10 Simple Google Search Tricks


1.      Use the “site:” operator to limit searches to a particular site. I use this one all the time, and it’s particularly handy because many site’s built-in search tools don’t return the results you’re looking for (and some sites don’t even have a search feature). If I’m looking for WWD posts about GTD, for example, I could try this search: GTD site:webworkerdaily.com.
2.    Use Google as a spelling aid. As Rob Hacker — the WWD reader I profiled last week — pointed out, entering a word into Google is a quick way to see if you have the right spelling. If it’s incorrect, Google will suggest the correct spelling instead. Additionally, if you want to get a definition of a word, you can use the “define:” operator to return definitions from various dictionaries (for example, define: parasympathetic).
3.    Use Google as a calculator. Google has a built-in calculator — try entering a calculation like 110 * (654/8 + 3). Yes, your computer also has a calculator, but if you spend most of your day inside a browser, typing your calculation into the browser’s search box is quicker than firing up your calculator app.
4.    Find out what time it is anywhere in the world. This one’s really handy if you want to make sure that you’re not phoning someone in the middle of the night. Just search for “time” and then the name of the city. For example, try: time San Francisco
5.     Get quick currency conversions. Google can also do currency conversion, for example: 100 pounds in dollars. It only has the more mainstream currencies, though — if you’re trying to see how many Peruvian nuevos soles your dollars might buy, you’ll be out of luck.
6.    Use the OR operator. This can be useful if you’re looking at researching a topic but you’re not sure which keywords will return the information you need. It can be particularly handy in conjunction with the “site:” operator. For example, you could try this search: GTD or “getting things done” site:webworkerdaily.com
7.     Exclude specific terms with the – operator. You can narrow your searches using this operator. For example, if you’re looking for information about American Idol but don’t want anything about Simon Cowell, you could try: “american idol” -cowell
8.    Search for specific document types. Google can search the web for specific types of files using the “filetype:” operator. If you’re looking for PowerPoint files about GTD, for example, you could try: GTD filetype:ppt
9.    Search within numerical ranges using the .. operator. Say, for example, you want to look for information about Olympic events that took place in the 1950’s, you could use this search: Olympics 1950..1960
10.             Area code lookup. Need to know where a phone number is located? Google will let you know where it is, and show you a map of the area, too. For example: 415

10:02 AM by manendra · 0

Google TV is Coming to a Living Room Near You



Not too long ago we got word that Google is working on a TV search project with Dish Network, and now there’s every indication the search giant wants even more direct involvement with the television ecosystem. According to the New York Times, they’re partnering with Sony and Intel in a new Android-based platform literally dubbed Google TV.

The new set-top box will allow users to surf online video from the comforts of the couch, and will compete with the likes of the Boxee Box and the Popbox we got our hands on at CES this year, the Roku set-top device, and to some extent video game consoles that have the ability to stream content from Netflix, Amazon Video on Demand, and others. Beyond straight up video, the idea is to give users an interface to access popular social sites like Twitter and browse photos on sharing sites like Google-owned Picasa on their TVs as well.

As with Android itself, Google TV will likely be an open source platform, with Sony stepping up to manufacture the first hardware that will run it — likely including both set-top boxes and internet-connected TVs. Meanwhile, peripherals manufacturer Logitech is reportedly working on accessories for Google TV devices like a remote control with a small keyboard.

The project is reported to be a few months in already, although without official commentary from Google itself the news technically remains in rumor status. Would you be interested in having a Google-based TV experience?

8:07 PM by manendra · 0

Google Reader Play – Don’t read, just play your favorite content like TV


Google with a clear mission to make RSS reading more attractive has announced the Google Reader Play – a new visual tool that can change the browsing experience on the web.

google reader play like tv

Although this new feature is in experimental stage, the new interface shows only one new item at a time when at full screen, focusing on images, videos, maps and other attractions to “fill the eyes.”

“In essence, Reader play is a different view of the Reader”, “It is designed to be an easy and fun to browse through interesting items, while Reader is much more customizable to organize your feeds. says Garrett Wu, product manager for Reader.

Basically, the Reader does not require anyone to subscribe to feeds. In automatic mode, it puts the contents of your “Recommended Item” on the top.

From the first navigation, the content is tailored to the individual taste of each user. For this, it is necessary for Internet users to interact with what they see by clicking on the items “Like”, “Add Star” and “Share.”

For many, this new standard of viewing the content is ideal for the TV format and even more so for the tablets, especially because it is fast, simple and visually appealing. Also, there are rumors that this feature is going to be completely awesome on the Apple iPad (now that apple is not on the Google’s list of competitors),while reading news.

You can test it by visiting – http://www.google.com/reader/play.

