Bristle Software Internet Tips

This page is offered as a service of Bristle Software, Inc.  New tips are sent to an associated mailing list when they are posted here.  Please send comments, corrections, any tips you'd like to contribute, or requests to be added to the mailing list, to tips@bristle.com.

Table of Contents:

  1. Fred Stluka's Links Page
  2. Beware Hoaxes and Scams
  3. Running Javascript from Address bar
  4. Changing font size in Web browsers
  5. Mozilla Firefox
    1. Intro to Firefox
    2. Firefox Shortcut Keys
    3. Changing font size
    4. Multiple Home Pages
    5. View Live Source
  6. Microsoft_Internet Explorer
    1. Autocompletion of typed URLs in IE 4.0
    2. History of typed URLs in IE 4.0
  7. Google
    1. Google Web Apps, no login required
      1. Google Search
        1. Google Search Basics
        2. Google Search Synonym
        3. Google Search Number Range
        4. Google Search Calculator
        5. Google Search Movie
        6. Google Search Define
        7. Google Search Phonebook
        8. Google Search Area Code
        9. Google Search City
        10. Google Search Zip Code
        11. Google Search Address
        12. Google Search Site
        13. Google Search Spell Checker
        14. Google Search Stock Ticker
        15. Google Search Weather
        16. Google Search Travel
        17. Google Search Date
        18. Google Search Pics
        19. Google Search Link
        20. Google Search Info
        21. Google Search Shortcut
      2. Google Maps
        1. Google Maps Navigation
        2. Google Maps Searching
        3. Google Maps Routing
        4. Google Maps Satellite View
        5. Google Maps Street View
        6. Google Maps Traffic View
        7. Google Maps Terrain View
        8. Google Maps Search Nearby
        9. Google Maps Shortcut
      3. Google Finance
      4. Google Alerts
      5. Google News
      6. Google Groups (coming soon...)
      7. Google Suggest (coming soon...)
      8. Google Trends (coming soon...)
      9. Google Froogle (coming soon...)
    2. Google Web Apps, login required (coming soon...)
      1. Google Apps (coming soon...)
      2. Google Calendar (coming soon...)
      3. Google Docs (coming soon...)
      4. Google GMail (coming soon...)
      5. Google Talk (coming soon...)
    3. Google Installed Apps (coming soon...)
      1. Google Pack (coming soon...)
      2. Google Desktop (coming soon...)
      3. Google Earth (coming soon...)
      4. Google SketchUp (coming soon...)
    4. Google Phone Services (coming soon...)
      1. Google 1-800-GOOG-411 (coming soon...)
    5. Google.org -- The Philanthropic Arm of Google
  8. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) documents
  9. Audio/Video Tips
    1. Pause while downloading to fill the buffer

Details of Tips:

  1. Fred Stluka's Links Page

    Last Updated: 4/23/2000
    Applies to:  Internet, World Wide Web

    Check out my links page for links to lots of useful Web sites.

    --Fred

  2. Beware Hoaxes and Scams

    Last Updated: 12/4/2007
    Applies to:  Internet, World Wide Web

    Beware of hoaxes and scams, especially those leading to identity theft.

    Here's a fun cartoon video that is worth watching every now and then to remind you not to fall for these things.

        http://info.org.il/irrelevant/may02-smilepop-soapbox4.swf

    On a more serious note...

    There are tons of hoaxes circulating via e-mail these days.  No, you probably didn't win the UK lottery, if you'll just send them your name, addresss, age, ...  No, it is probably not a good idea to send bank account info to that friendly Nigerian official so he can use your account to transfer massive amounts of money out of the country before the rebels get it.  Etc...

    Here's a typical one that arrives by phone, not e-mail:

    Jury Duty Scam

    The phone rings and the caller says you missed jury duty and a warrant has been issued for your arrest.  When you say you never got any notice of jury duty, he asks for more info, so he can check the records, clear up the confusion, and get the warrant cancelled.  He asks for your SSN, birth date, etc.

    You just got scammed and gave away the info he needs to steal your identity.

    For more info, see:
        http://www.snopes.com/crime/fraud/juryduty.asp
        http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/j/jury_duty_scam.htm
        http://www.fbi.gov/page2/june06/jury_scams060206.htm

    Here's a really common e-mail one:

    Identity Already Stolen Scam

    You get an e-mail that seems to be from your bank, claiming someone may already have stolen your identity, and asking you to login to your bank account to confirm that fact, and to get started resolving the problem.

    The e-mail looks real, because it uses the bank's graphical logos, and has lots of links to the real bank site (its privacy policy page, its page for changing your password, etc.).  It is also full of warnings to not fall for scams.  However, the one link it asks you to click to login is a bogus link that takes you to a page that looks exactly like the login screen of the bank, but which collects your username and password for its own purposes.  After doing so, it may even use the username and password to log you in to the real bank site, so you never notice that you were scammed.

    The one thing to watch for in advance is the status bar at the bottom of your e-mail window that, when you hover over a link before clicking on it, shows the URL that the link will take you to.  You may notice that it says something like:
           http://225.142.76.88/citiback.com/login.jsp
    or:
            http://something.ru/citibank.com/login.jsp
    or something, instead of just:
            http://citibank.com/login.jsp
    However, not all e-mail programs show such info, and even that can be faked sometimes.

    For more info, see:
            http://millersmiles.co.uk/identitytheft/citibank-email-verification-hoax.htm

    The best way to be safe is to NEVER give out personal info and NEVER log into a Web site, unless you initiated the contact. If you called them at the standard phone number, or you went to the standard Web site to do your on-line banking, fine, but if they called you, or they sent you an e-mail with a link, beware!!

    If anyone contacts you, via e-mail or phone, asking you to login with your username and password, or asking you for info like account number, age, address, username, password, PIN, SSN, credit card number, etc., no matter how plausible the context, ask yourself:

    • What proof do I have that they are legit?
    • Does it sound too good to be true?
    • Wouldn't the real agency/company/whatever already have that info about me?

    If you want to check out a particular e-mail or phone call to see if it's a hoax, check any of the hoax-debunking sites listed at:
            http://bristle.com/~fred/#hoaxes

    Thanks to Carol Hebert for sending me the warning about the jury duty scam, and to Mary Neviska and Carol Stluka for sending me the video! 

    Feel free (but not obliged:-) to forward this warning to your friends.

    --Fred

  3. Running Javascript from Address bar

    Last Updated: 6/16/2000
    Applies to:  Netscape 3+, IE 3+

    You can run simple Javascript programs directly from the Address bar of the browser.   For example, to find out the date that a Web page was last modified, type the following URL into the Address bar while viewing the page:

            javascript:alert(document.lastModified)

    For convenience, I added this URL to my Netscape Bookmarks.

    --Fred

  4. Changing font size in Web browsers

    Original Version: 10/22/2004
    Last Updated: 7/5/2007
    Applies to:  Firefox 1.0+, Netscape 3+, IE 6+

    Hard to read the tiny font size at some Web sites?  (Happens to me more and more lately, as I get older!)  Even if you can read it okay, do you sometimes need a larger font during presentations and demos?

