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Firefox - Tips, Tricks, Add-Ons, And Resources

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Firefox - Tips, Tricks, Add-Ons, And Resources You Didnt Even Know Were Helpful

Firefox, currently with release candidate 3.6 (Writers Note: WOW we are up to 7.0.1 as of September 2011!!!!), is the world's second most popular internet web browser {but I bet you knew that already}.

Don't have the latest release? Click here to get it. {Make sure you close your current browser, especially if you are using Firefox already) BEFORE you update.

What you may not know, is there are many items that can be 'acquired' to enhance Firefox to make your life just that little bit simpler using this wonderful browser. You may add a theme picture to it, get tools called 'add-ons' small widgets that provide extra or additional features. There are also some simple keyboard shortcuts that make life easier too. Firefox also has some great already in-built features, that once you use them, you will never forget them again.

So on with some of the tips, tricks, features add-ons and other good stuff that Firefox has to offer.

Whats Here In This Lens

Always Difficult To See....The Future Is

  1. Whats New In Firefox 3.6
  2. Web Browser Wars
  4. Beginner Tips
  5. Firefox For Dummies
  6. Personas
  7. Whats New In Firefox 3.6
  9. Intermediate Tips
  10. Firefox And Thunderbird
  11. Your Preferred Browser You Use Is....
  12. Plug-Ins And Extensions
  13. Use Firefox On Your Mobile Phone
  15. Advanced Tips
  16. Hacking Firefox
  18. Squidoo Browser Toolbar
  19. Do You Seek The Mysteries Of The Sith (Internet Explorer)

Whats New In Firefox 3.6

Thats No Moon....It's A Space Station!

Internet www addressFirefox 3.6 is built on Mozilla's Gecko 1.9.2 web rendering platform (this is the under the hood engine that displays what you see in your browser as well as ties in those little programs - the add-ons and such, those code monkeys write), which has been under development since early 2009 and contains many improvements for web developers, add-on developers, and users. This version is also faster and more responsive than previous versions, alot of the functions and features (especially when it comes to improved speed) you may or may not notice as a general user.


  • Now available in more than 70 languages


  • Support for 'Personas' a theme that can apply graphics pictures with a single click


  • Protection from out of date plug ins


  • Improved Java-Script performance, browser response, web draw speed and startup


  • Open native video can now be opened to full screen resolution and supports poster frames


  • Changes to how all third party software is integrated into Firefox 3.6 to support developers as well as to support users in order to prevent the browser crashing.


Firefox 3.6 will operate on the following Operating systems and relevant hardware

Windows Platform (all 32 and 64 bit systems)

Windows 2000
Windows XP
Windows Server 2003
Windows Vista
Windows 7

Minimum hardware requirements


  • Pentium 233 MHz (Recommended: Pentium 500 MHz or greater)

  • 64 MB RAM (Recommended: 128 MB RAM or greater)

  • 52 MB hard drive space


Apple MacIntosh

Mac OS 10.4 and later

Minimum Hardware

  • Macintosh computer with an Intel x86 or PowerPC G3, G4, or G5 processor

  • 128 MB RAM (Recommended: 256 MB RAM or greater)

  • 200 MB hard drive space


Linux (Knoppix, Debian, Fedora, SuSE, Ubuntu, Mandriva, etc)

Firefox will not run on Linux unless you have at least the following packages

  • GTK+ 2.10 or higher

  • GLib 2.12 or higher

  • Pango 1.14 or higher

  • X.Org 1.0 or higher


Highly recommended to include the following packages for optimum performance

  • Network Manager 0.7 or higher

  • DBus 1.0 or higher

  • HAL 0.5.8 or higher

  • GNOME 2.16 or higher


Minimum Hardware

Recommended for being the same as required for the Windows/Macintosh platforms

Web Browser Wars

Do You Back The Rebellion?, Or Are You Of The Dark Side?

Is it - Microsoft's Internet Explorer 8, now with web slices, compatibility view for older websites, or enhanced search for pictures?

Is it - Mozilla's Firefox 3.6 with persona themes, thousands of extensions, add-ons, and themes?

Which is your more preferred browser?

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Internet Explorer - It totally rocks better than all the others

Firefox - It is faster, easier and has more features than all the others

Kangaroo_Jase says:

I just updated to 7.0.1. Amazing the speed that these releases have occurred! We have gone through nearly four updates since I published this lens

bikerministry says:

I just uploaded 6.0 Firefox. It's so-good so-far.

javrsmith says:

All of the new Internet Explorer updates seem to be making it more like Firefox. Firefox has a ton of add ons now and it works really well.

Peter.Murray says:

Does Internet Explorer have customization and extensions yet? I abandoned it long ago when Firefox was so much better.

Spook says:

Just trying it out lately but not sure I'm swung yet.

_Joan_ says:

FIREFOX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LoKackl says:

I love Firefox - it covers a multitude of my inabilities..

 

Thousands of contributors all help, for free, with the enhancement of Firefox. Even you do, every time you fill out a bug report.

Beginner Tips

Patience My Young Padawan....

