11 March 2014

How To Become Super-Productive By Outsourcing Your Day-To-Day Tasks



Elance

We all know that one person who appears to glide through life getting more done in a day than most of us could possibly manage in a week. But by learning what you can outsource, plus a few ‘best practice’ tips for delegating your day-to-day chores, you too can become super-productive. This article will explain how to choose tasks to outsource online, show you a few examples, and give you some tips on how to become an efficient and proficient online outsourcer. What is Outsourcing? In a word, delegation. Since the launch (and subsequent success) of books and blogs such...


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The Best Add-ons for Google Docs and Sheets



Google today introduced add-ons for Google Docs & Sheets and they certainly make the Google Office productivity suite more capable and more useful. If you haven’t tried them yet, open any Google document or spreadsheet in your Google Drive and look for the new add-ons menu.


For starters, add-ons in Google Docs are like extensions for Chrome. Just like Chrome extensions add new features to your browser, add-ons extend the functionality of Google Docs and Google Sheets. To give you an example, here’s the screenshot of a Twitter add-on I wrote for Google Docs and Google Sheets that you can use to find and curate tweets right inside your documents.


Twitter Curator is an add-on for Google Docs and Sheets

Twitter Curator is an add-on for Google Docs and Sheets



Anyone can write an add-on for Google Docs. All you need to have is some basic understanding of HTML, CSS (for styling the add-on) and JavaScript. The server side code is written in Google Apps Script which is similar to JavaScript but running on the Google Cloud.


Google Scripts vs Google Add-on


Google Add-ons are also written in the Google Apps Script language but while regular Google Scripts can work on any document in your Google Drive, add-ons only work against the document or sheet that’s currently open in your browser.


Also, while Google Scripts support triggers and can run in the background (like this Website Monitor), add-ons can only run while a document or sheet is open and active.


The other big difference is that you can view the source code of regular Google Scripts while in the case of add-ons, the code is hidden from the end user. This helps developers protect their code but a downside is that the user has no clue about what’s happening behind the scenes.


We have seen issues with Chrome extensions and add-ons for Google Docs can be a target as well. For instance, an add-on can possibly email a copy of the current document or sheet to another email address? Or maybe it can share a folder in Google Drive with someone else. All add-ons currently listed in the Chrome store have been tested and reviewed by Google but if they open the gates for all, I would be a little hesitant to install add-ons created by unknown developers.


One more thing. Google Add-ons are only available for the new version of Google Sheets while Google Scripts can work on both old and new Sheets.


The Best Add-on For Google Docs & Sheets


The Chrome store has about 50 Google add-ons at the time of launch and here are some of favorite ones that you should have in your Google Docs.



  1. HelloFax – You can now send a fax to any number worldwide directly from inside Google documents. The free version lets you fax up to 5 pages.

  2. UberConference – You can have an audio conference with up to 10 people while working on a Google Document. There’s an option to record the call too.

  3. PanDoc – You can send the current document to the client from within Google Docs to request their legally-binding signature.

  4. Avery – Create address labels inside Google Docs for printing.

  5. Sudoku – Create and solve Sudoku puzzles inside a Google Spreadsheet.

  6. MailChimp – Send mails in bulk using the Mandrill service of MailChimp. The mails do not go via your Gmail account.

  7. MindMeister – Create a hierarchical bulleted list inthe the Google document and MindMeister will converted that list into a visual mind map.

  8. EasyBib – Cite books, journal articles and websites and add them to your Google Documents in MLA, APA and Chicago style.

  9. Gliffy & Lucidchart – Create flow charts, diagrams, site mockups, org charts and other technical drawings inside your Google Documents.

  10. Mapping Sheets – Create a spreadsheet with a list of places and the sheets add-on will plot them on a Google Map.

  11. TextHelp – This is like the yellow highlighter for your Google Documents. Select and highlight passages and save the annotations in a separate document.

