What is so Bad About Switch to Tab?

Now, to set things up.  When you try to open the same webpage twice, rather than letting you do just that (in one or multiple running browsers) Firefox will suggest that you switch to the tab where you already have that webpage open. While some might find this useful, I find it to be a pain.  Sometimes I like to have multiple versions of the same webpage up and running.

So here is the fix. Lets say I want to open my review of Tab Scope up again in a separate tab. I type "tab scope" into the address bar and select the review from Firefox Facts.  No Firefox, I don’t want to switch to that tab, I want to open it again.

Now, to disable the "Switch to tab" feature, simply hold down the Shift button and you get this instead:

Click on the link in the address bar or hit the Enter key to open this webpage in another tab, rather than switching to the tab where the webpage is already open.

Hope this comes in handy, and hopefully when Firefox 4 goes public – they will have an easier way to disable this annoying feature.

I have made no secret about the fact that the one feature I am looking most forward to in Firefox 4 is the new Firefox Panorama tool (formerly known as Tab Candy).  Now, I have shown you why Panorama is really handy when it comes to getting rid of the extra browser windows, but now they are also introducing a very nice search feature too.

So lets say you have all your tabs grouped up, you have several websites loaded up – but you want to find your email in a hurry. You can click the little magnifying glass on the side, type the name of your email client (like Gmail) and it will be highlighted for you.

Here is a short video from Aza explaining more about how the new search feature would work:

Overall, this is one more thing that is making me want to get my hands on Firefox 4 even more. I love the fact that the search is so fast, and I can’t wait to start using Panorama in my everyday browsing.

With just one keystroke, you can zoom out of your browsing experience and see all your open web pages like thumbnails.  You can then reorganize and arrange these windows in different ways.

What is so special about Tab Candy?

You could easily create a group for your mail, calendar and RSS reader.  Then you could make another group of tabs for your work related web pages you have to look at.  Many extensions out there for Firefox try to do this, but Tab Candy is the first execution of this tab reorganization that has really gotten me excited to see more.

Check out this video by Aza Raskin to get a better picture of what Tab Candy will mean to the way you really use the browser.

Mark my words, this will be the must-have feature in the next generation of the browser wars.  I might sound like a fan boy when I say it, but this is why I love Firefox.  They don’t tell you how you have to browse – they give you many different ways to get the job done, and you can use the way that works best for your own needs.

Right now Tab Candy’s future in Firefox 4 has been delayed due to some implementation challenges, so let me be one of the first to tell them, “Please get this feature added to Firefox 4, I really need it!”.

Firefox 3.6 Released!

The latest version of your favorite browser has been released.  Firefox 3.6 is now available via Mozilla’s web site.  The big update this time around is the built in support for Firefox Personas.

Need more? Here’s the full list of new features that Firefox 3.6 brings:

• Available in more than 70 languages – get your local version.
• Support for a new type of theme called Personas, which allow users to change Firefox’s appearance with a single click.
• Protection from out-of-date plugins to keep users safer as they browse.
• Open, native video can now be displayed full screen and supports poster frames.
• Improved JavaScript performance, overall browser responsiveness, and startup time.
• The ability for web developers to indicate that scripts should run asynchronously to speed up page load times.
• Continued support for downloadable web fonts using the new WOFF font format.
• Support for new CSS attributes such as gradients, background sizing, and pointer events.
• Support for new DOM and HTML5 specifications including the Drag & Drop API and the File API, which allow for more interactive web pages.
• Changes to how third-party software can integrate with Firefox in order to prevent crashes.

More Firefox 3.6 Tips, Tutorials and Help!

• Enable Visual Tab Switcher in Firefox 3.6
• Firefox 3.6 Fix – Open New Tabs in Far Right
• Top 10 Personas Backgrounds for Firefox!
• Firefox 3.6 Portable Edition is Now Available via Lifehacker

Overall, not a bad upgrade.  If your Firefox has not updated it’s self yet, you can always pick up the update at Mozilla’s web site. What do you think of Firefox 3.6?  Love it? Hate it? More interested in Firefox 4?  Leave you feedback in the comments!

Pinned tabs are shifted to the left side of the tab bar where their tab will be changed to just show the favicon for the web site in question. Thanks to the Pin Tab add-on for Firefox, you can bring that functionality to your favorite browser.

Another neat feature of this Firefox add-on is when you type something in the address bar, or select a result in the address bar while a pinned tab is selected, the address you selected will open in a new tab – leaving your pinned tab alone.

How do you pin a tab?

