Be A Google Expert

By Jeremy Caplan

o Google has long excelled at tracking down Web links on obscure topics, from Asian floral designs to Zambian hairstyles. But now its improved search box also provides quick, direct answers to many common queries. Here are some tips and tricks:

Why hasn't my package arrived? To find out, type in a tracking number for any major shipping service.

Is my father's flight on time? Enter the name of an airline followed by a flight number to check on a plane's status.

Is it going to snow? Type in "weather" and any city and state for a quick (illustrated) report.

How good is Brokeback Mountain? Type "movie: Brokeback Mountain" (or any other film name) for an instant compilation of published reviews.

What's $500 worth in euros? A new currency-converter feature replies to input like "$500 USD in euros."

o In many offices, Google has made age-old search tools seem obsolete

The phone book Enter the name and address of a person or business into Google's search box for a phone listing.

The calculator Type in any math problem to get a quick response.

The dictionary Learn what a word means by typing in, for example, "define: bamboozle."

Map Get maps and driving directions by punching in any street address.

Shopping catalog At Froogle.com compare prices at nearby stores with the new local shopping tool. It now even works on mobile phones.

o Want to improve your searches? Expert info hunters suggest:

Search for answers, not questions. Type in "The distance between Boston and Los Angeles is" not "How far is Boston from L.A.?" Google looks for pages that include the exact phrase you typed in; sites detailing a fact may not include a question phrase. To address that issue, Google is starting to enable its box to understand questions posed in common parlance.

Use quotation marks. To veterans this may seem obvious, but it's the simplest way to trim millions of search results down to a manageable list.

Download the Google toolbar. Rather than visit Google's website every time you want to run a search, install the free toolbar to search more efficiently. Bonus feature: the toolbar blocks those annoying pop-up ads.

Visit time.com for more Google tips

With reporting by Wilson Rothman