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Pimp Google With Firefox Extensions and Scripts

Have you noticed that Google invades every tiny corner of our online lives? My mail, news feeds, and calendar all rely on Google to keep working. Right now, I have three Firefox tabs open to Google applications, plus the resident Google search in the upper right corner.

I’m not complaining about it. In fact, I want to teach you some cool Google tricks. Yep, we’re going to pimp your Google.

But first, two quick notes:

1. All of these nifty hacks require Firefox. If you’re using another browser, just read on to see what you’re missing.

2. Everything marked with an asterisk (*) requires the Greasemonkey extension for Firefox. It’s simple to install and gives you some real power over your browsing experience.

One extension to rule them all

Customize Google

If you’re only going to use one Firefox extension for Google, this is what you want. Customize Google removes info you don’t want and adds things you do want. You can remove ads (from all Google services), remove the Gmail spam counter, secure Gmail and Calendar, plus much more.

Search

AutoPager* – View all your search results on one page. This script automatically appends the next page’s results to the current page. It’s an infinitely scrolling Google!

Googlenlarge* – Shows a handy popup preview of images in Google image search.

Google Preview – View a thumbnail preview of search results in regular Google search.

Define – Select and right click on a word to define it via Google.

Google Advanced Operations Toolbar – Easily look up stocks, weather, movie times, and more, all through Google.

Googlepedia – Enhance your search results with Wikipedia listings.

Google Icon – Add the favicon of websites, next to search results.

Google Maps Directions – Highlight an address, right click, and get the Map for it.

Gmail

Better Gmail – Lifehacker’s got your one-stop Gmail solution. This extension incorporates a bunch of popular Gmail Greasemonkey scripts into a handy interface. You can select exactly which ones you want to use via the options menu.

Gmail Signature Float* – Put your signature above the email you’re responding to, not below.

GTDInbox – Use Gmail for your GTD setup, including contexts, projects, next actions, etc.

Gmail + Google Reader* – View Reader feeds from with Gmail.

GmailChecker – Shows a little icon in your statusbar that checks for new messages.

Email This! – Send web pages to friends with a simple click.

Calendar

Google Calendar Display Current Time Line* – Shows a little red line on your calendar for the current time.

To Do List* – Integrate a to do list into your calendar.

Google Calendar Quick-Add – Add an item to Calendar anywhere in Firefox, by simply pressing CTRL+;

Google Calendar Notifier – Have event reminders popup in your browser.

Reader

Google Reader Notifier – Get notified in your status bar when you have new Reader items.

Miscellaneous

Adsense Preview – Lets you pl

gTalk Sidebar – Put gTalk in your sidebar for ease and convenient usage.

IGoogle Sidebar – View your personalized homepage widgets in your sidebar.

gTranslate – Translate text on a web page by selecting it and right-clicking.

More

Firefox Extensions – There’s plenty more, in case you’re looking for something I missed.

Greasemonkey Scripts – There are even more scripts available, so have fun trudging through the list.

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