BetterHomepage **v1.50** is a major architectural overhaul. We


completely transitioned the extension core from React 19 to
SolidJS, slashing bundle size by over 72%, eliminating the
Virtual DOM, and engineering cold-start latency down to near-zero
for instantaneous new tab launches (Ctrl + T).

---

## 🚀 Highlights & Performance Gains

### 1. SolidJS Core Migration (Zero Virtual DOM)
* **>72% Smaller JavaScript Footprint:** Bundle size dropped


from 251.5 kB down to 69.3 kB uncompressed (21.2 kB
gzip).
* Fine-Grained DOM Reactivity: Replaced React component re-
renders with reactive signals (createSignal, createMemo,
createEffect). The 1-second digital clock now updates only
its specific text node in the DOM, keeping memory footprint and
garbage collection near zero.
* Microsecond Cold Starts: Solid compiles JSX directly into
native HTML templates cloned with template.cloneNode(true),
eliminating React Fiber scheduler initialization on tab launch.

### 2. Zero-FOUC Instant Theme Engine
* Replaced deferred module loading with a synchronous, CSP-


compliant external script (theme-init.js) loaded in .
* Themes are evaluated and applied to before CSS
paints, eliminating dark/light theme flashes (Flash of Unstyled
Content).
* Synchronized activeMode and theme storage keys across all
themes (Onyx, Amethyst, Emerald, Solar, Wallpaper).

### 3. Asynchronous Fonts & Offline Independence
* Removed the render-blocking Google Fonts `@import url(...)` in


CSS that stalled new tab opens on slower connections.
* Added non-blocking font loading with <link rel="preconnect">
and display=swap.
* Introduced a high-performance system font fallback stack (ui-
sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, Roboto...) so text renders
in 0 milliseconds, even completely offline or in airplane mode.

### 4. Zero-Dependency Native SVG Icon Suite
* Replaced bulky runtime icon packages with a dedicated,


statically compiled Solid SVG icon system (Icons.jsx).
* Pure SVG DOM cloning with zero runtime innerHTML operations,
ensuring strict compliance with Firefox Manifest V3 Content
Security Policies (CSP).

### 5. Keyboard-First UX & Fluid Animations
* **Instant Autofocus:** Search bar automatically captures


keyboard focus on tab launch—press Ctrl + T and start typing
immediately without reaching for your mouse.
* Hardware Acceleration: Upgraded the Cybermind watermark
breathing animation to use translate3d GPU-accelerated layers,
reducing idle CPU usage.
* Input Validation Feedback: Implemented missing @keyframes
shake and .animate-shake CSS for immediate visual feedback on
invalid or empty queries.

We are excited to launch BetterHomepage by SYN606 as a fully production-ready Firefox extension! Built with React and Tailwind CSS, this release brings a glassmorphism dashboard experience to your browser's New Tab page.

• Firefox Manifest V3 Compliance: Complete migration to Mozilla's latest WebExtension standard (manifest_version: 3) for improved performance, security, and long-term browser compatibility.
• Unified ThemeManager: Centralized control system for dynamic theme toggling, color scheme persistence, and custom wallpaper management.
• Zero-Flicker Hydration: Optimized inline theme initialization scripts to ensure smooth rendering upon opening a new tab.
• Modern Desktop UI: Clean, glassmorphism design built using Tailwind CSS for sub-millisecond tab opens.

• Strict Content Security Policy (CSP): Full compliance with Firefox's script execution policies by externalizing JavaScript execution and removing inline scripts.
• Data Privacy: Explicit data_collection_permissions settings configured (required: []), ensuring zero unwanted data tracking or collection.
• Custom Gecko Branding: Registered unique extension identity (betterhomepage@syn606) within browser_specific_settings.

• Packaged and built using Bun and Vite.
• Verified via Mozilla's official web-ext linter with 0 Errors.

BetterHomepage — Changelog



UI Improvements

• Refined Hero section with smaller title, better clock visibility, stronger blur, and cleaner spacing
• Improved Background Manager with subtle wallpaper blur and stronger readability overlay
• Rebuilt Widget Hub into a cleaner weather-focused floating panel
• Upgraded Google Services launcher with more shortcuts and better app launcher UI
• Improved onboarding flow with guided homepage setup and clearer Firefox instructions

Search System Upgrade

• Rebuilt Search Bar into a smarter command-based search system
• Added quick commands like yt, wiki, map, gh, gm, calc, notes, and todo
• Added categorized Advanced Search (Google Dorks) with cleaner column layout
• Removed keyboard shortcut dependency and search history clutter
• Improved engine selector UI with descriptions and better scaling

Search Architecture Improvements

• Expanded search engines with GitHub, Reddit, Stack Overflow, Maps, and Gemini
• Improved input parsing for URLs, IPs, localhost, commands, and protocol handling
• Upgraded Search Brain with smarter routing for CVEs, emails, usernames, IPs, and commands
• Added better OSINT-style lookup behavior and cleaner fallback search logic

Firefox Extension Release Fixes

• Fixed manifest validation issues for Firefox Add-ons
• Added correct browser_specific_settings and data_collection_permissions
• Fixed AMO extension ID mismatch and versioning issues
• Finalized Bun + Arch Linux + web-ext packaging workflow
• Prepared clean release build for Firefox Add-ons submission

Final Result

BetterHomepage is now a much stronger premium productivity homepage with:

• smarter search
• cleaner UI
• better onboarding
• polished widgets
• stronger Firefox extension support

Release Version

v1.20.0

BetterHomepage — UI & Widget Update

Summary

This release focuses on visual consistency, interaction quality, and cleanup of the clock, weather, and control widgets.
The widget system now behaves as a unified, minimal UI instead of separate components.



Changes

Clock Widget

• Removed 12H / 24H label clutter
• Minute-aligned updates (no drift)
• Subtle pulse on minute change
• Improved accessibility and keyboard support
• Cleaner typography with tabular numerals
• Unified compact and normal styles

Weather Widget

• IP-based location detection on first load
• Persistent city selection
• Detailed hover info (temperature, wind, direction, location)
• Refresh every 30 minutes
• Subtle glow on update
• Safer error handling

Widget Panel

• Column-based layout
• Equal spacing and alignment
• Tighter gaps and reduced visual noise
• Cleaner dividers with synced pulse
• Persistent toggle states

UI / Styling

• Reduced excessive transparency
• Unified blur, borders, and shadows
• Consistent hover and active feedback
• Respects reduced-motion preferences
• Removed experimental visual bloat

Fixes

• Fixed invisible weather modal
• Fixed undefined handlers
• Corrected spacing and alignment issues
• Stabilized minute pulse timing
• Reduced unnecessary re-renders

Whats New 🔥:
• Brand new customizable New Tab experience
• Dynamic greeting based on time of day
• Smart search bar with multiple engines and URL detection
• Built-in advanced search operators (dorking shortcuts)
• Live weather widget with location control
• Compact clock widget with 12h / 24h toggle
• Editable pinned shortcuts with local storage
• Background manager with blur, random images, and uploads
• First-run onboarding for homepage setup
• Clean, minimal UI optimized for focus

Multiple Issues are fixed -
1. better UX on widgets
2. better USER welcome messages
3. better searchBox