There just isn't enough time in the day anymore. If that wasn't enough, the Internet has come up with a bunch of different time wasters in which we can actually see how time is passing us by. If you don't know what I mean I suggest you check out this clock or if you're really adventurous, you could even take a peak at this clock. With all these little itty-bitty things that suck the day away and waste time in little increments here and there it is important to be productive when you are given the opportunity. While the Internet can sometimes be evil and absorb those precious seconds out of our busy days, it also has a number of resources that can truly help in making one as efficient as possible. Here is a list of some of the most essential products that you have to use in order to work as effectively as possible.
Google Desktop
If you aren't lucky enough to have an Apple or you continue to trudge along with Windows and their new operating system, Vista, Google Desktop is by far and away the most essential ingredient to your efficieny. Even with an Apple or Vista, Google Desktop pays dividends like no other product on the Internet. After downloading Google Desktop the fun begins. Every single web page, document, e-mail, picture, video, or anything imaginable that you may access on your computer will be cataloged by Google. It's literally creating a search engine for your own computer. I can't tell you how many times I've remembered a phrase from an e-mail or sentence from a document, but not been able to remember what I called the damn thing.
Google Desktop remembers everything. Words within documents or titles of e-mails. It finds things on your computer in a flash. Beyond this feature, if that wasn't enough, you can dock Google Desktop in a variety of ways. You can place the search bar in the bottom right hand side of your screen, near the clock, or if you prefer you can have it floating anywhere on your desktop. My favorite, and what I am currently using, is the variation called the sidebar. It has the search function at the bottom of the right hand side of the screen, but then Google also allows you to customize your Desktop with a variety of helpful widgets that are excellently engineered for efficiency. I am currently using Economist.com, Google News, Scrolling Pictures saved on my computer, Dow Jones Industrial Average, weather, and Digg.com. All of these widgets update in practically real time. Digg stories pup up after maybe 1 or 2 minutes and you can open the link directly from your desktop, bypassing Digg. This is the same for Economist.com and Google News. This is just a mere sampling, however. There are hundreds of widgets to choose from, and Google will even suggest some based on your Internet surfing habits. Kinda spooky but the ultimate in efficiency. Do not be without Google Desktop. You're wasting time already.
Mozilla Thunderbird
Thunderbird comes from the Firefox family. As Firefox continues to make excellent ground in the Internet browsing industry, I can see only the same trend for Thunderbird. Thunderbird is an e-mail system that filters your e-mail accounts into one manageable program that is easy and quick to use. Unlike Outlook, which is the most similar product out there, Thunderbird specializes in e-mail and doesn't waste your time with other things that are meant to save your time but end up wasting it (these options are still available though). Thunderbird is simple to configure and is very intuitive with its large buttons to press and easy navigation once the program is open. Another fantastic feature that comes with Thunderbird is the real-time alert that pops-up on your screen when there is a new incoming e-mail. This will let you attend to it as quick as possible. You can personalize each one of your e-mail addresses with a unique signature, so don't worry if one is for your work and another is for personal use, Thunderbird keeps your accounts separated. I am currently using three e-mail accounts through Thunderbird and I have never felt more on top of all the e-mails I receive daily than before. Thunderbird, like Firefox, is a superior program that will help you become efficient.
ESPN Bottomline
For the sports fans out there, ESPN Bottomline is your santuary. In the beginning, there was just ESPN, but they have grown their enterprise into a network that eats, sleeps, and breathes sport. ESPN 2, ESPN News, ESPN MVP (Their phone service), ESPN.com, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Fantasy, ESPN U, ESPN Magazine, ESPN Radio, and now they are helping you get your news even faster when sitting behind your computer, and that is Bottomline. ESPN Bottomline provides you with the same content that typically streams on ESPN News or during most ESPN sports presentations. It is updated in real-time and you can even customize it to show you sports that you do want to see. Like the name suggests, ESPN Bottomline aligns itself on the bottom of your desktop. This is great location, because nothing really goes on there either way, and this is where they have it on television to begin with. If you want sports and you need it now, ESPN Bottomline is the product that you need. No more browsing needed, scores, stats, and more available on ESPN Bottomline.
Google Text
Here's something I just found out about recently. I'm really not sure how long this has been available, but it's a true testament to how innovative and brilliant Google is and continues to be. By simply texting 466453 (Google on a phone) you will get practically instantaneous answers to what you're searching for. Keep in mind, Google Text isn't a resource to download the entire series of mystery novels by Leslie Charteris, but it can give you instant stock quotes or scores of your favorite team. It can give provide you with movies showing in a particular zip code, directions to various locations, weather in different cities, translate words into other languages, and even convert currency. Google probably thought this one up by assuming someone was on a desert island and all they had was a cellphone. With Google Text you'd probably never want to leave. This application gives an incredible amount of information in seconds and will make you as efficient as you want to be. Use it wisely.
These utilities and products are absolutely essential if you are to be efficient this upcoming year. Whether its work, school, or for personal use, all of these things can help in some way or another. Be sure to stay clear of Facebook and AIM! Be smart. Be aware. Be the Solution.
This post was originally written by Tyrone Schiff University of Michigan · Organizational Studies · 23 Aug 2007
