firefox

It can be tough going a day without using Facebook and Google in some capacity. Though we use these sites because they're useful, interactive, and, most importantly, free, that doesn't mean they come without a cost. We "pay" them with our personal data, which is why the settings that keep that information private are often hidden and hard to come by. Privacyfix (free), a new extension for Google Chrome and Firefox, takes the rocket science out of securing your online data by bringing all of those discrete settings together, in one clear place.

The browser app tells you which websites are sharing your data, tells you which are tracking you right now, and displays both Facebook and Google privacy settings in a simple, easy-to-navigate dashboard. Settings that you might want to "fix" are flagged in yellow, and clicking on the "fix" button will take you right to the opt-out page on the appropriate site, where Privacyfix shows you the pros and cons of changing that setting.

Also find out how much Facebook and Google make from ads at your level of online activity and what percentage of your browsing history is tracked. We found out that Facebook tracks over 90 percent of our online activity and Google makes about $830 per year from the ads it shows us!

Let us know what you think of Privacyfix and if you plan on installing this security tool on your browser.

The Internet is all about sharing information — that's why it was created in the first place! — but oftentimes we share details about ourselves without even knowing it, like what sites we visit and how often. Protecting online privacy is important, which is why Mozilla Firefox started an initiative called Do Not Track, a browser feature that prevents advertisers and marketing companies from obtaining data about users' online activities. Internet Explorer, Apple Safari, and Opera have already adopted Do Not Track, and as of this week, Google Chrome is making good on its promise to add the feature by the year's end.

Keep your online browsing history private and find out how to enable Do Not Track in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer, and Opera after the jump.

One of the many updates and changes coming to Firefox 8 (most of which are security and stability improvements) is the ability to search Twitter hashtags, keywords, and handles in the Firefox search bar.

Firefox 8 was released yesterday to the masses with a handy new feature for Twitter fanatics. Input your query into the Firefox search bar, and you're automatically directed to Twitter with your search already queued up. This will help aid those participating in Twitter chats, and make keeping up with news a little easier.

Mozilla may have just released Firefox 4 to the masses last week, but the company isn't about to rest on its laurels: there's already news about what's coming up in the next version of the web browser. New features are being added in order to stand out in a competitive market, and here are a few sweet ones to look forward to:

• Social sharing — You'll be able to share what you're reading right from your browser bar, which makes Facebooking finds super easy.
• Identity managers — This will allow you to stay signed in to your favorite websites, and log in with multiple accounts.
• PDF previews — Check out downloadable PDFs right in your browser before downloading.
• Tabs — Currently being tested is the ability to move groups of tabs at once.
• Task bar web apps — If you have a Facebook web app, you will be able to view your news feed, updates, messages, and events from a drop-down in your task bar.

Does this news get you excited for Firefox 5?

Which browser reigns supreme among GeekSugar readers? Google Chrome! When we asked, almost half of you said you use Chrome; Firefox pulled a close second.

Firefox and Chrome take top honors at Sugar HQ, too — even though most of us are working on Mac laptops. I also find it interesting that most of you choose to use a browser that doesn't come preinstalled on a laptop (that is, unless a whole lot of you are rocking the Cr-48). I'm in the midst of making the switch from Firefox to Chrome, and I'm already amazed at how much I've noticed each browser's slight differences and nuances.

And, proud Chrome users, be sure to brush up on new tips and tricks for using the browser!

I've had an ongoing love-hate relationship with my Firefox browser, and although we've broken up a few times (the promise of a more stable experience in Chrome has been too hard to resist), I still like to keep up on what it's up to; kinda like a creepy ex girlfriend on Facebook.

The latest Firefox beta update hopes to solve a few of our relationship issues, if not make browsing a more intuitive and pleasant experience. Find out more about the updates after the break.

Good news, Tab Candy fans; Firefox is seriously considering making the add-on a standard feature in the final version of Firefox 4, due out this Fall. Apparently, the experiment was so popular that Mozilla decided to make it standard, changing its name to Tab Sets.

Tab Sets is a browser organization tool that allows users to group your tabs together by content category — a group of tabs for work, a group for casual reading, a group to signify a to-do list. Tab Sets is included in the latest Nightly Build of Firefox, which are new versions of the browser made for testing purposes only. For more details on the soon-to-come feature, check out the instructional video at the bottom of the original post.

You already know that I have a problem with browser tabs. They pretty much take over my life. Although I can try to organize my tabs by moving them horizontally along the browser bar, I still have to pan left and right to see them all. All of my tab mismanagement problems would go right out the window with this upcoming Firefox feature called Tab Candy. Built by a creative at Mozilla, Tab Candy is still in the early alpha stages of birth, but it looks quite promising to an all-day browser like me.

Tab Candy works because you can group your tabs together by content. Let's say you're searching for geeky party supplies. You've found a few items that you want to check out for later at various URLs, but you have to get back to work, and don't want to close the tab or add yet another bookmark to your already too-long list. Now, you'd have to leave your tabs open all day, but with Tab Candy, you could launch the feature with a little button on your browser, get a wide view of all your open tabs, then group them together by category (like in the image here) — say work, geeky party supplies, time wasters, etc. — without populating your entire browser bar. Want more details on how Tab Candy works? Check it out in action after the break.