While many people think that they don’t know what an internet add-on is, almost everyone has used a browser to block ads, download videos or seamlessly change webpages. So, they’ve all used one of these practical functions to expand the power of a browser.
Firefox was the first expandable browser and continues to have a prime selection of add-ons, though it faces competition from Google’s Chrome. Opera, Safari and Internet Explorer allow extra programs, even if their selection isn’t as wide.
“The focus on add-ons is good for everyone, not just professional users,” says Tobias Arns of Bitkom, a German technology industry association. Downloading an add-on is essentially free. Managing them is usually done with a menu built into the browser.
Some useful add-ons for Chrome and Firefox:
Ad blockers : Firefox and Chrome users have turned to Adblock Plus, which automatically filters out the most distracting ads, including ones with Flash animation. For more static ads, the function allows users to remove them with a right-click. There’s also a switch that allows the function to be turned off, for example if a page won’t work properly without ads.
Download videos : DownloadHelper allows users not just to view videos, but to save them and convert them into the right format. But it doesn’t work everywhere: It’s blocked by some TV channel websites.
And there’s no version for Chrome. An alternative is YouTube Downloader, though that only works on the YouTube website.
Mouse movements : All-in-One Gestures gives Firefox users greater ability to control action on their screen. For example, holding down the right mouse button while pushing upwards automatically opens a new tab. A swipe to the left opens the last viewed page in a browser.
Gestures for Chrome provides a similar service.
Save pages for later : The Read Later Fast add-on for Chrome adds the menu option Read Later. One click on that sends a site to an archive, from where it can be called up at any time. A similar function for Firefox is called Read it Later.
Surf safely : Web of Trust, for both Chrome and Firefox, relies on rankings by other web users to determine how trustworthy other sites are, providing a scale next to sites when they are called up in search engines. If a user visits a site with a bad reputation, a warning comes up before the page is opened. NoScript, for Firefox, is another useful add-on that protects users from malware by disabling JavaScript. Users can build in exceptions. A similar item for Chrome is called ScriptNo.
Easier downloads : Download Master for Chrome makes it possible to download all of a website’s content in one go. DownThemAll for Firefox offers the same service and expands the browser with its own download manager, which allows downloads to be interrupted and resumed. Other features allow the ability to change the target destination after the download has begun.
Organize tabs : Chrome allows a lot of mini-expansions to give users an overview of all their open tabs. Tab Expose shows all open pages in miniature format at once. Tab Switch Plus creates a list that can be stowed away. Firefox versions go by Showcase or Tab Scope. The last can allow the display of a preview page. Tab Mix Plus for Firefox provides even more control, allowing tabs to be duplicated and created more easily. The Reload All Tabs options updates all tabs simultaneously.
But don’t overload your computer with add-ons, warns Arns: “You increase the amount of memory being used, especially with a lot of tabs open at once.” A lot of add-ons means a lot of new buttons in the toolbar, making it easier to lose track of everything. And some of the add-ons install toolbars, which don’t just slow down the computer, but also collect data about the user, sometimes focusing on web searches.
