Most of you should have known Fluid by now. With Fluid app, you can create “Site Specific Browsers (SSB)”, basically turning any web apps into a desktop app. Essentially what Fluid does is create a browser that is dedicated to a single application. To read more about Fluid, read my previous review.

The best thing about Fluid in my opinion, is the ability to let you add another app using the Browsa plugin so that both the main web app and the “browsa plugin app” runs side by side.

This is incredibly useful when you mash-up two web apps that compliments each other – with the “browsa plugin app” being an iPhone web app.

To get what I mean, here’s a couple of examples:

Gmail + Google Calendar

I created a Gmail SSB using Fluid, thereafter adding the iPhone’s version of Google Calendar as a browsa plugin that runs on the right side of Gmail. There you have it, Gmail and Google Calendar running side by side! You can send emails and check schedules at the same time.

SUBERNOVA + Google Calendar

SUBERNOVA gives you an iCal link in which you can subscribe to your projects and milestones calendar using Google Calendar or any calendar of your choice. Here’s an SSB that runs SUBERNOVA and Google Calendar side by side.

Gmail + Remember The Milk

If you are a Gmail + RememberTheMilk user, you’ll like this.

Threadsy + Hahlo

Threadsy is my new favourite web application. I can check my MobileMe email, work email (hosted on Google Apps), Twitter and Facebook all in one interface. Sparing me from opening too many browser tabs or desktop apps. This, really simplifies my life, moreover the UI is delicious! If web apps are edible, this surely leaves a sweet after taste.

The only problem I have is that Threadsy doesn’t support Twitter Lists. Hence, running Hahlo beside Theadsy may be a good choice for stranded Twitter users like me.

Seesmic Web + Facebook

The good thing about Seesmic as a Twitter web app is that it lets you split different tweet categories into horizontal panels, eg. mentions, dms, lists etc. This makes it easy to scan through tweets. If you’re a Twitter user but don’t want to miss out on Facebook updates, pop an iPhone optimized version of Facebook to the right of Seesmic!

Google Wave + Google Buzz

Doesn’t mean some people don’t get Google Wave and talks rot about Google Buzz, it makes them any less useful. If you like both of Google’s latest innovation, this is a good match.

I hope you find these tips useful and your imagination running wild by a little. :)

Check out SUBERNOVA online project management tool:

As you might already know, Google recently gave GTD fans some lovin’ by optimizing Google’s “Tasks” for iPhone and Android. (read more from Google’s Blog)

Wouldn’t it be nice if you can also run Google Tasks on your Mac as a menu bar item with the same sleek interface you see on the iPhone or Android?

If you had read my previous post on the “Fluid” app, you’ll know by now how you can turn web apps into a native desktop app. Using Fluid with Google Tasks means a free GTD native desktop app on your Mac that syncs with the cloud.

Here’s how:

1) Download Fluid app

2) Install and launch Fluid

Type in this URL in the URL field - http://mail.google.com/tasks/iphone

Type any name you want in the Name field.

Create the app!

3) Convert to MenuExtra SSB

Go to the Google Tasks menu after you have successfully created the app, select “Convert to MenuExtra SSB…” to put Google Tasks on your menu bar.

Now you have Google Tasks natively on your Mac as a menu bar item!

By the way, this tip is also possible with other web apps, especially if they have an iPhone optimized version:

Remember The Milk

Digg

Have fun!

Check out SUBERNOVA online project management tool:

As a web designer, I spend a large amount of time on the internet, using lots of web apps like Freshbooks, to send and track estimates and invoices to my clients, SQL Buddy, a much more beautiful alternative to PHPmyAdmin which I have installed on my own hosting server to manage mySQL databases, Google Reader, to keep myself up to date with my favourite news, and the list goes on.

If you’re like me, you will wish that the developers have built the web apps native for Mac OS X, so that your browser won’t be cluttered with too many tabs. I’m not saying that by turning all your web apps into desktop apps won’t clutter up your dock, but at least resource hungry web apps that are AJAX or Flash driven (eg. Picnik or Photoshop Express) won’t consume too much memory for your browser’s liking.

Meet Fluid (Free)

Fluid not only convert your frequently used web apps into desktop apps, or Site Specific Browsers (SSBs), it also does a little more. Take Google Reader or Gmail for example, you’ll be able to see unread counts as a dock badge on your dock icon like this (also applies to Gmail):

If you use Twitter, you can even turn Hahlo.com (a Twitter web app client optimized for iPhone) into a menu item, complete with Growl notifications, watch the video below to see how to do that.

Here’s a couple of web apps I have converted into a Mac OS X native desktop application:

Google Reader

mySQL Database – SQL Buddy

Freshbooks

The possibilities are endless. For instance, I like to manage mySQL databases as a standalone application so that I can put it on my other screen without needing to switch to my browser to manage a database during a development process. If you don’t have dual monitors, switching to a web app is only a matter of Cmd+TAB.

Coupled with QuickSilver, Launchbar or any other application launchers, it’s even easier to launch your frequently used web apps quickly, avid app launcher users will know what I mean.

How does the app work?

Converting a web app into a Mac app is easy, launch Fluid and you’ll be greeted by a user friendly window. Enter the URL of the web app you’re converting, the name of the app, and choose between using the website’s favicon as a dock icon (not recommended as your icon will be blurry), or choose your own icon (highly recommended). If you have an image file eg. png, jpg, gif, bmp, but not sure how to convert it into a Mac icon, go here, or if you don’t mind paying for a native Mac OS X icon convertor, here’s a good looking and functional one.

It’s that easy, the following are more videos to learn more about Fluid (the TinyURL feature is really handy):

The Fluid Thumbnail Plug-in:

Fluid TinyURL Features:

Enjoy!

Check out SUBERNOVA online project management tool: