Five Apps: Note-taking add-ons for Firefox

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Five Apps: Note-taking add-ons for Firefox

By Jack Wallen January 9, 2014, 2:26 PM PST

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Five Apps: Note-taking add-ons for Firefox

Firefox note-taking add-ons

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There are times when you just need to quickly take a note, jotting down something you need to do or a thought that pops into your head that you don’t want to forget. Sure, you couldrnopen up a text editor or even text yourself that forgettable notion.rnBut when you’re already working within an application that offers the power ofrnadding easy note-taking features, why not take advantage of it?

Firefox is just that. With its powerful add-on system, yourncan include note-taking to the already long list of things Firefox do.

I have found five solid note-taking add-ons for you to try. Each offers thernvery basic feature of allowing you to take notes, while some offer just arnlittle bit more to entice you into usage. Let’s see which one suits your needsrnbest.

Figure A — Five Apps: Note-taking add-ons for Firefox

1. QuickNote

QuickNoternis a basic note-taking tool that offers but a few frills. Once it’s installed, yourncan enjoy tabs, browser/email integration, and auto-save. You can openrnQuickNote as a floating window, a sidebar (see the screenshot), or within a tab.

Figure B — Five Apps: Note-taking add-ons for Firefox

QuickNote Settings

Customization of QuickNote includes: Per-user note savingrnlocations, font type, background color, custom CSS styles, auto-save on Xthrncharacter, and more.

QuickNote has a single keyboard shortcut (Ctrl-F7) that you can customize to open QuickNote in its various forms (floating window,rnsidebar, or tab).

You can get to the QuickNote Settings through the Firefox Tools menu.

QuickNote is free and does require a restartrnupon installation.

Figure C — Five Apps: Note-taking add-ons for Firefox

2. UberNote toolbar

UberNote toolbar is an extension that requires a service and that you sign up for arnplan (which means you can access your notes from any supported browser).

ThernBasic (free) plan works well and offers unlimited note storage as well as:rnTags, note editor, auto-save, text search, UberMail (submit notes via privaternemail), UberMark (bookmarking applet), and UberClip (web clipping bookmarklet),rnmobile version, note sharing, attachments, backup notes, and more. The Premiumrnservice is $8.00 (USD) per month, and it adds SSL security encryption, no advertisements,rnfolders, larger attachments, and unlimited note revisions.

Once it’s installed, you’ll find a drop-down menu in your toolbar, where you canrnaccess the various features of UberNote.

Figure D — Five Apps: Note-taking add-ons for Firefox

UberNote Dashboard

To start working with UberNote, select Launch UberNote fromrnthe drop-down, and your Dashboard will open in a new tab.

Figure E — Five Apps: Note-taking add-ons for Firefox

3. Note Board

Note Board is another account-based application that opens inside a tab withinrnFirefox. This app is less like an extension and more of a bookmark for a webrnpage, but it’s still effective.

With Note Board, you can enjoy: Multiple boardsrn(assign a specific category per board), move notes between boards, share notes,rninsert YouTube videos onto boards, add links and pictures, add drawings, formatrnnotes, and much more. Once you’ve signed into your account, you can then beginrncreating notes on your Note Board.

Figure F — Five Apps: Note-taking add-ons for Firefox

Note Board functionality

You can rename your boards by clicking the Board button andrnthen clicking the edit icon for the board you want to rename.

You’ll notice the free account does includernadvertisements. To get rid of the ads, you’ll need to purchase a premium planrn(single payment of $1.99 here).

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Figure G — Five Apps: Note-taking add-ons for Firefox

4. QuickFox

QuickFox notes is a multi-tab note-taking extension for Firefox. This particular takernon the note-taking add-on uses either an integrated bookmarking systems orrnsqlite database to store notes. With it, you can either store your notes locallyrnor integrate them into a cloud-based storage solution.

Once it’s installed, arndrop-down menu will appear in the toolbar where you canrnaccess QuickFox.

Figure H — Five Apps: Note-taking add-ons for Firefox

QuickFox functionality

Click the drop-down, and you can define where yournwant QuickFox to open (in tab, new window, or application content). Click thernQuickFox button, and the QuickFox floating window will appear.

From the QuickFox window, you can access the main settings ofrnthe tool. Click the settings drop-down, and you can set up your cloud storagern(under Network) and much more.

QuickFox is free and requires a restart upon installation.

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Figure I — Five Apps: Note-taking add-ons for Firefox

5. FloatNotes

FloatNotes is one of the more interesting note-taking add-ons I’ve found. Whatrnthis handy little extension does is allow you to take notes on web pages — anywhere on the page. All you do is right-click where you want the note to bernand then select Add Note. A small window will appear wherernyou can add your note.

Figure J — Five Apps: Note-taking add-ons for Firefox

FloatNotes functionality

If you close the page, re-open the page… thernnote is still there! This makes it incredibly handy to take quick notes on arnweb site and be able to recall them later. Once a note has been taken, you canrnaccess the settings of that note by hovering over the note window.

You can also pin a particular note to a page, a site, orrneven globally (to all sites).

FloatNote is free and does require a restart uponrninstallation.

If you’re looking for a handy way to take notes from withinrnyour web browser (and who isn’t?), give one of these five note-takingrnapplications a try. There’s something for nearly everyone here and one of thesernapps should have you efficiently taking notes either about the sites you workrnwithin or just random thoughts you need to be able to quickly recall.

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By Jack Wallen

Jack Wallen is an award-winning writer for TechRepublic, The New Stack, and Linux New Media. He's covered a variety of topics for over twenty years and is an avid promoter of open source. For more news about Jack Wallen, visit his website jackwallen.

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