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We searched forums, blogs, and TwitterTwitter to find out which FirefoxFirefox add-ons are most popular with web developers, and we came up with this top 10 list.

Every plug-in on the list offers outstanding utility to developers who install them in their browsers. In fact, some of them are even considered indispensable. And they’re all available as free downloads for Firefox, right now.

If you know any other developer staples that didn’t make our top 10, be sure to share them with us and our other readers in the comments. And if you’re more into Google ChromeGoogle Chrome, be sure to check out our list of 10 essential Chrome extensions for developers.

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1. Firebug

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With Firebug, you can edit the CSS, HTML, and JavaScript on any web page live without navigating to a different application. Changes can be made and previewed in real-time. The add-on also comes with network activity analysis tools and a JavaScript performance profiler. Like the Firefox browser itself, Firebug can be extended with plug-ins that add new features.

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2. Web Developer

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The Web Developer add-on is the most powerful and dynamic extension in this list; it adds a toolbar that lets you do numerous useful things.

You can disable Java, disable or view cookies, disable CSS, view styles, see detailed information on forms, disable images, find broken images, view JavaScript, display all kinds of behind-the-scenes information, edit HTML, show hidden elements, resize the window to a specified resolution, validate code and much more.

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3. ColorZilla

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ColorZilla is a color picker that lives down in your browser’s status bar. Just click the ColorZilla button and move the cursor over the color you want to find out about; you’ll be given a reading that includes the color’s RGB values and the hexadecimal code you need to duplicate the color on your own site. ColorZilla also includes a color wheel, a page zoomer and a measuring tool.

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4. HTML Validator

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HTML Validator appears as an icon in the status bar, and displays the number of HTML errors Firefox encountered when opening up a web page. You can then dive into the HTML code to investigate what caused the errors.

Be warned that when you navigate to the Firefox add-on page for HTML Validator, you’ll be told that the add-on isn’t available for download for your operating system if you’re a Mac or LinuxLinux user. Take a quick trip tothe developer’s website and you’ll find versions for several platforms, though.

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5. FireFTP

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FireFTP is an adequately featured FTP (File Transfer Protocol) client that runs inside Firefox. When you execute it, it appears as an extra window just like Firefox’s bookmark or download managers. Features aren’t just limited to the basics; you can perform integrity checks or searches, sync directories while navigating, compare directories and so on. This add-on should meet the needs of the majority of FTP users.

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6. IE Tab

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Microsoft’s Internet ExplorerInternet Explorer web browser is barely used by web developers, but it’s the most popular browser in the world at large. With IE Tab you can open any website in a tab that’s actually running IE instead of Firefox. That way, you can more easily make sure your website runs correctly for millions of people who aren’t using Firefox.

Note that IE Tab is not available for Mac or Linux, since you need to have IE installed for it to work and there are not any currently supported versions of IE for non-WindowsWindows operating systems.

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7. MeasureIt

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With MeasureIt, you can draw a rectangular ruler anywhere on the website to get the measurements (height and width) in pixels of any element or space. Similar functionality is offered by ColorZilla, so running both add-ons at the same time would be redundant, but this plug-in is nevertheless hugely popular.

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8. Greasemonkey

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Greasemonkey allows more advanced customization of your browser by executing custom JavaScript scripts that change the way websites are displayed. Hundreds of scripts are available, and many of them are tailored to specific websites. For example, we’ve covered the Facebook Friends Checker script in the past; it monitors your friends list when you’re logged in to FacebookFacebook and notifies you when one has been removed.

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9. View Source Chart

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When you look at the source for a web page using Firefox’s normal tools, you’re given a massive block of barely-organized text; it’s not very easy to scan and look for something specific. View Source Chart displays a web page’s source code in a set of smartly divided, colored partitions. It visually represents tag boundaries and DOM structure so you can navigate efficiently without getting lost in the noise.

