Browser Wars, take two

various FR links | 12-22-04 | The Heavy Equipment Guy

[backhoe]

 

FireFox Burns Internet Explorer’s Market Share

 An extended explanation on why Internet Explorer is insecure

 

  How Spyware Took The Next-Gen Threat Crown (On The Internet's No #1 Threat Today MUST READ!!!) -- My own opinion is that anything that takes over your private computer without your informed consent should be illegal and that anyone distributing such programs and those paying to have it distributed (the engine that drives this train) should be held criminally responsible. A politician who would undertake such legislation would have an instantaneous, nation-wide following... a political hero (are you listening out there?)

 

 Browser Wars -- Broadband Firefox users should try ForecastFox 0.5.8. It will put the Weather Channel forecast of your choice in the taskbar. Completely customizeable (I selected the three-day, day-and-night forecast for my ZIP) and totally cool.

 

 Safe Personal Computing

 

  New IE hole could helpperfect phishing scams [GET FIREFOX]

 

 The Fox Is in Microsoft's Henhouse (and Salivating)

 

 Firefox is hot; Thunderbird's not — for good reason -- Since Version 1.0 of Firefox went public about a month ago, about 10 million Internet Explorer users have seen the white-hot light and switched...

 

 

 Massive IE phishing exploit discovered 

Now that you have changed to Firefox, go to this thread to help you out.... if you are on a Broadband Internet connection.

How To Speed Up Firefox (Helpful Vanity)

 

 Safe Personal Computing

 

 Spyware Is the Scourge of Microsoft Windows Users

 

 New search engines let you find Web videos

 

 Five important fixes in MS December patch batch

 

 

Zafi Worm Hides Behind Christmas Cheer (Don't Click!)

 

 Top 10 "Most Unwanted" Spyware Named -- Router with firewall is a must these-days (extra firewall layer, and use multiple comps...)

Free Help here:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1301552/posts?page=99#99

 Currently I'm running pretty safely  with Adaware, Spybot, Firefox, AVG, Sun Java (people forget this upgrade) Zone Alarm and a router. And I deactivated ActiveX for all but Windows update.

 

 Two Million Scans Uncover 55 Million Instances of Spyware,

 

 

 Google Worm Shows Bad Guys Want Efficiency, Too

 

 Google desktop search flawed

 

  Anti Spywear

 

 Apple's iPod Leads the Way in the Fledgling Digital Music World -- I've had an iPod since early September and I must honestly say that it is life-altering. My massive 1000+ CD collection is now boxed up in the attic, serving as backup only.

 

 Samsung Claims Largest Plasma Display [102 inches diagonally] -- Sony is the canary in the mine here. When they
stop selling CRTs, you'll know cross-over is at hand. Sony
has already stopped selling all CRT computer monitors
except for one high-end color-reference 21-inch.

 

  Americans Lured to Look at Digital Cameras

 

 It's aimed more at the business organization than the individual user, but IBM published a very nice Linux Client Migration Cookbook.

Some recommend Xandros 3.0. Windows like and the easiest Debian Linux distro for newbies to install and maintain. Even all the names have been changed to make getting around the operating system as painless and familiar as possible. In addition, with the Deluxe Version, you can run Windows applications with Crossover Office. http://www.xandros.com

 

 Need a method/utility to access backup FAT32 - VANITY

[JoJo Gunn]

First, everyone needs this program (not an extension) that backs up FF or Suite or Thunderbird files:

http://mozbackup.jasnapaka.com/

Here's what extensions I use:

Adblock - (should be built-in, in my opinion)

eWebmail Color and Graphics (on the Compose page of Yahoo and/or Hotmail you can now set the font size and color, etc - doesn't do the smilies, however)

IE View (to open a page viewed in Firefox with IE)

Firefox View (to open a page viewed in IE with Firefox)

Statusbar Clock

Image Toolbar (pretty much a clone of the IE6 image toolbar)

Copy Image (copies images to the clipboard)

Image Tag

Popup Count

Titlebar Tweaks

ChromEdit (admittedly it's for the more advanced or adventurous user)

These are the three main places to find them.

http://www.extensionsmirror.nl/lofiversion/index.php/

https://update.mozilla.org/extensions/showlist.php?application=firefox&numpg=50&os=windows&version=1.0&submit=Update

http://extensionroom.mozdev.org/

Don't forget themes (skins) to customize the look.

https://addons.update.mozilla.org/themes/showlist.php?application=firefox&numpg=50&os=windows&version=1.0&submit=Update

http://www.extensionsmirror.nl/lofiversion/index.php/f24.html

[hayburner]

Am now up and semi running with FireFox. Will have to play with it a while.

Thanks again

[rawcatslyentist]

webroot spysweeper= system resource hog
Do the alt+ctrl+del to view your system resource usage. Webroot can often take up 100% of your resources every 30 seconds.

Shut down the Alphabet Channels (ABJazerra & Her Sister Stations)!
Vote with your Remote!

Christmas Heart
But, I Have A Plan
Zippo Hero
Seven Dead Monkeys Page O Tunes

[bkwells]

Good find

[backhoe]

Thanks for looking.

[backhoe]

" Any more totally cool Firefox Extensions? I'd like to install a couple more before my wife unit pesters me about dinner."

Yeah, those pesky wife units are the devil to train- I made the mistake of being the cook around here early on, and I can count on one hand the number of meals Mrs. B has prepared. She's a perfectly good cook, too- just doesn't like to do it often.

