10 Best Firefox Extensions

Mozilla Firefox is regarded as one of the best internet browsers due to its numerous extensions that modify or add to existing browser functionality. These extensions or add-ons allow you to customize your Firefox to really make it yours. But there are so many available extensions that it is difficult to choose what is worth installing.
I have selected 10 of the best extensions recommended by web surfers and IT professionals. Let me know your own favorite add-ons in the comments at the bottom of the page.

Firefox Showcase

Firefox Showcase provides the ability to show all open windows and tabs as thumbnails in a variety of browser locations. It includes a find bar that will filter the thumbnails.
There are many customization options that allow you to choose how to display the thumbnails. No matter which option you select, once you do, clicking on one of thumbnails takes you to that tab or window. You can Shift or Ctrl click on any of the thumbnails to manually select more than one tab. After that you can close selected pages or other pages, duplicate or merge selected tabs in new window.
I love this extension because it saves me a lot of time when I am looking for necessary page among many others open pages.

Session Manager

Session Manager is a useful tool. It automatically saves and restores the state of all windows at startup and after crashes. But this is not all. With the help of this extension you can manually save and restore sessions.
This is very convenient, especially for those who usually visit the same sites every day. With this extension you can open the sites in separate tabs or/and windows, and then save the session under a name of your choosing. After that, every time you want to visit the sites in the saved session, all you need to do is pick your session in Session Manager’s menu and voila, all the tabs and windows open up just as you saved them.

Download Statusbar

Download Statusbar allows you to view and manage downloads from a compact toolbar, at the bottom of the browser window. Download Statusbar, in spite of its compact size, has some more useful features than the standard download window. The full mode interface auto-hides when not in use, allowing full control without interruption.

All-in-One Sidebar

All-in-One Sidebar is a wonderful extension that provides you easy access to your bookmarks, downloads, history, themes and extensions, and more.
Just Click on the left edge of your Firefox window to open the sidebar and get quick access to all your panels.

StumbleUpon

StumbleUpon is very popular tool for browsing, reviewing and sharing great sites with like-minded people. It learns what you like and what you don’t. And it provides you a way to find new great websites, videos and photos.

Piclens

Piclens immediately transforms your browser window into a full-screen slideshow adventure. With just one click, this Firefox extension makes images and photos be realized via an immersive presentation that goes beyond the borders of the ordinary Firefox browser window.

IE tab

This Firefox extension is useful for those web sites that work better with Internet Explorer. It places a small icon in your tool bar by clicking on which you can see a web page as Internet Explorer would display it, in the Firefox browser.

Foxy Tunes

Foxy Tunes allows you to control almost any media player through your browser. It also helps you find artists, lyrics, photos, and albums on the internet.

Answers

This extension promises to "instantly deliver the information you are looking for". Just hold the Alt key and click on any word. After that full results page from Answers.com will pop up in the window.

Wizz RSS News Reader

Wizz RSS News Reader is a good reader that supports OPML import and export. It also provides such features as a feed search, and filtering news entries on words or/and phrases.

Super Utilities v.7.75 – Make Your Computer Better

The new version of Super Utilities has been released recently. This Windows program is a collection of useful tools that will fix, clean up, maintain and speed up your operating system.
Super Utilities v.7.75 is suite of 27 tools. These tools are divided into five groups: System Cleaner, Security Doctor, Privacy Protecting, System Maintaining, and Special Utilities.
Super Utilities’s system cleaner features include such tools as Disk Cleaner, Registry Cleaner, Uninstall Plus, Memory Turbo and Shortcuts Repairer. All this tools allow you to clean up your system and perform routine maintenance tasks.





Security Doctor’s features contain such tools as Spyware Removal, StartUp Organizer, Security Service Manager, Security Task Manager, BHO Cleaner, and IE Password Manager. These features allow you to detect and remove adware, potential spyware, keyloggers, trojans, and tracking threats.
The privacy protector features of Super Utilities provide you with ability to hide your private information and keep it safe. This feature set includes such tools as Hiding Folders, Super EXE Locker, IE Privacy Manager, Tracking Washers, Super Shredder and Super Menu Guard.
Super Utilities offers several good maintenance tools that allow you to make back up of your system drivers, help you to manage file types and shell extensions.
Super Utilities has its own better version of Windows system information, which informs you of general information about your operating system and pc.
There are some other special utilities features that can make your work with computer easier and more efficient.





