best guide to add-ons, themes and tips for Firefox
One more change to come in Firefox 4 is the removal of the RSS icon in the browser’s Awesome Bar (aka the Address Bar). I am guessing this was done to reduce some of the clutter when it comes to the default look and feel of Firefox 4. The ability that made RSS feed so easy to subscribe to is not gone though. It has simply been bumped down to being an additional button you can add to the interface.
Want to have instant access to all the RSS feeds you have subscribed to, without having to login and check them out through Google Reader? You can do this by mixing Google Reader with Firefox’s Live Bookmark feature. Since Google Reader outputs your reading list in RSS – it is easy to create a place where you can keep up to date with the latest news, without even launch the Google Reader website.
Here is how you do it.
Although the feature might not get as much love as others, the Live Bookmarks function of Firefox is one to be admired. Live Bookmarks can deliver you the most recent updates to you from any website, right in Firefox. This is done through the magic of RSS (really simple syndication) and the Firefox browser. So how can you set up a Live Bookmark and what exactly are they good for? Let me walk you through the process.
If you use the built in feed reading capabilities of Firefox, the Live Bookmarks feature, you might be missing the fact that you do not have an organized list of new entries to go through like you would have in a traditional RSS reader. The Feed Sidebar add-on for Firefox is here to take your Live Bookmarks and display them all in your sidebar.
The fireNotes add-on for Firefox is unique. It allows you to setup your own customized RSS feed links or embedded pages within the Firefox browsing window. Think of it as a local alternative to the popular start pages like Netvibes or iGoogle.
My RSS feed reading application of choice is Google Reader. I have been using it for several years now, and it has never let me down. Now, that is not to say it could not be improved though. Here are a few ways you can make your RSS feed reading in Google Reader even better.
The Google Reader Watcher add-on is handy to have, because it will check your Google Reader for unread new posts. You can use this to keep track of how many stories you have yet to read. Checking Google Reader with this add-on is much more practical than visiting the Google Reader web site several times a day, for those RSS feed addicts out there like me.
File this add-on under awesome. The Places’ Tooltip add-on for Firefox adds more detailed information about the bookmarks and links you have saved to your browser.
Need help watching your feed subscriptions in Google Reader?
The Google Reader Watcher add-on for Firefox is here to help. With this extension, you can be instantly notified when your favorite new source, blog or any other web site with an RSS feed is updated and ready to read in Google Reader.
Sage was once one of the more popular RSS feed reading add-ons for Firefox. However, time went by, years went on and these days it is not making much news. However, if you still need a lightweight feed reader, there is now Sage-Too. This is a continuation of the original project to keep it up to date with today’s Firefox browser versions.
Some of the features include:
It also has support for the following locales: Argentine Spanish, Catalan, Chinese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Serbian, Slovenian, Spanish, and Swedish.
As they say in their own words, “It’s got more of what you need and not much of what you don’t.” You can give it another shot, or take your first trip down lightweight RSS reading road by downloading it on the Firefox Add-ons web site.
Also, don’t forget to start your RSS feed collection with the best Firefox feed out there today, http://feeds.feedburner.com/firefoxfacts. Never leave your RSS feed reader without it!
Now I know many people don’t like pandering to the audience for things, however I do want to let you all know it is really easy to follow Firefox Facts in a number of different ways.
Subscribe via RSS
All you have to do to subscribe to the RSS feed is click that orange icon in the Firefox address bar.
You will then be given many different options in which you can subscribe to the feed. You can set it up as a Live Bookmark or you could use services like Google Reader, Bloglines and more to get instant access to all the Firefoxy goodness you will find here.
Subscribe via E-mail
To subscribe by e-mail, and get daily e-mail updates when a new post has been made – type your e-mail address into the empty text box at the top, and hit the “Subscribe!” button.
Once you do, a window will pop up asking you to type in a series of letters to verify you really want to subscribe. once you do, click the “Complete Subscription Request” button and your all set.
It is all totally free, as I don’t charge you a dime (nor would I want to). The only revenue I make from the site is from the Google ads your hopefully not blocking, to pay for the upkeep of the site.
Big thanks to the 7,000+ that are subscribing already and the many more who come in to check out the web site daily. You ROCK!
You can also follow me and my projects on Twitter @mitchkeeler!
So there is your how to subscribe to Firefox Facts public service announcement. I now return you to your regularly scheduled Firefox tips, tutorials and more – already in progress.
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Mitch Keeler is nothing more than your average Joe trying to leave his mark on the world though both his professional work and his online projects, articles, podcasts and more.
