Google Chrome Extension Lets You Use Google+ Anywhere

If you’re one of the lucky ones who has gained access to Google+, you know how active Google’s new social network is already. Other Google+ users are constantly sharing posts, giving your comments and posts you share +1, and adding you to their circles. Google+ notifies you of activity you may be interested in with notifications, which are contained in the top of your Google toolbar. This toolbar goes with you everywhere you take Google, but unfortunately (or, perhaps, fortunately) this doesn’t mean everywhere on the Internet. You can opt to receive email notifications, too, but again — email doesn’t always go with you everywhere unless you have email alerts, which can be missed or otherwise passively ignored.

If you want to take Google+ with you anywhere and be notified of all Google+ activity, you may want to check out the Surplus extension for Chrome. This extension looks just like the notification button built in to the Google toolbar, but sits in your extension toolbar in Chrome. When you have notifications, the small square button turns red. Clicking on it drops down a menu identical to the notification bar in Google, and you can manage your Google+ notifications right from the Surplus extension. There’s also a sharing button for creating a new post, complete with photo, video, and link inserts.

Additionally, you can enable desktop notifications, as well as notifications with our without sounds. You can also switch between multiple Google accounts to receive notifications about other Google accounts — without actually having to sign in and out of Google.

If you’re new to Google+, but don’t want to spend all day actually on Google, you’ll want to check out Surplus to make managing this new social network a little easier. You can read more about it and download it at the Chrome Web Store.