What can Google do? Oh…everything. Google started off as just a “search engine” but that is only the beginning of what this amazing company offers.
Since starting this Google series, I have added on much more to this list. Why? Because THEY have! Print this out and explore the wonders that awaits!
Google can be your calculator.
Type a math problem into the search box and Google will compute it. You can spell out the equation in words (two plus two, twelve divided by three), use numbers and symbols (2+2, 12/3), or type in a combination of both (ten million) *pi, 15% of six).
Also, try metrics like cups, quarts, temperature, currency, distance, weight, volume and more! And what happens is basically a Google mind reading trick! A calculator (of sorts) appears designed to finish the calculation you are attempting to complete. If you are doing temperature or volume, etc., note the drop down to get to more options.
Google Chrome Voice Search
Built into Chrome is the ability to do a Google search right from the address bar. And a bonus if you search from Google.com, there is a little microphone icon that if you have a mic on your computer, it will actually let you SPEAK your search. Try it! It’s usually pretty flawless!
Google can be your dictionary.
Type “define” followed by any English word into the search box, and Google will give you a quick definition at the top of the search results.
Capitalization doesn’t matter.
Save yourself time and typos: don’t brother with the SHIFT key. Googling queen Elizabeth II and queen elizabeth ii yields the same results. So whether you enter words in uppercase or Lowercase, Google treats them equally – through the Queen would prefer otherwise.
Forget pluralism.
Google automatically searches for all the stems of a word, so you don’t need to do separate searches for dance, dances, and dancing. Just type one of the words and Google will take care of the rest, giving you results all in one list.
Get the picture.
Looking for a photo of Paris Hilton, or the Paris Hilton Hotel? Click on the “Images” link above the search box, type your query, and Google will provide any photos or graphics in its database of over one billion images that match your terms, with a link to the page where they appear. Note the Google Search Tools options to search by color, size, type of image and more! Amazing!
Maps, driving, directions, and satellite views are one click away:
The fastest way to finding the fastest way to your destination is to enter a city and state (or just a zip code) into the search box. Once on the map try dragging the little “man” figure on to the map to get to “Street View”…very cool.
Google Shopping
A comparison shopping tool that does all the work for you. Type in a search term and Google will show you the product and where it is available and the best prices. You can also filter by things like weight, brand, store, etc. Just click on Shopping on the top tab under Google.com.
Google Offer
Google’s answer to Groupon. A new deal happens all the time. Sign for their list and get emails with all kinds of offers on restaurants, travel, massage, classes, technology and more!
Google Recipes
Type in the search term for any recipe and of course, Google will give you the results for millions of hits. But if you wanted only certain ingredients, or certain bake time, or number of calories. Click on the Recipe tab and then Search tools and choose your options from the drop-down.
Where do you want to go today?
If you know the specific Web site you want to visit, type its name into the Google search box, hit enter, and you will be there in a flash
I’m Feeling Lucky.
Enter a search term and click this button on the Google homepage to bypass a long list of results and go directly to the top-matching Web page for your term.
Google can be your newscaster.
Google News, reachable via the “News” link above the search box or at news. google.com, provides up-to-the-minute information on politics, business, technology, entertainment, health, sports, and more. Type a topic of interest into the Google News search box to find the most recent stories from more than 4,500 global news sources.
Google can be your weatherman.
Type weather followed by a zip code or the name of a city, and Google will give the current conditions and a four-day forecast at the top of the results page.
Pack more results onto each page.
The “Preferences” link to the right of the search box is your ticket to tweaking various settings for Google searches, including the number of results displayed per page. Increase the number of matches you see per page from the standard set of 10 to 20, 30 or more, to put more answers at your fingertips faster.
Translate into other languages.
The “Language Tools” link, also found to the right of the search box on the homepage, calls up Google’s automated translation service as well as other language options. From this page, you can translate text among numerous language (English to Spanish, French to German, Chinese to English…) or translate a Web page simply by entering its address.
Get an instant stock quote.
Type a stock ticker symbol into the search box to get a stock quote and chart on any public company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. American Stock Exchange or NASDAQ.
Peer inside Google.
Click the “more>” link above the search box to find additional Google features and products as well as further tips on how to search effectively. Check out the very handy one-page Google search guide at foofle.com/help/cheatsheet.html.
Other Google Tools
· Google Earth
· Google Books/Movies/Apps
· Google Street View on Maps
· Google File Search
· Google Video (and YouTube)