The First Google Chrome Extensions: Block Ads, Check PageRank, and Use IE8 Accelerators
During the Google I/O conference this week, one of the presentations from Day 1 was on the subject of Google Chrome's extension system. The long-awaited feature will finally deliver what Firefox and IE users have had for ages: a way to add more tools, services, and additional features to the browser.
If you're playing around with one of the developer builds of Google Chrome, you can test drive this feature before it makes its public debut. Already, there are a handful of extensions available including an ad-blocker called AdSweep, a PageRank checker, and Cleeki, an extension that ports IE8 Accelerators to Chrome.
About Extensions in Chrome
According to articles from both Google Operating System and CIO, here's what we know about how extensions work in Chrome, as described during that I/O presentation:
- Extensions use HTML, JavaScript, and CSS so they're easy for developers to write.
- You don't need to restart the browser after installing an extension (hurray!)
- Extensions will work in all future versions of the browser. Developers won't need to update their extensions with each new release. (No more abandoned extensions!)
- Extensions will run as separate processes: one per extension.
- Extensions can appear at the bottom of the browser. During the demo, an add-on that displayed new stories from Google Reader was shown in a bar at the bottom of the browser.
- Google will control the look of extension buttons to keep Chrome's UI uncluttered and consistent.
- Google will build an extension gallery where developers can submit extensions and users can find extensions to install.
Extensions Available Now
There are already some interesting extensions under development, which you can test out now in a developer build of Chrome.
AdSweep
AdSweep is an add-on that hides advertising on web page you visit similar to how AdBlock works. It uses JavaScript to adjust the CSS of a page and is also available as a user script.
Page Rank for Chrome
Page Rank for Chrome (shouldn't that be "PageRank?") is a simple extension that shows the Google PageRank for the current web site.
Cleeki
Perhaps the most fascinating of the three, however, is Cleeki, an extension that delivers the functionality of IE8's Accelerators to other browsers, a list that now includes Chrome. Accelerators are one of the newest (and best) features in the most recent version of Internet Explorer. Available from the right-click menu, they let you quickly perform actions that would have previously required opening a separate web page (e.g. "map this," "translate this," "find on Facebook," "define this," "email this," "Digg this," etc.)
With Cleeki installed (read how to here), you can do many of those same actions, although its appearance is somewhat different. IE8 accelerators are listed in a small right-click menu, but Cleeki actually opens up a secondary window like a pop-up where you can choose from the available actions and see the results.
The size of that window may turn off some users, so it's a shame that Google Chrome doesn't currently allow for a user preference system since Cleeki is actually very customizable (size, skin, behavior, etc.). According to the Cleeki blog, there's a hacking way to customize it, but they haven't shared that info yet...perhaps they will in the future.
Developers, Write Your Own Extensions
In the meantime, while we wait for this feature to hit the public build of Chrome, developers can get cracking writing their first Google Chrome extensions. For help getting started, they should check out these sample extensions and this tutorial which demonstrates how to write a simple extension.
If you're a developer who has built an extension for Chrome, let us know about it in the comments!
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Good news - extensions were my one major barrier to full-time Chrome adoption. Right now I still have to resort to Firefox for certain tasks, which is a bummer, because it runs at less than half the speed. (I love Firefox, but I love doing things quickly more.)
Furthermore, the use of web technologies to write the extensions is extremely smart and dramatically lowers the barrier to entry. I'm looking forward to trying my hand at a couple, and they should have a decent ecosystem in a comparatively short time.
Do they work on Chromium builds for Mac?
Hello,
I just dropped by to bring you attention to some other plugins/extensions which were developed at chromeplugins.org :
http://www.chromeplugins.org/chrome/customize-your-new-tab-page/
Also the adaptation to googlepedia extension for firefox in chrome:
http://www.chromeplugins.org/plugins/googlepedia-extension-for-chrome-get-wikipedia-articles-along-search-results/
Thanks., you can post about those plugins as well.
Finally!
AdBlock (and a few other extensions) is the main reason I'm still using Firefox more than Chrome. For any javascript heavy site (gmail, google reader) Chrome is already my browser of choice, but I go as far as copying link that appears in some post in my google reader on chrome over to firefox, to avoid the ads...
The big question is, now that firefox's main advantage over chrome is gone, will people move over to chrome en-masse? and if and when they do, will google keep supporting the mozilla foundation?
Finally! With an adblocking extension Firefox will be no more.
FF started out great, but lately is has become a bloated, slow mess. Still beats IE, so I stick with it, but I'm looking forward to Chrome once all this is out of dev.
Might give the dev build a shot for the hell of it, but I hate unstable builds...
I am still wondering how to install these extensions
kindly help
I wonder if these extensions will be less memory consuming then Firefox, I have like 3 installed, and the majority of the time it sends Firefox into overload!
Posted by: Josh Chandler
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May 28, 2009 12:53 PM
It's taken them quite a while for this, but the interface for addons still isn't as streamlined as Firefox or even Opera (which doesn't even require a restart and you can preview addons before confirming their addition).
XMarks, pleeeeeeeeeease :-)
It's finally out! I've been waiting for this feature for ages! Hopefully the extensions will not slow down Google Chrome.
As Block was one of the major reasons why I stuck with firefox (the other being firebug).
Now that Ad Sweep it out for Chrome, I'm waiting for the firebug equivalent and then it's time to move to chrome permanently.
P.S. Ad Sweep works just as well as Ad Block - don't see any ads on RWW!
hmm, figured Google would fend off an adblock extension for longer than this, seeing as ads are it's main base of revenue...
Posted by: Mitchell McKenna
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May 28, 2009 10:06 PM
"Ad blocking" from google, interesting :).
