Annotate Websites with Sticky Notes

SUMMARY: "Note Anywhere" lets you add reminder notes onto pages browsed in Google Chrome.

While there are several notepad extensions for Google Chrome, what if you need to annotate web pages directly with reminders, hints, or shortcuts?

The "Note Anywhere" extension does just this, allowing you to type movable notes on a webpage that only appear when you re-access that URL. You can also configure the note colors, font, and text size.

Using the "Note Anywhere" extension for Google Chrome, showing notes that appear whenever re-accessing the front page of MalekTips

To install:

1. From Google Chrome, visit the "Note Anywhere" page.

2. Click the "Install" button.

3. Click "Install" in the "Confirm Installation" dialog box when prompted.

Confirming installing the "Note Anywhere" extension in Google Chrome

To add a note to the currently-browsed webpage, click the note icon that appears in the Toolbar and start typing. The icon will change showing a count of the number of notes on the current page.

To delete a note, hover over the note and click the "X" button.

To move a note, click and drag on a note to where you want it to appear on the webpage.


To see a summary of notes or adjust options, right-click the note icon and choose "Options". Then click "Notes Summary" to see a summary of stored notes, or "Settings" to adjust settings:

* Note background color, text color, status bar background color, and status bar color

* Note font (Arial, Times, Georgia, Geneva, Helvetica, Verdana, or Monospace)

* Text size (Small, Medium, or Large)

Click "Save" to save your settings.

"Note Anywhere" extension for Chrome - Summary and Settings

This tip was written regarding Google Chrome v8.0.552.200 beta and the "Note Anywhere" extension v0.5.1. Features, information, and screenshots are subject to change between versions and operating systems.

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Display a Miniature Google Maps App for Easy Searching

SUMMARY: Need to search Google Maps but don't want to open a new tab or window? This extension makes Google Maps a click away via a pop-up.

 

Do you frequently need to search for an address or directions via Google Maps but don't want to keep it open as a new tab inside Google Chrome?

With the "Mini Google Maps" extension you can have this useful app a click-away on the Address Bar. Instead of opening Google Maps in a new tab, a popup appears over the currently browsed website. Find an address, display a map, then when you're done, click the button again and it's gone - simple as that.

A mini version of Google Maps available via the Address Bar

To install:

1. From Google Chrome, visit the "Mini Google Maps" page.

2. Click the "Install" button.

3. Click "Install" in the "Confirm Installation" dialog box when prompted.

Confirming installing the "Mini Google Maps" extension in Google Chrome

To open Mini Google Maps, simply click on the new button in the Address Bar.

You can switch between Map, Satellite, and Terrain displays, click "Get Directions", and switch the popup size between Small, Medium, and Large.

This tip was written regarding Google Chrome v8.0.552.200 beta and Mini Google Maps v1.0.2. Features, information, and screenshots are subject to change between versions and operating systems.

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Quickly Hide All Open Tabs

SUMMARY: Don't want others seeing which web sites you are browsing in Google Chrome? Press the panic button!

 

Tired of others snooping around and looking to see what you are doing on your computer? Don't want others to know you are taking a quick break to check Facebook, Reddit, Twitter, or other web sites via Google Chrome?

The PanicButton extension offers a one-click option to quickly hide your open tabs. Just press the exclamation point in the red circle that is added to the right of Google Chrome's address bar and all open tabs become hidden. By default, the circle is replaced with a green circle and the number of closed tabs, though this can be changed.

To install:

1. From Google Chrome, visit the "PanicButton" page.

2. Click the "Install" button.

3. Click "Install" in the "Confirm Installation" dialog box when prompted.

Confirming installing the "PanicButton" extension in Google Chrome

By default, PanicButton shows the "New Tab" page when the button is pressed. Since the "New Tab" page shows the list of recently closed tabs and other private information, this and other options can be changed by right-clicking the button and selecting "Options" from the pop-up menu.

Options include:

* "Keyboard shortcut?"- Define a keyboard shortcut that activates the PanicButton. This may not work to activate the button on https pages. However, it is useful to re-show the button if you hide it after activation so it does not show the number of hidden tabs (see below).

* "Password protection?" - Optionally set a password that is required to restore your hidden tabs (this may not be 100% secure).

* "Set a safe page" - Change the shown page after pressing the PanicButton. Choose "custom page" to show an URL of your choosing.

* "hide PanicButton toolbar after activation" - Set to "yes" so the button and number of hidden tabs is not shown after activation.

Setting options for the "PanicButton" extension in Google Chrome

This tip was written regarding Google Chrome v7.0.517.41 and PanicButton v0.12 running on a Windows XP machine. Features, information, and screenshots are subject to change between versions and operating systems.

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Search a Term by Highlighting It, with Autocomplete

SUMMARY: The "Highlight to Search (by Google)" extension to Google Chrome lets you search by highlighting text and clicking a pop-up magnifying glass.

