Google can do more than just help you search websites. So if you can use it to save time, why not? Here are six shortcuts (aka Advanced Operators) to start you off:
1. Weather
If you want to know weather conditions for a particular city, type the word weather before the city name or zip code. For instance:
Weather San Francisco, or Weather Melbourne
2. Basic Calculator
Sometimes it is just quicker to type your query into Google than to pull out your calculator, or bring up calculator software. Use these for simple sums:
Addition: + e.g. 17 + 7
Subtraction: - e.g. 23 - 17
Division: / e.g. 23 / 17
Multiplication: * e.g. 23 * 17
Percent: % of e.g. 17% of 23
3. Measurements and Conversions
All measurements and conversions can be calculated by using the word in between various units. For instance:
Currency: - AUD, USD, EURO, GBP: e.g. 43AUD in USD
Mass - kg, lb, gram or g, tons: e.g. 25kg in lb
Numbering Systems - hex, binary, decimal, roman: e.g. LVII in decimal
Volume - gallons, liters or l, teaspoons, pints: e.g. 2 liters in pints
Time - seconds, minutes, days, years, fortnights, decades, centuries: e.g. 1 year in seconds
4. Package Tracking
Instead of going to Fedex, UPS, or USPS, you can now track your package directly through Google. Type the provider first; reference number second and Google will give you the link for your package: For instance:
Fedex 171717171717
5. Booking Flights
By typing in the departing city, followed by the arriving city, Google will offer up a choice of dates and services. For instance:
Melbourne Sydney, or, San Francisco New York.
6. Status of flights
You want to know if a flight is delayed or on time? Just type the airline name or code and a flight number to see the status of a particular flight. For instance:
Qantas 271 or United 77
For more detailed information about advanced operators, check out the Google Guide
Sphere: Related Content17 comments:
3 trackbacks:
- Around the Web in Blogging | BlogOnExpo 12 June 2008
- Sie toe bie Soft / Google shortcuts 19 June 2008
- 6 Google Shortcuts to Save You Time | CompuFiciency = Applied CompuTelligence 31 July 2008
What great tips, simple but very handy.
You can also check the latest cricket score for Australia by:
@Barry - Thanks - they are simple, but a HUGE amount of people still don’t use them. I’m looking forward to seeing your site next month; I’ve marked the date on my calendar and trust you’re a good guy
@Mad - Good thing I LOVE cricket so much
here is a demo of some of these tricks and then some - in video
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1270727/2_minutes_to_google/
Cool, I didn’t know of some of these tricks.
@cloud9ine - Hey - thanks, that’s a pretty neat video!
@Bryn - The Google Guide has tons more - you should have a wander of their site
Will take you up on these suggestions!!
Thanks,
Keith Johnson
Technical Writer & Author
“365 Great Affirmations”
I use google’s definition search all the time with new words, ie:
define: onomatopoeia
Thank you so much for providing useful tips and resources.
I’ve seen some of these before, but I didn’t know about tracking packages. Thanks for the examples as well.
Google can also do trigonometric functions and other math stuff (sin(x), cos(x), ln(x)…), convert from or to binary or hex or decimal (for example, 0×4A2 to binary), tell you the value of mathematical or physical constants (Pi, e, G)…
i already knew this kinda stuff (what a smartass :P)
Being a Google fan myself, I know most of these, so let’s spread the word.
Thanks everyone, glad to hear they are useful.
@Sam - thanks for including that - yep, definitions are very useful for me too.
@Neece - you are most welcome
@ Bozz - thanks - there is a ton more that Goog does, this is just the basic stuff.
Bookmark these two sites for more in depth info about Google:
Google Tutor
Google Guide
@alkmis - Ah. Good. But see, now we can teach *everyone* how to be a smarty pants - ’tis good - no?
@Rhea - my thoughts exactly
Here`s the real Google stuff:http://www.break.com/index/google-hacks-20a.html…this will teach you a few tricks!Don`t tell `em I told you about it!
Ivan - wow - what an eye opener. Thanks!
Thank you so much for providing useful tips and resources