101 Google tips, tricks and hacks

The definitive Google search tips guide

Looking for the ultimate tips for Google searching? You've just found the only guide to Google you need. Let's get started:

1. The best way to begin searching harder with Google is by clicking the Advanced Search link.

2. This lets you search for exact phrases, "all these words", or one of the specified keywords by entering search terms into the appropriate box.

3. You can also define how many results you want on the page, what language and what file type you're looking for, all with menus.

4. Advanced Search lets you type in a Top Level Domain (like .co.uk) in the "Search within site of domain" box to restrict results.

5. And you can click the "Date, usage rights, numeric range and more" link to access more advanced features.

6. Save time – most of these advanced features are also available in Google's front page search box, as command line parameters.

7. Google's main search invisibly combines search terms with the Boolean construct "AND". When you enter smoke fire – it looks for smoke AND fire.

8. To make Google search for smoke or fire, just type smoke OR fire

9. Instead of OR you can type the | symbol, like this: smoke | fire

10. Boolean connectors like AND and OR are case sensitive. They must be upper case.

11. Search for a specific term, then one keyword OR another by grouping them with parentheses, like this: water (smoke OR fire)

12. To look for phrases, put them in quotes: "there's no smoke without fire"

13. Synonym search looks for words that mean similar things. Use the tilde symbol before your keyword, like this: eggplant

14. Exclude specific key words with the minus operator. new pram -ebayexcludes all results from eBay.

15. Common words, like I, and, then and if are ignored by Google. These are called "stop words".

16. The plus operator makes sure stop words are included. Like: fish +and chips

17. If a stop word is included in a phrase between quote marks as a phrase, the word is searched for.

18. You can also ask Google to fill in a blank. Try: Christopher Columbus discovered *

19. Search for a numerical range using the numrange operator. For example, search for Sony TV between £300 and £500 with the string Sony TV £300..£500

20. Google recognises 13 main file types through advanced search, including all Microsoft Office Document types, Lotus, PostScript, Shockwave Flash and plain text files.

21. Search for any filetype directly using the modifier filetype:[filetype extension]. For example: soccer filetype:pdf

22. Exclude entire file types, using the same Boolean syntax we used to exclude key words earlier: rugby -filetype:doc

23, In fact, you can combine any Boolean search operators, as long as your syntax is correct. An example: "sausage and mash" -onions filetype:doc

24. Google has some very powerful, hidden search parameters, too. For example "intitle" only searches page titles. Try intitle:herbs

25. If you're looking for files rather than pages – give index of as theintitle: parameter. It helps you find web and FTP directories.

26. The modifier inurl only searches the web address of a page: giveinurl:spices a go.

27. Find live webcams by searching for: inurl:view/view.shtml

28. The modifier inanchor is very specific, only finding results in text used in page links.

29. Want to know how many links there are to a site? Try link:sitename – for example link:www.mozilla.org

30. Similarly, you can find pages that Google thinks are related in content, using the related: modifier. Use it like this: related:www.microsoft.com

31. The modifier info:site_name returns information about the specified page.

32. Alternatively, do a normal search then click the "Similar Pages" link next to a result.

33. Specify a site to search with the site: modifier – like this: search tips site:www.techradar.com

34. The above tip works with directory sites like www.dmoz.org and dynamically generated sites.

35. Access Google Directory – a database of handpicked and rated sites – at directory.google.com

36. The Boolean operators intitle and inurl work in Google directory, as does OR.

37. Use the site: modifier when searching Google Images, at images.google.com. For example: dvd recorder site:www.amazon.co.uk

38. Similar, using "site:.com" will only return results from .com domains.

39. Google News (news.google.com) has its own Boolean parameters. For example "intext" pulls terms from the body of a story.

40. If you use the operator "source:" in Google News, you can pick specific archives. For example: heather mills source:daily_mail

41. Using the "location:" filter enables you to return news from a chosen country. location:uk for example.

42. Similarly, Google Blogsearch (blogsearch.google.com) has its own syntax. You can search for a blog title, for example, using inblogtitle:<keyword>

43. The general search engine can get very specific indeed. Try movie:<name of film> to look for movie reviews.

44. The modifier film: works just as well!

45. Enter showtimes and Google will prompt you for your postcode. Enter it and it'll tell you when and where local films are showing.

