Recent Comments
Comment by Donna Sue Fraley on [WOW] ASCII Artwork - An Internet Treasure (December 21, 2024 07:14 AM)
Ohhhh gosh, how this brought back memories! I was a rider on the Bus when it first came into being! And I do indeed remember when the squirrels starte...
Comment by howard on [WOW] ASCII Artwork - An Internet Treasure (December 21, 2024 02:34 AM)
I remember the days long ago when Steve and Johnnie, were on the overnight show on WGN radio, one day a week he would be on answering callers computer...
Comment by Cheryl C on [WOW] ASCII Artwork - An Internet Treasure (December 20, 2024 10:36 PM)
Patrick's squirrel signature was because squirrels were frequently chewing on the electrical lines into the house interrupting internet access....
Comment by Donna on [WOW] ASCII Artwork - An Internet Treasure (December 20, 2024 08:06 PM)
I'm a bus-rider from way back, too! Thanks so much for this blast from the past; love it!...
Comment by Bryan Hanes on [WOW] ASCII Artwork - An Internet Treasure (December 20, 2024 07:41 PM)
I was a happy rider of the “Internet Tourbus” in the 90’s. I believe that the Squirrels were antagonizing the wiring at the University of Alaba...
Comment by Thom on [WOW] ASCII Artwork - An Internet Treasure (December 20, 2024 07:18 PM)
Wow, is right! This brings back a lot of memories of the early days of the Internet....
Comment by Peppi on The Click That Could Cost You (December 20, 2024 08:01 AM)
Windows 11 home is not build well. Never had any security problems with Windows 10 for 7 years home version. But Windows 11 is easy to crack by phishe...
Comment by Sarah L on 14 Computer Facts That Are Not True (December 20, 2024 05:10 AM)
AdBlocker Plus is not clearing the screen of the ads that come with your post. Did you change what ads you buy? If I cannot block the ads, it is near ...
Comment by John Burrows on The Click That Could Cost You (December 20, 2024 02:35 AM)
Can it be dangerous to scan a QR code?...
Comment by Bob K on The Click That Could Cost You (December 20, 2024 01:18 AM)
Tom wrote: Bob - really like your articles, however I never have liked McAfee, there are much better software out there, ---------------------- Ind...
Search-Engines Articles
Turbocharge Your Search: Tips and Tricks
The Web is a window to a world of wonder and wisdom. But as the amount of online information grows, finding what you want in search engines is getting harder. A casual search for a keyword or phrase can produce millions of hits, but they are not always ordered by relevance. On the other hand, search engines can quickly tell you things that you wouldn’t expect a search engine to know. Here are some tips to get more out of search engines, or less if that’s what you need. Read on...
...Power User Search Tips and Tricks
The Web is a window to a world of wonder and wisdom. But as the amount of online information grows, finding what you want in search engines is getting harder. A casual search for a keyword or phrase can produce millions of hits, but they are not always ordered by relevance. On the other hand, search engines can quickly tell you things that you wouldn’t expect a search engine to know. Here are some tips to get more out of search engines, or less if that’s what you need…
...Search Backwards: Reverse Directory Lookups
Can you find the name of a person or business if all you know about them is a phone number or street address? What if all you have is an email address or a photo? This type of search is called a reverse directory lookup. Learn about the free and fee-based reverse search tools you can find online...
...Is DuckDuckGo Better Than Google?
Google has an overwhelming lead in the global search market, handling over ninety percent of all searches. But that doesn't faze people like Gabriel Weinberg, an entrepreneur who developed an odd-sounding search engine to address flaws in Google's search strategy. Find out if DuckDuckGo can be your primary search engine, and if this fast-growing, privacy-focused option is likely to knock Google off its perch as the top search engine...