6:35 PM by manendra · 0

Google Facts and Figures


Impressive facts and figure calculation by Pingdom.com. The image speaks for itself – Take a look and learn about the Google Facts and Figures!

google facts and infographics

6:29 PM by manendra · 0

71 Chrome Extensions for Blogging & SEO


I’ve converted, but my first experience with Google Chrome occurred about a year ago and it was not a positive one. It was disappointing and frustrating. However, after fighting with Firefox, which crashed many times daily and demanded updates that slowed browsing and constantly interrupted me, I gave Chrome a second chance.

My biggest concern was the lack of extensions (”plugins” for Firefox users), but after about an hour on the Google Chrome Extensions site, that was no longer a problem. So, I’ve compiled a list of the best Chrome Extensions for SEO and a few other can’t-live-without extensions (in no particular order).

1. Chrome SEO

chrome-seo

Includes page, backlink, traffic and rank stats, and more.

[download & install now]

2. SEO Site Tools

seo-site-tools

Includes internal and external page data, social media stats, server information and more.

[download & install now]

3. Google Similar Pages beta (by Google)

similar-pages

Shows pages similar to the Web page you’re currently browsing.

[download & install now]

4. Domain Details

domain-details

Shows domain, website and server details at a glance.

[download & install now]

5. PageRank

pagerank

Shows Google PageRank on your toolbar.

[download & install now]

6. SeoQuake

seoquake

Appears to be based on the Firefox plugin (currently in beta).

[download & install now]

7. Speed Tracer (by Google)

speed-tracer

Shows page performance data.

[download & install now]

8. Ultimate Chrome Flag

ultimate-chrome-flag

Get domain, page and server data as well as PageRank and the hosting country’s flag icon.

[download & install now]

9. SEO Playground

seo-playground

Shows great on-page content information.

[download & install now]

10. Whois+

whois-plus

Get Whois, DNS, Email and Ping information for the current domain.

[download & install now]

11. Firebug Lite

firebug-lite

Great for front-end inspection of the Web page you’re browsing.

[download & install now]

12. Pendule

pendule

Web developer tools for Chrome.

[download & install now]

13. IMG Inspector

img-inspector

Converts image links to a full gallery with thumbnails. Lightbox-style.

[download & install now]

14. Image Preview

image-preview

Replaces image and video links with a lightbox preview popup.

[download & install now]

15. IE Tab

ie-tab

Display web pages using IE in a tab.

[download & install now]

16. MeasureIt!

measureit

Draw a ruler to measure any Web page element.

[download & install now]

17. Web Developer Mini

Web developer tools. This is a miniature toolset. Pendule has more functionality.

[download & install now]

18. ProxyThisPage

proxythispage

Load the page through a proxy.

[download & install now]

19. Switch HTTP Proxy

Switch proxy setting with one click.
[download & install now]

20. Session Buddy

session-buddy

Chrome session management.

[download & install now]

21. Session Manager

session-manager

Save sessions of your opened tabs to quickly re-open whenever you like.

[download & install now]

22. ShowIP

showip

Displays your current IP address.

[download & install now]

23. AutoPagerize for Chrome

autopagerize

Auto-loads the next page as you scroll through a Web page. For example: Google SERPs, Delicious bookmarks, etc.

[download & install now]

24. Evernote Web Clipper

evernote

Save interesting stuff you see on the Web into your Evernote account for use on the Web or mobile.

[download & install now]

25. My Shortcuts

my-shortcuts

Quickly access your Google Apps, or custom URLs, that you frequently use.

[download & install now]

26. Resolution Test

resolution-test

Test web pages in different resolution settings or set your own resolution.

[download & install now]

27. FlashBlock

flash-block

Block all Flash on all pages or use the whitelist manager to allow certain pages to display Flash.

[download & install now]

28. Docs PDF/PowerPoint Viewer (by Google)

docs-pdf-viewer

Preview PDFs, PowerPoint documents and other docs in Google Docs viewer.

[download & install now]

29. WOT (Web of Trust)

wot

A safe browsing tool that warns of malicious sites.

[download & install now]

30. AutoPager Chrome

autopager

Automatically loads the next page for multi-page sites by just scrolling with your mouse.

[download & install now]

31. html2pdf

Converts HTML pages to PDF with one click.

[download & install now]

32. Auto Copy

auto-copy

Highlight text and it’s automatically copied to your clipboard.

[download & install now]

33. Chrome Gestures

Create mouse gestures to perform certain tasks.

[download & install now]

34. Clickable Links

clickable-links

URLs and Emails displayed in text will be automatically converted to a link.

[download & install now]

35. Tab Switch Plus

tab-switch-plus

Find tabs in this vertical tab list and easily switch to new tabs or close immediately.

