Google Tips

Phrase your question in the form of an answer. So instead of typing,

"What is the average rainfall in the Amazon basin?", you might get better

results by typing "The average rainfall in the Amazon basin is."

This is an old one, but very important: Put quotes around phrases that

must be searched together. If you put quotes around "electric curtains,"

Google won't waste your time finding one set of Web pages containing the word

"electric" and another set containing the word "curtains."

Similarly, put a hyphen right before any word you want screened out. If

you're looking up dolphins, for example, you'll have to wade through a

million Miami Dolphins pages unless you search for "dolphins -Miami."

Google is a global White Pages and Yellow Pages. Search for

"phonebook:home depot norwalk, ct," Google instantly produces the address and phone

number of the Norwalk Home Depot. This works with names ("phonebook:robert

jones las vegas, NV") as well as businesses. Don't put any space after

"phonebook." And in all of the following examples, don't type the quotes

I'm showing you here.

Google is a package tracker. Type a FedEx or UPS package number (just

the digits); when you click Search, Google offers a link to its tracking

information.

Google is a calculator. Type in an equation ("32??*3-234=").

Google is a units-of-measurement converter. Type "teaspoons in a

gallon,"for example, or "centimeters in a foot."

Google is a stock ticker. Type in AAPL or MSFT, for example, to see a

link to the current Apple or Microsoft stock price, graphs, financial news

and so on.

Google is an atlas. Type in an area code, like 212, to see a Mapquest

map of the area.

Google is Wal-Mart's computer. Type in a UPC bar code number, such as

"036000250015," to see the description of the product you've just

scanned in.

Google is an aviation buff. Type in a flight number like "United 22" for

a link to a map of that flight's progress in the air. Or type in the tail

number you see on an airplane for the full registration form for that

plane.

Google is the Department of Motor Vehicles. Type in a VIN (vehicle

identification number, which is etched onto a plate, usually on the door

frame, of every car), like "JH4NA1157MT001832," to find out the car's

year, make and model.

For hours of rainy-day entertainment, visit http://labs.google.com .

Here, you'll find links to new, half-finished Google experiments-like Google

Voice, in which you call (650) 623-6706, speak the words you want to

search for and then open your browser to view the results. Disclaimer: It

wasn't working when I tried it. (Ditto a lot of these experiments.)

Poke around the "Services & Tools" link on the Google.com home page and

you'll find some of the better-known lesser-known Google features, if

that makes any sense. For example, there's Froogle (product search), News,

Groups (Internet discussion boards), Google Catalogs (hundreds of scanned-in

product catalogs), Images (find graphics and photos from other people's

Web sites), Blogger (publish your own online journal), Google language

translation, Google Answers (pay a couple of bucks to have a

professional researcher find the answers for you) and much more.

Download and install the Google toolbar. Not only does it put the Google

search box into your browser full-time, but it also blocks pop-up ads

and fills in forms for you. For Windows at http://toolbar.google.com . (Ad

blocking, form-filling and Google's search box are already built into

the Apple's Web browser, Safari.)


Google Tricks

* To define a word, phrase or acronym, just type define: and then your

term into Google's search box. The results include a variety of Web

glossaries, dictionaries and encyclopedias.

* Google tricks such as using quotes to search for a specific

phrase or the tilde to search for synonyms of a word can be lifesavers,

but not if you can't remember them. The Google Cheat Sheet, a list of commonly

used operators, deserves a spot next to your monitor.

www.google.com/help/cheatsheet.html


* What does Google ''think" of you? Find out at "Googlism",

where the search results for a word or phrase are analyzed and your "who,"

"what","when" or "where" query is answered. www.googlism.com

* The Google Zeitgeist keeps track of what's being searched for

at that moment. Check out the search terms gaining in popularity or head to

The archives to see what was hot a few years ago.

www.google.com/press/zeitgeist.html

* Want to know when people are talking about you? Create a

Google Alert for your name and Google will e-mail you whenever a news or search

item pops up with you in it. www.google.com/alerts