...Searching Backwards: Reverse Directory Lookups
Can you locate a person or business if all you know about them is a phone number or street address? What if all you have is an email address or a photo? This type of search is called a reverse directory lookup. Learn about the free and fee-based reverse search tools you can find online…
...Try These Power User Search Tips
The Web is a window to a world of wisdom. But as the amount of online information grows, finding what you want in search engines is getting harder. A casual search for a keyword or phrase can produce millions of hits, but they are not always ordered by relevance. On the other hand, search engines can quickly tell you things that you wouldn’t expect a search engine to know. Here are some easy ways to get more out of search engines, or less if that’s what you need…
...Become a Google Search Master (here's how)
Google is offering online video classes aimed at turning ordinary mortals into Google “Power Searchers” who can use the search giant’s most sophisticated tools to quickly search, research complex questions, and find the most pertinent results. You might be surprised by how well that pays, and by the might of your own Google Fu. Read on, grasshopper...
...Is PeekYou Good or Evil?
A reader asks: 'I recently heard about a people search website called PeekYou, and when I searched for myself, I was shocked at the personal information they had compiled about me. Can you explain how they do this, and if I should really be concerned?' Sure, let's dig into PeekYou and render a verdict...
...Try These Free Online Research Tools
The World Wide Web is at once a gold mine and a cesspool, so how can you find answers to your questions, and the helpful, authoritative information you need? Check out my list of the best free online reference and research tools...
...Here's How: Strengthen Your Google Fu
Do you know how to get the most out of Google Search? Sometimes the standard search strategy – “just type in a few words” – doesn’t yield the optimal results. You may get too many results, or marginally relevant ones. The true disciples of “Google Fu” know the following secret ways to get exactly what they want from the world’s largest search engine. Read on to learn the secrets of the masters...
...Try These Advanced Search Engine Tips
The Web is a window to a world of information. But as the amount of online information grows, finding what you want in search engines is getting harder. A casual search for a keyword or phrase can produce millions of hits, and they are not ordered by relevance exclusively. On the other hand, search engines can quickly tell you things that you wouldn’t expect a search engine to know. Here are some easy ways to get more out of search engines, or less if that’s what you need...
...Beyond Google: The Other Search Engines
We’re used to thinking of the Big Three in search engines: Google, Microsoft Bing, and Yahoo! But a pie chart of search engine market share will show you a difference picture. There's really only one dominant player, and plenty of smaller search tools vying for attention. Here's what you need to know about alternative search engines...
...Try These AI-Powered Image Recognition Tools
“What's in this picture?” It’s a question that human minds can answer instantly in most cases. Show me a photo of nine uniformed men standing on a diamond-shaped field and I’ll tell you, “It’s a baseball game.” Computers have a much harder time answering such questions. But advances in artificial intelligence and image recognition technology are closing the gap. Read on to learn more and try it for yourself...
...Here's How to Search The Deep Web
There are over 130 trillion individual Web pages as of this writing. But that's only the very tip of the iceberg. Beyond what popular search engines offer up, there is a universe of information that's online and discoverable -- if you have the right skills and tools. Here's how to gain access to the rest of the Web...
...Wolfram Alpha: Search Engine or Answer Calculator?
Untold millions use Google as their go-to search engine, but there are others you should know about. Among all the “other” search engines, one of my favorites is Wolfram|Alpha. It’s not really a search engine in the traditional sense; it’s more like an “answer calculator.” Wolfram|Alpha surfaces online through licensing deals that make its technology available through Google Search, Bing, Siri, and other well-known brands. But it's best to experience it directly. Here’s a look at what Wolfram|Alpha is, and can do for you...
...Are You in the Google Filter Bubble?
DuckDuckGo, the privacy-focused search engine, is once again spewing FUD – Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt – about Google Search. According to DDG’s latest “study,” Google is manipulating search results in undetectable ways based on its effectively omniscient knowledge of each user’s likes and dislikes, surfing and shopping habits, demographics, etc. But is that really happening? Read on for my analysis...
...Can We The People Take Back Search?
It’s no secret that the Web has been taken over by giant corporations whose sole concern is the enrichment of their shareholders. You and I and the rest of humanity are merely raw materials to be ground up and processed into “shareholder value.” Is there any alternative to a world in which three corporations control 98% of search results? Read on for the scoop on decentralized Search...