    In recent versions of Netscape (6, 7, 8, 9, etc.), and in all versions of Mozilla Firefox, simply hit:

            Ctrl-Plus or Ctrl-Minus

    a few times to grow or shrink the text to the size you want, from absurdly huge with one word filling the entire screen (2000%) to nearly microscopic (5%).  In older versions of Netscape (4, 3, etc.), grow or shrink with:

            Ctrl-]  or  Ctrl-[

    If you forget these key combinations, check the Netscape menu:

            View | Text Zoom

    which offers these same features, plus 7 preset sizes, plus the ability to type in a custom zoom factor directly.  It also remembers the custom zoom factor you chose, so you can quickly revert to that exact zoom factor after a temporary zoom in or out.

    In Firefox, it's the menu:

            View | Text Size

    which offers options to increase, decrease or reset to default size (Ctrl-Zero).  In Firefox (and Netscape 8 and 9, which use the Firefox engine internally), you can also grow or shrink the text size via:

            Ctrl-Wheel

    That is, by holding down the Ctrl key and using the mouse wheel.

    Internet Explorer 6.0 offers a limited version of this feature, but no shortcut keys, no custom zoom, and only 5 preset sizes, ranging from 100% to 175%.  Use the menu:

            View | Text Size

    It also supports Ctrl-Wheel, but again only for the 5 preset sizes.  It also remembers your current zoom setting and continues to use it if you close the browser and re-open it later.

    I haven't tried it yet, but I hear that Internet Explorer 7.0 supports Ctrl-Plus and Ctrl-Minus in a different and perhaps better way.  There is a problem with simply growing or shrinking the text on a Web page.  Depending on how well the Web page was written, simply changing the text size may or may not cause other page elements to move out of the way to make room for the text.  Therefore, poorly written pages may not look good at different text sizes.  For example, text may grow to overlap other text or pictures, or things may get chopped off if they do move to avoid overlap.  Also, images (GIF, JPEG, etc.) do not grow and shrink with the text.  This can make the page look bad, and can also be confusing when what looks like text is actually a picture of text and so doesn't grow or shrink with the rest of the text on the page.  Internet Explorer 7.0 solves these problems by growing and shrinking the entire page, not just the text.  As I said, I haven't tried it yet, but it sounds good. 

    So, why haven't I tried it?  Microsoft doesn't make it easy.  I can install Netscape 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, Firefox 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 etc. all on the same box for testing purposes, but I need a separate box (or at least a separate Windows installation) for each version of Internet Explorer.  Each new install wipes out the older version.  If I don't like the new version, there is no way to get back to the old version without re-installing the entire Windows operating system and reinstalling and reconfiguring all of my installed applications.  I asked a friend at Microsoft about this, and he says their current answer to this problem, for testing a Web application on multiple browsers, is to download free temporary versions of Windows pre-installed with various versions of Internet Explorer.  See:

        http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2007/04/17/ie7-virtual-pc-image-and-ie6-virtual-pc-image-refresh.aspx

    Not exactly what I was after.  What I'd really prefer is to be able to flip back and forth between versions, on the same PC, the same Windows installation, etc.  With all of the other browsers, I can write a simple batch file to load a page into multiple browsers and do a quick manual test on each.  Or I can write a full fledged regression test suite and run it on each browser.  Having to stop the automated tests, boot to a new Windows installation, and resume testing on that Windows installation (where I would also have had to install all of my testing software) is a major bump in the road.

    Anyhow, things seem to be changing fast in the browser world, with the various vendors copying each other's ideas, and leapfrogging each other with new and better features.  Competition is good!

    Thanks to the following for their contributions to this tip!

            James Higgins
            Alex Leshinsky
            Tom Stluka
            Joe McPeak
            Mark Georg

    P.S.  I finally managed to get Internet Explorer 7.0 installed and tried it out.  I decided to bite the bullet and take the irreversible step of upgrading a computer from IE6 to IE7.  I went to the Microsoft site to download IE7.  

    Oops!  It requires WinXP, not just Win2K.  I prefer Win2K, so I decided to not upgrade that computer.  However, I do have a WinXP computer around here somewhere, so I decided to install there.  

    Oops!  It requires WinXP Service Pack 2, not just Service Pack 1.  I did a full backup, just in case, then downloaded the 200MB SP2 for an hour and installed, and allowed it to reboot.  Now, on to IE7.  

    Oops!  It requires me to install the "Genuine Windows Validation Component" ActiveX control first, before it will let me do the download. OK, I guess...  (What am I getting myself into?  I've spent most of a day on this already, and I just keep getting in deeper.  Yesterday, I installed and tested my software against Firefox 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0, and Netscape 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 9, all in one day, with no reboots and no problems.)

    Finally, do the download, install it, and let it reboot.

    Oops!  Computer won't reboot.  Totally black screen!  Glad I did that backup!  Tried a couple more times, powering off and on and eventually got lucky.  I wonder what broke it?  WinXP SP2, the ActiveX control, or IE7?  It managed to boot OK during the WinXP install, but then the install continued.  Who knows?  

    I wonder what else is now broken, or modified to suit Microsoft's interests, on that computer?  Who knows...  Things generally seem to be working.  So, let's try out the Zoom on IE7.

    Oops!  Bugs.  IE 7 does support Ctrl-Plus, Ctrl-Minus, Ctrl-Zero, and Ctrl-Wheel.  However, on most pages, zooming in or out also jumps to the top of the Web page, so you have to page back down to find the thing you were trying to zoom in on.  It doesn't happen with all pages though.  It jumps to the top when viewing the main Microsoft page, for example, but not when viewing the AOL page.  

    Also, incompatibilities.  For some reason, IE7 uses Ctrl-Wheel to zoom in the opposite direction from the other browsers that added this feature years ago.  Up zooms in, and down zooms out.  Oh well, back to Firefox...

    --Fred

  5. Mozilla Firefox

    1. Intro to Firefox

      Original Version: 4/15/2007
      Last Updated: 6/6/2008
      Applies to:  Firefox 1.0+

      Firefox is a very fast, powerful, secure Web browser.  I recommend it strongly over Microsoft Internet Explorer.  It has much better features and much better security.  With Firefox, it is very unlikely that your computer will become infected with a virus as you browse the Web.  Also, it is more compliant with Web standards than any other browser, so it works at pretty much any Web site.

      You can download and install it for free from:

          http://mozilla.org

      Firefox is derived from the older browsers "Mozilla" and "Netscape", sharing much of the source code with them, but adding lots of new features.  Its popularity has been growing rapidly for the past couple years.  According to the Web site:

          http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_stats.asp

      its share of the browser market has grown from:

          5.5% in Jan 2004 (as Mozilla), to 
          16.6% in Jan 2005, to 
          25.0% in Jan 2006, to 
          31.0% in Jan 2007, to
          36.4% in Jan 2008

      and still growing strong.  I started using it in 2004 and have never looked back (and never had a virus).

      Firefox is "open source", so anyone can look at the source code, find bugs, and add new features.  Hundreds of people have written useful add-ons that you can download and install for free.  There are plugins to support:  Adobe Acrobat, Flash, RealPlayer, Shockwave, Windows Media Player, etc.  There are also tons of extensions for searching, calendars, photo organizers, map lookups, debugging JavaScript code, etc.  See the list of add-ons at:

          https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/

      Try it!  You'll love it!

