Google Reader in Firefox: iPhone Edition Sidebar Integration
Integrating Google Reader iPhone Edition with Firefox Sidebar
For users who appreciate both Google Reader and the Firefox browser, a seamless integration is achievable. The iPhone version of Google Reader functions exceptionally well within the Firefox sidebar, and with some minor adjustments, the experience can be significantly enhanced.
Customization Options
Several customizations are possible, including header removal, selection of a preferred start page, font size adjustments, and excerpt suppression. These changes result in a streamlined, clean list view.
Adding Google Reader to the Firefox Sidebar
To begin, right-click on the bookmarks bar and select "New Bookmark." You can either assign a name to the bookmark or leave the field blank. Then, enter the following URL into the location field:
http://www.google.com/reader/i/
Ensure the "Load this bookmark in the sidebar" checkbox is selected to complete the process.
Upon clicking the newly created bookmark, the Reader interface will appear within the sidebar.
Specifying a Default Tag or Page
By default, the bookmark opens to the "all items" view. For users with extensive subscriptions, this can be inefficient. To open Reader with a specific tag selected, follow these steps.
Navigate to the desired tag within the sidebar. Then, right-click in an empty area of the page and select "View Page Info."
The direct URL for that page will be displayed. Copy this URL to your clipboard.
You can then use this URL to create a new bookmark, or modify the existing one.
The bookmark will now consistently open to your preferred page.
Visual Enhancements with Stylish
Further customization requires the Stylish extension, or the creation of a userContent.css file within your Firefox theme directory.
Removing the Blue Border
The Google Reader logo includes an unwanted blue border. This can be removed using a Stylish script.
Open the Stylish extension, choose "Write Style," and then select "Blank Style."
Assign a descriptive name to the style and paste the following code:
@namespace url(http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml);
@-moz-document url-prefix(http://www.google.com/reader/i) {
.logo img {border:0px !important;}
}
Click the preview button to verify the changes.
Removing the Header Entirely
To eliminate the header image completely, modify the Stylish script to:
@namespace url(http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml);
@-moz-document url-prefix(http://www.google.com/reader/i) {
.logo {display:none !important;}
}
Preview the changes to confirm the header's removal.
Adjusting Font Size
The iPhone site's font size may be too large for some users. Add the following line to the Stylish script to reduce it:
* {font-size:0.97em !important; }
The complete script should now read:
@namespace url(http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml);
@-moz-document url-prefix(http://www.google.com/reader/i) {
.logo {display:none !important;}
* {font-size:0.97em !important; }
}
This results in a more readable, compact view.
Displaying Headlines Only
To display only headlines in the list view, add the following to your script:
span.item-snippet {display:none !important;}
span.item-source-title{font-size:0.9em !important}
This creates a highly functional sidebar application.
Complete Stylish Script
Here is the final version of the script, incorporating the removal of the logo bar, reduced font size, and headline-only display:
@namespace url(http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml);
@-moz-document url-prefix(http://www.google.com/reader/i) {
.logo {display:none !important;}
* {font-size:0.97em !important; }
span.item-snippet {display:none !important;}
span.item-source-title{font-size:0.9em !important}
}
These modifications demonstrate the power and flexibility of the Stylish extension.
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