KSFO's Web Wanderer

The Links for February 5, 2005

Dudley says: "Google has a new search feature that allows one to search the text of TV broadcasts. It is not even in "beta" yet. So far it only goes back to Dec., 2004. It has only eight stations, four in the Bay Area. Its search of text is based on the "Closed Caption" that stations use for the benefit of deaf viewers. The Google Video Help page explains more of what is available, with hints of things to come."

From the site: "Our mission is to organize the world's information, and that includes the thousands of programs that play on our TVs every day. Google Video enables you to search a growing archive of televised content – everything from sports to dinosaur documentaries to news shows."

"Just type in your search term (for instance, ipod or Napa Valley) or do a more advanced search (for instance, title:nightline) and Google Video will search the closed captioning text of all the programs in our archive for relevant results. Click on a program title on your results page and you can look through short snippets of the text along with still images from the show. Visit the "About this show" side panel to learn when this show will air next."

"Right now we're just testing this product, so you'll find programs only from a limited number of channels, which we've been indexing since late December 2004. You can expect to see more and more content as we continue to add new channels."

Most of the searches I did found some results. Although video was usually not avialable, search results did yield screenshots and the text from the closed captioning - an adequate replacement!

Check it out. Thanks, Dudley!

Google Suggest - Solinas

There's a neat little Google option to speed up entering search terms into the Google page. It's called Google Suggest.

It can save some typing. Type "Micros" and you get a drop-down box of suggested search terms. Topping the list is "Microsoft" with 208 million results, and other phrases like "Microsoft Updates", "Microsoft Office", etc.

It's a very simple way to refine your searches. I'll bet as you get good with this, it really speeds you up.

Check it out!

Today's Front Pages - Sister Anne and Brother Spudman

Here's one from Sister Anne and Brother Spudman. Today's Front Pages gives you thumbnails of newspapers. They have 331 front pages, representing 38 different countries.

You can see pictures on the front pages, and read the headlines for most of them.

Interesting to check out what issues are important where, or to catch up on home-town happenings.

Thanks Anne and Spudman!

eWanted - Dan in Vancouver, Washington

Dan in Vancouver, Washington found ewanted.

I'm a heavy eBay user. Sometimes the item I'm looking for isn't currently listed. Now I have another thing to try.

It's easy to use:

Post your free want ad.
eWanted lists your ad.
You get emails when the item is found.

You can also browse items for sale.

Check it out.

Thanks, Dan!

Answers - Dudley

Dudley says: "I've used Guru Net for a couple of years that does what the new Answers.com does. I find it very useful.

It brings you instant information about any word on your screen, whether you're working in Word, reading your e-mail, or browsing the web. Over a million topics, covering people, places, words and names, drawn from reliable dictionaries, encyclopedias, websites, and more."

You download the software, and alt-click on any word to get quick data about the term. Very handy.

Another option for Firefox users is to add Answers.com as a search engine in the search box. I like this option!

Thanks, Dudley!

Photos of Deep Sea Creatures - Santa Rosa Steve

Sometimes Hoax messages can still be pretty useful. Santa Rosa Steve sent me one, knowing it was a hoax, because it was so cool."

The hoax messages includes photographs which show unusual deep-sea creatures allegedl washed up by the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

The photos show bizarre sea creatures you've never seen before.

Snopes has the photos, and the real story behind them: "Although they are genuine images of some rather strange deep-sea creatures, these photographs have nothing to do with the Indian Ocean tsunami. They date from mid-2003 and were taken as part of the NORFANZ voyage, a joint Australian-New Zealand research expedition conducted in May-June 2003 to explore deep sea habitats and biodiversity in the Tasman Sea. These photographs can be viewed on Australia's National Oceans Office web site. "

Very cool creatures. Check them out!

Thanks, Steve!

Free For All!

"Free For All" picks are hot, FREE items or services. It can be software, online services, you name it - but it's got to be free, with no strings attached.

Foxit PDF Reader v1.2 or Windows 9x/NT/2000/XP/2003 - Santa Rosa Steve

Santa Rosa Steve says: "Adobe Reader for Windows 7.0 is a monstrous (19.4 MB) download and has received mixed reviews. After listening to Mike Solinas, KSFO's Web Wanderer, a couple of weeks ago, I decided not to update Adobe Reader, and to watch for an alternate. Here is what I spotted."

Foxit PDF Reader v1.2 or Windows 9x/NT/2000/XP/2003

Foxit PDF Reader is an alternative to Adobe Reader that allows you to view and print .PDF files. The download is small, less than 1 MB, needs no installer, and opens quickly.

The application consists of an .EXE file and 3 .DLLs. The download, dfrd.zip, also contains 2 .TXT files. Create a folder, I choose C:\Program Files\PDFReader, and unzip pdfrd.zip into it. Double-click PDFReader.exe. It will open, and (optionally) set the file associations for you."

Tomahawk PDF+ v2.0.2.0 PDF editor for Windows 98/Me/NT4/2000/XP - Santa Rosa Steve

Santa Rosa Steve says: "Spotted Tomahawk PDF+ in Lockergnome's Windows Fanatics today. I do not need to create PDF files, but if I did, I would be excited about Tomahawk PDF+."

Tomahawk PDF+ v2.0.2.0 PDF editor for Windows 98/Me/NT4/2000/XP

Tomahawk PDF+ gives you a complete PDF file creation suite right on your computer. Tomahawk can also be used as an advanced editor for rtf, txt, tmd (publisher's own format) and other file formats.

*Tomahawk v2.0.2.0 has now been released as CareWare. This means it is free for anyone to download and use (for personal use only) for as long as you like. "