Cooliris

Wednesday, Jun 23, 2010

A single click on a browser icon lets you search web and desktop photos, videos and content in a high-speed presentation. Scroll an infinite “3D Wall” of Facebook photos, Google Images, YouTube, Flickr, and more.

A little bit of lingo to learn with this one. With all appropriate props to Pink Floyd, the Cooliris add-on is most easily discussed when you can get comfy with the term “the Wall”. It gets a cap “W”, and is the center of your world on Cooliris.

In some ways the add-on is just an easy introduction to the total Cooliris web experience. But as a Firefox user on a PC, you get a link that’s built into your browser bar, just to the right of the search field. One click takes you to your Cooliris webpage:

If normal Web browsing feels like walking (and sometimes a brisk jog?), Cooliris is like flying. It’s the bird’s-eye view of your normal search, with images whizzing at you at top speed. I use a PC, but occasionally peer over the shoulder of a Mac user, and I feel like some of this looks familiar. Either way, there’s no doubt that if you think in pictures, Cooliris is worth a look.

You’ll need to set up an account, but that’s pretty easy:


Cooliris connects you to things based on four different categories.

Channels: with a few exceptions, think TV, movies, games, etc.

Shopping: ecommerce that’s all based on imagery, making online shopping a bit more like a day at the mall.

Favorites: this is all about what you designate; nice to see a favorites feature in line with other common categories.

My Computer: Cooliris gets direct access to the pictures and image files on your desktop and lines them up in a quick-action slideshow

So let’s give it a whirl…

I search Google Images for “Rome” through Cooliris, and a flurry of pics are hurled at me from the ether. The three tiny icons in the bottom right (see above) let me share, mark the image as a favorite, or whisk me off to the webpage.

Plain and simple, Cooliris is a visual way of navigating the web, social networks, or your desktop. Pictures are king. So if you’re that person who needs to see it to believe it, this add-on could change your world.

Post from Elise Allen, who ducked the first few times Cooliris returned her search results. See all posts by Elise Allen.

23 comments

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  1. Rela

    Cooliris is truly cool but it’s also a RAM and CPU eater :(

    June 23rd, 2010 at 7:54 pm

    Reply

  2. Cho chang

    Dear Sir/Madame:

    I was very excited to try Cooliris right now and as i click on download, and after waiting the downloading, i got a message saying that my Mozilla firefox version wasnt compatible with the Cooliris (WINNT_x86-msvc ) I downloaded the latest Mozilla Firefox version and still it doesnt works. What should I do? Please let me know!

    Thank You !

    Cho Chang

    June 23rd, 2010 at 8:57 pm

    Reply

    1. rOjo

      I am having the same error. Im trying to install it on a Windows 7 Enterprise 64-bit OS. Im running Mozilla 3.6.7.

      Thanks

      July 21st, 2010 at 1:42 pm

      Reply

    2. Matthew Stultz

      Apparently this cooliris download is for 3.6.6.

      If you want a download that will work with the latest Firefox version go to the cooliris official website.

      >>>>http://www.cooliris.com<<<&lt;

      you should have no problem get it to work on Firefox 3.6.7.

      July 21st, 2010 at 5:18 pm

      Reply

  3. Michael

    I attempted to download this but when it finished downloading, it said it could not download (?), it also said it wasn’t compatible with something or other, which I didn’t catch because I closed the window like a fool :( . This looks like an interesting add on and I would love to at least try it out, please help! :)
    Sincerely,
    Michael

    June 24th, 2010 at 7:10 pm

    Reply

    1. Rela

      I suggest you to try this: in the Cooliris’s page, right click on the button “Add to Firefox”, choose “FlashGot Link” (if you use FlashGot) or “Copy link location” then paste the link into your downloader to download the add-on manually. Then open the downloaded xpi file by choose File -> Open File….

      I often do this when having problem with installing add-ons.

      June 26th, 2010 at 5:38 am

      Reply

  4. Blueprint Media Design

    cool extension, i simply love it!

