manager. "You can search bookmarks, create folders, and drag and drop bookmarks to new locations," said Chrome Program Manager Mark Larson in an e-mail announcement. " Chrome is coming along.

Opera Browser for the World

Opera CEO: Chrome has been very good for us, by Rafe Needleman, Webware (Oct 28)

Opera has long been an innovator in desktop browser software and now in mobile. Rafe Needleman spoke with Opera CEO Jon von Tetzchner.

Tweaking Firefox 3

CyberNotes: Firefox 3 Tips & Tricks by Ryan (June 25, 2008)

A guide to tweaking Firefox 3 - Table of Contents

+ How to use About:Config + Session Restore Saving Frequency + Don’t Search Bookmarks or History in the Address Bar + Increase the Number of Results in the Address Bar + Use Bookmark Tags for Better Address Bar Placement + Get a Firefox 2 Style Address Bar + Manage Search Keywords + Enable Advanced Color Profile Support + Get the Firefox 3 Theme used on a Different OS + Smaller Back Button (Remove the “Keyhole” design) + Supercharge the Smart Bookmarks + Change Default Applications + Change Page Zoom to Text Zoom + Get Notified when a Website Redirects You + Disable Antivirus Scanning + Some Oldies, but Goodies

Browsers and the Future

Where the browsers are going by Jack Kapica, Globe and Mail (Sept 10)

Which view of the future of the Internet, browser style, will happen?

Google, in introducing the Chrome browser, may be heading for web applications, especially its own -- "By launching a browser whose main purpose is to run Javascript easily and quickly, Google is hinting that the future of the Internet lies in computing “in the cloud” — at least as Google sees it."

Microsoft seemed to be headed for media rich with Silverlight.

Adobe owns Macromedia, and Macromedia means Flash. "Not only was it a good system of playing online audio and video (without it YouTube wouldn't exist), but it was being developed by Adobe as a platform for constantly refreshed data. Using it, you would be assured that every page programmed in Flash, such as flight reservations, stock quotes and so on, would be updated automatically in the background without you having to refresh the web page."

But mostly there is a see-saw of the lean and fast browser to one that is bloated and loaded in features, back to lean, and also of the innovator and imitator.

Browsers faster in handling javascript

Newer Chrome, Firefox show speed improvements, by Stephen Shankland, Webware (Oct 17)

"With new beta versions out for Firefox and Google Chrome, I thought I'd see how things have changed when it comes to testing the speed of JavaScript, the programming language that powers many cutting-edge Web applications such as Gmail and Google Docs. The answer: both browsers made big strides, but Firefox still beats Chrome on one widely-used performance test."

Foxmarks syncs passwords

Foxmarks syncs your passwords across PCs by Rafe Needleman, Webware (Oct 15)

Foxmarks is good for synchronizing bookmarks across PCs, now it does passwords. Hallelujah.

"Foxmarks, which has been out for a while with a tool to synchronizes bookmarks across browser installations, on Tuesday took its password sync feature out of beta. The product is a Firefox add-in that works seamlessly and behind the scenes. In its default configuration, every time you exit your Firefox browser, it sends updates of your bookmarks and passwords to a server. When you launch a session, it reads them in. Your database of passwords is protected by a PIN (another password) that it appears Foxmarks has no backdoor to, which is good."

Slick Firefox beta

New Firefox beta even faster than FF3 by Seth Rosenblatt, Webware (Oct 14)

"Mozilla fans can now play with the anticipated speedier JavaScript engine in the first beta for Firefox 3.1, as well as explore improvements to the Smart Location Bar and a slick interface for hotkey tab switching."

Ubiquity carries significant risk

With 'Ubiquity,' Mozilla chooses functionality over securityby Chris Soghoian, Webware (Oct 9)

Ubiquity is a new add-on for Firefox that gives the users many direct commands they can use when browsing, but, it seems, at significant risk of leaving the computer vulnerable to hijacking and theft.

"The Ubiquity add-on brings a new form of command-driven interaction to the Firefox Web browser. Using the tool, a user can perform actions based on the contents of a page--such as translating the foreign text on a page into English, or generating a Google map of a highlighted address. While this is certainly cool, it is the extreme extendability of Ubiquity that makes it a truly compelling tool. "

Opera 9.6

Opera 9.6 focuses on neglected features by Seth Rosenblatt, Webware (Oct 8)

"E-mail and RSS feed improvements top the list of changes for Opera 9.60, moved out of beta today for Windows and Mac. As noted when the 9.60 beta came out last month, this version of the free browser offers up a multifaceted ''low-bandwidth mode'' for Opera Mail and tweaks to the RSS reader. "

Firefox 3 Add-ons

15 Must-Have Firefox Add-Ons Preston Gralla, PCWorld (September 22, 2008)

"Want to increase your security and privacy, synchronize bookmarks among multiple PCs, dress up Firefox tabs, juice up Google, and more? Then I've got the add-ons you need. These 15 great downloads make the world's best browser even better--and, like Firefox itself, they're free."

Visualize Browser History

3 Ways to Visualize Your Search History With FireFox, by Ann Smarty, Search Engine Jounral (Sept 25)

If you are doing a lot of searching, and especially for research purposes, there will be moments when you wonder - where did I see that - dig into the browser history and spend far too much time trying to rediscover. Ann Smarty quickly reviews three Firefox extensions to visualize your browser history.

FoxTab for better Firefox Browser Tabs

FoxTab turns your browser tabs into a spectacle by Josh Lowensohn, Webware (Sept 17)

FoxTab - "When you've got a lot of tabs open in Firefox, this offers a quick way to jump to the page you want without having to eyeball the name of each one."

