This is part of a biweekly series on tools, resources and apps to help PR and media professionals be more productive and effective.

The Internet is a valuable ally and a formidable foe when it comes to our daily productivity. If you're curious to see how helpful or harmful your use of the Web actually is, look no further than timeStats, a free Google Chrome extension that keeps track of your online browsing habits and generates colorful charts detailing which sites you spend the most time with, along with other interesting and useful information.

Once you add the extension to Chrome, you'll see a small red, green and yellow pie-chart icon in the upper right corner of the browser window. When you're visiting a website, that icon will show how much time you've spent on that site today. Hovering your cursor over the icon will also tell you this information.

However, the real charm of timeStats is seen when you click on the pie-chart icon. This opens up a new browser tab and takes you to the timeStats dashboard. Here you'll see a variety of colorful charts and graphs. For example, a pie chart titled "Visited sites" will show you the percentage of time spent with all the sites you've visited in the designated time frame (which can be adjusted at the top of the dashboard page). Hovering your cursor over each slice of the pie will display the domain URL and the time spent on that domain. Clicking on a slice of the pie will take you to that domain.

Other timeStats charts convey information like the amount of time spent with domain zones (e.g., .com, .org, .edu), how much time you spend with site categories (which must be manually assigned to sites), how much total time you spent browsing during each day of the week and each month, your most visited domains, and your busiest browsing days. The dashboard updates each chart in real time.

To the left of the dashboard are tabs that display the charts included on the dashboard, along with others, in more detail. You can choose whether or not each of these charts is included on the dashboard.

There's also a tab for options, where users can adjust things like the length of stored history, how long it takes for the browser to go idle, the first action that happens when you click on the timeStats browser button and excluded domains. On this page, users can also delete statistics, clear all statistics, restore default settings and export statistics to a CSV file.

PR professionals and journalists can benefit from using timeStats as a way to see where most of their browsing time is spent. Not only can this reveal distracting leisure sites to consider blocking for productivity's sake, but it can also bring to attention daily responsibilities that might be better handled via delegation or teamwork. Using timeStats can also help with things like forecasting how much time will be spent actively using the Web or using particular websites during a day, week or month, which can help with prioritizing tasks.

According to Wips.com, the developer of the extension, a version of timeStats for Firefox is in the works, in addition to more graphs and an improved interface.

Another tool for reporters is ProfNet, a service of PR Newswire, has helped journalists and experts connect since 1992. Writers can search the ProfNet Connect database of more than 50,000 profiles; send a ProfNet query by email to thousands of subscribers around the globe; or get timely experts and story ideas by email.

This is part of a biweekly series on tools, resources and apps to help PR and media professionals be more productive and effective.

TweetCharts.com is a free tool that enables you to call up charts with data about hashtags, words/phrases, usernames or URLs on Twitter. You can basically search for anything on Twitter and see pie charts, line graphs and bar charts conveying various nuggets of relevant and helpful information.

The site, which comes to you courtesy of HubSpot and "social media scientist" Dan Zarrella, offers a simple and efficient way for journalists to get a pulse on their beat, see what's trending in their assigned coverage area or find new Twitter users worth connecting with, among other things. For public relations professionals, TweetCharts.com can be a helpful tool for tasks like keeping tabs on brand mentions, tracking sentiment toward a client, or finding Twitter users worth connecting with or responding to.

TweetCharts.com's bare-bones home page doesn't leave much room for doing wrong, though it's worth noting that the second box labeled "Your Email Address" is an optional field. Once you enter your query in the first box, labeled "Search Query," you can press Enter on your keyboard or hit the "Go" button on the page.

After a transition box with some text appears on a dimmed page, you'll be taken to the report page for whatever text you entered in the search box. Here's the report page for "profnet":

At the top of the report is a yellow box telling you how many tweets for your query were found, and during which dates and times. There are also links for tweeting the report and embedding it on your website.

Below this is a section with 10 pie charts for the following data:

- Links

- ReTweets

- Replies

- Mentions

- Hashtags

- Sentiment

- Media

- Questions

- Unique Users

- Genders

After these pie charts, a line graph is displayed along with the tweets per hour for whatever you searched for. The last section comprises six series of bar charts:

- Top Words

- Most Mentioned Users

- Top Sources

- Top Hashtags

- Top Links

- Top Media (if available)

While it would be nice to have the ability to filter using factors like date/time and location, it's tough to complain about everything TweetCharts.com offers at no cost to the user.

The site acts as a dashboard of visualized data that can be used by journalists and PR professionals to quickly dig up topics, trends, people or links that might warrant their attention and action. TweetCharts.com offers a glimpse into Twitter that can breathe new life into the way you use Twitter.