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10. Aardvark

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Use Aardvark to select elements on a website and perform any one of a broad selection of functions on them. You just click on an element and hit one of several keyboard shortcuts. Possibilities include hitting R to remove the element, W to widen it, I to isolate it or V to view the element’s source. Hitting H for “help” brings up a list of all 14 shortcuts.

While some people may amass large numbers of porcelain figurines or miniature replica cars, we’ve got five far cooler collectibles for those of a more geeky nature.

From vinyl to plush, we bring you five social media-, online- and tech-themed items that will not only show your affiliation to all things geek, but who knows, could end up being worth something in years to come.

Peruse the list below and let us know which item you’d chose to grace your desk in the comments.

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1. Ollie the Twitterrific Bird

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This adorable blue bird is a real-life representation of the Twitterrific Mac Twitter client from Iconfactory and would look super-sweet perched on your desk. Around 4 inches tall, Ollie “loves to chat about what’s going on” according to his makers. There are two Ollies available — a vinyl version for just under $20, and a flocked vinyl option for $26.95. Now all we need is a Fail Whale to complete the set.

Cost: From $19.95

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2. Android Mini Collectibles

Android fans get not one but 12 different versions of the cute robotic logo to collect. Kicking off with the standard green effort, there’s also a “worker” version with shirt and tie, an albino option, and some “super rare chase editions” to look out for. Designed by NYC artist Andrew Bell, each vinyl figure stands 3 inches tall and features a rotating head and arms.

Cost: Approx $7.25 each

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3. Firefox Plushie

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Fans of Mozilla’s open source browser can show their love with this official plush toy. Technically, it’s actually a red panda, as that’s what a “firefox” actually is. The 9-inch stuffed toy comes with “cuteness guaranteed” according to Mozilla, and proceeds from sales benefit the Mozilla Foundation. Now can we have a big-earedFennec fox next?

Cost: $12.08

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4. Plush Steve Jobs Doll

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The trademark black turtleneck, the jeans, the glasses; “Plush Jobs” is unmistakable in his Steve-ness, and could work equally well for Apple fanatics and haters — the latter of which could easily find some Voodoo uses. From LEGO-loving Apple fans PodBrix, Plush Jobs stands at 17 inches tall and was created because the makers “always wanted a cuddly Jobs doll” so figured “other people might want one too.” The first 500 have already sold out, but PodBrix promises to make more.

Cost: $27.99

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5. Tux the Penguin’s Gwin Army

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Tux, the logo for Linux, famously created by Larry Ewing, has seen many real-life incarnations as varied as plushies and squeezy stress toys. But we think the best is the Gwin range from October Toys that gives the little open source penguin his own “army” full of wonderful, wacky, colorful characters as designed by a variety of artists. The vinyl Gwin range stands at around 2.5 inches tall with a limited number released, so if you see one you like, you know what you need to do.

Cost: From $10 each

Source: mashable.com

Gadget price insanity!

Source: makeuseof.com

While I don’t have a crystal ball, here are some developments that I think are worthy of our attention and will affect how we do things in the social mediasphere over the next few years. Many of the things on this list will not be news to the very well-informed social media consultant types who live and breathe this stuff. But for the rest of us, there are seeds of opportunity here that should not be missed.

