Firefox 3 RC 1 now available

(Screenshot via Alex's Thoughts blog)

Mozilla released Firefox 3 release candidate 1 on May 16th. Afer 33 months of development Firefox 3 is getting much closer to being officially released!


New Features:

• Faster page loading (through faster HTML and javascript rendering)
• Less Memory usage
  "Memory cycles are broken and collected by an automated cycle collector, a new memory allocator reduces fragmentation, hundreds of leaks have been fixed, and caching strategies have been tuned."
• Better auto-complete in the address bar
  Now when you type part of title, a tag, or an address, Firefox will instantly pull matches from both your browsing history and bookmarks. The results are displayed in order of frequency, so your most visited pages will appear first.
• Smart Bookmarks
  These new bookmarking feature will display your recent or most visited bookmarks. The smart bookmarks folder now appear in the bookmarks toolbar and gives you quick access to all your most visited websites.
  
• Multple page zoom options
  When zooming pages you now have to option to zoom text, images, and layout, or only text
• Multiple text selections
  Now you can make multiple, non-continuous text selections in Firefox by holding down the Control/Command key to easily make multiple selections.
• Native look for Mac OS X
  Firefox now sports a brand new theme to make the toolbars, icons, and buttons visually integrated with OS X.
• Bookmark Tagging
  If you're a fan of del.icio.us or any other social bookmarking service, you'll love Firefox's bookmark tagging feature.
• Resize the location and search bar
  You can now resize the location and search bar without installing any additional extensions.
  

Compatible extensions

If you can't live without your extensions, I would first recommend checking the Firefox Add-ons page to check that your must-have extensions have been updated for compatibility with Firefox 3.

The only reason I haven't completed switched over to Firefox 3 already is because the Del.icio.us extension has not been officially released yet. Gina Trapani of Lifehacker posted Del.icio.us Extension Beta Plays Nice in Firefox 3. She links to the Del.icio.us blog post about their new beta extension.

Here's some popular extensions compatible with Firefox 3

• 1Password Extension
  
• Web Developer (Toolbar)
  
• Adblock Plus
• NoScript
  
• PDF Download
• ColorZilla
  Firefox 3.0a2

Test Drive Firefox 3 and Keep Firefox 2 Safe

If you're running a Mac and would like to try out Firefox 3 and keep Firefox 2 intact, check out Install Firefox 2 an 3 on the same computer. Since Firefox 3 shares the same profile folder as Firefox 2, they also give instructions to create a new profile and keep your original intact.


Read More:

Mozilla's Firefox 3 Release Notes

Lifehacker - Top 10 Firefox 3 Features
Lifehacker - Complete Field Guide to Testing Firefox 3

Why is my computer so slow?

Why is your computer running slow? It could be due to a number of issues, but in the end it's either a software or hardware related issue. The big culprits are file fragmentation, spyware, and not enough RAM in your computer.

Hardware issues

• Computers running with less than 1GB of RAM are generally going to be slow
  Using a computer with less than 1GB RAM on Windows XP, and especially Vista can slow your programs to a crawl. Upgrading your RAM is the best and most cost-effective way to improve the speed of your computer. RAM memory upgrades are also cheap--typically less than $200, and should be closer to $100 for a decent upgrade.
  
  Mac users should not run OS X with less than 1GB of RAM, especially if they're planning on doing anything with music, movies, or photos.
  
  
• Your computer does not have a dual-core processor
  Dual-core processors are not a necessity, however, you'll notice a significant speed improvement with a dual-core processor.
  
  
• Your hard drive is overfilled
  If your hard drive has less than 20% of it's free space remaining, you could be noticing slowdowns because the computer has to look longer for files before opening them. With the size of today's hard drives, typically 320-500GB for a desktop computer, users should not have a problem with this. However, if you're running an older desktop, or an older laptop with less than an 60GB hard drive, you may have less free space than you think.
  

Software (operating system issues)

• Windows XP has a half life
  As a computer is used frequently, the Windows operating system degrades over time. File fragmentation across the hard drive slows down an otherwise OK machine. Every computer user should know this and be defragmenting on a regular basis, especially if the machine is used regularly. Another solution, which will make your computer seem brand new is to reinstall a fresh copy of Windows. Reinstalling Windows will be like starting with a new computer--no fragmentation, no spyware, no viruses, no trial software.
  
  
• Malware (Spyware, Viruses, Trojans)
  Most Windows users, unless savvy with their browsing habits, are likely to have spyware crawling on their machine slowing it down. Most computer users that complain that their machine is slow

I'd love to hear your comments and questions. . . .

Logins are so 2007!

It's the new year and it's time to make your online life a little easier. There are several programs available to manage all of your online logins. You won't ever have to remember a password again (except for your master password, of course). Try out either one of these programs and I guarantee you'll be hooked!

• Roboform (Windows, free for up to 10 saved logins)
  Save all of your logins, forms, etc, even keep small encrypted notes with extra information. RoboForm integrates with both Internet Explorer and Firefox. Once you've entered your master password, any login you have saved can be automatically entered, without any typing. RoboForm will go to the login page, enter the information, and login!
  
  RoboForm
  

• 1Password (Mac, $30)
  Essentials functions the same way as RoboForm, except you will have to manually drag all of your saved logins to the bookmarks bar in your browser to get to automatic login fuction like RoboForm.
  
