Monday, September 27, 2004
You already love Google, I know. It's the first stop on an information quest. After learning about Google's features, you're going to love it even more. Google searchers who already have taken the time to poke around on the search engine may be familiar with these advanced operators. Don't let the word "advanced" scare you away. Using these tricks involves a little memory recall but no technical prowess. For instance, let's say you're reading along and you come to the word "pulchritudinous." Smart though you happen to be, this lexical tidbit hasn't crossed your radar yet. Google to the rescue. Type "define pulchritudinous" into the Google search engine, and in two clicks you'll know it means "characterized by having great physical beauty and appeal." Or, if you wish to know how a particular stock is faring, enter its symbol into the Google search bar. Enter a three-digit area code into Google, and Google will offer you a map of that area in return. A search can be narrowed to only the title of Web sites by typing "Intitle:" before the search terms (no space). Alternatively, a search can be narrowed to only the text of Web sites by typing "Intext:" before the search terms. "Related:www.observer-reporter.com" will return sites similar to www.observer-reporter.com. Google would like to supersede the Yellow Pages, too. Type "pizza Washington, Pa" to find phone numbers, addresses and Web pages (should they exist) for pizza joints in Washington. Type "rphonebook:" for residential listings and "bphonebook:" for business listings. To check the status of a flight, enter the flight number into the search bar. Google is a historian, too. Say you want to visit a site that no longer exists. Google may have saved a copy of it. Type "Cache:" before the name of the site to call up that copy. Calculations can be performed in the Google search bar, too. Google can add, subtract, multiply, divide and perform square roots, among other things. Enter "half a cup in teaspoons" and Google will tell you that there are 24 teaspoons in a cup. Since Google allows people to play with its technology, encouraging innovation, there are other sites out there that repurpose Google's search technology, some to advantage and others to waste. Google Alert (www.googlealert.com) runs daily Web searches on Google and notifies the registrant of any changes in the Google Web index. A public figure might sign up for mentions of his name; a business owner might want to be kept apprised of how often his business is mentioned online. Google Hacks (douweosinga.com/projects/googlehacks) may entertain you, but they aren't of any great use. Google Talk tries to finish a phrase for you; Word Color is a Windows Program that tries to determine the color of a word or string of words. Jessica Smith is technology columnist and online editor for the Observer-Reporter. Her e-mail address is: editorOR@observer-reporter.com.