Other resources:

• Introducing TweetCharts: Get the Twitter Data You Need (Dan Zarrella)
• HubSpot introduces new social media analyst: TweetCharts.com (Reynold’s Center for Business Journalism)
• Example TweetCharts.com report for "profnet"

Another tool for reporters is ProfNet, a service of PR Newswire, has helped journalists and experts connect since 1992. Writers can search the ProfNet Connect database of more than 50,000 profiles; send a ProfNet query by email to thousands of subscribers around the globe; or get timely experts and story ideas by email.

This is part of a biweekly series on tools, resources and apps to help PR and media professionals be more productive and effective.

Awesome Screenshot is a free browser extension that enables users to quickly capture what they see on their screen, add annotations, then share or download the resulting image. In other words, it’s a nifty tool that allows you to create screen grabs enriched with helpful information.

The browser extension is available for Chrome, Firefox and Safari. For the purposes of this post, we’ll mostly focus on how Awesome Screenshot functions in Chrome, which recently ousted Internet Explorer to become the No. 1 browser in the world.

Once installed, the Awesome Screenshot icon (which looks like a camera lens) will be visible in the upper right corner of the browser. Once you click on it, you will see three options:

• Capture Visible Part of Page: captures only the visible portion of the Web page you’re on (i.e., if there are parts of the Web page that lie below or above what you’re currently looking at, they won’t be captured with this option)

• Capture Selected Area: a set of crosshairs will replace your cursor, allowing you to select the portion of the Web page to capture (you can adjust the parameters of the selected portion of the page after you release your mouse button; if you click this option by mistake, simply press the Escape key to cancel, or click the “Cancel” button after selecting a part of the page)

• Capture Entire Page: this will capture the entire Web page you’re on, even if parts of the page are not visible in your current view (this might take a few seconds for bigger pages; pressing the Escape key will cancel the process)

After selecting one of those options to capture however much of the page you desire, you’ll be taken to a new browser window that will display the captured image and a small toolbar, which is equipped with the following functions:

• Crop a portion of the screen shot
• Rectangle
• Ellipse
• Arrow
• Line
• Free Line
• Blur
• Text
• Color Picker

As you annotate and edit your screen shot, you’ll see an “Undo” button to the right of the toolbar so you can get rid of any of the previous changes you’ve made. (For those who are curious: No, you cannot capture any part or all of this Awesome Screenshot editing page with Awesome Screenshot – I tried.)

When you’re done enhancing your screen shot, just click the “Done” button. On this screen you’ll see a handful of options. You can either go back and make more changes to your image, save the image online (on Awesomescreenshot.com for about three days or permanently on Diigo.com), save/copy the image on your computer or print the screen shot. If you choose to save the image on Awesomescreenshot.com, you will be given a link to share with others. Note that the link leads to a page that includes an ad next to the screen shot.

Right-clicking on the Awesome Screenshot browser button will reveal an “Options” screen, which will enable you to designate keyboard shortcuts for the various types of screen capturing.

There are many potential applications of Awesome Screenshot. For example, the browser extension can easily be used to enhance a plain screen shot by adding elements that highlight or explain important parts for use in a press release or article. It also makes it easier to work with a team on a project, especially when technical issues or corrections need to be addressed.

Awesome Screenshot is a useful and fun way to share important information with others, whether for work-related or personal tasks.

Other resources:

• A video of Awesome Screenshot in action
• Awesome Screenshot on Twitter
• Awesome Screenshot for Chrome
• Awesome Screenshot for Firefox
• Awesome Screenshot for Safari

Another tool for reporters is ProfNet, a service of PR Newswire, has helped journalists and experts connect since 1992. Writers can search the ProfNet Connect database of more than 50,000 profiles; send a ProfNet query by email to thousands of subscribers around the globe; or get timely experts and story ideas by email.

This is part of a biweekly series on tools, resources and apps to help PR and media professionals be more productive and effective.

Screenleap is a free online service that enables users to share their desktop or laptop computer screens with anyone, no major software installation or registration required. The company also recently released a browser extension that allows Gmail users to easily share their screens with others from the comfort of their inboxes. Screenleap is a simple tool to help you collaborate with others, or to just get some quick tech help without fussing about having the right software installed on your computer.

The only requirement for using Screenleap is downloading Java, which is painless. Once you have Java installed on your computer, you have two options for sharing your screen with others:

1) Go to Screenleap.com and clicks on the green "Share your screen now" button on the home page or any other page on the website to instantly share your screen. (If it's your first time using Screenleap, you will have to allow Java to run Screenleap.) You'll be taken to a screen that confirms that "Your screen is visible." Below that, you'll see a link to send to anyone you want to share your screen with, or a nine-digit code to send to others. The code can be input on Screenleap.com to access your shared screen. You can also send a link via email or text message. A small pop-up window will also appear, giving you the option of sharing your entire screen or just the part of your screen inside a green, movable rectangle. Sharing can be paused and stopped from that window.

