Enhancing Your Use of the Internet with Browser Extensions

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• Enhancing Your Use of the Internet with Browser
  Extensions

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Enhancing Your Use of the Internet with Browser
Extensions

• Browser extensions allow a Web browser to perform
  tasks it was not originally designed to perform.
• Plug-in integrated browser software that the
  browser uses to display or play a specific file
  that you request.

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Helper Applications

• Helper applications programs installed on the
  users computer that the browser starts and uses
  to help display or play a file.
• Add-ons include tools that enhance your
  browsing experience, such as toolbars or programs
  that block pop-up ads from opening.

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Enhancing Your Use of the Internet with Browser
Extensions

• Helper applications are independent programs that
  are stored on your computer and are activated
  automatically when needed.

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Plug Ins

• Plug-ins do their work inside the browser and do
  not activate a standalone program that is stored
  on your computer.
• When you install a Web browser, many popular
  plug-ins are often installed with it.

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Browser Extensions

• Browser extensions are often grouped into
  categories based on the type of content they
  deliver. These categories are
• Document and productivity
• Image viewer
• Multimedia
• Sound player
• Video player
• Three-dimensional (3-D) graphics

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Document and Productivity Browser Extensions

• Document and productivity browser extensions let
  you use a browser to read documents, such as
  files saved in PDF format and viewed using Adobe
  Acrobat Reader.

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Browser Extensions

• If you have Acrobat Reader, a browser can use it
  to display and print files with .pdf extensions.
• If you have installed Microsoft Office, a browser
  can start Word, Excel, and other Office programs
  to display files with extensions, such as .doc
  and .xls.

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Image Viewer Browser Extensions

• Browser extensions from this category let the
  browser display graphics, such as interactive
  road maps or alternative file formats and viewers
  for GIF and JPEG files.

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• Image viewer plug-ins also display different
  picture file formats.
• If a Web site indicates you need a specific image
  viewer plug-in to view something on its site, you
  can usually download it at that time, directly
  from that site.

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Multimedia Browser Extensions

• Multimedia contains browser extensions that
  appeal to most of the senses.
• The Flash Player lets your Web browser display
  simple animations, user interfaces, static
  graphics, movies, sound, and text.
• The Shockwave Player is a more fully featured
  browser plug-in that you must download and
  install.

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Examples

• Scooby doo
• Harry Potter
• Mustang world

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Sound Player Browser Extensions

• Sound player browser extensions, such as Beatnik,
  and Real Player, let your Web browser play
  sounds.
• Real Player is a free plug-in that plays
  streaming audio and video files over the
  Internet.
• Beatnik delivers high-quality interactive music
  and sound on the Web and in many wireless devices.

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Video Player Browser Extensions

• Video player browser extensions deliver movies to
  Web browsers over the Internet.
• QuickTime was one of the first movie players
  developed. It plays video, sound, music, 3-D,
  and virtual reality for both Macintoshes and PCs.

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Movie Players

• Other widely used movie players include
  RealPlayer and Windows Media Player.
• Some of these players download a complete movie
  before playing it, while others use streaming
  technology to play a movie before it has been
  completely downloaded.

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3-D Browser Extensions

• Virtual Reality Modeling Language or VRML is an
  Internet programming language that creates
  three-dimensional environments that can mimic
  known worlds or define fictional ones.

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VRML

• With VRML you can navigate and interact with a
  three-dimensional scene.
• VRML sites are used for gaming and product and
  location tours.
• Extensible 3D (X3D) is the next generation open
  standard for 3D on the Web.

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Finding Browser Extensions

• A good way to locate browser extensions is to
  visit a download site such as Tucows.
• Many download sites group plug-ins by the
  functions they perform, which makes it easy to
  view the available plug-ins for the type of files
  you want to use.

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Commonly Used Browser Extensions
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Summary

• There are different categories of browser
  extensions that you might need as you use the
  Web.
• information presented in this tutorial to create
  a environment in which to enjoy the Webs many
  resources and games on your own computer.