Ten extensions to help Chrome sparkle

Even if you are pleased with Chrome, you can still improve your browsing experience with a judicious choice of extensions, says Jack Wallen.

Since putting together a list of my favourite Firefox extensions, I have shifted to Google Chrome for much of my work. Naturally, I wanted to extend the usability of Google Chrome and was pleased to find that the developers of this relatively new browser have recognised the importance of adding features that bring extra functionality. So here are 10 extensions I think are worth trying.

1. Google Mail Checker Plus
The Google Mail Checker Plus extension is essential for anyone who uses Gmail extensively. It notifies you how many emails you have in your inbox and provides a drop-down listing of the top email subjects and senders. You can read, delete, mark as spam, or archive emails, and there is also a link in the popup that will take you directly to your inbox.

2. Xmarks Bookmarks Sync
Xmarks Bookmarks Sync allows you to keep your bookmarks in sync with Firefox, Chrome, Safari and Internet Explorer. There are slight differences between XMarks for Firefox and XMarks for Chrome, although they function in the same manner. When syncing XMarks in Chrome, the browser does not become unusable — unlike Firefox when it conducts the same operation.

3. FlashBlock
FlashBlock does exactly what its name suggests. It blocks all Flash content from loading in your browser. It also lets you add sites to your white list on the fly by clicking Ctrl + Shift + F. Flashblock will block the following content types: Macromedia Flash, Macromedia Shockwave, Macromedia Authorware and Microsoft Silverlight.

4. Shareaholic
The Shareaholic extension allows you to share links to your various accounts, such as Facebook and Twitter. Just click the Shareaholic button and use the dropdown list to specify the service you want to share the link with.

Shareaholic also lets you add personal notes to shared links. For those who share online work with Twitter followers, this feature makes life much easier.

5. Forecastfox Weather
The Forecastfox Weather extension is similar to the Firefox extension of the same name, with one major difference. Instead of placing the forecast in the notification toolbar, the Chrome version places a button in the Address bar, along with the other extension buttons.

Clicking the button opens a pop-up window that displays the forecast. You see a week's forecast as well as current weather details.

6. Tab Menu
Tab Menu is essential if you tend to have so many tabs open in Chrome that you cannot read the labels. It offers a dropdown list of all open tabs and allows you to switch back and forth between them.

7. Session Manager
The Session Manager extension allows you to save the state of your browser so it will be reloaded whenever you need it. But it is more than just a single-session save.

Session Manager takes it to another level by allowing you to save multiple states, name them, and open any of those states by selecting them from a dropdown list.

8. WOT
WOT, or Web of Trust, offers instant ratings for sites. These ratings let you know whether a site can be trusted. But WOT does not just use an algorithm or function to rate sites. Users provide ratings or warnings to unsuspecting users. E-commerce sites are among the targets for WOT ratings.

9. iMacros
The iMacros power-user tool takes much of the repetition out of browsing. You can use iMacros as a form filler and encrypted password manager. You can even use it to combine extensions.

If you repeat tasks, this extension will quickly become your best friend. On installation, be sure to visit the iOpus iMacros for Chrome page and look at some sample macros you can run immediately.

10. Remember the Milk
Many users already have the Remember the Milk tool on their phones. It adds a task list to the browser, even linking to your Gmail account so tasks can be converted to email. These tasks can be synced with all your other instances of Remember the Milk, regardless of platform. You will need a Remember the Milk account to use this extension.

Other favourites?
If you have tried any of these tools, do you agree with my verdict? What other Google Chrome extensions have you come to rely on?