      --Fred

    2. Firefox Shortcut Keys

      Original Version: 4/15/2007
      Last Updated: 2/6/2008
      Applies to:  Firefox 1.0+

      Here is a list of some of the more useful shortcut keys in Firefox.
      Key Function
      Ctrl-Plus / Minus / Zero Larger/smaller/default font size
      Ctrl-Wheel Larger/smaller font size
         
      F11 Toggle full screen mode
         
      Shift-Click Open link in new window
      Ctrl-Click Open link in new tab
      Alt-Enter Open typed address in new tab
      Alt-F4 Close browser window
         
      Ctrl-N New window
      Ctrl-T New tab
      Ctrl-F4 Close current tab
      Middle Mouse Click Close tab
         
      Alt-Left / Right Back/Forward
      Backspace / Shift-Backspace Back/Forward
      Alt-Home Home page
      Esc Stop loading page
      F5 / Ctrl-R Reload page
      Ctrl-F5 / Ctrl-Shift-R Force reload page (bypassing cache)
         
      ' (apostrophe) Incremental Find Link
      / Incremental Find Text
      Ctrl-F / Ctrl-G Find / Find Next
      F3 / Shift-F3 Find Next/Previous
         
      Arrow Keys Scroll down/up/right/left
      PageDn / PageUp Page down/up
      Space / Shift-Space  Page down/up
      Home / End Go to beginning/end of page
      Ctrl-Home / End Go to beginning/end of page
         
      Tab / Shift-Tab Go to the next/previous clickable link, text input field, button, checkbox, etc., wrapping around as necessary.
      Enter Click the current link
      Space Click the current button, checkbox, etc. 
         
      F1 Help
         
      Drag Select
      Ctrl-Drag Rectangular Select
         
      Ctrl-A Select All
      Ctrl-C Copy
      Ctrl-V Paste
      Ctrl-P Print
      Ctrl-O Open File
         
      Ctrl-D Bookmark this page
      Ctrl-Shift-D Bookmark all tabs
      Ctrl-B / Ctrl-I Manage Bookmarks
         
      Ctrl-K / Ctrl-E Select Web Search Bar
      Alt-D / F6 / Ctrl-L Select Location Bar
      F10 Go to menu bar
      Shift-F10 Pop up right mouse menu
      Alt-Space Open the system menu (restore, move, size, minimize, maximize, close)
         
      Ctrl-Left / Up Move Tab Left (when tab is focused)
      Ctrl-Right / Down Move Tab Right (when tab is focused)
      Ctrl-Home / End Move Tab to Beginning/End (when tab is focused)
         
      F6 / Shift-F6 Next/Previous Frame
      Ctrl-Tab / Ctrl-Shift-Tab Next/Previous Tab
      Ctrl-PageDn / PageUp Next/Previous Tab
      Ctrl-1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9 Select tab 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9
         
      Ctrl-Z Undo
      Ctrl-Y Redo
         
      F7 Toggle "cursor browsing mode" (so you can move a cursor around the page via the arrow keys, follow links via Enter, etc.)
         
      Shift-Del Delete selected Autocomplete entry.
         
      Ctrl-U View Page Source
         
      Ctrl-Shift-I DOM Inspector

      Note that these keys are defined for Firefox on Windows.  The keys are similar but different on other platforms (Linux, Mac) to conform to the conventions on those platforms.

      Also, Firefox on Windows supports other keys that are common to many Windows applications.  See:  Windows Shortcut Keys.

      For a complete list of Firefox keys (tailored to your platform), see the Firefox on-line help:  Help | Help Contents | Keyboard Shortcuts.

      Many of these keys are also supported by other browsers.  Even if you're not using Firefox, try them in your browser.  You may be pleasantly surprised.

      This list is far from complete.  Please feel free to mail me your favorite shortcuts.  I'll add to this list as time permits.  Contributors so far include:
                  Andriy Palamarchuk

      --Fred

    3. Changing font size

      Last Updated: 4/15/2007
      Applies to:  Firefox 1.0+

      Firefox allows you easily change font size.  See:

              Changing font size in Web browsers

      --Fred

    4. Multiple Home Pages

      Original Version: 4/15/2007
      Last Updated: 4/24/2007
      Applies to:  Firefox 1.0+, IE 7.0+

      Firefox allows you to have multiple Home pages, so that each page opens in a separate tab when you open the browser or click Home.  To set this up, go to:

          Tools | Options | General | Home Page | Location(s)

      and put multiple names separated by vertical bars, as:

          http://bristle.com|http://google.com|http://yahoo.com

      Alternatively, you can open the pages as multiple tabs and then use:

          Tools | Options | General | Home Page | Use Current Pages

      Or you can choose a folder of your bookmarks to be the tabs via:

          Tools | Options | General | Home Page | Use Bookmark...

      You can also maintain multiple sets of tabs for easy access without making them your home pages.  You simply group them as folders of bookmarks, and access them via any of the following:

          Bookmarks | Manage Bookmarks... | Right-Click on a folder | Open in Tabs
          Ctrl-B | Right-Click on a folder | Open in Tabs
          Ctrl-I | Right-Click on a folder | Open in Tabs

      I haven't tried it yet, but I hear that Internet Explorer 7.0 also supports multiple tabs and multiple home pages.

      Thanks to the following for their contributions to this tip!

              Mark Georg
              Joe McPeak
              Tom Stluka

      --Fred

    5. View Live Source

      Last Updated: 4/15/2007
      Applies to:  Firefox 1.0+

      Firefox allows you to view the "live source" of a Web page.  See:

              http://bristle.com/Tips/JavaScript.htm#firefox_view_live_source

      --Fred

  6. Microsoft Internet Explorer

    1. Autocompletion of typed URLs in IE 4.0

      Last Updated: 10/10/1999
      Applies to:  IE 4+

      Microsoft Internet Explorer has a feature that is usually, but not always, convenient.   As you type a URL into the Address box, it searches the list of URLs that you have previously typed and completes the URL with any matching one it finds.   This can be a problem, if you ever typed a URL that was slightly wrong.  It keeps insisting on completing the URL incorrectly.  For example, if a URL is case sensitive, and you once typed it with the wrong case, how do you get IE to leave the case the way you want it?  Even if you type it exactly right and hit Enter, it converts it to match the incorrect one.  One solution is to leave a space in the URL while typing it, then go back and delete the space just before hitting Enter.  Tedious, but it works.

      --Fred

    2. History of typed URLs in IE 4.0

      Last Updated: 10/10/1999
      Applies to:  IE 4+

      The list of "typed URLs" (the ones you have manually typed into the Address box) of Internet Explorer is stored in the Windows registry, at:

      	[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\TypedURLs]

      At startup, IE reads named values from this registry key with the names url1, url2, url3, ... url25, stopping at the first one that is not defined.  You can use the registry editor to delete or modify these URLs.

      --Fred

  7. Google

    1. Google Web Apps, no login required

      You can run the following free applications directly at the Google Web site, using any Web browser.  You don't have to download or install any software, and you don't need a Google login.

      1. Google Search

        You are probably already familiar with the basics of Google Search.  Go to:

                http://google.com

        type in words, and see a list of links to Web pages containing those words.  However, there may be more features than you realize.

