Mozilla Dash hides the browser interface

Mozilla Labs Home Dash in action.
Source: Mozilla Mozilla's Home Dash add-on for the currently in beta Firefox 4 browser streamlines the browser user interface by replacing the status bar, bookmark bar, navigation buttons and URL bar with a single control, a translucent Firefox logo, that opens a control dashboard. Only the dedicated Firefox 4 menu button remains from the original interface.

Home Dash is a Mozilla Labs Prospector Project that Mozilla says is intended to emphasise the contents of the web page by hiding the control and navigation elements of the browser. Thumbnail views of multiple web pages make it possible to search by selecting from the pages on offer. Pointing at a thumbnail results in an instant, larger, page preview.

Mouse selection from the dashboard is supplemented by a number of hot-key combinations. With Dash closed, Ctrl (or Cmd) L opens Dash and when a page is selected, this is opened in the current tab. Ctrl (or Cmd) +T will open Dash and when a page is selected it will open in a new tab and Ctrl (or Cmd) + K will open Dash with the default search engine active. There are also hot keys for navigating through tabs and using cursor keys and enter navigates through search results. A full list of the hot keys is available in a Mozilla Tips and Troubleshooting for Home Dash 1 (and 2) blog post.

At present Home Dash is in the experimental stage so it is not recommended for production use. Home Dash 2 for Firefox 4 can be downloaded from the Mozilla Add-ons page.

(trk)