6 Useful Things Google Search Provides That Are Not Search / Useful Google Search Tools

Lately it is kind of popular to trash Google. Very much like Microsoft, people love to complain about companies that take an important part of their daily life. Google is now an integral part of our life not only for search but for many other things. A good friend saw me convert foreign exchange on Google search and was very surprised you can do that. So here is a list of things I do in Google search which are not search related.

Looking up What’s the Time in Other Places Around the World

Living in a far away island in the pacific with friends in Europe and America, this tool is a great help.


Here is how you Google search for time in Seattle for example:

Type in Google search “time in Seattle”

Here is the direct link to the Google search
http://www.google.co.nz/search?hl=en&q=time+in+Seattle

Here is what you get (at the time of the search): 3:19pm Thursday (PST) – Time in Seattle, Washington

Make Foreign Exchange Conversion Calculation

Want to convert from any currency to any other? There is an easy way to do that.

Here is how you use Google search to convert 100 New Zealand Dollars to US Dollars:

Type in Google search “convert 100 NZD to USD”

Here is the direct link to the Google search
http://www.google.co.nz/search?hl=en&q=convert+100+NZD+to+USD

Here is what you get (at the time of the search): 100 New Zealand dollars = 69.95 U.S. dollars

Lookup Word Definition

In this search Google gathers definitions from different dictionaries.

Here is how you use Google search to define open source:

Type in Google search “define: open source”

Here is the direct link to the Google search
http://www.google.co.nz/search?hl=en&q=define%3A+open+source

Here is what you get (at the time of the search): “Definitions of open source on the Web: of or relating to or being computer software for which the source code is freely available….”

Do Quick Calculations

I use this when I am on the web and too lazy to use the OS calculator, I just type in the simple calculation in the search bar and there you go.

Here is how you use Google search to multiply 1574 by 3425:

Type in Google search “1574 times 3425”

Here is the direct link to the Google search
http://www.google.co.nz/search?hl=en&q=1574+times+3425

Here is what you get: 1574 times 3425 = 5 390 950

Spell Checker

I do this all the time, use Google search to check my spelling on single words. Because Google gives you the closest statistical correctly spelled word, I find it very helpful to combine the word I am looking for with other related words to tell Google what word I am looking for.

Get Weather Forecast

In New Zealand the weather changes every hour.

Here is how you use Google search to find the weather in Wellington NZ:

Type in Google search “weather wellington new zealand”
Here is the direct link to the Google search
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=weather+wellington+new+zealand

Other Uses

These are the tools I use most commonly – for a full list of the tools visit http://www.google.co.nz/intl/en/help/features.html

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Amir Shevat

Amir Shevat is the global Startup Outreach lead in Google Developer Relations (g.co/launch). Previously, Amir Led Google Campus Tel Aviv and was the co founder of several startups.

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