JG Visual

10 Simple Google Search Tips

Jonathan Goldford — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:37:15 +0000

For most people the days of Yahoo! or MSN search are over. We use Google and we use it all the time. As much as you might use Google, there are probably a number of other ways to use it that you may not know. Check out these tips to see if you can expand on your Google search know-how.

1. Find a Definition (Ex. Define: charades)

Type in define: and then your word to get a list of definitions.

2. Get the Weather Forecast (Ex. weather 63132)

Google will give you a four-day forecast and allow you to click on a detailed forecast from the Weather Channel, Weather Underground, or AccuWeather.

3. Perform Conversions (Ex. 8 lbs in ounces)

This one is perfect for when you’re at the grocery store and need to make a quick conversion on your phone.

4. Track a Flight Status (Ex. delta 2250)

Google Search will tell you the date of the flight, the departure and arrival times, and whether or not the flight is on time.

5. Find the Location of an Area Code (Ex. 314)

If you’ve ever gotten a call and you don’t recognize the area code you know why this is helpful. Just plug it in to Google and it will give you the city and state.

6. Track Your Package (Ex. 1Z9249W99957629999)

Google Search tracks packages for UPS, USPS, and FedEx. Once you search Google will give you a link to easily find the status of your package.

7. Find Sports Scores (Ex. st. louis cardinals)

A search for your team will bring up the score of a current game or will give you the time of their next game.

8. Get Stock Quotes (Ex. msft)

Just search the ticker symbol and Google will give the price, the change, a number of other statistics, and links to many of the popular finance websites.

9. Get Local Movie Times (Ex. movies 90007)

Type in movies followed by your zip code and Google will return popular movies along with a rating based on reviews.

10. Search a Phrase Using Quotes (Ex. “web design”)

If you put your phrase in quotes Google will only return results with those words next to each other. This ensures I won’t get results with graphic design or web site for my search “web design”.

That’s it for my list. Do you have any other Google Search tips to share?

Other Resources

12 Quick Tips To Search Google Like An Expert

20 Tips for More Efficient Google Searches

Top 10 Obscure Google Search Tricks

Handy Google Search Tips: 19 Simple Tricks You Need To Know

Explore Google Search Tips

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Get Better Lighting in Your Sunset Picture

David Hartstein — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 18:12:57 +0000

Our eyes are incredible. They can adjust to almost any lighting, allowing us to see when there is barely any light or in direct sunlight. Our cameras are far more limited. All too often, we struggle to capture something that looks gorgeous to our eyes like a sunset. Below is a trick that will help you get better lighting in your sunset pictures.

The Problem: The Sky is White!

Frequently, the difference between a great photo that perfectly captures a sunset and a photo of what appears to be a mostly white sky has to do with exposure. It can be incredibly frustrating when you are looking at a beautiful sky and, despite how gorgeous it looks to your eyes, the camera continues to turn the whole sky white. The problem is that the camera can’t handle both the bright light (of the sky) and the lack of light (of the subject on the ground). There is far more light in the sky than there is on the ground, which floods the camera and turns the sky white.

The Solution: The Sky Looks Awesome!

Much like the pupil in your eye, your camera has the ability to change the amount of light that comes into it. When it is very bright, the camera lets in less light. And you have the ability to tell the camera what you want it to look at when it decides how much light to allow in. All you have to do is aim your camera at whatever you want to show up and push halfway down on the shutter button (the button you push to take a photo). While all cameras are a bit different, it will probably beep and/or flash up some boxes on the LCD screen. As long as you continue to hold the shutter button halfway down, you can move the camera and aim it at whatever you want. When you push the button all the way down, the camera will take the photo.

To give a tangible example, let’s return to the sunset and a subject on the ground. If I wanted to shoot the sunset, I would aim my camera up at the sky and hold the shutter button halfway down. After I hear it beep and/or see the boxes flash on the screen, I would continue to hold the button halfway but I would move my camera until I have composed the photo the way that I want. I would then push the shutter button down all the way and revel in how beautifully I have captured the sunset. (Note: In this particular example, the ground will come out dark since I am telling the camera to prioritize the sunset. In situations that have a wide range of lighting, you will have to choose what is the most important subject to have properly lit.)

Make Those Clouds Stand Out Too!

This same technique will work for any photo that has an area that is light and an area that is dark. It also works particularly well for taking photos of big, white clouds in a rich blue sky floating above a subject on the ground. Again, the ground will become dark, but the clouds and the sky will stand out.

These sites have coupons for a lot of the big companies we have come to know and love. Companies like Apple, HP, Dell, Walmart, and Orbitz are typically featured and new coupons pop up frequently. Recently, I saved $400 on my new computer by using coupons from Retailmenot.

Fatwallet.com – Fatwallet.com has become one of the most popular online coupon sites around. From this site you can find deals for over 2,500 retailers and you can also find free samples and cash back coupons. Additionally, they have a lot of coupon codes you can use when you go to the retailers web site.

Retailmenot.com – Retailmenot.com is my favorite coupon code web site. From this site you can find codes for different retailers and the community submits whether the codes worked or not. This way those coupons that work the most go to the top of the site and the ones that don’t are removed.

Restaurant.com – Resaurant.com is different than the other two because on this site you buy restaurant gift certificates at discounted rates. There are tons of $25 gift certificates you can buy for $10. The only downside is that for most restaurants you have to spend a minimum of $35 on the meal. So if you’re going with a big group, there isn’t much reason not to buy one.

While all these sites are great, it’s not always efficient to go through each site one at a time. One of the best strategies for coupon searching is Google. If you’re looking for HP coupons type “HP coupon codes” in Google and you are bound to get a ton of great results. You could even get more specific and type in the model number.

Despite all the great deals you can get, there is one important thing to remember whenever you start shopping online–It’s the same thing I always tell my mom when she finds a coupon– don’t buy something you don’t need. You have to remember that the stores created the coupons so you would buy, not to do you a favor. Therefore, the best strategy is to decide what you want to buy first, then go looking for coupons.

Good luck shopping and make sure to comment on other coupon resources you use to save money.

St. Louis Cultural Flamenco Society

Jonathan Goldford — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:58:45 +0000

The St. Louis Cultural Flamenco Society wanted a web site that showcased their Spanish culture. JG Visual created a site to teach people about the history of Flamenco and inform them of upcoming events and classes.

Role

Design, Development Using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery

Status

Completed, Launched in February 2010

Visit

www.stlculturalflamencosociety.org

Opportunities for Kids

Jonathan Goldford — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:13:24 +0000

As a San Diego nonprofit providing after school activities to underprivileged children, Opportunities for Kids wanted a web site to allow children to find activities and for organizations to sign up to provide them. This web site was proudly the first created by JG Visual.

Role

Design, Development Using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery

Status

Completed, Launched in October, 2009

Visit

www.o4k.org

Michael Egan

Jonathan Goldford — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:22:44 +0000

Michael Egan was looking to showcase his engineering design talents through a personal web site.