Lifehacker productivity software

I always knew that Lifehacker has some software available like Better Gmail, Better Google Calendar, but they actually have a whole line I didn’t even know about until a recent post.

They have some pretty useful stuff, all of them are “micro programs” designed for one specific use. They have a great text replacement utility for example, called Texter, which replaces abbreviated text, with the full one. You can use it to substitute “gH” with gHacks for example, or “sig” with your full signature.

Swept away is another good idea, it minimizes windows after a specified time when they loose focus. This means that if you have Photoshop always open (like I do), but only use it every hour or so, it will minimize itself. This is great for me, since it removes clutter from my desktop and enables me to actually work.

The post also points you to their great Greasmonkey compilation Firefox extensions like Better Gmail, Better Flickr and Better Youtube, all of which give you added functionality for these web applications. Better Gmail allows you integrate Google Reader for example, or change macros, and other cool features.

Overall, Lifehacker has produced some highly specialized, but quite usable and helpful applications. They are all free to use, so go nuts.