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Tags: a-decent-free, a-new-calendar-, a-real-hassle, answers, browser, Education, free, learning, online, website-here, websites
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Tuesday, March 9th, 2010
 Last month we took a look at the Nuance PDF Reader, a desktop app which can convert your PDF document into its Word, Excel or Rich Text equivalent. A few readers liked the conversion bit among its features. A few of them also put in a good word for another free PDF reader. No, it’s not Adobe Reader or Foxit, but a relatively played down one called PDF-XChange Viewer.
On second thoughts, the last sentence would be misplaced. Taking CNET’s download figures for document management software, I see that it’s behind Foxit and Adobe Reader. But the download numbers are really noteworthy.
So why do a review of the PDF-XChange Viewer so late in the day? In response, I say…why not? The fact that a number of our readers have put in their nod for this free PDF reader is reason enough to take a second, more prying look.
We have featured it before, albeit briefly, in a post on 4 Really Light Alternatives to Adobe Reader and in 6 Ways To Convert A PDF To A JPG Image. But it’s time to give PDF-XChange Viewer some limelight of all its own.
The free version of PDF-XChange Viewer, which we are interested in, is a slim 18MB download. That makes it heavier than Foxit but lighter than Adobe Reader. You can get it in various installation packages including a portable version.
The first thing you will notice with the first run is that the free PDF reader loads very fast. So let me load one of our own MakeUseOf eBooks and play around with the features that are there.
The first pleasing thing is it has a slick tabbed interface, letting me view more than one PDF file within one instance of the program. While choosing the components during the installation process, you will notice that PDF-XChange Viewer’s Help file has a requirement of nearly 6MB. This translates into a comprehensive and detailed Help file for the guy who likes to know his software in and out.
The toolbar seems to be a bit cluttered. But that’s because, by default, the software loads all the toolbars. You can set it up to your liking with a right click on the toolbar area and choosing Customize. A glance at the toolbar buttons gives you an idea of the features to expect. Features that are part of the paid Pro version are marked as such.
The Key Features That Make Up PDF-XChange Viewer
PDF-XChange Viewer makes navigation smooth with its Pan and Loupe tools located in the Zoom Toolbar. Zooming in and out with the slider is one way. Both the Loupe tool and the Pan and Zoom tool open up navigation windows and help to focus on specific areas of a PDF document.
PDF-XChange Viewer not only has a document search box but also a web search toolbar that’s set first on Ask.com (more engines can be added from Preferences). Click the dropdown to choose from the other search providers. For searching within the document, you can also comb through added comments and bookmarks.
PDF-XChange Viewer can be used as a ‘limited’ document converter. PDF pages can be exported to a variety of image formats. The Export to Image dialog box is also rich in features as in the screenshot.
You can easily email a PDF document from within the reader itself. The title of the document is entered in the Subject line of the email.
PDF-XChange Viewer shows the capability to handle interactive forms (AcroForms). The Form Data menu choice allows you to enter and retrieve data from Adobe Acrobat Forms. PDF-XChange Viewer has a few View options, for instance, View – Other Panes – Fields opens up a side pane with all the form fields. Along with form field highlighting, it makes the fields more obvious.
Commenting & Markup Tools
Every PDF reader has its uniqueness. With PDF-XChange Viewer it could be its rich subset of commenting and markup tools. Here’s a snapshot of the sub-menu accessed from Tools – Comment and Markup.
PDF-XChange Viewer gives you all the aids for elaborate markups with a variety of shape and line tools. And if you want to bump up the detail, there’s the free form Pencil tool for some freehand rough sketches.
You can add comments and annotations to any PDF file. The Sticky Note tool adds a Sticky Note wherever you need one for commenting. Others can also add replies below the main text by clicking on Add Reply. The appearance of the text and the container box can be changed anytime.
The Callout Tool allows you to add a text box with an arrow pointing to a selected location on the page.
For some straight-cut text annotations, you can use the Typewriter or the Textbox Tool.
The Stamps sub-menu is for marking documents with your choice of stamps. You can add your own stamps, for instance, your scanned signature via the Stamps Palette.
For more of navigation between internal and external locations, the Link Tools are just two steps down. You can link to any internal point in the PDF document or to an external website.
