Most Popular Firefox Extensions And Posts Of 2011

2011 saw Firefox race ahead with a new version with lots of improvements — speed being chief among them — and lots more features and add-ons to fully customise your web browsing. here are our most popular Firefox extensions and posts from the past year.

Why I’ve Switched From Chrome to Firefox 4

You’ve probably heard a lot about Firefox 4’s new interface, speed, and feature improvements, but many of you have already left it for Chrome. Here’s why Firefox’s newest version is worth another look, even if you’re a diehard Chrome user. More »

Browser Speed Tests: Firefox 7, Chrome 14, Internet Explorer 9, and Opera 11.51

Firefox 7 is set to be released today, and with a big focus on performance, we thought it time for another round of browser speed test. We pitted the four most popular Windows browsers against each other in a battle of startup times, tab-loading times, JavaScript powers, and memory usage. More »

How to Fix Annoyances with Firefox 4’s New Look

Firefox 4 has a lot going for it, but many of you (and us) mentioned that its UI has a few quirks that are a little annoying. Here’s how to fix some of the worst offenders. More »

What’s New and Awesome in Firefox 4

Windows/Mac/Linux: Firefox 4 is officially out, and it’s got a lot going for it, including a more minimalistic interface, synchronisation, and a serious speed increase. More »

Fix Gmail’s Newest Annoyances with These Userstyles and Userscripts

Now that Gmail’s rolled out its new look and you’ve learned your way around the changes, it’s time to fix the little quirks and annoyances that remain. More »

First Glimpse at Firefox 5’s New Looks and Features

Mozilla’s user experience team is doing their nit-pick-y work on Firefox 5 in public — yes, before Firefox 4 is actually shipped. Check out what they’re thinking of changing up, including webapp improvements, session restore, menu fixing, and other small but nice improvements. More »

How To Perform Nearly Any Task From Your Browser’s Address Bar

We use a lot of great webapps, but it takes a few clicks to perform even a simple task, like adding an event to your calendar. Here’s how to collapse those step-by-step clicks into single commands for nearly any web application. More »

Google+Facebook Extension Integrates Facebook Viewing and Updating on Google+

Chrome/Firefox/Internet Explorer: If you’re loving Google+ but finding it to be virtual ghost town while your friends slowly trickle in, the Google+Facebook browser extension incorporates your Facebook feed to your Google+ stream. More »

What “Do Not Track” Is and Why It’s Important

What’s so bad about ad tracking on the web, a.k.a. behavioural targeting? Nothing, if you don’t mind being a living stereotype. No, seriously — that’s what much of the fuss over “Do Not Track” browser options and opt-out options is about. More »

Find Out Which Add-Ons Are Slowing Down Firefox

We’ve always known that installing a lot of add-ons can slow down your browser, but Mozilla’s now telling us just how much. Here’s a look at, generally, how much an add-on will slow you down, and some of the worst offenders. More »

Move Firefox and Chrome’s Cache to a RAM Disk for Faster Browsing

We’ve previously shown you how to move your Firefox cache to system memory, but a dedicated RAM disk might be a better solution for serious browsing speed. More »

Eight Is a Stylish, Windows 8-Inspired Start Page for Your Browser

If your browser’s default start page is feeling a little ugly and boring, DeviantART user flatmo1 has created a great-looking start page inspired by Windows 8’s tiled interface, ready to get you to your favourite sites with just a click. More »

Aurora Is a More Stable, Bleeding Edge Dev Channel for Firefox

Windows/Mac/Linux: Mozilla today launched Aurora, a semi-stable dev build of Firefox that represents Mozilla’s move toward a new, rapid-release cycle aimed at “giv[ing] users more opportunities to participate in building Firefox.” More »

The Always Up-to-Date Power User’s Guide to Firefox

Now that Firefox is on a rapid release cycle, we’re getting a new version of Firefox every three months-and each time, it becomes more tricked out than ever with new customisation options, shortcuts, and convenient features hidden away in its menus. More »

Home Dash Makes Firefox a (Useful) Full Screen Browser

Firefox 4 (and betas) only: Most browsers offer a “Fullscreen Mode,” but still rely on the same address bar, tabs, and other mechanisms to get you around. More »

AdBlock Video Kills Ads in Hulu and Other Online Video Players

Firefox: AdBlock Video is a simple Firefox extension that’ll play your videos commercial-free. More »

DeskSMS Is the Best Phone-to-Desktop SMS Solution We’ve Seen Yet

Android: If you don’t want to use Google Voice to manage your SMS messages on the desktop, DeskSMS will let you manage them from Gmail, GTalk, a speedy web interface, and even a Chrome extension — no number porting required. More »

Start Faster Halves Firefox’s Startup Time on Windows

Firefox 4 on Windows: One of the longest-running complaints among the anti-Firefox crowd is that it’s slow. One Mozilla developer has set out to fix part of this problem by making Firefox start up twice as fast in Windows with a simple add-on. More »

How to Make Firefox Look and Feel More Like Chrome

Firefox has a lot going for it, but its interface feels a little dated next to sleek browsers like Chrome. Here’s how to make Firefox look and feel more like Google Chrome without giving up your favourite aspects of Firefox. More »

Which Version of Chrome or Firefox Should I Use?

Dear Lifehacker, I’m a big Chrome user and saw that there’s yet another “channel” (Canary) out for us Mac users to try. I’ve always been a little bit unsure about which one of these I should be running. More »

Simplify and Automate Private Browsing Mode with These Browser Extensions

If you’re sick of manually opening links in private browsing mode, Firefox and Chrome extensions will get you in with some quick shortcuts. More »

And there you have it. It was a big year for Firefox, what with the release of a big new version, multiple chanenels, a rapid release system, and tons more great extensions that make your life easier. If you have a favourite Firefox extension or how-to that didn’t make the list, share it with us in the comments below. And, for more Firefox goodness, check out our best Firefox posts of 2010 and 2009, too.