1. MySpace: CEO Leaves; MySpace will die. Last year, I was telling my clients “We are cautiously optimistic that MySpace (GigaOM Pro company profile) will make a comeback because their new CEO is aFacebook co-founder.” Scratch that. I think MySpace is about to go the way of Friendster,although it is still a player in the entertainment space. Because Facebook doesn’t allow flexbility and customization, I’m going to miss MySpace. But now I wonder: Who is going to be the next MySpace? Virb? Bebo? (And don’t underestimate LinkedIn.)
2. Virtual Goods: Insane, but insanely popular. The creation and selling of virtual goods and gifts makes absolutely no sense to people who just use the Internet as a basic communications tool. Try telling someone who isn’t really into Facebook that they could buy a virtual bouquet of flowers for 99 cents and send them to a friend — they’d look at you like you were mad. But with virtual goods as an industry already raking in the billions of dollars worldwide and over a billion in the U.S. alone (source: “Inside Virtual Goods: The US Virtual Goods Market, 2009 – 2010″), how can anyone ignore them? I’m not saying everyone needs to make and use virtual goods, but there is opportunity here for both marketing and revenue. Have you even thought about how you might be able to leverage virtual goods? Related GigaOM Pro content (sub. req.): How the Next Zynga Could Reinvent Social Gaming
3. Gaming: Not just for kids anymore. I think the very fact that the largest player base of passive online games is women flies in the face of the typical view that games are for kids. According to Nielsen Entertainment in August 2009, of the 117 million active gamers in the U.S., 56 percent play games online and 64 percent of those online gamers are female. And the revenues generated from online games is enormous and growing. Do not underestimate the power of games and gaming — and not just the marketing and revenue opportunities, but also the learning opportunities as well in the form of fun quizzes and polls. Have you used gaming yet in a social media marketing campaign?
4. Twitter: Still transforming communications. Back in 2008, I wrote about Twitter’s impact on the fundamental ways we communicate and the way new tools and applications are being developed, but it continues to grow and evolve. How has Twitter helped you lately?
5. Niche networks: A marketer’s secret weapon. Whether you choose Ning.com orKickApps or any of the other “white label” customizable social network-building platforms, the concept of creating a “gated”online community that is narrow in focus is smart and potentially powerful. The concept isn’t really that far removed from hosting an online messaging board in the early days of the web. If you held the keys to the gate of a more private, closed or niche community, you had everything from an instant focus group to a band of passionate buzz agents on your hands — if you knew how to properly leverage the community participation. Fast forward to today and the tools ca now give your members integrated communications, networking, publishing and social tools — brilliant.What niche networks are you participating in or do you run?
6. Augmented reality. Sounds sci-fi, but it’s really here. I’m having a hard time describing Augmented Reality to people who haven’t seen it (if you haven’t seen it in action, these infographics from GigaOM might help). The reaction isn’t just “what in the world?” but “who cares about that stuff?” AR uses simply boggle the mind, and I plan to explore more of that in this column soon. I do wish we had a better term for it, though (like “data overlay” or “overscreen view”) so it didn’t have such a sci-fi feel to it. What potential uses for AR are getting you fired up? Related GigaOM Pro content (sub. req.):Augmented Reality: Lots of Promise, Lots of Hurdles.
7. Google Buzz: Pay attention, even if you don’t care. I am one of the gazillion people who currently do not care about Google Buzz, apart from the fact that just because Google did this it means something in terms of the tools we’ll be using in the coming years. Right now, I feel like Google has the means to just throw tech spaghetti on the virtual walls of our work and lives to see what sticks. Anything it does has major significance and impact, even if it fails. So pay attention as you scratch your head. How is Google Buzz changing the way you communicate, or is it? Related GigaOM Pro content (sub. req.): Google Buzz’s True Home Is in the Enterprise
8. Mobile: Be there. I don’t know about you, but I consider my iPhone to be a mini computer and Wi-Fi device first and phone a distant second. I’m never normally an early early adopter because I’m too busy to keep up most of the time, but I will be one of the first to buy the iPad, because it looks to me like a bigger iPhone, and I rely on my iPhone in ways I have never relied on my computer or my regular cell phone. My entire concept of connectivity and my access to everything has changed so dramatically since I got a smartphone that I know I can never go back to the old ways. What forays into mobile marketing are on your radar for 2010? Related GigaOM Pro content (sub. req.): Web Tablet Survey: Apple’s iPad Hits Right Notes

Back in December, we discussed Google’s decision to shift focus away from Gears, its platform that allows web apps to work offline — instead the company would utilize HTML5.

