Reach new heights of productively using your time with these apps, tips and services
Managing desktops
Anyone
who has used an OS like Ubuntu or OS X will be familiar with the
concept of a virtual desktop and how convenient it can be. Windows users
need not fret however. Download mdesktop from http://dgit.in/ULOQKW
mdesktop is a tiny little app that, once installed, will allow you to manage up to 10 desktops at a time.
mdesktop settings
By
default you will be given 4 virtual desktops to work in and you can
switch between them using the ALT+(number) keys; very handy and perfect
for managing your work (or ensuring a quick and easy escape route in
case your boss happens to come around).
Chrome plug-ins
Google
Chrome is now the most popular browser in the world and chances are,
most of your work revolves around using this browser and many of Googe’s
myriad services.
Any.do
This is
a free app that is available on iOS, Android and as a plug-in to
Chrome. All you need to do is download it and set it up and it will sync
tasks across all your devices. It can sync with Gmail, remind you to
call someone back, send a mail and much more.
The app will
add a bar below your mail (with options for setting reminders) and a
“remind me” button near the header to allow you to manage your mail.
This is a must-have app/extension for the scatter-brained among us
AnyDO-Gestures
Split-Screen
Available at http://dgit.in/SEmypx,
split screen does exactly what the name suggests. It creates a new
chrome tab that will let you browse two different sites at once.
split-screen in action
If
40 open tabs weren’t enough, you can now literally double the number of
sites you view simultaneously. Just imagine a boring spreadsheet on one
page, YouTube on the other. Work and play at the same time, what more
could you ask for?
Quotes Book
Running
out of quotes for that epic speech you’re preparing? This is the app
for you. This Chrome App is nothing more than a veritable
quotencyclopedia; allowing you to search and pick the ideal quote.
Download the app at http://dgit.in/VLv5lH
QuotesBook
Save to Google Drive
This
is one of the most useful productivity enhancing apps that we’ve come
across. Its working is very similar to other site/article archiving
utilities like Evernote but with a twist. Just install the plug-in from http://dgit.in/ZcCTon
and hit the button. The extension will scroll through the entire
webpage that you are viewing and take snapshots, compiling them into one
large image that will be saved to your Google drive.
Tab.bz
Not
closing your browser because there are too many tabs open and you don’t
know which ones you want? Want to save a collection of articles for
later use? Tab.bz is the ideal tool for you. This handy extension (http://dgit.in/VLw1GH)
will package all your open tabs into one link that you can share, save
or do whatever you want with. There are privacy issues though, where if
you accidentally create a tab package with some private tabs, the link
is not immediately deleted; so use with caution.
StayFocusd
This extension’s sole purpose is to make sure that you’re actually working at your PC. You can download the plugin at http://dgit.in/Rzw0dB.
After installation, you will need to setup the plugin. There are a
myriad of settings to choose from and they are surprisingly
comprehensive. Some of the functions of this plugin are as follows:
• Set a blacklist and whitelist from the sites you regularly visit.
• Allot
a fixed amount of time in total for your blacklisted sites, access to
which will be blocked once your allotted time has expired.
• A nuclear mode that will block all sites permanently till the timer is reset for the next day.
Nuclear response
• A
complicated puzzle needs to be solved to change the settings, making it
more of a hassle if you want to sneak in some extra time behind the
program’s back.
• Hitting the “StayFocusd” button in your Chrome browser will automatically add that site to the blacklist.
• The plugin will warn you when you are AFK for more than a set period of time.
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