More Firefox Add-Ons + an XP Theme

Last week I told you about Fast Dial, a add-on for Firefox. I'm still using it and am glad I found it. This time around I want to bring to your attention a couple more add-ons that I have found useful and maybe you will too.

Convenience

Adblock Plus

Ever been annoyed by all those ads and banners on the internet that often take longer to download than everything else on the page? Install Adblock Plus now and get rid of them.

The authors description says it all. The add-on also has the ability to add subscription filters making the task of blocking adds automatic. The add-on is listed in the category of Privacy and Security, I have it listed here as a convenience add-on but it does stop allot of tracking cookies that can be installed when visiting a webpage with an advertisement located on it. As far as security goes, well, imagine an advertisement that can lead you to a malicious website if clicked on, you can't click on that ad if it isn't there.

[Update: 11-27-08] After reading a few different articles this morning relating to Maladvertisements, advertisements that redirect to malware sites, I feel this add-on should really be listed under the Security heading of this page rather than the Convenience heading. Note also that not all advertisements need to be clicked on, some may incorporate the use of an auto-redirect capability of Flash. See this article, Malicious Banner Ads—Truth in Advertising Sinks to a New Level .

[Another update: 11-27-08] I wrote more about the issue of malicious web ads over at my other blog, Protection against malicious web ads.

Get this add-on at the Firefox Add-ons website.


Tab Mix Plus

Tab Mix Plus (TMP) is a very popular extension for the Mozilla Firefox browser that enhances Firefox's tab browsing capabilities. It includes such features as duplicating tabs, controlling tab focus, tab clicking options, undo closed tabs and windows, plus much more. It also includes a full-featured Session Manager with crash recovery that can save and restore combinations of opened tabs and windows.

I have used this add-on for a very long time and couldn't imagine tabbed browsing without it.

Get this add-on at the Firefox Add-ons website.


Read It Later

Read It Later allows you to save pages of interest to read later. It eliminates cluttering of bookmarks with sites that are merely of a one-time interest.

I just started using this add-on and it seems that it will become a favorite of mine. I really hate cluttered bookmarks and find myself needing to make special folders for bookmarks that I want to read but not right now. This add-on solves the problem, just right-click on a page or link and select read it later and it will be saved to your Reading List. Pretty handy.

Get this add-on at the Firefox Add-ons website.


CoolPreviews

CoolPreviews (formerly known as Cooliris Previews) gives you the power to browse and share Web links and rich media faster. Just mouse over any link, and the preview window immediately appears to show you the content. To email it, just click.

This is another add-on that I am new to but it does do what it says it will do. It is definitely handy to quickly view a page without actually clicking on it.

Get this add-on at the Firefox Add-ons website.


Security

No Script

The best security you can get in a web browser!
Allow active content to run only from sites you trust, and protect yourself against XSS and Clickjacking attacks.

IMHO, no web browsing should be done without this add-on, it seems that the technology should be incorporated into the standard release of Firefox. I will say however that the add-on can seem a bit confusing to people at first. It was to me, although after a couple weeks of using it I found it to be a great add-on.

Get this must have add-on at the Firefox Add-ons website.


Down Right Out Cool

Cooliris

Full-Screen, 3D -- Cooliris transforms your browser into a visually stunning experience for searching, viewing, and sharing online photos and videos. Our "3D Wall" lets you effortlessly search and zoom your way around thousands of images, videos, movies, news feeds, and even online retailers. To share stuff with friends, just drag and drop.

This is one of those things you have to experience to really appreciate. If you have ever browsed at Google Images or Deviant Art this add-on will totally transform that experience for you. The add-on actually supports many websites. One huge deal-breaker for myself though is that the add-on requires Administrative privileges to function, so I need to start my browser as an Administrator to use it. This does not effect users already signed on as an Administrator.


Vista style theme for Windows XP

Lately I have been on a dark theme mode or more precisely "black" mode, so when I changed my desktop background to a black background I didn't like how it blended with the task bar color ( Royale Noir Theme Black ). So I did a Google search for "Black theme windows xp," and come up with this one.

VistaVG Black Theme for Windows XP

So if your into black you're a friend of mine, wait, that is in a song and completely off topic. I meant to say that if your into black themes, have a looksie at that Vista style theme, its very sharp and very well done. The instructions for installing the theme are listed on the website and are easy to follow.


