Google Search By Number 286
fizz writes "Well, Google has done it again. This time, simply enter any tracking number or id number into the Google search box, and Voila! You have a link to the shipper and tracking information. They have a funny little mom/son tech talk bit on the blog about this."
Little by little (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Little by little (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Little by little (Score:5, Insightful)
When enough people like Google, it'll be fashionable to hate them. It makes for a small clique of geeks that think having an extreme opinion with intelligence. It's sort of like how the definition of sci-fi has been twisted to exclude Star Wars.
Geeks can be snobs, too.
Re:Little by little (Score:5, Insightful)
Ummmm
Star Wars does not attempt to fulfill the role of exploring how technology affects man.
It is pure and simple Space Opera. Even Lucas will concede that point, as he never tried to make anything else.
If you took the story of the Alamo, placed it on a moon, and made the technology involved in getting to the moon and fighting the war just simply background, that would not be sci-fi. A literal re-telling of a Shakespeare play in a loosely space-based setting, is not sci-fi.
The fact that you don't like a definition which is both older than you and doesn't apply to Star Wars is something for you to reconcile.
Cheers
Re:Little by little (Score:2)
Thanks for the visual aid!
Re:Little by little (Score:3, Informative)
Hmm... Well, space opera's are usually called a special subgenre of science fiction.
Here's a good article about it: space opera [wikipedia.org]. It is summarized there as:
Re:Little by little (Score:3, Interesting)
Even my moms heard of Google. Hell my co-workers sister says "google-it" and she thinks that every computer house has the Internet BUILT into it (meaning if you have a house you automatically have the internet). Google is extremely popular and extremely well known. Now should we start hating it? Thats a question only the masses can hate. When we are all saying "Hail Google" and "Yavoll heir Google" then I will probably say 'down with google', but so far they are just
Re:Little by little (Score:3, Funny)
You raise a really, really good point about nerd culture in general. While nerds are seen as being outcasts by and large, we definatly push keep that true. We like unpopular things by choice, and shun popular things, much like popular things/people shun us.
It's great to be a geek.
Re:Little by little (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Little by little (Score:2)
That seems to be the dividing line for most anyways. Once it appears they're merely trying to squeeze extra pennies out of people or are apathetic towards customer opinion, that's when the pitchforks get brandished.
Re:Little by little (Score:2)
Do no evil.
Let the evil be done by whomever's archiving every bit of data at each of our bandwidth providers' connections!
Re:Little by little (Score:4, Funny)
Everytime they add a new feature I have this vague and unsupported feeling they are falling down this slippery slope towards utter evilness.
Please google for the sake of the children stop comming up with cool stuff. If you have to add something make it useless and sucky.
Re:Little by little (Score:5, Funny)
Microsoft have been trying this one for a while now, and are still considered evil...
Re:Little by little (Score:5, Funny)
Good for IDing computer componets to find drivers (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Little by little (Score:2)
This is just one more check-mark on that list that spans a couple dozen different fields of information now, continuing into the new Video search technology.
Re:Little by little (Score:2)
Re:Do no evil my ass (Score:3, Funny)
Not a new feature (Score:5, Informative)
Just because someone's mom doesn't know something about Google doesn't make it new.
Re:Not a new feature (Score:5, Funny)
Slashdot: news for moms, one year after.
Way up on your horse again? (Score:3)
1. Nobody said it was new
2. It was hidden! So to a lot of people, it is new. It is new to me, and I use google every day.
I don't understand why this making the news is such a dork-irker. Geeks on their high-horses. *sigh*
Re:Way up on your horse again? (Score:4, Insightful)
Anyways, just because you and a handful of others didn't know about this feature, doesn't mean it belongs on the front page.
I mean, I'm sure there's plenty of really interesting tidbits in, say, world history that neither of us are privy to: that doesn't mean someone should submit or accept a front page post about them.
And just for future reference, in the hopes of avoiding further seperate front page posts on each of these long-implemented features: Google can also help you correct wrongly spelled words (including links to a dictionary entry), let you search through a catalogue of images, and I hear they've even got their own web-based email service.
I heartily encourage you, 'Zonk', and the rest of the Funky Bunch to give a healthy once over of the very much hidden Google features [google.com] page, just chock full of similar surprises. Ciao!
Re:Not a new feature (Score:2)
It's new to her.
Re:Not a new feature (Score:2)
Google did this a year ago (Score:5, Interesting)
Most of /. probably knew about this, since it's been around since at least February 2004 [archive.org]
That page contains the request Are there other types of numbers you'd like Google to search? Please email us at suggestions@google.com.
Today's page contains Are there other types of numbers you'd like Google to search? Please contact us.
If in the last year Google received suggestions for other numbers to be searched, they do not seem to be implemented today. Drivers Lic #'s, SSN's, Lic Plate #'s, are not likely to be included. What numbers could Google search?
