It's trendy to use the latest and greatest URL shortening services in IMs and Twitter postings, but clicking on a TinyURL is like a box of chocolates: you never know what you're gonna get. To avoid any nasty surprises, affiliate links, or other deceptive uses of TinyURLs, you can install a Greasemonkey script called TinyURL Decoder.

Although the name of the script contains "TinyURL," that's not the only service it works with. It can decode dozens of different flavors of shortened links. I'm impressed with the huge number of services this plugin includes, from the very popular (the aforementioned TinyURL) to the obscure (PeaUrl). Installing it should leave you well-situated to know where these sometimes-sketchy links are taking you.

There are some sites that you know you spend too much time on - not DownloadSquad, of course. And certainly not the Time Wasters tag page.

Other places like Facebook, Twitter, and dental hygenist web sites can turn into real time sinks if you're not paying attention. If you need a little outside assistance in breaking free, get your hands on the NoAddict userscript for Greasemonkey.

Adding domains is simple - just clicking in to Greasemonkey's manage scripts window modify the script's source using your favorite text editor. The code is straightforward: // @include https://website.toadd.com/*.

Yes, with a little self control you can accomplish this without the need for any software at all, but sometimes a little shove in the right direction is necessary.

My browsing habits have changed quite a bit since I first switched to Firefox. I used to think I needed custommize it with a large compliment of addons. Now, not so much.

Plenty of the chores I used to leave up to addons can be done with Firefox itself. Search bookmarks, userchrome hacks, and about:config offer plenty of tweaks without adding any bloat to the browser.

However, there are still a handful of key addons that I just can't do without. Here are my top three - sound off with yours in the comments!

1. Weave - If you're running a compatible Firefox version, Weave is an amazing tool. Being able to keep my bookmarks, history, and tabs in sync between work and home really boosts my browsing efficiency. I don't use Weaeve for password syncing - that job goes to addon #2.

2. LastPass - I need secure, synchronized access to my passwords on two machines running Firefox and my iPod Touch. LastPass does that for me, thanks to their great Firefox addon and bookmarklet - which gives you access to your vault from just about any javascript capable browser. LastPass added a form filler a while back, and that, too, works via a bookmarklet.

3. Greasemonkey - There are just too many userscripts I enjoy using to leave out Greasemonkey. From customizing my GMail and YouTube layouts to auto-paging lengthy articles, I can't imagine Firefox without the little monkey on my status bar.

It seems like Gmail users are always hungry for new ways to tweak Gmail's appearance. One trick that will save some space in your sidebar is the Gmail Compactor script. If you have Greasemonkey or a similar userscript engine installed, just download Gmail Compactor to turn the text links in your sidebar into space-saving icons.

The icons aren't the only space-saving feature of Gmail compactor, though. It alos shrinks Gmail's built-in search bar down into the sidebar, and eliminates the Gmail logo. It's up to you whether you think this look feels less cluttered. It does offer the same functions in a smaller space, but the icons also feel a bit a crowded to me compared to the text links, and they take some getting used to.

[via Lifehacker]

Not using a desktop Twitter client? Maybe you're quite happy to use the Twitter site to post updates and monitor those you follow. Just because you do doesn't mean you don't have access to more powerful interface options than the bare minimum Twitter provides.

Grab some Userscripts, and use your browser give your Twiter / Home some handy new features! I've gathered eight of my favorites - feel free to share yours in the comments!

Troy's Twitter Script - provides several additional functions, like short URL expansion, inline media viewing, and nested replies. Also adds a search box (for those of us who can't use the real deal just yet), retweet link, and an @mentions link to see who's been talking about you.

Userscripts can be incredibly useful. I've got several (like some of Jay's suggestions) installed in Firefox and can't imagine surfing without them.

Got an Android handset and wish you could utilize your favorite scripts in its browser? You might not have to wait much longer. Developer (and Google staff employee) Jeffrey Sharkey is hard at work on OilCan, which promises to do just that.

For now, you'll have to be satisfied with Sharkey's short Vimeo demonstration as OilCan is still in the proof-of-concept stage. It would be a fantastic addition to Android's browser should it be "eventually released" as a binary for the platform as Starkey states on his web site.

Thanks, Todd (@ronin691)!

One of the main draws for Firefox is how customizable it is, both in appearance and functionality. We've shown you some of our favorite Firefox themes, but if you're looking for more than a cosmetic change in your browsing experience, you should get to know Greasemonkey.

