Build a Better Browser

Firefox

1.Forecastfox Weather junkies--people who prefer the Weather Channel to HBO--will love this feed from AccuWeather.com. It pops into the Firefox toolbar and delivers current and forecast info for specified locales.

2. CustomizeGoogle Use this utility to fine-tune your foraging--for example, to obtain results without ads, get suggestions for improving your search, and set preferences.

3. IE View Some pages don't do Firefox. But that's no problem, thanks to this extension that lets you view IE-only pages inside a window.

4. POTO Sidebar Extension If you've used the Opera browser, you're already familiar with the navigation pane and its icons that link you to all sorts of handy info. Firefox fans can enjoy a similar tool, with one-click access to bookmarks, history, and recent downloads.

5. NoScript Get a beefy bouncer for your browser: This one automatically stops JavaScript code at the front door. You can make exceptions for online shopping and banking sites by listing them as trusted.

6. PDF Download How much of your life has been wasted working with Adobe Acrobat document downloads? This tool lets you quickly read a PDF--or open it in HTML--inside a Firefox tab, or save it directly.

7. NetCaptor 7.5.3 This utility suite lets you align browser tabs at the top or the bottom of apps. In addition, its Address Tools offer you cached versions of pages and quick access to Anonymizer.com for trackless browsing.

8. Dictionary Search Word to the wise: Look erudite by using this little gem. Simply select a word, right-click, and select Dictionary Search to see a definition from any of four online dictionaries that you've picked from a large list.

9. Google Toolbar for Firefox The open-source Googlebar has long and faithfully served Firefox users, but now Google has cooked up its own customizable Google Toolbar for Firefox (see below). Especially noteworthy: its spelling check, online form completion, and translation tools.

10. FoxyTunes Control your media player (ITunes, Windows Media Player, or any of about 30 other apps) in Firefox with this sound choice (see below). Buttons for playback, volume, and other controls are always handy.

11. View Cookies Wondering what unappetizing cookies lurk in a Web page? This tool gives you all the details (see below) and lets you delete trackers you dislike.

12. ConQuery Firefox's contextual search feature enables you to highlight, right-click, and google a word. ConQuery lets you choose results from any other plug-in search engines you use.

13. Gmail Notifier Pining for your Gmail? Snug in your status bar, this tool alerts you when new messages arrive.

14. Sage 1.3.5 This compact RSS and Atom reader packs plenty of punch. Sage offers a wiser way to peruse your many feeds than Firefox's LiveBookmarks because it shows you more of the blog material, rather than just the titles.

15. Copy Plain Text If you copy text from Web pages to your PC, you'll love this tool that lets you grab text without the strange, hard-to-delete formatting.

16. Adblock This ad blocker lets you call the shots by customizing filters. For example, you can block ads with .gif images or ads from a specific source.

17. FlashBlock Prevent all Macromedia Flash content, including Shockwave files, from starting up. Placeholders on the Web page allow you to click to download the Flash snippet if you like.

18. Greasemonkey The name conjures images of a pit crew at the Indy 500, but this extension allows you to add scripts--commands or miniprograms--to make Web pages do special things. Firefox fans have already created a large library of no-cost scripts that can perk up hard-to-navigate sites, and more.