Tag Archives: Chrome

Internet, Social Media

Blogging, Social Media and SEO within Google Chrome: 15 Best Extensions

 

When you’re a blogger, there are simply too many tasks you need to perform on a daily basis, from finding the right topics to link building and much, much more. However, the functionalities in your web browser can help in performing these daily tasks conveniently. Considering how Google Chrome is by far the most popular browser on the planet (according to StatCounter, almost 50% of people accessed the Internet using Chrome from October 2015 to October 2016), we’ll take a look at some of the most useful extensions, that will make your job easier.

Blogging Extensions

1. Pocket

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If you want to know just how good Pocket is, just look at its credentials: in 2014. Pocket won a Webbly award for best productivity and it now has a user base of over 15 million people worldwide. It’s a rather simple tool that allows to save numerous articles, videos and notes for later reference.

2. Grammarly

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While every version of Microsoft Word will keep your spelling in check, but when you write online, most of us make spelling and grammar mistakes regularly, mostly because we’re trying to type as fast as we can. Thankfully, Grammarly will ensure that you never make a typo again and end up looking stupid because of misplacing a couple of letters. It also scans your text for proper use of more than 250 advanced grammar rules in real-time.

3. Fireshot

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If you want something that will eliminate the mundane print-paste-edit routine, and quickly grab screenshots of websites and save them as a JPEG, GIF or a PDF from within Google Chrome, then Fireshot is the right extension for you. You’ll be able to capture both entire pages and just visible parts, and it’ll even allow you to add comments, blur selected areas and apply other effects to your captures.

4. Google Publisher Toolbar

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The Publisher Toolbar is designed to assist web publishers view data about their Ad Exchange, AdSense and DC for Publisher accounts from a single dashboard within the Chrome browser. You can also block any unsuitable creative you don’t wish to display on your site or blog. After you install GPT, all the ad units on your site will get an overlay that’ll display information like the buyer name and display URL.

5. Break Helper

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Sitting in our chair for prolonged periods of time is literarily killing us – sitting 6 or more hours each day increases risk of premature death up to 40%. Now, even if you don’t care about your health that much, you have to be aware that working at a stretch without taking a break can result in a sharp decline in productivity. Therefore, you should install Break Helper extension, and it will let you know when you need to take your next break, and let your overworked brain relax for a second.

Social Media Extensions

6. Rapportive

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Even though this part of our list is dedicated to social media, let’s talk about emails. I’m guessing many of your interactions still happen within Gmail, and while you’d like to start a conversation going on LinkedIn, you’re almost certainly stuck doing the delayed email back-and-forth with new contacts every other day. But Rapportive will provide you all the information you need about your email contacts, including their social profiles, which will allow you to easily add every contact on social media.

7. StayFocusd

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Even if you’re making money of your blog, it doesn’t mean that don’t suffer from bouts of procrastination from time to time. But even though technology is a source of distraction, it can also be a source of discipline you desperately need. StayFocusd will limit the amount of time you can spend certain site. It also lets you choose what to block – an entire website, a specific web page and even different types of content like videos and games.

8. RiteTag Social Media Optimizer

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Do you spent much time wondering which hashtag you should use for a certain story? Maybe you’re unsure whether adding a particular hashtag will add or diminish the value of your message? Thinking about these problems can be quite time-consuming, especially if you’re person that tweets more than ten times every day. However, Rite Tag provides analytics on hashtags you regularly use, which will help you save a lot of time.

9. Figure it Out

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One of the biggest challenges you face when working globally has nothing to with cultural differences or even language barriers. Your main challenge is figuring out what it is in a different geo-region without doing the math. With the Figure it Out extension, you’ll be able to add up to ten different time zones, which will help you schedule your posts and even set up meetings with people from different regions.

