Googleholic for June 17, 2008
Welcome to Googleholic, your bi-weekly fix of everything Google!
In this edition:
- Get the Google Toolbar for Firefox 3
- Improve efficiency with Google Docs
- Google Code Jam '08
- Googolopoly, the game
- Gmail and Google Reader tips
Get the Google Toolbar for Firefox 3
Happy Firefox Download Day! Just in time for the official release, Google Toolbar has been updated to work with Firefox 3. We missed our toolbar during the long beta and RC process. Welcome back Googlebar!
[via Google Blogoscoped]
Improve efficiency with Google Docs
Lynette Chandler has written a great article about how to use Google Docs to improve team efficiency. The article, written in Google Docs -- natch -- does a great job of outlining Google Docs collaboration features and six ways those features can be used to increase efficiency and productivity.
Our favorite tip? Using the chat feature in Presentations to hold a teleseminar. Brilliant!
[via Official Google Docs Blog]
Google Code Jam '08
It's back! Google Code Jam will be revving up in just 30 days. Google Code Jam is a coding competition designed test your skillz, in the coding language and development environment of your choice.
Contestants have two hours to solve algorithmic challenges, download the test cases and enter in the correct answer. If you are right, you move to a new problem. The top 500 players will advance to the semifinals round and compete a local Google office, competing against those in their region (Asia Pacific, Europe, Americas, Middle East and Africa). The top 100 players will be flown to Google HQ in Mountain View in November to compete in the final round.
If you are a coding monkey and want to compete against the best, sign-up between June 17, 2008 and July 17, 2008 for Code Jam '08.
[via Official Google Blog]
Googolopoly, the game
Box.net has just launched Googolopoly, an internet board game that takes-on Monopoly, Google style. The goal of the game is to use Google shares to buy up as many properties on the board without landing in the deadpool (Googolopoly's version of jail).
While we're not sure if Box.net got permission from Hasbro/Parker Bros. to use the likeness for their mock-up, we LOVE the detail Box.net put into the game board, pieces, money, community chest cards, etc.
Viva la board game!
[via Google Blogoscoped]
Gmail and Google Reader tips
Gmail labs launched a couple of weeks ago and introduced lots of new goodies for our favorite web-based mail service. This week, the Official Gmail Blog has highlighted some of the most popular new features. Check out their article for a quick-overview of "superstars," "pictures in chat" and "quick links."
[via Official Gmail Blog]
Over at Google Operating System, they've compiled some great tips on how to better search read items in Google Reader. Instead of simply visiting your page of read articles, you can actually subscribe to a feed for your read items. We love the meat-ness of using Google Reader to subscribe to a feed of your read Google Reader items. Google Operating System has all the instructions for finding your Google ID and using it to create the RSS link for your read items history.
[via Google Operating System]
