How to use blinkx smart folders

This tutorial provides a step-by-step guide that introduces you to:


Creating smart folders

  1. Click on the smart button on the blinkx search box:

    The Create Smart Folder dialog is displayed:

  2. Enter the following:

    Smart Folder Name
    Enter a name for your folder that indicates what type of information it is going to store. For example, "Basketball".

    Training
    Select one of the following:

    Files contained in the folder
    If you select this option, you need to save multiple files in this folder to provide blinkx with examples of what kind of information it should search for. blinkx will find files that are similar to the files you have provided, and pass them to your smart folder who will store shortcuts to those files. Later on blinkx regularly updates the smart folder with links to new matching documents it finds.

    Query
    If you select this option, you need to enter some search text. blinkx will find files that match your search and pass them to your smart folder who will store shortcuts to those files. Later on blinkx regularly updates the smart folder with links to new matching documents it finds.

    Default Options
    Use the following options to set defaults for the Channels from which blinkx will provide results to your smart folder:

    Include the information from the last
    Use this option to specify how old the files that your smart folder stores can be.

    Maximum number of results
    Select the maximum number of query results that can be stored in your smart folder.

    Minimum Relevance
    Select the minimum relevance that query results must have to be stored in your smart folder.

    Channels
    Check one or more of the following in order to indicate from which blinkx channels you want results to be supplied to your smart folder:

    News
    If you check this folder, your smart folder will store shortcuts to news articles that match the Training. Note that you can click on the Advanced button if you want to override the default settings you have entered for Include information from the last, Maximum number of results and Minimum relevance

    Web content
    If you check this folder, your smart folder will store shortcuts to web pages that match the Training. Note that you can click on the Advanced button if you want to override the default settings you have entered for Include information from the last, Maximum number of results and Minimum relevance.

    Web Logs
    If you check this folder, your smart folder will store shortcuts to blogs that match the Training. Note that you can click on the Advanced button if you want to override the default settings you have entered for Include information from the last, Maximum number of results and Minimum relevance.

    Video/Radio
    If you check this folder, your smart folder will store shortcuts to video and audio clips that match the Training. Note that you can click on the Advanced button if you want to override the default settings you have entered for Include information from the last, Maximum number of results and Minimum relevance. You can also select from which sources video and audio clips should be provided.

    Email
    If you check this folder, your smart folder will store shortcuts to emails that match the Training. Note that you can click on the Advanced button if you want to override the default settings you have entered for Include information from the last, Maximum number of results and Minimum relevance. You can also enter a subject, a sender and a recipient, if you want your smart folder to only include emails that have a specific subject or were sent/received by a specific person.

    Local Files
    If you check this folder, your smart folder will store shortcuts to files on your computer that match the Training (these files must be contained in the folder that you have made available to blinkx for indexing). Note that you can click on the Advanced button if you want to override the default settings you have entered for Include information from the last, Maximum number of results and Minimum relevance. You can also select what type of local files your smart folder can store.

    Download results for offline viewing
    Check this box, if you want to be able to view the files that your smart folder stores without having to be connected to the Internet. The files are downloaded to a temporary folder on your computer.

    Download high quality video if available
    Check this box, if you want to download high quality videos where different qualities are available.

    Download only between
    Set the time span in which files can be downloaded into your smart folder. This allows you to disable downloading for times when your computer is very busy.
  3. Click on OK. You smart folder is created on your desktop and displays a little star whenever it contains new information:



Opening files in smart folders

Whenever one of your mart folders contains new information, it displays a little star:


You can open a smart folder to see the results it contains:


Note that if you hover over a shortcut, a summary of the result that this shortcut opens is displayed:


You can double-click any result in order to open it in a new window:


Note that if you didn't checked the Download results for offline viewing box when you created your smart folder, you need to be online in order to open shortcuts that connect to web files.

Setting up news alerts using smart folders

You can set up smart folders that keep track of news items in order to automatically be kept abreast of new stories and developments as they become available:

  1. Click on the smart button on the blinkx search box:

    The Create Smart Folder dialog is displayed:

  2. In the Smart Folder Name field, enter a name that indicates what news items this smart folder is going to alert you to.

