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September 24, 2012

14 Special Google Searches That Show Instant Answers

14 Special Google Searches That Show Instant Answers, Published on September 23rd, 2012  |  Written by: Chris Hoffman, another great article from the howtogeek.com .



Google can do more than display lists of websites – Google will give you quick answers to many special searches. While Google isn’t quite as advanced as Wolfram Alpha, it has quite a few tricks up its sleeve.
We’ve also covered searching Google like a pro by learning the Google search operators – if you want to master Google, be sure to learn those.

Calculator

You can use Google as a calculator – just type in a quick calculation and Google will provide an answer. Google now offers a clickable calculator tool when you search for a calculation, so you can use Google like you’d use a calculator application on your desktop or smartphone.
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Unit Conversions

Google can also convert between a variety of units. Just type a search in the form X unit to unit. For example, 40 degrees f to c converts 40 degrees Fahrenheit to Celsius.
As with the calculator, the unit conversion tool is clickable.
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You can also combine unit conversations and math. For example, the search two miles plus 500 yards in kilometers will return a valid answer.
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Currency Conversions

Google can also do currency conversions for you. You can do a search such as usd to cad to see the exchange rate between two currencies, or do a search such as 500 usd to cad to see how much a certain amount of currency is worth in another currency.
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Your IP Address

You can determine your current public IP address by typing what is my ip into Google – or just search for my ip.
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Weather

To see the weather in a specific location, search for weather location – for example, search for weather new york to see a weather forecast for New York. If you enter weather without a location, Google will show you the weather for your current area.
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Sunrise and Sunset

You can also view the sunrise or sunset times for a location by typing sunrise location or sunset location. Like with the weather search, searching for sunrise or sunset without a location will show you the sunrise or sunset times for your current location.
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Times

View the current time for a location by typing time location – for example, searching for time paris will show you the current time in Paris, France.  Like with the weather searches, searching for time without a location will show you the current time where you are.
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Package Tracking

If you want to track a package, you can enter a UPS, USPS, or Fedex tracking number directly in the Google search box. Google will link you to the appropriate package-tracking page.
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Dictionary Definitions

To view the dictionary definition for a word, search for define word – Google will show you the definition of the word, along with a button you can click to hear the word pronounced aloud.
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Flight Tracking

View the status of a flight by typing an airline name followed by a flight number.
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Flight Schedules

Search for available flights by searching for flights from city to city. Google will show you a list of available flights along with their prices, durations, and airlines – you can enter your dates and locate flights right from the search page.
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Movie Schedules

Want to see a movie in a theater? Search for movies followed by your postal code to view a list of movies playing near you.
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Data

You can view many types of data for different cities and countries, such as the population and unemployment rate, by searching for them. For example, searching for population location will show you the population of that location, whether it’s a city, state, or country.
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Stock Information

View about a stock, including its price and a graph of its price history, by searching for any stock symbol on Google.
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Source: http://www.howtogeek.com/125101/14-special-google-searches-that-show-instant-answers/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=240912

September 19, 2012

Google to drop support for IE8 on Google Docs on Nov. 15

Significant impact on Windows XP, which cannot run newer IE9 or the upcoming IE10

September 15, 2012 02:58 PM ET

Computerworld - Google will drop support for Microsoft's Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) for its online apps and services in mid-November, effectively ending support for many users of Windows XP.
"Internet Explorer 10 launches on 10/26/2012, and as a result, we will discontinue support for Internet Explorer 8 shortly afterwards, on 11/15/2012," the company wrote on a Friday blog. "After this date, users accessing Google Apps services using Internet Explorer 8 will see a message recommending that they upgrade their browser."
Because IE8 is the newest Microsoft browser that runs on Windows XP, and because Google had previously abandoned IE7 and IE6 -- the other versions that run on XP -- the move significantly impacts Windows XP users locked into Internet Explorer by corporate or organization policies.
 


Neither IE9, which Microsoft launched in March 2011, or IE10, which will debut alongside Windows 8 in late October, runs on Windows XP.

After Nov. 15, users running IE8 may have trouble with some features in Google Apps. And if past practice is any clue, other sites and services, including Gmail and Google Calendar, may also be affected. At some point, those apps may stop working entirely in IE8.
This wasn't the first time that Google has warned users to upgrade to a newer browser. In July 2011, the company said it would dump IE7 from its list of supported browsers; in January 2010, it announced it would no longer support IE6, Microsoft's 2001 browser.
Google's policy is to support only the current version of a browser, and its immediate predecessor.

Giving up on IE8, however, is markedly different than dumping IE7.
Last year, when Google said it would stop supporting IE7, that edition accounted for just 7% of all browsers used worldwide, according to Web analytics firm Net Applications.
IE8, on the other hand, was the most widely-used browser edition in the world last month, with a usage share of 25%. Of those who ran one version or another of IE, nearly half, or 47%, ran IE8 in August.



Windows XP faces its own end-of-life cutoff; Microsoft will serve users with that operating system's final security update in April 2014. But like IE8, Windows XP remains a major presence. Last month, Net Applications measured XP's global usage share at 42.5%, just behind the three-year-old Windows 7's 42.8%.

Google is the first major online software maker to drop 2009's IE8 from a support list. Microsoft, for instance, has committed to supporting IE8 on Windows 7 until 2020.
IE8 users, particularly those running Windows XP, can switch to another browser, including the most recent versions of Mozilla's Firefox, Google's own Chrome or Opera Software's Opera, to run Google Apps.
The end-of-support plan for Google Apps will not disrupt access to its search site using older browsers.


covers Microsoft, security issues, Apple, Web browsers and general technology breaking news for Computerworld. Follow Gregg on Twitter at Twitter @gkeizer, on Google+ or subscribe to Gregg's RSS feed Keizer RSS. His email address is gkeizer@computerworld.com.
See more by Gregg Keizer on Computerworld.com.
Read more about Web Apps in Computerworld's Web Apps Topic Center.

Source: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9231316/Google_to_drop_support_for_IE8_on_Nov._15