Getting Started With Google Chrome and Google Voice-gctid51026

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Getting Started With Google Chrome and Google Voice | PCWorld
                     
Learn how to handle downloads in Google Chrome, and get some useful tips for Google Voice.

By Rick Broida, PCWorld                            
May 1, 2012 3:44 pm        
                                                                                                                     
 Lots of users are probably trying Google Chrome  for the first time, and maybe having some trouble learning the basics  of the browser. Downloads in particular can be confusing if you're  moving to Chrome.

 When it comes to downloading files, not all browsers are created  equal. In Microsoft Internet Explorer, for example, clicking a download  link produces a pop-up bar along the bottom of the screen, asking if you  want to run or save the file. In Mozilla Firefox, the browser I used  prior to Chrome, you get a pop-up requester front and center, followed  by a big ol' status window. For anyone accustomed to this, Chrome can be  a head-scratcher. It's easy to overlook the arrival and status of a  file download, especially if you're accustomed to looking near the top  of the screen or seeing a pop-up window.

 

Chrome's  download-status indicator appears quietly and unobtrusively in the  lower-left corner of the screen. If you blink, you'll miss the little  arrow that flashes at the start of the download. (Google no doubt added  this because so many people had trouble finding any evidence of download  activity.)

 Of course, now that you know where to look, you're all set. When the  download is done, you can click it to run or open the file, or click the  little arrow alongside it for a handful of options (including the  always-handy Show in folder, which opens the folder containing the  download).

 Want to view all your downloads? Press Ctrl-J to  open Chrome's download manager in a new tab. You can also click the  little wrench icon in the top-right corner of the screen, then select Downloads.  This may seem like an obvious thing, but it took me a while to get  accustomed to Chrome's tucked-away-in-a-corner download indicator.

 Three Things You Should Know About Google Voice

 Have you tried Google Voice? If not, I think I can understand why.  It's one of those services that sounds a little confusing--and perhaps  not terribly useful.

 But Google Voice is a pretty cool tool, and it can solve more than a  few hassles. Let's take a look at three GV perks you might not have  known about.

 (Note: I'm assuming that you've already signed up for a GV account.  If not, just visit google.com/voice and follow the instructions. You'll  need to have some sort of Google account already, like, say, Gmail.)

 1. You can use it to send text messages. Why bother pulling out your cell phone and typing on its tiny keyboard every time you want to send a text message?

 If you're at your computer, you can simply open up Google Voice,  click Text, enter the recipient's phone number, and type your message.  Click Send and you're done. Best of all, replies will pop up right  there, so you can hold an entire SMS conversation right in your Web  browser.

 Oh, and unlike with standard texting from your phone, GV texting is  free (for you, anyway--the recipient still has to pay regular rates).

 
 
2. You can use it to make free calls (for now).  Google Voice is, at its core, a voice-over-IP calling service. And a  free one, at least until the end of 2012. That means you can make  unlimited local and long-distance calls without spending an extra dime.

 Looking for a way to integrate this GV goodness with your current phone system? Check out the Obihai OBi100 adapter,  which plugs right into your router (much like a MagicJack, but with  Google Voice as the service provider). Connect your phone's base station  and presto: You've got dial tone.

 3. You can use it to record phone calls. Are you  conducting an interview? Talking to a customer-service representative?  Planning some blackmail? Might be nice to have a recording of the call.  Google Voice makes this a cinch: Just press 4 during the call to initiate recording. When you're done, you'll be able to access the audio file from the GV dashboard.

 Just one caveat: this works only for incoming calls. And depending on  your state's laws, you may need to get consent from the other party.