| Greetings!
It looks like the heat wave has broken here in Michigan (and I'm crossing my fingers the drought has too!) Those of you still suffering in the heat south of us, know that the cooler Canadian air is trying to get to you. This morning, as I compose my monthly Timely Tips, I have my windows open and am listening to the morning breeze after the nice round of thundershowers early this morning (nice for everyone besides my dog that is -- she doesn't like the thunder, so I was up "dog whispering" at 4:30 this morning!)
I have a cool topic this month -- customizing your web browser so it can lead to greater productivity. Let's get to it!
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| "Applify" Your Web Browser Experience for Greater Productivity and Efficiency | This is ALWAYS the place to look for your Timely Tip!
I was browsing through LinkedIn the other day, and came across a great article shared by book marketing and social media maven Warren Whitlock on Ten Essential Extensions for Google Chrome. This immediately gave me a great idea for this month's Timely Tip -- a discussion on how web browsing is in the midst of a massive "sea change" in this day and age of "app insanity".
The article says that Google Chrome has now passed Internet Explorer as the world's most popular browser, and I can understand why. Google once again has "gotten it", by understanding how individual applications (more popularly referred to as "apps") can greatly enhance your web browsing experience -- making your web browser very similar to the experience you would have on your smart phone or tablet. I made the switch to Chrome as my primary browser from Firefox about 2-3 years ago (I still use Firefox for more private and secure browsing activities, with Chrome as my primary browser for general surfing activities). I liked the speed of the Chrome browser, the easy ability to track and find bookmarks by hitting "new tab", and the ability to load in customized shortcuts on my browser for my most used Google services (you HAVE to check out the link I just highlighted!!!)
Now, in one click on the Google Shortcut icon in my main Chrome Browser bar, I can launch Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Contacts, Google Drive (formerly Google Docs), Google Tasks, Google Search, Google+, Google Maps -- even Google Earth!! That is pretty amazing! (And this could conceivably allow you to consider going "All Google", using tabs in your browser in conjunction with your smart phone/tablet as a replacement to Microsoft Office and Outlook -- this is the basis of my fairly new and quite popular program on "Time Management in 'The Cloud' Using Google and Other Online Apps").
Like with their Android OS platform, Google has also allowed and encouraged the development of additional 3rd-party applications that can help you to customize your browsing experience (and yes, the other leading browsers including Firefox, Safari, and IE are doing the same.) When you go back up to the Ten Essential Extensions article above, you'll see the first two recommended applications, which I think are "must haves" for your browser:
Awesome Screenshot: this browser app allows you to quickly and easily take a screen capture of whatever is on your browser screen, to either be saved to a cloud location and/or saved locally on your computer. (To note, I found another app for the Firefox browser called FireShot that does basically the same thing. And of course, you can also use the Snipping Tool in your "Accessories" folder [starting with Windows Vista] to do quick and easy screen captures not just from your browser -- I use these tools ALL the time!)
I also recommend grabbing the Clipper Clipboard app that will allow you to clip articles and info from the web to be saved for later. (You can also use the Evernote Web Clipper extension that was featured in a previous Timely Tips [works on both Chrome and Firefox], as well as the similar Memonic web clipper for Firefox.) There is even an app that will push web articles to your Kindle e-book reader!
To Ponder: The bigger-picture point that I'm trying to make with this month's Timely Tips is that you need to break your old view of your browser as a place to simply view and receive content from the web and now look at it as a place to actually complete tasks and actions, run applications, play music and games (there are even Angry Birds and Cut the Rope apps for the Chrome browser now!), and even read your books (I just added the Kindle Cloud Reader app to my Chrome Browser this morning! Now I can read my Kindle e-books not only on my Kindle, but also on my Droid Bionic phone AND even my laptop using the Chrome browser!) The leading browsers are now emulating the best features and apps in your smart phones and tablets, thus meaning you can customize your web experience on WHATEVER web/cloud access device you are using: smart phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop! (And what do you bet these same capabilities will be coming soon to Internet-enabled TVs!?!) I strongly recommend going out to the Google Chrome store and the Firefox Add Ons site to look into new browser customizations to make the web "your own".
Share with me some of your favorite web browser apps and services, and we'll add these to upcoming Timely Tips. (Anybody shaking their head right now with a blown mind??? Yep -- everything you thought you knew just changed again.)
