Long time coming, Google finally developed a Tasks / To-Do List manager for Web 2.0. And long time coming, Google finally allowed access to Tasks not just through Gmail… but through Android phone browser, iPhone browser, or the iGoogle page.
What about desktop?!
I tried a couple things to make it work. Google has not made a gadget for the desktop, so no go (I don’t want to install yet-another desktop widget engine anyway). Amnesty Generator doesn’t work either, as GTasks required logging in.
Therefore, I used brute force. Follow these steps to put quick access to GTasks from your desktop:
- Create an HTML file, “gtasks.html”, and put it somewhere hidden, like C:\Program Files.
- Put the following HTML inside the file:
<html>
<head>
<title>Gmail Tasks</title>
</head>
<body style="overflow: hidden;">
<div style="position: absolute; top: -9; left: -4;">
<script src="http://www.gmodules.com/ig/ifr?url=http://www.google.com/ig/modules/tasks.xml&up_ShowTips=false&up_CurrentListId=&synd=open&w=280&h=360&title=&lang=en&country=ALL&border=%23ffffff%7C3px%2C1px+solid+%23999999&output=js"></script>
</div>
</body>
</html>Basically, it is the iGoogle gadget for embedding to web pages. To change the size of the tasks list, modify the “w=280” and “h=360” values.
- Open the file in Google Chrome, and select “Create application shortcut…” from the Page menu.
- Resize the window and move it to your desired position. Chrome will remember it.
- Viola! Now just drag the shortcut to somewhere handy, like Quick Launch.
The result is pleasing, as Google Chrome loads even faster than other tasks apps like Jott Express. Of course, the same trick will work for other browsers, but Chrome is the fastest. I am happy, and I can finally ditch all other tasks apps now!
You can go to slightly less trouble and go here: http://mail.google.com/tasks/ig in Chrome and create a shortcut from that point, taking a cue from Lifehacker’s instructions for loading Tasks in the Firefox sidebar (http://lifehacker.com/5145357/add-gmail-tasks-to-your-firefox-sidebar)
I think opening Firefox to use Google Tasks is too slow and clumsy for me. The trouble is worth the speed!
What Roger is saying is if you go to that URL and then just get Chrome to make an application shortcut out of it, you don’t have to worry about embedding anything or making an html file on your local machine.
Paste that URL into Chrome, create an app shortcut, and you have a working task list that resizes with the window, no need for setting any particular sizes in the code.
Oh wow, I see. Thanks for the tip!
and thank you for pointing out the fact I now had a task list built into gmail! It’s the “super app” i’ve been looking for to keep a track of my to-do lists for my skins.. Love how simple, yet so powerful it is.
I’m working on stuff here on my laptop, updating the task list as I go, confident that when I get home the list will be exactly as it is here. Very handy!
Now if only my laptop was smart enough to (even when it’s turned off) realise I’ve just walked into range of my home network and then sync all my files across the network automatically.
Excelent tip. I’m using hack with Google chrome AND firefox bookmarks sidebar
Create an HTA
Gmail Tasks
var appWidth = 280;
var appHeight = 360;
window.resizeTo(appWidth, appHeight);
thanks guys! really appreciate this!
There is finally native google tasks application: gTasks.