My favorite extension is Chat for Google. I love Google's Gmail Chat feature and now that it's connected with Hangouts, makes it even more special. But I don't always have Gmail open, (since I still use Apple Mail) so I would miss out on chatting - until I discovered Chrome extensions!
The Chat for Google extension allows you to access Chat and Hangouts from your desktop without opening or using Gmail or Google+. After you add the extension, just click on the Chat icon (located in your Chrome browser top right) and the Chat box appears on your desktop. You can move it around your desktop or minimize it so it's not in the way, and leave it open all day so you never miss a chat. Add Chat for Google
How to Add and Use Extensions
Visit the extensions section in the Chrome Web Store to find interesting extensions to add (free) to your Chrome browser. Once you find something you like, install it and try it out. You can easily remove it. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/category/extensionsNote: The Chrome Web Store programs are not turned on for our UCSC domain yet. Only Extensions and Themes are available to us at this time.
If you have questions, contact Lisa Bono at lbono@ucsc.edu, 9-1583.