10. VPN Extension

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This item on our list is not only reserved for people who live in countries like China, Vietnam and Portugal, where the government blocks access to certain social media sites. It is also recommendable to anyone that likes to write from their dorm room or favorite coffee shop, because regularly block access to certain sites. Of course, there are many providers on the market and the selection of a VPN extension is all up to you, but we have to recommend ExpressVPN, because it offers a wide range of servers and unlimited bandwidth.

Search Engine Optimization Extensions

11. Open SEO Stats

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This is perhaps the most popular SEO extension for Google Chrome, marketers often use it see PageRank, Compete Rank and QuantCast Rank and get quick access to info about backlinks, indexed and cached pages, among other things. This basically means that Open SEO gives you a complete overview of any information about any website on the Internet.

12. iPage

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Google Toolbar is always great for [age ranking, but seeing how it isn’t available for Chrome, you’ll want an alternative. And luckily, iPage Chrome is just that. It allows to set your settings to show page rank in results, or show rank for individual pages and domains. All in all, it is a small, but nevertheless useful page rank checker extension.

13. Shareaholic

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Shareaholic might not be a “real” SEO extension, but everyone knows the importance of social media likes, shares and general presence in search engine ranking. So, you could easily use this app if you want to increase your ranking. The extensions allows you to share your article on multiple social media platforms at the same time, which will make your workload much quicker and definitely easier.

14. MozBar

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Moz Analytics one of the most popular analytics tools among SEO marketers, and MozBar is surely the favorite Chrome extension of almost all marketing professionals. Once you download and install this extension, you’ll instantly have access to almost any SEO tool you need, and see various metrics like Link Profile, KW Highlights, Domain and Page Authority.

15. SEO SERP Workbench

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You’ll never need to search the SERP position of any page manually once you get SEO SERP Workbench. The tool also allows you to see the ranking on the go, and it is great when you want to look up the SERP of multiple URLs. Last but not least, it supports multiple countries, so no matter where you’re from, you can check the SERP position of a particular website in your country.

While all of these extensions are great for bloggers, it doesn’t mean that you should download each and every one of them instantly. Instead, you should download at least couple of them, and see which ones suit your specific needs. After some trial-and-error, you’ll certainly find what you’re looking for.

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By Adam Ferraresi 

Author Bio: Adam always loved the Internet, so much so that he knew that he knew that he was going to become a web developer when he was just 12. He also loves the outdoors, basketball and surfing are his passions, and you can read his insightful articles at wefollowtech.com

Internet, software

Google Chrome: How It Won The Browsers Battle

Worldwide-browser-market-share

Web browsers have become such a fundamental part of our digital lives. I mean, seriously, who doesn’t use one on a daily basis?!

The launch of Google’s Chrome in 2008 looked unlikely to knock Internet Explorer out the water but flash forward to now and it’s done that and much more.

On its way to glory, Google’s browser outpaced its Mozilla rival by taking a slice of 42.74 percent of all desktop browser market share, with Internet Explorer gaining 13.17 percent in the second place, and Mozilla Firefox with only 11.72 percent on the third.

Chrome has definitely conquered the world, with the popular browser continuing to dominate all three major channels: mobile, desktop and tablets.

 

Find out how it reined supreme here:

How-chrome-won-the-war-of-the-browsers

 

Infographic is courtesy of cloudsolutions

tablets

Samsung’s 10.1-Inch Alex Chrome OS Netbook Details Leaked

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Google’s Chrome OS isn’t quite ready yet, but should be here in a few months time. Meanwhile, a few juicy details about Samsung’s first official Chrome OS netbook have slipped onto the Internet and they are showing off what Sammy’s upcoming 10.1-inch (1280 x 800) netbook device, dubbed “Alex”, is going to include. First and foremost, there’s a 1.5GHz Intel Atom N550 processor inside, paired with a SanDisk solid-state drive with unknown capacities, 2GB of RAM, WiFi, Bluetooth, 3G connectivity and a VGA webcam, located up front. Naturally, there’s a Synaptics TouchPad down the chassis and that Google Chrome OS platform running on board. Still no word about price or availability, but we’re expecting to hear more about it at Google’s I/O developer conference, in a few weeks or so.