More Below The Surface
The above lines highlight the more conspicuous features of PDF-XChange Viewer. Scratch the surface and there’s more. Check out the Preferences and for customization options. For the paranoid, there’s 40/128 bit RC4 and 128/256 bit AES Encryption and Password security support.
Go into the Preferences and you can set a few memory usage and performance tuning options.
Along with the extremely detailed Help file, you get an informative product page on their website with screenshots and how-to videos to guide you through the product.
Downsides? Not many. Perhaps, the ability to add your own bookmarks in the free version would have helped. Hey, you can’t win every round with a product that’s absolutely free. PDF-XChange Viewer does win most of them.
Take it around for a few rounds and compare it with your experience in either Foxit or the Adobe Reader.
PDF-XChange Viewer (ver.2.0) is supported on Windows 2000 and all later versions.
Related posts
Read more:
PDF-XChange Viewer – Give This Free PDF Reader A Second Look
Tags: adobe, better alternatives, download, Featured, free, image, img-class, linux, Main, pdf, reader, software, tools, windows
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Tuesday, March 9th, 2010
I’ve never been one to sit on my hands and wait for some cosmically pre-ordained life purpose to miraculously reveal itself via a series of dreams, visions or prophecies. Or for an angel to appear at my window with hand-written instructions from God. Although an angel would be pretty cool.
Nor have I been the type to buy into the widely-held view of destiny and I’ve mostly considered (the concept of) fate to be the refuge of the indecisive, the lazy, the fearful and the deluded. But that’s just my (not-very-popular) view. For many people, the traditional concept of destiny provides a level of comfort and if there’s one thing we fearful, lazy creatures like; it’s comfort.
In some ways, destiny is our (perceived) escape clause: life’s all predetermined anyway, so what’s the point of working hard, taking chances, getting uncomfortable and setting goals?
Destiny Schmestiny
People talk about destiny all the time. Especially when they’re talking about big-picture life stuff. Or when they’re rationalising why something didn’t (or won’t) happen. “Don’t worry Darling; it’s not meant to be”. The term destiny has an almost romantic, mystical, feel-good kind of vibe about it. “That was always going to be her destiny” (as the orchestra comes to life in the background).
It seems that no matter what she did (thoughts, behaviours, reactions, decisions, plans, goals) her life, or part thereof, was predetermined by destiny. It was always going to unfold in a certain way. Despite her; not because of her. Apparently some unseen, cosmic force was firmly behind the steering wheel of her life. She didn’t really have to touch the controls because her life path (destiny) was pre-ordained and non-negotiable.
Am I the only person who considers this thinking to be a load of self-limiting, mumbo-jumbo crap? Am I missing something obvious? Why on earth would anyone buy into this? Oh, that’s right; it requires less effort and courage than the alternative.
Beyond our Control
In my opinion, one of the most destructive notions we embrace is the traditional concept of destiny. Why? Because it teaches us that our life, and what we might do, be, create and achieve in this life, is somehow beyond our control. Some people embrace this kind of thinking because it takes pressure off them to steer their ship, shape their own future, and be responsible for what they produce in their world.
Take a look at what conventional ‘wisdom’ teaches us about destiny:
De-sti-ny (noun):
1) The predetermined, usually inevitable or irresistible, course of events.
2) The inevitable or necessary fate to which a particular person or thing is destined; one’s lot.
3) A predetermined course of events considered as something beyond human power or control.
If the above dictionary definitions are to be accepted and believed then I may as well sit on the couch and let life happen to me, around me and despite me, because apparently, it’s all gonna eventuate in a particular way no matter what. It’s predetermined. Inevitable. We’re all just helpless passengers on destiny’s back.
I wish someone had shared this with me earlier; I wouldn’t have wasted so much time making those tough decisions, taking those chances, facing my fears, dealing with my destructive habits, overcoming those obstacles, going to university, working hard and busting my arse to create my best life.
To think that people actually believe this “preordained, inevitable and beyond human power” crap? Give me a bucket. I’ll create my own destiny, thanks.
What about you?
