Web Tools I Use

Although I’m definitely not a tech guru, I’ve found a number of tools that help me keep moving throughout my day that many people didn’t know existed.  Below is a short list of some things that I use frequently:

• Firefox – This is the anchor to a cuztomized web experience.  Wouldn’t use any other browser..
  • IE Tab – Useful when things are native to IE, but you don’t want to leave Firefox (we have a few tools that are native to Microsoft, and don’t have full functionality in Firefox)
  • Ctrl-Tab – Makes switching tabs in Firefox a lot more fun and visual (for those of you that didn’t know, pressing Ctrl + Tab will switch tabs…).
  • XMarks – If you use multiple computers, you need this add-on.  It will sync your bookmarks across browsers and across machines.
  • Make sure you utilize Add-ons.  They will make your life easier, and your browsing experience better.
• Google Tools
  • Gmail – I manage all personal email from here.
    • By simply adding a period anywhere into your email address, you can create an entirely new address which is delivered to the same inbox, enabling you to filter incoming email (for example: t.engstrom@gmail.com versus tengstrom@gmail.com)
  • Google Reader – There are tons of feed readers out there, but this works just fine for me.
    • Subscribe to a few of my RSS feeds below
      • Ethereal Thought Train RSS – This blog
      • The Austin Stone College Blog RSS
      • An Elephant and a Mouse RSS – My family blog
    • Shared Items – If you use Google Reader, make sure to use the Shared Items feature.  You can follow my shares here.
  • Google Notebook – Great for webclips and keeping an online journal.
  • Google Books – Ever want an online library of the books you own? I’d recommend using this to catalog, write short reviews, and keep a few notes for easy access.  My library is here.
  • Google Alerts – Best way to keep up with specific searches you want to track (I use it for Blogs and Twitter), and put the RSS feed into my Google Reader.
• Greasemonkey and Userscripts – Customization to individual pages
  • Google Multi-login Script – If you’re like me, you’ve got a few different google accounts that need to be accessed.  This does the job nicely.
  • Google Reader Widescreen – Makes text run the full width of a widescreen…much better experience.
  • Better Gmail – A whole host of features for Gmail…basically packaged Greasemonkey scripts.
• Twitter
  • Power Twitter – Soups up the web-based Twitter experience quite a bit
  • Tweetdeck (Desktop app) – A great way to manage the people you follow by breaking them into groups
  • Tweetie (for iPhone) – Great user interface, but I’m considering a switch to TweetStack once it’s a tad more proven because it integrates with Tweetdeck.
  • Twitterfeed – An easy way to update your Twitter status when you post a new blog.
• Helpful Tools
  • Bit.ly – An excellent way to shorten web links, and also track their traffic.
  • Doodle – Ever get tired of scheduling with larger groups of people.  Try this, it will save you a lot of email.
  • Del.icio.us – A great way to save bookmarks and share them online.  My username is tengstrom.
• Helpful Websites
  • Lifehacker – Always has great information on using technology effectively.
  • Mashable – Great way to stay informed on Social Media.

If you’d like to see more of how I journal/study Scripture online, go here.