  1Password
  

Both applications encrypt your stored logins and information. They also offer strong password generators with custom settings. In addition they offer a "timeout" feature where the logins are locked if any login is not used in a specified amount of time. This offers a good extra level of security.

Access your files quickly

Here's a quick rundown of things that both Windows and Mac users can do to access their files and applications quickly.

Windows users

• Use the Quicklaunch bar (Create folder shortcuts)
  The quicklaunch bar will appear directly to the right of the Start button if it's enabled. You can add both program shortcuts and shortcuts to folders to this menu. To add a folder shortcut, locate the folder, right click on it, and select "Create Shortcut" drag this shortcut just left of the double arrow in the quicklaunch bar to add it. If you don't see any icons immediately to the right of the start button, enable the Quicklaunch bar by right-clicking on the
  
• Use the Recent Documents in the Start Menu
• Keep files organized into folders
  Use the My Documents, My Music, and My Pictures Folders. Keeping your files organized into folders is an easy thing to overlook, but can be easily remedied. Create a new folder every time you have a project, or develop a personal hierarchy of folders that you know exactly where something is and you won't have to spend time looking for it.
  
• Clear the desktop
  Although it may seem convenient to save your files and folders on the desktop, it can also be just an problematic to store your folders here. With a multitude of files stored here it can take a while just to find a file that you need. I would only recommend keeping minimal shortcuts, including My Documents, the Recycle Bin, and maybe shortcuts to one or two folders that you use everyday. Instead, place shortcuts to folders in the Quicklaunch bar where they can be accessed without having to minimize every program to get to the desktop.
  
  Note: If you must use the desktop to store your files/folders, the "show desktop" shortcut in the Quicklaunch bar can save you a lot of clicks. Check it out.
  

Mac users

• Use the Finder Sidebar
  You can drag folders and even individual documents to the finder sidebar to access them quickly and keep your desktop clear from aliases. This should help keep your dock clear of any folders that you've added here
• Use Stacks (Leopard only)
  Your documents folder appears as a stack by default. Drag other folders to the stack area of the dock to create a stack.
• Use the search function in the Open/Save Dialogs
  The search toolbar is available in the open and save dialog boxes. It can find both files and folders and is probably the fastest way to save/open a file at a specific location.
  
• Create a New Smart Folder
  In the finder, go to File > New Smart Folder. You can add parameters for this new smart folder, such as "Last opened date" or "Late modified" date is today. This will enable you quick access to any files and documents that you've already worked on today. You could also change those options to encompass the entire week for files from recent projects. You can also add an extra parameter for only files that are Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, or any other file type. Add this folder to the dock or finder sidebar when you're finished, and now you have easy access to any recent files of your choice.
  
• Recent Items Menu
  Click on the Apple and you'll see the "Recent Items" option with an arrow. Hover your mouse over this option to see a list of documents and applications you've opened recently.
  

My essential Mac applications

Here's a list of my current essential Mac applications. Most of these applications I use on a daily basis, and some I couldn't live without!! I've seen lots of lists of "top Mac apps", but a good portions of those applications tend to be specialty items.

• Firefox
  Safari isn't bad, but for web design and a more customized surfing experience it's the only way to go. If you're on Windows this is a must to keep you secure from security holes in Internet Explorer.
  
• OmniFocus
  This GTD (Getting Things Done) based application is excellent for keeping track of every task and project you need to accomplish. Things can be organized by project, "context" or due date. I couldn't live without this at work, and it's helping me stay on track. A license will cost you $80, starting Janurary 8th, 2008.
  
• Thunderbird
  An excellent email client from Mozilla, the makers of Firefox. It's clean, simple, and a much appreciated alternative to Outlook and Outlook Express. If you're currently using Mail for Mac, it might not be worth the switch.
• Lock Desktop
  This automator application is the equivalent of locking the desktop on a Windows comptuer. It keeps all of the applications running, so you don't have to put the machine to sleep to protect it with your password. Stepping away from your desk for a few mintues? Lock Desktop is perfect for keeping your computer secure while you're away. It's compatible with Leopard!
• 1Password
  Have a hard time managing all your different passwords and logins. 1Password comes to the rescue, storing all your logins and encrypting them with one master password. You'll never have to try and guess what username and password combination you used. It integrates with Firefox and Safari among other web browsers. There's a strong password generator for times when you need a secure password on demand. Macworld is still offering a free license giveaway for 1password. It's normally a $30 license!
• Backdrop
  This application is essential for taking screenshots or even watching movies when using dual monitors. It covers your screen in the color of your choice. This will enable you to take screenshots that have smaller filesizes and eliminate distracting backgrounds. Watch movies on a laptop with second monitor? Use backdrop to cover the screen in black so you don't see anything on the screen.
• TextWrangler
  For a free code and text editor, Text Wrangler has some excellent features. Lifehacker has featured TextWrangler several times.
  Lifehacker's 2007 Guide to Free Software and Webapps
  Lifehacker: Rebuild your mac with 20 useful downloads

Coming soon:

Mac Apps - Maybe Someday
A list of great Mac apps that I'll haven't gotten around to trying yet.


Read more:

Lifehacker's Top 10 Free Mac Downloads
Lifehacker's Top 10 Mac utilities