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Craig Harper (B.Ex.Sci.) is a qualified exercise scientist, author, columnist, radio presenter, television host, motivational speaker and university lecturer. For the past 25 years he has been a leading presenter, educator, motivator and commentator in the areas of personal and professional development. You can visit Craig’s blog at Motivational Speaker.FREE eBook – So… You’ve Decided to Get in Shape (Again) Craig’s FREE eBook takes 20 – 30 minutes to read, and addresses the REAL getting-in-shape issues based on his 25 years of experience. To get Craig’s FREE eBook click here, weight loss books.
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Is Your Life Predetermined Or Me Determined?
Tags: been-the-type, craig, Featured, free, indecisive, person-or-thing, planning, self-determination, speaker, the-traditional, time
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Tuesday, March 9th, 2010
Long before you officially take the profession of graphic or web designer, your friends and family will support your ambitions by developing your talent. At first, your loved ones inspect your work and if they like what they see, you’ll get flooded with their requests for one page flyers, t-shirt designs, logos, and company websites. When you are just starting out, you welcome their requests because it gives you a chance to grow your skill set as a designer. After all, it’s almost like dealing with real clients, right?
The drama comes when you actually become a full time designer. The friends and family who drew upon your talent during your newbie years are still standing around with their hands out, and now you also must contend with two more groups of favor askers: clients and anonymous foreigners who contact you through Twitter.
Here are 8 of the most common and eye-rollingly annoying favors all designers encounter at one point or another. For ease of reference, we’ll call the offending party “Dude.”
1. “Hey, can you take a look at my site and tell me what you think?”
At first glance, this seems like a harmless five to ten minute project. Dude asks for your opinion, and you both know that you are an esteemed and dedicated design pro. You optimistically click on his website link, and you’re teleported back in 1998 with a Geocities-reminiscent design so horrifying it makes MySpace look professional. After you try hard not to lose all respect for Dude, you carefully suggest that he get rid of the Flash intro. You are then met with an uncomfortable defensiveness, where Dude refuses to accept your professional advice.
Lesson learned: Decipher whether your friend is looking for actual advice or just a pat on the back.
2. “Um, would you mind designing my site… for free?”
It’s shocking how many people feel truly entitled to a free web design. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of introducing yourself as a web designer, you may notice the wheels instantly starting to turn in your acquaintance’s mind. Everyone, even those without any product or any relevant thing to say, want, demand and need a website. These are the people, especially, who will want such a website produced for free. They may lure you with the distant hopes they use to fuel their own insanity: “Once I get some visitors, I’ll direct them to your services” (Standard practice, regardless).
Lesson learned: Limit your charity cases to those you can do in your free time and only do it for charity because the only reward you’ll reap is psychological.
3. “Can you help me design my site to look like ______?”
This request is closely related to the first two requests. Perhaps Dude has taken it upon himself to designed a website, already had a moment of epiphany and now realizes that it sucks. At least you’re on the same page. Then comes, “I’d like my site to look just like Avatar. You know, all 3D and stuff.” Once you realize that Dude is serious, another realization also sinks in. If you take on this “consulting” project, all of your time and energy will be engulfed by this vortex, and you won’t be getting paid for your trouble. What’s the solution? Direct Dude to Yahoo! Answers? No, he’ll never go for that, because this is a top secret idea.
Lesson learned: Find your inner ineptness and apply it to this situation. Feign ignorance, suggest peripheral design ideas such as blue color palettes and wait for your friend to get bored of the idea and come to his senses.
4. “I think I have a virus.”
No one likes to hear these words, and if someone’s sharing this information with you, they usually want one of two things: sympathy or help, sometimes both. When you hear these words come from a client, you must assume they are referring to a computer virus (let’s hope). This your client’s passive/ aggressive way of getting you to offer assistance. If you, wisely, remain silent, he or she will shamelessly ask you for your help. Just because you work in front of your computer all day does not mean that you qualify for tech support. You have to Google things just like everyone else.
Lesson learned: Get the courage to finally direct someone to Let Me Google That For You. However, for professional relationships, avoid the snark and actually lightly research the problem, but make no promises and waste no longer than 15 minutes.
5. “Let me help you with any of your extra work.”
This favor comes in the form of a donated favor. In other words, Dude is suggesting that he’s doing you a favor, when he’s actually just trying to get paid. One morning you open your email box, and there’s an email from some dude you’ve never heard of. He wants you to lend him some of your work. Depending on your level of job-related stress, you may be inclined to offer him some work, but what’s this? No portfolio? No website? No spell-check. Wait, is Dude even located in the same hemisphere as you?
