Part II:

Desk Management Tools

Instructor: Rita Gavelis

Metrowest MA Regional Library System

FY 2007

Introduction:

Google has been known as a search engine for so many years, it has become a verb. Did you know, however, that Google offers so much more in terms of communicating with others, organizing and sharing files and calendar events, as well as integrating Google with your cell phone.

To use some of these features, you must first create a Google account. To do so, go to this link: http://www.google.com/accounts/ManageAccount and click on “Create an account now”.

You will be asked for an email address, create a password, choose a location (US, Canada, etc…), enter the word verification, and accept the terms of service.

Communication:

Blogger

– “Share your life online with a blog”.

A blog is a personal diary or journal in the form of a web site. It is a quick way to share your thoughts on a particular subject or create a space where people can add their comments as well. At Blogger, you can create a blog in three steps. It is extremely easy and requires no downloading of software.

Http://www.blogger.com

Gmail

– “Gmail is a new kind of webmail, built on the idea that email can be more intuitive, efficient and useful. And maybe even fun.”

Google search is integrated into Gmail, so you can actually look for any email you sent or received, without having to search all your mailboxes, read RSS feeds, view Microsoft Office, OpenOffice, or PDF attachments in HTML without having to download the file to your computer.

Gmail has a chat feature, is accessible on a cell phone by going to http://m.gmail.com.

To sign up for Gmail, you need to either have a cell phone or have someone who already has Gmail to invite you.

Google Groups

– “is a free service which helps people form online communities based around shared interests. You can create your own groups and mailing lists, and search over all public Google Groups content, including more than 1 billion postings from the Usenet bulletin board service.”

To Access Google Groups, you need a Google Account.

http://groups.google.com/intl/en/googlegroups/tour/index.html

Google Talk

(Beta) “They say talk is cheap. With Google Talk, it’s free--and fast.”

Google Talk is still in test or “Beta” mode. It is a free way to talk with and send instant messages. All you need to make free calls is an Internet connection, a microphone, and a speaker. After you download Google Talk, sign in with your Google or Gmail username and password. With Google talk, you also have access to voicemail and IM capabilities.

This is a software packet that you download and install. It is compatible with Windows 2000 or Windows XP.

http://www.google.com/talk/about.html

File Management and Sharing:

Google Desktop

– “You have lots of information on your computer. Wouldn’t it be great if you could find it all when you need it?”

Desktop is a feature that indexes files of all types found on your computer, from past AOL Instant messenger chats , photos, older versions of files and web pages, and much more.

You can set Desktop to index all items on your computer, or exclude specific files or folders.

To search your computer with Desktop, just follow these steps:

Enter your search terms in either the Sidebar, Deskbar, Floating Deskbar, the Google Desktop Icon in the Taskbar, or the Desktop link on the Google Homepage.

Your search results are sorted by date. Next to each item in the list is an icon showing the type of file.

This is a software packet that you download and install. It is compatible with Windows 2000 or Windows XP.

http://desktop.google.com/en/gettingstarted.html

Picasa

– “Find and enjoy the pictures on your computer in seconds.”

Picasa is software that helps you instantly find, edit and share all the pictures on your PC. Every time you open Picasa, it automatically locates all your pictures and sorts them into visual albums organized by date with folder names you will recognize. Picasa also makes advanced editing simple by putting one-click fixes and powerful effects at your fingertips.

Picasa also makes it easy to share your pictures – you can email, print photos at home, and make gift CDs. And with the new Web Albums feature, you can upload your photos to the web with just one click. You can even download your friends’ photos directly back to Picasa on your own computer.

This is a software packet that you download and install. It is compatible with Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Linux.

http://picasa.google.com/

Calendar

– “Wouldn’t it be great to be able to keep track of all the events in your life, coordinate schedules with friends and family, and find new things to do – all with one online calendar? “

To create a Google Calendar, you must first create a Google account. Once you have created an account, you can start entering information into your calendar.

Calendar offers such features as importing calendar information from Outlook or Yahoo Calendar, or even out of your Gmail account. You can also send invitations directly out of Calendar, have guests comment or add their RSVP directly in Calendar, and have event reminders sent to you. You can also share your calendar with friends, family, and co-workers.

Google Mobile:

Maps for Mobile

- “Take the power of Google Maps with you on your mobile phone.”

Google Maps is now available on your cell phone. You can get business locations, maps, directions, and real-time traffic while you’re on the go. This service works on most phones and all color BlackBerry devices.

To use this feature, your cell phone has to have web capability and have internet access as part of your plan. This is a software packet that you download.

http://www.google.com/mobile/

Fun Features:

Google Earth

- “Explore the world from your PC.”

This is a fun feature that allows you to zoom in from space to view a location from a satellite image. You can rotate the view to see 3D terrain and buildings. This is a software packet that you download and install. It is compatible with Mc OS X (10.3.9 +), Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Linux.

http://earth.google.com/

SketchUp

– “Dream. Design. Communicate.”

is software that allows you to create, view, and modify 3D models. You can use this in conjunction with Google Earth and share your designs with others in Google’s 3D Warehouse. This is a software packet that you download and install. It is compatible with Mc OS X (10.3.9 +), Windows 2000, or Windows XP.

http://sketchup.google.com/

Web Accelerator

- “Speed up the Web.”

Google’s Web Accelerator is used to load web pages faster. It uses the cache of Internet sites stored in Google’s servers for quick loading. To use this feature, you must download Web Accelerator software. It is compatible with WIN 2000 SP# + or XP, and IE 5.5+ or Firefox 1.0.

http://webaccelerator.google.com/support.html

Google Labs

– “Google’s technology playground.”

Google labs showcases new ideas that are still in test mode. This is a site where you can take the features for a test-drive and provide feedback to Google.

You will find such tools as:

Google Code Search

http://www.google.com/codesearch

Google Reader https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLogin?nui=1&service=reader&continue=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Freader%2F

Google Transit

http://www.google.com/transit

Google Music Trends

http://www.google.com/trends/music