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In a recent blog post about the browser war going on between Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox, it looked as if Chrome was winning the battles and taking over. But as in war, the victor only seems to win, thus catapulting us back into the firing lines of these fast and ever-advancing browsers all competing for the top spot on the world’s computer.

Firefox is pumping out these new versions, with this new release being the seventh beta version since its inception a little over six years ago. However, release of the full version has been delayed until 2011 due to bugs and problems that pushed back the release date. It seems this is not the first time Mozilla has slipped up and missed a deadline, but let’s look past the mistakes and look towards the future with all it’s wonders and possibilities.

Can it get much faster? That is one question that seems to be popping up a lot lately as these browsers heat up the race to be the fastest out there. According to people who claim to know something, Firefox 4 is THREE times faster than the existing 3.6.12 version. What is so great about this new browser? Let’s take a look at the record.

The tests came in from both the Kraken and Sunspider JavaScript benchmark, and the V8 benchmark test, to prove just how fast this browser was. There are three reasons for this improved capability of loading web pages:

1. JägerMonkey, an upgrade from TraceMonkey which propelled Firefox 3.5 to the front stage, is designed to do the same again yet keep Firefox on top. JavaScript is very heavy on certain web sites such as Gmail and Facebook, slowing down most browsers because they do not have the speed or strength to keep up with all the code. JägerMonkey is the future of JavaScript.
2. Hardware acceleration, both in graphics and in Windows xp and Mac OS x, is supported enough so that loading the web pages with all those videos and pictures will be much faster.
3. 3D capabilities that enable Firefox to skip the question of asking users to download plug-ins to view certain web pages, it is built in.

Together these equal a powerful web browser.

The improvements could make Firefox the number one used browser in the world, right now it is number two behind Internet Explorer. We all know the reason for that right? IE has a deal with all the new computers to have it built in to the system so that when you buy a computer or laptop, you get IE. No wonder they are number one.

Firefox also is coming out with a new feature to get rid of the already old use of tabs at the top of the screen. The Panorama feature is designed to allow the user the ability to customize and create their tabs in any way they would like. With a stroke of the key, you can see an overview of all your tabs and easily maneuver through them to find the ones you want.

Watch out everybody, the browser war has only just begun…



On and on it goes, updates to better and faster versions of an already decent web browser from Google. Chrome is what homies would call “Bling Bling”, or “Fresh”, since right now it is rising to the top with all the new gear. Just what is the new gear, and how does it apply to your life?

That is exactly what Geek Choice Blogs is here for: to answer any of those perplexing questions that you might have concerning your personal computer, laptop, or hand-held device. Right now there are a lot of new and exciting innovations coming out for web browsers, so we do not want you to miss out on the opportunity to learn about some of them.

Google actually hired several Firefox developers and built the first version of Chrome, impressing even the founder, Eric Schmidt, who was hesitant to enter the ongoing “browser wars” between Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari and Opera. Google seems to be the one who jumps in front of the others in the action line, coming out with ideas from browsers like Firefox first. For instance, the graphical user interface which created the name “Chrome”, integrates the search and the address bar together to form a very easy to use interface.

The aim of every browser is to be fast, simple, and secure. Which does it the best? Let’s look at the record.

Chrome went through all the acid tests, 100 or so tests that are measured almost like the colors of a real acid test with litmus paper. Google passed all three with good colors, this is important to see as it gives us the truth about a browser that will not fail us.

Chrome certainly does not fail us on speed. Using a V8 engine, it revs up very fast power to surf the net, with the V8 JavaScript engine. In a speed test in 2008, Google flew by Firefox 3.0, two times faster with the V8 engine. Google did not stop there, they went even farther with SquirrelFish Extreme, marking a 36% improvement in speed over the V8 JavaScript Engine. Wow.

Enough jargon for today.

Basically, Google Chrome seems to be the one coming out with all the new toys and trinkets for web browsing. They started the “pages” idea, if you use Chrome then you notice how on the start page it is not just one page, it is all the ones you have visited most in the past. A pretty cool feature, making life using email and other jobs simple.

