Q:
I just downloaded Firefox 3 the other day and while I like it the way it is, I was wondering if you had any suggestions for add ons I could install to go with it. Thanks for any help you can give me!
A:
If Firefox 3 add ons are what you're after, you've come to the right place! Just the other day, there was a post on WorldStart's message board (thanks to user "HARLEY") about this very same thing. So, apparently, you're not the only one who just downloaded the new Firefox 3 Web browser and wants to spice it up a bit! Of course, there are tons of add ons out there for Firefox, but below is a list of five you may want to check out first. Let's begin!
1.) Adblock Plus - Have you ever been on a Web site that just bombards you with pop up advertisements? You know, you're browsing along and all of the sudden, an ad just pops up out of nowhere and takes up half your screen. If that annoys you more than anything, you've got to try the Adblock Plus add on for Firefox. It will block all of those advertisements so that you never have to lay eyes on them again. Sounds like a plan to me! (Note: If you don't mind ads from a few of your most favorite Web sites, Adblock Plus also lets you create a whitelist for ads you don't want to be blocked). Either way, it's a win-win situation! Click here to install it for yourself.
2.) Edit Middle 2 - As you know, Firefox 3 comes with a new feature called the Awesome Bar (it's like a location bar). And while it is pretty awesome, it unfortunately will not catch your typos. For example, if you happen to misspell something you're searching for, you will not get the results you were expecting. Luckily, this add on can help you with that! Simply install it on your computer and it will correct any typos you happen to make. Check it out right here.
3.) No Script - This add on is designed to keep you more secure while you're using Firefox 3. When you're browsing the Internet, it's inevitable that you'll run into a few Web sites that contain JavaScript, Java or other types of scripts. Unfortunately, those scripts can be dangerous and they're not anything to mess around with. But the No Script add on can help by only running that type of content on sites you trust. Everything else will be blocked! Install it for yourself by clicking here.
4.) Searchery - Do you like to use Google and Firefox together? You know, maybe you have the Google toolbar in your Firefox browser and you use Google to do all of your searching. If that's the case, this add on will add the Google search box right to your new Firefox location bar and you can get rid of the other Google search bar. Once everything is combined into one bar, you'll have a lot more room to work with and everything you need will still be right there waiting for you! Check it out right here.
5.) Video DownloadHelper - If you're constantly downloading videos onto your computer, you've got to check out this new add on. It's one of the best video downloaders I've ever seen and it's so easy to use. It also supports several Web sites and works on pretty much any video portal you can find! Give it a try by clicking here.
Whew! Those are some pretty good looking add ons, aren't they? Now, I know everyone has their own reasons for using the Firefox 3 browser, but these five add ons are bound to help anyone with anything they have to do. Try just one or try them all, but you better get to it. Have fun!
~ Erin
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Page Break Basics
A page break? What's that?
Are those questions you privately ask yourself when someone is busy talking in "computer jargon?"
Can you practically see the words flying right by you?
Well, reach out your hand and catch these two, because today, we're going to delve into the world of the mysterious page break.
For starters, a page break is the point at which one page ends and another one begins.
MS Word automatically inserts a page break (known as a soft break) when you fill up a page with text, graphics, tables, etc.
The page break automatically adjusts to fit your document during the editing process and it basically takes care of business for you.
On the other hand, there are times when you need to insert a page break manually. Perhaps you're ending one section of your document and you need to start the next on a new page. That means it's time for a page break!
But what if your page is only half full? I hope you're not thinking about hitting the Enter key until you get to the next page! What a nightmare that would be when you try editing your document. That's definitely not the right choice.
So, what's a good solution?
Lucky for you, I have one!
You can manually insert a page break (also known as a hard page break) in a couple of different ways.
In older versions of Word, one way is to use the Insert menu, Break choice. Then from the Break window, select Page Break and click OK. If you're using Word 2007, you need to simply click on the Page Break button, located on the Insert ribbon.
Another more efficient method that works in all versions of Word is to use the key combination of Ctrl + Enter.
Either way, it's in your best interest to use Word's page breaks!
~ April
Gmail Labs
Attention all Gmail users! I have some great news for you today. Gmail Labs have recently added all types of new features and I can't wait to show them to you. So, without further ado, let's check them out!
First of all, Gmail hasn't updated all of the Gmail accounts to include these new features, so to see if your account has the new functionalities, simply follow the steps below:
1.) Head on over to www.gmail.com and log in to your account.
2.) In the upper right hand corner, click on the Settings link.
3.) Now, if you see a Labs tab listed, you're good to go!
4.) If you don't, that's okay too. All you have to do is paste this link into your address bar after you're logged in to your account: https://mail.google.com/mail/?labs=1#settings. Then hit Enter.
5.) Bam! You now have the Gmail Labs feature.
Okay, with all of that out of the way, let's go over some of the features Gmail has added. Some of them are also Greasemonkey scripts we have covered before, so you might already be used to a few of the features. Here we go!
Quick Links
Quick Links is similar to the Saved Searches Greasemonkey script we have covered before, but it goes one step further. In addition to saving your searches, you can also save individual messages. Cool, huh?!
Superstars
This one is probably my favorite addition to Gmail Labs. I've always loved the Star feature, because the Star icon allows you to pick out important e-mails so much faster, but this one is even better. Now, you have a whole pallet of icons to choose from when labeling your messages. I know you're going to love it!
Pictures in Chat
This one is for all of you who use Gmail's amazing chat function. Most other chat programs allow you to have buddy icons, because it makes chatting even more fun. Well, Gmail now offers you the ability to see your friend's profile picture as you chat with them. How neat is that?!
Mouse Gestures
I always loved the Mouse Gestures feature and now, I can use it in Gmail as well. Once you enable this feature, hold down the right click button on your mouse. Now, move your mouse to the left to go to a previous conversation. Move it to the right to go to the next conversation and move it up to go back to the Inbox view. It's so cool, you've got to check it out!
Signature Tweaks
This feature is simple, but very useful. What it does is place your signature before the quoted text in an e-mail reply. Even more, it also removes those pesky little dashes (--) before your signature, which, like me, you've probably been doing manually for quite some time now. Be sure to give this one a spin!
As you can see, Gmail has a simple system set up, so all you need to do is enable the tweaks you feel will be useful to you and click Save Changes. Gmail will then do a quick restart and you can start enjoying your new functionalities Enjoy!
~ Neil Patel
