posted on November 23, 2006 09:57:37 AM new
Maybe everyone already knows this stuff?
For Quick Searches
Q. I recently discovered that you can type a vehicle information number (VIN) right into Google and get the details on a specific car. What other shortcuts like this is Google capable of?
A. In addition to roaming the Web on regular keyword searches, Google can recognize certain types of numbers and codes typed into its search box and save you a step in your quest. (Some of these shortcuts will also work with other search engines, like Yahoo.)
For instance, instead of searching for a Web site that tracks current flights, you can type a flight number (like “VS046” for Virgin Atlantic’s Flight 46 or “United 156” for United Airlines Flight 156) right into the search box on the main Google page. If Google recognizes the flight number, it returns a set of links to sites like Expedia, Travelocity or the aviation Web site FBOWeb.com that displays the flight’s current status.
------>>>>You can track packages from Google’s main search box by typing in its tracking number from carriers like Fedex, United Parcel Service or the United States Postal Service. For example, to hunt down a FedEx package, you can type “fedex 854223553690” to get a link that lets you directly track that package on the FedEx Web site.
You can search for patent numbers by typing “patent” followed by the number in the search box, and look up stock quotes by entering the company’s ticker symbol on Google’s main page. And in addition to getting a link to the Carfax site when you enter an automobile’s VIN number, you can get similar information on aircraft by typing in a plane’s registration number from the Federal Aviation Administration.
posted on November 23, 2006 11:02:28 AM new
Yes, that is unfortunate.
Truly.
It's the reason why so many yahoos are calling and bugging us about selling our Cessna 172; all they need is the N number.
Of course, you can do this directly on the FAA's site, but this lowers the bar so that any search-impaired yokel can do it.
I hate Google and their slippery sense of ethics. They want to be the arbiter of what information about YOU is easily obtainable. Google is on the verge of evil. I think many of us already sense it.
In any event, there's really no reason to use Google to track packages. All they want is for you to land on their page. I think most people who ship have their shipper's page up in a browser window most of the time anyway.
