4 Things You Should Know About Google Apps
Written on October 28, 2009 by Kay
When it comes to web and desktop applications, I’ve used some really bad ones (horrible interface, non-intuitive, bloated) and I’ve had the privilege of finding some really useful gems. Most of Google’s apps (web and desktop) have been excellent, and even the lukewarm ones from Google have been better than most alternatives floating about.
There was some discontent about Google collecting personal information from Gmail users for advertising purposes a while back, but you know what? I can’t seem to find a slicker, better organized, web-based e-mail app out there. And Gmail integrates wonderfully with my iPhone to boot. And what about Google Docs? For basic word document and spreadsheet viewing and editing on the web, I’m thankful that I’m never going to have to install (or pay for) MS Office ever again. And guess what? Google has just released some exciting new features to their growing collection of awesome apps.
Picasa Face-Tagging
The arrival of one’s first digital camera is always an exciting occasion. Unfortunately, the ease-of-use of digital cameras and other suchlike devices makes it incredibly simple to build your photo collection to the point of a chaotic mess. Before you know it, your digital image collection is out-of-hand, and you can’t find that one photo of Mitsu, the disobedient Lhasa Apso, because your photos are scattered haphazardly across your hard drive. To make matters worse, you’ve neglected to tag each photo or even give them apt file names, which would make searching a tad easier. I don’t blame you. It’s a bummer to assign appropriate tags and file names manually. Wouldn’t it be sweet if there was a better way?
Picasa is one of the best photo management apps available for free. If you haven’t already used it, give it spin. One of the coolest new features (version 3.5) is the ability to organize your photos using face recognition, called face-tagging. It’s simple. Have Picasa scan your photo library, and it will automatically group similar-looking faces with remarkable accuracy. Once you start scanning, you’ll see a group of faces on the main pane; here, you’ll be able to tag them with a name. Click New Person on the dialog box that materializes to tag with either a name, nickname, or even an e-mail.
It take some getting used to, but it makes organizing your humungous digital photo collection a breeze. And don’t worry: The scanning and tagging of your photos do not alter them in any way.
Fast Flip News
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I must admit that I’m a bit of a geezer when it comes to my news. I can’t seem to break the habit of sitting back on a comfy sofa, flipping through an actual, tangible newspaper. Sure, I can get ink stains on my fingers, and I can get news on my iPhone or laptop, but nothing beats a newspaper’s portability and screen real estate. Google’s Fast Flip may change all of that. Still a bit shabby around the edges, Google’s Fast Flip is a step in the right direction in making reading online news a better experience.
The key is in the interface. Fast Flip gives you screen shots of each news story, all organized in categories. The screen shots are grouped in sections (Recommended, Politics, Most Viewed, et al.) and you can click back/forward arrow buttons to read a previous article or move forward to more. The news screen shots are big enough to house a small image and a headline, just enough to pique your interest. Click on the screen shot to get an even bigger screen shot. Now you can not only read the headline but also the first couple blocks of the news story text. Click yet again and you’ll be whisked away to the article’s page, wherever it resides on the web. It’s a fresh new feature direct from the Google labs (with mobile versions for iPhone and Android), and it’s apt to change the way news junkies get their news fix online.
Google Calendar Sports
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Do you love basketball or football (or fill in the blank) but are just too busy to keep track of when your favorite team is playing? Never miss out on your team’s schedule again, as Google has just added an exciting new sports feature to their already popular Calendar web app. Put simply, you’ll be able to add an enormous sports schedule library to your calendar. Just log into your Google Calendar account and click on the “New: Sports” link in the upper-right corner. Choose your sport: Football, Basketball, Baseball, College league, Professional, you name it. Once you locate your team, add it to your calendar. The sports calendar is completely independent from your original calendar, which keeps things neat and tidy.
