How good is your Google?

You probably Google every day but are you using the advanced features to get the most out of your search results? Here’s an easy way to get started down the path to better Google results. It’s given in the spirit of teaching you how to fish, rather than giving you the fish.

Run the following search on Google: file: pdf google cheat sheet

The “File:” command with the PDF file type will return results for Google Cheat Sheet PDF files. One of these is bound to be a good review of how to use the Advanced Search commands.

If you don’t find something of interest you could just go to:

http://www.googleguide.com/
OR
http://www.google.com/librariancenter/librarian_tools.html

but that’s like just giving you a fish.

Free Screen Capture with Jing Project

I’ve always been a great fan of using screen captures to document and explain things. I use SnagIt from TechSmith every day. These folks also make the Camtasia software for making screencasts (mini movies of your computer screen.) They have a free beta of software that kind of combines a simplified set of features from both SnagIt and Camtasia. It’s Called Jing. There is a Windows and a Mac version of the free downloadable client. It’s worth a try if you’re looking for a simple and free screen capture utility.

You can save your captures to a file, to a Flikr account, or to a Screencast account.  (Screencast offers a free trial for 60 days.) You don’t need a screencast account to use the utility though.

Website Speed Tester

Here’s a handy tool to test the speed and optimization of your website. Try this free website speed test to improve website performance. Enter a URL to calculate page size, composition, and download time. The script calculates the size of individual elements and sums up each type of web page component. Based on these page characteristics the script then offers advice on how to improve page load time. The script incorporates best practices from HCI research and website optimization techniques into its recommendations. The site is hosted by Andrew B. King who wrote the book on site optimization: “Speed Up Your Site: Web Site Optimization” (Out of Print.) He also offers a “Tweak of the Week” and that seems to be up-to-date.

I tested the CYBERCity site and the results showed good results with areas we could improve.

Google Docs - Email to Spreadsheet Feature

Are you familiar with Google Docs? This is Google’s answer to Microsoft Office Suite – web app wordprocessor, Spreadsheet, and more. It’s worth checking out and setting up an account.  A free set of apps to create and store documents online. These are not as powerful as Microsoft Office apps but the are pretty sweet for free.

They just released a feature that I have been talking about for years: Spreadsheet Input via Email. (Think InfoPath .)

Email a form to an email list and the responses are returned to your Google Docs Spreadsheet.

All free. Google will inherit the earth (and then start charging us.)

Check it out here

Collect Input via Email

Blogging From Word 2007

One interesting feature of Word 2007 is the ability to create and post your blog in Word rather than opening the web based edit site.

Choose “Blog Post” instead of “New Page” option from the New Document Menu.

If you haven’t established a link to your Blog Word will Wizard you through the process.

Something I like about this method is that it is very easy to cut & paste images and text using this method.

Let’s publish this post and see if it works!