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If you’re a frequent user of Firefox, you’ve probably become well aware of how much memory the program begins consuming after extended use, a problem that persists with even the latest version. While this browser is deservedly praised for it’s the functionality and customizability (made possible by the numerous extensions that improve the Firefox experience), its drain on memory – an issue is known to also occur on systems with plenty of memory – can become a nuisance that sees the performance of the browser begin to falter.

Called Memory Fox, this extension optimizes Firefox’ use of your memory, allocating your ram so as to ensure optimal performance when browsing the web. The extension adheres to preset limits set by the user, its functionality coming into focus once the browser’s expense of ram reaches the designated threshold. After the barrier’s been met, the memory is cleared, allowing the browser to function unimpeded.

Use of this extension requires both a Windows OS and Firefox 3. After you’ve downloaded the extension, restart Firefox and activate Memory Fox from the Tools button in the toolbar. Once installed, the setup is available for your optimization needs.

While this may make only a negligible difference for those computers with an insane amount of ram, it’s sure to impart a visible impact to systems that often find their use of Firefox burdensome where RAM’s concerned.

You can download Memory Fox here.

If you’re familiar with how the internet works, you know that each website you visit probably has a number of cookies downloaded to your browser. While usually harmless (they’re not spyware or viruses), they can be used for tracking your activity on any given website, becoming something of a nuisance for those of us who value our privacy when traversing the web.

Every internet browser, from Internet explorer to Firefox, offers users the ability to delete cookies that have been collected from the various sites they visit. But the process usually involves several steps, requiring you to select a number of menus before you’re able to even see the cookie you desire the deletion of.

If you use Firefox, there’s a simple way to remove cookies, rendering the process an effortless task that makes cookies accessible with just a dropdown. It’s called the CookieKiller extension, and it’s as easy to use as every other Firefox extension we’ve discussed on the Geek Choice blog. Upon installation, you’re given two means of using the extension.

The first option sees you using the Status bar. When accessing it via a right-click, you’re presented with a menu that lets you Enable Cookie Block, which will block cookies from being collected.

But when you left-click on the icon, you’re given a menu that delineates the cookies associated with your browser. Selecting one of these cookies will see it removed.

Another option of yours is the “context menu,” which can be accessed by right-clicking anywhere on the page.

As seen, once you select the cookie you’d like to delete, it’s gone from the list of available cookies.

However, once you revisit a site, there’s always the chance of the same cookie attaching itself to your browser. To prevent that, you can access the “Preferences” menu, where you’re able to permanently block deleted cookies.

Cookies can be helpful, especially if you’re a frequent visitor of a website that’d like to remain logged in upon each visit. But they can also prove to be an annoyance for those of you who’d rather not have a website tracking your activity. If you’re looking for a way to quickly remove your cookies, the CookieKiller extension is a convenient means of doing so with Firefox.

You can download the CookieKiller extension here.

If you’ve ever wanted to capture a session of your web browsing, whether it’s for an instructional package you’re compiling or just something to toy around with in your spare time, there’s a neat Firefox extension that lets you do just that without having to install any additional capturing software.

As you might know, Firefox extensions add to your browsing experiencing, sprucing it up with greater functionality and convenience that has contributed to the growing popularity of Mozilla’s browser. This latest extension allows users to record their screen while they browse.

Called CaptureFox, this extension does just that, capturing everything you do while it’s in a state of recording.

After its installation, you’ll notice a new icon sitting on the right-hand side of your status bar (it can also be accessed by hitting CTRL-SHIFT-U or selecting it from the tools menu), the use of which will bring up this extension’s menu.

As you see, there are a fair number of options available, offering users a chance to determine just how high they’d like the quality of recording to be.

You can decide if you’d like to restrict it to just what’s available in your Firefox window, or you can record your entire screen. Along with frame rate, video quality is also adjustable, both of which being options that may affect performance on older machines.

This is a very helpful tool for those who’re making instructional videos, but it’s also a reliable – and, for some, fun — means of keeping an actual history of the time spent on your computer.

Here’s a video that demonstrates just how CaptureFox  works:

If you’re interested in this extension, you can read about and download CaptureFox here.

