There will be no more updates for Firefox 3.0.x anymore, so if you haven’t upgraded to Firefox 3.6 – you had better hurry up and do so.  That was the official word from Mozilla on the topic in a recent meeting.

Now this might disappoint a handful of users out there, but it is nice to see Mozilla being more future focused – looking to get upgrades and updates out faster to the most recent Firefox versions. 

Firefox 3.0 will be looked back upon with great admiration.  It was the version of Firefox that set the Guinness world record for downloads in a 24-hour period, after all.

So now the question is – are you still using Firefox 3.0, and if the answer is yes, let us know “why” in the comments.

Simplification for web site logins is desperately needed.  Once upon a time, people thought Open ID might be the solution, but it has fizzled out.  Where is the future?  The Firefox Account Manager.

The Account Manager is a prototype that really makes things easy when it comes to logging into your favorite web sites.  You can login and logout, right from the toolbar.

How Does Account Manager Work?

I will let the fine people at Mozilla Labs explain that one:

We are proposing a new standard that Websites can implement, and although it is still an early draft, we’d love for you to check it out. We are particularly interested in feedback from Web developers and site administrators.

If you’re interested in hacking on the add-on, you can check out the source here. The project wiki page also has additional information.

Right now, the prototype they have posted only works with Google, Yahoo!, Facebook, Mozilla Addons, Mozilla Bugzilla, and Get Personas – but with time (they hope) every web site will support this new standard.  You can learn more about the Account Manager concept idea here:

• Account Manager Details at Mozilla Labs

Tell me what you think.  Does this new concept excite you, or do you want to see it in action a ‘bit more before you make up your mind?

With that in mind, I thought it might be handy to guide you through the process when it comes to adding a new Persona theme to your browser, removing a Persona theme from your browser, and how to chance through Persona themes – once you have several saved to your system.

How Do You Install a Firefox Persona?

If you are using Firefox 3.6 or above, the options for Personas should be built into the browser.  Here is how you can grab your own Firefox Persona to use in Firefox.

Go to the Personas page on the Firefox Add-ons web site or the Personas Gallery.

Next, browser around the web site until you find a Persona you would like to use in your own Firefox browser.  Notice that as you hover over the thumbnail previews, your Firefox browser will change to show you what that Persona would look like.

Click on the Persona you would like to use, and go check out the official page for that specific Persona.  For example, here is the page for the Superman logo Persona shown above:

• Superman Logo Firefox Persona

To install that specific Persona for Firefox, click the orange, “Wear this Persona” button.

Once you do so, the Persona will be installed – and you will get a message come up in the browser telling you it has been installed, and giving you the option to undo or go to your manage themes settings.

You are now done.  Your new Persona for Firefox has been installed and is ready to decorate your browser till you change it again.

How Can You Uninstall a Firefox Persona?

Uninstalling Firefox Personas is as easy as installing them.  From Firefox’s Menu Bar, select Tools and then Add-ons.  Once that comes up, you want to go to the “Themes” tab. Both Firefox themes and Personas will now be displayed here.

Click on the Firefox Persona you wish to uninstall, and click the “Uninstall” button. You will be asked to verify the uninstall, and then it will be gone for good.  You can also switch to a different Persona you have downloaded by clicking on that Persona from this screen, and selecting “Use Theme”. 

Get More Personas Help: Other Personas Tips, Articles and Tutorials!

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!

Are you one of those who can hardly wait for the newest version of Firefox to be released?  Well, I have found yet another theme that will at least help you pretend you are using it. 

Give the experimental theme, Fx4 a shot.  It will transform your browser to what has been pitched as the new look and feel for Firefox 4.

So what’s the catch?  Well you will also need the Fx4 options add-on for Firefox too.  Be sure to pick it up to get the total look and feel of Firefox 4 for your current Firefox browser.

• Go Install the Fx4 Theme for Firefox
• Go Install the Fx4 Options Add-on for Firefox

Also, it should be noted this is a Windows only theme, for now.

I think I will wait for the official roll over, when Firefox 4 comes out, before I get too adventurous with changing my browsing ways.  However, the Firefox fans have made sure you have the option to use this style later or use it now.

Here are the most popular add-on collections for the Firefox browser:

Windows 7 Theme for Firefox 3.5

32430 subscribers – This collection of add-ons were gathered to help you make Firefox 3 more seamless in the Windows 7 operating system.  Not only do you get the nice theme and tweaking add-ons, but you also get some great time conserving tools too!

Web Developer’s Toolbox

7934 subscribers – Speed up the development process by using add-ons to troubleshoot, edit, and debug web projects without ever clicking away from Firefox.

