“Really Nifty Stuff” is my new column for things that I want to recommend to everybody.
It will include all kinds of things grouped together in a theme whenever I do one. There will usually be 3 -5 things in each post, with a little bit about why I think you should take a look at whatever it is.

I spend a whole lot of time on the internet, doing whatever needs doing, whether that is reading, sending and receiving emails or scrolling through Tumblr and various newsfeeds (Twitter, Facebook, medium, etc.). Because I spend so much time on the internet, I have customized my Google Chrome browser to suit my needs better, and that means extensions. These three are my absolute favorites.

Readability

Like many of you, I spend a lot of time reading on the internet, and sometimes I need to not have distractions in order to finish some of my readings without clicking on the links off to the side. I found this app through Tumblr, and it really helps. It will turn an article or page into a PDF or open them up as a document in your browser. I love it, because it’s totally distraction-free, and can easily be sent to your Kindle, if you have one! (I don’t, but it also works for the Kindle App for phones/computers if you have that!) I highly recommend this extension if you like distraction-free reading!

Sidekick

You know those emails that you send out that you need to know if someone opened for whatever reason? Ever have coworkers bullshit you about opening an email when you’re pretty sure they haven’t read it? This extension has been talked about in Forbes, Business Insider and the Harvard Business Review, and I love it very dearly. I mostly use this for work, because I like to make sure my people get the emails I’m sending. This only works if you’re sending emails through the browser, though. It won’t if you’re sending it from a mail client or from your phone. It’s created by HubSpot, which is a reputable resource for all kinds of business stuff, so if you sign up for the emails, you won’t be disappointed.

Ad Block Plus

Much like the rest of you, I dislike ads. I particularly dislike ads that play music or sound automatically. This beautiful open source application is the best one I’ve ever found to block ads. This even allows me to block sidebar Facebook ads – and that is such a relief for me, because they are annoying. It does not block ads that are designed to look like posts, though, so those will show up. I turn this off when I go to websites that I want to support with my ad revenue – such as with my webcomic pages and blogs that I read regularly. Make sure you do this, otherwise you’re hurting the companies that you want to support!