Despite being a holiday, the folks at Mozilla are tirelessly making sure that their latest version of Firefox meets the standard previous versions have set. In doing so, they’ve released the fourth beta of Firefox 3.6, delivering over 100 fixes from the previous beta and additional security measures.

With its impressive security and customizable features, Firefox has charged ahead of the browser pack, proving the unfailing principle that competition is good for innovation – which, ultimately, is good for the end user.

You can download the latest beta here.

For those of you who’ve recently upgraded to the latest version of Firefox (ver. 3.6), the popular and amazingly customizable web browser from the ingenious crowd at Mozilla, you might be aware that your extensions – those apps which expand upon your browsing experience – aren’t working.

This is a problem about which frustrated users of Firefox have become especially vocal, but there seems to be a fix.

In the past, when a new version of the browser was released, there was a simple solution to ensuring that the extensions were working properly. One needed to only edit the config file, adding a simple “extensions.checkCombatibility” entry to the list of values. With the new version, this string no longer works. However, with a simple amendment to the original value, you’ll have extensions working on your new browser in no time.

If you haven’t made the necessary changes, when installing an extension on the new version of Firefox, you’re met with an error message that reads:

Readeroo.0.2.20080520 could not be installed because it is not compatible with Firefox 3.6b3

Correcting this is simple, though the process may initially seem daunting to your average user. Here’s what you need to do:

In your address bar, where you’d normally enter a url (www.webpage.com), type: about:config.

Ignore the warning and proceed.

You’ll see an exhaustive list of all the configuration values associated with your browser. Ignore those and right-click on the list, choosing “New” -à “Boolean” from the drop down.

You’ll then be asked to enter a “preference name,” where it becomes critical to know which version of Firefox 3.6 you’re using, as both Alpha and Beta releases are available to the public.  For instance, if you know you have  the Beta release, you will enter the following in the “preference name” field:

Extensions.checkCompatibility.3.6b

Note the “b” at the end and understand that it signifies the Beta release, while an Alpha release would require that you end the string with an “a.”

After that’s complete, you’ll want to choose “false” and proceed. Assuming everything was entered correctly, the value will now be included in that long list of configuration settings. If you’re curious, run a search for it in the “Filter” field.

Once that’s done, your extensions will install as they once did, returning you to the wonderful world of customization that Firefox extensions welcomes you to.

If you have any other questions, even if unrelated to Firefox, never hesitate to give us a call.

If you use Firefox, the popular internet browser thats surpassed its Microsoft counterpart in the area of ease and functionality, I’m sure you’ve always wanted the ability to minimize your session in the system tray – freeing up your task bar for other applications. Well, you finally can, with the cool MinimizeToTray extension that does just that.

As I’ve discussed in the past, Firefox extensions are neat apps that augment your browsing experience, empowering you with the ability to tailor the browser – its functionality and appearance, mainly – to your browsing needs. Outside of the customizable options included with the browser, Firefox extensions add to the experience, with hundreds of unique types that do everything from monitoring email to storing passwords.

This extension allows you to minimize the browser in the System Tray.

This version works with Firefox 3.0 – 3.5

After you’ve installed the extension, you’re given three ways to minimize the browser to the System Tray.

Using the first option, you can access the “Minimize to tray” function from the File Menu. The second option will see you using just the F9 key to minimize the browser. If you’d rather just have a button that sends that browser to the tray with a simple click, all you need to do is access the Customize Toolbar Window and select the “To tray” button for wherever you see fit to place it.

After you’ve minimized the browser, you’ll see that it’s included in the System Tray.

You’re also able to specify when you’d like the browser minimized, even having the ability to minimize it to System Tray when closing the window. If you want only certain windows minimized in the tray, you’re given the option to specify which ones (Bookmarks? Downloads? Browser?).

Firefox is fast becoming the most popular browser for the internet, with its many extensions one of the reasons why. For those of you who’d like to free up your Taskbar for other programs, this is a great way to do so.

You can download the MinimizeToTray extension here.

Ever find yourself on a website you only rarely browse for a specific purpose, yet you’re unable to recall just what that is? Ever maintain ongoing dialogues on your favorite message board, wishing there were a way jot your thoughts down?  If you’re someone who’s slightly forgetful, requiring the occasional reminder for something important, we have a neat Firefox extension that you might put to good use.