  12. Analytics Canvas – It helps import your Google Analytics reports into Google spreadsheets for further analysis.


Related tutorial: How to Create a Google Docs Add-on




This story, The Best Add-ons for Google Docs and Sheets, was originally published at Digital Inspiration on 11/03/2014 under Google Docs, Internet

How to Write an Add-on for Google Docs



You have seen examples of some really useful add-ons for Google Docs but wouldn’t it be great if you could write your own add-on, one that adds new features to your Google Docs, one that makes you a rock star among the millions of Google Docs users.


Well, it ain’t that difficult. If you know some HTML, CSS and JavaScript, you can create a Google Docs add-on.



Create a Google Add-on for Docs & Sheets


This step-by-step tutorial (download) will walk you through the process of creating your own add-on for Google Docs. The add-on used in the demo lets you insert a image of any address on Google Maps inside a Google Document without requiring any screen capture software.


Ok, lets’s get going.


Step 1. Open a new document inside Google Drive and choose Tools -> Script Editor. This is the Apps Script IDE where we’ll write the code for the add-on.


Step 2. Choose File -> New HTML to create a new HTML file inside the Script Editor and name your file as googlemaps.html (or anything you like).


Step 3. Copy-paste the following code in the HTML file and save your changes. This is the code that will be used to render the sidebar in your Google Documents.



<!-- Use this CSS stylesheet to ensure that add-ons styling
matches the default Google Docs styles -->
<link href="http://ift.tt/1fndSbJ;
rel="stylesheet">

<!-- The sidebar will have a input box and the search button -->
<div class="sidebar">

<!-- The search box for Google Maps -->
<div class="block form-group">
<input type="text" id="search" placeholder="Enter address.. " />
<button class="blue" id="load_maps">Search Google Maps</button>
</div>

<!-- The container for the Google Maps static image -->
<div id='maps'></div>

</div>

<!-- Load the jQuery library from the Google CDN -->
<script src="//ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.10.1/jquery.min.js">
</script>

<script>
// Attach click handlers after the Sidebar has loaded in Google Docs
$(function() {

// Use Static Maps to generate an image of the address entered by the user
$('#load_maps').click(function() {
var mapURL = 'http://ift.tt/1dMMMP4;
+ encodeURIComponent($('#search').val())
+ '&zoom=14&size=200x400&sensor=false';
$('#maps').html('<img src=" ' + mapURL + ' "/>');
});

// If the user presses the Enter key in the search box, perform a search
$('#search').keyup(function(e) {
if (e.keyCode === 13) {
$('#load_maps').click();
}
});

// When a user clicks the thumbnail image in the sidebar, call
// insertGoogleMap to insert the maps image in the current document
$('#maps').click(function() {
google.script.run.insertGoogleMap($('#search').val());
});

});
</script>

Step 4. Next we will write the server side JavaScript (Google Script) that will actually render the sidebar and insert Google Maps images in the document.



/* What should the add-on do after it is installed */
function onInstall() {
onOpen();
}

/* What should the add-on do when a document is opened */
function onOpen() {
DocumentApp.getUi()
.createAddonMenu() // Add a new option in the Google Docs Add-ons Menu
.addItem("Google Maps", "showSidebar")
.addToUi(); // Run the showSidebar function when someone clicks the menu
}

/* Show a 300px sidebar with the HTML from googlemaps.html */
function showSidebar() {
var html = HtmlService.createTemplateFromFile("googlemaps")
.evaluate()
.setTitle("Google Maps - Search"); // The title shows in the sidebar
DocumentApp.getUi().showSidebar(html);
}

/* This Google Script function does all the magic. */
function insertGoogleMap(e) {
var map = Maps.newStaticMap()
.setSize(800, 600) // Insert a Google Map 800x600 px
.setZoom(15)
.setCenter(e); // e contains the address entered by the user

DocumentApp.getActiveDocument()
.getCursor() // Find the location of the cursor in the document
.insertInlineImage(map.getBlob()); // insert the image at the cursor
}

Save your changes and then choose onOpen from the Run menu inside the Script editor. Authorize the script and switch to your Google Document.