Lesson learned: You get what you pay for.
6. “So, it’s been a minute… How much longer is it going to take?”
Just when you’ve got your Good Samaritan on and decided to help Dude during your free time, he starts becoming a diva. Never mind the impossible requests to make his website look just like *let your imagination run wild on this one,* or the countless revisions to a perfectly designed logo, or the endless hours you spent over IM trying to explain why putting an invisible list of keywords at the bottom of the webpage is unnecessary. When you least expect it, expect to receive a phone call, email, direct tweet saying, “Hey, so, um… when’s the project going to be finished?” You reply back, “Dude, I told you I was going to fit this in between my actual work from actual clients that actually pay.” To this, Dude replies, “I didn’t think it was going to take this long, maybe I should just get this professionally done.” Oh, that’s a killer. First of all, Dude has no consideration for the amount of time you’ve invested in this project. Secondly and more importantly, you are a professional. Why not offer you money so that you can prioritize his project?
Lesson learned: Clearly state from the beginning that it will take you some ridiculously long amount of time to complete the project for free and if Dude’s still on board, he’ll be happy if you finish it sooner than expected.
7. “Can I use your server until I get my own hosting?”
What’s so wrong about this request? You have extra space and you can afford the bandwidth. The problem is that Dude will never get his own hosting, and eventually he’ll forget about his site. A year later, you’ll remind him, “Hey Dude, you know you still have your stuff on my server? I’m moving to another server, so is it alright if I get rid of it? You have a back up, right?” Dude will do one of two things: he’ll respond with indignant anger, upset that you’re rushing him to get his act together or he’ll pretend to be okay with it, all the while, holding a grudge.
Lesson learned: Friends don’t let friends use their servers.
8. “Hey, I volunteered you to re-do my co-worker’s step-daughter’s wedding album.”
You can replace this with any task in which your mom volunteers your services for free. It’s always lovely to deal with someone who’s happy to accept your honest labor for free, because we all know they won’t make any unreasonable demands. The most difficult part of this ordeal is having to contend with your mother in her role as the merciless middleman who nags you for quality, timeliness and her good reputation.
Lesson learned: Grin and bear it? There’s no real way to avoid this nightmare.
What are some of the most annoying favors your friends and family have asked from you?
About the Author
 Jacqueline is an artist and a writer who spends an inordinate amount of time playing Super Nintendo and watching Star Trek. You can find out more about Jacqueline on her website, and follow her updates on Twitter.
Read more here:
Top 8 Dreaded Favors Asked of Web Designers
Tags: a-harmless-five, charity, computer, Design, Flash, free, google, imagination, Main, opinion, project, requests, words, yahoo
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Tuesday, March 9th, 2010
 Check out some of the latest MakeUseOf discoveries. All listed websites are FREE (or come with a decent free account option). No trials or buy-to-use craplets. For more cool websites and web app reviews subscribe to MakeUseOf Directory.
List Your Website Here!
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Tags: browser, cool web apps, free, online, post, receiver, resolutions, study, thoughts, websites
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Monday, March 8th, 2010
 The first thing I have to say is that I honestly never thought I could possibly get addicted to a game that involves nothing more than shooting bubbles in order to pop them. That was, of course, before I discovered the dangerously addictive bubble shooter game.
I first discovered the original bubble shooter game when I was writing a niche analysis on the gaming industry. At one of the free online game sites, I was curious, so I tried a few – and one of those was the bubble shooter game.
I was hooked every since. Today I’m going to cover the top 5 offshoots of the original Bubble Shooter game.
Apparently, I wasn’t the only one that quickly became addicted to the game. Online game developers went on to produce numerous offshoots of the original game. We’ve covered a lot about bubbles lately here at MakeUseOf. Karl showed you how to create bubble letters and he also showed you how to make bubble words, but today I’m going to show you a whole other use for bubbles – popping them!
#1 – Can’t Beat the Original Bubble Shooter Game
On any of the websites dedicated to bubble shooter games, you’ll find an honorary status for the original game that started it all. However, if you want to play the original, you should really go to the website of the game creators over at Bshooter. There, you’ll find both a free online version and a free download version of the famous, classic bubble shooter game.
