I happened to notice yesterday that there’s a new link under the normally sparse search page. I’m not sure how long it’s been there. My home page is set for iGoogle and it does not show there.
By clicking on this link you’ll be brought to a showcase of all the magical things Google search can do. With the new link (http://www.google.com/landing/searchtips/ ) they are attempting to showcase their site capabilities to more and more viewers. I have to wonder if this is a direct response to Bing .
Google didn’t just come up with new tools overnight, they’ve had these all along. The problem is that most people didn’t know they exist.
For instance, here’s 11 things I bet you didn’t know you could do right from the search box:
(The descriptive text is from Google Search Tips Page / example searches are my idea )
Movie Times
To find reviews and showtimes for movies playing near you, search for “movies”. If you’ve already saved your location on a previous search, the top search result will display showtimes for nearby theaters. Try this: “ movies ”
Unit Conversion
You can use Google to convert between many different units of measurement of height, weight, and volume among many others. Just enter your desired conversion into the search box and we’ll do the rest. Try this: “ 3 cups in ml ”
Earthquakes
For recent earthquake activity around the world simply type “earthquake” in the search box. Try this: “Earthquake ”
Currency Conversion
To use our built-in currency converter, simply enter the conversion you’d like done into the Google search box and we’ll provide your answer directly on the results page. Try this: “ 100 dollars in pounds ”
Fill in the Blank
Sometimes the best way to ask a question is to get Google to fill in the blank by adding an asterisk (*) at the part of the sentence or question that you want finished into the Google search box. Try this: “ Always look on the * side of life ”
Package Tracking
You can track packages by typing the tracking number for your UPS, Fedex or USPS package directly into the search box. We’ll return results that include quick links to easily track the status of your shipment. Try this with your next package.
Calculator
To use Google’s built-in calculator function, simply enter the calculation you’d like done into the search box. Try this: “ 8*9*12345679=” (Fun: take any number between 1 and 9, multiply by 9, and then multiply by 12,345,679 and you’ll get ___?)
Public Data
To see trends for population and unemployment rates of U.S. states and counties, type “population” or “unemployment rate” followed by a state or county. You can click through to a page that lets you compare different locations. Try this: “ Population San Francisco ”
Stock Quotes
To see current market data for a given company or fund, type the ticker symbol into the search box. On the results page, you can click the link to see more data from Google Finance. Try this: “ AMR ” or “ Dow jones ”
Flight Tracker
To see flight status for arriving and departing U.S. flights, type in the name of the airline and the flight number into the search box. Try this: “ AA 905 ”
Time
To see the time in many cities around the world, type in “time” and the name of the city. Try this: “ time The Hague ”
As a bonus, try searching Google for “Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything ” – To get this you will have to have read the book .
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- Bing Vs Google: The Tough Questions! (jtdabbagian.com)
- Bing, Google or Yahoo? (areweconnected.com)
- Is Bing better than Google? (guardian.co.uk)
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