I found this article to be kind of interesting, because I was a big fan of Internet Explorer, until I found out how customizable Firefox really is. The sound thing did not really bother me, but it bothered this guy:
“I like the Firefox browser a lot better than Microsoft [Internet] Explorer, but there is one problem I can’t seem to solve,” writes M.B. of Fuquay-Varina, N.C. “How do you add sound effects to the browser? With Explorer, it is part of the Windows setup, but Firefox is boringly silent.”
The beauty of Firefox is that it’s customizable.
If the original software doesn’t have all the features you want, you can download other programs to make it just right.
If you go to addons.mozilla.org, you can browse thousands of programs such as a blog editor, a program that lets you choose how to view PDFs or one that gives easy access to weather forecasts.
Trying Out PopupSound
An add-on called PopupSound seems to do the trick for sound effects. It generates sounds when you click a link, hit “enter” in one of the browser windows, download a file or block a pop-up window.
Start by searching for PopupSound on the Web page above. Download the extension by clicking on the green “install now” box on the PopupSound page. You will have to quit and restart Firefox for it to take effect.
If you want to customize the sounds with audio files of your own, go to the tools menu and select “extensions.” Highlight “PopupSound” and click the button for preferences. You can then select sound clips from files on your computer.
OpenOffice Security
“When I tried to download OpenOffice, I got a warning from Windows that it was a security risk because it had no known publisher,” writes H.N. of Swansboro, N.C. “Can you help?”
As I mentioned in a column last month, OpenOffice.org is a free, open source and calendar program. competitor to Microsoft Office. With word processing, presentation, database and spreadsheet programs, all it lacks when compared with Office is an integrated e-mail
The folks at OpenOffice say the warning you got was a new one for them. In general, OpenOffice and other open source projects are probably more secure than proprietary software such as Microsoft Office, simply by virtue of the number of people watching over them, said Louis Suarez-Potts, community manager for OpenOffice.
As an open source project, the software suite is developed collaboratively by users and developers around the globe. In addition to publishing the software, OpenOffice and other open source projects also publish the code — kind of like Coke publishing its secret recipe. Gatekeepers police the code’s safety and make sure copyrighted material doesn’t slip in.
A ‘Safe Bet’
“The code is open for inspection, but not so open that anyone can just plunk virus in there,” Suarez-Potts wrote in an e-mail message. “And, should something somehow slip in, [because] it’s open, it is further scrutinized by the — in our case huge — community.”
Joe Vohwinkel, a network security expert with Agave Partners Consulting in Raleigh, agrees. He routinely uses open source software, including Firefox and OpenOffice.
“I’m fairly well-convinced and satisfied with the open source community producing quality, secure products,” he said. Like proprietary projects, OpenOffice will release patches if it identifies security concerns.
Just because Windows doesn’t recognize a program, that doesn’t mean it isn’t legit, says Jeff Crume, executive information technology security architect at IBM (NYSE: IBM) . Windows has a finite list of programs that it recognizes as authentic, so your message could be a false alarm, he said. Still, he advises users to pay attention when they get security messages like this one, because it sometimes can indicate a problem.
Bottom line: Even though Windows didn’t recognize OpenOffice (maybe by design, because they are competitors), it’s a pretty safe bet. Just make sure you download it from the project’s Web site to get the authentic software.
