How To’s, Tech Software, Utilities, Tutorials, Gadgets

Search Wiki is feature in Google search that lets the user modify his searches by ranking, deleting or commenting on search results. User has the option of moving the results he likes to the top and also adding notes to a specific search result or eliminate results that he feels are inappropriate. Google remember all these modifications if the user is signed into his Google account and are shown every time the user does the same search. Although the changes that a user makes affect only his searches, he has the option of sharing his views with other searchers. There is an option of “Share these notes” and on clicking it the user may share the result pages with comments and modifications through Email or IM(Instant Messaging).

A user may also see how other people have edited their searches by clicking on the “See all notes for this Search Wiki” link or choose to recover all his saved notes by clicking on “See all my Search Wiki notes”.

For ranking, removing or adding comments a user may follow a few simple steps. If a user likes any result he may click on the + sign and it would be shown at the top in all future searches and similarly by clicking – sign a particular page may be deleted from future searches. Clicking “Add a result” at the bottom of any search results page will allow user to add a page he may consider relevant. If a user wants to return a promoted result he will simply have to click the down arrow next to the result.

By clicking “Show them” link at the bottom of the result page and then clicking restore the user can restore a previously deleted page. A comment may be deleted by “clicking delete comment” link. Options in the Google Preference page allow the user to hide the Search Wiki controls. On hiding the controls the preferences are not deleted completely and on signing in to his Google account the user’s favorite sites will still appear at the top yet the results deleted once will not show up.

Recommended reading: Tutorial to disable / enable Searchwiki notes from Google search results.

The much anticipated launch of Wolfram Alpha, a next generation search engine has finally seen the light of the day. So what exactly is Wolfram Alpha and is it really a web search engine. Well, the answer is a definitive no. Developed by Wolfram Research and the brainchild of Stephen Wolfram, this online service is actually an answer engine or as displayed on its website, a “Computational Knowledge Engine”. Therefore instead of presenting the list of web pages or documents like a traditional search engine, Wolfram Alpha provides the answers for factual queries by computing the answer from structured data. These answers and relevant visualizations are drawn from the core knowledge base of curated structured data.

So if you key in words like Windows XP troubleshooting” in its search box, you would not get any answers as the answer engine does not really know what to make of your query even after processing it for quite some time. This and many more such examples of what and how to search in Wolfram Alpha is provided in the Examples section of its website.

The engine represents large amounts of information and presents it as pie charts, diagrams and tables. You can derive information such as statistical data analysis, weather forecasts, stock comparisons, mathematical and chemical formula and a lot of other such data as graphs or in a table format. This is especially useful for research students, analysts and anyone who wants to avail the facilities of data visualization. Non specific queries such as mathematical questions or even survival analysis reported positive results. Yu can also ask natural language based questions such as “What is Life” and expect to see the 42, a result derived from the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

While it is certainly quite effective in its sphere, Wolfram Alpha is in no way comparable to traditional search Engines such as Google. While you can avail its facilities as a complementary tool to the regular search engines and can thus get great search results, Wolfram Alpha can be used in conjunction with other search tools.

[ Use Wolform Free ]

A web based online office suite, best alternative for Microsoft Office and Open Office, the Zoho personal free online office suit is a great alternative to desktop office suites such as Microsoft Office and Open office. A perfect example of software-as-a-service (SaaS) type of cloud computing, the Zoho Personal seeks to fuse in applications in a single bundle and provide users with data storage and software in a single web service. Due to this advantage of collaboration, online office suites such as Zoho ensure that all your documents are in a single place.

Online Office Suite

Developed by ZOHO Corporation, the online office suite is equipped with word processors, spreadsheets, presentation tool, databases, notebooks, wikis, online organizer, CRM, project management software, online invoicing and other applications.

While the entry level applications are free, certain advanced features and storage required for professional use can be purchased. In addition, you can choose to use add third party applications such as Google Reader to personalize your Office suite. Log in using your existing Google or Yahoo accounts or register anew to use this powerful web based tool.

