Search Like a Google Ninja
We all know how to Google, right? Well, here are some simple search tricks to make that search more productive and more awesome. You can find a lot of things without having to actually leave the Google search page or visit another website.
Remember, in most cases you do not need to capitalize words for Google. The other thing to keep in mind is that generally you should not put quotes around these search terms unless you're searching the web for only things that contain that exact search phrase. I'm doing it here sometimes for clarity, but if you're following along in a new tab, remove the quotes unless the instructions specify that they're necessary.
Do you find yourself using a calculator app on your desktop a lot? You could just be using Google. You can search for a wide variety of math problems, and you don't need to use rigid symbols to do it. Searching for 5+5 works just as well as searching for "five plus five." It even works when you mix words and symbols up, so long as it's an actual equation. In this example, I searched for "square root of 234324 times four."
The other thing to notice is that once you do a calculator search, that calculator app is still up there. You can use it to do more calculations.
If you're feeling even more math-y, try asking for graphs:
graph y=2x
sin(4pi/3-x)+cos(x+5pi/6)
The graphs don't give you the same calculator app, but they do tend to be interactive. More »
Want to find the dictionary meaning of a word without searching for a dictionary and then searching in the dictionary? A quick Google hack is to use the "define" syntax.
define: your-mystery-word
If you don't want to go further than that, you've got your definition covered. If you need more of a nuanced definition or more than one source, click on the downward pointing arrow. Depending on the word, you'll see etymology information, trends on how frequently the word is used, and an option to translate the word into another language. And, of course, clicking on the little speaker tells you how the word is pronounced. More »
Did you want to know how many gallons are in a pint or how many US Dollars in a Euro? Just ask Google. Just like with the calculator app, you've got a lot of leeway to find things that convert to other things, so long as you search in a way that would make sense as an equation, so "5 dollars in pounds" pulls up a conversion of five US Dollars in British Pounds Sterling.
You could have meant a different dollar - Canadian or Australian, for example, but Google takes a guess that you want the most commonly searched for type in your geographic area. If Google guessed wrong in this case, just be more specific in your next search. As with many other apps, the results are usually interactive and let you perform more calculations.
Check the weather. This is a pretty simple immediate forecast. Search for weather: zip-code or weather: city, state. You can also just type "weather" into the search box and get a local forecast for wherever your computer is.
Want to find out what movies are playing without having to go to each theater's website to check showtimes? It's as easy as the weather search. Search for movies: zip-code or movies: city, state if you want to find movies in a specific location, but if you just want to find the movies that are near wherever you are, just type "movies" in the search box, and you'll see what's playing at a glance. More »
Want a quick stock quote? It's as easy as typing in "stock" and either the name of the company or their symbol. For instance, I typed "stock goog" in the search box for Google's stock price. If you want more detail, click on the small links directly underneath the information box to go to the financial sites supplying the quote information.
If you just want a quick map and don't necessarily want to look at Google Maps, you can type "map name-of-city" and, depending on the city, you'll see an information box with a little map. This is a finicky feature, since there are so many names of places that are duplicated in other states and countries, so sometimes you'll need to provide more information. If you do want a full Google Maps experience, just click on the information box. More »
What, really? Yes. If you want a quick check to see how many degrees of separation a famous person has from Kevin Bacon, you can just search for: "bacon number of [celebrity]" Similarly searching for "what is the bacon number of" will usually get the same results.
If you want to find images, you can go to Google Image Search, of course, but you can also do that search from within the main Google search page by searching for "image of" and the item. Click on any image that you like, and you'll open it up in Google Image Search.
One thing to note is that this search for images of the Eiffel Tower also pulled up a bonus box. When you search for a specific location, you'll often get a "place page" with information like reviews, maps, and images.
Want cat videos? You don't need to go to YouTube to search. If you search for "video [search-term]" you'll find a list of videos as your first several hits. There's a subtle horizontal line showing you where the embedded video search ends and the standard Google search engine results begin.