In case you're not already familiar: Greasemonkey is a Firefox add-on that allows you to apply powerful user-created scripts to the sites you visit. Scripts do everything from drastically changing the layout of a site to adding new menus or doing common tasks automatically. Greasemonkey can change a font that annoys you, or it can change the way you use your browser.

Firefox isn't the only browser that can take advantage of userscripts. For Webkit-based browsers like Safari, check out GreaseKit. Opera is capable of running many userscripts through its own User JavaScript feature. Some of the scripts mentioned in this post might only work in Firefox, though.

Here are ten of my favorite scripts. If you're using some good ones that you don't see here, sound off in the comments.

1. Google Account Multi-login:

If you have more than one Google account, grab this script to replace the "log out" link on most Google services with a menu that lets you quickly switch from one of your accounts to another. A nice time saver for Gmail junkies.

2. Helvetireader:

I love the way Helvetireader cleans up Google Reader. Download it if you're interested in viewing Google Reader in a simple red and white layout, all in Helvetica. It gets everything that's not essential to reading your feeds out of the way.

3. Download YouTube Video as Mp4:

Does just what it says. Causes a download link to appear right under the embed codes to the right of the video on any YouTube page. This definitely beats pasting the URL into one of those YouTube Downloader websites.

Wikipedia is a great resource, but the layout is a bit much if you're only there to do a little reading and learn some things that might, in reality, be actual facts. As is the case with most big-name sites, a userscript is available that cleans up the cluttered default layout and makes Wikipedia items look more like pages from a printed encyclopdeia.

Load an article, then install Simplepedia and reload. Gone are the logo, tabs, navigation sidebar, edit links, and just about everything else that isn't actual information related to your topic. The end result is a much tidier page layout that is free of unwanted distractions - except words like "hammer pants" in the article I captured.

To see how the result compares to the original article, just click the image. Contrary to what Hammer might tell you, you can, in fact, touch it.

If you're not quite ready to use a cloud service like LastPass to manage your passwords, you can still provide yourself some additional protection from keyloggers with a handy GreaseMonkey script.

Install Virtual Keyboard Interface and double-click any text field, textarea or password field to display it. Instead of typing on your keyboard, just click the virtual keys.

It works almost everywhere, including fancy Web 2.0 Ajax forms.

This is an excellent script to add to your Portable Firefox install for use on unfamiliar computers. For example, the one some friends of mine used in a hotel lobby that captured an email password and ultimately allowed a thief access to their bank account.

If you've always got GMail open in one of your Firefox tabs, you can't always see the unread message count - when you have a whole slew of other tabs open, for example.

Install the Gmail Unread Message Count in Favicon script for Greasemonkey, and that problem is solved. The script overlays the current count on Gmail's envelope icon and it will display even when you're not parked at your Inbox. It's nice to be able to keep tabs on new messages without tabbing back to Gmail.

The icon will also become brighter as the number of unread messages increases. You will, of course, need to have the Greasemonkey addon installed as well.

[ via Lifehacker ]

There are a ton of Firefox add-ons or Greasemonkey user scripts that can change the look, feel, and behavior of web sites. For example, did you know that there are at least 292 Greasemonkey scripts for Gmail alone? They let you do everything from login to multiple Gmail accounts simultaneously to setting a 2 minute time limit for any new message or thread to keep you from wasting all day writing an email.

But when you visit a web site, how do you know if there are better ways to view it? Greasefire is a Firefox add-on that will tell you if there are any user scripts for the page you're visiting. When you have Greasefire and Greasemonkey installed a little monkey will show up in the bottom right corner of your Firefox status bar. If there are scripts available for the site you're viewing, the monkey's background color will change to red. And when you right click on the icon you'll see the number of available scripts. Click on that number and a window will open telling you more about those scripts.

Last week another plugin was released with a similar purpose. App Discover will theoretically tell you if there are any user scripts, Firefox add-ons, or even Adobe AIR clients that will enhance your web experience for a specific page. But unlike Greasefire, App Discover will only work on web pages where the publisher has added a bit of code to the page to let the plugin know about recommended user scripts or add-ons. And since the plugin is so new, right now the number of sites optimized for use with App Discover is hovering around zero. But that could change at any time, making this one plugin worth keeping an eye on.

[via Firefox Facts and ReadWriteWeb]