User Friendly, Clean Interface

Its light and zippy interface along with the powerful tools makes it one of the most popular online Office suites. The web page looks clean and the applications are easily accessible with a left side menu featuring all the Zoho Applications.

Collaboration

Import-Export of documents as well as collaboration features, such as version history and sharing score highly in Zoho Office suite. Documents by Microsoft Office and Open Office, HTML can be easily imported by Zoho Writer and similarly you can view your excel sheets with the Zoho Spreadsheet.

In addition you can upload your documents from desktop, Google Docs or anywhere on the Web with options for downloading and saving in your computer. In addition the documents can be exported to pdf format, although Zoho does not support importing of pdf documents. Real time collaboration allows easy sharing of online documents with friends and online groups.

Without the need for multiple backups, Zoho personal allows you to share, edit and access your data with simple requirements like an internet connection and a compatible web browser. However while Zoho Personal does give you access to online creating and editing, do not expect some of the high end features used by the desktop office suites.

[ Use Zoho Free ]

Want to buy an Apple Ipod and cannot afford its hefty price tag? Well, Sonix 7 Media Pro might just be the answer to your Mp4 woes. With a sleek design that features a big screen, this user friendly Mp4 player designed by a British company with a price tag of under 100 euros is quite an attractive bargain.

Compared to the Apple Ipod Nano, the Sonix player features a much larger 3.2 TFT screen along with an amazing battery life of more than thirty hours for audio and twenty hours for video which is quite superior to the Apple’s battery life. Both the players have a 16 GB capacity for storing music and video files. However while Sonix 7 media pro relies on touchscreen interaction, Apple Ipod Nano uses a click wheel for control. Moreover unlike the Ipod, this Mp4 player is suitably endowed with a digital camera, ebook reader and built in speakers.

One of the other key advantages of the Sonix Mp4 player is the video storage capability. While Apple Ipod is restricted to retaining only 16 hours of video, the Sonix player allows 60 hours of video. Moreover with a fully charged battery it can play around 20 hours of video as compared to the paltry four hours of video by Ipod Nano. The audio file formats supported by Sonix 7 Media Pro include MP1, MP2, MP3, WAV, ACC, MIDI & WMA while Aplle Ipod Nanao supports MP3, ACC, AIFF, and WAV. Both have accelerometers and game and can store around 14000 photos and nearly 4000 songs. However the main drawback of Ipod Nano is that it is locked to a single PC with It tunes unlike its Sonix counterpart which can download songs from multiple locations. With this array of features, Sonix 7 Media Pro is certainly a great option for the people who are not diehard Apple Ipod fans.

Sanyo has unveiled its in dash GPS navigation system from the AV Gorilla family with the launch of its new model, NV-GS1609FT. Belonging to the Gorilla family, this superb gadget contains 7V wide viewing LCD QVGA display, 3D nationwide maps, HDD navigation facilities and even an integrated DVD player.

Its hefty price tag of around $1400 is supported by a number of great features that combines navigation facilities with entertainment options. A high definition television, digital video, a Cd player, Mp3 player and Jpeg picture playback are some of its notable entertainment features. You also have excellent facilities like a digital Tv tuner, CD ripping facility, Ipod and USB connectivity and a surprisingly large 16 GB SSD memory that can retain around 1200 songs. In addition you have a built in FM and AM radio. Moreover you can not only broadcast channels but also record them.

Of course with all the entertainment features, the navigation facilities have not taken a backseat. 3D images and information rich maps that uses Gorilla xSSD Engine are quite excellent. Moreover the maps also show the traffic information and control. You can simultaneously search two maps at a time and even be warned of theft spots. If you want some eco friendly driving information, then this is the right tool for you. Helping the driver save fuel, this is a great tool for drivers. Thankfully the battery life is good and you can use it for extended periods of time.