Reference Desk

5033 subscribers – Make the librarian jealous with add-ons that help students, researchers or anyone with a tough question find and document all the answers.

Lifehacker’s Must-Have Extensions

3849 subscribers – Then of the must-have add-ons for Firefox, as picked by the brilliant minds over at Lifehacker.com. Included are ten of the best add-ons for Firefox out there today.

Better Pack

2564 subscribers – Lifehacker’s “Better” add-ons, compiling multiple Greasemonkey tweaks for YouTube, Reader, Gmail, Google Calendar, Flickr, and other sites.

Power User Pack

1537 subscribers – Collection of Add-ons for power user, sys admin, developer, surfer, and more.  Most powerful add-ons which would change interface to better and tidy, add some cool functionality.

Traveler’s Pack

1270 subscribers – When the travel bug bites, these add-ons make it easy to plan, book and document your trip — without getting lost along the way.

Family Organizer

1211 subscribers – Create a safe and fun online experience while planning everything the family does offline with add-ons that keep the family cooking.

Social Circuit

1176 subscribers – Whether it’s LOLing with a BFF, finding a job or staying connected with old classmates, social networking add-ons keep the most popular sites front and center.

Icon-Only Perma-Tabs for Gmail and Google Reader

592 subscribers – Keep your Gmail and Google Reader tabs open at all times, but shrink them down to show the favicon only and add your unread count on the icon.

Know of an add-on collection that can get the proverbial job done better than the ones I listed above?  Leave a comment and share it with the group.  Also, if you have pulled together your own unique collection – share those with me too in the comments.

All in all, 2009 was a great year for Firefox.  It grew by leaps and bounds, and continues to be the best alternative browser out there.  Firefox Facts did pretty well in it’s own right too – surpassing the 7,000+ RSS subscriber mark.  So with today being the last day of 2009, let us all sit back and revisit some of the best posts of the year.

Here are 10 of the most read stories, tips, tutorials and reviews I have posted here in 2009.  Hope you check out some classics you might have missed, or revisit a favorite post or two.

#10 – Love (or Disable) the New Tab Button in Firefox

Love it, or hate it – Firefox got one more addition to it’s browser that seems to have gotten a mixed reaction from the fans. The open new tab button rests at the end of your tab bar in Firefox 3.5 giving you an easier user interface to open a new tab.

• More Tab Fun – Move the Close Tab in Firefox

#9 – 10 Popular Web Designer Tools for Firefox

Thanks to Firefox and some of the great add-ons that have been developed for it, your browser is your best friend when it comes to web site design.  From CSS tools, to promoting your domain, here are 10 of the most popular web designer tools for Firefox.

• Top 10 Greatness – Top 10 Personas Backgrounds for Firefox

#8 – Add Another Bookmarks Toolbar to Firefox

Have more than a few bookmarks you want to keep handy on the bookmarks toolbar in Firefox but don’t have the room?  Multirow Bookmarks Toolbar, an extension for Firefox, will help you solve that issue by letting you add as many bookmark toolbars as you need.

• Popular Add-ons – Most Downloaded Bookmark Add-ons

#7 – Firefox Private Browsing Mode Help and FAQ

Want to increase your privacy on your PC?  With the release of Firefox 3.5, our favorite browser now has a Private Browsing mode.  Usually your browser remembers the web sites you have visited, your user names and passwords, your browsing history and more.  However, with this newest addition to the Firefox 3.5 feature list, you can now go incognito on the Internet.

• Firefox Tip – Easier Access to Private Browsing Mode

#6 – Convert YouTube Videos to MP3

The experimental add-on YouTube 2 MP3 will convert and download YouTube videos in the .mp3 audio format.  There is no doubt that YouTube has a large collection of music videos, so this type of service was bound to happen eventually.

• More YouTube Tips – 1-Click YouTube Video Downloader

#5 – Speed up Flash Videos in Firefox

Want to speed up your flash video watching?  By default, Firefox takes a sort of “snapshot” of whatever you are doing every ten seconds.  Why?  It is so that the browser can restore itself, just in case of a crash.  Now you might ask, what does this have to do with flash videos?  Well, the snapshot action is what is causing your ten second delay, at times, with watching flash videos on the Web.

• Firefox Hacks – More Fun Tips with About:Config

#4 – 10 Popular Themes That Are Firefox 3.5 Ready

One of the negative side effects of a new version of Firefox rolling out is the fact that some Firefox theme creators neglect to update their themes to the newest versions.  So, when updating our browser, that leaves some of us in the dark, when it comes to using the themes we know and love.  However, this time around many more popular themes have been updated to support Firefox 3.5 and here are my favorite ten for you to choose from.

