Google Brings Toolbar to Firefox
As expected, Google has released a version of its toolbar software for Firefox, along with two other extensions that integrate Google functionality directly into the Web browser.
While Google has long supported Firefox across all of its Web searches and services, the company previously only offered a toolbar for Microsoft's Internet Explorer. Instead, Google referred people to the open source Googlebar project, which aimed to replicated IE's Google Toolbar for Firefox users.
The toolbar offers a Google search box (a feature already included in Firefox), spell check, auto fill functionality, a translator, and Google's AutoLink that turns street addresses into links to a map.
Other Firefox extensions include an add-on to the browser's built in search box that suggests query terms, and a feature to send text messages of Web page content to a U.S. mobile phone.
"Not that long ago, the Google Firefox Toolbar team met for the first time - and now we've built the Google Toolbar for Firefox in 10 languages for three operating systems (Windows, Mac and Linux)," said Tech Lead Justin Voskuhl in the Google Blog.
"For a small team that had never worked together, or used XUL, to create a product quickly that works across languages and platforms from a single ~250K download - that's good stuff, if you ask me."
One major feature of the Google Toolbar is not needed in Firefox, however: pop-up blocking.