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It’s always good to compare notes when it comes to navigating the web. There are lots of services, programs, and applications that can make the web easier to explore, and we thought it would be fun to share a few of our favorite tools with you. In this latest installment of the Intern’s Journal, Shikha Raturi provides links and details about a few of our favorite things.

Internet use has increased by 121% in the last five years, according to Forrester Finds, and the average American spends roughly 13 hours per week over the Internet. The web has different uses for different people; for some it can be a place to shop, a place to hang out with friends, a place to research, to learn new things, or a source of entertainment.

Regardless of how you use the internet, you can’t deny that managing your online life has become increasingly important. Whether you’re managing your contacts or juggling lots of documents, the web can be there to help. It’s always good to check out new tools and features, so here are a few of the applications and services that we just can’t live without.

• Gmail: A free email service provided by Google, and one of the most frequently used applications for communication, it provides more than 7 GB of free storage.  It can be optimized for both personal and professional purposes. Google has added new and innovative features (voice and video chat, buzz, mail prioritization) to Gmail to make it more interesting and attract new and returning customers. We use it to keep track of our emails and to chat with members of our team both near and far.

• Dropbox: With this service you’ll never need a USB drive or external hard drive. It is a web-based free service that uses cloud computing to enable users to store and share files and folders. Share and sync your files with multiple users without ever buying a program or emailing a folder.  It helps us stay connected with interns, associates, consultants, and more, all without ever paying a dime for storage and service.

• Flickr: This is an image and video hosting website that mainly targets amateur photographers and helps them get relevant feedback. As Albert Einstein once said, “Learning by example isn’t the best way to learn-it’s the only way to learn,” and this holds true for Flickr as it provides a great learning platform to budding photographers.  We turn to Flickr for ideas and inspiration. Searching a simple phrase like “wedding cake” or “engagement party” can turn up beautiful photos that give us the right frame of mind for tweets, updates, blog entries, and more.

• TweetDeck: This amazing application helps you access Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Buzz, MySpace, and Foursquare–all in one screen.  Initially it was just aimed at Twitter but now it integrates major social networking services; this, in turn, helps you bring your online network closer.  Many social media gurus have recommended TweetDeck for its simplicity and many unique features, and we use it to keep track of the buzz about xtra xtra. It’s a great tool for managing and monitoring your online profiles.

These are just a few the tools that we use to manage our personal and business lives. Do not forget to share tools that you commonly use in a comment below!

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