 

[via Samsung Hub]

 

Applications, Operating Systems

Google Chrome OS Officially Launched

Almost a year and couple of days after introducing it, Google has launched a new, stand-alone version of an operating system, which became known as Crome OS. Offering it as a “one-stop shop” for all manner of cloud-based laptop usage, one-year-old Chrome will let users run their day-to-day portable apps like any of the other ones available on rival platforms, such as Linux or Windows 7, this time with a mission to make the web work faster, safer, and easier than ever. Surprisingly, it takes only four simple steps to set it up and have it running: Picking up your Internet connectivity, choosing a profile image, getting online right away, and cruzing the web the moment you get it to load. As a matter of fact, it wouldn’t take more than 60 seconds, on average, to make it ready to work. Setting the OS to use multiple accounts is as easy as it gets, but there’s also a guest mode option that runs in Incognito mode (“Friends Let Friends Log-In Feature”). Of course you can use it offline as well if you want, but the most convenient way to use it, is probably when connected online.

On the same note, Google has just rolled out its very own Chrome Web Store which “like a phone app store,” features a gallery of different apps and extensions from different sources and vendors in various categories such as photos, music, games, news, blogging , fun, shopping, sports and web development. To test this new concept under operational circumstances, Google announced a test program for Chrome OS in which it will be offering 60000 Chrome Notebooks to those who registered. To find out more about the pilot program, just visit http://google.com/chromenotebook click in the boxes and fill in the missing answers.

Computers, News, Operating Systems

Samsung To Release a 10-Inch Chrome OS Netbook Soon

Remember this daring Google Chrome OS that got official only three months ago? Well, according to Australia’s Channel News, quoting Samsung’s IT manager, Phil Newton, things finally start moving forward in the right direction and we’re likely to see  Mountain View’s snappy platform installed on Samsung netbooks in the near future. Although there’s nothing concrete at the moment, the manager confirmed that his company plans to roll out a new N210 ultra-portable series, packing a 1.5GHz Snapdragon processor with 64GB of flash storage, 2GB of RAM, WiFi, built-in 3G, a solid 12 hour battery life and a 10.1-inch screen display on top. Prices and dates are yet to be determined, so stay tuned.

[via engadget]

Computers, News

Asus ‘Killer Product’ Eee Pad Is Rumored To Go Out In June

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It’s not that we were thinking Asus would give up creating a tablet of its own, thus when the company’s CEO, Jonney Shih, speaks about a “killer product” due to go out in June, this is where our wild imagination begins to work extra hours and starts wondering about possible outcomes. Although it’s claimed to be yet “another Apple” (the iPad is scheduled to debut next month), it is said to support open source code and to include ARM hardware and Google software within. Pegatron, a separate division of Asus apparently received the manufacturing responsibility for this enigmatic tablet (Eee Pad?), and if we’d try to be just a little speculative here, it would probably boast Nvidia’s Tegra 2 for the graphics and run Android for the OS, under $500 price tag. Stay tuned.

Update: More Eee Pad rumors coming out, ahead of release, this time from Asus’s chairman Jonney Shih who has officially confirmed a duo set of Taiwanese tablets, coming out somewhere this year, one with a Windows OS on top and the other running Google’s android/Chrome platform. No further info at this point, but stick around for more details to come.

