Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Blogs Google Watch
    • Blogs
    • Google Watch
    • Search Engines

    How to Search Google in Near Real-Time

    By
    Clint Boulton
    -
    September 14, 2009
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      When Google added its search options feature in May, the company made it possible for users to narrow the time parameters of their search down to the past 24 hours.

      Of course, some search engine snobs scoffed at this. Why search Google for info in the past 24 hours when you can search real-time search destinations such as Twitter, OneRiot, Collecta, CrowdEye, or Topsy?

      The blogosphere is abuzz this morning with the discovery of a neat little hack every user can do to get Google results up to the minute. The discovery was made by Ran Geva, CEO of real-time search startup Omgili.

      When users do a search in the past 24 hours, the results come with the code parameter “qdr.d.” Geva deduced that this stood for “query data range” and tested his theory by changing the second “d” to “n” for minute and “s” for second. OK, I don’t know why we wouldn’t type in “m” instead of “n” to signify minute, but Geva’s hack worked!

      He searched on results for Barack Obama. Since I’m a professional football fan and the NFL kicked off yesterday, I decided to test this with my favorite football team. Here are the results on the New York Giants for the past 24 hours:

      Google Giants 1.png

      Then I changed the “d” to “n” (where n=minute) and saw results from the past 54 seconds and sooner:

      Google Giants 2.png

      This is awesome! Now, the second test, which if you looked at Geva’s blog you know didn’t pan out for him. That means Google search isn’t doing real-time, yet, but it’s got to be close. If it can do under a minute, or even past 30 seconds as Geva shows, it can do up to the second. Here I swapped out the “n” for an “s” (where s=second):

      Google Giants 3.png

      To search for results in the past 30 seconds, I added “30” to the end of the “s” to signify 30 seconds. Success!

      Google Giants 4.png

      So how close to real-time does this hack come? I next tried 10 seconds with this query: http://www.google.com/search?q=New%20York%20Giants&hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENUS268&output=search&tbs=qdr:s10&tbo=1 and saw nothing.

      How about 20 seconds? http://www.google.com/search?q=New%20York%20Giants&hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENUS268&output=search&tbs=qdr:s20&tbo=1. Nothing, but it could just be that there wasn’t anything to find for those parameters.

      Now the important question: How soon before Google moves this from a cheap hack to a part of Google search for good, and down to the real-time one second goodness?

      Read more coverage about this on TechMeme here.

      Clint Boulton

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Big Data and Analytics

      Alteryx’s Suresh Vittal on the Democratization of...

      James Maguire - May 31, 2022 0
      I spoke with Suresh Vittal, Chief Product Officer at Alteryx, about the industry mega-shift toward making data analytics tools accessible to a company’s complete...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Applications

      Cisco’s Thimaya Subaiya on Customer Experience in...

      James Maguire - May 10, 2022 0
      I spoke with Thimaya Subaiya, SVP and GM of Global Customer Experience at Cisco, about the factors that create good customer experience – and...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Yotascale CEO Asim Razzaq on Controlling Multicloud...

      James Maguire - May 5, 2022 0
      Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, provides guidance on understanding—and containing—the complex cost structure of multicloud computing. Among the topics we covered:  As you survey the...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×