Although many handy features like automatic message translation have been part of Gmail Labs for a while now, Google has decided to graduate it and a couple of others to official Gmail features. Automatic Message Translation works by providing you with a translate button for any message that Google believes to be in your non-default language.
If you’re using more than one cloud storage service (it’s hard not to with all the free space being thrown around), managing your files between them can be tricky. Otixo gives you a centralised view of all your online files for easy copying and pasting between accounts from the web interface or through a mapped drive on your desktop.
If you’re a fan of the Personal Kanban productivity method, you’re probably familiar with how helpful it can be to keep your focus strictly on the to-dos you have right in front of you, without the distractions of long-term projects or less important items on your list. KanbanFlow is a free web app that, as the name implies, fits right in, and even includes a built-in Pomodoro timer to help you stay on task.
Becoming a good photographer requires several things, and one of the hardest to learn is lighting. Virtual Lighting Studio is a free web app that lets you light a (pretty awkward) subject with up to six lights so you can see how each setup affects the image. Because lighting is one of those things that you learn best by practice, this is possibly the easiest way to understand what different arrangements can do for your image.
When you’re busy, it’s easy to forget about your basic needs. You might find yourself skipping a meal, neglecting exercise or spending too little time socialising. To keep yourself on task, here’s a checklist to keep you from neglecting the things you need to do every day.
Have you ever found yourself wondering if a YouTube celebrity lives near you? Or are you planning a trip to a new city and want to get a glimpse of some the sights recorded by real people and not a commercial? Videos Near Me is a simple web app search engine that collects geo-tagged videos based on location.
Dropbox has updated its file-sharing system to make it easier to share direct links to files inside your Dropbox folders without having to give up access to your account or dump content into your Public folder.
If you’re wedded to one platform, it’s a good bet you already have a tool that keeps your life synchronised and organised pretty well. For those of us who have to deal with multiple platforms, multiple computers and mobile devices with multiple operating systems, and work with people who use different ones than we do, there’s Fruux, a free service that keeps your to-dos, calendars and contacts in sync on almost any platform. Think of it like iCloud for the rest of us.
Few people actually love organising their calendars and projects — there’s nothing terribly exciting or sexy about most productivity tools once you actually sit down and start using them. The new Springpad is different, though. It’s a fantastic, easy-to-use web app that helps you organise your life, your ideas and your projects. Once you get started, it’s also a lot of fun to use. Unlike most tools of its ilk, Springpad thinks for you, working like a personal assistant to cut down on the time you spend on the less enjoyable aspects of organising information — meaning you’ll spend less time organising things and more time doing them.
Have a project or big idea you’re working on and want to find an awesome programmer, illustrator, writer or designer to help out? CollabFinder is a new site for finding that collaborator.