Although the high price tag might cause you to think twice before buying this device but its amazing array of features combined with a sleek look makes this tool an excellent navigation device. So if budget is not an issue, you might consider getting the Sanyo NV-GS1609FT to help you in all your GPD needs.

Whether you are trying to hone your flailing language skills or traveling to a foreign country, having an electronic pocket dictionary in your hands can certainly make your life a whole lot better. Sharp Korea has moved a step into resolving this need by coming up with the wonderfully sleek e-dictionary known as Sharp RD-PM 10. Equipped with a QUERTY keyboard, 4.3-inch WQVGA multimedia screen, a stylus and 8GB of storage space, this device with a slight tilting design is a wonder to behold. Moreover this extensively codec supported device can even support some light media playback and even has a micro SD card for expansion of memory. It has around 128 authentic native-speaker voice and text to speech support.

Sharp RD-PM is equipped with the Texas Instrument’s DaVinci TMS320DM6441 processor that allows you the facility to enjoy video files without a need for encoding. Other notable features of this stylish and handy device are: 3,500mAh battery, support for Audio formats: MP3, WMA, ASF, WAV, OGG, Support for Video formats: Divx, H.264, MPEG 4, WMV 9, XVID, FM radio and audio recording for pronunciation comparison. The device runs on Microsoft CE 5.0 Core OS. Right now the company has unveiled two versions: the RD-PM10 Edu and the RD-PM10 DMB with integrated DMB TV tuner.

While the sleek design and other superior features are excellent in their own regard and in fact quite superior to other MID devices, the utilization of an e-dictionary Sharp RD-PM 10 nevertheless is in question. With most of the features being integrated in our mobile phones, there is not much that this device can do which the Apple Iphone cannot. In fact it lags behind in a number of things notable among which are a lack of Internet Connectivity and no sign of Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Moreover the heavy price tag of $280 makes it quite unattractive for common users.

You can read more about it here.

A sleek, elegant and effective set of computer speakers, the Bose Companion 2 Series II is the least expensive of the brand’s speakers available in the market. With a price tag of

around a USD 99, this set of two compact speakers is equipped with a detachable AC Adapter 12V, 1.2A -Speaker cable -Audio input cable along with two sets of full size RCA plugs and an owner’s guide.

Build Quality

A contemporary and elegant design is the hallmark of the Bose Companion 2 Series II with the two speakers measuring around 7.5 by 3.2 by 5.8 inches and weighing around 1.8 to 2.3 pounds. Angled upwards so as to aim at the head, the metallic finish gives it a smooth business like look. Unfortunately instead of a lightweight circuit based AC adaptor, the Bose speakers are transformer based making the set bulky.

Connectivity

The right side speaker is equipped with the system’s connectivity on its rear panel. This houses a standard 3.5mm jack for audio input along with a facility for dual input, one to your computer, the other to a portable audio device. Headphones can bee attached using the socket on the front panel.

Sound Quality

The rich, noise free sound along with the trademark TrueSpace™ stereo signal processing circuitry ensures that the Bose Companion 2 series II remains true to its brand quality and name. This ensures that true potential of the speakers with powerful, full-range sound for CDs, DVDs, MP3s, streaming videos, games and more is unleashed. The quality of the sound along with the voice and treble reproduction is maintained even at higher volumes with automatic adjustment of tonal quality. The only problem is the bass levels at higher volumes which can tend to be a little flatter. So if you are searching for heavy bass in a PC speaker, you’ll probably want to steer clear of these 2.0 stereo speakers and pick up a 2.1 configuration with a separate subwoofer instead.

The absence of the RMS or PMPO values of the speakers shields the actual wattage of the product. However you can experience the actual sound experience with this video of the Bose Companion 2 Series II

Fashionable and ultra thin, this is how you can describe MSI-X340 the latest in laptop technology by MSI’s X Slim series. The ultra slim features include 6 to 20 mm and a weight of just around three pounds. This coupled with an extremely attractive design makes it a definite winner and also the world’s slimmest and lightest notebook with a 13 inch panel. So if you are one of those who lusts for the Macbook Air and do not have $2000 to spare, then this $900 is the best option for you. With its plastic casing, it is definitely not in the Macbook league, but is attractive in its own rights.