        1. Google Search Basics

          Last Updated: 11/6/2007

          At the Google Search web site, you can also:

          1. Put multiple words in quotes to search for an exact multi-word phrase, as:
                    "java programming language"
          2. Do more complicated searches like:
                    (java OR j2ee) programming -island -country
            to specify words where one or the other must be in the Web page, and other words must not be in the page.
          3. Click the "Advanced Search" link to be prompted for details of more advanced searches.
            Or go directly there via:  http://google.com/advanced_search
          4. Click the "Preferences" link to specify personal preferences like how many matches to show on each results page (default is 10, but I prefer 100), whether to open a new browser window (or tab) for the results instead of using the same browser window, etc.  These preferences are saved on your computer and remembered next time you use Google Search from the same computer.
          5. Click "Language Tools" for language translation (English to French, etc.)
            Or go directly to the translation page via:  http://translate.google.com

          For more info, see:

              http://google.com/help/features.html
              http://google.com/help/cheatsheet.html
                  - Thanks to Thor Collard for pointing me to this last one!

          --Fred

        2. Google Search Synonym

          Last Updated: 11/18/2007

          You can tell Google to search for synonyms of the word you specified, by prefixing the word with tilde ("~"),as:

                  ~garden design

          which finds pages containing "design", as well as any of "garden", "plant", "landscape", etc.

          For more info, see:

              http://www.google.com/help/cheatsheet.html

          --Fred

        3. Google Search Number Range

          Original Version: 11/18/2007
          Last Updated: 11/30/2007

          You can tell Google to search for any number in a specified range by specifying an ellipsis (with 2 dots or 3 dots), as:

                  2004..2007
                  2004...2007
                  DVD player $100..150

          This last one searches for the words DVD and Player, along with any dollar amount in the range $100-150, so it tends to find DVD players for sale in that price range.

          For more info, see:

              http://www.google.com/help/cheatsheet.html

          Thanks to Carol Hebert for advice on clarifying this tip!

          --Fred

        4. Google Search Calculator

          Original Version: 11/1/2007
          Last Updated: 11/13/2007

          At the Google Search web site, you can enter an arithmetic expression instead of words to search for.  Google evaluates the expression and shows you the answer.  For example:

          1. 1+2 (shows 3)
          2. 2.5*1.9 (shows 4.75)

          It also converts between different units and currencies as:

          1. 5 pounds in kg (shows 2.26796185 kilograms)
          2. 6 tsp in tbsp (shows 2 US tablespoons)
          3. 5 currency of Brazil in Malaysian money (shows 5 Brazil reais = 9.37128344 Malaysian ringgits)
            Note:  The currency conversions are not guaranteed to be absolutely current.  However, they are probably pretty good since Google pulls them from CitiBank.

          It handles a wide variety of mathematical functions like sin(), cos(), sqrt(), log(), ln(), etc., and constants like pi, e, c, etc.

          It supports decimal numbers, as well as octal, binary, hexadecimal.

          For more info, see:

              http://google.com/help/features.html#calculator
              http://google.com/help/features.html#currency
              http://google.com/help/calculator.html
              http://www.google.com/help/cheatsheet.html 

          --Fred

        5. Google Search Movie

          Original Version: 10/27/2007
          Last Updated: 11/24/2007

          To limit a Google search to pages about movies, include the special word: 

              movie:

          including the colon, among the search words.  This is an easy way to find a movie when you can only remember what it was about, or an actor who was in it or something.

          Alternatively, you can find show times for movies at nearby theaters, by including any of the special words:

              movies
              showtimes

          You will be prompted for a zip code or city name, and can ask to have that saved for future searches.  Or you can specify the zip code on the search as:

              movies 19355
              showtimes 19355

          You can also search for the name of a movie and get a list of show times for that movie at nearby theaters.

          For more info, see:

              http://google.com/help/features.html#movies

          --Fred

        6. Google Search Define

          Last Updated: 11/3/2007

          To use Google Search to find the definition of a word, include the special word:

              define:

          including the colon, among the search words.  Google will show you a list of definitions of the term along with links to more detailed definitions in WikiPedia, various dictionaries, and other sites.

          For more info, see:

              http://google.com/help/features.html#definitions

          --Fred

        7. Google Search Phonebook

          Last Updated: 11/2/2007

          You can use Google Search to look up phone numbers.  Just search for any combination of:

          • first name (or first initial), last name, city (state is optional)
          • first name (or first initial), last name, state
          • first name (or first initial), last name, area code
          • first name (or first initial), last name, zip code
          • phone number, including area code
          • last name, city, state
          • last name, zip code

          Then click the Map link to see a map to their house.  Then click the Satellite link to see a satellite photo of the house.  Zoom in and you may even see them working in the back garden.  :-)

          You can also do reverse lookups.  Search for a phone number and see who has that number.

          For more info (and to remove yourself from the Google phone book, if you like), see:

              http://google.com/help/features.html#wp

          --Fred

        8. Google Search Area Code

          Last Updated: 11/2/2007

          Search Google for a 3-digit telephone area code.  It shows you a link to a map of the area covered by the area code.  The link takes you to the right map in http://www.whitepages.com.

          For more info, see:

              http://google.com/help/features.html#number

          --Fred

        9. Google Search City

          Last Updated: 11/2/2007

          Search Google for a city name to see a link to a Google Map of the city.

          Include a city name among your Google search terms to limit the search to the specified city.  This is useful when searching for local businesses, schools, etc.

          For more info, see:

              http://google.com/help/features.html#local

          --Fred

        10. Google Search Zip Code

          Last Updated: 11/2/2007

          Search Google for a zip code to find out what city and state uses it, and a link to a Google Map of the area.

          Include a zip code among your Google search terms to limit the search to the specified zip code.  This is useful when searching for local businesses, schools, etc.

          For more info, see:

              http://google.com/help/features.html#local

          --Fred

        11. Google Search Address

          Last Updated: 11/3/2007

          Search Google for a street address to see a link to a Google Map of the address and a button to get directions to/from the address.  

          Just type the address into the Google Search text box, in ordinary format, as:

              1011 West King Rd, Malvern, PA

          --Fred

        12. Google Search Site

          Last Updated: 11/2/2007

          To limit a Google search to a specific Web site, specify the site name prefixed with "site:" among the search words.  For example, to find all occurrences of the word "reload" in any of the pages at the Bristle Software site, search for:

              site:bristle.com reload

          You can also get a complete list of the pages from a Web site that have been indexed by Google.  For example:

              site:bristle.com

          For more info, see:

              http://google.com/help/features.html#sitesearch

          --Fred

        13. Google Search Spell Checker

          Last Updated: 11/3/2007

          Google Search checks not only for the exact words you specify, but also for slight misspellings that occur more often than the spelling you used.  Therefore, it makes a great spell checker.  If you are not sure whether the word is spelled:

              occurrence

          or:

              occurrance

          try searching Google for each one.  The wrong one (occurrance) will come back with fewer matches and prompt you:

              Did you mean: occurrence

          This is not based on a dictionary.  It is based on the number of matches on all of the Web pages indexed by Google.  Therefore, it is better than a dictionary in that it reflects common usage in the modern world, not only at the time a dictionary was written.  It finds new slang terms before they are added to any dictionaries, and finds common misspellings that are becoming generally accepted, etc.

          For more info, see:

              http://google.com/help/features.html#spell

          --Fred

        14. Google Search Stock Ticker

          Last Updated: 11/3/2007

          Search Google for a stock or fund ticker symbol (like YHOO, HD, or GE) and it shows you a graph of the stock or fund value for the past day, along with links to the stock or fund at various financial Web sites, like Google Finance, Yahoo Finance, MSN Money, MarketWatch, CNN Money, and Reuters.

