Since its humble beginnings as a two man operation out of Menlo Park, California, Google has grown into the most commonly used search engine on the internet. Whilst the search engine is the flagship of the Google brand, it has continued to add more strings to its bow through expansion and acquisition. Take a look at some of Google’s best free tools.

Adwords (http://adwords.google.com)

Google’s pay-per-click advertising service brings in their biggest share of revenue ($16.4b in 2007). Companies large and small alike are able to pay an advertising fee for links to their site to be featured in the ‘Sponsored Links’ section to the right, and at the top of results when their specified terms are searched for. Adwords only takes affect for these specific searches, keeping your recommendations relevant.

Blogger (www.blogger.com)

Blogs have become a huge part of the online community. Millions now take the opportunity to post their thoughts, memoirs and general ramblings to share with the world. Blogger is the most commonly used blog publishing system, and was acquired by Google in 2003. Blogger is now a fully integrated cog in the Google machine, including archiving, comments and the ability to post via email and even mobile phone.

Calendar (www.google.com/calendar)

Google’s free contact and time management web application allows users to get themselves organised. Google Calendar is fully compatible with Microsoft Outlook and Mac’s iCal allowing the import of existing dates and events. Calendars can also be shared with friends and family to synchronise schedules so that you’ll never forget a birthday again!

Documents (http://docs.google.com)

If like me you’ve fallen victim to the lonely feeling of helplessness staring at a stalled word document, then Google Documents could your solution to get you back on track. Google’s online word processor, spreadsheet and presentation application allows users to collaborate with others through comments, editing and even real-time chat, to get a second opinion on their documents. Google Documents supports a number of file types including DOC, XLS, PDF, HTML and even ZIP.

Earth (http://earth.google.com)

Google’s virtual globe application is one of its most popular tools. Utilising satellite imagery and aerial photography, Google is able to map out a comprehensive image of earth, which can be viewed, magnified and dragged around at you pleasure. Spend hours on end viewing detailed imagery of familiar places, landmarks and cultural hotspots and even get directions on how to get to them.

Experimental Search (www.google.com/experimental)

If you’re looking for something more, or even just a bit different from your online searches, Experimental Search may well be just what you’re looking for. Take part in one of Google’s experiments and give your feedback on how well you think it works. Try out alternative views for search results, suggested keywords and a whole host of keyboard shortcuts and play your part in shaping the future of the internet’s most popular search engine.

Groups (http://groups.google.com)

Google’s online discussion groups are a continuation of the Usenet newsgroup system, dating back to 1981. Their internet discussion network allows people to come together and share in debate and conversation about a specified subject. Groups’ search function allows you to find a discussion already occurring, or start up your own topic and invite others to throw in their two cents.

iGoogle (www.google.com/ig)

With what some might call a basic and bland homepage, Google has provided users with the opportunity to customise their own version of their search engine with iGoogle. Instead of a lonely search box surrounded by masses of white space, users can inhabit their personal homepage with gadgets displaying weather forecasts, news feeds, photo slideshows, video viewers and so much more you have to see it to believe it.

Mail (http://mail.google.com)

Google Mail, more commonly referred to as Gmail has become one of the most commonly used email clients, along with the likes of AOL, Hotmail and Yahoo. Gmail is now into the range of having tens of millions of users, all taking advantage of the system’s POP3 and IMAP webmail service. Check out your inbox and keep up-to-date with your correspondence from anywhere in the world.

Maps (http://maps.google.com)

Unlike Google Earth, Google Maps can be accessed for free online, without downloading the application. Select where you want to see or go, and Maps will plot a route for you based on your preferences, featuring road, bicycle and pedestrian. Zoom in, move and drag your map, or print it out for future reference.

Mobile (www.google.co.uk/mobile)

For Google access whilst on the move, Google Mobile provides your internet-access phone with the ability to use many of its features and services. Either enter your mobile number into Google Mobile, or head to http://mobile.google.co.uk from your phone’s browser to access Google’s Search, check your inbox on Gmail, your events on Google Calendar, get a route from Google Maps or flick through your photos with Picasa.

