Oooo - this looks neat:

If you run into a problem on a Windows computer, all you have to do is type a little description of the problem and Google takes care of the rest; Mac users, on the other hand, often need to include a little context in their search—instead of typing a query like text editor, you type text editor mac. Google’s Mac-specific portal, found at http://google.com/mac/, now includes a Mac-specific search box. It’s not groundbreaking, but the guaranteed Mac-specific results could come in handy next time you’re looking for a specific application or you’re troubleshooting your Mac.

Found via Lifehacker.

An awesome list of tools from Mary Ellen Bates:

• Altsearchengines.com - blog of alternative and niche search engines - click the top 100 tab - subscribe to rss feed
• Keotag - search across web 2.0 sites (technorati, delicious twitter and more)
• MSN product reviews - search for a specific brand
• Google’s new n improved timelines - creates a readable page easy to scan and identify trends (find when there was a buzz about a particular topics) - yellow line at the top shows where there was a buzz
• Watch for blended search results - lower precision results, but more long-tail content, esp. for obscure topics - seeing a lot more other search results (products, directions - what for what else appears at the top of the screen) - look at search results with new eyes
• searchCrystal - touchy feeling
• Carrot2.org - clustering on demand with a choice of search engines - let’s your determine how the search results are organized - uses different algorithms
• Loki toolbar - find location-dependent content - based on IP address or nearby wifi signals - tells you where you are not and locates on map - search locally
• Customizegoogle.com - Firefox fix for Google - nice customization - removes ads - infinite scroll results
• Google has experimental search - new way to see results - add view:timeline or view:info to your search query and you see things like dates or images or measurements on the pages - more efficient way to find images on a page
• Searchmash - unbranded Google site - cool interface - why do i care? it’s extremely cool - that’s why! free of ads - lets you see other search indexes on the top right
• google date-limiting - advanced search screen (remember a date search on the web is never a reliable thing) can also roll your own - add +&as_qdr=dn to the SERP (search results page) URL - where n is the number of days (d15 = 15 days) - items spidered in the last n days
• Doubletrust.net - a tool for comparing search results - i prefer more results from Google or Yahoo - trust-o-meter
• I’d prefer this… search.live.com - add prefer:word to query - ranks these search results higher - test search “hybrid car prefer:convertible”
• MSN’s misspelling-suggestion engine - lets you find ways to misspell things since things on the web are not always spelled right
• Ask’s maps - both driving and walking directions - maps.ask.com - takes local topography (san fran - hills=bad) into account (i always use this tool when at conferences - to find out how to walk somewhere)
• Exalead.com - use Exalead’s NEAR/n operator — (solar OR sun) NEAR/3 power
• use search engines’ quick answer features - Ask.com Smart Answers - Google’s OneBox - Yahoo’s Shortcuts - MSN’s Instant Answers (at the top of the search results)
• Gigablast - limit to multiple sites - has all kinds of advanced search features
• SnapSearch - visual search results - lets you preview the page and lets you interact with the page on the search results screen - based on the Gigablast search engine
• Pagebull - metasearch tool - entirely visual - no words - all pictures - good if you remember what the page looked liked and can’t remember name
• Factbites.com - search results deliver small fact-bites - max 30 results - pull factual sentence from the search results
• TextRunner “information mining” looks for statements like factbites
• nationmaster.com - source for national stats - cool tool for presenting graphical info (also a statemaster)
• TouchGraph - find relationship among URLs - finds related books in amazon (uses subject terms) - graphical results
• just a reminder here - check out podcast lectures from yale, princeton, uc berkley, stanford, johns hopkins - all providing lectures online for free
• Kosmix - a vertical search engine on steroids - more than just websites - trusted sources - other concepts/related concepts - videos - yahoo questions and answers
• LOUIS - library of unified information sources - searchable documents from congressional reports
• public.resource.org for the full text of us supreme court cases - incomplete now - but keep an eye on this one - bulk.resource.org/courts.gov/c/US/
• librarianoffortune.com

I know this is a very note-like post - but this presentation lended itself to this style. See Mary Ellen’s list of links.

Technorati Tags: cil2008

LibraryThing is now using the Google Book Search API and is providing users with a way to search within their books (if they’re part of Google’s collection):

The official Google Blog and the Inside Book Search Blog just announced the new Google Book Search API, with LibraryThing as one of the first implementors. (The others are libraries; I’ll be posting about what they’ve done over on Thingology.)

In sum, LibraryThing now links to Google Books for book scans—full or partial—and book information.

This is a pretty neat addition!! I’ll have to check it out in a year when I’m not so busy!

Learn more.

Technorati Tags: google books, google book search, librarything

I’m not sure I would have even thought to try this - but it’s pretty darn cool:

Alert! Cool Googlosity Feature! On a hunch, I just typed the carrier name and number of Margaret’s plane flight into the Google search box, and Google correctly parsed that data and offered as the first search result a link to the actual status page for that flight — but on the search results page, it also listed the flight’s origin, destination, scheduled departure and arrival times, and its present status — right there atop Google results page one, no messing with airlines’ arcane “enter this data into that box and click the following agreements, and by the way what’s your credit card number, your flight club number, and an email address at which we can harass you for the rest of the internet’s lifetime.”

