How many Google Products are you using?
Still thinking that Google is just about Search? Well it can’t be further from the truth.
Below are up to date Google products in alphabetical order and my personal comments on them:
1. Search products
Get email updates on the topics of your choice. This can be a very useful tool for you to keep track of niche market. Or at least, it’s how i use it. For more popular topic, there are better ways.
Enter any keywords into Google Alert, set the email frequency and Google will send you email as often as you like about your interested topic.
Google Alerts will return both news and new blog articles, comments related to your keyword.
For example, i want to monitor my own name “chandler nguyen” to see if anyone mentions this name world wide. I set the frequency as Once per day. And so everyday, Google will send me an email, letting me know if my name is mentioned the previous day over the internet. Cool huh?
Blog Search
Find blogs on your favorite topics
Book Search
Search the full text of books
Checkout
Complete online purchases more quickly and securely. A form of payment gateway just like PayPal. However, the beautiful part is that it’s completely free to a certain amount if you are using Adwords. The max amount depends on your Adwords spend. That’s the merchant’s benefits.
For users’s benefits, please check out the website itself. Basically, the idea is that you can do anything with a single Google account, even to buy online and you don’t need to key in your credit card information anytime you buy so it’s more secured.
Desktop
Search and personalize your computer.
Quite powerful search facility. It will search anything, even your Outlook. However, i am concerned over privacy issue. Hence, i don’t use this product.
Earth
Explore the world from your computer. Well, you probably know about it already. The new thing is that, not only you can zoom into cities, streets with Google Earth, but you can view stars also.
Look out for Microsoft WorldWide Telescope. From what i’ve read, it’s truly amazing…
Finance
Business info, news, and interactive charts
GOOG-411
Find and connect with businesses from your phone, for free. This is only for US i think
iGoogle
Add news, games and more to the Google homepage. A customized homepage for you from Google. It’s really a good concept but i am not using it because of privacy issue as well.
Images
Search for images on the web
Maps
View maps and directions. The good thing is not only you can view maps, you can put your business listing there as well.
News – now with archive search
Search thousands of news stories
Notebook
Clip and collect information as you surf the web. Will start using this more aggressively. It integrates with your bookmarks and allow you to take note while surfing.
Patent Search
Search the full text of US Patents. I am not a scientist OOPS
Product Search
Search for stuff to buy. This product is getting more popular. Yet i am not sure if Google is able to compete with others in the same field.
Scholar
Search scholarly papers. I used to use this when i was in university. I am not anymore 🙂
Special Searches
Search within specific topics
Toolbar
Add a search box to your browser. Despite the privacy issue, i still think the toolbar is worth using…
Video
Search for videos on Google Video and YouTube. Well i guess because of the unpopularity of Google Video, Google bought YouTube 😀
Web Search
Search over billions of web pages. This is what we love…have been and always will be
Web Search Features
Find movies, music, stocks, books, and more
2. Explore and innovate products
Code
Download APIs and open source code. The only API i know is API for adwords and bid management tools.
Custom SearchNew!
Create a customized search experience for your community. Will try this out later!
Labs
Explore Google’s technology playground. I am currently participating in this.
3. Communicate, Show & Share
Blogger
Share your life online with a blog — it’s fast, easy, and free. So far, so good. If you use blogger, your article will be indexed very fast and i love that 🙂
Calendar
Organize your schedule and share events with friends. It can sync with Outlook Calendar now so Yey! However, a few minor technicalities are presented when using with Microsoft Outlook.
Docs
Create and share your projects online and access them from anywhere. Documents, Excel, PowerPoint etc… Online
Gmail
Fast, searchable email with less spam. If you haven’t used it yet, you need to get on to it. Period. Try label, filters, send on behalf etc…
Groups
Create mailing lists and discussion groups
Orkut
Meet new people and stay in touch with friends. Will it be replaced with OpenSocial?
Picasa
Find, edit and share your photos
Reader
Get all your blogs and news feeds fast. This is awesome. I am using reader exclusively to read news, update myself through RSS feeds…
SketchUp
Build 3D models quickly and easily. Haven’t tried this before.
Talk
IM and call your friends through your computer. Email me for my ID on GTalk 🙂
Translate
View web pages in other languages. I don’t use this often but i heard it’s not too bad.
YouTube
Watch, upload and share videos. Well, you are probably using it
4. Mobile products
Maps for mobile
View maps and get directions on your phone. This is good since i get lost all the times…
Mobile
Use Google on your mobile phone.
SMS
Use text messaging for quick info
5. Make your computer work better
Pack
A free collection of essential software. This is actually very cool. I use it when i need to recover my computer which happens all the time with the Lovely XP and the super stable Vista.
Web Accelerator
Speed up the web. I have been using this and to be honest, it actually works. My connection speed increases so yey! (Sorry, i don’t have a degree in computer science so to me, it’s cool)
So what’re Google products you are using? Feel free to share your comments here. Thanks!
P.S: I forgot Google Trends 🙂 Such a big mistake.
With Google Trends, you can compare the trends of at least two products, terms, brands within the time frame of your choice. Furthermore, you can even see the trends within specific countries, cities…