The Internet has collectively been helping Japan since the moments after the massive earthquake that struck nearly two weeks ago. One of the major players, Google, has laid out the best ways to help in a recent blog post. Here's a quick rundown:
- An official crisis response page aggregates all of Google's efforts; check it out for the latest news.
- Google's person finder has gone beyond its original inception to accommodate all users: those with smartphones and those without.
- Attempted real-time updates to Google Maps show the destruction in Japan and also detail passable roads and shelter locations.
- Google Translate supports English-Japanese and 55 other language translations.
- Google's official crisis response page details the best ways to donate to relief efforts. You can also donate via Facebook or Twitter, or even pick up one of these cool t-shirts for relief.
Technology is pretty amazing. Just when we thought that apps like 
Gmail's new priority inbox separates your regular mail from the important stuff you'd probably want to read right away. Think of it like your Gmail's spam folder, but in reverse — using a formula that detects which emails are most important to you (by most emailed, the messages you open and reply to, and ones you flag as important or nonimportant), these messages are placed in a new "Priority" message box above your regular inbox, making it easy to see which emails to read first. This priority inbox will be split up into three sections: "important and unread," "starred," and "everything else." Plus, you can even add filters to put messages from certain contacts into your priority inbox. The new inbox will be rolling out (in beta) over the next few days, so look for it to appear soon!