    For example:

  3. Provide an example of the kind of news that you want your smart folder to alert you to by using one of the following Training options:

    Files contained in the folder
    If you select this option, you need to save multiple files in this folder to provide blinkx with examples of what kind of information it should search for. blinkx will find files that are similar to the files you have provided, and pass them to your smart folder who will store shortcuts to those files. Later on blinkx regularly updates the smart folder with links to new matching documents it finds.

    Query
    If you select this option, you need to enter some search text. blinkx will find files that match your search and pass them to your smart folder who will store shortcuts to those files. Later on blinkx regularly updates the smart folder with links to new matching documents it finds.

    For example:

  4. In the dialog's Channel section, check the News box and remove the check from all boxes:

  5. Click on the Advanced button next to the News box you checked to dispay the Advanced dialog:

  6. Enter the following:

    Include information from the last
    From the drop-down list, select the maximum age that news articles can have to be included in your smart folder.

    Maximum number ofd results
    From the drop-down list, select the maximum number of news articles that your smart folder can contain. When the news articles in your smart folder are updated, old articles are replaced with new ones (unless no new articles are found).

    Minimum relevance
    From the drop-down list, select the minimum percentage relevance that news articles must have to the Training you provided in order to be included in your smart folder.

    Note that if you select Default for any of these options, the settings specified in the Create Smart Folder dialog's Default Options section are used.

  7. Click on OK to return to the Create Smart Folder dialog.
  8. Check the Download results for offline viewing box, if you want to be able to view the files that your smart folder stores without having to be connected to the Internet. The files are downloaded to a temporary folder on your computer.
  9. Click on OK to create you smart folder on your desktop. Whenever new news articles become available, your smart folder alerts you by displaying a little star:



Setting up video alerts using smart folders

You can set up smart folders that alert you every time new video clips about a topic of your choice become available:

  1. Click on the smart button on the blinkx search box:

    The Create Smart Folder dialog is displayed:

  2. In the Smart Folder Name field, enter a name that indicates the subject of the video clip that this smart folder is going to alert you to.

    For example:

  3. Provide an example of the kind of news that you want your smart folder to alert you to by using one of the following Training options:

    Files contained in the folder
    If you select this option, you need to save multiple files in this folder to provide blinkx with examples of what kind of information it should search for. blinkx will find files that are similar to the files you have provided, and pass them to your smart folder who will store shortcuts to those files. Later on blinkx regularly updates the smart folder with links to new matching documents it finds.

    Query
    If you select this option, you need to enter some search text. blinkx will find files that match your search and pass them to your smart folder who will store shortcuts to those files. Later on blinkx regularly updates the smart folder with links to new matching documents it finds.

    For example:

  4. In the dialog's Channel section, check the Video/Radio box and remove the check from all boxes:

  5. Click on the Advanced button next to the Video/Radio box you checked to dispay the Video/Radio options dialog.
  6. Select the file types you want the smart folder to find, check the boxes next to the video clip providers that you want to use, and enter the following:

    Include information from the last
    From the drop-down list, select the maximum age that video clips can have to be included in your smart folder.

    Maximum number of results
    From the drop-down list, select the maximum number of video clips that your smart folder can contain. When the video clips in your smart folder are updated, old clips are replaced with new ones (unless no new clips are found).

    Minimum relevance
    From the drop-down list, select the minimum percentage relevance that video clips must have to the Training you provided in order to be included in your smart folder.

    Note that if you select Default for any of these options, the settings specified in the Create Smart Folder dialog's Default Options section are used.

  7. Click on OK to return to the Create Smart Folder dialog.
  8. Check the Download results for offline viewing box, if you want to be able to view the video clips that your smart folder stores without having to be connected to the Internet. The clips are downloaded to a temporary folder on your computer.
  9. Click on OK to create you smart folder on your desktop. Whenever new video clips become available, your smart folder alerts you by displaying a little star:



Sharing smart folders

If you have smart folders that you think some of your friends would like too, you can share your folders:

  1. Right-click on the smart folder you want to share to display the context menu, and select SmartFolders > Share. An email opens that contains a link that will allow the email's recipient to create the same smart folder:

  2. Enter the email address of the person you want to share the folder with, and click on Send. Note that your computer will not be accessed at any time.


