A lot of us take our work (and live our lives) online now and the scariest thing that could happen is losing the Internet connection that we depend on so much! In situations like these, it’s great to have useful applications that work offline. These don’t necessarily have to be computer applications though – they can also be Google Chrome applications.
Chrome Apps, not to be confused with Chrome Extensions, are often just bookmarks that take you to a Web service. Other times, they’re full-blown applications built exclusively for Google Chrome. One of the best things about Chrome Apps is that many of them have the ability to run offline.
So if you happen to be in a situation where you have no Internet, here are 15 Chrome Apps that can keep you going, until you get reconnected.
1. Jolidrive
Jolidrive is a powerful app that lets you access all of your cloud data from a single location. Jolidrive supports: Dropbox, Box, Google Drive, SkyDrive, Flickr, Instagram, Picasa, Vimeo, YouTube, SoundCloud, Facebook, Google+, Tumblr, Instapaper, Pocket, and Readability — all in one place.
2. Writebox
If you like a distraction-free environment when writing or blogging, Writebox is an offline text editor that syncs with Dropbox, and automatically saves your work as you write. You can also load documents directly from Dropbox for editing. It’s simple and looks great in fullscreen mode. You may also like QwikNote and Litewrite, which are two very similar distraction-free offline text editors.
3. MomoNote
MomoNote is a personal memo application that can serve as a private diary, personal journal, or just a place to jot down your notes and ideas. If you’re using the iPad or iPhone version, this Web version can sync with the mobile versions and via your Google account.
4. Task Timer
If you need help managing your time, for example, keeping track of how much time you waste on your social networks, Task Timer can help you manage your time better, by showing you how you are spending your precious 24 hours. You can also add goals to your tasks, and get desktop notifications with sound.
5. Gmail Offline
Need access to your gmail offline? This is the app for you. It lets you check your inbox, respond to messages, and compose messages while offline. Once you’re back online, it will send out any messages that you have in your outbox. The app also automatically syncs messages and queued actions when get back online and run Chrome.
6. Scribble
Scribbles is described as "stickies on steroids." With it, you can create sticky notes on a single Chrome tab and access them whenever you like. It’s a great way to organize your quick thoughts, ideas, reminders, tasks and more.
7. SocialBro
SocialBro is a great Twitter CRM dashboard that’s especially great for social media and community managers. It includes analytics reports, Twitter list management, competitor analysis, hashtag and keyword monitoring, advanced search, filters, and more.
8. OrganizeMe!
OrganizeMe lets you manage your Springpad account offline, via a stylish, organized dashboard. You can manage all your notes, lists, browser bookmarks, to-dos, recipes etc, you save to Springpad. You can also import your data from Evernote and Google Note, and manage it all from a single location.
9. Quick Note
Quick Note is just that: a quick way to take notes in Chrome. The app is lightweight and can be used as a notepad, scratchpad, clipboard, or as a way to create to-do lists. Quick Note lets you sync your notes to the cloud, but you can still make notes when it is offline.
10. Read Later Fast
Read Later Fast, another Chrome app by Diigo, is another personal favorite of mine. It lets you save pages to be read later, whether you’re online or offline. It’s also a great way to eliminate the issue of having too many tabs. You can save pages via right-click or a customizable keyboard shortcut.
Bonus: 5 More Apps
Color Piano!
If you get too bored while being offline, you can use this app to learn the piano. Much like the old-school game Simon Says, Color Piano uses colors to teach you songs; there’s no need for sheet music.
Planetarium
If you’re into astrology, you’ll love Planetarium. It’s an interactive sky map that lets you explore the stars and planets. You can see over 1500 stars, up to a magnitude of +5.
Webcam Toy
Webcam Toy is an app tailor-made for webcam users. You can use it to take photos and add over 70 fun effects to them. From there you can save them to your computer, or share them on Twitter and Facebook once you’re back online.
M.Easur.Es
This app lets you convert recipe measurements within seconds – without all the extra work and frustrating manual calculations.
Scientific Calculator
The Scientific Calculator app is great for simple as well as advanced calculations. Not only is the calculator programmable, but it also lets you save scripts online and into a local library.
Do you use Chrome apps that run offline? If so, which ones are you using? Let us know in the comments.
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