• Skins Galore – All the Great Firefox Themes I’ve Reviewed

#3 – Skip to the Download on Rapidshare, Megaupload and More!

Want to skip the totally unnecessary “wait to download” pages on Rapidshare, Megaupload and more?  SkipScreen, and add-on for Firefox is here to help.

#2- All About Perspective – Firefox Wallpaper

Firefox wallpaper that I would actually see myself using is hard to find.  The main reason behind third is that I don’t really like text on my desktop, and I really don’t like feeling like a marketing campaign either.  So with that said, what type of Firefox wallpaper does make me happy?

• Desktop Decorations – Five Star Firefox Wallpaper

#1 – Beginner’s Guide to Greasemonkey

In a nutshell, Greasemonkey is an add-on for Firefox that allows you to customize a web site’s look and function.  Now you don’t have to be a coder to use it though, because there are already hundreds of scripts out there available for free that you can use to help you do a number of different things.

• Another Great Guide: Beginner’s Manual to Stylish

I hope you have enjoyed reading all the Firefox Facts tips, tricks and more this year – and you’ll subscribe to the RSS feed, visit daily and be entertained and informed all the way though 2010 and beyond.  This site wouldn’t be a success without you, so thank you for making Firefox Facts on of the most popular Firefox tip related blogs out there today. Happy New Year!

BONUS – Check out the Best of Mitchelaneous (2009 Edition)

I know I have a lot of creative and opinionated readers here, so I thought this challenge would be right up your alley.  Last week, Mozilla Labs announced the Winter ‘09 Design Challenge.  What is at stake?  You might get to help design how Firefox 4’s home tab looks.

In the future release of Firefox, it seems the home tab will replace your default homepage as the big starting point for the browser.  Rather than having something like MyYahoo or iGoogle, you will have your own personalized home, served locally, just for you.  This page will have access to a lot more of your information since it never leaves the browser — history, add-ons, bookmarks, and pretty much anything you can see in Firefox at the moment.

Here is a little more about the project from Mozilla:

To participate in this Design Challenge you need to create a short video explaining your idea(s), presenting the mockup and showing how your idea works. Your video can contain anything from a napkin drawing, a wireframe, to a polished graphic/prototype.

Here are the important dates you should make note of, if you want to participate:

• December 2009 – Launch of The Home Tab – Winter ‘09 Design Challenge
• February 14th, 2010 – Submission Deadline
• February 15th, 2010 – People’s Choice Voting starts
• March 1st, 2010 – People’s Choice Voting ends
• March 15th, 2010 – Best in Class honors are announced

Good luck to all those who get involved with this challenge.  To learn more about it, be sure to visit the design challenge page over at the Mozilla Labs web site. You can also get updates via Twitter, @mozconcept.

A number of places are showing off some new design concepts for the Firefox 4 browser.  Now we have seen pitched some awesome Firefox 3.7 designs in the past, but it makes me wonder if the design phase for that is over, or if they are going to skip it to go directly to Firefox 4.

Not sure if I am digging the big orange button, but one would think it could be skinned over with a custom theme.  Are you excited about this new application button?

One can only hope. According to several web sites that heard about it from a friend, who knew a friend, who was feeding the dog of a guy who might have worked at Sony, the PlayStation 3’s web browser might be getting a big upgrade, to Firefox.

Well turns out is was a possible rumor, then not so possible, but might be in the works?  Here is the first leak of information from psinsider:

We recently received a tip from a source very close to Sony who says that they have been in talks with Mozilla lately about possibly porting Firefox over to the PS3.

Later on, they issued a “correction”:

Looks like we goofed on the Mozilla rumor… I heard back from our source recently.”I don’t know how the guys from ps3center did this, but please tell me WHERE I wrote that Mozilla is going to port Firefox for PS3 ?? There was just a meeting between someone from PS division and someone from Mozilla.”The original message only mentioned that they had been talking, and I made the mistake of assuming it was related to porting Firefox onto PS3. I apologize for the lack of foresight. Sometimes when interpreting information from a rumor (which in some cases can be worded pretty vaguely), mistakes like this can be made. We apologize for the inconvenience.

So there were “talks”, I guess you could say, but nothing definite or newsworthy yet.  Personally, I’d love to see the PS3 browser get switched over to Firefox.  Even a stripped down basic version of Firefox would be better than the buggy thing they have there now.