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Often the best ideas turn out to be the simplest ones. Just as Gmail supports hotkeys for faster navigation through your inbox, the experimental Search Keyboard Shortcuts adds several useful hotkeys to your search results view. The shortcuts themselves are similar to those in Gmail: J and K move your cursor up and down the list. 0 or Enter open a result. / puts your cursor in the search box, and Esc removes the cursor from the search box.
Got an obscure question that none of your friends can answer? Ask Aardvark, and it’ll use accumulated profile data to find the best person to send your question to. Aardvark claims to answer most questions within 10 minutes.
Want to share a map with a friend? Enable the Short URL feature in Google Maps Labs and it’ll convert the contents of the Link menu into a short goo.gl address that won’t take up all your character count on Twitter.
Want to break into the mobile development game but lack actual programming skill? No problem. Google’s App Inventor gives you simple building blocks that you can drag and drop to create your own simple apps. You can work directly with your own phone over USB or use the tool’s Android phone emulator to work entirely on the web. When you’re done, package the app and load it onto any Android device you want.
Want to use Google Maps on your Android phone without actually looking at the device? WalkyTalky is an experimental app that makes Google Navigation more useful for walking directions by verbally guiding you and speaking street addresses to you as you pass by them to give you a clearer idea of where you are.
Looking for a parking spot on a busy downtown street? The Open Spot app for Android might just give you an edge. The idea is that users who are leaving their spots are supposed to mark their location in the app so that users who need a spot can find it. Each time you mark a spot, you’ll get karma points, which are exchangeable for nothing at all but can give your ego a boost.
Leanback is just a massive video window that automatically runs through a sidescrolling list of preselected popular videos. You can use your mouse or keyboard to move between them, but the best way to navigate is by using your Android phone as a remote.
You’re already accustomed to using autocomplete in search fields. Why not take the next step? Google Scribe is an odd little app that attempts to autocomplete everything you type. Start typing anything, and Scribe will attempt to complete not only the word itself, but also the rest of the phrase. Once you get a few characters on the screen, keep hitting Enter to let Scribe compose its own text. The resulting text might not be useful, but it’s a fascinating process to watch.
Forget Wikipedia. Google Squared lets you compile your own information page about any given topic. Just type a search term (say, “Disneyland”) into the field and click Square It. Squared will then grab information from a variety of online sources and arrange them in a grid with pictures.
1. Google GogglesTyping is so 20th century. Google Goggles is a mobile app for Android and iPhone that lets you search based on pictures. Launch the app, take a picture, and Google Goggles will figure out what to do with it. On Android, Goggles is a stand-alone app, and on iPhone it’s now built into the Google Search app. Here are a few cool examples of what Goggles can do.
Take a picture of a business card and Goggles will analyze the text so you can call the person, email them, and add them to your contacts.
Take a picture of a book or product and Goggles will search for it on the web so you can buy it, download it, or just get more information from the manufacturer’s site.
Shoot a landmark, like a bridge or a building, and Goggles will compare it to other images online to tell you what you’re looking at, map it for you, and give you quick access to navigation information.
Whether you’re at a museum or a poster shop, Goggles can take a picture of a painting or sculpture and identify it by name, tell you who created it and when, link you to scholarly works about it, or help you find a reproduction to buy.
So this is that Play-Doh stuff all the kids are talking about.
Comments are closed on this article
Eoraptor
April 26, 2011 at 10:24am
Well I have used google stuff for a while now. Did not know about Aardvark, so will have to try that out. I do keep Reader, Gmail, and News tabs pinned.i messed with igoogle, but honestly, I don't use it.
However, I have found that bing maps seems to be faster and more responsive than Google Maps, so I switched to that service.
Send and Archive and Move to Next Message are two great tweaks to Gmail. I hate hot it defaults by making you go back to your inbox when you are done with a message, and wish they would turn those two features on by defualt.
-=GNO=-
April 26, 2011 at 5:27am
Just want to let you know your link to Picnik doesn't work. You have a K between the C and N that doesn't belong. Just an FYI.
Phrish
April 25, 2011 at 5:24pm
I would just like Google to concentrate on making the basic PIM apps as best as they can be, and fully sync'd with Android services.
-Contacts
-Calendar
-Tasks
-NotesMail...
They have the mail thing down VERY well. Great service. However, they still don't have a way (that I know of) to mark messages high/low importance. I'd also like to see inline graphics as well as attachments. There is also a very capable Android app for Mail.
Contacts...
Contacts is getting better. Interface-wise, it opens in the same window as mail, via link on the left. It stores great data for contacts, the search is good, and the types of data are very flexible. Each type of dropdown (email, phone, link) has a custom selection where you can write anything you want (e.g. this number isn't "work" or "home" or "mobile" but it's "workshop"). One thing that does scare me, though, is that changes you make in Contacts are IMMEDIATELY saved. Whoopsiedoodle, I just messed that number up. Crap it's already saved, I don't have the option to "cancel." Still Contacts is very serviceable, and it's my main contacts list and backup right now (Outlook used to be my main backup, with stuff mirrored in Google Contacts... now Contacts is my main). Android also has a very good Contacts app, though with some trouble showing full addresses.
Calendar...
Google Calendar is also very good. Interface-wise, it's not on the left side with Mail and Contacts. It's on the top of the browser window. Nor does it open into the same space as Mail and Contacts, but opens a whole new browser window or tab. Nothing wrong with that functionally, but it's a poor interface choice that's slightly confusing, since it's not in the same place as Mail and Contacts. Any human interface designer would tell you that this is bad form. BTW, Outlook has the interface for all the basic PIM apps nailed. The buttons to access each app are in the same place (in a button array on the lower left of the screen), and they bring the app up in the same "space" so you know what to expect. Beyond interface, though, Google Calendar is very capable, and I love the fact that it can work with multiple calendars, yours or public. Android has a very serviceable Calendar app.
Tasks...
Google Tasks needs some work. It's very, very basic. Interface-wise, you access it from the same place as Mail and Contacts (link on the left), but like Calendar, it doesn't use the same "space" as Mail and Contacts. It's a strange popover window over Mail or Contacts, whichever happens to be active at the time. It's a basic list outliner, but in a style that I like. Works a bit like MS Word's outlining function, type, enter, tab, shift tab... for very fast task entry. Despite simple, I would like to see the interface for it improved a bit. Android doesn't have any Tasks equivalent, which is a glaring omission on Google's part... shame on you Google. Fortunately, apps like Astrid are starting to "sync" with Google Tasks, but still Google should have a dedicated app for it itself. This is a BASIC PIM APPLICATION, and Google needs to get on the stick.
Notes...
Google doesn't really have a notes service. Well, in honesty they do, but no one knows about it. Now, by Notes, I do NOT mean Google Docs, which is NOT a note app. Think again to Outlooks notes, small, sticky-like notes you can keep for yourself. If you are an avid adventurer, you can spelink into the dark, stinky bowles of Google and find Google Notebook (www.google.com/notebook), and this is my idea of notes. However, Google neither advertises it, nor practically supports its use. There is no Android equivalent that will sync. As for the PC it's almost impossible to even find it unless you type the URL directly into the address bar. Again, Google, this IS A BASIC PIM APP and you need to have this supported with the others, in the same basic interface, with full sync compatibility and a dedicated Android app. What's wrong with you? Even Windows Mobile and Palm have been doing this for years... do you even have a human interface expert on staff?
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Well that's my rundown on Google Services. I have no hope that anyone at Google will read this and say "oh hey... dugh!" but you never know. Here's to dreaming the dream...
