Used Cisco, Extreme Networks, Foundry, F5, Compaq, Nortel at Network Liquidators

Google Maps

This has to be one of the best online mapping programs out there. I've been using online map programs for years, and this is, by far the easiest online mapping program to use. Not only can you view a traditional street map, but you can see a satellite view, or even a hybrid view of a map overlay on the satellite image. As well as driving routes to destinations of your choosing, it will also show you addresses and phone numbers of restaurants and businesses that you're searching for. It also has traffic overlays for most major cities, so you can plan your route around heavy traffic before you even leave your house.

Google maps are extremely interactive; you can pan by simply dragging the map. Zooming is just as easy; simply roll your scroll wheel up or down to change the level of zoom. Of course, there are buttons on the left of the map that you can use to perform these functions if you prefer. Personalizing the map is just as easy, simply click on My Maps, and you're given a plethora of easy to use options. You can add place markers, draw lines and shapes as well as make notes. Even if you don't like the directions that Google has given you, one can simply click and drag the highlighted route to a road that you want to use. You can also add multiple points and get directions from A - B - C - D. I honestly think you can plan an entire road trip with nothing else but Google Maps.

Google also recently added a new feature called Street View, which actually gives you a streets eye view of the road you're looking at. Yes, you heard me right; they have a fleet of Chevy Cobalts whose sole purpose is to drive around all day taking street level pictures. I can't imagine how difficult it must be to take a picture of every street in the US, but Google has taken on the task in living up to their motto of "to organize the world's information and make it accessible to our users". In the street mode, you can pan zoom, and even navigate forward or backward on the street.

Google Maps is also available on your mobile phone, so if even if you don't have access to a computer, you will still be able to access Google maps just as long as you subscribe to a data plan through you’re service provider.

Google Video

Google Video has completely changed the way people watch video on the internet. It also has created a new type of blogging, the video blog. Instead of typing out a blog post, people now use their web cams to record their blog posts and upload them to Google video to be published. Google video has opened a doorway for an amazing new way to communicate with people around the world. To show your cool video to a friend, you had to invite them over to your house and plug your camera into your TV. Now, you simply copy the video from your camera, and upload it to Google. Now even friends that live thousands of miles away can see you get some mad air on your skateboard.

As well as personal videos, you can find many clips from TV shows and movies on Google Video. Although some companies have asked Google to remove videos due to copyright violations, most have not. So there is a good chance you can still see your favorite clip of your favorite show. Just don't expect to watch the whole episode.

Google Video has also spawned a new kind of viral marketing. Many companies have created funny clips and purposely post them to Google Video in hopes that people will spread the news of that video around to their friends. While similar to TV commercials, these videos are free to publish, and instead of forcing consumers to watch the commercial, it does the opposite. It seeks to entice the consumer to search out their video for entertainment. For example, the movie Snakes on a Plane was a success at the box office, mostly due to its occult like following on the internet.

Google Docs and Spreadsheets

Have you ever been away from your home computer wanting to work on a homework assignment, job project, or even get an idea for the novel you're writing? I can't tell you how many times this has happened to me. Google Docs and Spreadsheets is an entirely different approach to word processing. Instead of a stand alone application like Microsoft Word, Docs and Spreadsheets simply uses your favorite internet browser. You simply log into your Google account, and open the Docs and Spreadsheets program, that's it. And the best part is it's free. So not only do you have a great program available to you where ever you have an internet connection, it allows you to save your documents online. No more lugging a thumb drive around with you. Just save it on Google and access it from anywhere in the world. And for those of you with privacy concerns, don't worry. Google's not in the habit of just handing over your personal information like most companies are. In fact, they even stood up to the Department of Justice when they requested something simple, such as search terms, imagine how they will fight to keep your personal documents safe.

You might be saying, "But I like Word, and I've used other free applications and still go back to Word, what makes this better?" I felt the same way when I heard about Docs and Spreadsheets. But, I decided to give it a try. The interface is very simple and easy to learn. Nothing really stood out at first, until I wanted to work on something I had left at the office. Now, I had to VPN into my work network, then remote desktop to my computer to get to the document. That's when it hit me, "This is just a pain." From that point on, I started using Docs and Spreadsheets and never turned back.

Oh yea, and no more syncing. Since your documents are in one location, you don't have to worry about constantly syncing them, or worry about overwriting a newer copy.

Google Desktop

Bring the power of the Google search to your desktop. This is a fantastic search program, not only do you have the power of the Google search engine right on your desktop, but it has a nice sidebar feature that allows for gadgets. Some of which include an RSS feed monitor, local weather forecast, calendar, clock, and many more to choose from. Once it indexes your hard drive, search results appear within seconds.

Google Calendar

Google Calendar is an interactive calendar, which allows you to save appointments, meetings and more. It does everything that the Calendar in Microsoft Outlook does, but stores the information on Google's servers as apposed to your local PC. Again, like Docs and Spreadsheets, this allows you to access your appointments from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. Also, with Google Calendar you can send appointment reminders to your phone.

The interface is extremely simple, like all of Google's products. There are tabs on the top of the page that allows you to change the view from single day, to week, to month. It also has a view that will give you the agenda for all the upcoming events. It's also easy to import your Outlook or iCal calendar schedule into the Google Calendar. Simply click the add button, and select import.

Google Calendar also allows you to have several calendars, and so it's possible to have a public calendar that's viewable by others, and of course a private calendar which is only visible to you. You also can add your friends or coworkers public calendar to so scheduling meetings can be done without having to try and find a date that you are both available. Just simply look at their calendar, and find a suitable date for the appointment.



Ken Hendrickson works for Network Liquidators which specializes in selling new and used network and telecom equipment; including Cisco, Foundry Networks, Nortel Networks, Extreme Networks, Avaya Telecom, Plantronics, GN Netcom and more.

 

Our Ebay Blog.