Still an experimental add-on - you must register to download it.

Chrome - Many Views

Everyone is writing about Chrome, the new browser from Google. Be aware, though, as Greg Notess points out - "early adopters appear to be tech users". Use it if you are curious and comfortable with beta software - otherwise, read and hold off.

Google the Browser Builder: Chrome by Greg R. Notess, Newsbreaks (Sep 11)

This article nicely describes the features, mentions limitiations, and places it in context of other browsers.

Of interest: "In software design, the term "chrome" often refers to the graphics and menu choices along the border of an application. And this is exactly what Chrome has very little of. Instead, it boasts a minimalist design, which increases the page-viewing space of the browser."

7 days with Google Chrome, by Harrison Hoffman, Webware (Sept 11)

Hoffman used Chrome exclusively for 7 days. His report shows you want to expect - mostly positive, it seems.

Chrome, I Really Want to Love Ya, , PC World (Sept 4)
Chrome: Google's Window Killer by Steve Bass, PC World (Sept 8)

Steve Bass at PC World points out that Google is really aiming at getting you to use server-based operating system for your applications through tabs on the browser. It's called, for lack of a clear term, "cloud computing", where the data and the application is on a server - and not your computer.

Chrome vs. the World , Harry McCracken, PC World (Sept 8)

Chrome could be another Google project that fizzles out, or it could shake up the industry. McCracken considers the impact on Microsoft, Mozilla, Opera, and competitors like Yahoo.

Where the browsers are going by Jack Kapica, Globe and Mail (Sept 10)

Explains how the browser is linked to web applications and the "cloud".

"So far, web applications — like those office suites that you use “in the cloud,” which reside on their maker's systems and are often referred to as Software as a Service — have resided in a curious niche in the tech world. ... What it might mean for end users, however, is nice: With another Google browser plug-in called Gears, users can create an icon on their desks that will seamlessly launch a web-based application in exactly the same way that clicking on any other icon will start an application already loaded on your computer."

Microsoft has SilverLight - a "rich media platform", and, Kapica notes, Adobe could be making a move with Flash -- "The Flash player is, after all, the most widely used application in the world, and is a familiar and reliable basis on which to revolutionize the Web."

Is Chrome really a subtle strategy by Google to spread its own applications? "Chrome's purpose is to give developers a platform to display their web-based applications, and if Chrome can set a standard that will be copied by IE and Firefox, then it will have served to promote the real things that Google does."

More about Chrome

Sizing up Google's new browser by Wesley Fok, Globe and Mail (Sept 5)

Better than average article about Google's browser, Chrome.

"In fact, aside from Chrome's ability to create desktop shortcuts to your favourite web applications like Google Reader and Facebook, very little about Chrome feels truly new or radical. Rather, it mixes together some of the best bits from other browsers and bakes them into one product. Chrome is not supposed to revolutionize the Internet browsing experience, then; it's the machinery underneath that Google believes will set Chrome apart from its competitors."

Concludes that Chrome is much better than IE 7 and would likely draw users from Microsoft. Strangely, does not compare Chrome to the new IE 8

Firefox 3.0 Add-Ons

15 Must-Have Firefox Add-Ons Preston Gralla, PC World (Sept )

"Improve your experience with Firefox using these terrific add-ons that make many routine tasks easier and increase the browser's power many times over."

Chrome video

A video first look at Chrome, Josh Lowensohn, Webware (Sept 3)

Don't want to install Chrome yet? Watch the video. It demos the following:

# Tab dragging off the browser and back in
# The omnibar search box/address bar
# Customized start page
# Incognito/"porn" mode

Chrome is Different

10 Key Features That Differentiate Google's Chrome From Firefox & IE by Eli Feldblum, Search Engine Land (Sep 3)

Says that "Chrome is actually very different from those two browsers [Firefox and IE], and significantly different from nearly everything else on the market." Names 10 major features that differentiate Google Chrome from everything else.

Google Chrome Browser

Google to Release Web Browser Tuesday; Should Microsoft Worry, or Mozilla? by Rob Hof, Tech Beat (Sept 1)

Google is launching its own web browser which it has named Chrome. This will begin in beta for Windows users (later Mac and Linux) and is being presented as open source. The stated intention is to create a “modern platform for Web pages and applications.”

Google has likely had this in the works for some time, but the timing of the release now is significant --

"All that said, Google clearly must feel pressure from Microsoft, particularly with the recent release of its Internet Explorer 8, which includes features intended to blunt Google’s inexorable growth in search market share. The new IE allows people to block information collection that helps Google place more relevant ads, has links to Microsoft services, and offers a better, Microsoft-oriented search toolbar."

Speculation is that adoption of this browser by users is more likely to hurt Firefox market share. The kinds of people who switch from IE are the ones using Firefox.

Background piece - Google Announces Browser via Comic BookJ by ason Snell, Macworld.com via PCWorld (Sep 1)

"The comic describes the Chrome browser as one designed to take advantage of today's Web, which features rich applications that run within a Web-browser interface. It features a tab-based interface with the tabs on top, above the browser's URL window and control buttons. According to the comic, the browser features a fast JavaScript engine from "the V8 team" in Denmark. Each browser tab runs as its own process and is sandboxed for stability and security reasons."

One user's view: Google Chrome: What Share? Traffick.com -- Andrew Goodman notes that it's very hard to build market share when people will be reluctant to change to a new browser. On the other hand, Chrome sounds powerful and might sell itself. But will it ever get to 15% share?

Roundup from Webware:

Meet Chrome, Google's shiny new browser - several articles on the launch and the response.

