Google Mastery, Part 2: Find weather conditions, phone numbers, and movie showtimes fast
February 24th, 2006 by Chuck Sharp
Google has several very nice search features. Yes, these are all available through other sites, but why go to those when google is right there in front of you anyway? These searches can be done from any google search form. Try all of these out. They are real time savers.
Weather
This one’s easy. Just type “weather”, followed by a zipcode. For instance, I can type “weather 85029″ without the quotes to get my local current weather and forecast listed right on the google results page. If I don’t know the zipcode, I can just type “weather phoenix, az” to get a list of websites that show Phoenix weather.
Local (Yellow Pages)
I use this almost daily. Just type the name of the business or type of business you’re looking for, followed by the city and state or zipcode. The first result that shows up should say “Local Results for …”. Select that link to pull up the local search results, complete with addresses, phone numbers, and a local map with pins that show where the results are in town.
Movie Showtimes
Ok, I don’t do this daily, but it’s the only movie showtime listing I look at anymore. Just type “movies <zipcode>”. For instance, I type “movies 85029″. Then, I click the first result, “Showtimes for …” to see nearby theaters and movie showtimes.
Dictionary Definitions
Just type “define:<word>”. For instance, “define:google”. Brings up every definition Google can find. Probably the largest list of definitions you can find.
Maps
Just type in a city, zipcode, or address to get a map. Just for fun, you can switch between street map, satellite image map, and hybrid (combines both) by clicking the appropriate button in the upper right corner of the map.
Technorati Tags: Google, google search, Weather, Yellow Pages, Movie Showtimes, Dictionary, Maps
Entry Filed under: PC Basics, Productivity
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