More Browser Extensions Coming Your Way

A few years ago, everyone thought that the browser war was over - Microsoft had won the war. It was easy to make such an assumption because, back then, Internet Explorer had a 90% market share. The other popular browser in those days was Netscape, and it had a measly 10% market share. This is mostly due to Microsoft distributing its browser with its operating systems, Microsoft Windows, which made it hard for other browsers to come into the same space and compete.

But being the market leader with little competition is not an ideal situation, even for Microsoft. Over time, in the hope of keeping its technology propriety, the giant company has failed to respond to user feedback promptly. That threw the game wide open, and Firefox soon came into the picture. What is the difference between Firefox and Internet Explorer then?

The key difference between the two browsers is that Firefox allows developers to develop third party plugins. For example, if you are an internet marketer, you can develop plugins for Firefox that you know other marketers will use. For the end user, this means that you can install any plugin that you find useful. If you need an RSS reader, you can install a plugin for that. If you need a dictionary, you can download a plugin for that as well. This is an open platform concept that the end users surely welcome. Today, there are literally hundreds of plugins available for download all over the Internet. So which browser do you think users will choose this time round?

You are right, more and more people are choosing Firefox over Internet Explorer. They can't seem to live without the extensions! In just a few short years, Firefox has narrowed the gap. Many webmasters are reporting that they see as much as 40% of their visitors using the Firefox browser. Internet Explorer is still the market leader, but it is losing ground very quickly.

As if the race wasn't exciting enough, Google, the world's number one search engine, has decided to join in the race! Its Chrome web browser was first released to the public in September 2008. Since its release, the browser has only managed to capture about 2% of market share, but this doesn't seem to bother the giant search company. That's because they have major plans for their browser.

Google Chrome is a lightweight browser. The engineers who developed this browser said that this is deliberate. They have adopted the very same concept that Firefox has used to catch up with Internet Explorer. Therefore, end users can expect third party extensions to be developed for Google Chrome as well. As this is a very new browser, there will be limited extensions available at first, but Google looks set to be providing more and more support for developers to start working on extensions based on the Google Chrome platform.

At the end of the day, it will all come down to coding. In other words, whoever has a platform that is more user friendly for developers, will win the browser war. Of course, having a lean, high performance, easy-to-use browser will also certainly help. What do you think?

For more information on Firefox extensions and Google Chrome extensions, please visit the Gadget Advisor technology blog.

The Point of Having an Extra USB LCD Monitor

At first glance, perhaps the new USB LCD monitors on the shelf look just like another fanciful technology gadget. It's pretty to look at, but you are not sure what it's primary function is, and you don't see how the device can fit into your life. This is a very common response. After all, we are all bombarded with new, exciting, and interesting lifestyle gadgets quite frequently. So it's easy to look at another new gadget and come to a false conclusion.

We say false conclusion because obviously, the USB LCD monitor is not just a fanciful looking machine that does little. So what is the point of having an extra USB LCD monitor?

Before we go into that, you have to have a basic understanding of how USB LCD monitors work. The USB monitor is a small display device that you can set on your table or wall, in either landscape or portrait. It will still be able to function when left unplugged. When plugged into a computer or laptop, it can become a secondary monitor. Once you understand this, you will be able to see the various functions that this little device serves.

Displaying slideshows.

When the first USB LCD display device was conceptualized, it was meant to be a digital photo frame. It comes with it's own built-in memory, so that you can store your most precious digital photos. You can then leave the device on the wall or on your table, and let the slideshow play back by itself. Guests who visit your home or office will be able to enjoy the photos without having to flip through thick books of dusty photo albums. You can also create a nice ambience by having some soft MP3 music play in the background as the slideshow is being displayed.

Displaying important daily information.

One of the key features of the USB LCD monitor is that it can be used as a secondary monitor. In other words, you can use it to display information from your PC in another location. For example, if you have a USB LCD monitor in your office, you can hang it in the meeting room. It can display important information like weather, stock exchange, oil prices, etc. So while you are having meetings, you can glance over to the LCD monitor to keep track of the changes. Another example use is displaying an IM client on the secondary display, and have it dedicated to communicating with others.

Travel companion.

Because of its size (about 7 inches), it is the perfect travel companion. You can bring it along with you while you travel, and it can run without your laptop or desktop. This means that the gadget is extremely useful if you want to travel light. For instance, you may be going on vacation and you don't want to bring your work with you, so you leave your computers behind. Using the USB LCD monitor, you can always slot in your external memory card (from your digital cameras) and view the photos that you have taken.

Given the above functions, maybe it's worth it to take a second look at the USB LCD monitor. You may just want to grab one off the shelves, since it's reasonably priced at around $200.

For more information the USB Monitor and Photo Frame, please visit the Gadget Advisor technology blog.