Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Why Browse When You could Extension? (Say, What Now??)

I think I’m offended by term browsing.  Oh are you browsing the Internet? No!  I’m getting things done!  I realize using a “browser” like GoogleChrome for “browsing,” is an actual thing that people do.  Me, I suck at browsing.  My eyes get tired my head starts to hurt and next thing you know I’m sleeping.



The closest I can get to browsing is on-line shopping or reading the news.  But still, I’ll go to Amazon.com to search for something I need, or want, and by the 5th product I’m like, “Oh geez make it stop and just tell which one is the best for the best price!”  Thank God for filters or I’d never buy anything.  I need to see only Prime, only 4 star or higher reviews and under a specific price.  Only then can I attempt to scroll.

When it comes to reading the news, it’s even worse.  I love news.  I need a daily dose.  I currently rely on The Huffington Post app for much of it.  But if I open a story and takes me to a lengthy magazine article.  Click.  Window closed.  I cannot look into the light long enough to absorb the information being transmitted.  Believe it or not I was a journalism major. So it’s even more shameful that I can’t read an in-depth article.  But I was taught to get the main point or at least the hook in the first paragraph of your article to keep them reading.  Well that hasn’t happened in this post.  So I guess, I’m just the pot calling the kettle black.  “Hey Kettle!  Looking good!”


So right, I can’t browse.  I use my browser for work.  That could be business work, family work, household work, whatevs.  I don’t have to worry about being distracted by Facebook because after a few scrolls, I’d have to click away to stay awake.  Instead, I make use of a great feature of Chrome, it’s called extensions.  Hopefully, you are using them as well.  If not, today is your lucky day. 

If you are like me, and you just want tools to help you browse more efficiently then extensions are for you.  If you are not like me, and you want to have more fun things to do online, then extensions are also for you.  So what are they and how do you get them?

What are they?
Per Google, Chrome Extensions are, “small programs that add new features to your browser and personalize your browsing experience."

For example my favorite extension is Honey.  Honey says, “Oh, I see you are shopping.  Would you like me to enter all possible discount codes for this site before you checkout?”  Um, heck yeah I would.  My newest extension is from Ebates, the site that lets you earn money from the things you are already buying.  Instead of logging into Ebates and looking to see if the store you want is offering an Ebate, just go directly to the store site and the extension will pop up to ask you if you like to activate the savings.  Again, yes please! Amazon also has an extension that lets you see the price of the item on Amazon while you’re shopping at another store’s site. Or you can add a non-Amazon item to your Amazon wishlist.  Me likey.  It sucks to buy something online and then discover there was a coupon code in your email box you overlooked.  These extensions help to avoid that problem.
 



I’ve also got extensions that work with Google applications.  Like one that opens documents from Google Drive in their respective office program (i.e. Google Slides opens in Power Point).  Another allows me to quickly send whatever is on my browser to my Chromecast connected to my TV. Google Hangouts so I can chat with all my lovelies with just the click of a button. Google Keep so I can add whatever is on my screen to my to do list.  And of course my Google Music in case I need a little Lemonade ;-)

I have a few more, but there are a lot less boring ones you could have too.  Would you like to see a beautiful background every time you open a new tab, you can (Earth View extension).  Or you could see cats (Tabby Cats extension).  Your choice.  I’m not judging (but I am).  Or you can watch Netflix online with friends (still trying really hard not to judge … failing).

How do you get it?
Ok back in the judgement free zone it’s so easy to get an extension.  Open Chrome and go here.  Bam!  Browse away, filter by category or search.  Find something interesting and click.  Then chose add to chrome.  Most extensions are free.  I only know about free, because it’s for me.  That’s it you’ve got your extension now.  

You can see it in the upper right hand corner of the Chrome browser window.  You can also view them in the settings menu on the extensions tab.  Here you can enable/disable or delete them.  You can also search for more extensions from the settings/extensions area.

Well, I’ll leave you to your cats then.  Just please don’t drag any of their hair over here.  Thanks.  I have to go not browse.  Talk soon … BMK

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