One reason many Firefox users cite for not moving to Google Chrome is Firefox's array of extensions and plug-ins. Even Internet Explorer is easy to extend with toolbars and other utilities.
However, Chrome is catching up. If you want to add extensions, you need to install the Beta channel version of Chrome, which you can download from here.
The range of options is growing steadily, but what are the top picks?
1. Google Calendar Popout
This enables you to check your Google Calendar on the fly without having to visit your calendar's page. Just click the 'Calendar' icon to see a view of the current month, plus a handy list of appointments on any selected day. It can also warn you about imminent events.
2. Better Gmail
This extension is similar to one produced for Firefox by the Lifehacker crowd. It enables you to remove distracting elements such as Google Chat and adverts. You can also turn on neat features such as attachment icons that show the type of file attached to an email before you open it. Just click the extension's icon and then tick each of the options you want to enable.
3. Google Mail Checker Plus
There are numerous mailchecking extensions for Chrome. This add-on is nicely designed, providing the ability to check multiple accounts and showing the number of waiting messages. If you move your mouse over the icon, you can also see previews of these emails to help you to decide whether you need to open the message right now or not.
4. WOT
WOT stands for Web of Trust – a service that provides feedback on websites before you visit them. It can flag those that deliver malware or spam. It also lists shopping sites that are known to cheat customers and provides age-related ratings for site content. Other users rate the sites they visit and this information is appended to the search results you receive from any major search engine.
5. AdBlock
Remove irritating Flash animations and other adverts with this tool, which uses similar technology to AdBlock Plus for Firefox. You can enable Google text adverts so you don't cut off the income stream of your favourite sites, but it will target adverts based upon live filter subscriptions.
6. Docs PDF/PowerPoint Viewer
Avoid the need for a locally installed PDF reader by opening PDFs in Google Docs. Once installed, right-click a link to a file and choose 'Download'. The file is downloaded to your PC and then opened in the Docs interface. You can search open PDFs by keyword.
7. Google Translate
This is a very handy extension if you visit a lot of foreign language websites. Click the 'Translate' icon on your toolbar to translate the current page into a different language, which you can select from a dropdown list. If you visit a page that's in a different language to the default one set for Chrome, you'll be presented with the option to translate it via a banner at the top of the page.
8. IE Tab
Some sites still only render correctly in Internet Explorer. IE Tab enables you to open pages using IE in a new tab within Chrome, so you don't need to switch browsers. It's ideal for checking the way your own site renders in IE, as well as giving you seamless access to troublesome ones that won't play ball with Google's browser.
You can even specify certain URLs that will always open in IE Tab. This extension is for Windows systems only, because you need IE installed for it to work.
9. FlashBlock
This extension prevents Flash elements embedded in web pages from playing automatically in Chrome. Where the Flash object would normally be, you'll see a placeholder graphic instead. If you choose to, you can click this to download the element and view it once you've determined that it's safe.
You can also whitelist a particular site by pressing [Ctrl]+[Shift]+[F] when you visit, so that any Flash elements it contains are aways displayed.
10. VidzBigger
This tool enables you to scale YouTube and similar video sites so that the video player itself is the dominant element on the page. It's particularly effective for high-definition media. Where available, the extension also provides a download link for the video. Related videos and other information, such as comments, are presented in a handy scrolling pane on the right-hand side, so you aren't forced to move the video out of view in order to see them.
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First published in PC Plus Issue 293
Liked this? Then check out 10 handy tips for Google Chrome beginners
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Your comments (3) Click to add a new comment
coldape
April 20th 2010
3. If you use adblock be advised that I couldn't view youtube videos until I added youtube to the "Don't run AdBlock on domains" list.
Two other extensions I'd recommend are:
clickable links; which turns text based internet address into hyperlinks, handy if you use forums which don't allow hyper links
proxy swithcy, handy if you have a laptop which you take home and your work uses an internet proxy
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bradavon
April 18th 2010
2. Google Translate is built into Chrome 4.1.
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calande
April 18th 2010
1. Chrome still lacks many extensions/features that both Opera or Firefox have, for instance Clippings: http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Chrome/thread?tid=22f404ae6bbe1b3e
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