Around the World with Google Spreadsheet

I have siblings living in Asia as well as the West Coast. So recently we were having a discussion on my parent's desire to move to a slightly larger house.

Being one of the geeky siblings, I created an online spreadsheet using Google Docs. In a few minutes, I had an online spreadsheet which allowed us all to view the nitty gritty details-- how much it costs to sell a house, and how much it costs to purchase another house. Email can only go so far when communicating with multiple individuals in multiple timezones. So having an online spreadsheet gave everyone a clearer picture.

Google is an example of a company that provides products that fill the needs of users. In this case, providing a way to share, edit, and publish documents EASILY online. The google geeks are certainly not the first ones to do so, but they have the infrastructure to provide this reliably, and in this case, for free to individuals. Google charges companies a modest fee if they want to use these apps (gmail, calendar, docs and spreadsheets) in-house.

NoScript, and Gspace. Firefox addons

I use Firefox because it’s fast, secure, and for the many add-ons available.

If you are still using IE as your browser, I highly recommend Firefox (version 2) as a browser replacement. Click here to download Firefox 2.

Here are some of my favorite firefox addons:

Sites use a lot of scripting. Some websites however, try to use scripting to exploit security holes. To prevent sites with malicious scripts from from hijacking my browser, I found NoScript. Highly recommended.

Click here to get NoScript

To store very large MP3 files, I use Gspace. After uploading the files, now I can access my MP3's and PDF books from any browser.

Click here to read an article on how to use Gspace.

To channel surf the web, try StumbleUpon. Here is an interview with SU cofounder Garrett Camp.

Goodbye Acrobat PDF

I'm fed up with Acrobat Reader because it's so slow. Foxit Reader is a quick and small pdf reader, and it's free too. So far I've been using it without a hitch.

Click here to get Foxit Reader

Do you also need to create PDFs? Then get Primo PDF. Whether you have a newsletter, brochure, or any document you require as a PDF. This is for you. Why pay hundreds for Acrobat when this is free? I installed this a few months ago, and my wife says this works great.

Click here for Primo PDF

Another neat solution from Primo doesn't require you to download and install anything. Simply upload any file to http://online.primopdf.com, then get a PDF emailed to you.

Click here for Primo Online

Better Gmail, Multiple gmail accounts

Better Gmail improves your gmail experience. Install this to get saved searches, larger attachment icons, keyboard macros, a filter assistant and right-click conversation previews.

Click to get Better Gmail from Lifehacker

Gmail Manager allows you to easily manage multiple gmail accounts. If you share a computer and need to login and out of different gmail accounts, this is for you.

Click here for Gmail Manager