Computers, News

Freescale's 7-Inch Smartbook Tablet Officially Announced, Boasts an Enticing Design And $200 Tag

Freescale is already staring eyes towards the CES show, which goes live this coming weekend, and the way things look, there’s plenty of stuff that worth waiting for. In a nutshell, the semiconductor giant surprises with a 7-inch smartbook reference design that fits well the Smartbook Tablet gender, only with a lot more to offer. Make no mistake, it’s a sort of a prototype that Freescale wishes to develop with its OEM partners, and the list of components is admittedly, very impressive, still you should give it at least six month before it gets – this way or another – official. The most attractive thing in here is the price which stands right below the $200 mark and digging into the specs, it ain’t so much at all, considering the fact it has a 1GHz i/MX515 chipset, paired with ARM Cortex A8 processor that seats together with 1,024 x 600 touch display (and ambient light sensor), 512MB of DDR2 RAM, optional 3G WWAN module, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, 3mp camera on top, and 3-axis accelerometer support. You get between 4GB to 64GB of internal storage, expandable with a microSD, while battery suppose to work all day long at 1,900mAh. And whether you’re fond of portable devices or not, Freescale’s machine offers (for extra $50) an optional docking station fully equipped with QWERTY keyboard and identical color lot – Now that’s definitely something we’d like to have our hands on. Stay tuned for more, images and PR details are just after the slot.

Update: Word on the street is that the $200 tablet from Freescale that sports a 7-incher display and a strong ARM Cortex architecture, will go live somewhere, somewhat, equipped with either Google’s Chromium OS or sort of a Linux platform at your choice, while Android is said to be on the prep as well, and capacitive screens are likely to be considered as part of this slate. Checkout the demo video half past the break.

freescale-7INCH-tablet_1

Continue reading Freescale's 7-Inch Smartbook Tablet Officially Announced, Boasts an Enticing Design And $200 Tag →

Computers, News, Operating Systems

First Details About Google's Chrome OS Netbook Specs Unveiled

Truth is that holidays season can be very boring, tech wise, but here’s something that might catch your eye during this time of quiescency, as latest news apparently indicate the first netbook to include Google’s Chrome OS platform will presumably boast some nifty specs inside like NVIDIA’s Tegra chipset for graphics handling and Arm-based processor, instead of Intel’s popular Atom flavor. Other than that, the rumor suggests it would pack a 10.1-inch 1,280 x 720 resolution with multi-touch display(!), along 2GB of RAM, 64GB SSD, WiFi, Bluetooth, an integrated webcam and 3G connectivity module. Battery is claimed to offer 4 or 6-cells versions while buyers will be able to pick an optional GPS system as part of the deal, which suppose to be very attractive and stand at somewhere below $300. Stay tuned for a lot more to come.

Update: We hear that Google will be selling those netbooks directly. More on that, hopefully soon. Still, no official confirmation from Mountain View to these rumors.

[via Netbook News]

Applications, Computers, News, Operating Systems

Google's Chrome OS Officially Introduced (Update: Now Available On VMWare)

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So, Google has finally rolled out its highly expected Chrome OS, which was demoed live across the net by Mountain View’s engineers few hours ago, and practically suppose to go out somewhere towards next year’s holiday season. Regretfully, the system won’t be free and it seems you’ll have to buy it pre-installed on portable devices approved by Google, either it’s a netbook, tablet PCs, smartphones, MIDs, etc. The Chrome OS is said to include third-party applications, but won’t support, at this point, any Android materials. The system itself is based on Linux and the Chrome browser, both packed together to run on a web-based platform that will operate any outside content, coming from USB drives or other different sources. Basically, it’s a cloud system but that should not set you apart from it, unless you guys really afraid of taking new tech “adventures” and start new liabilities. Nevertheless, the operating system will run everything that was originally placed in the application panel – and we’re talking about features like Gmail, Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Hulu, Google Talk and many more. Google Docs was also included in Google’s OS compatibility list, while drivers from other companies, such as Flash and Silverlight suppose to work as well (although Google wasn’t very clear about it and has chosen to say this: “We are working hard to integrate plugins closely”).

Hardware wise, details are scarce at the moment, and Google will not share those nitty gritty things until next year, but looking at the overall picture, Chrome OS will probably run in compatibility with both x86 and ARM processors, while regular hard-drives support seems to be excluded  – which means you’ll have to use SSDs instead. In general, booting time is set to load up in 7 seconds only, and login process will take 3 seconds more. That, in our opinion, should do best with any standard netbook available in the market, now and in the future (with SSD drives), and just in case you were wondering, Google itself was using an Eee PC machine to run the demo for the first time.

