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We all have those little digital jobs that should take a few seconds but somehow turn into a distraction. Perhaps you need to shrink an image before emailing it, check whether your internet connection is behaving itself, or create a QR code without downloading another piece of software.
Fortunately, some of the most useful tools don't need installing, configuring or explaining by your IT department. They simply work in your web browser, solve a particular problem and let you get on with your day.
And while we're big believers in properly managed business technology at Telanova, we're equally fond of a clever little tool that makes life easier.
Here are five surprisingly useful web apps worth bookmarking. Some are practical, some are a little bit of fun, and a couple are surprisingly addictive.
1. Squoosh: Make Images Smaller Without the Faff
Website: squoosh.app
Ever tried emailing a photograph only to discover that the attachment is enormous? Or uploaded an image to your website and wondered why the page suddenly takes longer to load?
Squoosh is a wonderfully straightforward image compression tool that helps reduce image file sizes while keeping them looking good.
Simply open the website, select an image and experiment with the available compression settings. You can compare the original and compressed versions before downloading the result, making it easier to find a balance between image quality and file size.
It's particularly useful for website photographs, blog images, newsletters, email signatures and other situations where unnecessarily large images can cause problems.
One of its nicest features is that the image processing takes place locally in your browser rather than requiring the image to be uploaded to a remote processing server.
For anyone who occasionally needs to optimise a picture without opening Photoshop or another editing application, Squoosh is well worth remembering.
2. Speedtest: Find Out Whether Your Internet Really Is Slow
Website: speedtest.net
We've all heard someone announce that the internet is slow, usually just as a video meeting starts freezing or an important document refuses to upload.
Before blaming the broadband provider, Speedtest can provide a useful starting point.
The website measures your connection's download speed, upload speed and latency. Download speed affects how quickly information reaches your device, while upload speed matters when sending files or participating in video calls. Latency measures the delay in communication between your device and the test server.
Running a test can help establish whether your connection is performing roughly as expected, although one result doesn't tell the whole story.
For example, a poor result over Wi-Fi might be caused by weak wireless coverage rather than a fault with the internet connection itself. Running another test closer to your router, or using a wired connection where possible, can help narrow things down.
It's not a complete network diagnostic tool, but it can give you something more useful than the familiar complaint that everything feels slow.
If connection problems are becoming a regular frustration, our guide to why your office internet might be slow explores some of the common causes.
3. QR Code Generator: Share Information Without Making People Type It
Website: gottrix.app QR Code Generator
QR codes have become part of everyday life, but they're useful for considerably more than restaurant menus and parking payments.
This browser-based generator lets you turn information into a QR code that someone else can scan with their phone.
You might create one linking to your business website, a registration form or a downloadable document. They're also useful for sharing contact details, telephone numbers and guest Wi-Fi information without asking someone to type everything manually.
That last example is particularly handy in an office. Rather than reading a long Wi-Fi password aloud to visitors, you can display a QR code that contains the connection details.
The tool is designed to generate codes locally in the browser, which is useful when you would prefer not to send the information to an external processing service.
One small precaution: if you're creating a QR code for a website or document, test it with your phone before printing it on a hundred leaflets. It's much easier to correct a mistake before the printing starts.
4. Winner Picker: Settle a Decision Without Drawing Names from a Hat
Website: gottrix.app Winner Picker
Sometimes technology doesn't need to solve a complicated business problem. Sometimes you just need to choose a name.
Winner Picker is a simple tool that randomly selects entries from a list, saving you from writing names on scraps of paper and searching for a suitable hat.
It's useful for choosing a winner from a small competition, selecting a volunteer for a task or deciding which idea to discuss first during a team meeting.
You enter your options, choose how many selections you need and let the tool make the decision.
It uses the browser's random number generation capabilities, and the selection takes place locally. For informal office decisions, it's a convenient way to make a selection without favouring anyone.
For formal competitions, however, you should still make sure your entry process and selection method meet any applicable rules and published terms.
And if the office can't agree where to order lunch from on Friday, this might finally bring an end to the debate.
5. Plane and Boat Tracking: Discover What's Moving Around You
Aircraft: ADS-B Exchange
Ships: MarineTraffic
This final recommendation is slightly less about productivity and considerably more about curiosity.
Have you ever looked up at an aircraft and wondered where it came from? Or spotted an unusual ship while visiting the coast and wanted to know what it was?
ADS-B Exchange displays aircraft positions using tracking information received from aircraft and a network of receivers. You can explore the map, select aircraft and discover details about movements taking place overhead.
MarineTraffic offers a similar experience for vessels, using available Automatic Identification System (AIS) information to show ships and their reported positions.
Both are fascinating ways to explore the world around you, although coverage depends on the availability of tracking signals and receivers. Not every aircraft or vessel will appear, and some positions may be delayed.
These aren't substitutes for official flight or shipping information, but they're excellent for satisfying a little everyday curiosity.
Be warned, though. You might open one to identify a single aircraft and discover that you've spent the next fifteen minutes exploring what's happening on the other side of the world.
Sometimes the Simplest Tools Are the Most Useful
What makes these web apps appealing is that they each focus on doing something relatively simple and doing it well.
You don't necessarily need a new subscription, a complicated application or an elaborate workflow to solve every small digital problem. Sometimes a bookmarked website is all that's required.
Of course, it's still worth being sensible about the information you enter into online tools. Before using any unfamiliar service with confidential business data, check how that information is processed and whether the tool is appropriate for your organisation.
But for everyday tasks such as optimising an image, checking your internet speed or generating a quick QR code, these tools can be genuinely useful additions to your bookmarks bar.
What's Your Favourite Useful Web App?
That's our selection of five handy web apps, from practical productivity tools to websites that are simply interesting to explore.
At Telanova, we spend our days helping businesses make better use of technology, and we know that sometimes the smallest improvements can make everyday work a little easier.
If you've discovered a browser-based tool that saves you time, solves an annoying problem or is simply too good not to share, we'd love to hear about it.
And if your business needs more than a clever bookmark to keep its technology working smoothly, take a look at our managed IT support services or give our Bracknell team a call on 01344 989 530.