Editing smart folders

To edit a smart folder:

  1. Right-click on the smart folder you want to edit to display the context menu, and select SmartFolders > Edit to display the Edit Smart Folder dialog.
  2. You can edit any of the following:

    Training
    Select one of the following:

    Files contained in the folder
    If you select this option, you need to save multiple files in this folder to provide blinkx with examples of what kind of information it should search for. blinkx will find files that are similar to the files you have provided, and pass them to your smart folder who will store shortcuts to those files. Later on blinkx regularly updates the smart folder with links to new matching documents it finds.

    Query
    If you select this option, you need to enter some search text. blinkx will find files that match your search and pass them to your smart folder who will store shortcuts to those files. Later on blinkx regularly updates the smart folder with links to new matching documents it finds.

    Default Options
    Use the following options to set defaults for the Channels from which blinkx will provide results to your smart folder:

    Include the information from the last
    Use this option to specify how old the files that your smart folder stores can be.

    Maximum number of results
    Select the maximum number of query results that can be stored in your smart folder.

    Minimum Relevance
    Select the minimum relevance that query results must have to be stored in your smart folder.

    Channels
    Check one or more of the following in order to indicate from which blinkx channels you want results to be supplied to your smart folder:

    News
    If you check this folder, your smart folder will store shortcuts to news articles that match the Training. Note that you can click on the Advanced button if you want to override the default settings you have entered for Include information from the last, Maximum number of results and Minimum relevance

    Web content
    If you check this folder, your smart folder will store shortcuts to web pages that match the Training. Note that you can click on the Advanced button if you want to override the default settings you have entered for Include information from the last, Maximum number of results and Minimum relevance.

    Web Logs
    If you check this folder, your smart folder will store shortcuts to blogs that match the Training. Note that you can click on the Advanced button if you want to override the default settings you have entered for Include information from the last, Maximum number of results and Minimum relevance.

    Video/Radio
    If you check this folder, your smart folder will store shortcuts to video and audio clips that match the Training. Note that you can click on the Advanced button if you want to override the default settings you have entered for Include information from the last, Maximum number of results and Minimum relevance. You can also select from which sources video clips should be provided.

    Email
    If you check this folder, your smart folder will store shortcuts to emails that match the Training. Note that you can click on the Advanced button if you want to override the default settings you have entered for Include information from the last, Maximum number of results and Minimum relevance. You can also enter a subject, a sender and a recipient, if you want your smart folder to only include emails that have a specific subject or were sent/received by a specific person.

    Local Files
    If you check this folder, your smart folder will store shortcuts to files on your computer that match the Training (these files must be contained in the folder that you have made available to blinkx for indexing). Note that you can click on the Advanced button if you want to override the default settings you have entered for Include information from the last, Maximum number of results and Minimum relevance. You can also select what type of local files your smart folder can store.

    Download results for offline viewing
    Check this box, if you want to be able to view the files that your smart folder stores without having to be connected to the Internet. The files are downloaded to a temporary folder on your computer.
  3. When you have finished editing your smart folder, click on OK.


Refreshing smart folders

When blinkx is running, it automatically updates your smart folders with new documents in regular intervals. If at any point you want the content of one of your smart folders to be updated immediately, you can right-click on the folder and select SmartFolders > Refresh.

Note that whenever a smart folder contains new content, its icon shows a little star:  




Emptying smart folders

To empty a smart folder of its contents at any point, right-click on it and select SmartFolders > Clear.



Deleting smart folders

To delete a smart folder at any point:

  1. Right-click on the smart folder you want to delete and select SmartFolders > Remove. A message is displayed to check if you are sure that you want to delete the smart folder.
  2. Click on OK. The smart folder changes back into a normal folder, and all the shortcuts it contained are removed.