          If you don't know the exact stock ticker symbol, search for the company name (like Yahoo, Home Depot, or General Electric).  You'll get a brief description of the company, a link to its Web site, and a link like:

                  + Stock quote for GE

          that expands to the daily graph and links you'd have seen for the stock ticker.

          For more info, see:

              http://google.com/help/features.html#stock

          --Fred

        15. Google Search Weather

          Last Updated: 11/3/2007

          Search Google for the special word "weather" followed by a city name, like:

                  weather malvern

          and it shows you the current temperature and weather conditions for that city, along with a 4-day forecast, all pulled from http://wunderground.com.  If necessary to get the right city, throw in a state, zip code, or country name also.

          For more info, see:

              http://google.com/help/features.html#weather

          --Fred

        16. Google Search Travel

          Last Updated: 11/3/2007

          Search Google for the special word "airport" preceded by an airport 3-letter code, like:

                  phl airport

          and it shows you the current conditions at that airport, pulled from http://www.fly.faa.gov.

          Search for a flight name and number, like:

                  united 134

          and it shows you links to track the status of that flight at various travel sites, like Travelocity, Expedia, etc.

          For more info, see:

              http://google.com/help/features.html#travel

          --Fred

        17. Google Search Date

          Original Version: 11/13/2007
          Last Updated: 12/11/2007

          Want a way to restrict a Google search to recent info?

          According to the Google Cheat Sheet:

              http://google.com/help/cheatsheet.html

          you can add the special word "date:" followed by a number, to restrict a Google search to pages first found by Google within that many months of today.  However, I can't quite get it to work.  I've tried with and without a space after the colon.  Instead, it searches for the word "date".

          However, at the Google Advanced Search page, you can choose any of the following from the "Return web pages first seen in the" dropdown:

                  past 24 hours
                  past week
                  past month
                  past 2 months
                  past 3 months
                  past 6 months
                  past year

          and it works just fine.  If you look closely at the generated URL for the search results page, you'll notice a parameter added to specify the date range:

          &as_qdr=d past 24 hours
          &as_qdr=w past week
          &as_qdr=m past month
          &as_qdr=m2 past 2 months
          &as_qdr=m3 past 3 months
          &as_qdr=m6 past 6 months
          &as_qdr=y past year

          Apparently, "as_qdr" stands for "advanced search query date range", and the values (d, w, m, m2, m3, m6, y) are obviously days, weeks, months, and years.  I tried a few that were not available via the drop down, and they worked also, so it seems like a general purpose mechanism:

          &as_qdr=d2 past 2 days
          &as_qdr=d3 past 3 days
          &as_qdr=w2 past 2 weeks
          &as_qdr=m4 past 4 months
          &as_qdr=y3 past 3 years

          Anyone know the syntax to do it from within the Google search box, instead of having to use the Advanced Search page or edit the URL directly?

          Wait a minute!  What am I thinking?  Why ask all of you?  Just Google it!  Duh...

          OK.  Searching for:

                  google search date range 

          shows interesting results:

          1. http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-10165_7-6206764-2.html
            An article about how to restrict a search to a starting and ending date via the syntax:
                    daterange:startdate-enddate
            Unfortunately, startdate and enddate must be expressed as "Julian dates" like 2454445 for 12/11/2007, and 2454438 for 12/4/2007.  Julian dates (a counter of days since a specific day long ago) are great for computers, but not easy for people.
          2. http://www.gmacker.com/web/content/gDateRange/gdr.htm
            A page that offers a friendlier user interface and then uses the above syntax behind the scenes for you.  You specify the number of days into the past or choose the start and end dates from a dropdown calendar, and it computes the Julian dates and does the Google search for you.

          Still seems like there should be an easier way to do it directly with a Google keyword...

          --Fred

        18. Google Search Pics

          Last Updated: 10/27/2007

          At the Google Search web site, you can search for images without switching to the Google Image Search site, by entering a word like "images", "pictures", "pics", etc as one of the search words.  

          However, this is less useful recently since Google started including some images among regular search results by default.  Also, you don't get as many images as at the Google Image Search site.  Finally, since they've now added an "Images" link to the results page, it is easy to click that link to flip to the Image Search site, without even retyping your query.

          For more info, see:

              http://google.com/help/features.html#images
              http://images.google.com/advanced_image_search  

          --Fred

        19. Google Search Link

          Last Updated: 11/5/2007

          It is supposed to be true that if you search Google for a site URL prefixed by "link:", it will show you a list of pages that link to the specified site.  However, I can't quite get it to work.  I've tried with and without a space after the colon.  Without the space, I find very little.  With the space, I find pages that mention the URL and the word "link".  Anyone know how to make this work?

          --Fred

        20. Google Search Info

          Last Updated: 11/19/2007

          At the Google Search web site, you can ask for the information Google has stored about a specific Web page, by prefixing the URL with "info", as:
                  info:bristle.com
                  info:http://bristle.com/Tips/Internet.htm
                  info:bristle.com/Tips/Internet.htm

          This shows you links to useful info about the page, like:

          • Google's cache of the page
          • Pages that Google considers similar
          • Pages that link to it (doesn't seem to work any better than "link:")
          • Pages from the same site
          • etc.

          For more info, see:

              http://google.com/help/cheatsheet.html

          --Fred

        21. Google Search Shortcut

          Last Updated: 11/3/2007

          Want to save your most common Google searches?

          You can include the search terms for a Google search in a URL, using the standard URL parameter syntax and the parameter name "q" (which I assume stands for query).  For example:

                  http://google.com/search?q=Fred+Stluka

          You can save such a URL as a Windows shortcut, or a browser bookmark/favorite, etc.

          Since I spend most of my time at the Windows command line, I save many of my favorites URLs (for Google and other sites) as one-line batch files.  I also have a one-line batch file called google.bat that I can use to quickly do Google searches, specifying the search terms as batch file parameters on the command line.  The entire contents of google.bat is:

                  @start http://google.com/search?q=%1+%2+%3+%4+%5+%6+%7+%8+%9

          This allows me to type things like:

                  google 5 pounds in kg
                  google showtimes
                  google define:altruistic
                  google 1-610-555-1234
                  google Malvern, PA
                  google 19355
                  google site:bristle.com reload
                  google occurrance
                  google 1011 West King Rd, Malvern, PA
                  google weather malvern

          at the command line, without having to start a browser and navigate to Google first.  This makes it much easier to use Google for the various purposes mentioned in my previous tips, in one simple step without even leaving the command line.

          In case you are not familiar with Windows batch files and/or the URL parameter syntax:

          • The "@" sign causes the command in the batch file to not echo to the command window.
          • The command "start" causes your default browser to be launched at the specified site.
            For more info, see:
                    http://bristle.com/Tips/Windows.htm#START_File
                    http://bristle.com/Tips/Windows.htm#START_URL
          • The %1 through %9 values are replaced by the command line parameters of the batch file.
          • The "?" and "=" are the standard way to specify a parameter on a URL.
          • The "+" signs cause the entire URL, including parameters to be treated by Windows as a single parameter of the "start" command.  Otherwise, it would search for only the first word.  The "+" signs are treated like spaces once they are passed to the Web site.

          --Fred

      2. Google Maps

        You are probably already familiar with the basics of Google Maps.  Go to:

                http://maps.google.com

        type in an address and see a map of the area.  Then drag the map to scroll it left, right, up, or down.  Click "Get directions" to get directions from one address to another.  However, there may be more features than you realize.