Here are piles & piles of extentions for FF:

http://texturizer.net/firefox/extensions/

[backhoe]

Thanks so much for all the links- very helpful!

[JoJo Gunn]

You're welcome.

I have to admit that my single biggest complaint about Mozilla is how things are spread all over the place, especially since every change broke many themes or extensions. Those links are the most reliable ones to me, so far.

I suppose while I'm here I should recommend my favorite theme to help new users get acclimated to Firefox:

IE5 theme for Firefox

It hasn't been updated to 1.0 so it's not perfect. With me, it won't note visited links. The theme maker says it's for up to 0.9 but it will install online. It will not drag into the Theme manager if you save it to the hard drive first.

Here's what it looks like on my machine:

JoJo's Browser image

There's another similar one that will look, I guess, more like XP if you select "large icons":

another IE type theme for Firefox

Some Mozilla types treat those themes like redheaded stepchildren, but I always view them as a good thing, especially for those around here who need a helping hand.

I really need to put some of this on my Freeper page.

Y'all hang in there....

[JoJo Gunn]

I'd just mentioned problems with highlighted links, and someone posted a thread about the same problem. Maybe it's not a single theme causing the problem after all.

The thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1306879/posts

....and the fix:

https://addons.update.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?application=firefox&id=38&vid=1022

[backhoe]

Thanks, JoJo, and Merry Christmas.

[backhoe]

 Google Smacks Down Santy Worm

 

 

 Fast, Easy Backups For Win98 / ME / NT / 2K / XP

 Since I am on dialup, and the slow gnashing pain of having to download the Windows Updates, I've found a site called Software Patch. This is a great place to download the updates as files themselves instead of downloading them at the Windows Update site --

 

 Threats Against Smart Cell Phones Are Mounting

 

 Hot item for spotting Wi-Fi networks

[backhoe]

Three Serious Windows Vulnerabilities Surface

Hackers, spammers and spies want to invade holiday computers

[djf]

I've been a totally addicted Firefox user since it was Firebird .6

I should get around and re-install Thunderbird email. I was using it for a bit, but started getting registry lockouts, which I mistakenly blamed on Tbird.

Lately, the only really frustrating thing is trying to find a freeware DVD decoder that will work with Media Player 9.

Kinda burns my chaps that I have the hardware (two Toshiba DVD players that fit in my laptops) and I gotta go out and drop a dime for additional software.

[TomGuy]

a freeware DVD decoder that will work with Media Player 9.

I'm not sure what you need. Several 'new' codec types have come out the last year or so and they cause havoc.

MSPlayer 9 should play DVDs. It depends on the coding used by the DVD.

I don't play DVDs on my PC, but I have various kinds of video files, some extracted from DVDs.

Codec AC3 and Divx 5.1/5.2 created some problems. I finally found the right codecs to install.

You might make sure you have the MSPlayer
options >> Player >> [first area, check 'Download codecs automatically']

[Cautionary note: I use RealPlayer. I tried RealAlternative because it was supposed to have less glut. RA messed up RP and made RP inoperative. Even after I uninstalled both and re-installed RP, I had problems. I finally had to back up to version 8 of RP, which I got to work, and then allow it to upgrade to 10.]

Without knowing the specific problem you are having with the DVDs, I don't know what else to suggest.

Check the free players under Multimedia at this link:
Lalim Software

I have used the VCD program on my PC.

[backhoe]

 

 New Year's resolution for Firefox: Grow

 

 U.S. leads the dirty dozen spammers

[Types_with_Fist]

I was able to download and even install Firefox. I am having trouble getting a connection to my LAN however. I'm sure it's something simple. Perhaps a geek out there can help me?

[backhoe]

I was able to download and even install Firefox. I am having trouble getting a connection to my LAN however. I'm sure it's something simple. Perhaps a geek out there can help me?

Types_with_Fist- hi, haven't chatted with you in a while... I'm no geek, being a DOS man at heart. My setup uses ethernet to connect to a DSL modem which has a built-in router, and went to work without a hitch.

Are you able to go to the FAQ's and other help on their site?

I'd suspect a conflict with settings between the PC and ethernet hub- mayhap Ernest or someone else has had the same problem.

[Types_with_Fist]

Thanks!

We have a similar setup here; a hub, Ethernet. I'm sure it IS a settings conflict. Going into Firefox's options area I've tried every single selection and still get no connection. I thought, perhaps, that choosing Firefox as the default and then rebooting might do it. Anything more complex than that and I likely need more help. As far as I can tell IE has a more in-depth connection setup. I'm not sure how I ever managed to get that connected.

Hope all is well.

[backhoe]

We have a similar setup here; a hub, Ethernet. I'm sure it IS a settings conflict. Going into Firefox's options area I've tried every single selection and still get no connection. I thought, perhaps, that choosing Firefox as the default and then rebooting might do it. Anything more complex than that and I likely need more help. As far as I can tell IE has a more in-depth connection setup. I'm not sure how I ever managed to get that connected. Hope all is well.

We're good here, my friend- Christmas came & went with nobody needing a doctor or a lawyer, so I regard it as a success.

As far as FF goes, I seem to recall not selecting either it or IE as "default browser." Mayhap someone more conversant with the dang thing will drop by-- in that link to increasing FF speed, there is a command you can enter into the address box that gives direct access to the configuration, but be warned, it's a bunch of code lines.

[Connie Cardullo]

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