    June 25th, 2010 at 9:00 am

    Reply

  5. Russell Painton

    This dos not allow itself to be installed in Firefox 3.6.4

    June 25th, 2010 at 10:03 am

    Reply

    1. Jeff

      I am sorry you are having issues! What is the specific error that you are receiving?

      Does this issue continue if you install Firefox 3.6.6?

      -The Cooliris Team

      July 1st, 2010 at 1:37 pm

      Reply

  6. Eddie Sheaffer

    Nice Program lots of steps ahead of anything else on the market. I enjoy using it although I have my moments when the brain has to kick in and allow me to think things through. Thank you, Eddie

    June 25th, 2010 at 12:07 pm

    Reply

  7. Brian wulf

    I was told it couldn’t install; incompatible w/browser (x86…). I’m running XP and Firefox 3.6.4. ‘Nuff said.

    June 25th, 2010 at 1:19 pm

    Reply

    1. Jeff

      Thanks for bringing up this issue. Does the issue persist with Firefox 3.6.6?

      Which other add-ons do you have installed?

      July 1st, 2010 at 1:38 pm

      Reply

  8. Kim Schlling

    Same error as privius – ff 3.6.6

    June 29th, 2010 at 1:36 am

    Reply

  9. Nick

    Clunky UI – Keep it simple, people – Keep it light! I just want flashy OSX style media browsing. Images – Video – SWF – FLV done!

    June 30th, 2010 at 11:24 pm

    Reply

  10. Cliff Cox

    Does Mozilla have Document writing pages??

    July 2nd, 2010 at 6:28 am

    Reply

  11. skywalkin420

    I have figured out how to install CoolIris with Firefox 3.6.6, at first I could not because it said it was not compatible. If you just Google search the word “cooliris”, and under the first link you will see a “download” link. Click on that and it will bring you to the CoolIris downloads page. Just click on the first one, allow it, download, install, and restart Firefox, and it should all be good. I hope this helps anyone who was having problems.

    July 9th, 2010 at 11:43 pm

    Reply

  12. Phelps

    You may also like to check out SpaceTime at http://www.spacetime.com. SpaceTime offers 3D Search for Google Web Search, eBay product search, Google Images, RSS and YouTube.

    July 12th, 2010 at 2:18 pm

    Reply

  13. caroline

    I tried to download “cooliris” and I received this error message… “Cooliris” could not be installed because it is not compatible with your Firefox build type (WINNT_x86-msvc). Please contact the author of this item about the problem”

    What can I do to properly download this app?

    July 21st, 2010 at 5:27 am

    Reply

  14. Ulianov

    I’ve used it time ago and really like it, but this time I got a msg saying that my MF version isn’t compatible with Cool iris… so I expect that developers get a release taking care about this…

    Anyway, I recommend this add-on

    cheers

    July 21st, 2010 at 5:58 pm

    Reply

  15. pandit

    why is it there on add ons page if it is not compatible
    why we should go somewhere else to download
    i am unable to install since its not compatible with firefox
    i have windows xp thats why ?
    ff 3.6.7

    July 22nd, 2010 at 8:29 am

    Reply

  16. Amy

    Has anyone found a solution to the “”Cooliris” could not be installed because it is not compatible with your Firefox build type (WINNT_x86-msvc). Please contact the author of this item about the problem.” problem? I just downloaded the latest version of FF and tried to download Cooliris and got the above response.

    Amy

    July 22nd, 2010 at 2:08 pm

    Reply

  17. Nuno

    A nice suggestion, but the need for registration is a big no for me. If one had to create an account for all the addons one has… Well, I guess it’s the new “cloud” hype. :P

    July 22nd, 2010 at 5:52 pm

    Reply

  18. Ted

    This plugin actually takes less RAM and CPU than many other images plugins I have used. And it looks pretty too :) Definitely would recommend

    August 20th, 2010 at 3:59 pm

    Reply

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