A side note

If your already using Firefox, one of the reasons, besides all the nifty add-ons that you can use to customize your web experience is that of your concern for security. Firefox by design is a very secure browser but it's not the save all that many would like you to believe.

I mentioned above about not being able to use a certain add-on because it required "Administrative Privileges." I am currently logged on to Window's right now as a "Limited User," I do this for security reasons.

If your concerned about the security of your computer I would encourage you to read over at my PC Security blog, Threat Level: Orange, Security in Layers and also Security in Layers - Step 1.

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Why isn't more TV online?

Ok, I probably should not complain because there really is allot of television shows already online but not necessarily the one I want, when I need it to be.

Tonight the prime-time line-up starts with Survivor, followed by C.S.I. Crime Scene Investigation and to round up the evening Eleventh Hour. Sounds good to me and as usual I'm ready for it.

There is one slight snag in getting my TV fix however, someone scheduled a get together dinner and drinks event for the employees of where my wife works tonight. This someone must either have Tivo or is a Fox fan, neither of which applies to me.

With Survivor no problem, CBS posts those episodes online but their other two shows, I'm not so lucky.

Why don't television studios put more of their shows online, I mean why not? It is clearly a convenience to be able to watch your favorite shows on your schedule verses your local broadcasting stations schedule. Maybe providing convenience to the viewers isn't a priority, which I can partially understand. I'm sure the studios main concern is the bottom-line which causes me to think that is why not all shows are online. Commercials. There are less commercials when viewing shows online compared to viewing the shows on television. This means less exposure for the advertisers.

If this is the reason, there is seems to be a flaw in the theory. Why put some of the most popular shows online but not the other popular shows online? Both Survivor and C.S.I. are very popular. So it's ok for the Survivor fans to see less ads but the C.S.I. fans need to see all the ads. I don't see the logic.

Maybe it has nothing to do with commercials, it could be related to demographics. Maybe the the demographics of one show would be more apt to view shows online where as another demographic of another show would not be likely to sit in front of their computer to watch tv. I think this theory has a few holes as well though. It would imply that one demographic only watches the one particular show and not the other ones.

I'm left with no answers and only hopes of more tv shows online in the future. I surely hope I'm wrong about the commercials though. I'm sure as viewing tv onlilne becomes more popular and more shows are available online this will increase the commercials as well.

Maybe some studio exec out there could shed some light on the subject.

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Back on medications

Image via WikipediaYesterday I went to my doctor's appointment and she is generally displeased about my progress. I think in over a year of seeing her this visit lasted the longest. She even performed a concentration test that consisted of recalling the date, remembering three words and even writing a sentence. She said that I was a bit slow with my answers and seemed to require some thought before answering.

My doctor stated that she, as well as my counselor, have noticed a decline in my mood since being off the medications and that it is imperative that I resume taking them.

The last medication regiment that I was on would cost $100.00 per month in co-pays and I simply could not afford it so I stopped taking them. Since then the cost is all I thought about when considering if I should or should not be taking medications.

Yesterday I managed to think out of the box and asked which two medications would be the minimum that I could get by on. She had the answer quickly. One mood stabilizer, Lithium, and an anti-depressant, Effexor Xr. I knew that Lithium is cheap because it isn't a name brand, so the cost on that would only be $15.00, Effexor is a name brand and would cost $25.00. That sounded reasonable to me.

After the appointment I went to the pharmacy to get the prescription filled and to my surprise the total was only $25.00; I guess the costs' that I remembered were wrong.

I did get used to not taking medications. With Lithium it is important to limit coffee and increase water intake. I do just the opposite, plenty of coffee and little water. I also cannot take Aspirin, Ibuprofen, or Naproxen Sodium but only Acetaminophen, of which I do not have.

Even though I will need to make a couple of changes and get used to taking medications regularly it will probably be a good thing.

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Awesome Firefox Add-on!

My configuration of Fast Dial
click on image for full size

Just today, I come across a totally awesome add-on for the Firefox web browser. I love it. It is called Fast Dial. What it does is creates a panel of your favorite websites on any blank tab or you can have it as your home page, which is how I set it up for myself.

It is completely customizable; change colors, fonts or add a background image. There is also a website called UserLogos.org that have a nice selection of logos for some of the more popular locations on the net.