Remember, in most cases you do not need to capitalize words for Google. The other thing to keep in mind is that generally you should not put quotes around these search terms unless you're searching the web for only things that contain that exact search phrase. I'm doing it here sometimes for clarity, but if you're following along in a new tab, remove the quotes unless the instructions specify that they're necessary.
1. Google Is an Awesome Calculator
Do you find yourself using a calculator app on your desktop a lot? You could just be using Google. You can search for a wide variety of math problems, and you don't need to use rigid symbols to do it. Searching for 5+5 works just as well as searching for "five plus five." It even works when you mix words and symbols up, so long as it's an actual equation. In this example, I searched for "square root of 234324 times four."
The other thing to notice is that once you do a calculator search, that calculator app is still up there. You can use it to do more calculations.
If you're feeling even more math-y, try asking for graphs:
graph y=2x
sin(4pi/3-x)+cos(x+5pi/6)
The graphs don't give you the same calculator app, but they do tend to be interactive. More »
2. Define: Something
Want to find the dictionary meaning of a word without searching for a dictionary and then searching in the dictionary? A quick Google hack is to use the "define" syntax.
define: your-mystery-word
If you don't want to go further than that, you've got your definition covered. If you need more of a nuanced definition or more than one source, click on the downward pointing arrow. Depending on the word, you'll see etymology information, trends on how frequently the word is used, and an option to translate the word into another language. And, of course, clicking on the little speaker tells you how the word is pronounced. More »
3. Convert Measurements and Currencies
Did you want to know how many gallons are in a pint or how many US Dollars in a Euro? Just ask Google. Just like with the calculator app, you've got a lot of leeway to find things that convert to other things, so long as you search in a way that would make sense as an equation, so "5 dollars in pounds" pulls up a conversion of five US Dollars in British Pounds Sterling.
You could have meant a different dollar - Canadian or Australian, for example, but Google takes a guess that you want the most commonly searched for type in your geographic area. If Google guessed wrong in this case, just be more specific in your next search. As with many other apps, the results are usually interactive and let you perform more calculations.
4. Check the Weather
Check the weather. This is a pretty simple immediate forecast. Search for weather: zip-code or weather: city, state. You can also just type "weather" into the search box and get a local forecast for wherever your computer is.
5. Movie Showtimes
Want to find out what movies are playing without having to go to each theater's website to check showtimes? It's as easy as the weather search. Search for movies: zip-code or movies: city, state if you want to find movies in a specific location, but if you just want to find the movies that are near wherever you are, just type "movies" in the search box, and you'll see what's playing at a glance. More »
6. Stock Quotes
Want a quick stock quote? It's as easy as typing in "stock" and either the name of the company or their symbol. For instance, I typed "stock goog" in the search box for Google's stock price. If you want more detail, click on the small links directly underneath the information box to go to the financial sites supplying the quote information.
7. Get a Quick Map
If you just want a quick map and don't necessarily want to look at Google Maps, you can type "map name-of-city" and, depending on the city, you'll see an information box with a little map. This is a finicky feature, since there are so many names of places that are duplicated in other states and countries, so sometimes you'll need to provide more information. If you do want a full Google Maps experience, just click on the information box. More »
8. Get a Bacon Number
What, really? Yes. If you want a quick check to see how many degrees of separation a famous person has from Kevin Bacon, you can just search for: "bacon number of [celebrity]" Similarly searching for "what is the bacon number of" will usually get the same results.
9. Find Images
If you want to find images, you can go to Google Image Search, of course, but you can also do that search from within the main Google search page by searching for "image of" and the item. Click on any image that you like, and you'll open it up in Google Image Search.
One thing to note is that this search for images of the Eiffel Tower also pulled up a bonus box. When you search for a specific location, you'll often get a "place page" with information like reviews, maps, and images.
10. Video Search
Want cat videos? You don't need to go to YouTube to search. If you search for "video [search-term]" you'll find a list of videos as your first several hits. There's a subtle horizontal line showing you where the embedded video search ends and the standard Google search engine results begin.
