Apps for your web browser
Google
Chrome can be a lot more than just your gateway to the Internet—the correct set
of add-ons can make it even more productive
Google
Chrome is a tremendously popular Web browser. Research by Web analytics firm
Netmarketshare in June showed it has a global market share of 48.65%, with
Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and Edge, Mozilla’s Firefox, Opera and Vivaldi
fighting for the rest of the pie.
But
Google Chrome is much more than just a Web-browsing app. It has its own app
store, called the Chrome Web Store, from where you can download apps and
extensions that can be bolted on to the Chrome browser on your PC or Mac
computer, adding functionality to the browser. For most tasks and purposes, the
Chrome ecosystem, with its add-ons, can be a wholesome computing environment in
itself. But if you want an even better browsing experience, try these free apps
and extensions.
Google Docs
Google
Docs is pretty much the ultimate app for any professional, since it is a
capable alternative to the Microsoft Office suite. The Google Docs suite allows
you to edit, view and create new documents, spreadsheets and presentations from
within the Web browser. You can open any file created in the Office suite and
edit it here. The fact that Google has integrated the Drive cloud storage makes
this even more productive.
Gmail Offline
It
might be one of the most popular email services, but one of the headaches of
Gmail is that when you are accessing it through a browser, it is mainly a Web
service—you need to be connected to the Internet to access your mailbox and get
new mails. And that is exactly the problem that this extension tries to
overcome. It synchronizes with your Gmail account when you first use it and,
thereafter, works just like an offline client within your browser. Though it
will download and send new mails when you go online again, what it will let you
do is search through your mails and read them even when you are not connected
to the Internet. The extension is still in the beta-testing phase, but it’s
worth a try.
Kindle Cloud Reader
The
jury may still be out on the popularity of e-books, but one cannot deny the
sheer convenience that they provide—allowing people to read books without
having to carry them around physically. And if you add Kindle’s Cloud Reader to
your Chrome browser, you will be able to access your library and read any book
from your e-book collection right within the browser. The feature set allows
you to tweak fonts, make notes, insert bookmarks and check the meanings of
words from a dictionary, just as you can on a regular Kindle e-book reader.
Momentum
Opening
a new tab in a browser can be a relatively routine experience. Momentum ensures
that it isn’t. When you click on a new tab, what you get is a colourful
background image, a weather update, an inspiring quote, links to your favourite
websites, and your to-do list for the day. Definitely a step up from the
default blank “new tab” that you see on Web browsers.
Hover Zoom+
This
is the perfect addition for those who find themselves squinting at the
thumbnail-sized images on some websites. This app allows you to see an enlarged
version of the image (you can specify how much in the settings) whenever you
hover your mouse over it. It’s a great option for social networking and
e-shopping addicts who hate to click on images and wait for their enlarged
versions to load.
MightyText
Pretty
much a must-have app/extension if you use an Android phone as well, MightyText
allows you to send and receive text and multimedia messages from your Chrome
browser instead of your phone. You can see your Android app notifications, sync
the photographs on your phone, even get alerts when your phone is running low
on battery. This is pretty much the app for those who do not want to be
distracted every time the phone rings.
Noisli
Noisli
ensures that you have just the right ambient noises to help you get along with
your work, whether it is the sound of birds trilling in the forest or the sound
of raindrops. All you need to do is tap an icon for peace to descend. You can
even create your own blend of sounds.
Gestures for Google Chrome
If
you would like to add gesture support to your browser, just download this handy
little app, specify the gestures you would like on the PC’s touch pad and the
tasks these gestures should execute. So you can make a three-finger swipe shut
all open tabs except for the one you are currently browsing. Or ensure another
gesture opens a blank tab in the background. It is a bit geeky, but very handy
once you get the hang of it.
WHAT ABOUT ANDROID APPS?
Reports
suggest that Google is thinking of allowing Android apps—at least some of them—to
run within the Chrome browser. There are some apps that already let you do this
(including Google’s Arc Welder tool), but given the fact that Google is
extending the Google Play store to Chrome OS devices such as the Google
Chromebook, chances are Google will allow Android apps on the Chrome browser
officially too. You will, of course, need a PC with a touch screen for optimum
use—Android apps are tailored for touch controls.
Regards
Pralhad
Jadhav
Senior
Manager @ Library
Khaitan
& Co
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