Now, for the headliner: Chrome 8. Right now it is in the experimental stages, so do not go searching the world wide web for the full version, as it does not exist yet. But guaranteed you will be impressed at the new features.

A search-as-you-type feature is something that goes along with the address bar as a search tool. What else? The searches are scanned by AVG! Talk about secure and safe, as well as useful. Typing a single letter will turn up a bunch of sites that are most related to it. It is like Java on steroids! No more having to wait 10 seconds for a search page to load, those days are in the past, welcome to the super-information highway.

Also in the new Chrome 8 there is the Cloud Printing feature, which allows you to print to your home printer from anywhere. Chrome just makes like easy.

So we have covered the aims that browsers need to meet the standards: fast, simple, and secure. What about better? Yes, we will see how Google Chrome battles it’s way to the top becoming “King of the Browser Mountain”.

A new internet browser has hit the scene of an already crowded stage. It goes by the name of Rockmelt, and it is a change from the regular browser scheme. What Rockmelt does is use your Facebook ID to log onto the browser, anywhere in the world, and allow you to surf the net faster and easier. Behind the stage of internet browsers is the maker of Netscape. Has everyone forgot about this guy? Well he is back, and it sounds like better than ever.

The future is here. Rockmelt is here to reinvent the web. The primary purpose of Rockmelt is making the browser able to keep up with your friends, consume information, and search faster. It works on Windows and Mac’s right now for desktops and laptops. A Beta version is being released today, you can download it at rockmelt.com. If you go to the site, you will see an icon asking if you would like to be ‘Invited’ to use Rockmelt. Wow, it looks like this new browser is V.I.P. status, and you get on the list until they are  ready to let you in.

What is cool is that the CEO of Netscape, Marc Andreeson who helped start the Netscape Communications Corp., is fighting back against the same web browsers that put him out of business. He is doing that by funding these two men who founded Rockmelt, Eric Vishria and Tim Howes, and they are looking to change the way we use the internet.

In an interview with them on YouTube, they gave a sneak peak at the features of Rockmelt and what the catalyst is for the change. Instead of just an ordinary web browser like Chrome or Firefox where you click on a search link, wait for it to load, and then go back to the search page, Rockmelt turns the internet into a magazine enabling you to ‘turn the page’ so to speak. This sounds like a new era in the Internet age. Everything is on the internet, and it seems like everyone is on Facebook, so by integrating these two into one browser, Rockmelt can open the door to new ways to game, commerce, or just socialize.

The test of the browser was actually performed through Google’s web browser Chromium, but it can be used through Firefox or Internet Explorer. One requirement to be able to use the features of Rockmelt is having a Facebook account. If you have an account, and you get invited, then you are able to look at your friends to see who is doing what on a side-panel. On the other side-panel to the right is your favorite sites that you visit the most, and in between is the ‘magazine’ style search engine and a faster way to surf.

Netscape is back in action by sneaking in the back door with a whole new way to browse the web. Do not be surprised to see this type of browser become the main stream of using the internet.  Be sure to check out YouTube’s video of Rockmelt, as well as sign up to get into this new and exciting way to use the internet.

Well, here I am with another Firefox extension.

Like the one I touched upon earlier today, this is an add-on that will greatly enhance how you use the internet with this popular browser. Looking for a simple means of customizing how your tabs appear and function in Firefox?

This is the extension you’ve been searching for.

Called Tabberwocky, this extension builds upon the functionality of your tabs to an impressive degree, altering everything from their appearance to how you navigate between each one.

Installation is just as easy as it’s been for every other extension you’ve put to use. Once that’s complete, your first order of business  is looking at the available options : Tabs – Menus – Advanced.

These options afford you an opportunity to tailor the extension to your liking. For example, looking at the Tabs option, you’re able to adjust how your tabs behave and how they respond when clicked upon or closed.

With the Menus options, you can assign keyboard shortcuts, adjust your context menu, and determine where you want new links to open.

Lastly, using Advanced options, you can configure it so that the “progress bar” appears  on your tabs instead of in the Status bar. Advanced options will also allow you have multiple rows in one tab.