Browsers fight malware

New Browsers Fight the Malware Scourge, Erik Larkin, PC World

"The just-released Firefox 3 and Opera 9.5, and the upcoming IE 8, respond to the growing threat with enhanced blocking features."

IE8 Search and other features

Search & Internet Explorer 8 by Danny Sullivan, Search Engine Land (Aug 29)

Sullivan tours the search features of IE 8 and is underwhelmed. He also commented on InPrivate Browsing -- "In general, I don't see too much to worry about that the blocking will wipe out internet advertising or valuable tracking services, not as implemented. Instead, the tools require several hoops to jump through but for those who want an added level of privacy, they can get it."

Hoops - that's all we need.

IE8 is for the Consumer

Exploring Internet Explorer 8 by Dan Farber, Webware (Aug 26)

Video interview and screenshots (3:46 min) -- "The new release brings IE up to par with Firefox, Safari, and Opera, and even pushes Microsoft a little ahead of the competition in a few areas." Intended to improve experience for the consumer.

Blocking Ads in IE8

Microsoft's newest browser may block ads by Jessica Mintz, AP via Globe and Mail (Aug 27)

Internet Explorer 8.0 will have InPrivateBrowsing which "lets users surf without having a list of sites they visit get stored on their computers."

There is also InPrivateBlocking -- "The beta also introduces an additional InPrivateBlocking mode, which can block third-party content from appearing on Web sites. For example, a news site might carry stock quotes from one company and weather information from another. Companies that provide such content may also be collecting and sharing information about what people do online. But users who turn on InPrivateBlocking won't see that content or be exposed to such data collection without their consent."

What will the effect be on smaller websites that use outside companies to serve ads?

Doing Mashups in the Browser

Mozilla Ubiquity, Microsoft IE8, and the fracturing of Web pages byRafe Needleman, Webware (Aug 26)

Mozilla and Microsoft are adding a kind of clip-and-use feature to their browsers.

For example, "In the upcoming Internet Explorer 8, the browser supports a feature Microsoft calls, "Web Slices," which is the platform's capability to take a portion of a Web page--like a stock chart on a financial page--and display it as a pop-up widget that's called from the bookmark bar in the browser."

Rafe Needleman sees this as leading to "fracturing Web content".

"Together, Ubiquity and Web Slices lead me to believe we're entering an era of fracturing Web content. Already we have seen content separated from presentation with RSS, and we've given developers access to online data for their mashups via Web APIs. But the growth of Microformat-coded Web pages will make it possible for users to more easily create their own mashups--personal profile pages that have just the pieces of Web content they want, or e-mail messages made up of live maps, automatically updating weather forecasts, up-to-the-minute travel information, and so on."

The browser will help users do their own mashups - essentially.

Inquisitor for Safari

Inquisitor, a search add-on for Safari Pandia (Aug 24)

Inquisitor is a plugin from Yahoo to make searching easier for users of the Safari browser for the Mac.

Firefox 3.1 and Web Apps

Mozilla: Web apps faster with Firefox 3.1 By Stephen Shankland – August 22, 2008 1

"Firefox 3.1 will run many Web-based applications such as Gmail faster through incorporation of a feature called TraceMonkey that dramatically speeds up programs written in JavaScript, Mozilla said Friday. "

Next Generation Mozilla Browser

Mozilla's future directions for the Web Posted by: Helen Walters on August 12, Business Week.

Mozilla Labs has launched a research centre for the next browser called Mozilla Labs Concept Serries.

There are three videos to show current ideas.

"The Aurora videos include some cool elements. In a scenario in which two farmers collaborate remotely to compare rainfall (but you could sub in Wall Street analysts comparing a company's stock price history), one drags a graphing tool onto a Web site data chart that immediately converts the numbers into a line graph. In other words, a simple tool converts any data set into the most appropriate visual representation."

Read Later (maybe)

New Version of Read It Later Now Available Newsbreaks (July 14)

Read It Later is available as an extension for Firefox 3. "It allows you to save webpages of interest to read later"

Do this instead of bookmarking.

Firefox 3 Hacks

It's time to hack Firefox 3 - and here are 12 quick ways to do it By: Preston Gralla, itbusiness.ca (July 3)

As always - excellent article by Preston Gralla with some tips on using the new Firefox 3.0 browser to full advantage.

"The newest version of Mozilla's browser has plenty of new features, including the site identification button, the Bookmarks Library and what has become known as the "Awesome Bar." Here's how you can hack them all."

Why Change to Firefox 3

5 Things You'll Love about Firefox 3 by Edward N. Albro, PCWorld (June 29)

"From the "Awesome Bar" to just plain better performance, the latest version of the open source browser includes some great improvements."

Much better performance is number one.

Firefox 3.0 - FAQs

Four FAQs on Firefox 3 By Seth Rosenblatt, WebWare (June 19)

Answers these questions:

+ How do you kill the "awesome bar"?
+ Safari supports color management, but can Firefox?
+ How do I find...?
+ How do I get that incredibly cool plug-in from Firefox 2 to work in Firefox 3 if it hasn't been updated?

About Firefox 3

Firefox 3 disappoints some Canadian users by Katherine Lau, ComputerWorld Canada (June 19)

The disappointment might be point of view rather than a serious weakness. Many point out that version 3.0 is faster and has more features.

Hugh Thompson, administrator and publisher of consumer technology discussion forum Digital Home Canada, is quoted as saying, “From a rendering engine and improved performance point of view, it’s a great piece of software, .. “very little of the newness of the product is above the covers” and to some extent, Firefox 3 was marketed as a revolutionary product, when it fact it’s an evolutionary one"

Of interest: Statistics from OneStat in Feb 2008 show that Firefox user base in Canada is 21%, up from 16% in 2006. Figures are higher in Germany, Belgium and Australia.

