10 Google Search Functions You Probably Never Knew Existed

January 31, 2014 by Staff Writer

In today's busy, busy world productivity is of the essence and every nanosecond counts in the bid to get ahead of the competition. Fortunately, your desktop provides access to the all solutions you need to be productive, including the Internet. For many, Google search is a ubiquitous tool that offers access to a wealth of websites that offer you solutions to the problems you need to solve. But were you aware that Google itself can offer access to such solutions?

What follows are 10 functions everybody needs, but very few know are available through your Google search screen. Most are useful – all are just downright fun!

1. Global Time

Simply type ‘time’ and the city you need to know the time for into the text field or address bar of your browser, and voila – there it is... Simple as that.

2. Currency Conversion

Type in the currency your need to convert from and the currency you need to convert to (i.e. ‘10 dollars pounds’) and the converted amount at the current exchange rate is shown.

3. Calculations

Just type in the calculation you need the answer to - for instance, 3+(4*10) - and not only does the answer come up, so does a calculator that lets you do more of the same!

4. Conversions

Google allows you to do a range of conversions (for example, pounds to kilograms) simply by typing the number and measurement you want to convert ‘into’ the measurement you need – ‘5 lbs into kilos’.

5. Check Your Stocks

Simply type in the shortened stock name of the company you are interested in (for example, rax for Rackspace), and the company’s current stock prices appear.

6. Definitions

Type ‘define’ and the word you need a definition for and there it is in all its complexity!

7. Translate Words

You can translate a word into another language simply by typing the word alongside ‘translate’ and the language you need (for instance, ‘ratchet translate german’).

8. Check Flight Status

Simply type in the flight number you want to enquire about and its current status appears.

9. Weather Check

Type in ‘weather’ and the city you need weather information for and the current weather details come up along with weather over the next 24 hours.

10. Find Information Within a Website

Type in ‘site:’ alongside the name of a site (i.e. ‘hostsearch.com’) along with a word your are trying to find on that site (i.e. ‘apple’) and you get a list of pages where that word appears with that website.