10 Google tools you (probably) never knew existed

It feels like Google launches a new product every time I turn on my laptop. And they tend to fit into two distinct categories:

1. Incredibly useful
2. Incredibly bizarre

Fortunately, most of these products are free so we’re not in much of a position to complain.

After some lengthy research, I was surprised by how many tools Google has either developed or acquired over the years. So surprised, in fact, that I thought it was a good idea to compile a list of the secrets of the Google product empire.

Here they are, in no particular order:

1. Google Takeout. No, this is not Google’s food delivery service (although that’d be handy), but a tool that enables you to download an archive of your data from your +1’s, Google+ Circles, contacts, and Picasa Web albums.

2. Google Mars. You’re probably familiar with Google Earth, but have you heard of its lesser-known sibling Google Mars? What this tool lacks in notoriety it makes up for in geeky charm. You can check out spacecraft landing locations and crater depth, and it even comes with an infrared option.