Since we are talking browsers, Webware has three articles for Firefox fans.

Three useful Firefox 3 'awesome bar' hacks By Josh Lowensohn

Four FAQs on Firefox 3 By Seth Rosenblatt

Browser bruiser: Opera 9.5 versus Firefox 3 By Seth Rosenblatt

Syncing Firefox Bookmarks

Google Browser Sync Discontinued, No Firefox 3 Support LifeHacker (June 13)

If you liked being able to sync everything in Firefox from one browser, Google Browser Sync won't be the method. It will stop support at the end of 2008. It mentions other methods - Mozilla Weave for bookmarks and history (and possibly passwords and cookies).

Lifehacker recommends FoxMarks for bookmarks.

Some people use delicious.

Many opinions and leads in the comments. Mozilla Weave seems like the way to go.

Opera 9.5 for Windows and Mac

Get under the hood of Opera 9.50 By Seth Rosenblatt, Webware ( June 12, 2008)

Firefox users will be torn with this review because Opera sounds so good: it has all the features we consider essentials today, plus aesthetics, security and personal data synchronization. Seth Rosenblatt identified "lack of extensibility" (extra utilities like Firefox's extensions) as its one weakness.

"There's no reason to repeat the basics of why Opera is such an excellent browser to use. Suffice to say that it covers the essentials with built-in tabbed browsing, mouse-over previews, a customizable search bar, advanced bookmarking tools, simple e-mail and chat integration, mouse gestures, keyboard shortcuts, and drag-and-drop functionality."

Opera 9.5 - available for Windows and Mac

Firefox Adding Share

Firefox Keeps Nipping at Microsoft by Stephen H. Wildstrom, Business Week (June 10)

Describes Firefox 3.0 and IE 8 - with leaning to Firefox.

"Now, according to research firm Net Applications, Firefox has more than 18% of the global market. Firefox 3 is scheduled to be released this month and may well push that share above 20% by the time Microsoft releases its next version of Internet Explorer late this year. It's a remarkable achievement for an organization with 150 employees that depends on the efforts of a few hundred volunteer developers."

Flock News

Flock brings more under its wing By Seth Rosenblatt, WebWare (June 3)

"The latest Flock update for Windows and Mac introduces more services to its ever-growing list of options, as well as a battery of performance and stability enhancements."

NoSquint

Some websites have miniscule fonts. NoSquint is an extension for Firefox that that allows you to adjust the default text zoom level and remembers the setting for the next time you visit.

NoSquint - http://urandom.ca/nosquint/

Mentioned in reader comments at 50Plus -- Computer vision syndrome: What you need to know

Browsers for Semantic Web

Firefox 3: The Semantic Web Browser?, by Sean Michael Kerner, Internet News (May 29)

"At present, Mozilla may be leading the major browser vendors in bringing semantics to everyday Web browsing, courtesy of tools built into its upcoming Firefox 3 Web browser that. Microsoft's Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) may not be far behind, however.

Both browsers are working to include some measure of support for microformats -- a simple means of categorizing Web content as metadata. "

Google and Browsers

Google’s plugin craze by Ryan Stewart, ZDnet (May 30)

Ryan sees Google's latest work to be boosting the browser - or rather compensating for its weaknesses.

"So the past couple of days have been interesting because it seems like Google has moved beyond what the browser can offer alone and has started leveraging plug-ins to add functionality where needed."

Especially seen in Google Gears -- "Enter Gears, a plugin which allows offline functionality and looks like it will become a core part of what Google is doing as it continues to require functionality beyond the browser."

Postscript: Yahoo BrowserPlus aims for better surfing by Stephen Shankland, CNet (May 28)

Yahoo is doing a gears thing with BrowserPlus to make it easier for users (Yahoo ones I presume) drag and drop, and get feeds etc.

"The software, along with Gears, shows an interesting trend in Web design: the biggest players are working to expand what can be done with the Internet. It's reminiscent of the early days of the Web, when Netscape and Internet Explorer would implement new features to permit more elaborate Web sites."

Firefox Extensions

Resources of the Week: 10 Seriously Useful Firefox Add-ons By Shirl Kennedy, Senior Editor ResourceShelf (May 25)

Always useful to review the list of extensions to the Firefox browser that others recommend. This is a different list than the usual - utilities to change font, repaginate, synchronize bookmarks.

Improvements in browsers

Browser fight heats up with innovations by Brad Stone, International Herald Tribune (May 26)

Short history of the browser - on ramp to the web - and prediction that we'll soon see another round of browser wars and will benefit from innovation. Two main contenders are Firefox - new version 3.0 to be out next month, and Microsoft's Internet Explorer 8.0.

+ "Firefox 3.0, for example, runs more than twice as fast as the previous version while using less memory, Mozilla says. The browser is also smarter and maintains three months of a user's browsing history to try to predict what site he or she may want to visit. Typing the word "football" into the browser, for example, quickly generates a list of all the sites visited with "football" in the name or description."

+ "Internet Explorer 8, from Microsoft, promises its own set of tricks. One new tool, Web slices, allows a user to bookmark a dynamic piece of a Web site, like an online auction or a sports score, and save it in the margin of the browser, where the user can watch as it changes. Another new feature, activities, allows users to highlight text on a page, click on it, then instantly send it to another site, like a mapping, e-mail or blogging service."

It's about time.