46. For a dedicated film search page, go to www.google.co.uk/movies

47. If you ticked "Remember this Location" when you searched for show times, the next time you can enter the name of a current film instead.

48. Google really likes movies. Try typing director: The Dark Knight into the main search box.

49. For cast lists, try cast: name_of_film

50. The modifier music: followed by a band, song or album returns music reviews.

51. Try searching for weather London – you'll get a full 4-day forecast.

52. There's also a built-in dictionary. Try define:<word> in the search box.

53. Google stores the content of old sites. You can search this cache direct with the syntax keyword cache:site_url

54. Alternatively, enter cache:site_url into Google's search box to be taken direct to the stored site.

55. No calculator handy? Use Google's built in features. Try typing 12*15and hitting "Google Search".

56. Google's calculator converts measurements and understands natural language. Type in 14 stones in kilos, for example.

57. It does currency conversion too. Try 200 pounds in euros

58. If you know the currency code you can type 200 GBP in EUR instead for more reliable results.

59. And temperature! Just type: 98 f to c to convert Fahrenheit to Centigrade.

60. Want to know how clever Google really is? Type 2476 in roman numerals, then hit "Google Search"...

61. You can personalise your Google experience by creating a Google account. Go to www.google.com/account/ then click "Create Account".

62. With a Google account there are lots more extras available. You'll get a free Gmail email account for one...

63. With your Google account, you can also personalise your front page. Click "iGoogle" to add blog and site feeds.

64. Click "Add a Tab" in iGoogle to add custom tabs. Google automatically populates them with suitable site suggestions.

65. iGoogle allows you to theme your page too. Click "Select Theme" to change the default look.

66. Some iGoogle themes change with time..."Sweet Dreams" is a theme that turns from day to night as you browse.

67. Click "More" under "Try something new" to access a full list of Google sites and new features.

68. "Custom Search" enables you to create a branded Google search for your own site.

69. An active, useful service missing from the list is "Personalised Search" – but you can access it via www.google.com/psearch when you're logged in.

70. This page lists searches you have recently made – and is divided into categories. Clicking "pause" stops Google from recording your history.

71. Click "Trends" to see the sites you visit most, the terms you enter most often and links you've clicked on!

72. Personalised Search also includes a bookmark facility – which enables you to save bookmarks online and access them from anywhere.

73. You can add bookmarks or access your bookmarks using the iGoogle Bookmarks gadget.

74. Did you know you can search within your returned results? Scroll down to the bottom of the search results page to find the link.

75. Search locally by appending your postcode to the end of query. For example Indian food BA1 2BW finds restaurants in Bath, with addresses and phone numbers!

76. Looking for a map? Just add map to the end of your query, like this:Leeds map

77. Google finds images just as easily and lists them at the top, when you add image to the end of your search.

78. Google Image Search recognises faces... add &imgtype=face to the end of the returned URL in the location bar, then hit enter to filter out pictures that aren't people.

79. Keeping an eye on stocks? Type stocks: followed by market ticker for the company and Google returns the data from Google Finance.

80. Enter the carrier and flight number in Google's main search box to return flight tracking information.

81. What time is it? Find out anywhere by typing time then the name of a place.

82. You may have noticed Google suggests alternate spellings for search terms – that's the built in spell checker!

83. You can invoke the spell checker directly by using spell: followed by your keyword.

84. Click "I'm Feeling Lucky" to be taken straight to the first page Google finds for your keyword.

85. Enter a statistics-based query like population of Britain into Google, and it will show you the answer at the top of its results.

86. If your search has none-English results, click "Translate this Page" to see it in English.

87. You can search foreign sites specifically by clicking "Language Tools", then choosing which countries sites to translate your query to.

88. Other features on the language tools page include a translator for blocks of text you can type or cut and paste.

89. There's also a box that you can enter a direct URL into, translating to the chosen language.

90. Near the language tools link, you'll see the "Search Preferences". This handy page is full of secret functionality.

91. You can specify which languages Google returns results in, ticking as many (or few) boxes as you like.

92. Google's Safe Search protects you from explicit sexual content. You can choose to filter results more stringently or switch it off completely.