Re:Google did this a year ago (Score:5, Interesting)
Drivers Lic #'s, SSN's, Lic Plate #'s, are not likely to be included. What numbers could Google search?
How about UPC numbers, reverse phone, IP address lookups.......
Re:Google did this a year ago (Score:2, Informative)
Actually, you can do UPC numbers just by searching for the UPC number, though it just comes up with a direct search link to upcdatabase.com. You can also do reverse phone lookup. Try the following format.
rphonebook: 555-555-5555Firefox does it already! (Score:2)
Firefox has had Smart Keyword bookmarks [mozilla.org] for a while. Right click on any form entry field and click "Add a keyword for this search."
I just type "ups <tracking num>" and go; no need for Google. Also useful for dictionary/thesaurus.com, stock quotes, wikipedia, helpdesk tickets at work, Bugzilla, Google Local, Google maps, whatever. Some of these are built in already. After some initial getting-used-to, it's incredibly handy.
Re:Google did this a year ago (Score:2)
Look at how fast they fulfilled your request!
UPC codes example search: "073333531084"
Re:Google did this a year ago (Score:5, Funny)
How about large numbers you wanted factored into primes?
Re:Google did this a year ago (Score:2)
http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/04/
Re:Google did this a year ago (Score:3, Interesting)
If in the last year Google received suggestions for other numbers to be searched, they do not seem to be implemented today... Lic Plate #'s, are not likely to be included.
License plate number lookup would actually be a very nice feature. At least in the state where I live you have to be one of about a hundred registered lawyers or a law enforcement agent to search the license plate database, but those individuals are willing to provide a lookup to anyone without any questions asked for about $75. Also,
Re:Google did this a year ago (Score:2)
Yes, for criminals and other scum. It would make it trivial for them to drive around the long-term parking lots at airports to see who isn't at home, and then find out where "home" is. Or for road-rage morons to find out who cut them off in traffic and take it home to them.
Re:Google did this a year ago (Score:2)
It would make it trivial for them to drive around the long-term parking lots at airports to see who isn't at home, and then find out where "home" is.
Did you even read my post? They can already do that. Right now they just need to give a lawyer his cut of a couple hundred bucks for the database on CD. The answer to the hypothetical problem you mention is to make the database private, if that sort of thing becomes a problem. Barring that, I see no reason to not make it cheaper. Or do you really think a co
Re:Google did this a year ago (Score:2)
Funny how the /. crowd gets all foaming at the mouth when privacy issues concern them personally, but when it's somebody else's privacy, "information wants to be free!"
I don't have any problem with individuals collecting publicly available information about me. I do have a problem with the government or commercial enterprises collecting personal information about me, especially when it is connected to supposedly private information, like my credit card info and social security number. If commercial ente
ISBN. UPC. Credit cards. (Score:3, Interesting)
-russ
Re:Google did this a year ago (Score:2)
Not news (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Not news (Score:2)
Check out their SMS service, you can even use this feature and the others from your mobile..
http://www.google.com/sms/ [google.com]
It's Google (Score:2)
I think by now Google has surpassed Linux in the hacker's minds as "The real thing". Not that it isn't cool, but it is quite amazing to see how a good product can gain a quasi-sainthood status among educated audiences when coupled with the right marketing strategies.
Re:Not news (Score:2)
even cooler: check out the first google map hack (Score:5, Interesting)
even cooler: check out the first google map hack (it even blew the pants of the google maps crew):
http://paulrademacher.com/housing/ [paulrademacher.com]
MOD PARENT UP (Score:2)
THIS THREAD IS USELESS WITHOUT PICTURES (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:THIS THREAD IS USELESS WITHOUT PICTURES (Score:2)
And that whooshing sound is a joke flying by...
By the way, those houses on Craig's List have sharp knees. I would NOT rent it.
Re:even cooler: check out the first google map hac (Score:2)
Re:even cooler: check out the first google map hac (Score:2)
Re:even cooler: check out the first google map hac (Score:2)
The hack uses Craigslist for its real estate data. I would bet that Craigslist is much more open.
Just like middle-men of all kinds, the reality industry is feeling a little threatened by people bypassing them via the internet and not paying the associated high commissions. It wouldn't surprise me if they're touchy about how you access MLS.
Google Maps Sightseeing (Score:3, Interesting)
I have been using this all week and I've already made three appointments to see apartments that I found on there. It is insanely useful.
The Google Maps sightseeing blog [shreddies.org] doesn't quite have its utility, but is hours of entertainment nonetheless.
Confirmation that (North) America is the world! (Score:2)
I started dragging the map and was amused by how the Atlantic Ocean kept going and going and going... I then went back and dragged down and noticed the conspicuous absence of South America.
