A beta release of Googlebar Lite 4.7 is now available. This build should only be used by those who like to experiment with the latest and greatest. If you use it and spot a bug, please let me know. Also note that many of the localizations are incomplete in this release. If you would like to complete a particular localization, visit the Googlebar Lite translation forum post at BabelZilla for more info.

From the change log:

• Blog search support added (replacing Froogle search)
• Book search support added (replacing Web Directory search)
• Croatia top-level-domain added (.hr)
• Bug Fix: AJAX driven search result pages at Google no longer prevent search terms from updating in the Googlebar Lite search box

I will be releasing a beta version of Googlebar Lite 4.7.0 on this website in the next few days. The new version will include two new search types (Blog and Books) replacing two deprecated search types (Froogle and Web Directory). It should also include some bug fixes, one of which targets the search box not updating properly on Google search result pages.

This beta version will not be pushed out via automatic updates, and it will not be made available at the official Mozilla add-ons website.

I’ve made an update to the Amazon wish list links here at this site (for those who want a way to donate). The list is now sorted by price (lowest to highest), which should make it easier for everyone.

I’ve whipped up a quick logo to dress up this site a bit. The previous plain-text heading was a bit boring (as one reader rightly pointed out), so hopefully this is a step in a better direction. Other minor style changes have also been made (sidebar headings should now look a little better, for example).

Thoughts? Constructive criticism? Comment away!

The next version of Googlebar Lite is in need of translation updates! If you are willing to spend some time translating, head over to BabelZilla and sign up to become a Googlebar Lite translator. You can visit the Googlebar Lite translation forum post for more details.

Version 4.7.0 will include some new search types, replacing a few outdated search types. It will also include a bug fix or two.

I have squashed some bugs from yesterday’s theme unveiling:

• The primary page container now renders properly in IE 6
• Recent comments show up again in the sidebar
• The PayPal donate button had somehow disappeared from the donation information page. It has now been restored.
• DreamHost discount information has been updated (it was woefully out of date)

Born Geek has been given a new set of clothes! The old design was, quite frankly, an eyesore. This new layout is simpler, cleaner, and much easier on the eyes. Gravatar support has been added. And visitors using Firefox 3+ get extra eye candy (so switch today)! Not everything is complete in this new theme, so expect to see minor tweaks and fixes over the next few days. It’s been tested in Firefox and IE 7. Your mileage may vary in anything else. As always, let me know what you think and if you stumble upon any bugs.

Also note that you may have to force a refresh if you visited the site recently, so as to pick up the new style sheet!

After what seems like a million years, I have written a new tutorial on Automatic Firefox Extension Updates. The article covers what’s needed to get automatic updates working for self-hosted extensions (i.e. extensions served on a non-secure web server). Topics include update manifests, using the McCoy signing tool, and Apache configuration steps to make sure your files are served appropriately.

If you spot an error in the article, or have general suggestions for improvement, please leave your comments here. Constructive criticism and comments are always welcome!

The example toolbar download for the toolbar tutorial has been updated to support Firefox 3.5 builds. As always, let me know if you spot a problem.

I have made a few minor changes in the Toolbar Tutorial:

• All maxVersion references have been bumped to 3.5.*
• The link to search the Firefox source code has been updated (from 1.8.0 to 1.9.1).

I will update the sample toolbar XPI later tonight to add support for the new Firefox 3.5 builds.