User:The MP/Fast Dial

Fast Dial
Original author(s)	telega, RLeBrette
Stable release	3.4 / 2011-2-11
Written in	XUL/JavaScript
Operating system	Cross-platform
Available in	English
Type	Firefox extension
Website	UserLogos.org

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Fast Dial was an extension for the Web Browser Mozilla Firefox. Developed initially by telega, Fast Dial development was largely stopped in 2010 due to the developer becoming unwell; however, other users picked up development in early 2011. Fast Dial allows users to make a homepage or a blank tab page that includes visual links (thumbnails) to sites.^[1] Based on the "Speed Dial" feature present in the Opera Web Browser, Fast Dial allows users to either use generated screenshots of websites or to choose a logo from their computer or the internet.

New Tab Pages

Customization is one of the key features in Fast Dial, as the extension allows for custom bookmark images, the changing of logo sizes, different logo opacity levels, the ability to drag-and-drop thumbnails to reorder them and the adding of bookmarks via the right-click menu or the Firefox bookmark manager. It also allows having background images, downloaded "styles", and the ability with Preview to enlarge the cells for a larger view. It allows users to create folders by piggybacking off of Firefox's built-in bookmarking system. This allows users to group visual bookmarks that relate to the same subect together.

Fast Dial features a cell organization system where each cell is a link to a web page. Each cell can either have a user-defined icon or a generic screenshot of a website.

History

Fast Dial 1.x was originally released in 2007, then known as Simple Speed Dial^[2]. However, this was quickly changed to avoid confusion with the original Speed Dial Firefox extension.

Fast Dial 2.x was released in September 2008. It was met with controversy due to its buggier nature and integration with Firefox's bookmarking manager. Integration with bookmarks was written to allow exporting of cell data by importing/exporting Firefox bookmarks.

UserLogos & Support

To help provide support and icons for Fast Dial, telega founded a site called UserLogos, which is similar to UserScripts.org for GreaseMonkey scripts or UserStyles.org for Stylish styles. It allows registered users to create and upload Fast Dial-formatted logos for sharing with everyone on the Internet. It also includes forums, a Help Center and Tutorials for creating logos.

Internet Recognition

Fast Dial has been featured on multiple sites, such as MakeUseOf, C|Net and Lifehacker. Additionally, it received a four star rating on Download.com.

External Links

References

[1] Fast Dial Home

[2] Fast Dial Version History

[1]

[2]