If you are a web worker as I am, your time is precious. If you don’t work you don’t get paid. As such you need to be as productive as you can. That being said there is room for other things as well.
Plus, if you are like me, you work from more than one computer which can make it difficult to have all your settings and stuff on both computers.
But this is where Google can be quite helpful. If you aren’t as concerned about privacy then Google can be quite helpful at not only helping you get organized, but also helpful for keeping you productive and connected.
These are 5 of my favorite Google applications:
10 Google History
I know many privacy conscious users aren’t going to like this but I love Google history. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve come across a site a few days ago that I need to go back to only to find that it’s no longer in my browser history.
Plus Google History is searchable which means I don’t have to scan through days and days of history, I just need to type in a search query much like a regular Google search. One drawback I’ve found is that I tend to remember more of what the site looks like, than what it says. So the search can be a little limited that way.
9 Google Browser Sync
Again, there are privacy issues but if you are like me and work on both a desktop computer and a laptop computer this is a life saver.
You can configure Browser Sync to securely sync up your cookies, passwords, bookmarks, history, tabs and windows every time you browse the web. That way if you see a page you like on one computer and then switch computers you can reload that same window with little effort.
Setting it up is a breeze and the best part is, because data is again stored on Google servers, it is easily transferable.
If you get a new computer, simply install the extension and within a few minutes your brand new computer has your browsing history, passwords and cookies. No more straining your brain trying to remember them!
8 Google Bookmarks
This is a great extension to have, especially if you have the Google Toolbar and Browser Sync installed. Essentially it is a web based version of your browser bookmarks. And, as with many Google products, it allows you to tag your bookmarks into different (and if you like, multiple) categories, or tags.
Your bookmarks are accessible both via the bookmark toolbar button, or through Google’s own web based bookmark interface, allowing you to easily add, remove or manage them.
7 Google Toolbar
This is a must for me. Not only does it provide essential information such as PageRank and other SEO related information, but the latest edition of the toolbar allows you to have custom buttons. In addition to adding buttons for Gmail, Google Docs, Google Calendar and every other Google service, you can create custom buttons. And that process is super easy. Especially if the site has a search box.
For example, let’s say you wanted to add a Facebook button. Simply log into Facebook, right click on the search box and select “generate custom search.” This will generate the button you need for Facebook and it will appear in your Google Toolbar.
Another cool part about these custom buttons is that since they are search based, you can search with them. Simply type your search into the Google search box, and instead of pressing the Google button, or enter, press the button corresponding to the service you’d like.
6 Google Notebook
This is, again, a very useful application especially if you find yourself switching computers. As the name suggests you can note things and store them online. Whether you type in notes, like a daily to-do list, or save an entire web page, this Google product is very useful.
Better yet, when you install the Google Notebook extension for Firefox you have instant access to all your saved notes with a single click.
You can save things a few ways. As suggested above, simply typing them in works. But if you want to save web content you can also do that by either highlighting the text you want to save, then right click and select “note this”, or to save the whole page, simply right click anywhere on the page and select “note this.”
Be sure to check my next article for my top 5 Google applications.