Keyboard Home KeyControl content you see with your keyboard

Use the following to decrease or increase the font on a web page

CRTL + + - Increases Font
CRTL + - - Decreases Font
CTRL + 0 - Reset Zoom (The MAC key plus zero on an Apple machine)

Use the following to benefit from tabbed browsing and see more than one web page

CRTL + T- Opens up a new, but empty tab
Middle Mouse button or wheel (on a link) - Open the web link, but in a new tab
CTRL + W- Close the current tab
CRTL + SHIFT +T- Reopen a closed tab

Scroll up or down currently viewed page or move between tabbed pages

SPACE BAR - Scroll down a page
SHIFT + SPACE BAR - Scroll up a page
CTRL + TAB - Move between open tabbed pages.

Firefox For Dummies

Use The Force.......Trust Your Feelings

The author Blake Ross, gives the lowdown on how Firefox was started, yet also provides much detail and insight into safer web browsing, downloading and installing Firefox, using tabbed browsing, downloading and saving files, and much, much more
Firefox For Dummies

Firefox For Dummies

by: Blake Ross

Amazon Price: $9.62 (as of 06/01/2012)Buy Now

A great book for all beginners and experienced users of using web browsers, especially with the benefits, tips, trick and great ways that the Firefox browser can utilize and enhance your internet experience.

Personas

Add a themed picture to the inside of your browser

Personas, new with Firefox 3.6 are pictures that one can use as a theme to personalize the look of your browser. Here is an example screenshot.

Firefox Personas



There are currently over 36,000 pictures for Persona themes available.

Whats New In Firefox 3.6

Mike Beltzner, Director of Firefox Development, gives an overview of what's new in Firefox 3.6

This video shows just a brief outline of some of the new, nifty, cool, and updated features of the new version of Firefox 3.6
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Firefox 3.6 saw official release through the Mozilla and Firefox websites on the 21st January 2010

Intermediate Tips

I Detect A Presence I Haven't Felt Since....

Web Address LinkUse tags to keep a firm hold over those unwieldy bookmarks

Just simply double click the star at the end of the location toolbar and enter as many 'tags' as you like, yet put a comma between each tag. Now when you type a tag like 'travel', it will provide a list of bookmarks for each one marked with the 'travel' tag.

Get Add-Ons to further enhance and grow your web experience

Add-ons are like widgets, small internal programs, that can provide RSS or Twitter feeds, show the local time and weather, a shortcut for search, or even enhance or provide additional features for Firefox. There are literally thousands of add-ons available now. Click on ---> Tools ---> Add-ons, then click ---> Browse Add-Ons on the top-right, to bring up a tab to view all those available.

Eliminate your web presence

For security and privacy reasons, it's not good to leave a trail behind you as you browse (especially if you're using a shared computer). Firefox lets you erase your browsing and download history, clear your cache and delete your cookies in a single click. Just go to Tools ---> Clear Recent History to make it happen. Or, to be extra careful, go to Tools ---> Options ---> Privacy and select the "Always clear my private data when I close Firefox" option.

Firefox And Thunderbird

You Are Not A Jedi Knight......Yet

Firefox is quickly becoming a leading alternative to Microsoft Internet Explorer. If you are new (or quite experienced but would like to know more) to Firefox and want to see what all the buzz is about, Firefox and Thunderbird: Beyond Browsing and Email is the guide that you need. By focusing on how to configure and customize Firefox and Thunderbird, this book will show you how to quickly get a hold of the less intuitive features that most new users struggle to figure out. You will discover which of Firefox's many options should be adjusted, which shouldn't, and how to locate many hidden preferences that will ultimately create a better browsing experience. The author's tips and tricks will teach you how to adjust the browser's appearance and behavior, and how to install the most popular extensions to maximize the browser's performance.

You'll also be introduced to Firefox's e-mail client companion, Thunderbird. You'll cover Thunderbird's built-in spam filters, calendar, and customizeable layout and toolbars. Personalize your e-mail with tips and tricks dedicated to getting the most out of Thunderbird, and learn how to make it work together with Firefox for a seamless online experience.

You can even find out how to contribute to the development of Firefox and Thunderbird. A special section on Web development will show you how you can add new extensions, themes, and customizations to each one and make an impact on the future of Firefox and Thunderbird.
Firefox and Thunderbird: Beyond Browsing and Email

Firefox and Thunderbird: Beyond Browsing and Email

by: Peter Hipson

Amazon Price: $0.01 (as of 06/01/2012)Buy Now

A great way to learn all about tabbed web browsing, security, eliminating pop-ups, and acheiving the best results with add-ons and further customization. Also provides a thorough look at personaising anbd enhancing Thunderbird, Mozilla's leading email client. Excellent for those very familiar with using web broswers and email client programs.

Your Preferred Browser You Use Is....

R2-D2, you know better than to trust a strange computer!

People who use the internet, predominately use a web browser, and everyone has a favourite...

Loading poll. Please Wait...

Plug-Ins And Extensions

May The Force Be With You

Power PlugPlug-Ins are a internal item of software that allow for features like 'in-browser' viewing of photos, videos (like Quick-Time) and browsing PDF files WITHIN Firefox itself. There are some additional plug-ins that you can download and install, yet the majority of these are already inbuilt into Firefox. For example, if you download the REALPLAYER multi-media application, a plug-in for RealPlayer media may also be installed into Firefox.