        1. Google Maps Navigation

          Original Version: 11/11/2007
          Last Updated: 1/27/2008

          At the Google Maps web site, you can navigate (browse around in) a map by doing the following:

          1. Double-click to zoom in.  The zoom is done intelligently.
            1. Common zoom techniques:  Whenever you zoom in on anything in any computer program, some stuff stays on the screen and other stuff gets pushed off the sides to make room.  Many computer programs use a simplistic zoom algorithm that keeps the center of the screen fixed, pushing the edges out uniformly, or keeping the top left corner fixed and pushing the rest down and to the right.
            2. Google's zoom technique:  Google Maps does it more intuitively, moving the point you double-clicked to the center of the screen and then pushing the edges out uniformly.  Most people don't even notice exactly what is happening.  They just find it very easy to use because it happens to do exactly what they want.

          2. Zoom in and out with the mouse wheel.  Again, it is done intelligently.  Move the mouse to the point of interest and scroll in or out.  No need to even click the mouse button.  The point stays put and the rest grows or shrinks around it.

          3. Zoom in and out with the Plus and Minus keys.

          4. Zoom in/out quickly by dragging the displayed slider, not just by clicking the displayed + and - buttons.

          5. Scroll left, right, up, and down by holding down the keyboard's arrow keys.

          6. Page left, right, up, and down with the Home, End, PageUp, and PageDn keys.

          7. Zoom out with the Insert key.  (Hey, why not?  If your hand is over there by the Home, End, PageUp, and PageDn keys, the nearby Insert key may as well do something useful too!)

          8. Click the little arrow button at the bottom right of the map to see a small overview map showing the mapped area in a purple rectangle, in the context of the surrounding area.

          9. Quickly scroll the main map by dragging the purple rectangle in the overview map.

          10. Return to the location and zoom level you started with, by clicking the small square with 4 tiny arrows that is displayed in the middle of the displayed arrow buttons above the zoom slider.

          For more info, see:

              http://maps.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=68259
              http://maps.google.com/support

          --Fred

        2. Google Maps Searching

          Original Version: 11/11/2007
          Last Updated: 1/27/2008

          At the Google Maps web site, you can search for a new map by doing the following:

          1. Type 2 street names or highway route numbers separated by the word "and" to find the intersection of the roads.  For example:
                    king street and us 30, malvern

          2. Type 2 addresses separated by the word "to" to get directions from one place to another without having to click "Get directions" first.  For example:
                    malvern pa to breeze way circle olney md

          3. Type in a business name and city to find directions to the business, like:
                    primavera pizza kitchen, downingtown PA

          For more info, see:

              http://maps.google.com/support
              http://maps.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=68474
              http://maps.google.com/support/bin/topic.py?topic=10780

          --Fred

        3. Google Maps Routing

          Original Version: 11/11/2007
          Last Updated: 1/27/2008

          At the Google Maps web site, there are lots of ways to get more than simply the default route from one starting location to one final destination. You can also:

          1. Drag the blue route line on the map to force it to take a different route.
            1. Very useful if you prefer to use US 1 instead of I-95 to get from Pennsylvania to Maryland, for example.
            2. The distance and time estimate are constantly updated as you drag, so you can quickly consider and discard alternatives.
            3. Use Alt-Left or the Web browser's Back button to return to the previous route.

          2. Click on a step number in the directions to see a blowup of that turn.

          3. Click "Add destination" to add an additional destination.  You can use that to plan out an entire delivery route or series of errands, with directions from each stop to the next.  Or just drag the blue route line to an intermediate destination to insert another stop.

          4. Drag a destination up or down in the list of directions to change the order of your stops.

          5. Click the Edit button next to the starting point or a destination in the list of instructions to change to a different address.

          6. Type 3 or more addresses separated by the word "to:" (with a colon) to quickly create a route from one place to a second, to a third, etc.  For example:
                    malvern pa to: breeze way circle olney md to: annapolis md

          7. Click "Avoid Highways" to take the scenic route.

          8. There used to be some fun things at Google Maps, also.  A while back, I was directed by my brother Tom, and by Lorri Benyaker, and by Helen Loiacono, to check out step #23 of:
                    http://maps.google.com/maps?q=new+york+to+paris
            where it said:
                    22. Turn right at Long Wharf 0.1 mi
                    23. Swim across the Atlantic Ocean 3,462 mi (29 days 0 hours)
                    24. Slight right at E05 0.5 mi (2 mins)     
            However, someone has since removed that, and you now get a much more boring page that says:
                    We could not calculate driving directions between new york and paris.
            For a complete copy of the old directions, see:
                    http://hubpages.com/hub/Driving_directions_to_Paris__France 
            Anyone know of any fun ones that are still in there?

          For more info, see:

              http://maps.google.com/support
              http://maps.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=68475

          --Fred

        4. Google Maps Satellite View

          Original Version: 11/11/2007
          Last Updated: 1/27/2008

          At the Google Maps web site, you can:

          1. Click "Satellite" to see a satellite photo of the area.

          2. Click the "Show labels" checkbox that drops down from the "Satellite" button to hide/show street names and other labels superimposed on the photo.

          For more info, see:

              http://maps.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=68476

          --Fred

        5. Google Maps Street View

          Original Version: 11/11/2007
          Last Updated: 1/27/2008

          At the Google Maps web site, you can:

          1. Click "Street View" to see a draggable, zoomable, rotatable view of what it looks like as you drive along that route in your car.  
            1. This is similar to Google Earth, except that it uses photos taken by an actual car driving around, not taken from a satellite, so the detail is much better.
            2. Blue outlines on the map show which areas have Street View data.  It is not yet available in all areas.

          2. Use the regular Google Maps navigation features to drag, zoom, etc.

          3. Pivot to look in a different direction via the curved arrow buttons above the zoom slider.

          4. Click the white arrows laid along the street to move along the street as though driving.

          Note:  Street View is not yet available in all areas.  Blue outlines on roads in the map show where it is available.  For Philadelphia, see:

                  http://maps.google.com/maps?q=phila&layer=c 

          For more info, see:

              http://maps.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=68476
              http://maps.google.com/support/bin/topic.py?topic=11640

          --Fred

        6. Google Maps Traffic View

          Original Version: 11/11/2007
          Last Updated: 1/27/2008

          At the Google Maps web site, you can:

          1. Click "Traffic" to see color-coding of roads based on current traffic conditions:
            1. Red = heavy traffic (0-25 25 mph)
            2. Yellow = slow traffic (25-50 25 mph)
            3. Green = normal speed (50+ mph)
            4. Gray = no traffic information is currently available

          Note:  Traffic info is not yet available in all areas.  Small traffic light icons with red, yellow and green lights show areas where it is available.  For Philadelphia, see:

                  http://maps.google.com/maps?q=phila+&layer=t 

          For more info, see:

              http://maps.google.com/support/bin/topic.py?topic=11430

          --Fred

        7. Google Maps Terrain View

          Original Version: 11/11/2007
          Last Updated: 1/27/2008

          At the Google Maps web site, you can:

          1. Click "Terrain" to see a view that emphasizes the hills, valleys, and other terrain.

          So far, this view is pretty high level, and not all that useful, but stay tuned...

          --Fred

        8. Google Maps Search Nearby

          Original Version: 11/11/2007
          Last Updated: 1/27/2008

          At the Google Maps web site, you can search for restaurants or other businesses near a certain location.  I do this often to choose a restaurant for lunch near where someone works, or any other location of interest.  

