Googlicious, Baby: Google Tricks & Tips to Save You Time
Nov 1st, 2009 by Ealeal
Unless you’ve been living under a rock or are currently too young to operate a keyboard on your own, you are probably already familiar with common Google shortcuts, such as finding exact match phrases by using quotations, such as “You affect the world by what you browse” (special kudos to the first commenter on our blog to identify the origin of this quote and post below, BTW!), or performing a search on a specific site, using site:5min.com tricks.
But did you know there are plenty of other Google tips, tricks and shortcuts which could potentially save you time and money, help you better plan your day and potentially save your life? Below, 5min Partner PCWizKid, who was recently honored as a 2009 Microsoft MVP, shares some of the best Google tricks up his sleeve to help you make the most of the search engine that changed the world:
1. Define It: Even without a dictionary, Google can definitely help you avoid ending up befuddled, by allowing you to easily look up words and their meanings – for example, try typing in define: befuddled.
2. Calculate It: Got to crunch those numbers, but don’t have a calculator on hand? Sure, you could use the fairly basic calculator functions found in most computers, but why bother? Just type in a formula, no matter how complex, and get the answers you need.
3. Convert it: Need to know how much it’ll cost you to order smashing new threads from your fave Japanese shop? Don’t worry your pretty little head – just turn to Google, and use the calculator in order to convert your local currency into the Japanese yen. How awesome is that?! Aside from calculating how much money you’ll really be blowing online, you can also calculate weight and size conversions, to make sure you’re ordering the correct sizes.
4. Clock it: Got news you can’t wait to share with your friends or colleagues who happen to be stationed in another hemisphere? No problem! Simply type in time and the name of the city where your friends are, and find out if it’s still a socially acceptable hour to phone or Skype them.
5. Watch it: Want to catch a matinee on your day off, but got lots of other errands to run? Plan your day wisely by finding out the local showtimes for the movie of your choice. by typing the movie’s name and your postal code and hitting “Search”, you’ll be able to check out local listings and movie showtimes in your area.
Got a Tech SOS? Be sure to check out more tech tips, tricks and tutorials from PCWizKid here on 5min, and follow PCWizKid on Twitter!
