Notes on Salem Tribe #5: All Things Google

As we all know, Google has become a household name. When you want to search something on the internet, we Google it. Here are a few Google features and links we talked about at the last Salem Tribe.

1. GOOGLE CHROME

Google Chrome is amazing. It’s the fastest, most reliable internet browser in my opinion. Though it doesn’t have quite the extension amount of plug-in integration as Firefox, it is definitely on its way to dominating the browser scene.

Some of the benefits of Chrome are:

    SPEED: I’ve noticed that Chrome is unmatched when it comes to browser speed and almost twice as fast as Mozilla Firefox.

    USER INTERFACE: Chrome, like Opera, has integrated a Most Visited Bookmarks section on what they call the New Tab page. This has some great features, such as: the ability to move the thumbnails around, delete pages, or to permanently keep a bookmark on the homepage. There are also several options to customize Chrome to suit your needs.

    SYNC BOOKMARKS: The ability to sync the same set of bookmarks on multiple computers. When you enable sync, your bookmarks will get stored online in your Google Account. Each additional computer on which you enable sync will receive the same bookmarks.

    EXTENSIONS: Just like Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox, Chrome has an abundance of open-source extensions (add-ons) for the browser. Some of which can be very helpful to our everyday web experience. As an example, here are a few helpful extensions:

• Send from Gmail (Extension)
- Get rid of Outlook once and for all. With the “Send to Gmail” extension for Google Chrome, you’ll be able to click on any email address on any webpage and send an email directly from your Gmail account – bypassing that pesky little program called Outlook.

Side note: Google has some great ways to integrate your old Outlook email and Outlook Calendar accounts into Google apps. I recommend using one of these methods.

Google Email Uploader: Email Uploader is a desktop app that will help you move your existing email (including old saved mail) to Gmail. Though it takes a small bit of time connecting to the different email servers, it’s an easy process that anyone could do on their own.

If you’d like to transfer your old Outlook calendar to Google Calendar, here are links to a few tutorials to accomplish that as well. Please click here or click here.

Here are a few more example extensions that Google Chrome offers:

• Google Calendar Checker (Extension)
- But since we’re talking about Google Calendar, Chrome also has an extension for that called Google Calendar Checker. It displays a small button in Chrome so that you can quickly see the time until your next meeting. Click the button to open your calendar.

• Firebug Lite for Chrome (Extension)
- For my web developer / designer friends, here is an extension that started as Firefox development tool but has been converted to fit into Chrome. By default, Chrome has some basic editing developer tools, but if you are used to using Firebug, like myself, then there are several great extensions to suit your needs.

• Google Wave Notifier (Extension)
- After you’ve figured out what Google Wave is all about, you’ll be able to see just how many unread Waves you have. This is a great little extension for Wave users. We’ll get back to Google Wave in just a moment.

So, there are plenty of benefits from using Google Chrome. It’s the third most popular browser and is only a year and a half old. The creative team behind Chrome and due to its open-source platform, it’s only bound to get better and better as the years go by.

2. GOOGLE WAVE

What happens when Email and Instant Messaging have a baby? You get Google Wave. This new tool from Google has been referred to as “what email would look like if it were invented today”. Google Wave offers live collaboration, media sharing, and tons of useful widgets. Wave is best suited for those in collaborative environments.

You can request an invite to Google Wave from Google, or if you’re really nice and leave a comment we’ll send one to you (be sure to leave your email).

3. GOOGLE VOICE LOCAL SEARCH (GOOG-411)

GOOG-411 is often a gem that gets overlooked. 411 services, a feature that usually costs $1.50 per call, is something that a lot of people use. Why not take advantage of this valuable tool that Google has made available, especially since it’s free.

Don’t take my word for it. Here’s a video.

Save the 1-800 number in your phone and use it as much as you want. If you have kids with cell phones, save it in their phone as well, then disable the standard 411 feature by calling your provider. It’s a great way to save a ton of money, especially if you tend to use it as much as I do.