Firefox Backup

Save your Firefox settings and avoid grief. Internet Scout recommended MozBackup

MozBackup 1.4.7 http://mozbackup.jasnapaka.com/

Firefox and Thunderbird are both excellent programs, but taking the time to
back them up can be a labored process. MozBackup 1.4.7 offers a bit of
relief as it can be used to save and restore all the bookmarks, extensions,
and other personal settings from such programs. Visitors can choose which
parts of the profile they wish to save or restore, and then the program will
begin its work. This version is compatible with computers running Windows 95
and newer. [KMG]

New Firfox "smart location bar"

The future of the Firefox address bar By Rafe Needleman, Webware (May 14)

Address bar in the new Firefox 3 (in beta) will be smarter.

"The Firefox 3 address bar helps users auto-complete the URLs they type in, but it's smarter than it appears at first. The choices that pop to the top of the list as you type are not based just on best text match, but on your previous behavior. Sites you visit frequently pop up higher on the list. Bookmarked sites also get special treatment. And since Firefox now has a new high-performance database to record your behavior, it can track what you do over a long period of time; it doesn't have to flush your history every week or so to keep the performance up."

del.icio.us add-in for IE

del.icio.us Extension For Internet Explorer Adds Firefox Features by Barry Schwartz, Search Engine Land (May 13)

There's a new delicious extension for users of IE 6 and above for syncing bookmarks, searching, and adding.

More information and download link from the announcement in the delicious blog - Internet Explorer and del.icio.us

Yahoo plugin for Safari

Yahoo acquisition to aid Apple searches by Stephen Shankland, News.com (May 9)

Yahoo aims to make browsing its search results better for Mac users. It has acquired Inquisitor which developed the Safari browser.

"The Safari browser plug-in offers autocompletion of search queries and shows a pane with search results as users type queries. The plug-in, now in version 3, is a free download."

Flock Browser

Flocking Together on the Web By Tim Barribeau, Technology Review (May 7)

Flock - "A new Web browser, Flock, attempts to unify access to many social networks, including Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, YouTube, Photobucket, Picasa, Livejournal, and Blogger."

State of Browsers

The Latest in the Web Browser Wars by Reid Goldsborough ,Linkup Digital (Apr 2008)

Current standings - "Microsoft’s Internet Explorer controls 74.9% of the market, while Apple’s Safari controls 5.7%, according to NetApplications.com of Aliso Viejo, Calif."

Why should we care? - "In the future, most computing may be done not with desktop programs, such as those included in Microsoft Office, but with web programs, with the browser being the gateway and with huge online advertising revenues at stake."

Want some beta? - "Firefox 3 Beta 4 (www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/all-beta.html) was released in March and is faster than previous betas, including Firefox 2. The first beta of Internet Explorer 8, Beta 1 (www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/ie/ie8/default.mspx), was also released in March. Microsoft describes it as a preview for web designers to help them ready their webpages for the future launch of the program."

Today's Browsers

Updated Web Browsers: Which One Works Best? Erik Larkin, PC World

"Apple's Safari, Mozilla's Firefox 3, and Microsoft's Internet Explorer 8 duke it out to be the program you use most on your PC."

Also looks at Flock and Opera.

Firefox Add-Ons

Pandia reviewed two new add-ons for Firefox:

Link Previews from CoolIris - previews links and has a built-in search feature.

PicLens improves image search - use this at any image search site - view the images as "rows of little thumbnails is transformed into a 3D slide show, filling your entire screen."

Firefox 3.0 Beta 5

Firefox 3 beta 5 released By Dawn Kawamoto, Webware (Apr 2)

Mozilla is getting closer to a new Firefox 3.0. This latest beta focuses on "enhanced stability, Web site compatibility, and platform and user-interface improvements".

Something to look forward to: "Personalization also got a major enhancement with the new beta. Under the changes, users can view, organize, and search through bookmarks, tags, and browsing history via multiple views, in addition to storing frequent searches in smart folders."

At the Mozilla Labs

Mozilla wants to put Firefox in the cloud and your pocket By Ryan Paul, Ars Technica (Mar 31)

Mozilla is not resting on browser laurels.

"Mozilla Labs is experimenting with several emerging technologies that fill important niches in the Firefox ecosystem. Among these are the Prism site-specific browser deployment tool and Weave, a web services integration framework that lets Firefox push local data into the cloud. Weave is still in early development, but the current version already provides support for automatic web-based synchronization and storage of bookmark and history data."

This helps a bit:

"In blog entries about the Weave initiative and related projects, Beard has talked about how to build a richer Firefox user experience by connecting the user to the space between the browser, the desktop, and the Internet. Moving the user's information into the Internet cloud in a manner that is conducive to secure sharing, repurposing, and remote access is an important building block in Mozilla's efforts to achieve that goal."

And then there is also Firefox browser for mobile devices.

Browser Wars

User (un)friendly -- Remember Mosaic? Mozilla? Netscape? Helping people navigate the Web has been a hazardous business -- IVOR TOSSELL, Globe and Mail (Feb 29)

Retrospective look at the browser wars in the 1990s in which Netscape once dominant was beaten down by Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Firefox emerged from the Netscape ashes.

Factors in this saga were the clear market advantage Microsoft had in delivering IE with the operating system, and AOL's blunderous handling. Firefox is still facing tough competition as IE heads to 8.0.

Internet Explorer 8 Beta Coming

Internet Explorer 8 beta ready to scroll, Martin LaMonica, CNET News.com (Feb 26)

"According to the Internet Explorer blog, the next version of Microsoft's Web browser is set for release in the first half of the year."

Features were talked about in Microsoft hints at general plan for IE 8 (May 3, 2007)

Firefox Patches

Patched Firefox Still Vulnerable Matthew Broersma, Techworld via PC World (Feb 12)

"Recently patched version of Mozilla's Firefox browser fixed only 50 percent of the problems, researcher says."