 

Google Chrome users: when you see text on a web page that you would like to research further via Google, are you tired of copying the text and pasting it into the Address Bar? Or, even if you know that you can right-click selected text and choose "Search Google for", wouldn't it be nice to have Autocomplete features here so you can refine your search query?

The "Highlight to Search (by Google) extension offers an alternative way to search. After installation, all you need to do is highlight text on a webpage and a magnifying glass appears. Click it and a search box appears with AutoComplete features. Click on your term or a related one and a new tab appears with results of your search query from Google. It's that easy.

Highlighting "PowerPoint 2010" on a text page and using the Highlight to Search (by Google) extension for Google Chrome

To install:

1. From Google Chrome, visit the "Highlight to Search (by Google)" page.

2. Click the "Install" button.

3. Click "Install" in the "Confirm Installation" dialog box when prompted.

Confirming installing the "Highlight to Search (by Google)" extension in Google Chrome

Note that by default, this extension does not work on https:// sites due to privacy concerns. To change this configuration, or to view results in the same tab instead of a new tab, you can access the extension options. If you don't know how to do so:

1. Click the wrench button on the toolbar, selecting "Tools" - "Extensions".

2. Underneath "Highlight to Search (by Google)", click the "Options" link.

Options for the "Highlight to Search (by Google)" extension in Google Chrome

This tip was written regarding Google Chrome v6.0.472.63 and Highlight to Search (by Google) v1.0.34 running on a Windows XP machine. Features, information, and screenshots are subject to change between versions and operating systems.

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Quick Access to Baseball Player Statistics

SUMMARY: Search multiple baseball statistics (sabermetrics) sites for information on a particular player inside Google Chrome.

Watching regular season or playoff baseball games, or participating in a fantasy baseball league, and need to settle a dispute about the stats of particular players? Who has hit more home runs over the last five seasons, whose ERA rises in the playoffs, or who keeps continually grounding into double plays?

While you can visit statistics sites individually for the information you desire, the Baseball Player Search extension adds a button directly inside Google Chrome where you can access information from seven different baseball statistics (sabermetrics) sites.

1. From Google Chrome, visit the Baseball Player Search page.

2. Click the "Install" button.

3. Click "Install" in the "Confirm Installation" dialog box when prompted.

Confirming installing the "Baseball Player Search" extension in Google Chrome

4. Once the extension has installed, clicking the baseball button to the right of the address bar opens the "Baseball Player Search" extension.

Using the "Baseball Player Search" extension in Google Chrome

5. From here, enter a player name in the search box, check the sites you wish to visit, then click the magnifying glass (search) button. The desired sites will open in new tabs.

Most extensions were written by third-parties, thus it is your decision to trust third-party authors before installing extensions. This tip was written regarding Google Chrome 6.0.472.63 on a Windows XP machine and Baseball Player Search v1.35. Features, information, and screenshots are subject to change between versions and operating systems.

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Clear Browsing Data including Cookies, Flash Cookies, Cache, History, and Saved Passwords

SUMMARY: For privacy, clear data Google Chrome stores regarding your browsing history.

 

Even though Google Chrome supports "Incognito" browsing where history information is not kept and cookies are removed after browsing, there may be times when you do not use this mode and realize that a lot of potentially private information is being stored. Also, you may wish to delete Flash cookies that may be stored when you visit sites using that plug-in.

Thus, Google Chrome supports a feature where you can quickly clear browsing and download histories, the cache, cookies, Flash cookies, saved passwords, and/or saved form data.

1. Click on the Tools (wrench) button.

2. Select "Options".

3. When the "Google Chrome Options" dialog box appears, click the "Under the Hood" tab.


4. Underneath "Privacy", click the "Clear Browsing Data" button.


4. A "Clear Browsing Data" dialog box appears. Check entries you want cleared and remove the checkboxes from items you wish to keep.

5. Next to "Clear data from this period", click the pull-down to choose whether you would like data cleared from just the last hour, day, week, last four weeks, or all data.

6. Once you are sure of your selections, click the "Clear Browsing Data" button to clear your data.

Clearing browsing data stored by Google Chrome

7. To clear Flash cookies, click the "Clear browsing data" button again to reshow the dialog, and then click the "Adobe Flash Player storage settings" link. A new browser window will appear showing the Flash "Website Storage Settings panel". To delete all Flash cookies, click the "Delete all sites" button, then click "Confirm" if prompted.

Deleting Flash cookies via Google Chrome

8. Close the new browser window, then click "Close" on the dialog boxes.

This tip was written regarding Google Chrome 6.0.472.63 on a Windows 7 machine. Google Chrome features, instructions, and screenshots may differ depending on your installed version and operating system.

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Turn Down the Lights in the Browser

SUMMARY: Focus on a video or movie shown in Google Chrome by 'turning down' the lights on user comments, related movies, and other 'stuff'.

