The Don

Do you use Google applications? I do. And I love it. Google Reader makes keeping track of your RSS feeds so much easier. It also allows you to share new Blogs that you stumble upon with the people who follow your Google Reader profile. Gmail needs no introduction and Google Calendar is fast becoming as popular as Gmail has.

The ogle in GoogleThe ogle in Google

Do you use Firefox? I do. It is a much more reliable browser than Internet Explorer. Last week it also surpassed Internet Explorer as the most used web browser. A phenomenal achievement indeed, indicating an end to the monopoly that is Microsoft.

Fire Foxy

Have you heard of Google Redesigned? I have. And I just started using it. I luuuurv it. It is a plug-in for Firefox that makes your Google applications (Reader, Gmail, Calendar) all look better and handle more efficiently. If you use Google Applications and Firefox, give Google Redisigned a test drive. If you don’t agree with me, you can always remove it.

Go here, click on the blue install button and follow the instructions.

Reader Redisigned... Nice.

Gmail Redisigned... I like.

GCal Redisigned... Oh yeah baby!

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Ed’s notes:

And for those of you who battle for tab space in Firefox, there is the handy Integrated Gmail plugin. Combining a range of Google apps (I’ve only set mine up for Gmail, Greader and Gcalendar) into a neat, collapsible format. It saves me so much of time.

Just look at it:

G-Integrated.

Suuure, at first glance, it may seem less snazzy looking than Google Redesigned, but it is oh so practical. Officially, it is “a Firefox Addon that allows you to make the Inbox Collapsible and load your choice of Google Calendar, Reader, Notebook, Groups, Maps, Picasa, Sites, News and Portfolio seamlessly into the gmail interface with the inbox (rather than a separate tab or in the sidebar) using a collapsible box.”

The only issue i have with this setup is that the Calendar and Reader items are a little more “squashed” than what I’m used to, but I’ve already grown accustomed to it!

Now, that’s enough geek* speak, look what i did with my extra two browser tabs:

Tabbing for Taye..

One more for the ladies...

Right, now where were we? Oh yes, Integrating Gmail. Get to it then!

* Just to clarify, unlike Juan, I am not a geek – I just love technology that actually works in a way that simplifies things for us. Good grief, I couldn’t even figure out how to upload an image to this site – I had to call Juan up in Thailand to have him walk me through it. Eish. I’m sure I was only allowed to graduate with a comp sci degree because someone very high up felt pity for me.

I thought I’d share one of the most awesome Cyanide and Happiness comics ever with you. Short…Simple… Legendary… and (might be) loosely based on the parenting skills of Sid Kane

Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net

Remind me to tell you the story of my first day at school sometime.