          You can:

          1. Type a class of business, the word "near" or "in" and a location.  For example:
                    pizza near malvern pa
                    pizza in malvern pa

          2. Or, click "Search nearby" or "Find businesses" after viewing a map.

          3. In either case:
            1. The list of nearby restaurants includes their addresses and phone numbers.
            2. Each restaurant is shown on the map via a location tag.

          4. Click on the location tags or the listed restaurant names to:
            1. See a link to their Web site, to find menus, hours of operation, etc.
            2. See reviews written by other people
            3. Write a review
            4. See Web pages (food magazines, etc.) that talk about the restaurant
            5. Get free printable coupons for discounts at the restaurant
            6. etc.

          For more info, see:

              http://maps.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=17106&topic=10780

          or the hokey video at:

              http://google.com/help/maps/tour/

          --Fred

        9. Google Maps Shortcut

          Original Version: 11/11/2007
          Last Updated: 1/27/2008

          Like my google.bat file described at Google Search Shortcut, I have a one-line batch file called maps.bat that I use to quickly access Google Maps, specifying parameters on the Windows command line.  The entire contents of maps.bat is:

                  @start http://maps.google.com/maps?q=%1+%2+%3+%4+%5+%6+%7+%8+%9

          This allows me to type things like:

                  maps king street and us 30, malvern
                  maps malvern pa to breeze way circle olney md
                  maps primavera pizza kitchen, downingtown PA

          at the command line, without having to start a browser and navigate to Google Maps first.  I can use Google Maps in one simple step without even leaving the Windows command line.

          I also have a batch file called traffic.bat that I use to quickly check traffic conditions.  It looks like:

                  @echo off
                  rem Note: Need quotes to hide ampersand from Windows command line interpreter
                  rem          that would otherwise interpret it as a command separator.
                  rem Note: Need quoted name ("dummy") to provide a dummy name to the START
                  rem          command which always treats the 1st param as a name instead of a
                  rem          command if it is enclosed in quotes.
                  start "dummy" "http://maps.google.com/maps?layer=t&q=%1+%2+%3+%4+%5+%6+%7+%8+%9"

          and it lets me type commands like:

                  traffic phila
                  traffic malvern

          Any other favorite Google Maps tricks to share?

          --Fred

      3. Google Finance

        Original Version: 11/11/2007
        Last Updated: 11/29/2007

        Google Finance is a great financial Web site.  Lots of useful info, and the typical Google flair for making it interactive and easy to use.  Go to:

                http://finance.google.com

        The main page shows the day's graphs of Dow Jones, Nasdaq, etc, as well as recent news headlines, sector summaries, top movers, etc.  It also shows quotes for specific stocks and funds you've searched for recently, as well as news headlines about them, etc.  It's a great one-page summary of your personal financial interests.

        Enter a stock or fund ticker symbol or company name to see the graph of its price, along with news headlines plotted along the graph to perhaps explain the ups and down.  Also, financial summary, links to discussions, blogs, list of related companies and their prices, etc.

        Drag the graph to see a larger, smaller, or different date range of prices.  Or click the various presets (1 day, 5 day, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, YTD, 1 year, 5 year, 10 year, max).

        Click "Historical Prices" to see tables of price data, showing open, high, low, close and volume, daily or weekly.  Click "Download to spreadsheet" to download the data in CSV (comma-separated values) format, saving it to disk, or opening it directly in Microsoft Excel or your favorite spreadsheet.

        Click the checkboxes to see comparative graphs with various indexes, and with up to 4 other companies.  Or enter multiple stock or fund ticker symbols in the main search box to see a comparative graph of more than 5 companies. 

        You can also log in with a username and password to create and edit portfolios of stocks and funds that you want to track.

        Like my google.bat file described at Google Search Shortcut, I have a short batch file called finance.bat that I use to quickly access Google Finance, specifying parameters on the batch file command line.  The entire contents of finance.bat is:

                @if not "%1"=="" start http://finance.google.com/finance?q=%1+%2+%3+%4+%5+%6+%7+%8+%9
                @if "%1"=="" start http://finance.google.com

        This allows me to type things like:

                finance
                finance brk.b
                finance goog
                finance general electric

        at the command line, without having to start a browser and navigate to Google Finance first.  I can use Google Finance in one simple step without even leaving the command line.  I can also pass it multiple ticker symbols, as:

                finance goog yhoo ebay cmcsa

        to compare multiple companies.  

        Similarly, I can use this syntax in Unix scripts, Windows batch files, browser bookmarks/shortcuts, desktop shortcuts, etc. to do my favorite combinations of companies.

        Any other favorite Google Finance tricks to share?

        --Fred

      4. Google Alerts

        Last Updated: 11/18/2007

        Google Alerts is a great way to keep informed about a particular topic.  Go to:

                http://google.com/alerts

        Here you can enter the search words for any Google search.  Instead of doing the search immediately and only once, it does the search continuously and e-mails you the results.  Each time the Google search engine finds a new page that matches the search, it mails you a link to the new page.  

        You can specify whether such additional matches should be sent to you as soon as they are discovered, or batched up into daily or weekly messages.  You can also limit the search to news sites, blogs, video, etc.

        You don't need a Google account, and don't have to specify a Google GMail address.  You can use Google Alerts with any e-mail address.  Each arriving e-mail comes with a link to click if you want to cancel the alert.  However, if you do create a Google account and log in to it, there are additional tools for managing your alerts: changing the frequency, switching between HTML and plain text e-mails, etc.

        You can use Google Alerts to watch a developing news story, do a continuous "vanity search" (search for your name on the Web), monitor a local sports team, etc.

        You may want to set up a filter for the incoming e-mail though, as it could be a lot of mail.

        So that other people can't set up alerts for your e-mail address and flood you with unwanted messages, there is a confirmation step.  When you create a new alert (or someone else creates one for you), it immediately sends you an e-mail containing a link you must click on to confirm that you really want the alert.  Furthermore, once you have received 10 such confirmation messages for 10 different alerts, and have not confirmed them, it won't bother you any more.

        For more info, see:

                http://www.google.com/support/alerts/bin/static.py?page=faq.html

        --Fred

      5. Google News

        Last Updated: 11/18/2007

        Google News is a great way to see the latest news of the world, or one of 40-50 specific countries.  Or you can search for news on a city or smaller region.  I haven't compared it much with other news sites and news aggregators, but I'm impressed.  Check it out, at:

                http://news.google.com

        The main page shows recent top stories, as well as categories like:  World, US, Business, Sci/tech, Sports, Entertainment, Health, etc.  It is offered in dozens of languages.

        It also offers RSS and Atom feeds for those who prefer their news in that format.  And a link to Google Alerts, which sends you e-mail when a new Web page is found that matches the Google Search criteria you specified.

        Any favorite Google News tricks to share?

        --Fred

      6. Google Groups (coming soon...)

        Last Updated: 10/27/2007

        Coming soon...

        --Fred

      7. Google Suggest (coming soon...)

        Last Updated: 10/27/2007

        Coming soon...

        --Fred

      8. Google Trends (coming soon...)

        Last Updated: 10/27/2007

        Coming soon...

        --Fred

      9. Google Froogle (coming soon...)

        Last Updated: 10/27/2007

        Coming soon...