The goal of the game is deceivingly simple. Just shoot the bubble alongside three or more similar touching bubbles of the same color and voila – they all pop and disappear. Manage to pop enough bubbles so that you cut off an entire section – and all of the bubbles underneath will pop as well. What’s the catch? Well, as you play the entire field of bubbles drips closer to the bottom, shrinking your available playing space (unless you can keep up). To say that this game is addictive just doesn’t describe how completely this game will erase several hours of your life and you won’t even notice.
#2 – Shields of Gemland
Shields of Gemland is a game offered by King.com, which puts a whole new twist on the bubble shooter genre. Instead of just an action-based arcade game, the makers of Shields of Gemland attempted to add a little bit of a plot to this particular game. By advancing through each level, you collect another gem and advance through the map to the next point in the game.
This game is really fast paced and fun. The cannon has a cool little recoil action going on, and as you advance through the levels, different objects start falling that can either hurt you or help you. There are also shielded bubbles that you can’t pop – the only way to get rid of those is to pop the bubbles above it. This bubble shooter takes a bit more strategy and planning.
#3 – Woobies
I think Woobies is a cute game, but it’s also a bit disturbing a the same time. Essentially, you’re in control of a slingshot. You catapult these little buggers (they’re essentially furballs with a set of eyes) into the crowd of Woobies and if you match up the color with 3 or more, they all explode in a mess of feathers (not sure how the PITA folks would feel about this game though.)
The graphics are great, the sound effects are fun, and there something really funny about the expressions on these little guy’s faces as you aim and shoot other Woobies at the crowd. Clear the entire field before the huge press pushes all of the Woobies into the ground, and you’ll advance to the next level (where there are even more colored Woobies to deal with).
#4 – Jungle Shooter
Another very popular bubble shooter game is one called Jungle Shooter. Jungle Shooter is one of those games that you can tell is well programmed. The graphics are superior to most online games, the gameplay is fluid and fast-paced, and the music and sound effects really make the game a blast to play.
As the jungle boy aims the cannon, the jungle girl holds the next fruit that will be loaded so that you can see what’s coming next. Like Shields of Gemland, this game provides a navigation screen that you work through as you advance in level with your sharpshooting skills.
As you collect more fruit and advance through the levels, more of these locations are unlocked for you to explore and advance even further. This game is great fun, and a wonderful time-waster!
#5 – Bubble Struggle
Yet another great game based at least subtly on the original bubble shooter game is an addictive game called Bubble Struggle. This game is a bit different because you don’t start off with a ceiling filled with bubbles. Instead, you start out with one or two large bubbles (at least in the early levels), and then as you shoot them, they divide into smaller bouncing bubbles. Once you split all of them into the smallest sizes, then you can pop them with one more hit.
As the bubbles bounce around, you not only have to worry about timing your shot right in order to hit them, but you also have to dodge the bounce. If any of the bouncing bubbles hit you, you’ll hear a “smack!” sound, and your character will go flying to the ground.
These are only a few examples of my favorite bubble shooter games, but there are a lot of additional ones out there. Some are better than others, but one thing is for certain – bubble shooting games have become one of the most popular online pastimes in the world. So why don’t you give it a shot? Do you know of any other fun shooter games like these? Share your input in the comments section below.
em>Got Tech Questions? Ask Them on MakeUseOf Answers!
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Originally posted here:
Top 5 Most Exciting Bubble Shooter Games
Tags: bubble, bubble-shooter, bubbles, free, games, jungle, old-school, online-game, resemble-worms
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Monday, March 8th, 2010
 Does it feel like your desktop wallpaper is starting to peel off? Can you no longer see that green grass pasture? Sounds like it’s time for some desktop freshness!
One of my secret joys is to browse for beautiful wallpapers online. I raid all kinds of sources off the beaten track. The image to the left for example is from stock.xchng, a site I often visit for my imaging needs.
One particularly interesting wallpaper category is three dimensional (3D) desktop backgrounds. Below, I have compiled 9 fascinating and cool 3D backgrounds for computers in no particular order.
via Digital Blasphemy
Digital Blasphemy has turned into a commercial service. However, this wallpaper is one of their free samples of 3D backgrounds for computers. If you frequently browse wallpaper sites, you will discover a lot of work from Digital Blasphemy.
