If you think all that you can do with Google’s simple search box is initiate searches, you have some pleasant surprises in store. Combine the search box with a little know-how, and you can solve math problems, track your packages, get flight information, play music, and much more.
Math Whiz
Google is a full-fledged calculator. You’ll understand this when you start typing math equations into the search box. Try a simple problem such as 5*2, and press Search. Google immediately goes into calculator mode, showing you the answer instantaneously. Want to get fancy? A math calculation such as 5*9+(sqrt 10)3 is as easy for Google as 2+2.
Google Local
Google can mine information in your local area or a specific region as easily as it can the entire web. Put local search to work with some easy-to-remember shortcuts.
For example, append your postal code to the end of almost any search phrase, and Google will narrow its results accordingly. Type “movies,” “restaurants,” “shoe repair,” “taxis,” or any other service or business, for instance, and you’ll quickly bring up a list of places or services close to you.
The same goes for finding the weather, either in your area or another. Just enter the word “weather” to get the weather forecast for your current location, or type “weather” followed by a postal code (or city) to get the forecast for a different region. Local news works the same way. Type “news” and a postal code or city, and you’ll probably find good news sources that you didn’t know existed.
Let Google Find the Answer
If you don’t know the answer to a specific question, let Google find it for you. Use the asterisk (*), which can represent either a wildcard character or an entire word, to tell Google that you want it to locate or find the missing information….