Hasta La Gadget!

This article was written on June 13, 2008 by CyberNet.

Today we’re taking a look at Google Spreadsheet Functions you won’t find in Microsoft Office. If you haven’t played around with Google Docs before, you probably haven’t realized the long list of functions that are available. We’ll be covering the following functions: Import Feed, Google Finance, Google Look-up, Import HTML, and Data Sort.

Before we get started, we wanted to mention that there aren’t really functions that can do things like this in Microsoft Office, but that’s not to say that it’s impossible to do. These functions are nice because all it takes is a simple formula and very little effort to get the results that you want.

If you have a favorite function in Google Spreadsheets, let us know in the comments below…

1. Import Feed

We’re not going to get into this one at great lengths because Digital Inspiration wrote a great article about how to turn Google Docs into an RSS reader and feed aggregator. It’s actually fairly simple to do. This function might be useful if you want to embed feeds from another site into yours. And because the spreadsheets are so customizable, you have quite a bit of control over the layout and how everything will look.

More info here

2. Google Finance

Another great function allows you to monitor your portfolio right from a spreadsheet in Google Docs. If you decide you’ll want to use the Google Finance function, you’ll probably want to take a look at the help page where Google explains how to do it. Essentially what you’ll need to do is enter the following in a cell on your spreadsheet:

=GoogleFinance("symbol","attribute");

So for example, if I wanted to follow the price of Microsoft stock, it would look like this:

=GoogleFinance("MSFT","price")

Different attributes that you could choose from include price, volume, etc.

3. Google Look-up

You’re probably familiar with Google Lookup as a way to quickly get information when you’re performing a search. You can also use Google look-up in a spreadsheet with the Google Lookup function. There are two parts to the formula that you’ll need – the entity and the attribute. If I wanted to know the population of Chicago and keep that information in a spreadsheet, the entity would be “Chicago” and the attribute would be “population”. I’d enter the following into a cell on the spreadsheet:

=GoogleLookup("chicago","population")

Once I entered the above information, the cell displayed that the population of Chicago was 2,871,499 and then had 2005 in parentheses so that I knew when the data was from.

The population of cities is always changing, and my spreadsheet would update when necessary, with the new information.

One last note, when you hover over a cell that has used the Google Look-up function, you will be able to see the source that Google used. Just note that you can’t use this function more than 250 times in one spreadsheet.

More info here

4. Import HTML

The Import HTML function is nice because it allows you to perform you own calculations on data you find on the web. It takes a little effort to do, but it could be worth it. Examples of data that you could import include a list or a table.

Maybe you find a table full of information on Wikipedia that you’d like to run calculations on or format differently. All you have to do is provide the URL to where the data is, know whether it’s a table or a list ( provide the tag), and then examine the source code (or just play around with the formula until you get the desired results) to see how many times the tag appears on the page before it’s used for the data you want.

Here’s an example. I found a table over at Wikipedia that displays weather averages for Chicago. It’s in table form (they used the table tag <table>), and then I looked at the source code to find that it’s the 4th table on the page. To get this information into my spreadsheet, I’d enter the following into a cell:

=ImportHtml("http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago","table",4)

I included the URL for the location of my table, the structure (the fact it’s a table and not a list), and then the index of 4 which tells Google to look for the 4th table html tag, and it worked.

5. Data Sort

Last but not least is Data Sort. This is useful because instead of manually having to sort your data, you can set-up a function so that whenever your data changes and you add new information, Google Docs will resort it for you.

Imagine having three columns of data (located in columns A, B, and C respectively): in the first column is the person’s first name, the second column is the person’s last name, and the third column is the person’s phone number. Off to the side of the data (or on a new sheet) you could enter:

=SORT(A:C,2,TRUE,1,TRUE)

That says to sort the data in columns A through C, with the 2nd column (last name) being the primary sort option. By specifying the “TRUE” immediately after the “2″ it says to sort that column in ascending order, whereas “FALSE” means to sort in descending. Any columns that you don’t specify in the “SORT” function will be left unsorted, which in this example is what happened to the 3rd column (phone number).