        --Fred

    2. Google Web Apps, login required (coming soon...)

      1. Google Apps (coming soon...)

        Last Updated: 10/27/2007

        Coming soon...

        --Fred

      2. Google Calendar (coming soon...)

        Last Updated: 10/27/2007

        Coming soon...

        --Fred

      3. Google Docs (coming soon...)

        Last Updated: 10/27/2007

        Coming soon...

        --Fred

      4. Google GMail (coming soon...)

        Last Updated: 10/27/2007

        Coming soon...

        --Fred

      5. Google Talk (coming soon...)

        Last Updated: 10/27/2007

        Coming soon...

        --Fred

    3. Google Installed Apps (coming soon...)

      1. Google Pack (coming soon...)

        Last Updated: 10/27/2007

        Coming soon...

        --Fred

      2. Google Desktop (coming soon...)

        Last Updated: 10/27/2007

        Coming soon...

        --Fred

      3. Google Earth (coming soon...)

        Last Updated: 10/27/2007

        Coming soon...

        --Fred

      4. Google SketchUp (coming soon...)

        Last Updated: 10/27/2007

        Coming soon...

        --Fred

    4. Google Phone Services (coming soon...)

      1. Google 1-800-GOOG-411 (coming soon...)

        Last Updated: 10/27/2007

        Coming soon...

        --Fred

    5. Google.org -- The Philanthropic Arm of Google

      Last Updated: 12/4/2007

      Have you seen the "Philanthropic Arm of Google"?  Check out:

              http://google.org            (.org, not .com)

      It was founded by Google in Oct 2005 with an initial grant of $90 million and is now funded with $2 billion in Google stock.  Fits nicely with Google's corporate philosophy of:

              Do no evil

      I find it amazing that Google has poured $2 billion into this without any fuss.  Other big companies that have created charitable foundations have named them after their CEOs, and make a big fanfare each time the company gives money to the foundation, as well as each time the foundation gives that SAME money to a charity.  Double-dipping!

      Google just keeps adding money to the foundation, and adding features to their free tools and Web sites, without patting themselves on the back.  Word gets around on the merits, not the marketing.  

      Very admirable!

      In case you're wondering, yes I do own Google stock (and you should too), but that's not why I'm such a fan.  I was a fan years before the stock became available.  I wish I'd bought a whole lot more when I did buy.  

      Admirable and profitable both -- amazing in today's world!

      --Fred

  8. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) documents

    Original Version: 3/25/2008
    Last Updated: 3/28/2008
    Applies to:  Internet, World Wide Web, IRS

    You can directly download documents (publications, forms, and instructions) as PDF files from the IRS Web site.  This is handy if you prefer paper to electronic filing.  No more running to the Post Office for paper copies of various forms.

    Also, the forms are typically editable PDFs, so you can fill them out electronically, then print them and mail them in.  This is handy if you prefer paper, but want to keep an electronic copy of the form you filled out, rather than just a paper copy.  It also makes them more legible, and saves you from having to start over if you make mistakes that you can't erase.

    Warning:  Save your changes via the Adobe Reader toolbar button, not the browser File | Save Page As menu.  See details below.

    If you know which documents you want, you can choose from the list at:

            http://www.irs.gov/formspubs/lists/0,,id=97817,00.html

    Otherwise, you can browse by category, get forms for previous years (back to 1990), view documents as HTML instead of PDF, etc., at:

            http://www.irs.gov/formspubs/

    The filenames of the PDF files are mostly systematic, with prefixes "p", "i" and "f".  For example:

    p526.pdf Publication 526: Charitable Contributions
    f1040.pdf Form 1040
    i1040.pdf Form 1040 -- Instructions
    f1040sab.pdf Form 1040 Schedules A&B
    i1040sa.pdf Form 1040 Schedules A&B -- Instructions (OK, some inconsistencies...)
    f8889.pdf Form 8889: HSAs
    i8889.pdf Form 8889: HSAs -- Instructions
    etc.  

    Therefore, you can bypass the list pages and create bookmarks, favorites, desktop shortcuts, etc. that link directly to specific documents, via URLs like:

            http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040.pdf
            http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040.pdf
            etc.  

    See the complete list of filenames at:

            http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/

    Since I generally prefer to work from the command line, I wrote a batch file called irsdoc.bat that I use as:

            irsdoc f1040
            irsdoc i1040
            etc.

    Here is the compete contents of irsdoc.bat:

    @echo off
if "%1" ==""   goto USAGE
if "%1" =="-?" goto USAGE
if "%1" =="/?" goto USAGE
if "%1" =="*"  goto LIST

start http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/%1.pdf
goto :EOF

:LIST
start http://www.irs.gov/formspubs/lists/0,,id=97817,00.html
goto :EOF

:USAGE
echo Usage:    %0 irs_doc_name
echo Examples: %0 *             To see names of all IRS docs
echo           %0 ?             To see filenames of all IRS docs
echo           %0 p526          Publication 526: Charitable Contributions
echo           %0 f1040         Form 1040
echo           %0 i1040         Form 1040 -- Instructions
echo           %0 f1040sab      Form 1040 Schedules A/B
echo           %0 i1040sa       Form 1040 Schedules A/B -- Instructions
echo           %0 f8889         Form 8889: HSAs
echo           %0 i8889         Form 8889: HSAs -- Instructions

    Thanks to Wayne Keyser for reminding me that there are a couple of forms that you cannot get this way.  For some reason, they use special ink and/or paper, and you must order them from the IRS by telephone two weeks before you need them.  For example:  Form 5500 and Form 1096.  You can download copies, but you are immediately warned that you are not allowed to use them.  What a drag!

    Thanks to Geoff Rhine for the warning about saving from the browser menu instead of the Adobe Reader toolbar.  Here's some more detail.

    If you have the Adobe Reader plugin installed, the PDF document may open directly in the browser instead of prompting you to open it with Adobe Reader or save it to disk.  In that case, after making your changes, be sure to save via the Adobe Reader toolbar button, not via the browser's File | Save Page As menu or Ctrl-S, because that may save only the original page, not the edited version, so you may lose your edits.  This seems to be a problem with browsers like Firefox and Netscape that go back to the server for a fresh copy of the page before saving.  Internet Explorer saves the local copy, which does include your changes. 

    I didn't notice this problem myself because I generally download a file first, put it in a known location on my hard drive (where it will be found by my backup software), then edit it outside of the browser.  It is generally a good idea to take these explicit steps when working with Web stuff because you're not safe till you have a local copy in a known location.  Otherwise, things sometimes save back to the Web cache, where you may not be able to find them, and where they are subsequently deleted without warning to make room for new temporary files.  Or they try to save into a readonly e-mail attachment, or the temporary file created for that attachment.  Always save first, then re-open the file directly, and edit it.

    --Fred

  9. Audio/Video Tips

    1. Pause while downloading to fill the buffer

      Last Updated: 4/26/2008

      Problem:  Tired of having audio or video streams start and stop during playback?  

      Solution:  Pause it until the buffer is full, then resume playing.

      When you are playing streaming audio or video from a Web site like YouTube, the data begins downloading and is buffered locally.  Meanwhile, the playback begins immediately, playing the buffered data.  If the download is too slow, the playback runs out of buffered data and pauses for a while, until the buffer begins to fill up again.  This can lead to an erratic, annoying, start, stop, start, etc. during the playback.

      If this happens, click the pause button that most players display on the screen, and watch the graphical indicators.