News (http://news.google.co.uk)

Google News doesn’t just provide a different take on the events of the day, but virtually every take on the day’s news. Google’s news aggregator sources all major news and events sources including CNN, BBC, The New York Times, Washington Post, Reuters and Forbes and returns them to the user based on their search. Fully customisable with filtered results for the news topics you want from the areas you want.

Notebook (www.google.com/notebook)

Google Notebook allows the safe online storage of contacts, useful URLs, bits of text and notes whilst you’re browsing the internet. Notebook allows you to then access these note pages from any other internet-connected computer. Notes can then be shared and collaborated on with friends.

Page Creator (http://pages.google.com)

If you’re interested in having your own online identity, but see HTML and website coding as a foreign language, Page Creator allows you to point and click your way to having your own free website. With an address based on your Google Username, Page Creator’s template-based design system allows users to edit and design their pages with uploadable information.

Picasa (http://picasa.google.com)

In the age of digital photography, most of us have built up a catalogue of thousands of images. Picasa is a software application that will definitely aid you with the organisation of those virtual piles of pictures that you’ve built up. Picasa will search through your hard drive, pick out all your images and organises them in a manner of your choosing. Perform basic editing and enhancement on your photos and share them with friends and family.

Product Search (www.google.co.uk/products)

Google Product Search is the development of what was Froogle. Instead of trawling through site after site looking for the best deal on the product you’re after, just type the item into Google Product Search and flick through their price comparative results. Returned listings can be sorted by relevance, price, product rating and seller rating.

Reader (www.google.com/reader)

Google Reader gives users the ability to pick up their Atom or RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds. While some prefer desktop updates, Google Reader can come in real handy when away from your home machine. The web-based aggregator lets people search for feeds, or paste in the URLs of their current feeds. Reader is compatible with iGoogle and can be implemented into your personalised homepage.

Scholar (http://scholar.google.co.uk)

Students worldwide will be happy to hear that Google supply their own freely-accessible search engine that indexes a huge selection of scholarly literature. Results show physical and online versions of relevant texts and literature in order of relevance. Google Scholar even give you the option of purchasing the full text through the British Library.

Talk (www.google.com/talk)

Google’s alternative to the likes of MSN Messenger and AOL Instant Messenger has become, as with other tools, one of the market leaders. Additional functionality has seen Talk integrated with GMail and even housed in iGoogle. Chat, transfer files and even send messages to offline contacts with Google Talk.

Translate (www.google.com/translate)

Google Translate, although still in Beta stage will effectively adapt either passages of text, or entire web pages into another language. Choose from a long list of languages to translate to and from. Google Translate’s detect language option even allows you to translate text and web pages when you’re unsure which corner of the globe its come from.

YouTube (www.youtube.com)

Google’s most prominent acquisition became part of the Google family in 2006. One of the most frequently visited websites on the net allows user to browse through their huge catalogue of updated video content. Free-to-register, YouTube lets users upload their own video content for the world to see. Search through YouTube’s endless amount of movies and spend the rest of your day travelling through their related content, ending up at something completely bizarre.
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Custom Number Plates

New Websites

Fitting your car with a custom number plate can provide you with a sense of individuality and uniqueness that no simple selection from the showroom can. Although your choice of colour, interior, options, hub caps etc. can help you specify the exact car that you want, you are still left knowing that there could be countless others on the road with a car exactly the same as yours.

The same cannot be said however after fitting custom number plates to your vehicle as you truly put your personal stamp on your car. To help you achieve this, Number Plate Lab has recently launched its new website, www.showplatesuk.co.uk to allow you to create your personal number plates to be fitted to your car.

At www.showplatesuk.co.uk you can design your number plates and see them in real time as you make changes to colour, text, borders, slogans, badges and more. Having seen your plates on the screen as you create them, you can then place your order and have your new plates in front of you within days, ready to be attached to your car.

Not only does the Number Plate Lab offer a fantastic service, their prices are also incredibly low with number plates from as little as £9.99 each.

To start creating your custom number plates now, log on to www.showplatesuk.co.uk.