4. GOOGLE SMS

In addition to GOOG-411, Google offers a free SMS search query service. Just type in a query (example: pizza 97301) to 466453 (Google) and Google will send back a list, sometimes 2 or 3 messages, with the closest results in your area. There is no change for this feature, but data rates may apply.

5. GOOGLE’S NOTABLE MENTIONS

• Google Mobile
- It’s evident that mobile devices and applications are increasing by the number and it’s also evident that the overwhelming popularity of having access to things such as email and the internet on your handheld device is ensuring it’s long and successful future. Google Mobile has tapped into this platform and has implemented some great features for those who use SmartPhones. Some of these features include: Gmail, YouTube, and Google Maps. You can access these through their mobile site, or download the applications directly on your phone.

• Google Googles
- “Google Goggles” is an object recognition application that is currently running in beta. You take a picture from your cell phone and iti runs through their image recognition backend and they send you the result. The downside is that Google currently is only supporting it on phones that run Android 1.6+. This is a feature I would love to see become available on more platforms.

• Google Docs
- I won’t spend a lot of time on Google Docs but I will say that it’s incredible. Currently they are implementing the option to upload and store documents, up to 1gb for free, with the ability to access them from anyway. You’ll be able to purchase more space if desired, but it’s not necessary.

• Google Moderator
- Just like the name, Moderator is a platform for getting a discussion started, allowing feedback, questions and suggestions from your audience. This would specifically be helpful for events or groups such as Salem Tribe, churches, or businesses wanting input from clients or attendees.

• Google Reader
- Google Reader is an online feed reader, allowing you to keep track of all the websites/blogs that you follow. Google Reader is also available as a gadget extension for Google Desktop, so Desktop would need to be installed to run this gadget.

• Picasa
- Picasa is Google’s version of a photo viewer and editor. Though I’ve never personally used Picasa, I have heard that some of the features are second to none, especially the feature which allows you to short and edit images based on facial recognition.

• Knol
- Knol is a Google project that includes user-generated articles on different topics. Anyone can sign in and share their knowledge on any particular topic and others can comment and share their thoughts. Some people say that it’s Google way of competing with Wikipedia, but unlike Wikipedia, Knol cannot be changed by anyone but the original author. Knol is a tool for finding user opinions but, to me, it needs a little more refining in order to compete with Wikipedia.

• Google Trends
- Google has a neat little search option that allows you to tracks modern search trends. There seem to be several reasons why people use trends but the most common, to me, has been for the benefit of their own blog. Track the trends and blog about things that people are searching for should help attract new readers to your blog.

6. HOW TO GET MORE OUT OF GOOGLE SEARCH

Google Search is the most popular and efficient search engine out today and it’s only getting better. There are a lot of hidden features inside Google Search that you might find highly useful. Here are a few:

• Search for Specific File Types
If you’re looking for a specific file type, like PDF or DOC, all you need to do is type in your search word and after that type in “ext:” and the type of extension you’re wanting. For example:

photography ext:pdf

You can also achieve the same results when searching Google Images:

hello ext:png

• Search for Word Definitions
Google Dictionary is another great application. You can visit the site directly or you can find the definition of any word simply by typing “define:” directly into the search window.

define: avatar

• Find the Time for Any Location Worldwide
Say that you’re friend is vacationing in Italy or your cousin is serving in Iraq. Find the time instantly through Google search by adding the word “time” before a specific location.

time Salem Oregon

• Find the Weather of Any Location Worldwide
Just like finding the time, you can also search for weather for any specific location.

weather Salem Ma

• Calculate Using Your Browser
There’s also no need for you to open up your calculator program anymore. Just type your equation into Google Search (or in the address bar if you are using Chrome) and they calculate your equation on the spot.

View these websites for more tips and tricks. Click here or click here.

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