This week we will look at a couple of “secret” tricks you can do with the Google Chrome browser. According to Global Share Statcounter as of today (gs.statcounter.com) Chrome remains in the #1 position as the most popular browser, with a 64% market share worldwide. It is followed by Safari with 19%, and Edge at four percent. It has been in the position consistently since 2013.
First, let us look at how to share a page you are viewing in Chrome with others. I know that you already know you can click in the address bar of the page and copy the link. Then paste it in an email and send it to someone. However, there is another way.
Once on the page you wish to share, look to the right side of the URL or Address bar. Notice two icons. The first on the right is a star. When you click the star, you can choose to add the page as a bookmark so you can easily retrieve it later. Or you 
can add it to your reading list. The reading list keeps everything there on the far right of the browser in a list for you to get back to later. I do not understand the need for the reading list since it is just like saving it as a bookmark, but there you go.
But look at the icon to the left of the star. It resembles the capital letter “L” with an arrow. It gives you ways to share it. Some you may not use, but some you may. At the top is to copy it, just as before. But then there is QR Code. If you have not used them before, you may not want to use it but test it and take a picture with your phone’s camera and it will take you to the site and you can send it to other or post it elsewhere. I do not use it but give it a whirl and see. Then Cast, which if you have a TV that has Google TV on it, you can send that page to your TV to view. Finally, at the top is Save As. This allows you to save the page locally on your computer. You could use this to look at the webpage while your computer is offline.
When you look below that list, you see another with popular social networks listed, like Facebook, that you can share the link to automatically. This is a neat way to share a useful website with people you know and are friends with.
Next week, I will share a couple of other tricks you can perform with Chrome. But first, a game you can play that has hidden in Chrome for years. It is a jumping dinosaur game. You may have seen it before and did not realize what you had. If you are offline or having some other issues connecting to a website on Chrome, you will get a dinosaur graphic in your window. This tells you the site is currently not reachable.
However, if you press your spacebar, the game will begin. While he/she runs, press your up arrow to jump and your down arrow to run under some extremely pesky cacti. To play it while online type, “chrome://dino” as an address in the Chrome browser and go for a high score.
I hope to talk to you next week!