I think Super Utilities is really good program for every user who wants to keep his system stable, clean and optimized.
Super Utilities v.7.75 is shareware software developed by SuperLogix.net. You can download Super Utilities v.7.75 there. (5.2 MB)

Net Transport 2.51

The new version of Net Transport has been released. Net Transport (also called NetTransport or NetXfer) is a faster, popular and powerful downloading tool for Windows. This program supports almost all common Internet protocols, including: HTTP, HTTPS, FTP (through SSL), SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol), PNM (rename PNM to RTSP), RTSP (Real-Time Streaming Protocol), MMS (Microsoft Media Services), eMule, and BitTorrent.
If you looking for some program to locally save the streaming media, Net Transport is the right choice for you. It can download streaming media by multiple threads with excellent video and audio quality. But it is not only great stream-capture utility. Net Transport is also a good download manager with independently developed Enhanced Multi-Threading technology that allows maximizing the use of available network bandwidth.
In the new version was improved the work with BitTorrent and was added support for running schedule only once a week. There are some other minor improvements and bug fixes.
You can download or buy Net Transport 2.51 from official site. (3.2 MB)

Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.9 Review

Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.9 is a fast, full-featured and free Web browser from mozilla.org. It is absolutely independent from Windows components and Internet Explorer. Firefox contains a tab-browsing; pop-up blocking; a streamlined browser window that shows you more of the page than any other browser; integrated Google searching; simplified privacy controls that let you cover your tracks more effectively. It includes a great number of very useful and convenient features, such as Live Titles, which allows Web sites to stream updated data to your bookmarks, search engine suggestions, session restore, inline spell-checking and others that allows you to get the most out of your time online.
Firefox browser has very easy to use interface that is not overladen with buttons and links. Moreover, if you want to change the default interface, there are hundreds of nice themes to use. So you can easy to personalize Firefox to make it look the way you want.
As I’ve said above, Firefox has a tab-browsing. This feature allows you to open more than one web page in the same browser window and easily navigate between numerous web pages. Each browser tab has its own close button and support drag-and-drop technology that allows you organize your content the way you like. If you inadvertently close a tab, just press Ctrl+Shift+T or go to the History menu to reopen it from the list of “Recently Closed Tabs”. You can further speed up your browsing by using hot keys. There is an extension for voice interaction so you can surf the Internet by means of simple voice commands.
There are many security features. Firefox blocks annoying pop-ups. It provides you with protection against spyware and viruses. All the time Firefox keeps you in control of the web sites you are visiting. It will not permit a web site to run, install or download programs on your pc without your explicit consent. Firefox also can help you to keep your financial information safe and protect you from identity theft, informing you of site that is a suspected forgery.
You can clear your browsing history, cookies and other personal information, by the clicking of a button or pressing Ctr+Shift+Del.
The functionality of Firefox can be extended with a numerous add-ons.
Firefox is truly progressive, yet it's also very handy for everyday use. I think Mozilla Firefox is the best browser in the world.





This internet browser is absolutely free. You can download the current version of Mozilla Firefox (5.7 MB) on this page.

See also:
Thunderbird 2.0.0.9 Now Available

10 Best Firefox Extensions

Thunderbird 2.0.0.9 Now Available

Yesterday was announced the new version of Mozilla Thunderbird. It is Thunderbird 2.0.0.9. Mozilla Thunderbird is absolutely free and very popular e-mail client that offers its users many useful features in a clean interface. It contains the complete spectrum of necessary possibilities for work with e-mail. Thunderbird allows you an easy way to aggregate your online e-mail accounts locally, and provides an irresistible alternative to Windows Mail and Outlook Express. I like it, but I think it is best suited for experienced users.
The last update fixes several security vulnerabilities and about 40 performance and stability bugs. So this means the upgrade to the latest version should be performed as soon as possible. To update your version of Mozilla Thunderbird just select Check for Updates command in the Help menu and follow instructions.
It seems to work well and I was not able to identify any troubles thus far using it.





