Using Google Fight different

I've heard earlier about a funny tool which compares the number of search results of two terms: Google fight. By then, I only used this tool for fun. But now I discovered an other handy way to use it. When I’m not exactly sure about the spelling of a certain word (especially English) I consult Google fight.

A simple example: Useful versus Usefull. After I clicked the "Make a fight" button, "Useful" provides 1.380.000.000 results, and "Usefull" 13.000.000 results. This means that "Useful" is the winner! Maybe it isn’t that reliable, because many people can make the same mistake. But for me it is a good help sometimes. The site itself is not affiliated with or sponsored by Google, although the name tells you the opposite.

Google Calculator calculates it for you

In principle, you don't need a handhold calculator or the built in calculator in Windows anymore. Google can do it for you now. It works in the same way as Google Currency Converter, mentioned in my post of June 15, 2006. You can use this tool via de start page of Google. Just type a calculation in the search bar and Google will provide you the answer. See the following examples:

• 16+8
• 16+8-9*10
• 15% of 35
• pi/6
  
• tanh(9)
  

Also you can convert different measurements:

• 15 days in seconds
• 50 Watt on horsepower (hp)
• 80 in binary
• 5000 meters in feet

Finally commonly used physical constants are known to this calculator:

• Euler's constant
• molar gas constant
  

I think that especially the conversion part of this function can be very useful off and on.

Peragro Versutia has been changed?

People who visit Peragro Versutia more often, will notice that something has changed. The weblog isn't written in Dutch anymore but in English. Why have I done that? Well I noticed that most visitors of Peragro Versutia are coming from outside the Dutch language area. So it's more effective to use English instead of Dutch, and therefore I can let more people enjoy my weblog. Of course, I hope my English will be easy to understand....

Google Currency Converter

For the travellers and economics among us, I’ve found out that Google offers a nice little tool: Google Currency Converter. With this tool you can transfer different currencies. Although not every kind of currency is represented, this tool can be useful so now and then. There are different possibilities to search. You can use abbreviations of currencies and you can do a search query more like a sentence.

• 8.5 GBP in USD
• 5 euro in New Zealand money
• 100 USD in Danish money
• currency of Brazil in German money

Afterwards Google provides a short and brief answer. This tool can be used via Google.com as well as via Google.nl.

You’ve got a Question? Ask Yahoo! Answers!

Google Groups is known among many people. This discussion group was for a long period of time known as the Usenet-archive, which was accessible via the website Deja.com. In 2001 Google acquired Deja.com, and Google Groups was born.

Yahoo! started in the beginning of 2006 a similar service, namely Yahoo! Answers. This service provides access to several categories, in which people can post questions. Afterwards visitors have the possibility to answer these questions. The silliest questions are posted. For example: "When brushing your teeth, where do you begin?" But fortunately there are also questions that are more serious of nature: "Do not copy! How do I protect the content of a web site?" Also you can search at keyword and you can view answered questions.

Yahoo! Answers has started in January 2006. By then more then 10 million questions are answered. (Yahoo! Search Blog, May 14, 2006) From the subcategory “Internet” 20 questions from the second 100 questions are not answered (20%). So, approximately 80% of the questions are answered. Although this is a rough appraisal, it seems like this service is going well. Some questions look like a discussion (for example: Do you think Mexico will win the Fifa world cup 2006?), which I think is a pity. Nevertheless, I think this service could come in very useful some time.

A telephone number but no address?

Lately, it has been a little bit quiet on Peragro Versutia. The reason? I was in the last stage of my graduation, which was quite a busy period. I’ve finished it yesterday, which means that I can give myself time again to update my weblog.

A few days ago, a colleague of mine needed some addresses of people. The only thing he knew where their phone numbers. For me it was a challenge to find an information source, where you could search at phone number. In my opinion anywhere on the World Wide Web there must be a search source which meets this need.

And yes, it seems that this search source (only Dutch) exist indeed, but in a very anonymous way. Although it’s an anonymous source, it works fine. Addresses with phone number (and vice-versa) are found in no time. The result: A happy colleague and a happy trainee.

Alltheweb Live suggest

Yahoo! is testing a new functionality via their search engine Alltheweb, with the idea to perhaps integrate it in Yahoo! Search in a later time.

We are talking about Alltheweb Livesearch. This functionality shows from the moment you are typing, suggestions for other search terms. It isn’t completely new. Almost self-evidently is Google also providing such a service (Google Suggest).

Nevertheless I have my doubts about the benefits of this service. Most of time people have a certain goal in mind before they consult a search engine. Also I have the idea that the given suggestions are most of the time not relevant. For example, by typing the search query “mobile phone” does the suggestions, “boost mobile”, mobile phones”, “mobile homes” and “yahoo! Mobile” get you anywhere? I think it does not.