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10 Tips, Tricks and Things You Didn't Know You Could Do With Google

Updated on April 9, 2012

Google is a company known for its ingenuity and sense of humor. Here is a list of some of the things that can be done with Google and its products.

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1. Google Gravity

Want to have a little fun with Google and destroy the main page? Go to Google Search, type Google Gravity and press "I'm Feeling Lucky". Have fun by flinging the Google search components around your screen.

2. Synonym Search

If you want to search not only for your search term but also for its synonyms, place the tilde sign (~) immediately in front of your search term.

For example: ~fast food will search for fast food and junk food, plus other fast food restaurants

3. Do you like the Google Doodles?

Check out all of the Google headers from past special events and holidays by visiting http://www.google.com/doodles

4. What's the time?

To find out the time anywhere in the world, type "time [city/country]" (without quotes and brackets) into the search bar. Google will display the current time in that location.

Would you also like to know the sunrise and sunset of that location? Type sunset or sunrise before the city or country to find out when it will be.

5. What's playing?

Do you want to find movie showtimes in your area fast? In the Google search bar, type "movies [zip code]" (without quotes or brackets). The search results will show all movies, theatres and even reviews for each showing.

6. Track It

Hate finding the websites to track your UPS, USPS or FedEx packages? Track your packages by typing your tracking number directly into the Google search bar. This will eliminate a lot of time looking for websites and tracking searches.

7. Identify Unknown Images

Have you ever been on a website like Pinterest or Tumblr and wondered where the image originated from? To find out where it came from, find your image then open another window or tab in your internet browser and go to Google Images. Drag the image from the original site into the Google Images tab and it will display all relevant images and sources.

8. Search a Single Website

Do you know the website you want to search but don't want to crawl through endless pages to find the information you need? In the Google Search bar, type "site:[web address] [keyword]" (without quotes or brackets). This will search the website for your keyword, for example "site:hubpages.com dog" will bring up results for all hubpages articles that contain the word dog.

9. Be a Froogle Googler

Are you a Frugal shopper? Want the latest info on shopping deals? Check out Froogle Google to get a detailed list of deals and where to pick them up. Advanced search options will allow you to find items that are local to you.

10. Spot Nessie

Many have claimed to have spotted Nessie, the Lockness Monster, late at night, online. Online? Yes. At 3:14am (the 3 digits of Pi, for the nerds) every morning Nessie visits the Google homepage. If you're not a night owl and can't wait, simply change your time zone settings to catch a glimpse.

Try these funny searches

Type in these keywords and press "I'm Feeling Lucky""

  • Chuck Norris
  • do a barrel roll
  • answer to life the universe and everything
  • once in a blue moon
  • Recursion

Switch to Satellite and view these Google Earth finds

A
Fighter Jet in France Parking Lot:

get directions

B
Giant Pink Bunny in Italian Countryside:

get directions

C
Car on the Side of Building in The Netherlands:

get directions

D
Boat on its side in Iraq:

get directions

Great Google Reads

working

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