The last patch addressed vulnerabilities, to allowing sensitive information being read, security restrictions being by passed, spoofing attacks, or otherwise "compromise a user's system". And, it seems, we can expect another patch soon. And Firefox is supposed to be more secure than IE!

Tweaks for Firefox

15 Undocumented Firefox Tips Lincoln Spector, PC World (Sept 10, 2007)

"The increasingly popular Firefox browser offers much more customizability than Internet Explorer does. Here are some tweaks you might not know about."

Firefox Treasure Trove

Smart Ways to Use Mozilla Firefox by Steve Bass, PCWorld (Jan 8)

Bass has some new add-ons for Firefox, tips on using Gmail in Firefox, and a list of resources with more information, tips, and downloads. The collection is a treasure trove for people who are keen Firefox users.

RIP Netscape

End of Support for Netscape web browsers Netscape Blog (Dec 28)

AOL has discontinued support for the Netscape browser and recommends that all users change to Mozilla Firefox. There will still be the Netscape portal, although that now is a clone of AOL.

IE Browser on Public Machines

Internet Explorer Problems Explode Jabulani Leffall, Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine (Dec 22)

Seems there is a "vulnerability" in the IE browser that affects users of public computer access sites - internet cafes, libraries, kiosks.

"Santa Clara, Calif-based security firm Cenzic announced on Monday that improper use of caching directives in IE, combined with incorrect access checks on cached browser files, could lead to such files "being maliciously modified to create a cross-site scripting vulnerability." Such a vulnerability, the firm said, also exposes Gmail account sign-ons, thereby giving hackers an entry point into a system."

"In the context of Web browsers, the cache is a block of temporary storage data comprised of information such as browsing history, pre-set e-mail account and private web site passwords. These kinds of attacks would be most common in public or community computing locations such as cyber cafes and computer kiosks found at various airports, hotels and so on."

IE Plug-ins

Managing Internet Explorer plug-ins Malaysia Sun
(9th December, 2007 )

Tips on managing add-ons / plug-ins to Internet Explorer 6 and 7 browsers. Good definition of plug-ins -- "Also known as add-ins, plug-ins are small programs developed by third parties that tie in closely with the browser, enabling it to view documents or do things that otherwise it could not. After a plug-in is installed, it loads whenever the browser starts up."

Recommends

+ IE7Pro especially for session restoration
+ Spell check from Red Egg Software
+ Inline search - because the Find in a page box is such a pain.

Flagfox for server location

Firefox Add-On: Flagfox: See Where Servers are Located, See the Global Web ResourceShelf (Nov 25)

"Flagfox is an extension for Mozilla Firefox that shows a flag icon in the status bar indicating the current website’s server location."

Two Addons for Firefox

Firefox Add-Ons: Add Just About ANY Engine to Firefox Search Bar Quickly, Easily; Take Screen Caps Directly from Firefox Browser ResourceShelf (Nov 30)

Recommends Add to Search Bar (1.7) by Malte Kraus - says it "makes adding just about any search engine (even some library OPAC databases) to the Firefox Search Bar VERY EASY and VERY FAST."

Also FireShot as an addon for Firefox - use it to create and edit screenshots of web pages.

Video Ready Browsers

Mozilla, Opera Want to Make Video on the Web Easier - New features in the Firefox and Opera browsers could make it less complex and cheaper for people to incorporate video into their Web sites.
Jeremy Kirk, IDG News Service (Dec 7)

"Firefox and Opera will support a new HTML tag specifically for embedding video in Web pages. As long as the browsers support a video's specific codec, or encoding method, the browsers will then be able to play the video without launching third-party enabling software .."

IE7 Browser

Internet Explorer users share browser beefs By: Gregg Keizer, Computerworld (SS) (05 Dec 2007)

IE7 browser from Microsoft is 1 year old and it has a user base of 300 million, second only to IE6. It played catchup with Firefox and even has anti-phishing but there seems to be no sign that there are any serious plans for further improvements. Developers, judging from the blog postings. aren't happy.

However, there is a new IE7Pro addon which Steve Bass has recommended that will improve IE6 and IE7.

"Work faster and smarter in Internet Explorer 6 or 7 with mouse gestures, built-in spell checking, tab management, crash recovery, and ad and Flash blocking. "

Full review at PCPro - IE7PRo review (May 2007) - mentions other addons for IE7.

This is available at PCWorld Downloads or ie7pro.com for version 1.2

Firefox's Canadian Crew

Firefox's dev team: Canada's best-kept IT secret By: Rafael Ruffolo, Computer World Canada (Nov 22)

Firefox has an office in Toronto and students at Seneca have contributed to the latest version (3.0).

"David Humphrey, a professor at Seneca’s school of computer studies who runs open source development courses for the college, said the school’s partnership with Mozilla gives students the ability to help build software on a scale unlike anything that could be typically offered by academic institutions."

Firefox 3 has better bookmarking

Firefox will soon be releasing version 3.0 in beta for people to start using. Emphasis seems to be on bookmarks - but haven't many people switched to online bookmarks?

Firefox adds security, search with 3.0 beta release Reseller News (Nov 22)

"One of the big changes with Firefox 3.0 is an overhaul of the way the browser bookmarks and keeps track of browsing history. With this new feature, called Places, browsing history will now be stored in a database, meaning that it will be much easier for Firefox users to search for sites they've visited. "Because of the new Places infrastructure we're able to store a much larger component of your history," Schroepfer said."

