Monday
Aug182003
More on the Power of Google
Monday, August 18, 2003 at 08:05PM TIP OF THE DAY
More on the Power of Google
To use Google to find dictionary definitions, enter your query into the search box as you would normally. Any or all parts of your query for which we have a dictionary definition will be underlined in the center text above our search results, as seen for the query "search" in the following example:
example: Searched the web for search. Results 1 - 10 of about 227,000,000. Search took 0.08 seconds.
Clicking on the link for the word "search" will take you to the relevant definition from a dictionary provider, which has been selected solely on the basis of its quality. If you have a favorite dictionary source that you'd like to suggest that we use, please email us at suggestions@google.com.
PhoneBook
Google has added the convenience of US street address and phone number lookup to the information we provide through our search box. You'll see publicly listed phone numbers and addresses at the top of results pages for searches that contain specific kinds of keywords.
To find listings for a US business, type the business name into the Google search box, along with the city and state. Or type the business name and zip code. Entering the phone number with area code will also return a complete business listing.
To find listings for a US residence, type any of the following combinations into the Google search box:
- first name (or first initial), last name, city (state is optional)
- first name (or first initial), last name, state
- first name (or first initial), last name, area code
- first name (or first initial), last name, zip code
- phone number, including area code
- last name, city, state
- last name, zip code
If your query results in business and residential listings, both categories will be listed for your convenience.
Street Maps
To use Google to find street maps, enter a U.S. street address, including zip code or city/ state (e.g. 165 University Ave Palo Alto CA), in the Google search box. Often, the street address and city name will be enough.
When Google recognizes your query as a map request, it will return links from high quality map providers that will lead you directly to the relevant map. These map providers have been selected solely on the basis of their quality. Please note that Google is not affiliated with the map information providers that are used.
Calculator
To use Google's built-in calculator function, simply enter the expression you'd like evaluated in the search box and hit the Enter key or click the Google Search button. The calculator can evaluate mathematical expressions involving basic arithmetic (5+2*2 or 2^20), more complicated math (sine(30 degrees) or e^(i pi)+1), units of measure and conversions (100 miles in kilometers or 160 pounds * 4000 feet in Calories), and physical constants (1 a.u./c or G*mass of earth/radius of earth^2). You can also experiment with other numbering systems, including hexadecimal and binary.
These sample queries demonstrate the utility and power of this new feature: