14 DAY TRIAL // Digg has been evolving fast in the past year and it’s not done yet. It has several new revenue streams which should keep it in the clear financially, at least for now, and it's making some deep changes to the service in order to counter new threats like Twitter. One way is with the newish Digg API which significantly widened the options for developers to interact with the site, a smart move judging by how much success Twitter has had with a similar approach. Now Digg decided to show off some of the capabilities of the new API by releasing a couple of extensions, one for Firefox, one for Chrome, built using it.
"A month ago, we announced new capabilities that let developers create writable applications with the Digg API. We decided to put this to work ourselves and update our original Firefox Extension and also create a new Google Chrome extension at the same time. In both cases, you can now Digg stories as you browse the web, without having to come back to the Digg site each time," Digg's Chris Howard wrote.
First up, the Google Chrome Digg extension, seeing as it’s a new release. Instead of just reheating the ideas from the Digg toolbar for Firefox, the team started from the ground up with Digg for Chrome and it shows. The extension is as typical as they get, borrowing all the encouraged design and functionality tips from great Chrome add-ons.
It adds a small button to the toolbar, next to all the other extensions, like Gmail Checker, if you have any. The button shows the Digg count for the page you are visiting and looks completely integrated with Chrome's UI elements. Clicking on it allows you to share the link on a number of services like Twitter, Facebook or via email and obviously allows you to digg it.
The Firefox toolbar actually takes a few cues from the Chrome extension. By default, the Digg add-on just adds a button to the regular Firefox toolbar. Clicking on it reveals the extended Digg toolbar which enables you to do the regular things like digg a story or share it on Twitter, Facebook or by email.
Digg for Chrome is available for download here. Digg Toolbar for Firefox is available for download here.