Bookmark improvements new to Firefox 3, Anick Jesdanun, AP via Globe and Mail (Nov 20)

+ bookmarks - add keywords, or tags, to sort bookmarks by topic.
+ "Places" feature - "quickly access sites you recently bookmarked or tagged and pages you visit frequently but haven't bookmarked".
+ Star button for quickly adding bookmarks

+ offline web support - compose Webmail offline

Firefox Google Relationship

Firefox: Google's Secret Weapon Against Microsoft?, Search Engine Land (Nov 12)

"Will Success, or All That Money From Google, Spoil Firefox? from the New York Times asks if all the money Google is feeding Firefox going to hurt the browser and the community behind the browser in the future, by aligning the browser too closely with Google and its war against Microsoft."

Firefox Search Aids

The Best Firefox Add-ons for Web Search Web Search About.com

Firefox - terrific browser, wonderful add-ons. Get a head start with this compilation.

"Search the Web with Firefox Add-ons -- Some of the most underrated Web search tools out there are Firefox add-ons, small tools that add functionality of some type to your Firefox browser. The following are just a few of the best Firefox add-ons I've come across so far to help me in my Web searching."

Flock - a Social Browser

I Have a New Favorite Web Browser: Flock Harry McCracken, PC World (OCt 23)

McCracken likes the beta version of Flock 1.0 - a socially souped up version of Firefox. It is integrated with Facebook, FLickr, YouTube, and has capabilities for social bookmarking, rss, blogging etc.

IE and Firefox Market Share

Internet Explorer 7 Marketshare Lagging, WGA Check Going Away, Gizmodo (Oct 5)

Browser and OS Market Share White Paper Firefox - IE - Netscape - Mozilla Janco (Oct ?)

IE7 has a marketshare of only 20 to 27% despite the fact that it comes with XP and Vista. Overall, however, IE still has 64% (Sept 2007 data), and Firefox 17%. There are still 10% with Netscape.

Addons for Add to SearchBar

ResourceShelf has instructions for adding just about any search engine to the Firefox searchbar. First install the "add on" for adding on - then use it.

"Add to Searchbar" for Firefox Instructions .

The AddOn is at https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3682

Mentions that IE7 has something similar.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/searchguide/en-en/default.mspx

Firefox Tips

15 Undocumented Firefox Tips Lincoln Spector, PC World (Sept 10, 2007)

"The increasingly popular Firefox browser offers much more customizability than Internet Explorer does. Here are some tweaks you might not know about."

Good tips in this article:

+ to move from tab to tab in the Firefox browser, use CTRL + Tab.
+ set up bookmark shortcuts for quick searches at any searchable site
+ find text on a page even more quickly by opting for "search for text when I start typing".
+ manage history, cookies and private data.

Firefox 3 Security Features

Firefox 3.0 may block sites fingered by Google Gregg Keizer, Computerworld via Australian PC World (June 6)

"Mozilla is considering adding a tool to Firefox 3.0 that would automatically block Web sites thought to harbor malicious downloads, but the company's security chief refused to spell out details, saying Mozilla is "not ready to talk about the feature.""

Working on the Web

Web developers and general users will both find the directory to Web tools at eConsultant useful. It has links to over 4,000 resources or tools from finding photos to web design principles. The Web 2.0 Directory has resources for blogging, rss, geotracking and many other topics associated with creating Web 2.0 sites.

One to note is the I want a Firefox extension to ... - pick from over 200 extensions to this browser to streamline your online time.

Firefox Extensions

Best Downloads for Hacking Firefox by Preston Gralla, PC World (June 7)

"Want to bend Firefox to your will, keep yourself safer while you surf, and customize how Google works? These great Firefox extensions will let you do it."

Firefox Extensions not Secure

Don't trust Google Toolbar, researcher says -- Trivial oversight allows Wi-Fi attacks -- By Robert McMillan, IDG News Service, Computerworld (May 31)

"Many widely used Firefox extensions, including toolbars from Google, Yahoo and AOL do not use secure connections to update themselves, according to Christopher Soghoian, a security researcher who blogged about the issue."

Firefox del.icio.us addon

Del.icio.us Bookmarks, Firefox and you, Yahoo Search Blog (Apr 5)

New extension for Firefox allows one "to easily import, manage, share, search and sort thousands of bookmarks from within Firefox in a way that is familiar to anyone who's ever bookmarked a page in a web browser."

Check del.icio.us Firefox addons.

del.icio.us firefox extension

Del.icio.us Improves Firefox Bookmarks Extension by Barry Schwartz, Searchengineland (Apr 6)

Good - the del.icio.us help page is at http://del.icio.us/help/firefox/bookmarks/quicktour

Coop through Firefox

Mozilla Plays with Social Search, SearchViews (Apr 4)

Mozilla has a new extension that makes Firefox more social.

""The Coop product will allow Firefox users to “subscribe” to friends in the browser, bringing those friends into a sidebar. Those friends can share content and web pages with you...Content will be pulled from that person’s Flickr photo feed, del.icio.us tag feed, MySpace status , YouTube favorites, etc. When you want to share content with that user, you simply drag it into their avatar.""

Keyboard Shortcuts Save Time

60 keyboard shortcuts to move faster in Microsoft Internet Explorer 7, Tech Republic (Aug 30, 2006) -- pdf document - 4 pages. Probably most (all ?) of these will work for IE 6 too.

70+ Keyboard shortcuts to move faster in Mozilla Firefox (July 27, 2005) - 3 pages - written for Firefox 1.0 but will work for later versions.

Browser Add-ons

A Helpful Harvest of Web Browser Add-Ons and Other Tools, ResourceShelf (Mar 5)

Builds on an article in PC World on add-ons for the IE and Firefox browser - noting favourites and why.