Among its power packed features is MSI’s Vivid Image Enhancement Technology integrated into the 16:9 widescreen TFT LCD display. It uses Intel® Core® 2 Solo ULV, the latest processor technology from the company that uses ultra low voltage. With its advanced power saving technology, the notebook scores high on environment friendly enthusiast. In addition to this a built in high resolution webcam, High definition multimedia output and wireless Lan with Bluetooth make this the best ultra slim laptop option for you.

The MSI’s new offering comes preloaded with Windows Vista Home premium, : Intel® GS45 + ICH9M-SFF chipsets and a system memory of DDR2 667/800, Max:2 GB. It has two audio speakers and a 2 in 1 card reader.

Other Features include:

* Built-in Gigabit Ethernet LAN and Modem Module Built-in 802.11b/g/n WLAN Card, Bluetooth is optional
* I/O Port
* 40W AC Adaptor
* 4/8 cells battery pack & life

While these features do make this notebook quite attractive, there are some downsides as well such as a flimsy cheap looking plastic keyboard and low battery power. However with this price range and the great features, this ultra slim notebook is definitely worth the consideration.

Mozilla Prism a new add on released by Mozilla as a beta application allows feasible environment for running web based applications such as your mail clients and favorite websites. Referred to initially as Webrunner, this program allows creation of website shortcuts and a dedicated window that aids in accessing these sites. The web applications can thus be launched from the desktop and configured independently of the default web browser. Based on Site Specific Browsers, this software is built to work on single web application.

Available as a Standalone or an Add-on to Firefox, Prism can be easily integrated in your Firefox browser. Just like any other extension, you first need to install the software. Once you restart the browser the application is activated for use.

For accessing the application, open Firefox browser and then go to the website for which you desire to create a application. Select the Tools option from the menu and click on Convert Website to Application option. Enter the short cut details and click ok to access your favorite websites as applications.

For the standalone applications, just enter the URL of the website you want to turn into an application, provide a name for it and select where you want the location of shortcut . Click OK to start accessing the websites

Download firefox Prism

Download Standalone Version

Selected from over a 100 entries from 40 colleges nationwide, the MIT’s Clean Energy Award went to the innovative husk insulation for refrigerators. This early stage startup developed by the students of Michigan seeks to provide high-grade insulation for refrigerators from agricultural waste. The semi finalists competed for a grand prize of f$200,000 from categories such as Biomass, Clean Hydrocarbons, Energy Efficiency and Infrastructure, Renewables and Transportation. Sponsored by NSTAR and the U.S. Department of Energy, the award was given to the innovative and patented Husk technology that converts agricultural waste into cost-effective vacuum insulated panels.

Rice husk is the protective layer covering the rice grains and is generated by the milling of the paddy. It is thereon used to generate stem for the parboiling process which converts ¼ th of its weight to ash. This gave rise to the rice husk ash or RHA which has high concentrations of silica and is ten times better insulator than the conventional polystyrene panels used in the refrigerator.

The Michigan initiative has led to the invention of the core material for the insulating panels using RHA, leading not only to energy efficiency but also providing refrigerators with slimmer vacuum insulated panels of around 1 inch. This means greater interior space and much better insulation as compared to the four inch polysterene panels. Moreover the rice husk ash which would otherwise be discarded can now be used as a replacement for the non biodegradable petroleum polysterene product. In addition to refrigerators, housing and transportation fields are also targeted. After finishing business school, this team from Michigan plans to convert this idea into a full fledged startup. This is essentially the focus of MIT that seeks to encourage the pace of clean energy entrepreneurship. For this capital resources and support are provided to the budding entrepreneurs to aid their success.