93. Google's default of 10 results a page can be increased to up to 100 in Search Preferences, too.

94. You can also set Google to open your search results in a new window.

95. Want to see what others are searching for or improve your page rank? Go to www.google.com/zeitgeist

96. Another useful, experimental search can be found atwww.google.com/trends – where you can find the hottest search terms.

97. To compare the performance of two or more terms, enter them into the trends search box separated by commas.

98. Fancy searching Google in Klingon? Go to www.google.com/intl/xx-klingon

99. Perhaps the Swedish chef from the muppets is your role model instead? Check www.google.com/intl/xx-bork

100. Type answer to life, the universe and everything into Google. You may be surprised by the result...

101. It will also tell you the number of horns on a unicorn

Making the switch: moving from an iPhone to a Galaxy S4

One noob's guide to successfully migrating from iOS to Android, and the best apps to make it all work.
I’ve recently made a very difficult life decision.
I’ve decided it’s time to try a phone other than my trusty iPhone.
Since the iphone 3 I’ve been firmly in the Apple camp for my smartphone. Yes, I’m aware it’s a terrible walled-garden, and yes, I know that Steve Jobs was a notorious puppy-killer and megalomaniac – or something, if you pay attention to the constant inter-camp bickering. But, in my defense, I would just like to say what everyone usually says in defense of Apple products.
They just work. I do enough tweaking and fiddling with the various PCs in my life that something that just does what it says in the tin is pretty attractive. Plus I’m a long term user of iTunes, and while I know people who really do think it is the devil, I’ve never had issues, and really like the easy integration of music across my devices.
That said, a couple of things have influenced my decision to move. My current iPhone is a 4s, and it’s a little on the heavy side; I wear suits quite a bit, and it’s not unusual for my phone to ruin the line of a well-cut suit, both in terms of bulk, and in the way it drags down one side. When I’m wearing jeans, though, the phone lives in my back pocket, where its hard edges have worn two inconvenient holes in the back pocket of every pair I own.
And then there’s just plain curiosity – I probably should have a go at the other side of things, given my line of work.
So, being a firm believer that if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing in an extreme way, I’ve gotten hold of a shiny new Samsung Galaxy S4, and I’m making the leap. I’m not the only person to switch sides, or contemplate it, so I thought I’d document the process and list what apps and tools have made the transition as easy as possible.
Hopefully...
OMG it’s light!As I said, one of the big draws of the Galaxy S4 is its weight, and it’s a pretty amazing piece of kit in that regard. The plastic is a big change from the glass-backing of my iPhone 4s, but the new handset does come with some drawbacks.
First up, it’s so large that it doesn’t fit in my jeans pocket properly, and while my iPhone never fell out of my pocket, the S4 has dropped to the floor twice in a single week while I’m sitting down.
Thankfully, the plastic seems plenty tough – there’s not a scratch on the unit. And yes, it does buckle a far better swash in a suit, despite being larger. So that’s one win for the new phone right away.
Of course, the sartorial scale is just one measure of a good phone, and for the majority of users, not even the most important (you philistines!). As weird as it may sound, the prime use for a phone is still communication, so the first step of the conversion process was to get all my contacts across to the S4.
Thankfully, there’s Samsung Smart Switch, which worked pretty seamlessly, though not perfectly.
You can download the software here, and once you’ve got your iPhone backed up to your PC (not a cloud backup, but one on your actual hard drive), you’re in luck. And no, there isn’t a version for Mac as of writing, but one is apparently coming.
Once the application’s installed, run it and it will ask you to plug in your Samsung device. Once it’s connected, you can select what device’s backup you’re using, and which particular backup to use. In our case, it was a little trickier; my iTunes files are stored on the home NAS, and Smart Switch didn’t seem to like navigating beyond my desktop. I had to copy the backup from the server to my PC, but then it worked fine.
With the backup chosen, you get a simple menu where you can pick what you want to backup, including not just contacts, but images, videos, music and more. Of course, it’s also worth remember that, out of the box, the S4 has only 8GB of storage – I skipped porting my music across, because even on my 16GB iPhone I was pushing things to its limit.
But that’s okay. With the ability to expand storage via a MicroSD card, I was looking forward to going nuts and getting my entire collection across.
You can never tell when you’ll want to play the most obscure track in your collection, right?
