4 Firefox Extensions that Maximize Screen Use

I've noticed that screen space is becoming more and more valuable to me. I want to maximize the space I give to my browser, so I can get more content and less clutter when I'm surfing the Web. I've also noticed that a plethora of toolbars, menus and other visual noise can seriously reduce my productivity when I'm trying to get something done (like research articles for AC!). If you're like me, then you'll want to check out these Firefox extensions.

TinyMenu. This is always one of the first extensions I install whenever I put Firefox on a computer. It consolidates the entire menu bar (File, Tools, History, etc.) into one menu item, so it's easy to fit your menu on a toolbar with the back & forward buttons and location bar.

autoHideStatusbar. This one of my recent favorites. It allows you to hide the status bar (the bar at the bottom of your Firefox window that shows the loading progress and other icons). It has several very useful configuration options, like the ability to show the bar when hovering over a link, when a page is loading, or when you place your mouse at the bottom of the screen. I have mine set to hide all the time, and I keep tabs on page loading progress with the Fission extension, which lets your location bar pull double duty as a progress monitor.

Stylish.This extension allows for custom styles and themes for Web sites. It also provides some really cool tweaks to the Firefox user interface. Just go to userstyles.org and search for "slim" and you'll find a variety of add-ons for Stylish that free up valuable pixels. My favorite is the Slim Tabs script, which reduces the space your tabs take up on screen.

Autohide. This extension provides some very useful tweaks that help to maximize screen space in full-screen mode. Sounds crazy, but if you've ever pressed the F11 key to get into full screen, then you've noticed that the Web site you're viewing doesn't really take up all the space you have...you're still bogged down with menus! Autohide lets you pick and choose what elements you'd like to be visible or hidden. This truly makes browsing full screen the experience it should be out of the box.

I hope these Firefox extensions help you in your quest to be more productive by reducing clutter and maximizing screen space!