You can also pin a tab by dragging it to the left of already pinned tabs.

How do you un-pin a tab?

You can unpin a tab by dragging to the right of unpinned tabs.

Overall, this simple extension, once added to Firefox, will help you save space in your browser.  By shrinking down those web sites you keep open all the time, you can also add a little more organization to your daily browsing routines – which is something I am always in favor for.   Pick up Pin Tab for Firefox, on the Firefox Add-ons web site.

Update: Looks like Mozilla might have taken this plugin down, not sure for the reasons why.  If you still want to pick it up, an alternative link and a little more backstory to the situation has been posted here:  Pin Tab Thread on mozillaZine.org

In what is being seen by some as a silly feature to add, Firefox 3.6 is apparently getting better support for orientation of where it is at.  What does this mean, exactly?  Firefox will know, if your computer has an accelerometer in it, if it is tilting to the left, right, front, or back and will respond with the way the web page your looking at is displayed.

Here’s a few more details about the new feature coming to Firefox:

Originally built as something that we would include for our upcoming mobile browser release, we’ve made it available on desktop systems as well. Many modern Macbooks and Thinkpads contain devices and drivers that expose this information. We’ve added support for Linux, Macs and some Thinkpads where drivers and devices are available.

Overall, this is a pretty awesome new feature for the computers that will support it.  This picture really does not do it justice, go check out the video demonstration over at hacks.mozilla.org.

Now I do not plug my other projects very often, however I think this is an important enough update to share with the rest of my fans (even my wonderful Firefox Facts subscribers)!  I just finished up with a brand new redesign of my layout over at Mitchelaneous.com – and I would love your feedback on it.

What is Mitchelaneous?  It is my personal blog, with tutorials helping with tech tips, web development and geeky entertainment.  Pretty much everything else I want to post about is posted here, that does not fit under the web hosting category of WebHostingShow.com and the Mozilla category or FirefoxFacts.com.  

Here are a few of the popular posts to check out too:

• Best of the Free Zombie Flash Games
• Free Mega Man Desktop Icons
• Garfield Without Garfield is Funnier
• 9 WordPress Alternatives
• Get More from Google Calendar

As you can see, I go all over the place with this blog.  For the most part though, I try to keep the madness focused on helping you get more out of what you want to do, and provide you with the best advice I can on a number of different topics.  From wallpaper downloads, to free custom desktop icons, to the best of the video game world.  There is something for everybody’s inner-geek to enjoy.

How can you subscribe for free?

You can also get updates via e-mail of new posts, or from your favorite feed reader:

Subscribe in a Reader! | Subscribe to Mitchelaneous by E-mail

You can also just copy and paste this into your feed reader of choice too:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/mitchelaneous

Go check it out at Mitchelaneous.com and let me know what you think!

Mozilla has released a few new screenshots of their latest Firefox 3.7 theme and interface revisions.  I’m happy to see the bookmark toolbar is back, and the loading bar on top of the tabs is a very interesting idea. 

Here is the old Revision 01 version of Firefox 3.7’s interface:

Here is the brand new Revision 02 of the Firefox 3.7 interface:

In comparison, I do have to say I like the direction they are going with this.  Here are some of the features included and mentioned when discussing the Vista/Windows 7 version of the interface:

• Embracing Glass: Toolbar and Tabs using Glass. Buttons translucent and slightly glossy to meld with the toolbar. Raised 3D look to achieve tactile "feel".
• Page and Tools Buttons: Page and Tools on the Navigation Bar.
• Bookmark Bar: Bookmarks bar on by default. New Bookmarks "widget" containing the bookmarks menu contents.
• Home Tab: Home tab containing your homepage to start. Expanded functionality planned for 4.0.

To get more information and amazing screenshots, be sure to check out the Windows 3.7 theme mockups page on the Mozilla.org wiki.

Haven’t you always wanted to give back to those Firefox add-on developers that have made your life easier?  Well, even if the thought hadn’t crossed your mind – you do have the ability to do so thanks to the new contributions feature on the Firefox Add-ons site.

How it works is a small widget gets shown on the specific add-on’s page and says something like, “The developer of this add-on asks that you help support its continued development by making a small contribution” then you can donate the suggested price or a different amount. 

Nothing wrong with giving back a little to those out there who have made your browsing experience even better. 

Getting in on the fun, the Lifehacker team has also posted a list of the top 10 Firefox 3.5 features you should check out, if you want to see what is in store for your favorite browser.

Bonus – Also worth mentioning is there is rumors that Firefox 3.5 could be out by June 30th?