Firefox is close to our hearts. In the past, we’ve reviewed a number of Firefox add-ons here on Make Use Of. Any guesses what this article is about? Yes, you’ve guessed it - it’s the ever popular Firefox add-ons list compilation.
However this time, its a list with a difference. The add-ons in this list are the Winners of the Extend Firefox contest organised by Mozilla Labs.
The add-ons are classified into three categories.
Pencil is a GUI prototyping and diagramming add-on. This means that you can use Pencil to create mockups of windows, buttons, panes etc. Some of the features of Pencil are:
As we find a need to make thing faster as well as easier, application launchers assist that view. Some may find them products of pure laziness, yet I find them quite helpful.
Posts have previously been written on Make Use Of on application launchers such as: Enso Launcher and Launchy, but I will talk about some other application launchers that may assist you in achieving the goal of ultimate ease!
Here are a few of them (in no particular order):
If you’re an OS X user you’ll have most probably used Quicksilver or at least heard of it. Well a few months ago I kind of got sick of Quicksilver and wanted to try something new. I eventually stumbled upon Butler.
Butler is a really easy to use and powerful search tool for OS X. But the thing I really love about Butler is that it can do a lot more besides just searching. To find out what other features Butler has to offer, continue reading….
Windows interfaces have evolved steadily with time. Windows XP was a step forward in interfaces over previous versions and so is Windows Vista over Windows XP.
The thing with the Windows interface is that it looks pretty for some time then we get tired of it. This is not the case with Compiz Desktop Effects and the themes in Linux. There are so many options that one can always find something new and worth changing to for some time.
The following apps lets you overhaul your Windows interface and add some eye candy and usability enhancements at the same time. You wont need pliers and screwdrivers - promise!
I have been a Windows user from the time I was a little tot. I am still a Windows user (and am perfectly happy with it), but sometimes I look over at a Mac and wish I had just a few of their features on my Windows machine. After doing some searching, I have been able to find four applications that give me the few things that I wanted to have on my Windows PC but has traditionally only been available on a Mac.
Whenever any major motion picture has a “hacker” character, they always show the actor violently typing on their custom interface and causing all kinds of programs to pop up just from their keystrokes. Now, I’m no hacker to be sure, but I do like the ability to access any program or file at the touch of a key. A utility that does just this is called a “launcher” and makes the process of finding and opening things on your computer easier than navigating through a bunch of windows. In the past I have tried Launchy and RocketDock, but neither of them have completely satisfied me.
In this high-pressure, results-oriented world, everyone is expected to perform quickly and efficiently. What with all the Getting-Things-Done (GTD) applications for Windows, Mac and even mobile devices, there are hardly any excuses for not completing the task in hand. However, it’s not always about working harder but working smarter. It’s rewarding to learn to use the same amount of time to accomplish more than you could before.
So, this article is not about Getting-Things-Done, but Getting-More-Done on your Mac.
Say you’re still using your Windows XP taskbar, but wouldn’t it be cool if it had even more features and was more flexible? Welcome to the fourth post in our desktop enhancement series in which I will focus on - you guessed it - the Windows XP taskbar.
Straight from the nerd cave, this ingenious tool lets you re-arrange buttons on your taskbar via simple drag and drop. Using a hotkey (Ctrl for example) you can also re-order system tray icons. Additionally, Taskbar Shuffle is low on system resources and won’t bug you at all if you say goodbye to the splash screen and system tray icon.