No more rummaging through your bookmark folders for your favorite sites, just click on your Home button or a the New Tab button and your presented with all your favorites. Click-n-go.

Get Fast Dial here

Of course you need Firefox first.

You can also check out cool logo's at userlogos.org

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Victory

Barack fools us

Whole world will pay for America's electoral mistake

"Have locked myself in my room because the place is full of little idiots -- who cannot spell Barack Obama's name and could not name one of his foreign or domestic policies -- running around screaming obscenities about George Bush, conservatives and how Sarah Palin is a bitch. I love democracy!"

Even so, the people spoke. A victory for the hysterical Oprah Winfrey, the mad racist preacher Jeremiah Wright, the mainstream media who abandoned any sense of objectivity long ago, Europeans who despise America largely because they depend on her, comics who claim to be dangerous and fearless but would not dare attack genuinely powerful special interest groups. A victory for Obama-worshippers everywhere.

A victory for the cult of the cult. A man who has done little with his life but has written about his achievements as if he had found the cure for cancer in between winning a marathon and building a nuclear reactor with his teeth. Victory for style over substance, hyperbole over history, rabble-raising over reality.

A victory for Hollywood, the most dysfunctional community in the world. Victory for Streisand, Spielberg, Soros and Sarandon.

Victory for those who prefer welfare to will and interference to independence. For those who settle for group think and herd mentality rather than those who fight for individual initiative and the right to be out of step with meagre political fashion.

Victory for a man who is no friend of freedom. He and his people have already stated that media has to be controlled so as to be balanced, without realizing the extraordinary irony within that statement. Like most liberal zealots, the Obama worshippers constantly speak of Fox and Limbaugh, when the vast bulk of television stations and newspapers are drastically liberal and anti-conservative.

Senior Democrat Chuck Schumer said that just as pornography should be censored, so should talk radio. In other words, one of the few free and open means of popular expression may well be cornered and beaten by bullies who even in triumph cannot tolerate any criticism and opposition.

WEAK TOWARD ENEMIES

A victory for those who believe the state is better qualified to raise children than the family, for those who prefer teachers' unions to teaching and for those who are naively convinced that if the West is sufficiently weak towards its enemies, war and terror will dissolve as quickly as the tears on the face of a leftist celebrity.

A victory for social democracy even after most of Europe has come to the painful conclusion that social democracy leads to mediocrity, failure, unemployment, inflation, higher taxes and economic stagnation. A victory for intrusive lawyers, banal sentimentalists, social extremists and urban snobs.

Also a defeat for one of the weakest presidential candidates in living memory.

Why would anyone vote for a man who seemed incapable of outlining his policies and instead repeatedly emphasized a noble but, if we are candid, largely irrelevant war record?

He was joined by a woman who was defended so vehemently by her supporters when it was cuttingly evident that she is years away from being, and perhaps never will be, a serious candidate for senior national office.

Most of all it was a terrible defeat for democracy and the United States. A politician of nothing defeated a nothing politician and a credulous electorate screamed in adoration. I fear we will all suffer very much indeed.

Taken from the comments section of the Toronto Sun by Columnists / Michael Coren

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This past week...

Image by patrick dentler via FlickrI suppose the biggest news of all is of our new president-elect, no surprise on my part of the outcome, I saw it coming long ago. I guess the nation is ready for change. We shall see what kind of change actually will occur starting 20 Jan. 2009, I'm less than optimistic. As far as some local and state initiatives that made it onto the California ballot I'm fairly pleased with the outcome. The one local initiative that failed to muster enough support that I am really happy about would of raised my rent if it had passed. Sorry Mr. Long Beach Mayor, your shoddy plan didn't go over so well with the residents.

I did have a doctors appointment this past week which was required by the helpful folks from the State Disability Office. It seems they wanted an independent opinion separate from my own doctors. The visit went fine, the doctor will recommend continued disability payments.

I have been focusing a bit more on my other blog, Threat Level: Orange this past week. I'm really excited about helping people secure their PC's. In between of keeping up with existing threats and posting about them I have been making preparations to write a fairly extensive tutorial about one of the strongest methods a user can employ to keep his/her computer secure. Here is a teaser, "Limited User Account + Software Restriction Policy," it's not available in Windows XP Home Edition but I'll show you how to implement it anyways and why you should.

