There's something special about a company that manages to turn its name into
a multilingual, internationally recognized verb. It seems that everyone uses
Google's search engine—I can't count the number of times a day that I
google the Web for everything from telephone numbers to answers to technical
questions. Although known primarily for its search engine, Google is building
on that success by offering an array of applications that go beyond its original
Web page search functionality. (To obtain one of the applications I mention
or learn more about it, google the application at http://www.google.com.)
10: Froogle — Froogle leverages Google's core service to
search eBay and other online retailers for products and sorts the results by
price and relevance.
9: Google Image Search — Google Image Search conducts keyword
searches the same way the standard Google search engine does but returns a list
of images instead of Web site links. For example, you can type "Windows Vista
screenshots" to find screenshots of the latest Vista build.
8: Google Toolbar — A Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) add-on,
Google Toolbar makes it easy to access Google's search capabilities from your
Web browser. Simply enter search criteria into the toolbar search box and click
Search. The Google Toolbar also provides a pop-up blocker, spell checker, and
word translator.
7: Google Maps — Google Maps gives you a map and directions to
specific locations, much like MapQuest. To get driving directions, enter your
starting and ending locations into the Search the map box and click Search.
Google Maps displays a map with your driving route and a set of step-by-step
directions.
6: Google Earth — The very cool Google Earth takes the notion
of Google Maps and adds satellite images that let you see incredibly detailed
aerial photos of almost everywhere on Earth, including your own neighborhood.
Google Earth is a Windows and Apple Macintosh application that you download
and install on your system. There's a free version and a $400-per-year professional
version that offers faster performance, geographic information systems integration,
and phone support.
5: Gmail — Gmail is a free email service that competes
directly with Microsoft's Hotmail. Gmail provides each email account with up
to 2GB of storage and lets you search your Gmail messages-using Google's search
engine.
4: Gmail Space — Gmail Space is a Mozilla Firefox add-on
that lets you use your Gmail storage for personal storage. Gmail Space is essentially
a 2GB virtual hard drive that you can access over the Web. A Gmail Space option
on the Tools menu lets you open an FTP-like window and transfer files and folders.
3: Google Calendar — Google Calendar is a Gmail-integrated calendar
that lets you share selected entries with other users. It also supports reminders
and invitations with responses. Although the current version doesn't synchronize
with Outlook, you can manually import your Outlook calendar via Comma Separated
Value (CSV) or iCAL files.
2: Google Desktop — Google Desktop extends the Windows
desktop by letting you search files on your local and networked systems. Google
Desktop also adds a Sidebar to your desktop that contains a collection of gadgets
(i.e., mini applications), including RSS feeds, news and weather, a Wi-Fi
signal meter, a battery meter, a desktop clock, a calendar, and Gmail integration.
1: Google Spreadsheets — The most surprising Google service to
date is the new Google Spreadsheets, a direct competitor of Microsoft Office
Excel. Like Excel, Google Spreadsheets can display, sort, and calculate data.
Unlike Excel, Google Spreadsheets lets you easily share spreadsheets with other
users over the Web. Google Spreadsheets can import files in .xls or CSV formats.
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