6 Google Shortcuts to Save You Time

by Lid Print Print

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

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17 comments:

  1. Barry
    12 June 2008 20:59

    What great tips, simple but very handy.

  2. Mad
    13 June 2008 0:06

    You can also check the latest cricket score for Australia by:

    australia cricket score
  3. Lid
    13 June 2008 8:43

    @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 :-P

  4. cloud9ine
    14 June 2008 15:59

    here is a demo of some of these tricks and then some - in video

    http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1270727/2_minutes_to_google/

  5. Bryn
    15 June 2008 7:57

    Cool, I didn’t know of some of these tricks.

  6. Lid
    15 June 2008 10:07

    @cloud9ine - Hey - thanks, that’s a pretty neat video!

    @Bryn - The Google Guide has tons more - you should have a wander of their site :)

  7. Keith Johnson
    15 June 2008 12:52

    Will take you up on these suggestions!!

    Thanks,

    Keith Johnson

    Technical Writer & Author

    “365 Great Affirmations”

  8. Sam Jones
    15 June 2008 19:54

    I use google’s definition search all the time with new words, ie:

    define: onomatopoeia

  9. NGOs India
    15 June 2008 21:34

    Thank you so much for providing useful tips and resources.

  10. Neece
    19 June 2008 5:46

    I’ve seen some of these before, but I didn’t know about tracking packages. Thanks for the examples as well. :)

  11. Bozz
    21 June 2008 19:57

    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)…

  12. alkmis
    22 June 2008 2:21

    i already knew this kinda stuff (what a smartass :P)

  13. Rhea
    22 June 2008 7:24

    Being a Google fan myself, I know most of these, so let’s spread the word. :)

  14. Lid
    22 June 2008 9:21

    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 :)

  15. Ivan Smirnoff
    5 July 2008 21:36

    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!

  16. Lid
    6 August 2008 4:32

    Ivan - wow - what an eye opener. Thanks!

  17. Davor
    1 January 2009 22:29

    Thank you so much for providing useful tips and resources

3 trackbacks:

  1. Around the Web in Blogging | BlogOnExpo 12 June 2008
  2. Sie toe bie Soft / Google shortcuts 19 June 2008
  3. 6 Google Shortcuts to Save You Time | CompuFiciency = Applied CompuTelligence 31 July 2008

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