We wrote about an add-on, called Tab Utilities, for Firefox 5 that allows you to choose what displays on a new tab, among many other useful functions. By default, a blank page is displayed in Firefox when you open a new tab. Using Tab Utilities, you can change new tabs to open your homepage, a user-specified web page, or the default blank page. This functionality is also available in Firefox versions 4 and earlier using the New Tab Homepage add-on.
If you use Google Chrome rather than Firefox, a blank page is opened by default when you create a new tab. We found an extension called Custom new tab, that allows you to specify a URL you want to display when you open a new tab, rather than displaying a blank page.
To install Custom new tab, go to the following web page:
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/jbnkijekempmdlleaimfelifcejbkmcd.
Click the Install button on the above web page.
The extension is installed and a message displays when the installation is finished.
To set up your custom URL for new tabs, select Tools | Extensions from the wrench menu in the upper, right corner of the Chrome window.
A list of installed extensions displays on a new tab. Click the Options link under the description for the Custom new tab extension.
The options for the Custom new tab extension display on a new tab. Enter the URL you want displayed when you create a new tab in the URL edit box. Click Save.
To close the options for the Custom new tab extension, click the Close (X) button on the Custom new tab options tab.
Now, when you click the button to create a new tab, the URL you specified opens.
To open a blank page on a new tab again, simply open the options for Custom new tab again, delete the URL from the edit box, and save your changes.
by Lori Kaufman