Since this sorting function leaves the original data untouched you don’t have to worry about it changing things around on you. Ryan used this feature extensively in a spreadsheet he shares with our family that contains the addresses and contact information of everyone. Instead of explaining to people how they can manually sort the data on the spreadsheet, he just created a few different sheets (a.k.a. tabs) that each have the list of contacts sorted in different orders. If they want everyone sorted by last name they just have to flip to one sheet, or if they want to view the list by first name they open up a different sheet. To them it looks like he copied and pasted the information into several different sheets, but in reality he just uses this sort function to duplicate the contact information. Clever, huh?

More info here

Copyright © 2014 CyberNetNews.com

This article was written on January 06, 2008 by CyberNet.

Windows Vista is coming up on its one year anniversary since it officially launched, and some of you are just now getting around to determining if you should make the upgrade. Today we thought we’d share five different things you’ll want to do before joining the bandwagon and making the upgrade to Vista so that in the end, you’ll be satisfied with the experience you had.

1. Determine if Vista is right for you…
   If you’re content with XP, is there a reason to switch right now? This is the first thing you need to determine before you even begin the process of upgrading to Vista.  CyberNet’s Windows Vista Review with Screenshots may be helpful in this first step.
2. Use Vista Upgrade Advisor
   The Vista upgrade advisor can be found here and will prove to be beneficial in determining if your computer is ready for Windows Vista.  The Vista Upgrade Advisor will run on your computer and scan for devices and program compatibility issues.
3. Manually Check Hardware Compatibility
   Want to know if your webcam or video card will work? You’ll want to visit this site that Microsoft has put together. Everything is broken down into a variety of different categories.  Once you select a category, you can break it down further into company. There are literally thousands of devices listed that are certified for Vista.
4. Determine which version is right for you
   Microsoft has been teased for releasing so many different versions of Vista.  How is one to know which one is right for them? Luckily it’s easy.  For a quick overview, checkout a site that Microsoft has put together. It’ll briefly explain each version and give you an idea of what might be good for you.  For more in-depth information, check out CyberNet’s “Windows Vista Feature Comparison” chart that we put together.
5. Shop around for pricing
   This is important, especially if you’re a student or teacher.  There are discounted versions out there that you might be eligible for.  Checkout Academic Superstore, because this is one place where you can get the discount. Additionally, you’ll want to determine if you’re eligible for upgrade pricing.  If you have XP Professional, Home, Media Center, Tablet PC, XP Professional x64, or Windows 2000, you’re eligible for upgrade pricing. Check for that information here.

Copyright © 2014 CyberNetNews.com

This article was written on April 06, 2008 by CyberNet.

When the iPod came out, a whole new industry to sell iPod accessories was born. Now there are hundreds of different accessories that consumers can purchase. Some are useful and on the practical side while others are just plain weird and there for fun. Today we’re taking a look at five different “weird” iPod/iPhone accessories.

1. iCarta iPod Toilet Paper Holder
   The image of this one does all of the talking.  For $69.95 you can “enhance your experience in any room” with the iCarta iPod Toilet Paper Holder. Features include:
   – charges your iPod while playing music
   – audio selector allows you to play your iPod shuffle or other Audio device
   – integrated bath tissue holder than can be easily folded as a stereo clock
    
   Source
2. iFish
   iFish is a “music-loving interactive speaker.  Simply play iFish some of your favorite tunes and prepare to be amazed as it comes to life, swishing its segmented tail and flashing its LED ‘mood’lights.  Thanks to a couple of wheels in its belly, iFish can even spin around and “swim” on your desk. It can be yours for $39.95. To see a video of iFish in action, click here.
   
3. R2D2 Projector
   The R2D2 Projector features a projector to project movies or games on an 80-inch screen. It’s got a whole slew of other features and among them is an iPod dock. Crazy! You can find this at The Sharper Image for $2,500.
   
4. iPhone Mobile Phone Telescope
   The iPhone Mobile Phone Telescope will help you get a closer view using the built-in camera. It’ll also help you take better pictures by allowing you to zoom in and out with 6x optical lens.
   
5. KNG iPod DJ Dock
   For $89.99 you can purchase the KNG FunKit DJ Animated iPod speaker system. It’ll dance and scratch to your music, and lights will flash in preprogrammed sequences for a complete disco effect.
   

Copyright © 2013 CyberNetNews.com