In the Gears API Blog this week, Google has reinforced that decision, making it clear that the company “will not be investing resources in active development of new features.” Instead, the focus will continue to be on bringing all of the Gears capabilities into HTML5 and other web standards.

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Gears Was the Past, HTML5 is the Future

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When the Gears project launched in 2007, one of its big features was the ability to allow users to use certain web applications (like Gmail) offline. As time has progressed, however, implementing those features of Gears into a standard like HTML5 makes more sense, as it will ultimately work on more platforms and not require the operating system or browser specific workarounds that Gears currently employs.

Until it is feasible for developers to convert their Gears-enabled apps to something standards-based, Google will continue to support Gears, but that support will be constrained in scope.

Likewise, while Gears support will be added for Firefox 3.6 and will continue to work withInternet Explorer, Gears for Mac OS X Snow Leopard in Safari 4.0 is not going to happen. The necessary architectural changes that would be involved in supporting Gears in Safari would take too many resources which could better work with adding to the HTML5 spec.

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Good Sign for the Future

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Gears was a good first step in lots and lots of ways, but building those features into something standards-based has a lot more potential for Google. By and large, mobile browsers are adapting to support HTML5 and other web-standards faster than their desktop counterparts (in large part because the majority of the next-generation mobile web browsers use WebKit — including Google Chrome, Mobile Safari and the next version of BlackBerry web browser). Because mobile is an area that can benefit from some of Gears’ functionality like local storage and offline capabilities even more than traditional computers, there is great potential in having some of those features available on platforms for the future.

If you are a developer of an application that uses Gears, now would be a good time to start exploring options for migrating or rewriting in HTML5.

Source: mashable.com

Source: makeuseof.com

It’s common knowledge that HTC is the hardware provider for the Google Nexus One, but new statements by Sony Ericsson’s president indicate that electronics maker Sony Ericsson may have been approached first by Google.

Engadget is reporting that Bert Nordberg told a Swedish publisher that “his company was asked to build the so-called Googlephone before HTC… and it turned down the opportunity.”

We dug up the article in question and it appears that the statements were made at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. An English version of the article can be read via Google Translate.

Should the remarks prove to be legit, it’s interesting to note that Nordberg appears to stand by the company’s decision and points to branding as a mitigating factor. In light of mediocre Nexus One sales, he might be right. Although it’s hard to discount the fact that HTC received massive publicity for its role in the phone’s development, and its likely that the Google/HTC partnership will yield additional devices and opportunities for both companies in the years ahead.

Source: mashable.com

Long imagined to be a potentially significant threat to PayPal, theFacebook Credits payment platform will actually work with its once theoretical rival, according to a post on Facebook’s blog announcing a strategic partnership between the two companies.

Under the deal, PayPal will become a payment option for purchasing Facebook Credits, which are still in use only sparingly in certain apps and games. Considering the burgeoning size of the micropayments business model — especially via transactions inside social games — the Facebook Credits platform could eventually be a huge revenue driver for the massive social network.

The news reveals that Facebook’s agenda is not to disintermediate or eclipse PayPal, and that likewise PayPal doesn’t perceive the Facebook Credits initiative as a direct competitor. We think it’s a good move on the part of both companies, in that working together could be more lucrative for each site than trying to battle head-to-head. It also means that folks without access to credit cards will be able to purchase Facebook Credits more easily.

The deal also specifies PayPal integration for advertisers, who will be able to purchase Facebook Ads via its payment platform. Though less significant than the partnership on Facebook Credits, it does offer a nice alternative for advertisers who prefer to manage transactions via PayPal.

What do you think about the Facebook/PayPal partnership? How do you see the future of Facebook Credits playing out?

Source: mashable.com

The iPhone (and iPod touch) is lately becoming the mobile platform of choice for the classic games connoisseur. Yesterday we wrote about Ultimate Genesis, the official Sega Genesis emulator for the iPhone and iPod touch, and today Kotaku reports that legendary games Final Fantasy I & II will soon be available on these platforms, too.

