New Google Tips & Tricks

While traveling, which has been way too frequent lately, I have come across a number of things about which I wanted to blog. Since we are nearing the end of July, I thought that I would beef up my July posts with the topics and occasions which I have been drafting in my head.

My first topic has to do with the wonders of Google. (Hey! I can hear those gags and groans!) I can honestly say that I learn new things about our products and services on a weekly basis, and I am continuously amazed by the smart and relevant technology that we have available to make our lives easier (and more fun). I recently came across these "tips" on how to search on Google.com and in your Gmail account more effectively. I couldn't resist sharing them. Use business name/category in directions search: Instead of looking up the address of a store and then having to get directions from one to the other, simply type "deli mountain view, ca TO ice cream mountain view ca," and the search results will provide you with a list of businesses to choose from and provide directions from point to point.

Public transit directions: Plan trips using public transportation at google.com/transit. For cities where transit is available, a search for directions will also provide the option for directions using public transit.

Check gas prices: With mapplets like GasBuddy, you can see gas prices throughout your area. Go to maps.google.com, select "My Maps", and browse the directory for "Gas Prices by GasBuddy.com." There are plenty of other useful and fun tools in the directory, such as AccuWeather.com, Weather Snapshot, Area Calculator, and Real Estate Search.

Movies: Find movie info by typing "movies," or the name of a current film, into the Google search box along with your location (city and state or zip code). For example, "Sex and the City Atlanta GA" or "movies 02459."

Package tracking: Enter the tracking # of a package from FedEx, UPS, DHL, or USPS into the search box.

Flight status: Check the status of a U.S. flight by typing the name of the airline followed by the flight number. For example, to see the status for United Airlines flight 134, search for "United 134."

Currency conversions: Google's built-in currency converter. Simply enter the currency conversion into the search box. For example, "80 pounds to dollars."

Definitions: Type "define" followed by a word in the Google search box to get the definition. You can also do this via Google SMS.

This next set of tips refers to searching inside of your Gmail account. These are great ways to quickly find emails or information inside of emails without having to comb through sent mail, folders or topics.

from: Specify the sender. from:amy
Means: Messages from Amy

to: Specify a recipient. to:david
Means: All messages that were sent to David (by you or someone else)

subject: Search for words in the subject line. subject:dinner
Means: Messages that have the word "dinner" in the subject

-word: Exclude messages from search. dinner -movie
Means: Messages that contain the word "dinner" but do not contain the word "movie"

has:attachment: Search for messages with an attachment. from:david has:attachment
Means: Messages from David that have an attachment

filename: Search for an attachment by name or type. filename:physicshomework.txt
Means: Messages with an attachment named "physicshomework.txt"

label: Search for messages by label. from:amy label:friends
Means: Messages from Amy that have the label "friends"

( ): Group words Specify terms that shouldn't be excluded. from:amy(dinner OR movie)
Means: Messages from Amy that contain either the word "dinner" or the word "movie"

subject:(dinner movie)
Means: Messages in which the subject contains both the word "dinner" and the word "movie"

And...you can string multiple operators together in one search! Happy searching, and finding!

*Major props to Gmail search tips and PCMag.com for providing me with the great tips and tricks to share with you.