Update1: We’ve tossed some videos after the break, that will walk you through Google’s new system.

Update2: Looks like Google’s Chrome OS is now available free, in case you’re using a VMWare software on your desktop machine. The good part is that you don’t need to actually make it your primary bootable system at all, and by running any VirtualBox software, you can set any of your system folders to be used as a Chrome OS unit. If you think you’re qualified for using this pre Beta platform, you can download the image either from this torrent (we have no clue about this source background) or the build the guys at GDGT recently uploaded. TechCrunch team was all over it in passing hours as well, so you can read their step-by-step instructions in here, if you don’t feel safe to do it on your own.

Update3: Dell Mini 10V owners can now install the Chrome OS as their primary operating system, thanks to a Dell employee who’s managed to hack the USB-bootable edition via WiFi and make it available on Dell’s popular mini laptop, despite fussy restrictions from Mountain View’s direction. Truth is it’s not the perfect OS and in fact, many things are yet to be solved, but for early adopters who are willing to give it a try – it should probably be a great experience that’s worth a shot. Source code and explanations are now available on Direct2Dell‘s page. Enjoy the Chrome.

Update4: Mac and Linux users can finally use the Google Chrome Beta-version browser with their computing machines – as Mountain View’s searching giant officially announces in its blog. And although we face a lot of crashes while trying, you don’t really want to skip this experience, especially when Google has recently launched the extensions, do you? Checkout the video we’ve added after the break (3rd one).

google-chrome-os

Continue reading Google's Chrome OS Officially Introduced (Update: Now Available On VMWare) →

Computers, News, Operating Systems

Google Chrome OS Announced, Will Be available In 2010

google-chrome_1

Google has just thrown a bomb to the IT world, announcing a new Chrom OS platform that suppose to give an open-source solution mainly for netbooks but also for full-size desktop systems, and is expected to go live somewhere on the second half of 2010. Additionally, the new OS from Mountain View, CA is claimed to smoothly run any x86 and ARM chips, while the company firmly says it already teamed up with manufacturers like Acer, Adobe, ASUS, Freescale, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, Qualcomm, and Texas Instruments to bring you all the best and comprehensive UI you’d get, so stay tuned for a lot more to come. Here’s what Google’s blog had to say, in a nutshell:

“Google Chrome OS is an open source, lightweight operating system that will initially be targeted at netbooks. Later this year we will open-source its code, and netbooks running Google Chrome OS will be available for consumers in the second half of 2010. Because we’re already talking to partners about the project, and we’ll soon be working with the open source community, we wanted to share our vision now so everyone understands what we are trying to achieve.

Speed, simplicity and security are the key aspects of Google Chrome OS. We’re designing the OS to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you onto the web in a few seconds. The user interface is minimal to stay out of your way, and most of the user experience takes place on the web. And as we did for the Google Chrome browser, we are going back to the basics and completely redesigning the underlying security architecture of the OS so that users don’t have to deal with viruses, malware and security updates. It should just work.”

[Google]

Media Players

Cowon’s S9 PMP Gets a Chrome Black Limited Edition In Japan

Now that Cowon’s S9 PMP is already out to the market with its stylish curvy design and sharp 3.3-inch OLED display, the Koreans have decided to release a limited version for those who want to distinguish themselves from others. The few lucky ones will get a 16GB model, adorned with Chrome-Black hues, which give the player a prestigious look from bottom to top.  Other than that, it’s the same S9, sporting the same specs, including FM tuner, T-DMB TV, A2DP Bluetooth 2.0 connection, TV output, G-Sensor accelerometer, strong battery, delivering  up to 55hrs of audio playback or 11hrs of video, and wide range of codecs support. Regretfully, no other details to share at this point, but as far as we know, whenever you catch a “Limited Edition” release, you always pay more.

[via Akihabaranews]