Sixteen Cool Google Tricks

photo by kimbalina

I always feel better when I learn something new. Hopefully some of these Google tricks and links will be new to you too. Give them a try and see what you think:

Google Fact Finders
Google for Airline Tracking
Try it: Type the “airline” and “flight number” in the search box and hit enter.
Example: United 714

Google as Calculator
Try it: Use the symbol “+” to add, “-” to subtract, “*” to multiply, “/” to divide. Type the left side of the equation in the search box and hit enter.
Example: 2+2 2-2 2*2 2/2
note: for more functions click: http://www.soople.com/soople_intcalchome.php

Google as Dictionary
Try it: Type “define” and the “word” you want defined in the search box and hit enter.
Example: define natatorium

Google for Movie Schedules & Reviews
Try it: Type “movies city state” in the search box, hit return, and then on the next screen click “Showtimes”
Example: movies boulder colorado
Click Showtimes

Google for Music Information
Try it: Type the “name” of a musician or band in the search box, hit enter, and the first entry on the next screen will usually contain info on the band’s music, albums, etc.
Example: Holly Cole

Google as Package Tracker
Try it: Type the tracking numbers of packages sent via USPS, FedEx or UPS in the search box and hit enter.
Example: for USPS type: 9876 5432 1098 7654 32
for FedEx type: 98765432109
for UPS type: 1X 9876T 543210987654

Goggle as Phonebook White Pages
Try it: Type a “name city state” in the search box and hit return.
Example: jane smith boulder colorado
or
fleet feet sports boulder, colorado
Google as Phonebook Yellow Pages
Try it: Type a “product or service city state” in the search box and hit return.
Example: pizza boulder colorado

Google for Shopping
Note: Product Search is Google’s shopping search engine.
Try it: Go to Google Product Search or Shopping
and type a product description, name, or model number into the google search box, hit enter, and voila pages of product information appear giving you all the information you need to find the best price and product to meet your needs.
Example: Click here
Type: Self-Massage for Athletes

Google for Stock & Mutual Fund Quotes
Try it: Type the stock or mutual fund symbol in the search box and hit enter.
Example: NKE

Google as Weather Report
Try it: Type “weather city state” in the search box and hit return.
Example: weather boulder colorado



photo by manfrys

Google Search Tips

Google empowers you to increase the size of its typeface
Try it: For macs hit the “command” key and “+” key simultaneously. For pc’s hit the “control” key and “+” key simultaneously. Use the “-” key to shrink them and hit the appropriate “command” or “control” key.

Google answers questions
Try it: Type a question in the form of a statement in the search box and hit enter. Use “*” to represent the missing fact and limit the statement to ten words or less.
Example: * won the 1991 New York Marathon

Google lets you find the precise phrase you need
Try it: Put quotes around the exact group of words you want to locate.
Example: "how to train to run a marathon"

Google lets you exclude a term from a search result
Try it: Insert a “-” in front of the word you wish to exclude from your search. The following example is if you want pages about running but not racing.
Example: running -racing

Google lets you narrow a search
Trick: If your original search term doesn’t get you the exact information you need, use the Search Within Results link at the bottom of the google page to refine your search by adding a new search term.
Example: Search term #1: Running shoes
Search term #2: click the Search Within Results link and in the search box and type: black

Google’s Cheat Sheet
Try it: to view some of these and other tips type “google cheat sheet” in the search box and hit enter.
Example: Click on this link: http://www.google.com/help/cheatsheet.html

Soople.com
Try it: to view some of these and other tips type “soople.com” in the search box and hit enter.
Example: Click this link: http://www.soople.com/