10 Google Features That Will Make Your Life Easier

Published on August 21, 2014

Google has become an essential part of most of our online lives. It's superior search engine, maps, email, calendar, and cloud storage already provide so much to our online browsing experience.

But did you know there are even more features we can take advantage of?

A recent article in USA Today brought to light 10 incredibly awesome tools that often get overlooked. Here are the highlights.

1. Google Flight Search

If you're shopping around for the cheapest fare for a flight, Google has a great tool for it. Check out Google Flight Search - easily one of the simplest and most effective price-comparison sites around. Pick your starting location and your destination directly on the map, your desired travel dates, and voila. It will even give you recommended tips on additional departure dates around your time slot that are cheaper.

2. Atari Breakout

Take a break from work with some classic Atari. Just go to google.com/images and search for "Atari Breakout". Have fun!

3. Public Data Explorer

Need info on public statistics? Google has a great breakout search engine called Public Data Explorer. Locate graphs, statistics, and other public information with this service. (Note: This works best with simple searches, like "average national debt".)

4. Google Translate

Get a quick translation from Google by typing in "Translate (word) to (language)" in the standard search bar. Google will pull in data from their Google Translate service, along with a speaker icon which will let you hear the word spoken aloud.

5. Google nutritional comparisons

Want to know some quick nutritional facts on the foods you want to eat? Just type in "compare (food) to (food)" for the quick breakdown.

6. Google definitions

You can also get some quick definitions out of Google by searching "define (word)." It will pull in data which best answers your question, though the source it chooses to use varies.

7. Google conversions

So, how far is 10 kilometers in miles again? Just type it in Google. Write "convert 10k to miles" or "convert 16 ounces to cups" and you'll get the information you need without much searching.

8. Google nGrams

This research tool is fascinating. Take a look at how many times specific words occur in more than 5 million books between 1800 - a great way to see how words gain or lose popularity over time. Neat!

9. Google Sky

This is quite possibly one of the most beautiful searches out there, trumping even Google Earth. Get some incredible images of the stars, galaxies, and planets which are taken from telescopes, probes, and satellites.

10. Exclude search terms

Getting the exact search results you want, especially on a popular topic, can be tricky. Google has some added functionality in that you're able to search for your subject while excluding other search terms that you maybe don't want to see by using the minus (-) symbol.

For example, if you're searching for "The Ritz" and you somehow keep getting Ritz Cracker commercial in there, type in "The Ritz -Crackers".

Do you have other favorite Google features? Let us know! Send us an email or drop us a comment below.