extension

HotSpot Shield's new shine not without blemish

Following the addition of anti-malware protection in January, AnchorFree pulls the covers off a new look for HotSpot Shield, available exclusively today from CNET Download.com.

Both the standard, ad-supported HotSpot Shield (download) and the paid upgrade sport the refreshed interface and easier install options. However, it still has a lot of visual clutter that could make many either upgrade to Elite or uninstall it.

The new version is easier to install. HotSpot Shield 2.5 automatically detects your Internet connection in all instances, can be used on corporate networks and no longer requires administrative privileges to install. It also … Read more

Add a 'pull to refresh' gesture to Chrome, Safari

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The "pull to refresh" feature that is now a staple of any great iOS app has found its way to your desktop via a Chrome and Safari extension. There is one caveat, however: you will need to be using OS X Lion in order for it to work.

Originally covered by Lifehacker, but brought to my attention by Twitter follower @StephToThe, the pull to refresh browser extension only takes a few seconds to install and set up.

Head on over to the developer's GitHub page. Download the ZIP file containing the Chrome and Safari extension. … Read more

How to save your spot when reading in Chrome

Even if you love reading those longer articles on the Web, sometimes you have to pause to take care of other things--like going back to work from lunch. Because of reasons like this (and the large list of other interruptions you may encounter), a developer created an extension for Chrome that will let you mark the last line(s) you read. When you come back to the e-book, review, opinion article, or even research materials, you can pick up your reading from right where you left off.

Step 1: Get the youRhere extension.

Step 2: Once installed, head to a … Read more

How to use Google Chat from your desktop

Google initially supported chat with its client software, Google Talk. Then, it integrated chat right into the Gmail interface, allowing users to chat from any browser, without having to install software.

The official Google Chrome extension, Chat for Google, now lets you conveniently have chat windows outside of your browser. You can even start Google+ hangouts from it.

After installing the extension from the Chrome Web Store, right-click on the browser button to configure its options.

If you're restricted from installing software on your computer (maybe at the office) or you prefer not to use the Google Talk client, … Read more

How to address a constant reboot loop in OS X

When you start up your Mac, the system will generally show a gray Apple logo for a brief period followed by the log-in screen or other user interface elements as the rest of the operating system loads. In some instances, after crashes, power outages, or changes are made to the system, instead of booting properly the system might display the Apple logo and then reboot, repeating over and over.

Once the OS X kernel loads properly, even if there is a problem with background services, the computer will still boot but will just display unwanted behavior such as location services … Read more

Add highlighting or sticky notes to any Web page

If you're reading many different Web sites about one topic, it can sometimes be difficult to keep track of what materials you want on each site you visit. Instead of printing everything out before you've made solid decisions on what to use, just add some highlighting and sticky notes so you'll remember what you needed later. Here's how to get started with an easier way to do research in Chrome:

Step 1: Install Diigo: Bookmark, Archive, Highlight & Sticky-Note.

Step 2: Click on the Diigo icon in the Extensions Toolbar and select "Sign in" … Read more

Schedule e-mails to be sent later with Right Inbox

Scheduling an e-mail message to be delivered at the exact moment you want it to is possible, as Rob Lightner showed you with the freemium browser extension, Boomerang.

Right Inbox is a new extension for Chrome and Firefox, available right now, and is currently free throughout the open beta.

It allows you to schedule Gmail messages to be delivered at the time of your choosing. Installing the extension literally takes under a minute.

Visit RightInbox.com to install the extension for your browser of choice. After installing, when you compose an e-mail you should see a new Send Later button … Read more

Firefox's Jetpack extensions reach mobile browsing

Not long after Mozilla brought its browser to Android, the organization has adapted its Jetpack tools for building browser add-ons for mobile use, too.

"Now you can start developing add-ons for the mobile version of Firefox," said Dave Mason, Mozilla's product manager for add-on technologies, in a mailing list message yesterday about the latest Jetpack, formally called the Add-on SDK version 1.5. "For this initial release we have the page-mod API working so that you can, among other things, create add-ons that will display mobile-friendly versions of Web sites that do not have that option.&… Read more

How to easily type in multiple languages on the Web with Chrome

Typing in different languages on the Web can be as easy as clicking on a browser button.

With the Google Input Tools extension for Chrome, you can easily type in multiple languages when typing an e-mail, filling out a Web form, or writing anything else on the Web. Here's how:

Step 1: Install the Google Input Tools extension from the Chrome Web Store.

Step 2: Click on the new browser button in the upper right-hand corner of the Chrome browser and select Extension Options. Choose the languages you want from the input tools list, then close the tab.

Step … Read more