MainstreamUSA: April 2010

Monday, April 19, 2010

Untitled

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.~~ If you would like to convert minor currencies, be sure to be specific about the country. So, if you want to find out how many nuevos soles your dollars might buy, you could try: 100 dollars in Peruvian nuevos soles.

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

Posted via web from mainstream's posterous

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Follow The Rock Island Schools on Twitter!

Now you can get the latest news from the Rock Island Schools as it unfolds. Follow RISD41 on Twitter.

Posted via web from mainstream's posterous

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

New Apps for your Mac....

ReelBean 4.8 ($15)

ReelBean 4.8 is designed to convert movies to Apple TV, AVI, H.264, and video supported iPods. It also provides various media playback features that can be used to view media files within the app. New to the software is a bug fix within the movie menu and the addition of an iPad format in the export conversion list.
3.7MB

Disk Order 3.1 ($30)

LikeMac Group has launched Disk Order 3.1, an upgrade to its file management program for Mac OS X. Several new features include a redesigned navigation bar, Spanish localization, and a new Quick View feature which allows users to view files directly on the opposite pane. The update also improves the integrated file-viewer functionality.
27,1MB

Corona 3.5 ($65)

Designersdomain has released an upgrade to its general accounting software, Corona 3.5. The new version offers on-the-fly account creation, as well as drag-and-drop support for transaction entries and inventory items. Queries and reports are now exportable and the queries list is capable of recalling recent queries. A journal selector for entry forms is also included.
9.93MB

Budget 6.4 ($40)

Budget 6.4 is the latest version of the company’s personal finance utility for the Mac. With the new release support has been added for AES-128 encryption during sync when using Budget Touch v1.1 or higher. Additional changes include a redesigned calendar window and auto conversion of Budget Touch files opened on the desktop.
411KB

OmniGrowl 3.9 ($10)

A new 3.9 version of OmniGrowl is available, the notification system for upcoming iCal events, Address Book birthdays, and other events. In the new version documentation has been moved entirely online and now included pictures. Several changes have also been made regarding iTunes support, including added notification.