Since most
people use Google Chrome, we’ll use that browser to describe our five
productivity tips. If you don’t
use Chrome, you can still look for the features we list on your browser of
choice.
Better with Bookmarks
Do you
have a half dozen or so sites that you like to visit every day? If so, bookmark them on a toolbar so
that you have one-click access. In
Chrome, click the icon with three horizontal lines that is located on the web
address bar at the top of your browser.
We’ll call this the Chrome Commands button from now on. Mouse over “Bookmarks,” and make sure
“Show Bookmarks Bar” is checked.
Type in
your favorite site URL. To add it
as a bookmark on your bookmarks bar, click the star on the right side of the
web address box. It will turn
gold, and then you can name your page as well as select whether you want it
more prominently in the bar or simply in your list of bookmarks. Repeat this for each of your most
visited sites.
Now that
all of your sites are listed on your bookmarks bar, you can visit them in one
click.
Enlarge the Page
If a page
is too small and you want to enlarge the entire thing, you can do so with your
mouse wheel. On your keyboard,
hold down the CTRL key and roll your mouse wheel away from you while you’re on
a web page. The page will get
larger. Roll your mouse wheel toward
you to reverse the effect and make a page smaller.
You can
also customize your fonts by going into Chrome Commands, Settings, Advanced
Setting, and Web Content. You can
find your font options there.
Download Redux
Do you
need something you downloaded earlier today and forgot where you put it? Access it again here by typing this
into the web address box or selecting “Downloads” from the Chrome
Commands. Hey, even better, if you
need this a lot, make it a bookmark.
If you’re
a history buff – that is, if you closed a browser screen and find you want to
re-visit that page, then look for the History command under the Chrome Commands
button. It’s super-handy and will
save lots of time when you need to backtrack.
Autofill
Tired of
filling out forms? Chrome will do
it for you by remembering certain fields and matching them up with their form
fieldnames. You can have Chrome
remember addresses and credit cards; however we can’t really recommend the
latter for security reasons.
Manage this feature and its settings by clicking the Chrome Commands
button and Settings. Scroll to the
end and look for Advanced Settings, then look for the Autofill area and Manage
Autofill Settings.
Instant Dictionary
While
browsing, have you ever come across a word or phrase you don’t know or want to
know more about? If so, highlight
it right there on the web page and then right-click. Select “Search Google for “the phrase you highlighted” to
bring up the information you want.
Most of us
have never had a formal class on our browsers, but it’s not a bad idea. Hopefully, until you can get to that
class, these tips will help you discover a little more about the browser you
use every day.
