If your workday has you busy
at your computer, it's hard to find a quick and convenient
place to write and keep those little notes that we all need
to help remind us of the many things we have to remember in
our busy lives. You know, your 'to-do" list for the day,
that phone number you need to quickly jot down, the million
dollar idea you want to pursue, or maybe a website you want
to remember to visit later on? Wouldn't
it be handy to have a place that's right in front of you
where you can quickly and easily type the info you need and
it will be there until you need it or delete it?
Google has a solution for
you - Google Gadgets.
The Google Gadget that gives you a place to jot down those
daily notes and reminders is called a Sticky Note, and you
can place it on your Google Homepage, your own webpage,
or on your computer's desktop - wherever it's most
convenient for you!
Google Gadgets come in two basic types...
- There's the Universal
Gadget, which works on your own website as well as
in many Google applications such
as Google's Personalized Homepage, Google Page Creator,
and Google Blogger.
- The other type of Google
Gadget is the Desktop Gadget, which works
on your computer's desktop and does not need a web browser
to access it.
Add a
Google Gadget to your own website... You can add
a Google Gadget to your website to make it more useful and
interactive for your site visitors. How about adding your
local weather or a listing of local gas prices so site
visitors can find the lowest priced gas in town? You could
also add a calendar to your site
and dozens of other useful applications.
You'll need to have access
to your website's source code and know just a little HMTL to
add a Gadget to your site. If you can do that, it's pretty
easy - just select the Gadget you want from Google's
directory of “Google Gadgets for your webpage,” customize
the gadget so it's looks best on your site, then
copy-and-paste the code into your web page's HTML code.
Add a Google Gadget to a Google
website you create... If working with
HTML is not an option for you, you can still add Gadgets to
a webpage with out copying and
pasting code by using Google's Page Creator.
The Google Page Creator (http://pages.google.com)
is a free application that makes it easy to create and
publish web pages in just minutes. Don't worry about
learning code - there's no technical knowledge required. It
works with a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) page
creator that lets you see exactly
how your page will look. You'll
need a Gmail account to login and begin making web pages.
Google Page Creator is still in testing phase so this is a
great time to try it out and tell Google what you think
about it.
Add a Google Gadget to a Google
homepage... Getting back to those Sticky Notes...
even without a website, you can use Google Gadgets
whenever you need them by creating a Google Homepage with
just a click or two of your mouse. Do you have lot's off
different things to keep track of? Add several Sticky Notes
to your Google Homepage. Post them in a variety of different
colors to help you prioritize them. Any of the Google
Gadgets can be moved to a different location on your Google
Homepage just by clicking and dragging - so quick and
convenient! You can set up your Google Homepage by going to
http://www.google.com and clicking on the link at the
top right that says, "Personalize this page", or by going to
http://www.google.com/ig?hl=en.
Add a Google Gadget to your desktop...
If you have Google Desktop installed, you can
also add gadgets to your computer's desktop. Google Desktop
(http://desktop.google.com)
is an application that searches your computer, making your
files and information quick and easy to locate.
Google Gadgets include such things as a currency converter,
calendar, calculator, media player, Wikipedia, expense
tracker, language translator, PDF creator, games, news and
much, much more! There are hundreds of Google Gadgets to
choose from and more information at
http://www.google.com/webmasters/gadgets. |