extensions

MacFixIt Answers is a feature in which I answer Mac-related questions e-mailed in by our readers.

This week, readers asked about how to batch-edit files to add missing file extensions so they can be read in an applicable program, the options for adding more space to a MacBook Pro system with fixed flash memory, and the possibilities for secure-erasing e-mail messages from within Apple's Mail program.

I welcome contributions from readers, so if you have any suggestions or alternative approaches to these problems, please post them in the comments!

Question: Batch-addition of file extensions to unreadable files. MacFixIt reader … Read more

We've all been there. During a productive morning at work, you innocently click on a YouTube link for a quick break. (After all, short breaks are good for productivity.) The next thing you know, however, you've wasted a good chunk of time, going from one related video to the next or scrolling through page after page of comments.

With the Clea.nr Videos for YouTube browser extension (for Chrome, Firefox, or Safari; there's also an iOS app), you can strip out all of YouTube's distractions. You may not want this setup on your home PC, but … Read more

Are typos slowing down you and your Web-surfing ways? If you are typo king or queen, give Nbar a whirl. It uses fuzzy string matching to guess the meaning behind incorrectly entered URLs in Firefox. For example, if you enter "hugg" in Firefox's URL bar (aka the Awesomebar), the extension will suggest The Huffington Post, should that be a site in your history.

The extension does not require a restart and provides two settings. The first, Search threshold, controls how many suggestions will appear in the drop-down menu as you type. The second, Word distance, adjusts the … Read more

The reuse-and-recycle mantra can be extended to Firefox windows, in an effort to create less pollution on your desktop. With the Open in Private Window extension, you can reuse an existing private browsing window instead of Firefox's default of opening a new private window.

After installing the extension and restarting Firefox, the browser will no longer open a new private window if such a window is already open. Instead of launching a new one, it merely calls up the private window you already have open. Sure, it would be nice if the extension would open a new tab in … Read more

If left to its own devices, Firefox lets you open a private window for Web browsing on the sly, but the browser does not extend such functionality to new tabs in your current window. If such flexibility sounds appealing, then the Private Tab extension for Firefox is just thing for you.

The extension couldn't be easier to use, though you'll need to be running the latest version (20.0) of Firefox for it to work. Private Tab doesn't require a restart and simply installs a new menu item on Firefox's File menu (on a Mac, anyway).… Read more

I may need a tab manager manager before it's all said and done. After trying out Chrome extensions TabMemFree, OneTab, and TabJuggler, along comes Tabs Outliner. What I like about Tabs Outliner is the orderly, hierarchical structure it lends to your tabs in Chrome. It shows your open tabs, letting you jump from one to the next, but even more useful it keeps track of tabs you have closed, which provides a trail of your Internet wanderings without hogging system resources by leaving the tabs open for prolonged periods.

Tabs Outliner installs a button to the right of Chrome'… Read more

Google Keep may be a great Android app, but it's less useful on the desktop because Google has yet to integrate the note-taking service into Google Drive. Sure, you could bookmark your Google Keep page or keep a tab open for it, but neither solution feels right. For my own purposes, if a note-taking app isn't easy to access and use, I will continue on my merry way of jotting down notes on sticky notes and various scrap pieces of paper. With the Google Keep Extension for Chrome, the note-taking service is always within reach on the desktop.… Read more

Direct browser support for Microsoft Office documents is coming in fits and spurts to Chrome. Google's latest effort is a portly extension for Chrome beta.

If you're running Google Chrome Beta on Windows or Mac, you can now install the Chrome Office Viewer. It will allow you to open links to Office files directly in the browser, a feature that was first announced with the Chromebook Pixel.

However, you're limited right now to merely viewing the files. To edit, you'll have to upload the file to Google Drive, or open it in Microsoft Office or another … Read more

The abundance of unused white space on the New Tab page in Chrome lends developers ample options for sprucing it up. While the extension I'm about to suggest isn't anything groundbreaking, it's definitely one of the better options out there in terms of usefulness.

Literally called "New Tab Page," this Chrome extension makes your New Tab useful and attractive but doesn't gain any creativity points for its name. Installing the extension is quick: just head to the entry for New Tab Page on the Chrome Web Store and click Add to Chrome. … Read more