...Wolfram Alpha: The Answer Calculator
Among all the “other” search engines, my favorite is Wolfram Alpha. It’s not really a search engine in the traditional sense; it’s an “answer calculator.” Rarely in the news, Wolfram Alpha nonetheless exerts influence through licensing deals that make its technology available through Google Search, Bing, Siri, and other well-known brands. Here’s a look at what Wolfram Alpha has become since I last wrote about it in 2015...
...[POOF] What if Google Disappeared?
A recent tech kerfluffle involving a home-automation service first got me irritated because the media, again, inaccurately spun a story to create FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt). Then I got thinking, “What if this happened to something that matters, like Google?” Let's explore that thought...
...[HOWTO] Searching The Deep Web
There are over 60 trillion individual Web pages as of this writing. But that's only the very tip of the iceberg. Beyond what popular search engines offer up, there is a universe of information that's online and discoverable -- if you have the right skills and tools. Here's how to gain access to the rest of the Web...
...The Other Search Engines
We’re used to thinking of the Big Three in search engines: Google, Microsoft Bing, and Yahoo! But on a global level, there’s a Big Four. And there are plenty of smaller search sites vying for attention. Here's what you need to know about alternative search engines…
...What's Happening in This Picture?
It’s a question that human minds can answer instantly in most cases. Show me a photo of nine uniformed men standing on a diamond-shaped field and I’ll tell you, “It’s a baseball game.” Computers have a much harder time answering such questions. But this new technology just might be a breakthrough. Read on to learn more and try it for yourself...
...Is Your Flashlight App Spying On You?
Almost every app you install on a mobile device or a social media network asks for permission to access some of your private user data; many also ask to perform actions on your behalf, such as writing to your Facebook timeline or Twitter feed. Sometimes it’s obvious that an app needs the permission it’s requesting in order to work at all. But how can you tell when an app’s request for permission is unreasonable, suspicious, or malicious?
...Beware The Deep, Dark Web!
Every so often, the mainstream media likes to tell us a scary story about the spooky, dangerous “Dark Web” where criminals, terrorists, hackers, and spammers conspire to victimize all of us. The reality is a bit more balanced and not so scary. There is a “Deep Web” where nobody wants to go and a “Dark Web” where people lurk anonymously but most of them are up to legitimate, even noble business.
...How Strong Is Your Google Fu?
Are you getting the most out of Google Search? Sometimes the standard search strategy – “just type in a few words” – doesn’t yield the optimal results. You may get too many results, or marginally relevant ones. The true disciples of Google Fu know the following secret ways to get exactly what they want from the world’s largest search engine...
...Should You Bing In The New Year?
Microsoft is making some harsh claims about Google, in the hope that you'll switch to their Bing search engine. But is Bing really better? Here's my take on the 'Google versus Bing' battle that's playing out in the media and online...
...More Google Search Alternatives
When you just aren’t finding what you want via Google, Bing, or Yahoo, it’s time to take a walk down the roads less traveled. Some alternative search tools are trying to do better than the big boys in terms of providing more useful results. Here are more alternatives to the most popular search engines...
...Google Search Alternatives
Although Google is often used as a verb that's interchangeable with search, it's not the only search engine. Comscore's April 2013 report shows Google with a market share of 67 percent, but you should know who's giving Google competition. Here are some other web search tools that you should keep handy...
...Reverse Mobile Phone Number Search
A reader asks: 'Sometimes a phone number pops up on my phone's caller-ID that I don't recognize. I let it go to voicemail, but usually there is no message. When I call, there's no answer. An online search tells me only that it's a cell phone. How can I find out who owns this number?'
...Seven More Alternative Search Engines
When you just aren’t finding what you want via Google, Bing, or Yahoo, it’s time to take a walk down the roads less traveled. Some new search tools are trying to do better than the big boys in terms of providing more useful results. Here are seven more alternatives to the most popular search engines...
...Wolfram Alpha - Join the 0.1 Percent!