Earlier recommended e-Snips -- eSnips Increases Free Storage Space to 5GB, Previously 1GB (Mar 4)

"While we like (and use) several remote storage services, eSnips is quickly moving to the top of the list. For those who give seminars about search and web tools, it’s very easy to use and registration takes all of ten seconds."

Firefox Extensions

20 must-have Firefox extensions "These plug-ins give you souped-up functionality, better look and feel, and streamlined development tasks. And some are just plain cool." by Peter Smith, ComputerWorld (Mar 7)

If you can get past the ads, this article has some good recommendations for enhancing the Firefox browser in the areas of:

* Tools for taming the Web: eg Stumbleupon
* Visual improvements: eg Colorful Tabs
* Matters of convenience: eg Google Browser Sync
* Information gatherers: eg Answers.com 1CLicki
* Web developer essentials

Several of these will appeal mostly to web developers.

Add-Ons for IE7

Seven Best Add-Ons for IE7 by Scott Gilbertson, Wired News (Feb 22)

A browser can be your best surfing friend with certain extensions (or add-ons) for searching, saving, bookmarking, and much else. Here are 7 of these for IE7.

Rave Review for Opera 9.1

Browser Upgrade: Singing Opera's Praises by Robert J. Ambrogi, Special to Law.com (February 6, 2007)

"Opera is so full of clever features that its competitors seem sterile by comparison. These features make it more functional, but also more fun to use."

Opera v9.10 for Windows

Browser Add-ons Bonanza

Build the Perfect Browser by Erik Larkin, PC World (Jan 30)

The latest versions of browsers from Microsoft and Firefox are already enhanced with many useful features - tabs, search - but this article shows how we can make them even more useful through add-ons.

"Here are 46 great (and free) add-ons for Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox 2 that offer safer browsing, easier site sharing, improved searching, faster news gathering, and more. Plus, we offer tips to help you manage add-ons in both apps without bogging down your browser."

Covers:

+ Bookmarks and Searching: Instant Information Access
+ Social Browsing: Share Your Favorite Finds
+ Master IE 7 Add-Ons
+ Firefox Extension Expertise
+ Security: Better Browsing Safety
+ RSS Readers: News Junkie Power-Ups
+ Browser Boosters

Google's IE7

Google releases customized version of IE 7 By: Elizabeth Montalbano, IDG News Service (New York Bureau) (18 Dec 2006) via itWorldCanada.

"Google Inc. has released a customized version of Microsoft Corp.'s Internet Explorer 7 (IE 7) browser in which Google, not Windows Live Search, is the default search engine."

Get the version from http://www.google.com/toolbar/ie7/ - requires Windows XP.

Firefox Bookmarks

Building a Kickass Firefox Sidebar, SEOMoz.org (Dec 12) - It only took Rand 20 minutes to clean up bookmarks and organize blogs. The collection of Social Buzz, Blogs, Forums, News. More tips about doing this in the comments to the posting.

Dealing with IE7

Living with (or without) Internet Explorer 7.0 "Having compatibility problems with IE7? Here's how to use IE6 as a backup or to uninstall IE7 completely" ComputerWorld, Scot Finnie (Dec 7)

Advising using Firefox 2 or Opera 9 until problems are fixed, or uninstalling IE7.

"As the days have turned into weeks (soon to be months) since Microsoft released Internet Explorer 7, what has become clear to me and many others is that some Web sites and many Web applications just aren't ready for this new version of the browser. On my computers, that has meant a return to IE6, until the Web and Web-based applications catch up with IE7."

Advice for people about to install IE7 -- "Back to Internet Explorer 7 -- if you're going the other way and are about to install it for the first time, this software does affect your Windows system files. I recommend taking a System Restore point, or better yet, making a backup of your Windows installation or entire drive prior to the installation."

Firefox Search History

Microsoft Live Search Suggestions Stealing Google Queries? Or is it Firefox?, SEO by the Sea (Nov ) - Bill Slawski finds that Firefox keeps a search query history that any search engine can tap into - as it appears both Google and Live do.

Firefox 2 a success

Firefox 2.0: The Honda Civic of Web Browsers - Updated and improved, Firefox remains excellent but breaks little new ground., By John Borland, Technology Review (Oct 27)

Calls the new Firefox 2.0 browser a success but doesn't break new ground (except for the spell check). "Firefox 2.0 offers a handful of obvious improvements in searching and security and a couple of new features, and it largely keeps doing well what it has done well before."

IE7 vs Firefox 2

Internet Explorer 7 vs. Firefox 2 By Robert Vamosi, CNet Reviews (Oct 26)

Can there be any doubt about the winner? Judges look at installation, look and community, tabbed browsing, new features, and security and performance.

For a very careful and detailed examination see Cory Kleinschmidt's Browser Report 2006: Attack of the Shiny Tabs at Traffick.com

Firefox 2.0

Firefox 2.0 Released: 'Bon Echo' Lives! By Sean Michael Kerner, Internet News.com

" "The focus of Firefox 2.0 overall is all about how do we take the core things that people like about Firefox and enhance them and at the same time enhance the quality of the overall platform," Mike Schroepfer, Mozilla's vice president for engineering, told internetnews.com."

Available at http://www.mozilla.com/firefox

Firefox extensions

5 Firefox extensions that will change the way you search, Pandia (Oct) - tips for people who are new to the Firefox browser. Names 5 extensions: hyperwords, googlepedia, google toolbar, stumbleupon, firefox search box. I bolded the three that are my favourites.

Firefox 2 - Oct 24

Final Version of Mozilla Firefox 2 Will Be Released Oct. 24 Elizabeth Montalbano, IDG News Service, PC World via Yahoo News (Oct 20)

IE7 rated as very good

Internet Explorer 7> - CNEt Review (Oct 19)