What Time is It?

Here's a new query option for Google search. To display the local time for any location in the world, simply enter the query what time is it in location. Google then displays a OneBox result with the current local time.

Universal Search

Google has instituted what they're calling Universal Search. What this means is that when you enter a query into the main Google Searh box, you get results from all over the Google empire -- Web Search, Image Search, Blog Search, News Search, Google Maps, you name it. If the result is relevant, it shows up on the results page. (Which means you might not see results from all the search sites; if you enter an address, or example, you'll get Web and Maps results, but probably not News and Image results.) You can filter your search results by clicking the appropriate link (Web, Blog, Image, etc.) in the information bar at the top of the results.

Universal Search is kind of cool, in that it puts all your results in one place; you don't have to jump from one part of Google to another to see the results. It's also relatively transparent, which is good.

Personalized Homepage is Now iGoogle

Lots happening at Google today. Google finally got some marketing smarts, renaming their Personalized Homepage to iGoogle. Google has also introduced a Gadget Maker function so anyone can create simple gadgets to put on their iGoogle page. Finally, Google is launching location-based personalized search results; if you've defined a default location in Google Maps, you'll see results of any Google search based on that location.

Recommended Searches

Google is adding some automated "recommended search" features to its basic search. First, on the Google Toolbar, you'll now find a button that looks like a pair of dice; click this button to go directly to a site that Google thinks you might find interesting, based on your past searches. (I view this as a variation on the old "I feel lucky" link.) Second, if you use the Google Personalized Home Page, you can add a Recommendations tab that displays recommended sites, also based on your past searches.

Plus Box in Search Results

Here's something new you might find in selected Google searches. Look for a big "+" icon next to your results. Click the "plus box," as Google calls it, and the results expand to show related information. It's more results from the same search page.

Google Custom Search Engine

Google has just released a new Google Custom Search Engine that you can put on your own website. This new search engine lets you customize the look and color of search results and links; specify a list of links and sites you definitely want included in the search index; and specify links and sites you don't want included in the index. The sites you specify can either be the only sites searched, or configured to have the highest priority in the custom search results. Learn more and start creating your own custom search engine here.

SearchMash

Want to check out what kind of future search interface Google is currently testing? Then visit SearchMash, an "unbranded" site that offers some neat options on the search results page. Interesting stuff -- especially the fact that Google is trying to keep this one under the covers.

Google Stop Words

Reader Tams Bixby wrote in requesting a complete list of Google stop words -- those common little words, like "a" and "how," that Google automatically excises from all search queries. (You can force Google to search for stop words by putting a "+" in front of the word in your query, of course.)

Unfortunately, Google doesn't list all their stop words, so compiling such a comprehensive list is a hit or miss affair. That said, here's a site that attempts to list Google's default English stop words. Yeah, I know it's not a complete list, but at least it's a start -- and it has links to stop words in other languages, too.