Resolutions: 1280 x 1024, 1600 x 1200, 1680 x 1050, and several more for mobile phones.
via 4wallpapers
When you just got rid of a cluttered desktop, you might feel withdrawal. This wallpaper adds some chaos back onto your screen.
Resolutions: 1280 x 800, 1440 x 900, 1680 x 1050
via Wallpaper Seek
An absolutely fascinating piece of art and almost scary. Wallpaper Seek is a great resource for artsy wallpapers like these.
Resolutions: 1280 x 800, 1440 x 900, 1680 x 1050, 1920 x 1200, 2560 x 1600
via WallpaperStock
Lovely and abstract viruses for a fresh desktop.
Resolutions: 1280 x 800, 1440 x 900, 1680 x 1050, 1920 x 1200
via Wallpaper Web
I’m not quite sure why this one is called The Comb, but it reminds me of an insect’s compound eye. It definitely looks like a biological structure.
Resolutions: 1280 x 800, 1440 x 900, 1680 x 1050, 1920 x 1200
via Flash-Screen
When you click on the wallpaper over at the site, its default resolution is revealed and you can select your resolution from the menu bar at the bottom of the screen. You can also select to auto-fit to your screen resolution or create a custom resolution. Furthermore, the menu bar allows you to rate and browse wallpapers on Flash-Screen.
Resolutions: (m)any
via artDIGITALdesign
Here we have an animated and interactive wallpaper. You can separate the units of this Sea Thing to create many different things.
To install, download the ZIP file, unpack it, right-click on your desktop, select > Properties and switch to the > Desktop tab. Here select > none as Background and select the color > black from the bottom right. Now > Browse for the Sea Things > htm file that you downloaded and unzipped. Open this file and click > OK to start the fun.
Resolutions: detected automatically
via Desktop Wallpapers
Desktop Wallpapers truly delivers stunning backgrounds for your desktop.
Resolutions: 1024 x 768, 1152 x 864, 1280 x 860, 1280 x 1024, 1280 x 800, 1440 x 900, 1600 x 1200, 1680 x 1050, 1920 x 1200
via 3D Wallpapers
When you stare at these swirls for too long, it will feel like it’s going to suck you right in. This site also has a code maker for MySpace, which provides MySpace/LiveVideo backgrounds and transparant tables.
Resolutions: 1280 x 800, 1440 x 900, 1680 x 1050, 1920 x 1200
Do you enjoy nature? You might want to check out these 10 Beautiful Green Grass Wallpapers.
Feeling creative? Saikat wrote an article about How To Create Top Quality Computer Desktop Wallpapers.
Can’t enjoy your wallpaper because youre desktop is cluttered with shortcuts and other stuff? I recently outlined 7 Simple Steps To An Awesome Minimalist Desktop.
What else do you want to know about desktop wallpapers? Or did I miss your favorite 3D wallpaper?
Image source:fangol
cool 3d backgrounds for computers
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9 Fascinating and Cool 3D Backgrounds for Computers
Tags: color, Design, desktop, desktop enhancements, Flash, for-computers, free, geometry, slideshow, virus, wallpaper, wallpaper-seek, wallpaper-with, windows
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Sunday, March 7th, 2010
 If your project needs to have the cooperation of two or more people, here is your free solution. For personal project/task management, I recommend you have a look at GTD and the many applications that support implementing the GTD methodology.
Google Apps Standard Edition is free and includes Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs and Google Sites – everything you need to collaborate with Google. With the free account you also get up to 50 user accounts and 7 GB of storage.
This post is primarily focused around using Google Sites as a central dashboard to manage and execute your projects.
Prerequisite
You will need to own a domain name to use Google Apps to its full extent. If you do not have a domain name or do not wish to purchase one, you can still use Google Sites with a free Google Account. If you choose to proceed with your Google Account instead of signing up for Google Apps, you can skip to the Create Your First Project with Google Sites section below.
Sign Up for Google Apps Standard Edition
To collaborate with Google, first you will need to sign up for a Google Apps account. Enter a domain into the text field and choose the radio button with the label Administrator: I own or control this domain. There is also the option to buy a domain name from Google for $10/year, in case you do not already own a domain name.
