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Update Notifier - Firefox Add-on of the Day
I don't know about you, but I have quite a few Firefox extensions. Every once in a while I would have to go into the add-on menu and hit that update button and then restart Firefox if there were any new updates. This "every once in a while" was not a routine check. I really just did it when I installed a new extension. Leaving me blind to any possible updates that could make my extensions run better, or even new features. All of this is taken care of with Update Notifier.I can foresee the comments now: "Lazy!" or "Just use the built-in update feature". I know, I know, this may seem like a copy of the way Firefox does things, but this is actually a very helpful, and more customizable extension. So why not just let Firefox check the Mozilla add-on site for any updates? Because of the customizations that you can do with this extension. The most useful feature to some of you out there is that you are able to customize when and how often Firefox checks for updates. You can have it check for updates each time Firefox opens and/or every 6/12/24/48 hours. So, instead of adding time to Firefox's startup, it can check while you are browsing (just be sure to disable Firefox's auto update feature: Tools > Options > Advanced > Update and uncheck everything). Then, another features of Update Notifier is that you can have a prompt pop up and ask you if you would like to restart Firefox or not. Which will give you the option of using the new updated features of your extension as soon as possible.
Also, I can't keep on top of all of the Firefox add-ons out there. I need your help! Please shoot me your suggestions to other great Firefox add-ons in the comments below. Be sure to leave your website/blog info for a link-back if your suggestion makes it to the Download Squad's main page!
Comments
10
Subscribe to commentskeevesFeb 12th 2007 4:47PM
The main reason i use Firefox, and could never return to anythign elce is due to Adblock, combined with Adblock filesetG updater. These two addons use a filter list to block practivally every single advert from within webpages. (not just popups)
I know it's adds that are what is generating revenue for many websites, including DLS, however i could not imagine using the Internet without it again!
Also CuteMenues (which adds icons to every button), customizegoogle (to make changes to google e.g. switching to secure gmail), and gmailskins are a few more of the extensions i find quite handy.
A little bit more boring, however measureIt, and colorzilla can be really handy sometimes when working with designing websites.
moovyphreakFeb 12th 2007 4:58PM
Been using this extension for about 6-7 months now.
Love it!
ChrisFeb 28th 2007 7:37PM
Firefox 2.0.0.1 already has these features built in.
Ryan SullivanFeb 12th 2007 5:34PM
@ keeves
Thanks for that list man. I actually use all of them, except gmailskins, which I will be giving a test now. Thanks for the ideas!
BrentFeb 12th 2007 7:16PM
Firefox 2.0 seems to check for extension updates periodically, but it only notifies you of a new extension upon opening up Firefox (after having quit the program). Before the application comes up, it pops a dialog telling you there are extension updates and it allows you to install them and then the browser comes up (no restart).
Perhaps you're not shutting down your browser enough to notice this behavior?
Markus TrappFeb 12th 2007 6:22PM
If you don't know it yet, you'll love this one: OpenSearchFox, a plugin that will add search for any site with a search box:
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/3698/
Markus TrappFeb 12th 2007 7:02PM
If you don't know it yet, you'll love this one: OpenSearchFox, a plugin that will add search for any site with a search box:
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/3698/
kobewanFeb 12th 2007 7:40PM
I use something like 15-20 extensions regularly, but I think most of them are fairly well known. I'm going to go down my list and write about what I think are the lesser known ones. Some of them are probably known to all, but are useful enough that I'll list them just in case:
1. All-in-One Sidebar -- everybody probably already has this, but I love the Opera style sidebar. Something which people might not know: the left, middle and right mouse buttons have different effects on it.
2. ErrorZilla Mod -- "Implements a useful error page when a website cannot be reached"
3. How'd I Get Here -- not used much, but when you do use it it's pretty useful. Gives you a toolbar button which will take to back to the page that sent you to the page that you're on. It's something like the back button, but it works even if you got to the page by opening a new tab. Also works on bookmarks and pages in your history (as long as they were visited after installing the extension).
4. Menu Editor/MenuManipulator - get rid of all those unnecessary things in your context menu, so you don't have to scroll it for 8 seconds after right-clicking on an image.
5. MR Tech Local Install - I use it to force older extensions to be compatible. Has a lot more uses as well.
6. Nuke Anything Enhanced/Remove it Permanently - Alter websites to look like you want them to. RIP has persistent changes while NAE only works for the same session.
7. PDF Download - Gives you a dialog box if you accidentally click on a PDF link. Standard options of opening or saving, as well as my favorite of "View as HTML"
8. Uppity - something like the standard 'Up' button in file browsers. My favorite feature? It works like the Back/Forwards buttons, so you can select the drop-down arrow and middle click to open in a new tab.
Hope somebody gets at least one thing out of that list. And they say that IE7 has all the features of Firefox...
emmzeeFeb 12th 2007 9:03PM
"I know it's adds that are what is generating revenue for many websites, including DLS, however i could not imagine using the Internet without it again!"
In other words, "F___ DLS and all those other sites providing me with free content!". Nice.
FenrizFeb 13th 2007 3:18AM
Thanks kobewan, I did get something from your comment: Remove it Permanently. I've been using Adblock Plus to do that job, but that extension is huge and I don't really need the ad filtering (Outpost Firewall filters ads). So I'll give that one a try.
As far as what I use, lots of the good well-known ones, but I do use a few lesser-known as well. The couple not on Mozilla Add-ons I've linked, the others are all found there.
BBCodeXtra: BBCode, html, and xhtml tagging of your text via context menu. Very handy for naming urls and making image links.
[url=http://extensionroom.mozdev.org/more-info/keyconfig]keyconfig[/url], and separate but related "functions for keyconfig": change FF's keyboard shortcuts, and together with functions even create new functions to map shortcuts to. Awesome for keyboard junkies. Strangely, keyconfig isn't on Mozilla Add-ons, though functions, which needs keyconfig to work, is. Not mass-user extensions, but very handy in conjunction with...
Mouseless Browsing: Adds unique numbers to every link on a page, allowing you to select any link by typing the number in the numberpad. Also back/forward, scroll up/down by numpad. Together with keyconfig and functions, I open/close/switch tabs as well, as well as do pretty much everything and anything FF via keyboard. Sweet.
Myurlbar_a: adds auto dropdown menu to address bar that suggests matches to what you enter there from your bookmarks and history. If you take a little care in naming your bookmarks, you can effectively search bookmarks in a couple keystrokes via urlbar.
[url=http://perso.orange.fr/marc.boullet/ext/extensions-en.html]Scrollbar Anywhere[/url]: Also not on FF Add-ons, but it enables omnidirectional scrolling anywhere in the page. Awesome for large pictures, and also lets you scroll very quickly while still having full control over the page, as opposed to rapid scrolling extensions. Similar to Grab and Drag, but that extension is designed for tablet PC users and is overdone and doesn't work as well for mouse scrolling.
gBrain: Man, I love this one. Adds all pages you visit to your Google Bookmarks. It happens every couple days I remember some site I saw a while ago and want to revisit but didn't bookmark. Ctrl+K, "gbook" keyword search, and tada, there it is. Can toggle on/off and also build filters to exclude sites/domains from logging.
CookiCuller: So many cookie management extensions out there, and they all seem to miss the point, except CookieCuller. I don't want to monitor cookie activity while I surf. With this ext I just accept all cookies, and if I want to keep on permanently, I protect it. When I startup FF next, CC erases all unprotected cookies--I start each session with only my hand-picked cookies. Can set it to never again accept cookies from deleted sites, too. Simple.