Yak Shaving -- [MIT AI Lab, after 2000: orig. probably from a Ren & Stimpy episode.] Any seemingly pointless activity which is actually necessary to solve a problem which solves a problem which, several levels of recursion later, solves the real problem you're working on. (From the on-line hacker Jargon File)
#2 – When using Google, the asterisk symbol (*) can be used as a wildcard to substitute for a full word. For example, if I search “Joe Carter is *” it will return results that include “Joe Carter is smarter than me”, “Joe Carter is just so ridiculously wrong”, and “Joe Carter is intellectually incompetent.” A particularly useful tool when you can’t remember a specific word from a quote.
#67 -- To search within a certain set of numbers (i.e., a price range) use two dots (..). For example, to search for DVD players between $200 and $300 dollars use the search: DVD player $200..300
#88 -- Need to solve a math problem or convert a unit of measure? Enter the formula (i.e., 44% * 234; 345 mi in km) into the Google search bar and the Google Calculator will deliver the solution along with the results. (If you’re using Firefox this method is faster than opening the calculator function on Windows.)
#91 -- Need to search a blog or website that doesn’t have a search box? Using Google, type site: www.url.com (where the URL is the site you want to explore) and your query into the search box.
#100 -- Google Send to Phone for Firefox is an extension that enables you to send short text messages of web page content to your mobile phone. For example, you might text message yourself a phone number, an address, or directions that you find on the Web. (You can also send them to other phones that have text messaging but you need to know their service provider.)
#130 -- You can perform basic Google searches from your cell phone by sending text-message queries to 46645 (GOOGL). To search for general services in your vicinity, type a word of description followed by a period and your city/state or ZIP code (sushi.10018). To get the weather, use the same format preceded by the word "weather," or for addresses and phone numbers, by the name of the business. You can even get driving directions by typing from followed by the ZIP code of your starting point and to followed by your destination's ZIP code - for instance, from 10016 to 10018. You'll receive text-message responses free of charge (depending on your carrier's text-messaging plan) within seconds.
#181 -- Google offers a simple way to track a FedEx shipment. Simply type in the shipping number (e.g., the number found on the "Sorry we missed you" tag) into Google. Google recognizes the format (DT followed by 12 numbers) and offers you a tracking link. Click on it and you’ll find out a lot more information about your package. (HT: Lifehacker)
#224 -- Use synonyms when you want to search for a concept rather than a specific word sequence. By searching for ~nutrition ~information muffins, you tell Google to find related terms for each item tagged with a tilde (~). You’ll find not only exact matches (e.g. Muffin Nutrition Information), but matches on Muffins Food Facts and Muffins Vitamin Information. Searching for ~car turns up information on trucks and vehicles. Searching for ~pen yields pencils, graphite and sketch.
#268 -- Looking for the title or lyrics of a song online? Use Google search phrases and wildcards to find them. For example, you’re looking for the rest of the lyrics to that Friday song by the Cure, try: "Friday I'm in love" lyrics
Or use the wildcard operator to get lyrics with certain words in them, like this: "Friday * love" lyrics
#272 -- When you google the names of two major cities, Google automatically offers to search for flights. For example, you might google Dallas Chicago.
In the form labeled "Flights from Dallas, TX to Chicago, IL", enter a departure and return date and choose whether to search using Expedia, Hotwire or Orbitz.
#282 -- Getting an incoming call from an Area Code you don't recognize? Type the three numbers (i.e., 817) into Google and it will provide a map of that Area Code at the very top as well as the area that it covers.
#292 -- Find residential or business phone book listings using Google’s rphonebook and bphonebook operators. For example, to find John Doe in Sacramento type: rphonebook: John Doe Sacramento CA ; Or to get Dan's Pizza in NYC: bphonebook: Dan's Pizza New York NY
#302 -- Google’s allintitle operator limits your search to only words that appear in the titles of web pages, an effective way to narrow your results to pages which primarily concern your keyword. (For example: allintitle: "yak shaving")
#312 -- To filter out adult web sites from Google search results when using words that can be taken different ways, use the safesearch operator. Example -- safesearch: teen sex statistics
#322 -- Some companies have a toll-free number that's buried deep on their website. One way to find the number more quickly is to search Google for the company name and the phrase "customer support." Like this: TiVo Customer Support. Another method is to search for the company name and the standard toll-free prefixes. That'll dig up some real gems. For example, "[company name] 800 OR 877 OR 888 OR 866".
See also: The Yak Shaving Razor Archives. New additions to YSR are added each Wednesday.