In the last few years Google’s Chrome browser has become the browser of choice for majority of web users. Simplicity, speed and security have been key to Chrome’s domination.
Firefox paved the way with browser extensions (small programs that add new features to your browser and personalise your browsing experience) however Chrome’s speed, ease of use and sheer number and variety of great extensions has left the slow and cumbersome Firefox somewhat redundant.
Chrome extensions can be a fantastic time saver, whether at work, shopping or at home. Here is some of my favourite time saving, productivity, even life improving extensions that will help to optimise to only your home life but your work life too!
I’ll often come across an article or video that I don’t have time to read or watch there and then. That’s where pocket comes in. Using this extension, simply click and add to your ‘pocket’. It automatically syncs to your phone, tablet or computer, so you can view it at any time, even without an internet connection.
InvisibleHand
Shopping extensions are generally limited to voucher and discount plugins. InvisibleHand, however, is a great price comparison tool that ‘discreetly’ notifies you if the product you’re shopping for is available more cheaply from another retailer or travel site. It currently supports over 600 retailers in US, UK and Germany.
Similar Pages
Bored of the same old websites? Need some more inspiration? Discover webpages similar to the page you’re currently browsing with one click of this button.
Google Quick Scroll
Another nice Google extension to Chrome, Quick Scroll, is an extension that helps you find what you are searching for faster. After you click on a Google search result, Quick Scroll may appear on the bottom-right corner of the page, showing you were on the page you’ve landed is the text relevant to your search. Click on it and you’ll jump to that part of the page.
Evernote Web Clipper
Evernote is hugely popular and for good reason. A great place to help remember ideas and organise, projects across all your devices and share with other people. The extension is simply the easiest way to save, mark up and share anything you see online.
AutoScroll 2.3.0
Wrist aching? Hate infinite scrolls on website? Then AutoScroll is for you. Infinite scrolls are becoming more frequent on websites as web designers try and create functionality aimed at the ever increasing mobile and table top devices. This isn’t however always the best for desktop users. That’s where AutoScroll can help, simply select the desired speed on the widget then sit back and watch as 100’s of products scroll before your eyes.
Google Dictionary
Google’s dictionary extension is simple; it allows you to view definitions of words easily as you browse the web. Just double-click any word on a web page and its definition will appear in a small pop-up bubble. You can also click the speaker icon to hear how to pronounce the word. Better still, you can store a history of the words you’ve looked up, so you can practice them later on your friends and impress your boss too.
IE Tab
Say goodbye to Microsoft’s Internet Explorer (IE). Amazingly, some websites still only work in IE, so use this extension to open IE in a new tab and access those sites that still require you to be using Internet Explorer.
LastPass: Free Password Manager
Few websites have taken advantage of Facebook’s OpenGraph and Google’s Open ID that allows simple login with one account across a multitude of websites and as a result the majority of us have a huge number of passwords to remember. That’s where LastPass, comes in, you’ll only have one password to forget! LastPass saves your passwords and gives you secure access from every computer and mobile device.
Any.do Extension
Key to improving productivity is not forgetting what to do! There are a lot of reminder services out there and I find Any.do to be the simplest and most effective without being too irritating. Already popular on smartphones, the full Any.do functionalities now exist within Chrome and you can turn your Gmail emails into actions. Good day. Every day.
Google chrome now has huge number of fantastic available extensions; these are just a few of our favourites, what are yours?