Geek Choice Blog

An excellent Gmail extension for Chrome

Ken — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 22:20:21 +0000

If you’re a user of Google’s internet browser Chrome, their arguable answer to Mozilla’s Firefox (offering much of the same functionality and performance that places these two competing browser’s well ahead of Microsoft’s stagnant Internet Explorer), there’s a good chance you also use Gmail.

With Chrome now supporting extensions, a long overdue addition to its impressive features, we have a new extension that augments your Gmail experience. Called Better Gmail for Chrome, this is an unofficial extension that renders your use of the popular email service a bit more manageable.

After its installation, you’re ready to begin taking advantage of it. To access the extension’s features, click on the wrench and select Extensions -> Better Gmail Options. Looking at the list of options, simply click on those you’d like to toggle for activation. An upcoming update that includes support for POP3 Email is said to be on the horizon.

Those of us in the Geek Choice office have no real preference between Chrome and Firefox, finding both to be far preferable to Internet Explorer. If you have a favorite extension to use with either browser, feel free to share it with us!

Better Gmail for Chrome can be retrieved here.

Tired of catalogs clogging up your mailbox??

Ken — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 20:36:35 +0000

Junk mail is the bane of any household, particularly catalogs from companies hawking products for which you have zero interest. Many of us, when arriving home from work, hate the daily ritual of filtering unwanted junk from the mail that we’re actually interested in reading.

Initially unveiled as just a beta, Catalog Choice is now an official registry that allows you to cut down on the clutter filling up your mailbox.

It’s completely free and easy to use, supported by more than 1,000 merchants complying with the requests made through this service.

After the registration process has been completed, you can browse their directory for any catalogs that have found their way to your mailbox. You can either put a halt to their delivery altogether or make it so the frequency with which they’re sent to your residence diminishes considerably. Once your choices have been made, Catalog Choice will contact the companies and inform them of your preference.

Be forewarned: It can take up to 12 weeks before you notice your changes.

If you’re like me, you look forward to a mailbox containing only that which is relevant, absent the unnecessary solicitations. For those of you who tire of finding your mailbox invaded by catalogs you almost immediately toss in the garbage bin, this service is a perfect means of putting an end to the unwanted junk.

Visit Catalog Choice here

Always receive free shipping with Amazon

Ken — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 18:56:21 +0000

If you’re a frequent patron of Amazon’s awesome online market, you’re probably aware that free basic shipping is available after spending $25 or more. With the plentiful bounty to be gained from using Amazon, it’s likely that you’re someone who frequently makes small purchases that see your total just missing that $25 threshold, resulting in you incurring an additional $5 to $10 for shipping (depending on size and weight of what you’ve purchased).

FillerItemFinder is helpful tool that takes the remaining balance before you reach $25 and offers suggestions to fill that quota. The list it provides is impressively long, from cheap books to discounted DVDs. It allows you to filter the list, giving you the option of choosing just entertainment, even paring that down to a specific type of entertainment.

Once you’ve settled on an item, you can simply add it to your cart and check out.

You can visit FilterItemFinder here. Happy shopping!

Catch the Winter Olympics Online

Ken — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:48:50 +0000

It’s 2010 and the Winter Olympics have arrived, giving spectators an opportunity to watch countries compete in a wide range of winter-based events, from cross country skiing to bobsledding.

Not all of us are able to catch the events from the comfort of our couches, leaving some of us to make do with the streaming services available on the internet. For those of you looking to catch specific events on the internet, there are a number of options giving you the opportunity to stay on top of the festivities.

Before deciding which service you’ll use to track the events, you’ll want to settle on those competitions you’re looking to watch. A variety of events are occurring concurrently throughout each day of the Olympics. For a schedule listing the start times of those events you’re looking to follow, visit the official website, where you’ll also find the results as they filter in.

After determining those events you want to watch, your next order of business is deciding on the service that’ll stream it to you. Most of the events are streamed right on the same site on which you reviewed the schedule. From there, you’re directed to televised broadcasts streaming from a number of countries.

If your sole interest is participation in these games by American athletes, NBC has a great resource that provides not only live streaming but a listing of all local stations that deliver coverage of the events. Entering your zipcode and the name of your cable/satellite provider will result in a list of local stations televising the games. Looking at the list of television stations, you can also check on those that are offering live streams on the internet.

While those are the official sites from which to get your Winter Olympics fix, you can also take a look at the two options below, both of which compiling an assortment of sites that are covering the events.

There are other resources available, which a quick Google inquiry will point you towards, but these are the best ones I’ve been able to unearth. No matter who you’re rooting for, enjoy the games and celebrate the spirit of friendly competition!

Youtube Disco is now open..

Ken — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 19:48:00 +0000

That quintessential streaming service, Youtube, has just launched a music delivery system called Youtube Disco. Something of an addendum to their already impressive catalog of music videos, this service is still in its infancy, which becomes obvious when you notice its lack of more advanced options available elsewhere.

Still, it serves its fundamental purpose — which is to stream music.

Easy to use, you’re given two options for your music search: You can search for an artist and all of the songs they’ve crafted, or you can find music that’s in the same vein of the music you originally ran a search for.

Barebones but simple in its execution, this is a great means of discovering new music and finding songs from some of your favorite artists.

Visit Youtube Disco here.