TECHNOLOGY CORNER
HotBot Quick Search Deskbar
If you're frustrated by some of your Googling results, you're not alone. Relying just on search engines to find what you need isn't enough. It's important to visit specific sites for specific searches. For example, an online dictionary for definitions; a map site for driving directions, and so forth.
But instead of having to go from site to site, a new product called the Hotbot Quick Search Deskbar (http://hotbot.com/tools/)can simplify your online life. It not only incorporates Google and other search engines, but also links you to more than two hundred different types of searches, including dictionaries, maps, weather information, currency converters, and much more. You download this free tool onto your computer and it resides at the bottom of your screen, in the system tray. You can do your searches right from your Word document, for example, since it will automatically take you to the Web (if you are connected).
Using a series of easy-to-learn commands, you can look up phone numbers and stock quotes, even translate phrases. The Deskbar doesn't work on Macs. Mac aficionados should be using its excellent Web browser, Safari (http://www.apple. com/safari).
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