Harness the Power of Any Search Engine Onto a Cool Toolbar
Web Resources of the Week
1) Search Tools Harness the Power of Any Search Engine Onto a Cool Toolbar
This week, it's time for a free web search tool that I recently discovered called NeedleSearch. It allows you to capture the basic search functionality from any web engine, site search tool, or specialized database and make it readily accessible at any time via an easy-to-use toolbar.
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For some of you, the only issue in trying NeedleSearch is the fact that it only works with the wonderful open-source web browser, Mozilla. If you've never tried Mozilla, by all means do so. Like NeedleSearch, it's completely free and offers all sorts of features including a pop-up blocker. Mozilla also allows you to open and view multiple pages in the same browser application using tabbed windows. Very useful! Mozilla is available for several platforms, including Windows, Mac OS X, Linux and more.
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Now that we've got that out of the way, let's move on to NeedleSearch. This piece of freeware is the work of a Dutch software developer. In a nutshell, NeedleSearch operates like other toolbars BUT this one allows YOU to easily (and I do mean easily) and at any time harness the search functionality of any search engine directly into the NeedleSearch application. No need to wait for a developer, you can do it yourself!
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You're then able to run basic searches without first having to go directly to the database or web site you need to search. Allow me to share a couple of examples. But before getting started, I can report that NeedleSearch installs quickly and easily.
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Once installed you'll see that a few search engines have been "pre-programmed" for you. You can edit them, remove them, etc., the choice is yours. Editing or removing these choices is easily accomplished by selecting the "edit" button (second to last button on the toolbar). Ok, now let's add a rapidly expanding general web engine, Gigablast, to NeedleSearch.
+ Go to the Gigablast home page and turn on the NeedleSearch auto-adder (button with the "plus" sign on it).
+ In the Gigablast search box type: NeedleSearch. You should see a message that Gigablast has been added to NeedleSearch. That's it, you're done!
+ Now, the next time you want to run a basic search with Gigablast, simply enter your search terms into toolbar, pull-down to Gigablast, and click the search button.
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Now for my favorite reason for using NeedleSearch. Not only can you use it to search general web engines, but you can also use it with specialized databases.
Here's an example.
I'm always searching Peter Scott's wonderful Libdex database of library web sites and OPACS. With NeedleSearch I can search the database without having to first go to the Libdex site. This will not only work with Libdex but with just about any site or specialized web engine with search functionality. Here are the steps I followed to add Libdex to the NeedleSearch toolbar.
+ Go to Libdex.Com and find the search box.
+ Turn on the NeedleSearch auto-adder (button with the "plus" sign on it).
+ In the Libdex search box type: NeedleSearch
+ An alert box notifying you you've added Libdex should appear
+ You're done.
Now, no matter where you are on the web, you can search Libdex without first having to and find the Libdex site.
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Of course, many other features are included. For example, you can open results in a new window or Mozilla tab, highlight search terms, and more. A button is also available to find your search term(s) on the results page or the underlying web page.
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Those of you with experience "tweaking" urls can set up more sophisticated queries by editing the url string with NeedleSearch. Like most web tools, the best way to learn about NeedleSearch is to download a copy, have the documentation nearby, and experiment. I think you'll find this free tool easy to use and very useful. Once again, NeedleSearch is free to download and use.
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One final note for the Googleaholics out there. I think some of you will question the fact that your original download of NeedleSearch includes Dutch language versions of Google. Changing it to the www.google.com version can be accomplished by either removing this version via the edit/remove buttons and adding a new entry direct from Google.Com OR by simply editing out the from the url.
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2) Television--History Reference Tools
Source: The Museum of Broadcast Communications, Chicago Full Text Book: The Encyclopedia of Television
From the site, The Encyclopedia of Television includes more than 1,000 original essays from more than 250 contributors and examines specific programs and people, historic moments and trends, major policy disputes and such topics as violence, tabloid television and the quiz show scandal. It also includes histories of major television networks as well as broadcasting systems around the world and is complemented by resource materials, photos and bibliographical information. The book is not searchable but does contain hyperlinked cross-references.
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