AUGUST 2004 MAXIMUMPC 41
from any computer connected to the
Net, and browse as if you were using
that terminal for years. It’s not the flash-
iest extension, but it’s incredibly useful
for anyone who uses different computers
for work and play.
AUTHOR: TORISUGAR
VERSION 0.9 COMPATIBLE
THINGS THEY LEFT OUT
Take control of your browser
The only thing better than having a
streamlined set of web-browsing options
is having a multitude of web-browsing
options. Things They Left Out adds just
that to Firefox. All the little Advanced
tab options you barely remember fromInternet Explorer are back. This browser
extension lets you manage certificates
and MIME file types, debug web pages,
and even tweak the mouse wheel’s perfor-
mance. It’s the perfect add-on for those
of us who feel compelled to control every
single aspect of our web browsing experi-
ence, no matter how small or technical.
AUTHOR: !CDN nINTERNET
EXPLORER-BASED
ALTERNATIVES
Not ready to part with IE
just yet? Here are two
custom enhancements
for Microsoft’s more
mainstream browserInternet Explorer might not
come with useful features
like tabbed browsing and
pop-up blockers, but that
doesn’t mean Microsoft’s
browser is a lost cause.
Third-party titles like
MyIE2 and AvantBrowser
take Internet Explorer’s base
web browsing technology
and pump it up with new
features and better perfor-
mance. Here are two excel-
lent alternatives for users
who aren’t ready to part
with IE just yet.MyIE2
MyIE2 ( http://www.myie2.com ) enhanc-
es the plain-Jane IE web
browser with luxuries
Microsoft left out, and a few
the company never thought
of. MyIE2 has most of Firefox ’s
built-in features, like tabbed
browsing, pop-up blocking,
and skin support, as well as a
ton of other functions.
A look at MyIE2’s Tools
menu will reveal a handful of
useful commands. Tabs can
be made to auto-refresh regu-larly. Pages can be translated
between languages with both
Babel Fish and Worldlingo.
Paranoid browsers can even
clear their history, cache,
cookies, and form informa-
tion with a few easy clicks.AvantBrowser
Like MyIE2, AvantBrowser
( http://www.avant browser.com ) builds
on Internet Explorer’s founda-tion, and includes features
like tabbed browsing, skin
support, ad blocking, and
mouse gestures. A basic e-
mail client is also included in
the browser, as are Google-
based translation tools and a
Yahoo!/Google search bar.
Speed and security are
both given a boost with
AvantBrowser’s built-in media
blocking. ActiveX controls,Java applets, scripts, and
even pictures can be blocked
from loading. Thanks to
AvantBrowser , an IE -based web
browser can finally be pro-
tected from spyware.
AvantBrowser isn’t quite
as robust or powerful as
MyIE2; rather, it specializes in
being quick, easy to use, and
secure.MyIE2 is the IE-based Swiss Army knife for the web.