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Google added a share button to search results
How many times have you been asked something so incredibly straightforward that the effort of asking the question likely far surpasses the effort involved in just Googling it in the first place? Probably at least once or twice, hence the existence of LMGTFY. Until now there was no particularly easy way of directly sharing search results, but Google's working on that.
Google brings Instant Previews to mobile, makes them seriously useful (video)
We've never had a use for Google Instant Search on mobile, so we didn't expect much when Google's Instant Previews invaded the smartphone realm as well. You know what? They're actually surprisingly useful. Instead of trying to cram additional information into Google's already-crowded mobile website, Instant Previews adds a little magnifying glass next to most every result instead, and clicking on the magnifier brings up a series of cached thumbnails of each page that you can scroll through in portrait or landscape modes. It's a very visual way of finding what you're looking for, and more importantly, it's quick even over 3G, saving time and mobile bandwidth that would otherwise be spent clicking through links one by one. Rather than decipher that long-winded explanation, though, why don't you try it out for yourself or watch our video demonstration after the break?
Ask WoW Insider: Cashing out Badges
Time once again to put the considerable brainpower that you, dear readers, have to good use (and by good use we mean other than making funny things about the Failoc). It's time once again to Ask WoW Insider. This week we have a question for you from fordarkness over on WoW LJ -- it's about Badges of Justice, and just when and how would be best to cash them in before the expansion.Obviously, the expansion isn't going to bring in new badge vendors that we can use these for.... Epic level 70 gems will probably still be around and used for your intro raiding gear, but chances are they'll be replaced pretty quick too.I'm debating liquidating my badges into gems, nethers and vortexes and selling them on the AH. Of course, there's the issue of "how soon is too soon" and "what if the patch puts in some new vendor items", along with "I need to get the items out on the market before it becomes flooded and no one wants them due to the imminent release of the LK expansion"!So whaddaya think? If you have extra badges, liquidating them into Nethers and Vortexes isn't too bad an idea, since even Badge gear might be overtaken by green gear a few quests into Northrend. But then again, even crafted gear that uses those items might end up being useless within the first few levels, so what's a Badge hoarder to do?What's your plan for getting rid of the Badges you have left? Are you just going to spend them as you need them and see what solutions present themselves when Wrath arrives? It would be interesting if Blizzard, say, offered an XP reward in exchange for them after level 70. Or have you already liquidated your stock by selling out Primal Nethers on the AH? What happens to your Badges when the way to Northrend opens up?
Ask WoW Insider: Defining mains and alts
There's a ton of asking going on around this site lately -- between "Ask a Lore Nerd" and "Ask a Beta Tester," you guys are asking more questions than a two-year old who just learned what "why" means. But this column, Ask WoW Insider, is the O.G. of Ask columns here on the site, and unlike all of the other Ask columns, we put the question back to you readers. Chippen of EU Doomhammer sent in this great question this week:We are having a discussion in our guild whether alts have priority on loot before guild members and we do have different views on this. Some say that an alt is an alt, and need to wait to be geared up, while others can't really see the problem. What is a main and what is an alt? I suppose a main is the...well...I don't know. The first character I created? Or is it the character I play the most? Or is it the character I want to play the most and also enjoying playing the most? When does an alt become a main, and is it possible to swap between the two?If you're asking me, I'd say it's definitely possible to switch mains (I've done it a few times) -- your main is currently the character that's getting the majority of your playtime, and the one where loot matters the most to you. Some guilds ask you to declare a main, so that they can make a clear distinction for passing out loot, while other guilds just have players switch alts depending only on what situations require what.So let's show up those other Ask columns and give this great, open-ended question out to you, our dear readers: what is a main and what is an alt? And what's the difference between the two?If you've got a question for our readers to be posted right here in the original Ask column, be sure to send it along to ask@wow.com. And there's lots more Ask WoW Insider, including this question on abusing the /roll, and how to make friends and influence raiders on a new server.
Ask WoW Insider: An early disappointment?
With all the Wrath news dropping, there's been a ton of hype around the next World of Warcraft expansion. Lots of players are very excited (including yours truly), but Charles S isn't so much. He actually stopped playing the game in March of this past year (before that, he raided as a Warlock), and he is using today's Ask WoW Insider column to ask you, our readers, if anyone else isn't so hot on what they've seen so far:I've been reading your site and the news about the expansion and my question is, is it too early to be disappointed in what I am seeing for this expansion?Unfortunately he doesn't expound much more beyond that, and I'd like to know what else he wants to see from the expansion -- we're going to get Death Knights, siege vehicles, and we're going to get to meet the Lich freakin' King, more than once. I don't know what more a Warcraft fan would want. But maybe you do -- think it's too early for Charles to be disappointed, or should he wait and see if Wrath will bring him back to the game?And if you have a question you want to ask our readers, feel free to send it along to ask@wow.com, and you might see it up here next week for everyone else to answer.Previously on Ask WoW Insider...
FileSpot 2.1 released: Supercharged Spotlight interface
Synthesis Studios has released version 2.1 of FileSpot (formerly MoRU), their advanced interface for Spotlight. It allows you to make advanced, boolean logic queries and makes accessible some of the more complex aspects of Spotlight. Not to make it sound complicated, though, its iTunes-ish interface is pretty simple to use. It also adds file tagging with support for other 3rd party tagging apps like Spotmeta. This release adds two great features: Quick Look support and search results that display as they're located rather than waiting for the search to complete. Both features definitely make my day.FileSpot has a 30 day trial period and costs $20 to register.
Search Gmail from LaunchBar, Butler, others
A MacOSXHints reader submitted a simple trick to allow app launcher utilities like LaunchBar, Butler and others to search Gmail. All you have to do is add a new search template to your launcher of choice with a specific URL and you're off to submitting Gmail search queries from [insert launcher name here]. The query URL to use is: http://mail.google.com/mail/?search=query&view=tl&start=0&init=1&fs=1&q=* But check the MacOSXHints post for instructions on how to tweak that line depending on which launcher you're using. For Quicksilver users, a comment on their post revealed the line you have to use (I think you have to have the Web Search Module plugin in order to be able to add this search to your catalog): http://mail.google.com/mail/?search=query&view=tl&start=0&init=1&fs=1&q=*** Enjoy.
MoRU - what Spotlight should be?
Rob Griffiths over at MacOSXHints has discovered MoRU, an app that builds upon the power of Spotlight with its offering of far more customizable search queries. Instead of searching for everything across your entire Mac with Spotlight, consider how much handier it would be to say: "show me these specific kind of files, with exactly X in their name, made between this year and that year." If this concept seems a little strange, check out Rob's post for a couple real-world examples of when a blind search across everything on your machine becomes less productive than Apple advertises.MoRU is shareware that costs $10. If you're as unhappy with Spotlight's blind, system-wide search as Rob, it sounds like MoRU is definitely worth taking for a spin.