Posted by: devrim baris acar
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May 28, 2009 11:28 PM
First extension or tool I need is one to sync my Firefox extensions with the same Chrome extensions where they exist (or a service to recommend substitutes). Until then, I am well and truly locked into Firefox.
Posted by: Pon
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May 28, 2009 11:38 PM
I don't know if some of you realized that AdSweep is *NOT* a Google project. That would be pretty incredible if it were!
More themes and plugins can be found at
http://www.chromestyles.com
I still use firefox but I really like the competition that Chrome adds to the browser wars.
I think that the market share for IE is on the decline
http://baseballtraderumors.com/
Wow, this is awesome. I am really starting to get tired of memory hog Firefox slowing down to a complete stop on certain sites. Chrome is starting to look like a good alternative seeing as there is not much else out there.
RT
www.privacy-tools.echoz.com
that is nice to hear.. im going to switch to Chrome Soon !
http://www.ezzal.com
bycpyt@mindspring.com
WEB DEVELOPER Toolbar, like the one for Firefox! Once they have that, my switch to Chrome will be final and permanent.
Plenty more at http://www.mychromeaddons.com
This is pretty cool. I was able to easily at page rank and cleeki. I like Page Rank, however I am not a fan of the additional bar at the bottom of the browser. I don't know if I will find much use from cleeki.
Now my question is, "How do I uninstall a pluggin?"
Now that I have the Weave add-on for FF, it's going to be very difficult to move me to a new browser. Having all my personal data move between FF installations on my two desktops and notebook is too convenient to give up. When Chrome gets equivalent functionality, I'll be inclined to check it out more thoroughly.
Wow, kinda sad that the first thing you people want is to be able to steal bandwidth from websites.
Hurting the sites you use, kinda self destructive wouldnt you think?
@Neko
Although I use ad blocking when I find a site I truly like and wish to support I either donate or turn off ad blocking for that specific site.
how to remove addon from chrome..
very useful
Anyone know how to write a type-ahead-find extension for chrome???
http://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=150
How about an extension that adds a simple "Bookmarks" icon next to the address bar. The official 'bookmarks' bar sucks donkey bells.
It's about time that Google came out to support extensions. It's been quite a while now and Google really needs to work harder to dominate the web browser wars. It first should focus to make the browser features like IE and Fire Fox and then take the ultimate step to make the browser better than the two. I use all three broswers but due to Chrome's lack of extensions it just used to lie down on my desk top as an icon but with this I may start using it more. I am going to try the extensions for Company Formation. Lets see how it reacts.
Good news,I have waiting a long time to have a extension like the toolbar for IE&firefox.
MattM: About the "Bookmarks" icon next to the address bar mentioned above, it has been there for a long time, you just need to add --bookmark-menu to the Chrome shortcut.
Hello
Hi Really good content you posted in your blog, IT is really too good.
comeon guys don't be fooled by this, google chrome just wants us to use their search engine, do you really think google would kill all the ads on chrome...Firefox is great, it blocks everything and I mean everything, with google they just can't afford that. Mozilla gets better every year, and there is no way I would go to chrome for any reason. Google will NEVER block everything because it's their business model, they can't afford to.... sad but true.
I am trying Bing as my default search in Chrome. I want to like it. The video search and sampling makes for some snappy info gathering. There seems to be a growing number of things to like. Am I sensing that Microsoft has a new generation of cool programmers beavering away in Redmond? Bring it on guys! More! And thx to Scott for the tip on making Bing the default in Chrome because I had not managed it on my own.
I need ImgLikeOpera in Chrome.
Until then I will use Firefox.
You might want to add aniweather, Chrome's first ever animated weather add-on, to the add-on list:
www.aniweather.com
Hi,
Just created a simple extension to view XML files in a user friendly format - with opening and closing nodes.
You can download it from http://files.getdropbox.com/u/598146/xmltree.crx
Looking forward to getting some feedback.
Josh
It is very informative. I'm new to the SEO business, trying hard to learn about the pagerank thing these days. The information offered on your website is very very very helpful.Thanks a lot for sharing it.
I've bookmarked your blog.
Great Work.I'd like the thank the blog owner for posting it.
Great Comments. I'd like to thank the readers for sharing more helpful and relevant information.
In my opinion, traffic to a website is important but is not the key factor leading to high google page rank.
However, Google just keep changing its standard. It's quite annoying. I've got one websites, whose page rank keep changing all the time, rising and falling.
Google algorithm change too often. Sometimes, too hard to understand.
The extensions I need, because I can't do without
1. Norton Toolbar (I don't trust any web browser - Chrome or otherwise - to store my logins and passwords; Norton Security, yes, but so far it only works with IE and FF)
2. some extension to control the media player - Winamp, foobar2000 etc. - just like FoxyTunes on Firefox. I listen to music a lot and I don't want to have to switch from one application to another, having to leave the browser window every now and then.
All the others - would sure be nice, but as long as 1 & 2 are not available, Firefox remains my browser #1, although it *is* a memory-eating, slow-starting hog
Google will control the look of extension buttons to keep Chrome's UI uncluttered and consistent.
Good news,I have waiting a long time to have a extension like the toolbar for IE&firefox.
I agree with Ben. Crome an other browsers should go after shorter time and path solutions.
Thanks, Enviar Torpedo Grátis
FYI, we just released our first version of iMacros for Chrome Alpha:
Please see:
http://www.iopus.com/imacros/chrome/
http://wiki.imacros.net/iMacros_for_Chrome
Cheers,
Ann
Crome not only can get a tool bar but also the URL adress field can be worth for searchs - that turn life easyer.
Construção e Reforma Torpedo
: pas à d_heissler [!]. pouvez mieux faire maintenant! Boss?
Posted by: entreeouest
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November 16, 2009 3:30 AM
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