One last thing – Smart Switch will offer to download Samsung’s Kies handset management app, but it’s really not at all essential. In fact, it's pretty dire.
Contacts and Google interactions are... oddOne of the oddest things about signing into Gmail on the new phone is the way your contacts are suddenly full of Google+ and Gmail contacts – the G+ stuff is especially annoying, as I used G+ for approximately 47 hours before finding it inherently pointless (which is harsh, but I really do only have time/spoons for a handful of social media avenues). Thankfully you can turn off G+ contact-syncing, though it is about three screens down in the Accounts part of the phone’s settings.
So, with all that cleaned out of contacts, I was able to see that pretty much everything had worked fine with Smart Switch – which was sadly wrong. As some SMSes started coming in, it looked as though while some contacts had came across, the numbers associated with them didn’t. Not too many, but if you’re going through the process it’s worth doing a quick double check for missing details, and then manually copying across whatever’s needed. In my case, it was only three phone numbers out of 46 people.
One thing that has really opened my eyes to Android (even Samsung’s rather bloated version of it) is the sheer amount of customisation power on offer, in terms of the look and functionality of the various home screens. So, having gotten a taste of that in nixing G+’s control of my phone, I went digging a little further.
There are a tonne of voice and motion control options in the S4, and to put it mildly, some work better than others. At the best of times I’ve always found voice control to be quite the gimmick, so killing off all of that not only means there’s that much less processing on the CPU, but you can also then speed up the response of the home button. By turning off the ‘Open via the home key’ option for the S Voice shortcut, you actually get faster performance when you actually want to go to the home screen – so, pretty much all of the time.
The gesture input tricks are kinda neat, but, again, hardly world-changing. Half the time we find the phone can’t even pick them up, so turning them off entirely is, again, a bit of a battery saver. And anyway, answering your phone by passing your hand over seems like a great way to accidentally answer the phone a lot.
(Or perhaps I’m just anti-social like that)
Quick Glance is useful, though, and generally works pretty well. I’ve kept that enabled, so that I can simply pass my hand over the phone to get a rundown of missed calls, messages, and check the time.
The S4 comes with a host of security options, and I couldn’t resist giving the facial recognition a try. Sadly, it too falls into the cute-gimmick category. The contortions required to get your face at the right angle to the phone, with the right lighting, renders the function torturous at best. Either stick with a simple passcode, or use the pattern method.
Finally, one of the most useful things for anyone who worries about exceeding their data cap – so, most people, really – is the ability to not only easily monitor daily usage, but also set a mobile data limit, via Settings | Connections | Data Usage. I’d consider this one essential for anyone who uses their device for media consumption, and even more so if you’re a frequent traveller.
I’ve got the music in me (and my phone)I’m really blown away by the ability to expand my phone’s storage capacity, and the MicroSD cards are pretty cheap – a 32GB card will set you back less than $50. My music collection currently runs to over that, but jests aside, there are some albums I know I won’t have the sudden urge to listen to on the road.
I’m sorry, Enya, but teenage me was really only into you because you had a track called Lothlorien.
Of course, Android devices obviously don’t play nicely with iTunes, but there is in fact an app for that, to borrow a phrase. iSyncr has both a free and more fully-featured version for $3.99, and it’s generally considered one of the best Android/iTunes syncing apps out there. It’s a two-application solution, requiring the free/paid version on your phone, and then another free version on the PC you want to get your files off.
Then it’s just a matter of syncing tracks from device to device.
There’s a tonne of other, more or less personal tweaks that I’ve made, like turning off annoying typing sounds, and re-arranging the home screens, but otherwise, my new phone is now up and running as I want it to.
Now to find jeans with a slightly bigger back-pocket...

A Tipping Guide for Travellers

One of the worst things when it comes to travel is tipping. I am not sure howmuch to tip to restaurants, in hotels or taxis. Today i found this awesome infographic that shows exactly how to behave for different services all around the world. The handy and simple guide will make your travelling a lot easier and hassle free. In case you cannot memorize it, feel free to print it and to have it in your back pocket during your trip.