Extensions are add-ons but are mentioned here as they can be built by anyone who has some knowledge of programming. They can add functionality or additional features, not just for Firefox, but Mozilla's other two main programs, Seamonkey (containing an Internet browser, email & newsgroup client with an included web feed reader, HTML editor, IRC chat and web development tools) and Thunderbird (stand alone email client).

Use Firefox On Your Mobile Phone

I Will Turn Him Back....To The Good Side....

You can use Firefox currently only on Nokia N810, or N900 mobile phone systems (currently), sync between Mac or PC to your cell (copy your fav bookmarks from your home PC to your phone!!!) and see your location as you travel.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Mobile Firefox can be viewed, right Here

Advanced Tips

Before I Was But The Student, Now I Am The Master

httpControl What You Download

If you're a frequent downloader, you can use the download manager window to keep track of all your downloads. You can pause and resume downloads, and save yourself time by opening files directly from the manager.

If you need to track down a past download, go to Tools ---> Downloads and use the search box to find your file. Once you've found it, double-click on the file to open it, or right-click and choose "Copy Download Link"

Discover and Develop Your Own Add-Ons

If you're a Web developer, Firefox's developer tools will make your life easier. The Mozilla Add-ons site offers many tools to streamline the development process, including Firebug to edit, debug, and monitor CSS, HTML, and JavaScript live in any Web page, Tamper Data to view and modify HTTP/HTTPS headers and POST parameters, and the DOM Inspector to examine any HTML or CSS element with a simple right click.

Setup Firefox You Way You Want To Use Your Web Applications

Now you can use Web-based protocol handlers to provide quick access to your favorite Web applications. For example, you can set Firefox up so clicking on a mailto: link on any site will open a new message in your preferred webmail provider rather than your computer's default mail program (note: this feature is only available with webmail services that have registered with Firefox).

Go to Tools ---> Options ---> Applications to select the default application for each protocol or to select "Always Ask" if you prefer to choose the application yourself every time.

Hacking Firefox

I Find Your Lack Of Faith...Disturbing

This is for the hard-core tribes, this book goes deep into the hacks, tricks, tips and 'under the hood' of Firefox for those who like to program and tinker with their web browsers where code angels fear to tread.
Hacking Firefox: More Than 150 Hacks, Mods, and Customizations (ExtremeTech)

Hacking Firefox: More Than 150 Hacks, Mods, and Customizations (ExtremeTech)

by: Mel Reyes

Amazon Price: $6.49 (as of 06/01/2012)Buy Now

An insightful, useful and thoroughly interesting look at a deep 'under the hood' inner workings and understanding of not just Firefox, but how web browsers work and operate.

In case you missed it the first time, click this text here to download the latest version of Firefox 3.6

Squidoo Browser Toolbar

by Thefluffanutta

Lensmaster, Thefluffanutta has created a real nifty add-on not for just the Firefox browser, but also available for those preferring Google Chrome, or Microsft's Internet Explorer.

The browser toolbar provides additional tools at your fingertips to do alot with Squidoo and your lenses. Go and check it out for more details. You will find the tools a great benefit for any serious lensmaster
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Do You Seek The Mysteries Of The Sith (Internet Explorer)

Or Do You Journey The Path Of Light (Mozilla Firefox)

This is where those with Jedi powers (adept at using internet browsers) may put in comments and feedback!

  • pumpnut Jan 14, 2011 @ 2:03 pm | delete
    Learned a few things here. Thanks!
  • Spook Oct 4, 2010 @ 2:17 pm | delete
    I actually need to come back here more often. Long time no hear mate, hope we haven't lost you? Blessed by an Angel.
  • d-artist Jun 17, 2010 @ 5:43 pm | delete
    Thank You, thank you, thank you, I really needed this...I just got my computer back and the tech said to use Firefox. I use to have it on my older computer, but didn't know if Vista was compatible...oh wow I just learned something by accident! I was checking the shown misspellings and noticed that right clicking brings up the correct word, and best of all it replaces it! how cool is that! a ~"Squid Angel Blessing"~
  • Susan52 Jun 11, 2010 @ 6:51 am | delete
    I'm a Firefox fan, especially when I'm doing anything with Squidoo. Very informative lens. Thank you!
  • GonnaFly May 22, 2010 @ 2:59 pm | delete
    I have only just downloaded firefox and have yet to get used to some of its features. There are things that I prefer about IE so I keep going back to that. But once I learn about all the wonderful addons with firefox ....
  • LoKackl May 8, 2010 @ 12:37 pm | delete
    I am anything but adept at using internet browers, which is why this lens is easy-to-use, functional, serviceable! SquidAngel blessed
  • shevyres Mar 17, 2010 @ 5:44 am | delete
    Very informative lens. Well done
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Kangaroo_Jase

Jason is a certified IT Network Engineer (certified Geek), Online Affiliate (he still has his L plates on) and Article Marketer (he writes stuff...about... more »

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