Next, you will fill out contact and administrative information on the next two screens. Once you finish completing those forms you will need to verify the account by either uploading an HTML file to your server which hosts the domain name or by changing the CNAME record for the domain. Once verification is complete, access will be granted to your new account.
Setup Email
Start by clicking the Activate Email link. Now you will need to change the MX records with your domain hosting company. Fortunately, Google has detailed instructions for most hosting companies.
Once you have completed that step, you will be forwarded to the Email Settings page, where you can configure your account and add email addresses for other people who you hope to collaborate with using Google. For now, we will skip adding email addresses and add our team members to the account.
Setup Users
Click the Users and groups tab to get to the user administration dashboard. From this page you can add new users by click the Create a new user link. You can now add up to 50 users. After you add each user, you can opt to have Google email access instructions; go ahead and choose that option.
Create Your First Project with Google Sites
Once you have added all of your users, click the Dashboard tab and then the Sites link. From this settings page you can map the site to a particular domain and setup permissions. After you finish updating the settings, go to the URL of your Google Site. There, we will create our first project. Get started by clicking the Create Site button.
Click the Browse the gallery for more link and choose the Business collaboration category. On the right, scroll down a bit, and choose the Project Tracking Template.
Use the Name your site text box to input the name of a project you want to work on. Optionally, you can choose a theme for the project. Click the More Options link and choose Only people I specify can view this site under the Collaborate with heading. This will allow you to control who specifically can access the project web page. You can also optionally add a category to help with organization and a site description where you can summarize the purpose of the project. Click Create Site and your first project site is ready to go.
This template has all the features and examples you need to manage your team. I suggest that you explore each link and use the Edit page button at the upper right to modify the template to meet your specific needs. Here is a run-down of the some of the key features:
Create Page
When creating a new page, Google Sites provides a few basic templates to get you started (Web Page, Announcements, File Cabinet, List and Start Page). In addition, you can also create and save templates (click More actions -> Save page as template ). In the example screenshot above, you can see that there are several pre-populated templates useful for managing projects.
Risks & Issues and Tasks & Actions
Both of these pages are customizable lists (see the List template or the customized Risks, Issues or Tasks templates). You can easily further customize these lists to suite your specific needs by clicking the customize this list link.
In this example, I am selecting the Assigned to field because instead of using a text box (and needing to remember all the team member names) I want a drop down list of all the current team members. So in that case I change the Type to Drop down and then enter each team member name as an option.
Unfortunately, you can not set up the system such that each time a Risk/Issue/Ticket is created the assignee gets an email. The best you can do is have each member of the team click the button at the upper right that says More actions and choose Subscribe to page changes. That will cause any edits to this page to be reported via email to all those who have subscribed.
Time Line
Here you will find an embedded Google Calendar, which you can use to keep track of large goals and/or milestones (See the Calendar template). If you want to learn more about Google Calendar check this post.
Project Documents
Here is where you can share documents among your team. The system will track changes for you, allowing you to access previous versions by clicking on the v. X link next to the file size. You can also create folders to help organize the files; however, it is not immediately obvious how to do so. You need to click Move to, then New folder.
Once you have finshed all of your customizations and edits, you can find a listing of all the Google Sites you have created and create new Google Sites by clicking My sites at the upper right corner. That page will be your Project Dashboard.
Alternative Solutions
There are many good free solutions for project management, so what makes this solution useful?
- If you are familiar with Google’s tools, you will feel right at home
- You do not need to worry about hosting and the related issues such as server maintenance and security updates
- There is a large community of users from which to find support and help
- Many useful templates have been created, saving you the time of creating a solution from scratch
However, there are some shortfalls to be aware of also:
- You will not be able to talk over the phone with the support staff
- There is no way to set permissions on a particular page, so it’s all or nothing access (a work around is to create a separate Google Site for sections where you want to limit access)
- Make sure to take the time to backup your site periodically (this is a manual process)
- You do not have any access to the source code
Do you have a better solution to collaborate with Google apps? Something to add? Would you like me to go further in depth on this subject in a future article? I would love to hear your solutions and experiences. Please take a moment to share in the comments section below.
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Organize and Execute Your Collaborative Projects With Google Apps
Tags: collaboration, free, google, google-apps, google-sites, gtd, Main, management, phone, planning tools, time, tracking, user
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