Nevertheless, it was kind of fun, even if they didn't have any listing for Charlottesville, VA, even though it is the best city in the US [usatoday.com] in which to live.
Re:even cooler: check out the first google map hac (Score:2)
Yet another reason Google is king (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Yet another reason Google is king (Score:2, Insightful)
Don't be fooled. Yahoo is one of the fastest growing businesses. 3.575 billion in revenues for FY 2004. They're doing something right.
I hope with all the enthusiasm and creativity at Google that they've got some people looking after the dollars with good sense. It'd suck to see them parceled apart in a couple years because they couldn't cut it and see MSN and Yahool pick up the pieces.
Should be interesting... (Score:3, Funny)
Put them into Google every day to see if they're on the move...
I wonder if you could then call the shipper and tell them the ship-to address is wrong and have whatever it is sent to your house...
Someone's bound to try it, i betcha.
Re:Should be interesting... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Should be interesting... (Score:2)
The situation could be different if all the sender and receiver information is displayed. Some one could call up and pretend to be the sener. In any case USPS has that crappy delivery confirmation with the city
666 (Score:5, Funny)
User types "666" into the Google search box, hits Enter. "AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Re:666 (Score:2)
Re:666 (Score:2)
UPS requires the terms and conditions checkbox (Score:5, Interesting)
Bear my children, please. They are heavy. (Score:3, Insightful)
Other things that go Google in the night.... (Score:2, Interesting)
No DHL (Score:2, Informative)
It works! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:It works! (Score:2)
Re:It works! (Score:2)
You can even use that constant in Google's built-in calculator, like so [google.com]
Oldest. Non-Story. Ever. (Score:3, Funny)
But anything on the Google blog is news, I guess.
Google Still Can't Find ... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Google Still Can't Find ... (Score:3, Funny)
Really old news (Score:5, Informative)
http://google.blogspace.com/archives/001089/ [blogspace.com]
Re:Really old news (Score:3, Insightful)
http://google.blogspace.com/archives/001089 [blogspace.com]
An extra "/" showed up in the original post.
This is too sketchy for me... (Score:3, Insightful)
Yes they have... (Score:3, Funny)
Yes, they managed to get on slashdot for something really, really old.
Privacy Concerns? (Score:3, Interesting)
-LLM
Re:Privacy Concerns? (Score:4, Informative)
Rest assured that no one can crawl those pages since those pages don't exist until you create them with your number.
Re:Privacy Concerns? (Score:2)
Re:Privacy Concerns? (Score:2)
how long before SSN's and CC # will be there too? (Score:5, Interesting)
I am not blaming Google of course, it is the fault of the university and the professor.
i don't think this is new (Score:3, Informative)
like for instance if you type in the word "pi" the first thing returned is the value of pi
http://www.google.com/search?q=pi&sourceid=mozill
i've also used it to find out information about cars via the VIN number.
That is silly (Score:2)
Geeks at work. (Score:3, Funny)
Google is becoming too niched (Score:3, Insightful)
I'm seeing Google turning too much into a niche operator today. Most new stuff is focused on IE, the Windows platform and on US data. This may be the single largest combination of browser, OS and geography, but it is still a very small niche in the big scheme of things. Unfortunately, today google seems to focus harder onto that niche, not less.
Lots more space for nimble competitors, I guess. And at least for the precence-style apps here, like mobile maps, underground GPS, line-based chats and so on, Google doesn't exist, period.
I'm waiting for the day I can type in ..... (Score:2, Funny)
C'mon Google, help us out! =]
Please stop parroting the Google Blog! (Score:4, Interesting)
Very old.. (Score:2)
Also.. (Score:5, Funny)
Enter anything you want to search on www.google.com input box, click "Google Search" and VOILA!! Google displays the webpages containing those keywords!!!
Why doesn't Gmail use this? (Score:3, Interesting)
Shark Jumping (Score:2)
even if you're not expecting a package (Score:2, Interesting)
Unfortuantely, one of the teams stole the package from the room it was in.
Been here since 2003 (Score:2)
See Google's timeline [google.com]...
Why doesn't Google... (Score:3, Insightful)
I've known about this Google feature for awhile now. The calculator feature is also very useful. So useful you'd think regular Google users would know about it by now, but every time I use it in front of someone, they always seem suprised and I end up teaching something new.
- sm
Nevermind it not being a new feature (Score:2)
Lame (Score:2)
slashdot is losing the edge... what, do you guys sleep all day now and rest on the laurels of advertising?
why? (Score:2)
Re:OMG THIS IS SO OLD NEWS!!! (Score:2, Funny)
Re:This is news? (Score:2)
Re:Google needs a Messenger and Chat software (Score:2)
Re:Old news and what's wrong with Google Maps (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:...and in other news... (Score:2)
Re:This was old news a year ago. (Score:3, Interesting)