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Yahoo Releases Toolbar Beta For Firefox
TechWeb - InternetWeek.com ^ | February 10, 2005 | Antone Gonsalves

Posted on 02/10/2005 7:17:10 PM PST by Eagle9

Yahoo Inc. on Thursday launched a beta release of a toolbar for Mozilla Firefox, a sign of the increasing popularity of the open-source web browser.

The Sunnyvale, Calif., portal giant is providing Firefox users with a version of the toolbar Yahoo currently provides for Microsoft Corp.'s Internet Explorer. The purpose of the software, which is installed under the browser's address bar, is to give people one-click access to Yahoo services.

Features in the toolbar beta include search that looks for information on the web, Yahoo or on a particular website. There's also a search history to check previous searches.

Translation of web pages written in foreign languages is available through the use of Babel Fish, a translation tool provided by Overture Services Inc. that ships with the Yahoo Toolbar.

In addition, the beta software provides mail notification and alerts for subscribers of Yahoo's email service.

Mitchell Baker, president of the Mozilla Foundation, which oversees the development of Firefox, said in a joint statement with Yahoo that the announcement "demonstrates the popularity of the browser and the success of the Mozilla platform."

Indeed, the most recent figures from WebSideStory Inc., a San Diego-based web analytics firm, indicate that Firefox has about 5 percent of the browser market, while Internet Explorer has about 90 percent. The Mozilla Foundation says the browser has been downloaded 23 million times since the 1.0 version was released in November.

The Firefox toolbar does not support Yahoo's Anti-Spyware feature, which the company plans to include in a future update. The toolbar is available only for Windows, with versions for the Mac OS X and Linux expected soon.


TOPICS: Technical
KEYWORDS: browser; firefox; toolbar; yahoo

1 posted on 02/10/2005 7:17:10 PM PST by Eagle9
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To: Eagle9
Oh great. Just what I needed, an adware plugin. Just when I've found a browser that does a good job of blocking it.

My 1.0 already has a yahoo search box right there with the Google and Altavista et. al.

2 posted on 02/10/2005 7:22:46 PM PST by ohCompGk
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To: ohCompGk

no thanks, I don't need more stuff on my browser. I have a tab for yahoo if i want to use their stuff...


3 posted on 02/10/2005 7:23:34 PM PST by Echo Talon (http://echotalon.blogspot.com/)
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To: Eagle9

I wonder how much spyware or adware is involved?


4 posted on 02/10/2005 7:25:14 PM PST by Anti-Bubba182
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To: Eagle9
I don't think I need to clot up a perfectly good browser (which, of course, stomps Internet Exploder into dust) with Yahoo advertising.

In fact, I may use AdBlock to blow away some more Yahoo ads, just out of spite.

5 posted on 02/10/2005 7:26:06 PM PST by Hank Rearden (Never allow anyone who could only get a government job attempt to tell you how to run your life.)
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To: Eagle9

This will be the portal the spyware hacks have been waiting for


6 posted on 02/10/2005 7:26:58 PM PST by MJY1288
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To: ShadowAce

Firefox ping!


7 posted on 02/10/2005 7:27:01 PM PST by KoRn
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To: Eagle9

Putting an advertising toolbar on Firefox after switching from IE ==> Like driving through a carwash straight into a mud pit.


8 posted on 02/10/2005 7:29:21 PM PST by steve86
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To: Eagle9

Adware. That was just what I was thinking. I was wondering how long it would be till they hacked firefox.


9 posted on 02/10/2005 7:29:57 PM PST by Nachum
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To: Eagle9

Does anyone else find Firefox slower to load?


10 posted on 02/10/2005 7:33:01 PM PST by spyone
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To: spyone
Does anyone else find Firefox slower to load?

If your talking about it taking longer to show the text of some sites then yes. I think it's trying to position the page framework before it places the text or something. It seems like forever on sites like foxnews and others. It's release 1.0. Give them a chance, I'm sure they'll fix it.

11 posted on 02/10/2005 7:45:44 PM PST by ohCompGk
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To: MJY1288; ohCompGk; Anti-Bubba182; Nachum
This will be the portal the spyware hacks have been waiting for

This is an optional add-on toolbar like Google, Yahoo, MSN, etc. are for Internet Explorer. It should not affect your Firefox browser, unless you decide to install it.

12 posted on 02/10/2005 8:07:44 PM PST by Eagle9
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To: Eagle9

You can bet I Won't. I like FireFox a lot and hope it will stay that way :-)


13 posted on 02/10/2005 8:10:35 PM PST by MJY1288
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To: MJY1288
The built in Google search bar in Firefox has countless, easy to add, search plugins. I have about 15 search plugins that pull down when I click the G in the Firefox Google search bar. The link below is to the Top 30 search plugins.
http://mycroft.mozdev.org/top30.html

Those that are listed but not linked can be found by going to the link below and typing the web site name, e.g., allmusic, into the plugin search box, or looking in the categories below it.
http://mycroft.mozdev.org/

14 posted on 02/10/2005 8:41:39 PM PST by Eagle9
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To: Hank Rearden

I have little use for Yahoo or Howard Dean, but I have to admit the commercial he recorded for Yahoo making fun of his primal scream was pretty clever.


15 posted on 02/10/2005 9:26:37 PM PST by Larry Lucido
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