chrome extensions

New to Chrome? Here's a handy tip that might save you some time. Rather than manually typing in the web address to your most frequently used sites in the Chrome web browser, you can opt to download the extensions instead. Extensions are little icons to the right of the web address bar. Clicking the extension icon sends you to the site directly or allows you to quickly review the latest updates without having to visit the site directly. Below, a breakdown of some apps new Chrome users should consider downloading.

1. News: Stay up-to-date with a reliable news source like CNN, especially the tech section.
2. Mail: Google Mail Checker extension shows new email notifications and will send you directly to your mailbox when clicked.
3. Social media: Use Facebook Notifications extension to preview any unseen notifications, which include likes, comments, invites, friend requests, and new messages.
4. Productivity aid: Fun websites and social media can be a distracting thing, so if you are looking to calculate the stats of your browsing history (i.e. time spent on your top 10 sites), check out the History Trends extension. It pulls info from your web history to show you charts and figures that will help you better delegate your time and resist the urge to go on Facebook throughout the day.
5. Explore the web: For when you have time to leisurely browse the web or come across a webpage you would love to share, do both with ease using the StumbleUpon extension.

Have any favorites of your own? Share them with us in the comments!

Are you neglecting your Twitter and Facebook accounts in favor of Google+ these days? Although some tech nerds consider crossposting on social network accounts to be a faux pas, the truth is it saves time. If you're a Chrome user, there's a new extension called PublishSync that will allow you to sync your Google+ updates with other social network accounts.

Just install the extension in Chrome, and PublishSync can automatically post your update to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Digg, and others. Good news is that you can choose which networks you'd like to publish each post to, so you can change things up instead of sharing every single Google+ post to all of your networks every time (which can get really annoying for people who follow multiple accounts).

Do you sync up your social networks?

If you're the type to have multiple tabs open on your Chrome browser (and who isn't?), then you're going to want to download this free extension right away. Called MuteTab, this extension helps you find the tabs that are making noise — whether it be from music, an autoplay video, or an annoying ad ("Congratulations, you've won!") — and lets you shut them down with the click of your mouse. You can even automatically mute all background tabs, so you can enjoy browsing in silence. Finally.

Got an awesome app you want to share? Tell us about it in our Download of the Day group or our Facebook page, and it could be featured on the GeekSugar home page!

One of the cool features coming with Google+ is the quick post and notification box that lets you see followers and comment notifications in Gmail, Docs, Picasa, and Reader screens. It's always in the top right-hand corner of your screen. Wouldn't it be nice to also see incoming Gmail messages in this fashion as well? Never fear Googlites: Native Gmail For Google+ allows you to get a second notification box to see when you have incoming emails in your inbox.

More than just a notification box, you can see each new message and it's title. And by clicking on the message within the pop-up, you can also see the first few sentences of the text body. To see the message in its entirety, just click the title link to head straight to your Gmail inbox. It's a quick and easy download and best of all — it's free!

Have any Google+ extensions to share with us? Post them in our Download of the Day group or tell us about it in the comments!

In its quest to tailor search results to the searcher's exact taste, Google has just introduced Personal Blocklist, a Chrome extension that blocks certain domains or extensions from ending up in your search results. You can set your own preferences, and a link at the bottom of the search results provides easy access to blocked results — just in case you want to check them out.

When users block a site, the information is transferred to Google who can use it to track spam or link-farm sites that can cloud search results. It's like Google is crowd-sourcing parts of its search results cleanup, which probably isn't that bad an idea.

The extension is currently available only for Chrome users; you can download it here.

Amid the hustle, bustle, and consumerism of the holiday season, it's refreshing to take a moment to give back. And Google is making it easier than ever to give by combining charitable giving with something that most of us do every day: browse the web. Google's Chrome For a Cause extension will donate money to a worthwhile charity every time you open a new browser window.

Find out how to use it after the break.