Details are scarce, both in terms of availability date and the price, as publisher Square Enix simply lists both games as TBA, but they’re coming, and that’s enough to lift the spirits of every true gaming geek. Check out some more images below.

Source: mashable.com

How old is the average Twitter or Facebook user? What about all the other social network sites, like MySpace, LinkedIn, and so on? How is age distributed across the millions and millions of social network users out there?

To find out, we pulled together age statistics for 19 different social network sites, and crunched the numbers.

Full list of sites in this study: Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Twitter, Slashdot, Reddit, Digg,Delicious, StumbleUpon, FriendFeed, Last.fm,

Friendster, LiveJournal, Hi5, Tagged, Ning, Xanga,Classmates.com, Bebo.

To get consistent age data for the various sites we used site demographics information for the United States gathered from Google’s Ad Planner service and then did some additional calculations to get all the data we needed.

Social network age distribution

What is the age distribution in the social media sphere?

We took the age distribution data we had collected and calculated what the age distribution looked like across all 19 sites counted together. The resulting chart is right here below.

A full 25% of the users on these sites are aged 35 to 44, which in other words is the age group that dominates the social media sphere. Only 3% are aged 65 or older.

That was the age distribution when looking at these 19 sites together. When looking at individual social network sites, the differences are significant, as you will see below.

Age distribution per site

Here below you can examine the age distribution for each of the 19 social network sites we included in this study. The list has been sorted by the average user age per site (see further down for that), with the “youngest” site showing at the top and the “oldest” at the bottom.

Some observations on age distribution:

• Bebo appeals to a much younger audience than the other sites with 44% of its users being aged 17 or less. For MySpace, this number is also large; 33%.
• Classmates.com has the largest share of users being aged 65 or more, 8%, and 78% are 35 or older.
• 64% of Twitter’s users are aged 35 or older.
• 61% of Facebooks’s users are aged 35 or older.

Dominant age groups

Most of the social networks we included are dominated by the age group 35-44, which was apparent in the first chart in this article. This group has become the most “social” age group out there. This is the generation of people who were in their 20s as the Web took off in the mid ‘90s.

If we look at which age groups are the largest for each site, we get the following distribution:

• 0 – 17: Tops 4 out of 19 sites (21%)
• 18 – 24: Tops no site
• 25 – 34: Tops 1 out of 19 sites (5%)
• 35 – 44: Tops 11 out of 19 sites (58%)
• 45 – 54: Tops 3 out of 19 sites (16%)
• 55 – 64: Tops no site
• 65 or older: Tops no site

It’s a bit surprising that not one single site had the age group 18 – 24 as its largest, but that can be explained by this interval being a bit smaller than the other ones (it spans seven years, not 10 as most of the others). That the two oldest age groups don’t top any of the sites probably doesn’t surprise anyone, though.

Average user age per site

As we promised in the introduction, we have calculated an estimate of the average age for each of the social network sites included in this study. The result is here below.

A few observations:

• The average social network user is 37 years old.
• LinkedIn, with its business focus, has a predictably high average user age; 44.
• The average Twitter user is 39 years old.
• The average Facebook user is 38 years old.
• The average MySpace user is 31 years old.
• Bebo has by far the youngest users, as witnessed earlier, with an average age of 28.

On the social web, age is a factor

Although we can’t say how this will change over time, at the moment the older generations are for one reason or another (tech savvy, interest, etc.) not using social networking sites to a large extent. This probably reflects general internet usage, but we suspect the difference is enhanced when it comes to the social media sphere where site usage tends to be more frequent and time-consuming than usual.

It is also noteworthy that social media isn’t dominated by the youngest, often most tech-savvy generations, but rather by what has to be referred to as middle-aged people (although at the younger end of that spectrum).

Source: pingdom.com