Getting the most from Google 05/30/2006   JC

Do you have a search engine preference? Google, Yahoo, Ask.com? They all provide you with different services. Yahoo is probably the favorite for e-mail and general searching, Ask.com has a few gimmicks up its sleeve, but the powerhouse at the moment is Google. Yes, Google provides it “all”….even the advertisements on these pages, but what else do they provide that the general public is unaware of? In this article we will discuss a few of the key points of Google and what the search engine can do for you. The first point to make is that Google provides a quick and easy interface to the Internet. Through the use of Google, world news and web pages are quick to find just by clicking a button and typing a few words. Google News not only provides you with world news and the latest in entertainment gossip, but they also give you the ability to view a single story from hundreds of different view points. It is not hard to find, through the help of Google, completely different stories from credible new sources related to the same event. Google News takes almost all newspapers (and almost certainly your home one as well) and makes them available on the Internet to the world. It is never a good idea to get your information from one place, and Google gives you the ability to gather information from various sources and make up your own mind. The most interesting thing about Google news is that no individual person chooses which news stories to place first in their list, it is all chosen by the readers, and which ever story is the most popular gets displayed first within it’s category. Google even provides RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds to allow you faster assimilation of the world’s news. news.google.com. Ok, so Google can give you the latest gossip, but can they provide you with something truly valuable? Well, if you want the world, Google can deliver it. Google offers a free (and by the way Google is all about FREE) software that allows you to view a three-dimensional image of the Earth. You can zoom right down to your own street and see the businesses and other points of interest in your area. What’s really interesting is that you can “tilt” the Earth to see the mountains and hills in their full 3d glory. Want to see the skyline of Houston, just select the 3d Buildings option and your on your way to seeing what the downtown skyline looks like. It has to be downloaded to be believed. This is a great tool for students studying geography and for adults that need directions. Google Earth provides “animated” directions to any place in the world and can provide you detailed information on gas stations, hotels, and restaurants. earth.google.com. If the 3d version of the world is too much for you, maybe you would be interested in the 2d version. Google offers a sophisticated, easy to use and fast alternative to other on-line mapping and direction giving systems. With this free on-line tool you can quickly get maps in regular “Map” mode where you see the usual and familiar looking map or “Satellite” mode where you can see satellite images of the area you are looking at. If you are feeling a little adventurous you can even try the “Hybrid” mode that allows you to view both the “Map” and “Satellite” modes together at one time. Like other on-line mapping tools this one gives you the usual “turn left at such and such street” and “exit at such and such exit” instructions to go along with your map.

Almost everyone has a collection of digital photos collecting “digital dust” somewhere on their computers. Ever wanted a good photo management and editing tool, but didn’t want to pay the price? Google offers a free software package called “Picasa”, and though it offers limited special effects and filtering capabilities it does provide a great way to organize, share, and to realize the power of digital photography. Quickly fix “red eye” or bad lighting, create a slideshow, resize and email, share instantly with family halfway across the world or just get a great handle on your ever increasing inventory of memories. It is all easy, rather pretty and free to do with this tool provided by Google. picasa.google.com Have you ever enjoyed those hilarious videos of off the wall events that get sent to you via e-mail by Uncle Joe or your best friend’s aunt Elma? Ever wonder where they find such great stuff? Google has compiled an amazing collection of home videos and various documentaries on their video site. What’s even better, they let you upload your own movies so you can share in the limelight of the burgeoning Internet Video craze. If you ever fancied yourself a film director, this is your chance to get noticed. This is also a serious chance to get a hold of university material and other documentary video to help you understand your field of study or to provide you with information you may never knew existed. The Google video site gives you a quick and easy way to search video information for your own use or to send off to the members of your mailing list. Either way, you will find this site useful. And besides, where else can you find so many stupid people doing stupid things that you can laugh about? video.google.com Ok, Google is taking upon itself the lofty goal of digitizing every book in the known universe. What does that mean? Well, that novel you may have read last year…..that instructional book you read to fix your car…..Google wants to make it all available for searching on the Internet, through their site of course. What does this mean? Well, you can search for the phrase “Taking over the world” in the book searching portion of Google and all the books they have scanned that contain these words will be instantly brought up for your viewing pleasure. No matter what subject you desire, it is available here on this site. books.google.com So, you fancy yourself a scholar eh? Want to research what other “scholars” have to say? Google has compiled millions of papers written by the top people of fields so various they number too many to list. Do you have a paper to write? Want to gain a bit of extra knowledge? Anything imaginable, and probably a little more is available through the Google scholar link. scholar.google.com Well, many of us now have hard drives that can virtually store year’s worth of our memories and thoughts. They hold our personal information including resumes, credit card numbers, passwords, personal thoughts, hopes and dreams. Guess what? You can now search for it all on your computer quickly with the Google Desktop Search tool. That’s right for FREE you can quickly, and quick is an understatement; find anything on your computer. Those e-mails you forgot about, those pictures you thought you lost, those old love letters you thought you had erased, they may still be there and Google can help you find them. This is a great and powerful tool that allows you to dig through the digital fog that is your computer and to bring into focus everything that you have stored. Google Desktop allows you the ability to realize how much of your life you are keeping saved on the family computer. desktop.google.com Want even more information from Google? finance.google.com images.google.com catalogs.google.com toolbar.google.com google.com/talk blogger.com etc. etc.

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