Now that I’ll be flying a bit more - this is probably a good tip for my friends and family.

Found via Everything is Miscellaneous.

It looks like Google is experimenting with a Digg-like search over at Google Labs (info found via TechCrunch)

The new search would let logged in users sort/rate their search results:

This experiment lets you influence your search experience by adding, moving, and removing search results. When you search for the same keywords again, you’ll continue to see those changes. If you later want to revert your changes, you can undo any modifications you’ve made. Note that this is an experimental feature and may be available for only a few weeks.

These results will not only let you move things - but it will let you suggest a better result and put that at the top of your results list. This info will be personalized to you (hence the fact that you have to be logged in). Sounds like it might be interesting to try out - but probably not something I’d bother using on a regular basis. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.

Learn more here (includes a diagram).

Technorati Tags: google, digg, search engines, searching

How neat is this?

Lost drivers soon will be able to Google for help at the pump. As part of a partnership to be announced Wednesday, the online search leader will dispense driving directions at thousands of gasoline pumps across the United States beginning early next month.

Instead of fighting with your significant other about who has to go in and ask for directions from the dubious looking gas attendant, you can now access Google Maps right from the pump - well not now but eventually!

I have to admit that I’m prejudiced against Microsoft. I got rid of my hotmail account ages ago and haven’t looked back. I’ve used nearly every major search engine but live.com and didn’t even realize that Microsoft had redesigned their search page or that they offered so many search options.

This is why prejudice is bad - live.com actually has a pretty nifty book search. It’s a bit different from Google’s and I’m liking it. They also have an academic search (comparable to Google Scholar).

Long story short … don’t be prejudice … you might miss some useful tools!

Via Web4Lib:

Primary Research Group is planning to publish a survey of library use of and relations with mega-internet sites such as Google, Yahoo, Ebay, My Space, YouTube and others. Academic, public, and special libraries are eligible. This is an international survey open to libraries of all countries. Data is aggregated and not broken out by specific library. Participants receive a free PDF copy of the estimated 100-page report. Data is broken out by type and size of institution for easier benchmarking. To take the 40-question survey, follow the link below: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=zl7d93oFsyP7vW_2fmkhdxcg_3d_3d

I mentioned how nifty Google Presentations was a couple of weeks ago, but last night I found a flaw. I was on a conference call with a few colleagues who I’ll be presenting with later this month and we were using this tool to edit our presentation. One of the people on the phone wanted to send us a link so he posted it in the chat window attached to the presentation when you’re playing it - but we couldn’t click or copy this link. In the end we had to type it out the old fashioned way - but that seems like a bit of a downside if you’re using this tool to host a webinar of sorts.

Technorati Tags: google

Back when street view was released for Google, I was hiding my head in 100 books, but I did bookmark the announcement. Now, Download Squad has pointed out that Google now has 6 new locations on street view - including Philadelphia! I could have used that a couple of weeks ago when I got turned around coming out of the subway and walked 6 blocks in the wrong direction!!

Technorati Tags: google maps

This is a nifty new tool if you live in (or are visiting) one of the few areas that Google has maps for. Google Transit lets you plan itineraries using public transportation in 19 locations in the U.S. and all of Japan. Here’s a sample using the examples in Oregon posted on the Transit search page.

Pretty nifty, but since the cities I visit (Philadelphia, D.C., & New York) are not on this list it’s not useful to me yet.

Technorati Tags: maps, public transportation, google maps, google transit

I just read about this beta site via Sites & Soundbytes. The tagline for CampusExplorer is “School Search Made Smart” and I totally agree. I have been trying to help my husband find a master’s program near our new home for special ed. Most sites just let you search by state - but if you don’t know the area you’re moving to then searching by state is useless because you don’t know what towns are near you. This site lets you search down to the zip code!! Now, it’s missing only one thing - the option to narrow by Masters degree

This is pretty neat. I just learned about WikiMindMap. It’s a tool that lets you browse Wikipedia articles graphically.

Here’s a little search I did for Library.

By clicking the links on the image (were you on the WikiMindMap page) you are brought to the article in question on Wikipedia.

Technorati Tags: wikipedia, wikimindmap

I saw this new tab earlier but just ignored it (who needs another “my” tool?), but then I read what it was all about on Lifehacker and had to share.

To add multiple layers of data points to your maps - like information about real estate prices, weather, earthquakes and movie showtimes - from the “My Maps” tab hit “Add content,” and watch all those third-party Google maps mashups get consolidated onto GMaps proper.

Very very very cool! This is a great example of how using user-generated content can add value to your tool (or possibly - you library catalog?).

Technorati Tags: google, google maps, mashup

Boy - today I just keep finding confirmation of every buy out I’ve talked about in the last month. First it was Ebay and StumbleUpon now it’s Google and Feedburner.

FeedBurner, which has more than 400,000 publishers on its network, will beef up Google’s own AdSense publisher network, particularly among blogs, where FeedBurner is stronger than Google, said Susan Wojcicki, vice president of product management at Google, during a press conference.

