Beyond Search and Mail: Three Google Account Bonuses
If you weren't able to catch any of my earlier posts, I started a series that covered cool benefits you get from having a Gmail account.
In the meantime, my Unlocking the Power of Chrome series started picking up traction, so I turned my focus to that. Today I would like to return to my roots.
One of the greatest things that Google has done over the years is work on their single sign-on integration. This basically means you can use your Gmail account to log in to other services. Much like you may use your Facebook account to log in to your Instagram account etc.
Today, I am going to cover three of the services I use the most by easily logging in with my existing Gmail account.
LucidPress
In case you haven't noticed, I am a big fan of Google. Spying on every aspect of our lives aside, I think they do a really good job of providing and updating relevant tools. Given my love for Google, I find myself doing a lot of things in Google Docs. One thing Google Docs doesn't have though is a good desktop publishing application like Microsoft Publisher.
Enter LucidPress. LucidPress is an online desktop publishing service. I have a monthly newsletter that I send out to the end users at my job. It is just a quick one-page flyer with four articles that keep them updated about what is going on in the Technology Department.
I use LucidPress for this newsletter as well as any infographics that I need to get out to my users. The service is free but like many products, they have some advanced features you can gain access to by paying for them. I have found that the basic version is more than powerful enough to do everything I need, though.
LucidPress fully integrates into my Google Drive account so I can easily access past documents via the LucidPress folder. Check it out when you get a chance, I think you will love it.
P.S. if you are an educator, LucidPress is giving you a free upgrade to the full version if you are signing in with a school-given G Suite for Education account.
Canva
Canva is the second program I really started digging into after signing up for an account with my Gmail address. Canva is a simple graphics design program you can use to create posters, flyers, brochures, logos, etc. The sky is pretty much the limit with Canva. Plus the spotlight effect they have on their main webpage is pretty sweet.
Canva, like LucidPress, has a basic version that is free. You can gain access to other features by paying a subscription. Again though, I find that the basic version is able to do everything I need it to do.
If you have been following my Unlocking the Power of Chrome series the recent logo I created for that was done in Canva. Likewise, the signature graphic I use on all of my posts was also created in Canva. I don't tout myself to be a great graphics artist, so you can see how easy it is to make something really nice using Canva.
SmartDraw
Finally, the last service I want to highlight is called SmartDraw.
My wife and I are looking at redoing our deck this Spring. I have a friend that can do the work, but he needed to know how we wanted the deck to look.
I did a quick search online and found SmartDraw. I quickly logged in with my Gmail account and within a half hour, I had a full set of plans drawn up for the deck. My buddy was so impressed with the drawing that he wanted to know what program I had used.
The main caveat with SmartDraw is that it is a pay-to-use program. You can use it for a limited time for free(that's what I did), but after that, you need to purchase a subscription. SmartDraw has an online version and a version that you can download to a Windows desktop.
If you find yourself doing a lot of building drawings, landscape drawings, infographics, flowcharts, diagrams, mind maps, network design, etc the $9.95 per month single user fee might be worth it to you.
If you get a chance, check out one or all of these services. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Do you have a program that takes advantage of Google's single sign-in feature which you frequently use? Let me know about it in the comments. I am always looking for cool new tools.
Check back tomorrow when I pick back up on my Unlocking the Power of Chrome series
@bozz, I really like Canva. I will be sure to check the other two services you recommended when I find some free time. Thanks for the information!
Yeah, no problem. Canva is pretty awesome. I love LucidPress too. I have actually gotten a lot of people using it just from recommending it. Thanks for the comment!
Hey @bozz much love for all the advice! Chrome series eh! Cool im in! What ae your thoughts on brave, and Presearch. Would you be willing to do a compare and contrast between these two startups vs their contemporaries?
You are the second person to mention Brave to me since I have started my other series. I will have to check it out at some point. Right now I don't feel I know enough about the two to compare them. It sounds like you do though and that might be a great post for you to write. I would upvote it!
Recently i went a trip to China and I found myself without Google,as China has banned the website and it's relative services (google maps,gmail etc).It was awful!Unfortunately,even though I appreciate Google I really dislike the fact that it has began to become a necessary tool in my life.
Oh my gosh! That would be horrible. Awesome that you got to visit China though. I have had my apprehensions with Google as well, but I have learned to embrace it. They simply do a lot of things very well. I know it isn't for everyone and I know that some people have had some bad experiences that have turned them off from the company. That is part of the reason I am trying to highlight some of the good! Did you do anything cool in China? Going to check your feed now to see if you have posted about it.