Not everyone will want to put this to use, finding that the default functionality of Firefox’ tabs suits them just fine, but this might pique the interest of you Firefox geeks that love to tweak this brilliantly customizable internet browser.

You can grab Tabberwocky here.

When using an internet browser, be it Microsoft’s Internet Explorer or Mozilla’s Firefox, you’ve probably used the full screen option that’s available when pressing F11. This is great for those of you who want a bit more breathing room while viewing the content.

Yet, in spite of how liberating that option can be, there are those times when you’d like to have some your browsing features available – such as the status bar or the address field. As in the past, I’ve happened upon a neat Firefox extension that introduces a new way of browsing, just one of a myriad of add-ons that significantly augments your browsing experience.

It’s called Hide GUI Bars, and it allows users to select which elements they’d like to remove from the browser, ultimately freeing up the viewing area on Firefox.  Those segments that you can specify the removal of include the navigation bar, the tab bar, the menu bar, the status bar, and the bookmark bar. Multiple combinations – if you, for instance, only want the bookmark bar visible — are available when using this extension.

There is a default hot key (CTRL-SHIFT-A), but it can be changed to suit your preference by using any other combination of keys.  Absolutely free, this is yet another example of the ingenuity that has propelled Firefox to the head of the browsing class.

You can grab Hide GUI Bars here.

A sure sign as any that the official debut of the much anticipated, but heavily delayed, Firefox 3.6 approaches is the recent release of its first release candidate.

The term “release candidate” refers to that release which, having ironed out much of the quirks found during the beta stage, stands a good chance of being the official version.

This could very well be your chance to take the final release for an early test drive.

According to Mozilla, this release candidate comes with significantly improved performance and greater functionality, including tools that ensure those beloved Firefox extensions are kept current.

This is a free download available for Windows, Mac OSX, and Linux users.

You can get it here.

If you haven’t made the leap to the beta for Firefox 3.6, you should know that Mozilla has released an update for Firefox 3.5.

According to its developers, Firefox 3.5.7 addresses stability concerns and how significant updates are introduced to users.

Though you should be prompted for this update shortly, you can download it now.

Grab the Firefox 3.5.7 update here.

Suffering a bit of a delay, Firefox 3.6 – currently in its 5^th beta, which can be obtained here – has been pushed to the first quarter of 2010. Its successor, Firefox 4.0,  is scheduled to enter beta testing next summer, with its final form slated for release in the winter of 2010. Recently overtaking Microsoft’s Internet Explorer as the most popular web browser, Firefox has charged to the front of the pack, a result of its extensive flexibility and Mozilla’s vigilant attention to security.

As Mozilla continues to improve upon their award-winning browser, Geek Choice will update you on the changes they introduce.

The latest iteration of Firefox 3.6 is now available, delivering over a hundred bug patches that address stability, security and performance. For further information, the details of its release can be read here. This is one step closer to the official release of the new version of Firefox, with Mozilla promising less crashes and faster performance.

You can download the fifth beta for Firefox 3.6 here.

With the advent of url shorteners, many of the links we visit – especially if we’re constantly visiting sites linked from Twitter and similar services – are masked by shortened links that hide the actual URL. Normally, we’re visiting links posted by those we trust, which sees many of us casually click on the link without giving it much thought. But there’s always the off chance that a link we select redirects us to a site that we’d rather not visit.

With a new day comes a new Firefox extension introduced for the purpose of alleviating the headaches that often come with browsing the web. Called Verify Redirect, this Firefox extension runs in the background, highlighting the original URL whenever you click on a shortened link. While the page is in the process of loading, you’re shown the actual web address, with Verify Redirect prompting you to accept or deny the link. If it’s a link you visit continually, you’re given the option of instructing Verify Redirect not to alert you each time you visit the site.

This is particularly helpful for those of you who visit a lot of sites but remain mindful of just where you’re headed, keeping you on your toes as you walk about the precarious margins of the information superhighway.

You can download Verify Redirect here.