You can download the english version of Thunderbird 2.0.0.9 by clicking this link. (6.5 MB)

Undelete Plus 2.94

The new version of the Undelete Plus windows utility recently became available. Undelete Plus v2.94 allows its users to restore accidentally deleted files, files removed from the Recycle Bin, from a network drive, from Windows Explorer with the SHIFT key held down or files deleted in a DOS window.
Undelete Plus supports all Windows file systems for hard and floppy drives, including FAT12/16/32, NTFS/NTFS5 and restoration of an image from MultiMedia, CompactFlash, SmartMedia and Secure Digital cards. It also supports all versions of Windows OS from Windows 98 to Windows Vista.
It is important to know: the moment you find out, that vital files have been removed, you should prevent the deleted files from being rewritten. Therefore, avoid any use of a disk where the file has been deleted while files are not restored.





The new version of the program has small interface improvements.
Undelete Plus 2.94 is absolutely free for non-commercial use for now, but who knows how long that will last.
Download Undelete Plus 2.94 for free.(0.8 MB)

Ad-Aware 2007 – The Best Free Anti-Spyware Program

Surfing the Internet, you subject your computer to thousand various dangers. Each time when you switch on the computer and connect to internet, your system faces innumerable internet threats, including viruses, home-page hijackers, spyware attacks, trojan horses, and hackers trying to find their way into your system.
But it is very easy to protect your system from all this threats. I’ve found three great pieces of software – AVG antivirus, ZoneAlarm firewall and Ad-Aware anti-spyware tool – designed to protect you against threat that come your way. I use them myself, because they are powerful, they are free and very easy to use.
I’ve already reviewed AVG AntiVirus Free Edition and ZoneAlarm Firewall in previous posts. Well today I am going to tell you about Ad-Aware 2007.
Ad-Aware is anti-spyware program which provides protection from known Spyware including: trojans, malware, dialers, data-mining, aggressive advertising, scumware, parasites, and browser hijackers. And today it is one of the most popular and trusted anti-spyware software programs.
Ad-Aware 2007 has new easy to use interface. Navigation bar has six buttons (tabs).
Status tab allow you to view the status of the components that make up Ad-Aware 2007, statistics from your scans, and log files from your scans. It also can initiate system scan.





Scan tab allows you to choose the type of scan you would like to perform, manage your Quarantine and Ignore lists, and use the Scheduler to set up automatic scans and Web Updates.





Other main menu buttons include Ad-Watch, offering real-time protection but in the paid version. Web Update tab controls threat database and software updates. Tools and plug-ins are disabled in the free version, but the Tools and Plug-ins tab hosts TrackSweep. It is a privacy tool that allows you to remove all traces of your Internet browsing from your system.





The settings tab allows you to change Ad-Aware 2007’s settings to fit your individual needs.
Ad-Aware 2007 is fully functional adware remover, and it does its job well.
It is my favorite anti-spyware program. Get it a try.
You can download free Ad-Aware 2007 v7.0.2.5 from here (21 MB).

Clean Out Junk on Your System with CCleaner

You install and uninstall software, surf the internet and use different programs. Eventually all of this can lead to a system contamination by unused files and other crap, and slows down your system. Therefore it is a good practice to clean your system from time to time. There are many programs for this purpose. I recommend CCleaner because it’s free and really does clean out the crap that accumulates in your hard-drive.
CCleaner is a very good system optimization tool. It can find and remove temporary files, log files, browser URL history, cookies, and unused and old registry entries – allowing your system to run faster, and freeing up hard disk space. CCleaner includes registry backup feature. Therefore you can make a back-up file, before deleting anything from the registry. But the best part is that it's rather fast cleaner tool.
In fact I was reading today that a new version 2.02.525 of CCleaner has just been released. See the list of new features on the site http://www.ccleaner.com.





Get it a try. You can download Cleaner v2.02.525 here (2.6 MB).

