Some people like to smoothly scroll down a webpage, but do not want to do this any other place on their computer. You can bring smooth mouse wheel scrolling to the browser with the SmoothWheel extension for Firefox. The purpose of this add-on is pretty simple, it lets you smoothly scroll down a webpage with your mouse wheel, rather than going down a few lines at a time.
Tag Archives | mouse
SmoothWheel
Mouse Control Power Tools
Need a way to quickly do more with your mouse when browsing the web using Firefox? The MouseControl add-on is a nifty tool that allows you to switch, close, quick return, duplicate and zoom just by clicking on your mouse buttons.
Mouse Tips for Firefox Fans
There is a lot you can do with Firefox when it comes to the mouse. Now, most of the time people focus on all the keyboard shortcuts you can do with Firefox – however, the mouse shortcuts are equally as cool.
Smoother Web Page Scrolling
The way you use your web browser is a very personalized experience. From the way you click links, to even the way you scroll down a web page, everybody has their own way of doing things. To add a few more page scrolling tweaks to the Firefox browser, give the Smooth Wheel add-on a shot.
Smooth Wheel adds several more configurable preferences to your mouse wheel’s performance in Firefox. Here is a little ‘bit more about the extension from the developer:
Grab and Drag Scrolling
Do you like being able to virtually grab a page and scroll up or down it in your browser? Now, some other programs have this ability (such as most PDF readers out there) however the web browser does not, until now. The Grab and Drag add-on for Firefox will enable grab and drag scrolling, flick gestures, and momentum scrolling in Firefox.
This comes in really handy for tablet PCs, where your pen is taking the place of your mouse. You can though use it with your mouse too, as it comes ready for 1, 2, or 3 button mouse support.
Grab and Drag gives Firefox a new way to browse, and also has plenty of options to tweak till you get it just the way you want it. You can pick it up on the Firefox Add-ons site or MozDev.org.
Unique Browser Backtracking
Need to quickly navigate back in the browser history? Now sure, you could click the actual backwards button, in the Firefox navigation toolbar. I have another alternative for you to try though. MileWideBack is an add-on for Firefox that will let you click on the left border of your Firefox window to go back to the previous web page you were viewing.
What does does this extension for Firefox allow you to do? Well, if you can navigate forward if you right-click with your mouse on the Firefox border too. If you are using tabbed browsing, middle-click on the left border to close the current tab, or rotate the mouse-wheel to cycle through your current tabs.
To learn more about how to tweak this add-on, check out this tutorial:
So if you are looking for way to make your browsing experience more user friendly or unique, MileWideBack is well worth your time. Give it a shot, and let me know if you find browsing this way is better or worse than your more traditional methods.
Stop Squinting to Read Web Pages
Don’t you hate it when you visit a web site and the web site’s text is so small, you can barely make out what you are reading? Here are a few ways you can work around that everyday issue.
Three Ways to Enlarge or Shrink Text
You can enlarge text per web site you are visiting by holding the Ctrl key on your keyboard and scrolling up to enlarge text, and down to shrink text. If your mouse doesn’t have the scroll wheel, then you can also do this by holding the Ctrl key and hitting the “+” key to enlarge text, and the “-” key to make text smaller. The third way to enlarge text via Firefox would be to go to your menu bar, go to View > Zoom, and then choose to zoom in (to make things bigger) or zoom out (to make things smaller).
Reset a Web Page to Normal (after Zooming)
Now if you have messed around with the font size so much, your not sure what the default size should be – you can reset that too. Just go to the menu bar, then click View > Zoom and then Reset. This will reset the web page to it’s normal viewing size.
So there you have a few more accessibility options to play with from within Firefox, so you can stop squinting at web pages you are trying to read.
Did You Know About These Firefox Mouse Shortcuts?
Want to make your mouse work for you in Firefox? There are several handy keyboard and mouse combinations you might want to start memorizing. For those of us who spend our day with one hand on the mouse and the other on the keyboard – these shortcuts can sometimes be faster than doing things the manual way or with keyboard shortcuts alone.
Shift + Scroll Down = Go Back a Page
Shift + Scroll Up = Go Forward a Page
Ctrl + Left Click or Middle Click = Open Link in Background Tab
Ctrl + Shift + Left Click = Open Link in Foreground Tab
Shift + Left Click = Open Link in New Window
Alt + Scroll = Scroll Line by Line
Middle Click on Tab = Close a Tab
Double Click on Tab Bar = Tab New
Ctrl + Scroll Up = Text Size Decrease
Ctrl + Scroll Down = Text Size Increase
Know of anymore good ones? Be sure to leave a comment, and share with the rest of us. For more keyboard shortcut fun, remember to check out Mission Ctrl? All the Ctrl Key Shortcuts for Firefox, Firefox’s Navigation Bar Keyboard Combo Cheat Sheet and Ctrl + Shift Your Way Through Firefox.
The Firefox Mousepad
Come on, I know you want one! Mine should be in the mail as we speak!
Funny Firefox Bug Test
When you mix a little CSS code with Firefox, you get a neat trick that no other browser out there can do. Well, even if they could I wouldn’t care because this is called Firefox Facts, not IE Facts! Anyways, check it out – learn how to do it yourself and be careful where you middle click!
