Google Look-Ups

As you may know, the Google search box can take you directly to some resources, based on the words you use to search. These are called look-ups. A couple of basics:

• define: (insert word) will take you to a page of definitions
• link: (insert domain) will list all the pages linking to that site
• Entering an address (street and city) will provide Yahoo!/Mapquest Maps at the top of the page.

Aaron Swartz recently posted a list of new look-ups. These are pretty handy, in my opinion...

Google has added more search by number features:

• Area Codes, e.g. 650, bring up maps.

   

• UPC codes, e.g. 073333531084 or 036000250015, bring up some information about the product.

   

   

• Flight numbers, e.g. usair 50, provide links to flight tracking

   

   

• Vehicle ID (VIN) numbers, e.g. JH4NA1157MT001832, link to a CARFAX report on what kind of car and its status.

   

   

• U.S. Postal Service tracking numbers link to package status.

Via: BoingBoing