Google Instant is rolling out to Google.com now, but it's not available in your browser's search box--yet. (Executives confirm Google is working on that, as well as making Google Instant available on your mobile phone.) So, to get started using Instant, you must visit Google.com in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or IE 8. Begin typing your search term into the text box as usual, and then:

Tab to auto-complete: As you type your search term, Google Instant fills in text predictions in grey following what you've entered. Press Tab to accept the next word and add it to your search automatically. For example, when you enter fast c, and Google Instant suggests fast company, press Tab to accept the second word. The Tab key in this example saves you 5 keystrokes. (Hit escape to pull back the drop-down.)

Press the Up/down arrow keys to "auto-scroll." As you type, a dropdown of suggested searches appears below the search box. Press the up and down arrow keys to move between these terms, and watch the results update instantaneously as you select each option.

If you're "feeling lucky," press the right arrow. When up or down-arrowing through the suggested search terms, if the result you want is at the top of the page, press the right arrow key. That will zip you right off to the top result, that is, it triggers the classic "I'm feeling lucky" search. (Hitting enter is still the same as hitting the search button.)

Google Instant is too flashy for you? Just turn it off in your Google preferences.

Originally published at FastCompany.com.

One of the biggest stumbling blocks for Mac users who try out my Todo.txt CLI is finding and opening hidden "dot" configuration file (which is the standard Linux naming convention), so this will help me help them. Sadly this shortcut does not work when you're just browsing in Finder. [via DF]

The J and K keys navigate through lists of items in Gmail, Google Reader, and even Google search results--without getting the mouse involved, which saves you point-and-click time. J goes to the next item down the list, and K the previous. J and K aren't easy for your brain to remember, but they are for your fingers: most keyboards have a little nubbin on the J key, and if you're a touch typist, your right hand's forefinger rests on the J key. The J and K shortcuts move the cursor up and down in other (some old school) software too, like vim. Here's how to give your J and K keys a workout in Gmail, Google Reader, and even Google search results.

In Gmail, make sure keyboard shortcuts are enabled for your account. (In Settings, on the General tab, check off the "Keyboard shortcuts on" radio button.) Then, when you're in your inbox looking at a list of messages OR in an individual message, tapping J will move you to an older conversation and K to a newer convo. From there you can open, archive, and do more with your Gmail messages from the keyboard: Here's the full list of Gmail keyboard shortcuts. Print it out and put it by your computer.

In Google Reader, J and K work by default. When you have a Reader item open, hit J to go to the next (older) item down the list, and K to move up.

Finally, if you enable the experimental keyboard-driven Google search experiment, you can also use J and K to move up and down through Google Search results. Once you've joined the keyboard experiment and run a search, there will be a little pointer on the top link in your results. Use J and K to move up and down the list. Once you're on the link you want, hit Enter to open that link in tab or the undocumented Shift+O to open it in a new tab. See the rest of the keyboard shortcuts available in results in the screenshot above.