2) You can download the Screenleap browser extension for Gmail (available for Chrome, Firefox and Safari). After the installation, you'll see a green "Share Screen" button just below the "Compose" button in your Gmail window. Pressing this will bring up the pop-up window that indicates sharing has begun. An "Invite Viewers" button will now be visible underneath the "Compose" button in Gmail. Pressing this will bring up a ready-to-send email with a link to your shared screen in the body. You can also open up a chat window within Gmail and click on the green screen icon to begin sharing your screen with that particular contact.

To view someone else's screen, you can enter in a share code on Screenleap.com and click on "Join a screen share." You can also simply click on a Screenleap link that someone sends you. Screenleap allows users to view shared screens on desktop computers, laptop computers, tablets and smartphones.

While an account isn't required to use Screenleap, signing up for one allows you to claim your own Screenleap handle, which is included in a permanent URL that you can send to friends. With an account, you can also make a list of "Friends" with whom you most frequently share your screen, which makes it easier to initiate a shared screen with them. Having an account also allows you to share and view screens without links or share codes.

Screenleap says the basic version of its service will always be free, but that a Pro version will give users access to premium features. Recording and audio/voice features are also in the works.

Whether you're a reporter collaborating on a story, a PR pro who wants to share a quick presentation or a Gmail user in need of a quick way to share your screen, Screenleap is a simple and free tool at your disposal.

Other resources:

• Screenleap FAQ
• Screenleap's blog
• Press coverage of Screenleap

Another tool for reporters is ProfNet, a service of PR Newswire, has helped journalists and experts connect since 1992. Writers can search the ProfNet Connect database of more than 50,000 profiles; send a ProfNet query by email to thousands of subscribers around the globe; or get timely experts and story ideas by email.

This is part of a biweekly series on tools, resources and apps to help PR and media professionals be more productive and effective.

MightyText is a free Android app and browser extension that enables users to seamlessly sync, read and reply to text messages from their computer or tablet. This is especially convenient for anyone who is tied to their non-smartphone device for most of the day or forgets their phone at home when they go to work.

"We simply want to make life easier for people who send and receive SMS text messages and get phone calls all day," MightyText says on its "About Us" page.

MightyText offers a simple and useful solution to an annoyance most smartphone users encounter on a daily basis: While you're plowing through your workday on your desktop computer or laptop, you hear or feel your phone alert you to a new text message. This requires you to stop what you're doing, find your smartphone (which may require a few seconds of searching), unlock your phone then check the text message. If the text message requires a response, you're forced to dedicate both thumbs to the task of tapping out a response on your phone. The whole ordeal is made even more difficult if it occurs in a setting where checking your phone for text messages is frowned upon. (This isn't even to mention the traps of time-killing Facebook, Twitter and Instagram detours this may lead you to.)

Is this just a laughable "First World Problem"? Maybe. But for busy journalists and PR professionals, going through this dance whenever they want to check text messages can be a hassle that steals precious time away from their productivity.

Enter MightyText.

Android users (sorry, iPhone users: Apple doesn't allow apps like MightyText to have this kind of access to text messages) can simply download and install the app on their phones. The app will require you to link your Google account to MightyText.

After this, users can download the MightyText browser extension (for Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Internet Explorer 9), then allow MightyText to access your Google account.

Once this is done, you'll be signed in to the browser-based interface and will see your text messages populate the screen as MightyText syncs your text messages from your phone.

Now you're set to send new text messages or reply to text messages right from your desktop computer, laptop or tablet. No more breaking out of your groove of productivity and turning your attention to another device whenever you get a text message; also, less regret whenever you forget your smartphone at home or somewhere else.

When you receive a text message, MightyText will alert you with an instant browser notification. MightyText also alerts you to who's calling if you receive a call on your smartphone.

A few other notes about MightyText:

- users can choose to respond to a text message by initiating a phone call with the sender from the browser interface

- users can send MMS messages (i.e., attach pictures)

- settings include how long you want MightyText to keep a copy of your messages and call logs, whether pressing Enter will send the message or not, and what information you want to see in the pop-up browser notifications

- you can unlink your Google account from MightyText at any time

MightyText is a great tool for corresponding with contacts via text messages with a minimal shift of attention, especially when you don't have your phone on hand. It also enables you to read and send text messages, and determine the importance of an incoming call, without drawing attention to yourself in more formal settings.

Other resources:

- MightyText on Twitter

- MightyText on Facebook

- MightyText's blog

- Ex-Googlers Launch MightyText, an iMessage for Android Users (TechCrunch)

Another tool for reporters is ProfNet, a service of PR Newswire, has helped journalists and experts connect since 1992. Writers can search the ProfNet Connect database of more than 50,000 profiles; send a ProfNet query by email to thousands of subscribers around the globe; or get timely experts and story ideas by email.