Called Internote, this extension allows a user to place sticky notes  (yes, they look exactly like the sticky notes any office dweller is familiar with) on any website page they’re visiting. Even better, the sticky notes will remain there until removed, staying around for the user’s next visit.

After the extension has been installed, the status bar will see the addition of a small yellow icon. If you’re so inclined, you can make the icon larger. Simply clicking the icon once will generate a new sticky note. Placement of each note is up to you, with no limit on the number of stickies you wish to apply.

If you want to edit a sticky note, remembering something you wished to amend it with, use the Internote manager. With it, you can open any of the stickies you’ve left behind and modify them: changing the content of the notes, assigning them to different websites, and even altering their appearance.

While it seems rather simple, it’s an incredibly resourceful tool for people who spend a good amount of time on the internet and are involved with tasks that require the management of all kinds of data.

You can download the Internote extension here.

When browsing the web, I’m sure you’ve encountered a website that’s little more than an interminable stream of pages connected by the “NEXT” hyperlink – especially when looking at a photo gallery.

While some people might have no problem subjecting themselves to the monotonous ritual of clicking “NEXT,” others would gladly welcome an alternative that cleverly groups those pages in a near seamless fashion.

Transforming that repetitive clicking into the mere scroll of your mouse, PageZipper merges every page into just one, substituting the scrollbar for the endless hyperlinks.

Here’s a demonstration:

PageZipper can be used as either a Firefox extension or a bookmarklet (an application stored as a bookmark in your web browser).

Completely free and easy to use, PageZipper can be downloaded here.

Often praised for its functionality, with a feature set that has made it more popular than Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, a persistent criticism of Firefox has been its speed.  Despite its intuitive accessibility and powerfully customizable interface, the performance of this browser – even for systems on which such issues are a rarity — has been problematic.

When several tabs are opened, Firefox has become notorious for using an inordinate amount of memory.  On systems with a minimal amount of ram, being forced to quit the application altogether is not an uncommon recourse.

These issues are most prevalent on those computers that either need to be upgraded or haven’t been properly optimized.  We understand that not everyone can go out and outfit their computer with a lot of ram, particularly in this age where budgetary concerns remain paramount. Taking that into consideration, it should be noted that there does exist an effective means of improving the performance of Firefox with the use a simple utility created for just that purpose.

Coming from TotalIdea, Firetune is a quick solution for augmenting your experience with Firefox. Giving particular attention to the speed  of your internet connection and that of  your computer’s processor, Firetune adjusts several internal settings of Firefox for increased performance.

Firetune works with Mozilla Firefox versions: 1.x, 2.x, and 3.x

Firetune can be downloaded here.

Browser speed is but one of several areas of concern when taking stock of your computer’s performance. For questions on the effective optimization of a computer, we may have the answers you’re looking for.

We’re all guilty of happening upon a website from which we’d like to quickly exit. Even if just the result of an inadvertently clicked link, our travels on the web will always consist of visits to sites which are best tucked in the remote corners of our memory.

If your internet adventures are taken with Firefox, here is a quick way to expunge from your browsing history those websites which you’d no sooner forget.

Two methods effectively address this need:

FIRST SOLUTION:

In the address bar, begin typing the name of the website. In the example below, we’re ridding ourselves of the “CNN” url.

Even before the full address is typed out, you’ll notice that the website – or several selections – will drop immediately beneath the address bar. Highlight those selections you’d like deleted.

Once highlighted, press the “delete” button on your keyboard. Doing so renders that site obsolete, as far as your browser is concerned, which becomes evident when attempting to type “CNN” in the address bar again.

SECOND SOLUTION:

Slightly more involved than the first method, this process sees you open your “history” window and review the entire history of your browser’s romps about the internet. To open it up, look at the menu bar, where you will select the “History” option.

From that drop down, click on “Show All History,” which opens the History Library Window.

As you’ll see, once opened, you can review your history in its entirety.

Looking at the history, you can select the website you’re seeking the removal of. Right clicking on the website will bring up a window that affords you the option to “Forget About This Site.” Like before, we’ll use the “CNN” example.

After its removal, the only way that site will return to your browser’s history is if you return to the website.

While these two methods will successfully clear your history of any sites worth forgetting, it’s best to be mindful of where you’re visiting, should you ever find that you need to delete a   website from your history.