The New Version of UltraISO

The new version 8.6.5.2140 of UltraISO recently became available. It is a program for creating, editing and converting CD/DVD image files.
By means of this utility you can edit ISO image files directly, extract necessary files from image, create images from CD/DVD drives or build a new one from files and folders on your hard disk. UltraISO can maintain bootable information and gives you the possibility to create your own bootable CD/DVDs. In addition, UltraISO supports nearly all known CD/DVD image file formats and can convert them to standard ISO format.
The new version of UltraISO is optimized for multi core processors. There are also some improvements and bug fixes.



In my opinion UltraISO has very easy to use interface and is one of the best programs from its family.
The license of UltraISO is Shareware. Its cost is $29.95. You can download it from this page and get a free trial before you buy.

New Version Total Commander Ultima Prime Came Out

Total Commander Ultima Prime 3.2 is the improved version of file manager Total Commander 7 which contains set of additional programs and plug-ins.
In the newest version was added new Artweaver. It is graphic editor that allows users to edit files using extended layers feature. New version of Total Commander Ultima Prime also contains updated versions of audioplayer AIMP, FileAnalyzer, Notepad++, Free Download Manager, Miranda IM, etc. The most of the plug-ins have been updated too.
In my opinion it is one of the most functional file manager and very good tool for every Windows user.




You can Download Total Commander Ultima Prime here (69 MB).

ZoneAlarm free firewall review

For home users, free firewalls may give you enough protection. The free version of ZoneAlarm is one of the best-known free firewalls. ZoneAlarm firewall is designed to protect your cable or DSL-connected computer against unauthorized access by hackers, hijackers and malicious software. It also blocks threats already on your pc from communicating with the malefactor or a third party so that hackers can't gain access to your computer or personal data.
The installation process for ZoneAlarm involves installing the software files, running the configuration wizard to set basic protection options, and viewing the Tutorial.
Main window of ZoneAlarm is shown below. It is the Control Center.



As you can see there is the menu on the left side of the Control Center. It presents main features of ZoneAlarm security software. The dashboard appears at the top of the Control Center. It provides constant access to basic security functions and indicators. From the status tab on the overview panel you can see a summary of ZoneAlarm security software's activity and update status of your version of ZoneAlarm.
From the preferences tab you can set general options for the display of the ZoneAlarm’s Control Center, change your ZoneAlarm password, manage updates, and configure privacy settings for communications with ZoneAlarm.



Firewall panel allows you to change security levels and make it easy to configure your firewall settings. You can set there a preconfigured security level to each Zone, or you can determine the protocol and port restrictions for each level.



The program control panel is very useful tool which lets you to assign program permissions manually or automatically when program advice is available.



ZoneAlarm’s alert and logging panel keep you aware of what's happening on your computer. And I want to say that it is working without being overly intrusive, and enable you to go back at any time to investigate past alerts.



I can say that ZoneAlarm is a very good firewall, it blocks any potential threat for your computer, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t things that could use improvement. I have noticed that it has some conflicts with P2P programs and blocks some things that I might want to actually let through. So I can say that P2P file sharing is nearly impossible with ZoneAlarm installed.
The best thing I can say about ZoneAlarm free firewall is that the firewall truly works wonders and it is totally free for personal use. You can download ZoneAlarm free firewall here.

Orbit Downloader v2.4.1 Now Available

The new version of Orbit Downloader was announced. Orbit Downloader v2.4.1 is the latest release of easy to use and fast download manager.
The list of main program features:

• possibility to download files from Youtube and Rapidshare services;
  
• downloading of Flash files and streaming media in an online mode;
  
• compatibility with browsers Internet Explorer, Firefox, Maxthon, Opera and Netscape;
  
• support HTTP, HTTPS; FTP, MMS, RTSP and RTMP protocols;
  
• automatic restoration in the case of failure during work of the program;
  
• support proxy server configuration and so on;
  
• 
  

The new version of Orbit Downloader has optimized algorithm of downloading, which allows to increase the speed of the program. So you can download files faster with the new version. I think it is a perfect tool for downloading files from file sharing services.

You can download Orbit Downloader v2.4.1 here (2,1 Mb)