[download & install now]

36. Xmarks Bookmarks Sync

xmarks

Backup and sync your bookmarks across computers and browsers.

[download & install now]

37. Translation Bar

translation-bar

Translate Web pages into your language of choice.

[download & install now]

38. Autocomplete = on

autocomplete-on

Use to remember your passwords. Can be turned off.

[download & install now]

39. RoboForm Online

roboform

Manage your passwords with RoboForm.

[download & install now]

40. LastPass

lastpass

Manage your password with LastPass.

[download & install now]

41. RightLink

Right-click on links will automatically open the link in a new tab.

[download & install now]

42. goo.gl URL Shortener

google-url-shortener
Shorten URLs with goo.gl
[download & install now]

43. StayFocusd

stayfocused

Limit the amount of time you spend on certain sites so you can focus.

[download & install now]

44. New Tabs Always Last

Always opens new tabs to the far right of your toolbar. The default in Chrome is to open new tabs directly to the right of the current tab.

[download & install now]

45. Search Box

search-box

Easily search in multiple search engines.

[download & install now]

46. Feedly

feedly

Organize your feeds into a magazine-style start page.

[download & install now]

47. Search the Current Site

search-current-site
Performs a site search for the current domain rather than just a page find search.
[download & install now]

48. SendTo Extension

sendto-extension

Send current Web page to several Internet services: Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, Delicious, Wordpress, PDF Online, etc.

[download & install now]

49. RemindMe

remindme

Set yourself reminders that can be synced on multiple machines.

[download & install now]

50. Tabs to the Front!

Opens new tabs and brings them to the front for immediate attention.

[download & install now]

51. Aviary Screen Capture

aviary-screen-capture

Take a screen capture and edit it immediately with Aviary tools.

[download & install now]

52. Picnik Extension for Chrome

picnic

Capture a screen image and edit immediately using Picnik tools. Also pulls images from online at Flickr, MySpace, etc.

[download & install now]

53. Pixlr Grabber

pixlr-grabber

Grab the entire page or just a section and save it to your desktop or edit using Pixlr tools.

[download & install now]

54. Webpage Screenshot

webpage-screenshot

Capture the whole page or sections of the page in a JPG format.

[download & install now]

55. Zemanta

zemanta

Support for many blogging platforms: Wordpress, Blogger, Typepad, etc. Associates images, video and other content to be inserted into your blog post as you write.

[download & install now]

56. Bit.ly

bitly

Easily shorten and share links with Bit.ly.

[download & install now]

57. Twitter Reactions

twitter-reactions

Shows tweets about the current Web page.

[download & install now]

58. Shareaholic for Google Chrome

shareaholic

Share the Web page on your favorite social network.

[download & install now]

59. Digg for Chrome

digg
Easily Digg the latest story and find out what is being discovered at the moment.
[download & install now]

60. StumbleUpon

stumbleupon

Manage your Stumbles and discover new pages.

[download & install now]

61. Del.icio.us Extension

delicious-extension

One-click submission to bookmark your current Web page.

[download & install now]

62. Delicious Tools

delicious-tools

Manage your Delicious account, use a pop-up window for tagging and keyboard shortcuts are available.

[download & install now]

63. Chromelicious

chromelicious

Easy access to your tags, bookmarks and Delicious account management.

[download & install now]

64. My Alerts

my-alerts

Receive alerts for Twitter, Google, Backtweets, etc.

[download & install now]

65. Facebook for Google Chrome

facebook-chrome

Quickly post status updates and view your wall and news feeds.

[download & install now]

66. HootSuite

Manage your Twitter accounts easily. Based on the Firefox plugin.

[download & install now]

67. Yelp Mobile for Google Chrome

Manage your Yelp account.

[download & install now]

68. Auto HD for YouTube

Will automatically redirect to the HD version, if available, and play as normal.

[download & install now]

69. Incredible StartPage

incredible-startpage

Customize your start page to include shortcuts and recover closed tabs. Also take notes as you browse.

[download & install now]

70. Chrome Reader

chrome-reader

Subscribe to feeds, in Google Reader, from the address bar.

[download & install now]

71. BetterPandora

better-pandora

Who says you don’t need music to do SEO and blog?

[download & install now]

Docs PDF/PowerPoint Viewer (by Google)

During the writing of this post, I had several windows & tabs open with all of these extensions and more running simultaneously. I installed plugins and managed to tweet through Tweetdeck as well. Nothing slowed down. Nothing froze. I experienced no problems. That’s huge compared to Firefox or IE.

I’m sure I’ve missed more than a few so please comment with your favorite extensions to share with everybody.

** Be aware that extensions are not always published by the brand represented (e.g. Flickr, Delicious, Yelp, etc.).

6:12 PM by manendra · 0