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We were elated when Firefox 3.5 came out, which brought increased stability and new features to one of our favorite web browsers of all time, including private browsing, tear away tabs and location awareness. We also got a faster browser with enhanced security and user-friendliness. However, what ultimately makes Firefox the choice browser is the appeal of its massive library of add-ons, which not only shed light on the fervent community, but also ensure that Firefox users get a great deal by installing widgets and extensions that only add to the Internet browsing experience. Users have the ability to experience what other web browsers do not — and cannot — offer.
From Mozilla's massive library of add-ons, we've chosen our favorite 16 that we believe are essential to the Firefox experience. These are add-ons that introduce features we wish were pre-installed with Firefox -- enhancements that we can't live without. Because as awesome as Firefox already is, these picks make our web browsing experience that much better. Try them out today!
Opening various windows in Firefox can get cluttered, confusing, and can slow down your browser’s performance. With All-in-One Sidebar, you have instant access to Firefox’s entire inventory of Downloads, Add-ons, History and Bookmarks with one simple left-click. This definitely takes away from the hassle of rifling through different menu tabs to find the function you’re looking for.
QuickDrag extends the function of the drag-and-drop mouse gestures so that they can be used to load URLs, so a web search based on selected text, or quickly save an image. Simply select text and drag it anywhere in your browser window: either to the search bar, to the middle of the page as a link, or if it’s an image, drag it to the middle of the browser window to save it on your desktop.
Like it or not, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer is still a heavy contender in the browser world. Though web developers have shifted to other browsers to do their coding and site structuring, they’re still required to make sure that their code is viewable in the latest versions of IE. Fortunately, IE Tab fixes this issue; simply right-click to open a link, select Open this link in IE tab, and Firefox displays a new tab for you in “IE mode.” This works for the three most recent versions of Internet Explorer.
Sometimes, our browsers and computers can become overloaded, and can instantaneously shut down while we’re in the process of filling out yet another tedious Internet form (ie. while blogging). Thankfully, Lazarus lives true to its name and resurrects our lost text. This add-on is definitely one of those features we really wish came bundled with Firefox from the get-go.
Video DownloadHelped allows you to download your favorite Internet memes and weekly subscription videos to our desktop for a later viewing. It does all the dirty work by downloading video content from the web and storing it as a flash file (.FLV). You will need an additional program, like FLV Player, to view the video, but the program is free. (Hint: This is a great way to capture music exclusive available only on YouTube.)
Web services are becoming more aggressive about how cautious you should be when choosing a password. As a result, remembering so many passwords and being logged out when you refresh your Cookies can make navigating the internet a bit of a hassle. LastPass Password Manager stores your passwords and makes it so that you only have to use one code word to access the rest. LastPass also ensures that you can create stronger passwords, log into your sites with a single click and manage your data from multiple computers seamlessly. You can even share logins with friends, use one time passwords and safe-guard passwords that other password managers will not store, like that for your online banking site. All of your data is encrypted locally, so you don’t have to worry about web snoops logging in as you.
Social networks—where would we be without them? Well, we certainly wouldn’t have instant access to our friends to share links with at the click of a button. Thankfully, Shareaholic facilitates this with an add-on that allows you to right-click on a link, video, or image, and distribute it among your Internet brood on a variety of sites, including Twitter, Facebook, and Digg.
It happens to the best of us—you’re in a rush and you just don’t have time to physically type in the Google address you needed. Locator on Google Maps introduces a quick fix solution for these types of dilemmas: simply right-click on the highlighted address and Google maps will pop up in a new menu with a pin on your desired location.
If you’re eating delicious, greasy food at your desk with one hand, chances are you’ll only have your other one free for surfing the web. Firegestures ensures that with a few clicks and gestures of the mouse, you’ll be able to effortlessly execute various commands and user scripts with five types of gestures, instead of having to put down your sauce-laden burger.
HideTab’s discrete paranoia button quickly hides all tabs in your Firefox browser window, making it easy for you to surf incognito, without the suspicions of your fellow desk mates. There are also keyboard shortcuts, which makes hiding windows a much more discreet and imperceptible action. We should caution that this add-on is currently in the experimental stages, so download at your own risk.
For the avid music listener who can’t be bothered to switch between screens, Foxy Tunes adds a nifty remote control for your media player at the bottom of the browser window. It handles controls for Winamp, Last.fm, Pandora, Windows Media Player, Xbox Media Player, and a variety of other services. We should mention that you still have to run the parent application in the background, though you can continue full-screen browsing without the hassle of switching between application windows to skip a song.
Sometimes, shifting through tabs can be incredibly time consuming, especially if you’re the type of person who refuses to run more than one Firefox window at a time. Fortunately, Firefox Showcase has developed an Add-on that displays the tabs in the main browser window. Press Ctrl + Alt + T to “showcase” the tabs individually and take your pick based on a quick glance of a screenshot.
ColorfulTabs shades your tabs based on the color scheme of the webpage you are viewing. This add-on banks on the philosophy that the brain has an easier time defining colors instead of text. ColorfulTabs definitely adds a bit of perky aesthetic to your Firefox browser window, while also contributing a bit of alternative functionality, making it easier for users to distinguish between tabs
Each time you move forward to another site, this Firefox add-on ensures that you have a myriad of sites to choose from for your next Internet journey. The New Tab King displays your recently closed tabs, personalized suggested sites, most frequented web addresses and includes shortcuts to your desktop applications. This is definitely a very useful tool if you’re using a computer where you can’t customize your bookmarks, or can’t stand opening an empty tab.
This add-on does the service of storing user content, like bookmarks and passwords, in the cloud for safekeeping. If you’re the kind of person that uses the Internet on various machines, then this is definitely a service that is integral to your web browsing. Xmarks also ensures that your content is safely locked away with password encryption and allows you to restore bookmarks from a previous date, should you accidentally delete anything.
This Firefox add-on is a perfect example of a basic functionality that should come standard with the popular browser. This application simply adds a full screen option to the context menu for HTML5 videos, but is integral for video services that don’t offer the option.
Got a favorite add-on we didn’t mention? Add it in the comments
Links:
[1] http://www.maximumpc.com/user/theflo
[2] https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/
[3] https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1027
[4] https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/6912
[5] https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1419
[6] https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/6984
[7] https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3006
[8] https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/8542
[9] https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/5457
[10] https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/4870
[11] https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/6366
[12] https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/12849
[13] https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/219
[14] https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1810
[15] https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1368
[16] https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/10828
[17] https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2410
[18] https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/12576
[19] http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/5_awesome_mozilla_labs_projects_firefox_35
[20] http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/9_amazing_new_features_firefox_35
[21] http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/firefox_36_alpha_now_available
[22] http://www.maximumpc.com/tags/downloads
[23] http://www.maximumpc.com/tags/features
[24] http://www.maximumpc.com/tags/firefox
[25] http://www.maximumpc.com/tags/firefox_35_addons
[26] http://www.maximumpc.com/tags/mozilla
[27] http://www.maximumpc.com/tags/software
[28] http://www.maximumpc.com/tags/web_browsers
[29] http://www.maximumpc.com/articles/features
[30] http://www.maximumpc.com/user/login?&commentfragment=comments_top_anchor