GreaseMonkey lets you run custom JavaScript code based on the page you’re viewing.

For those with a desire to customize or need to automate their web experience (without emailing the webmaster), this little FireFox extension puts the power in your hands. Firstly, running custom JavaScript within a web page is not new. Quick example – copy and paste the following in your address bar, then press return/enter: “javascript:alert(document.title);” If all goes well, you’ll see a prompt displaying the title of this web page and a single button that does away with the prompt. Simple, huh?

Secondly, GreaseMonkey is not new; according to the development history, it was introduced in 2005. Today, the site boasts thousands of ready made scripts that customize many popular websites, like Google, Yahoo, and MySpace. What’s this add up to? Perhaps the most overlooked, accessible, productivity tool on the planet. Build entire applications for specific pages, and enjoy them auto-magically – as if the website decided to lend you a hand and make life easier. Any company and individual can save time and increase online productivity, with some JavaScript coding and the GreaseMonkey extension. Check out Mozilla’s JavaScript tutorials and references (they develop the FireFox web browser), at http://developer.mozilla.org, then visit GreaseMonkey’s community at http://greasespot.net to download the extension and ready-made scripts.

Have you ever had to submit an assignment or resume in the pdf format but only had access the document in Microsoft Word format?

This all too familiar problem is easily solved using the new free online pdf conversion site, PDF Online. I tried submitting a document of my own to the service, and was pleasantly impressed with the result. My page was filled with finicky formatting like columns, headers, and pictures, and the service turned out a pdf that looked exactly like the document I uploaded. They email the finished document to you, and while this initially turned me off, it seemed like the best way to do it once I thought it through. Top-notch service, give it a try!