Likewise, Google advertisers will benefit from an expanded ad inventory and ad distribution platform. Finally, FeedBurner shares Google’s philosophy of helping end-users find information online with FeedBurner focused on blogs and feeds and Google on search.

That sounds to me like a focus on advertising - not on finding information - we’ll see what happens.

I wrote last month that Ebay wanted StumbleUpon - well it has happened.

The $75 million cash acquisition gives eBay access to about 2.3 million people who have filled out profiles at StumbleUpon, founded in 2001 by three Canadian software engineers in Calgary. The venture capital-funded company, which recently relocated to San Francisco, is considered a pioneer of the so-called “Web 3.0″ niche.

Found via FindLaw while doing my Legal Bibliography final project.

I was listening to the most recent Library Geeks Podcast yesterday and wanted to share one thing that I learned (I learned a lot - but I want you to go and listen to what Gary Price has to say).

I learned about Ask City, a map search by Ask.com. This is not just another map app though! This is the coolest thing thing maps hit the web. What’s so cool? Well, using the tools below the map, you can draw a shape. Then you can search within that shape for the Businesses, Events, or Movies you’re interested in.

As some of you know, I’m looking for a new home. I’m looking in an area I know nothing about - so when the realtor sites ask me for a zip and to choose surrounding areas - I’m lost! If they had a tool like this I could draw a shape around the area I want to live and let them figure out the specifics. How cool would that be?

Well, for now I’ll stick to the old fashioned way and hope I end up in the right place! For now though, Ask has become my map app of choice (for everything else) on the web!!

Sorry - I couldn’t resist

Apparently Google is planning on offering a Universal Search:

Universal Search means that standard Google searches will draw results from separate Google properties that target information about books, local information, images, news, and video, Mayer said.

“It’s breaking down the silos of information that have been built up. It’s a broad, long-term vision that will unfold over the next few years,” Mayer said. “We are really excited about what Universal Search could evolve to in the future.”

The combined search includes any site indexed by Google’s services, such as YouTube, Google Video and independent video sites like Metacafe.com.

Sounds pretty nifty - and a lot like what you hear at some library conferences - people want to find all results (books, articles, DVDs, CDs, etc - on our parts) in one place - all resources on one topic together on one page.

My hope is that while we can search everything - we’ll still have the option to search one at a time if we want - which I’m sure will be the case.

Technorati Tags: google

Via Sites & Soundbytes:

Pipl is a new search engine for people.  It is unique in that it isn’t an address or email search, but instead searches for the person throughout the Net.  Results will show quick facts, which for me are remarkably accurate, contact details which show my last three addresses, web pages, and links to places that the person has posted to.  If you are one of those people who likes to Google folks to know more about them, then you probably want to start using Pipl because it is far more comprehensive.

I did a little search - it’s a bit scary - but I guess that’s what I get for being so visible on the web.

I first read about this on Lifehacker. Google now lets you choose a theme for your Google homepage. The neat thing is that I picked the Tea House theme which has a skyline in the background. When I chose the theme, it asked me for where I lived so it could make the skyline match that of my home town. Pretty nifty

These are the kinds of things that really aren’t necessary, but adds that little bit of extra oomph to the experience.

[update]skyline = sky coloring to the time of day (bright or dark) [/update]

I was just playing with the new “traffic” button on Google Maps. It doesn’t look like Philly has this feature yet - but San Fran does and it looks like of interesting. The question I have is how up to date is this info? I don’t see any indication to help me with an answer. For now I’ll stick with the local news.

Technorati Tags: google

Mary Ellen Bates writes about Ask X (the future of Ask.com):

It has pretty much the same information as Ask.com’s search results page, but it looks and feels much more functional.

I went over to poke and its new features are subtle, but neat. There is an add to my stuff icon on each result when you mouse over it, the results list looks cleaner, and there were other subtle difference. Take a look at it.

I just logged on to my computer and found that things have been upgraded on my Google homepage - pretty neat - I’ll have to poke at it some more when I have time. For now, at least I’ve reported it to you all

I just learned from Dan at Jenkins (and then from Search Engine Watch) that Google Answers is being discontinued.

Google Answers lets you post a question that you want answered by any one of Google’s 500 screened researchers. You specify a price that you are willing to pay for the information, starting at $2.50. Once your question is answered it is added to the database so that others can browse or search it for free. You can also rate the response.

The service never took off. People just don’t want to pay for information. (Which is why membership libraries such as Jenkins have to beg for members.)

Yesterday, while I was working on my final projects, news of LibWorm spread throughout the biblioblogosphere. LibWorm is a “Librarianship RSS and Current Awareness Search” by MedWorm's Frankie Dolan and David Rothman.

LibWorm let’s you search for library news across over 1000 RSS feed (including blogs, journal tables of contents and more). I need to poke more before I give my official opinion - but the one thing missing is a way to see what feeds are included. If I find a journal RSS I want to share with others, I want to have an easy way to find out if it’s included and I did a few searches and browsed a bit, it was easy to find news (which is the point) but not the sources for the news (not the point - but a handy addition so that I don’t waste people’s time with suggestions).

Read more from David himself or from LibWorm’s About page.