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| I've gone "Viral" on YouTube! |
This is pretty cool! Last month, I discovered that one of my YouTube videos went past 10,000 views! (It is now over 13,000 views!) It is a YouTube video I posted a little over a year ago on two of my favorite Outlook 2007 tips (yes, these tips work on Outlook 2010 too!): "Drag & Drop" and the use of "Auto Signatures". Can you guys help me get to 20,000 views? Take a look at the video here:
http://youtu.be/uLDAzHcHKZA
And please feel free to also share! (And possibly consider subscribing to my YouTube channel so you can receive immediate notification when I post new videos.)
Of interest, I have also made a series of 15 Outlook 2010 tutorial videos, saved at a higher resolution, averaging between 6 and 12 minutes in length, featuring my favorite Outlook 2010 tips and strategies. One of my clients requested these videos as an add on to a recent set of Taming the E-mail Beast and Optimizing Your Outlook courses I did for them, so their staff could reference these video tutorials after I did the full-form training sessions for them, thus allowing the staff to better retain and master these key Outlook productivity skills. They have posted these videos on their company intranet so their staff can view anytime, at their leisure. I think this is a very powerful way to really leverage the use of these web-based media technologies for staff skill development.
I made an arrangement with this client so that I can also offer these videos to other clients. If you are interested in learning more about how to share these "tidbit training videos" with your staff or team, please contact me. (Remember too that I also have full-length webinar recordings of both my Taming the E-mail Beast and Optimizing Your Outlook programs online and available for real-time streaming now too.) Contact me for more info on any and all of these options. (And, if you are wondering, yes, I would like to travel less and make more money.) ;-) |
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*******
I just finished a totally insane streak of 8 client programs in 16 days (and I thought summer was supposed to be my "slow season!") Thus, this is why I'm squeaking this month's Timely Tips in just under the time line. Look for me in August and September at the Alabama Governor's Council of Tourism event, the Federal Executive Board training program, University of Pittsburgh MBA Orientation, the UC Davis MBA Orientation, the Wisconsin Bankers Association conference, and U. Michigan and MSU's HRD groups.
Next week, I'm hopefully going to be in a beach chair with an ice cold beverage overlooking some gorgeous water scene in Northern Michigan, or climbing some big sand dune, or getting some exercise in my kayak. So don't expect another Timely Tips until at least mid-month!
(But please keep sharing your great ideas, tips, and apps. I believe that you, my readers and contributors, are now responsible for 30-40% of my topics each month! I love seeing this community continue to develop and share -- you have made this way more than just me!!)
Until next month, Stay Timely!
Randy Dean
Randall Dean Consulting & Training, LLC
or http://www.emailsanityexpert.com
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App of the Month
KAYAK
| KAYAK app -- available on Google Play, ITunes App Store, BlackBerry, and Windows Phones. It is also a web site to bookmark on your favorites list in your web browser.
KAYAK has quickly become my favorite place to search for web travel deals, and you can see why. They have combined the search results from Expedia, Travelocity, Hotels.com, and other leading travel web sites into a single user interface, giving you confidence that you are finding the absolute best deal.
I recently used Kayak to search for the best hotel deals in Chicago -- saved me $75. And, it helped me find a web fare on Delta that I couldn't find on Delta's own web site (that one saved my client nearly $300!)
On the web browser version, Kayak will even give you the option to actually launch separate tabs for your selected other travel search web sites (Expedia, Travelocity, etc.) Then, you can see on a single screen the results compiled in Kayak, but then tab over to the other sites to see their individual results too.
It is slick, and a must-have app/browser favorite for any business or leisure traveler looking for a better deal. |
| REALLY??? I'm now giving relationship advice??? | Do what I do long enough, and you'll get some surprising media and interview requests.
Earlier this month, the lead blogger at PlanetLoveMatch.com contacted me about blog post she was writing on how time management could either positively or negatively affect new or existing relationships.
Now, of course I don't dare proclaim myself a relationship expert (I'm sure my wife would vouch for that!), but I do think it was a pretty interesting discussion.
You can read the blog post here. All of you dating fools out there, Enjoy! ;-)
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| A Couple Bonus Articles |
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There is a little monthly e-newsletter that my wife makes sure I occasionally take a look at. This month, it has two articles of interest: one on page 3 that discusses the value of "real communication" in this "techno-communication" world, and another on page 6 with some good tips for managing e-mail insanity (a topic I obviously hold near and dear.)
Enjoy! |
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