Giveaway: ToodleChrome approaches 10K

ToodleChrome will soon have 10,000 regular users!

In celebration, three fans will get a 1-year subscription to Toodledo Pro, or a copy of Appigo Todo for iPhone. Simply ‘like’ the ToodleChrome Facebook page @ http://goo.gl/hg4Lx; when the extension reaches 10,000 users, I’ll contact three randomly selected fans who will choose what prize they want.

Note: I’m not affiliated with Toodledo or Appigo; the Facebook page is just the easiest way to contact the winners.

In the toolbox: 3 great web apps

Happy New Year! What better way to ring it in than with a list of three Internet-based applications that I could not do without.

At any given time, I have several projects on the go. Each project has different requirements and timelines. Some are in the same city, while some are based abroad. Web-based tools make my life a lot easier and help me stay organized and efficient. The Google suite of web apps (Gmail, Google Calendar, Reader, etc) are indispensable. Facebook is also approaching that status in my line of work. Many people are already using these online applications.

However, there are three services that I found myself recommending to friends and colleagues on a regular basis this past year. In no particular order, the top three are: Toodledo, Log Me In, and Dropbox. Here’s why they’re worth checking out.

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Checking out the Chrome Web Store

ToodleChrome is in the Chrome Web Store! The extension is still free, of course. Previous posts on this extension are here and originally here.

ToodleChrome updated; now Verified Author

Update 28-Nov-2010: Version 0.7 adds some new badge options (thanks, Stephen!)

Google Chrome users with the newest version of the browser are running into problems with some extensions that use popups. ToodleChrome 0.4 is one of these extensions. It looks as though the Chrome/Chromium dev team has changed the way popups are styled. As a result, many extension popups are starting to appear as very skinny windows essentially rendering them useless. While a number of bug reports were filed with the Chromium browser dev team, they’re super busy. So, I thought I’d just make a few changes to the extension itself.

Version 0.5 of ToodleChrome displays the popup correctly. It also adds the capability to detach the popup into its own standalone window; and there is now a small wrench icon that will take users directly to the Options page (thanks to everyone for the feedback and suggestions).

I’ve also added eliotche.com as the verified author: Read the rest of this entry »

Gmail gadget: Getting Things Done

Categorizing and managing actionable emails is something that Gmail doesn’t handle very well out-of-the-box. Labels, while useful, are unwieldy when it comes to workflow. After running into numerous problems with the Quicklinks feature in Gmail Labs, I decided to put together a small Gmail sidebar gadget.

Although this Gmail addon admittedly doesn’t adhere to the official “Getting Things Done” standard, it does come closer to that method than Gmail’s Labels, while also remaining easy to use.

After installing this Gmail sidebar, you’ll also have to enable the Superstars feature in Gmail Labs. Then you’ll be able to go to your Gmail General Settings to select which special stars you would like to use. Here are the specific steps to get up and running with the Gmail addon:

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ToodleChrome

Update 2011-Nov: 0.74 renames the extension to “Toodledo Tasks” in order to comply with Google’s branding policies. Get it here.

Update 2010-Nov-07: The 0.5 update fixes the popup issue and adds a couple features. Check out the details here.

Update 2009-Dec-12: The 0.4 update now includes an option to add a badge indicating how many tasks are due. I ended up foregoing the Toodledo API and instead decided to implement a solution that uses the Toodledo RSS feed (which can be customized) and the Google Ajax Feed API. This way the extension doesn’t need to ask for a username or password. While the Toodledo RSS feed is a public one, it is a unique address, and users can change the feed url or disable the feed entirely if necessary.

The ToodleChrome extension is based on Toodledo, a web-based todo application that I’ve come to rely upon on a daily basis. I primarily access my todos via an iPhone app called Todo by Appigo, but there are often times when I want to add some items from my browser.

Tooodle does have a web interface, but I’ve found the slim/mobile version of the site faster and easier to use, especially in conjunction with Appigo’s iPhone app. To make things even more efficient for my workflow, I thought I’d put together a quick and simple extension for the beta version of Google Chrome (my current browser of choice, mainly because it’s fast). Extensions will eventually be enabled in the regular version of Chrome but for now it’s limited to the stable beta.

If you are a Chrome beta user like myself, and need a good way to manage your todos, give the extension a try. It’s listed in the Chrome Extensions directory, and I hope to add some updates via the Toodledo API in the future (specifically, to show due and overdue items in the icon badge). Until then, I hope this small contribution makes it a little easier to keep on top of things.

[Check out ToodleChrome at the Official Google Chrome Repository] [Update: or in the Chrome Web Store]

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