Book cover via AmazonI haven't devoted any time to reading my book from the library which is too bad. It's really a good book and has really enlightened me about the history of Russia, it's called Russia And The Russians A History written by Geoffrey Hosking just in case you feel like boning up on your knowledge of Mother Russia.

The family site I created over at sites.google.com to help my family stay better connected has not taken off like I hoped, that kind of bums me out a bit. It may just need some time to catch on.

Otherwise I feel crappy today, mostly a head-ache and tired. I stayed up late last night waiting for my wife to come home from a wrap-up party for all the monsters that worked at the Queen Mary Shipwreck event this past October. I didn't end up falling asleep until around 2:30am and my wife didn't end up getting home until about 4:30am. She says the time just flew by.

As always thanks for read, I will be back.

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Gotta love free

I am feeling accomplished. Within the past two weeks I have managed to set-up three different sites. One of them is this blog and also another blog hosted at Wordpress.com and finally a family website hosted at Google Sites. Gotta love free. None of them cost a thing to set-up and were very easy to do.

In addition to setting the above up, I also took some time to completely revamp my profile page over at MySpace. The layout was old and tired not to mention the content was completely out-dated as well. I was able to find a really cool wallpaper from Deviant Art that I used as my background picture and then designed the colors of the page to harmonize with that picture; I feel real good with the outcome of it.

I also stopped by Imeem and started setting up playlists for myself. I have not really listened to music since I got out of the hospital last April but after hearing some of my favorite artists again I think I may just get back into listening to music again.

I find that I really like designing but now with all that I needed to do finished that will leave me time to blog on a more regular basis.

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Google rocks! The services I use.

Not only is Google the most-used ^{See Below} search engine they also offer a plethora of services all for free.

I have long used Google for all my search needs. Actually, I have never really used another search engine except for a small amount of time when I was managing a business' company website and was watching their rankings in the various search engines. That is when I was first introduced to at least one of Google's free services, Webmaster Tools which allowed for easy tracking of the site I was monitoring.

Later I discovered that Google keeps a record of my search queries called Web History. This is an extremely helpful service. It allows you to go back to previous searches that you did and to see which sites you clicked on as a result of that search. So the next time that you are unable to remember what site you were at remember Web History.

I very quickly adapted to using Google Maps over Mapquest. I find Google Maps is far more superior and add to that Street View, how can you get lost. Another feature of Google Maps that I find really fun is the Satellite View. I have spent hours between Street View and Satellite View traveling to different locations of our planet. This past-time led me to yet another great Google product, Google Earth.

Whenever I am interested in reading or learning more about some particular subject on a more personal note I can rely on Google Blog Search. After finding blogs that I enjoy and want to keep up with I just add their feeds to Google Reader. That sure beats out a crowded bookmark folder, plus you are able to read many posts while never leaving Google Reader.

After deciding that I wanted to blog I discovered Blogger. A free hosted blog platform offered by Google. It was very easy and quick to get started. Blogger allows you to edit your HTML if you desire a more customized look and the opportunity to make some money with Google AdSense.

I also discovered Google Sites. Wow, a free website. I ended up creating a family website. In usual Google fashion everything went perfect in setting the site up, very easy.

I also use Picasa. This is a free photo storage and sharing service offered by Google. I especially like that I can store my photo's there; up to a 1 gig limit, and then link to them from my blog or family site without using any space on either site.

Another feature of Google is that as long as you are signed on to your account you can quickly access your services that you use like your Picasa Web Albums, your Google Calendar, or your Google Reader all from Google.com or even from any Google search results page. I even placed a gadget that lists several of Google's products on the Home page of my family site and when I click on something like for instance Google Calendar I am taken straight way to my personal calendar.

There may be some other services or products that I use but failed to mention but I can say that I have found that everything I have used from Google is great with the exception of Google Chrome. I did have a problem with that and do not currently use it as my browser, maybe I'm just a die-hard Firefox user.

Whatever your looking for just Google it.


Learn more about Google and Google Products at http://www.crunchbase.com/company/google



Google the most-used search engine:

According to Hitwise for the four weeks of September 2008 Google had a search volume of 71.16% with Yahoo coming in second place with a search volume of only 18.06%. MSN and Ask came in 3rd and 4th respectively, both with single digit search volume percentages.

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