RSSGoogle Improves Wildcard Searches
By Nate Mook | Published August 10, 2005, 11:28 AM
Web searches are one of the most effective ways to learn more about a topic, but finding the answer to a specific question is not as easy on the Web. To that end, Google has enabled its search engine to "fill in the blank," meaning a statement can be written with an asterisk substituting the missing fact.
"So instead of asking [who invented the parachute?], you can enter the query [the parachute was invented by *]," explains Google Research Scientist Hiyan Alshawi. "There is so much text on the web that this method often works well, but to make it more effective, we've improved the way results are found in response to queries containing such blanks."
The Internet was invented by *
Seriously...try it.
Other little known (probably for a reason) facts:
The very first MP3 created was "Tom's Diner" by Suzanne Vega.
1896: the first speeding ticket is issued to Mr Walter Arnold. He is fined one
shilling for doing 8mph in a 2mph zone.
The last known case of naturally occurring smallpox was in Somalia in 1977
THE first text message was sent on December 3, 1992. Scientists at Sema, a British technology company, sent it to their counterparts at the mobile phone company Vodafone.
Note: These are the results from Google. Accuracy not guaranteed.
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|They didn't have this already? That's stupid, even eBay has had this for years.
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|Useful!
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|The punchline is Leonardo da Vinci, for those who are interested ;)
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|Sweetness.
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|awesome this should be an easy school year.
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|Very good !
If you are using google, please visit it's help center to find others tweaks at http://www.google.com/help/index.html
Tweaks like using quotes to search a full phrase, or using site:www.domain.com to search only in one specified domain and so on .... i let you discover all others helpfull google functions ! cheers
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