 

While browsing the web in Google Chrome, have you ever come across a video or image and wanted to just focus on the visuals instead of everything else on the page?

The "Turn Off the Lights" extension may be of help. When visiting supported pages such as YouTube, a light bulb appears on the right side of the Google Chrome address bar. Click this button and the web page, except for the video or image, fades. No more focusing on links to other related videos, user comments, etc. while watching a movie.

To install:


1. From Google Chrome, visit the "Turn Off the Lights" page.

2. Click the "Install" button.

3. Click "Install" in the "Confirm Installation" dialog box when prompted.

Confirming installing the "Turn Off the Lights" extension in Google Chrome

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Add an Extensions Button to Google Chrome's Toolbar

SUMMARY: Make managing extensions in Google Chrome easier by adding a shortcut button to the toolbar.

 

There are several extensions to add commonly-used buttons to the Google Chrome toolbar such as a history button or downloads button. What if you need an easier way to manage your extensions (uninstalling, removing, and changing options) instead of selecting the wrench button and clicking "Extensions"?

The "Go Extensions" extension adds a button to the right of the address bar in the Google Chrome toolbar. Click it and a new tab opens allowing you to manage extensions, including this one.


To install:

1. From Google Chrome, visit the "Go Extensions" page.

2. Click the "Install" button.

3. Click "Install" in the "Confirm Installation" dialog box when prompted.

Confirming installing the "Go Extensions" extension in Google Chrome

This tip was written regarding Google Chrome v4.0.249.89 on a Windows XP machine and Go Extensions v0.1. Features, information, and screenshots are subject to change between versions and operating systems.

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View IMDb Information About a Selected Movie

SUMMARY: Select a movie name in a web page and the "Go To IMDb" extension lets you access related information at the click of a mouse.

Do you often view entertainment or movie-related web sites in Google Chrome and wish it was easier to access IMDb (The Internet Movie Database) information about a particular movie?

The "Go to IMDb" extension adds a "IMDb" button to the right of the address bar in Google Chrome. Highlight a movie name with your mouse and the extension searches for it; if found, the icon then contains the movie's rating. Click the icon and IMDb opens in a new tab with information on the selected movie.

Example of accessing the "Go to IMDb" extension

To install:

1. From Google Chrome, visit the "Go to IMDb" page.

2. Click the "Install" button.

3. Click "Install" in the "Confirm Installation" dialog box when prompted.

Confirming installing the "Go to IMDb" extension in Google Chrome

NOTE that according to the author, this may not work on some https:// web sites.

This tip was written regarding Google Chrome v4.0.249.89 on a Windows XP machine and Go to IMDb v1.1.9. Features, information, and screenshots are subject to change between versions and operating systems.

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Do Not Press the Red Button

SUMMARY: Better not press the red button... but how can you resist? It's a button... and it's RED!

Bad things tend to happen when you press red buttons. Plans spring into action, things may blow up, items may disappear... but the red button is tempting, isn't it? It's shiny. It's begging you to press it. And.... it's.... so..... RED!

Now you can add your own red button to Google Chrome via the "Do Not Press" extension. This adds a red button to the right of the address bar. But can you keep from pressing it? You never know what would happen...

What happens when you press the Red Button? Better not find out.

To install this extension:

1. From Google Chrome, visit the "Do Not Press" page.

2. Click the "Install" button.

3. Click "Install" in the "Confirm Installation" dialog box when prompted.

Confirming installing the "Do Not Press" extension in Google Chrome

After installing this extension, the red button should appear in the Google Chrome toolbar. But you should not press it, of course...

This tip was written regarding Google Chrome v4.0.249.89 on a Windows XP machine and Do Not Press v1.0. Features, information, and screenshots are subject to change between versions and operating systems.

Some of the content in this extension may not be suitable for kiddies...

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Prevent Movies from Automatically Playing on YouTube

SUMMARY: Tired of YouTube videos automatically playing as you access the pages? Try out this extension.

While browsing YouTube in Google Chrome, if you are a "power user" you might want to open multiple videos from a search result in their own tabs. However, since videos are set to automatically play, you must go to each tab and pause the videos else several may try to play simultaneously.

The "Stop Autoplay for YouTube" extension helps solve this problem. Not only will videos be prevented from automatically playing, but pre-buffering will still occur. This way your browser can still buffer several videos while you are watching another one, so they may start faster when you're ready to press play.

To install:

1. From Google Chrome, visit the "Stop Autoplay for YouTube" page.

2. Click the "Install" button.

3. Click "Install" in the "Confirm Installation" dialog box when prompted.

Confirming installing the "Stop Autoplay for YouTube" extension in Google Chrome

This tip was written regarding Google Chrome v4.0.249.89 on a Windows XP machine and Stop Autoplay for YouTube v0.10.2.24. Features, information, and screenshots are subject to change between versions and operating systems.

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