You’ll see a new Google Maps option under the Add-ons menu. Select the menu item and you’ll be able to insert maps images inside your Google Documents without using any screen capture software.


Share your Google Add-ons with other Google Docs users


Now that your first Google add-on is ready, you may want to distribute it to other users of Google Docs. The easiest option would be that you share your document with public and set the permission as Anyone can view. Now anyone can create a copy of your document in their own Google Drive and use your add-on.


Google Add-ons can also be published to the Chrome store, the process is similar to publishing Chrome extensions, but this isn’t available to all Google developers yet.




This story, How to Write an Add-on for Google Docs, was originally published at Digital Inspiration on 11/03/2014 under Google Docs, Internet

Power Up Your Instagram Experience With These IFTTT Recipes



ifttt-instagram

For automation on the Web, there’s nothing like IFTTT (If This Then That). If you’re not familiar with it, you’re missing out. IFTTT lets you automate almost any service you use, saving you time you didn’t even know you were spending. Among the numerous things you can automate with IFTTT are your Facebook photos and videos, your Facebook Page, your eBook reading, and even your iPhone. So why not Instagram? Instagram is a great way to share your photos and enjoy others’, but with IFTTT, it can become much more than that. All it takes are a few clicks. Backup...


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How Your Email Messages Can Make People Love You Or Hate You



bad-good-emails

I know you think you know how to write a good email, but I’d like to take a moment to tell you the correct way to write an email. How did that sentence make you feel? Kinda like I was talking to you like you’re a three year old, right? That’s how easily an email can offend people. If you want to come across in a positive way — as a team player, a competent leader or a trusted friend — the words you choose and the way you string them together has a tremendous impact. This matters even more...


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Snowden At SXSW, MtGox Bankruptcy, Titanfall Time, 8-Bit True Detective [Tech News Digest]



snowden-mosaic

Today in Tech News Digest, Edward Snowden appears at SXSW, MtGox secures bankruptcy protection, Twitter fixes “rare” bug, Titanfall drops, Microsoft finally releases the Power Cover for Surface 2, UC Browser HD v3.0 arrives, and an 8-bit version of True Detective pops up on YouTube. Snowden Securely Screened At SXSW NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden appeared at SXSW (South by Southwest) via a Google Hangout encrypted to hide his location. In an hour-long interview conducted by Ben Wizner of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Snowden spoke about the kind of practices that need to be adopted in order to prevent...


Read the full article: Snowden At SXSW, MtGox Bankruptcy, Titanfall Time, 8-Bit True Detective [Tech News Digest]



Relive The Long Lost Web Of The 90s With Net Cafe [Stuff to Watch]



net-cafe-stw

There was something about the emerging Internet that made it a very exciting place to be in the 1990s. Maybe it was my young age, but the early web was somewhat of a community all by itself – a small number of connected users, packing into a limited number of services, stepping on each others toes. No television program documented the early web quite like Net Cafe, which was first broadcast in 1996 and ran until 2002; interviewing then-aspiring dotcom pioneers and winning awards for journalistic excellence along the way. Just like geeky broadcast predecessor Computer Files, Net Cafe has...


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4 Ways To Creatively Use Canned Responses For Email Productivity



canned-responses

Efficiency means doing things at the right time, automating what you can, and going through them in one go. If you’re effective, you’re doing something right. That’s why you should use email filters and schedule email time. One trick is to prepare canned responses for emails you frequently write. Here is a list for your inspiration. Seasons Greetings, Birthday Wishes & Other Special Occasions Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Easter, and wishing you a Happy Birthday, too. When it’s time to send out annual greetings, you probably repeat the same verbiage over and over again, like a broken record....


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Windows 9 Skin Pack For Windows 7/8.1



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Microsoft is currently working hard to release a minor update to its struggling Windows 8.1 version. Windows 8.1 Update 1 ( aka Feature Pack for Windows 8.1), which has already been leaked on to the web last week, brings ability to pin Modern or Metro apps to the taskbar, minimize and close buttons to Metro […]