Have you heard about Wolfram|Alpha? It sounds like a secret society of zoologists, but it's actually a very cool search engine that can answer natural language questions by crunching data, numbers and a little secret sauce. Here's the scoop on what you can do with Wolfram|Alpha...
...Is Google's Knowledge Graph Good or Evil?
Google recently introduced Knowledge Graph, touting it as the next step towards semantic search, a more intelligent search that knows what you’re searching for, and understands relationships between people, places and things. It appears to be a useful time-saver for certain popular search topics. But in its initial debut, some observers are seeing a threat to the fabric of the web...
...Can DuckDuckGo Beat Google at Search?
Google has an overwhelming lead in the search market, with over two-thirds of all searches. But that doesn't faze people like Gabriel Weinberg, an entrepreneur who developed an odd-sounding search engine to address two flaws in Google's search strategy. Find out if DuckDuckGo is likely to knock Google off its perch as the top search engine...
...Is PeekYou Evil?
I recently heard about a 'people search' website called PeekYou, and when I searched for myself, I was shocked at the personal information they had compiled about me. Can you explain how they do this, and if I should really be concerned?
...Online Job Search Tools
The job market has never been tougher on workers searching for employment opportunities. Sure, competition is fierce. But also, the marketplace where applicants look for work has become highly fragmented. Here are some online tools to help with your job search...
...File Search Tools
How to find a particular file among the thousands on your hard drive can be a perplexing problem. Organizing files in folders and naming files according to some easily remembered scheme can take you only so far. If all you can remember is that a file contained a reference to a word or phrase, then these crude organizational tools won't help you find it. You need file search tools that will search the contents of files...
...Reverse Mobile Phone Number Lookup
Often a phone number pops up on my cell phone's caller-ID that I recognize. So I let it go to voicemail and check messages later. But usually there is no message, or the message makes no sense. How can I find out who owns this number?
...Who Owns That Website?
You may need to know who owns or operates a Web site. Most people don't realize that domain registration information is easily searched by using free publicly available databases. Here's how to get the name and contact info for (almost) any website...
...Add a Search Engine To My Site
My website has grown to the point where it's difficult for visitors to find things without a lot of clicking. I've seen sites that have their own search engine, but I'm not a programmer so I don't know how that works. How can I add site search capability to my website?
...Google Results By Date And Time
I'm doing some Google searches for news stories that happened several years ago. But all the top results are for the most current or most 'popular' pages on my keywords. Can I tell Google limit my search results to specific dates?
...What is Wolfram Alpha?
Have you heard about Wolfram Alpha? It sounds like a secret society of zoologists, but it's actually one of the coolest new search engines to come along in quite a while. Here's the scoop...
...What Is Bing?
Today you have many search engines to choose from. Each search engine offers you both standard keyword search options and a few special features. One of the newest search engines to hit the streets is Microsoft's Bing. Let's see what interesting features Bing has, and how it differs from the others...
...Search Privacy
I've heard that Google keeps a log of everything that people search for. If this is true, can I delete my search history? Who else is keeping track of what I search for?
...Sued for Searching?
I hear from readers often who are worried about the possible repercussions of downloading music and movies from file-sharing sites or P2P services such as LimeWire and Bittorrent. Now there's something new to worry about for users of P2P search services such as TorrentSpy... can you get sued for searching?
...Specialized Searches
Everyone knows that you can throw a word or phrase at Google and it will return web pages that match. But Google is more than a search engine... it's a verb. Here are some very cool specialized Google searches that will save you time and make you wonder what Google doesn't know...
...Search Engine News
Tired of the same old search engine? In this article you'll find reviews of some new Internet search tools with all the bells and whistles...
...Name and Address Search
I'm trying to reconnect with some old friends, but I'm having trouble finding their address and telephone numbers. Can you tell me where to look for good people finder tools that offer searches for telephone, email and address listings?
...Sex Offender Databases
The stories of Jessica Lunsford and other abused children make we wonder if my child is safe in our neighborhood, and on the Internet. I've heard that people can use the Internet to find out if there is a sexual predator living nearby. How can I get access to such a database, and can you give me pointers on how to keep my child safe on the Internet?
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