Google Search By Number

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."

Comments

Little by little

[winkydink]

Google is becoming the one-stop shop for information. While I know their motto is, "Do no evil", I can't help but feel a little squeamish about it.

Re:Little by little

[WD_40]

I've often wondered how long it's going to take, and how big Google will have to get, before it's considered 'evil' alongside Microsoft in the eyes of geeks.

Re:Little by little

[Tackhead]

> Google is becoming the one-stop shop for information. While I know their motto is, "Do no evil", I can't help but feel a little squeamish about it.

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

[DoubleD]

Oh yeah definitly they should stop innovating.

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

[exley]

Shhhh... It's okay for companies to be extending their reach like this if they're one of the little darlings of the Slashdot crowd who can, seemingly, do no evil. Not that they're necessarily doing evil, of course, but if they were...

Re:Little by little

[NanoGator]

"I've often wondered how long it's going to take, and how big Google will have to get, before it's considered 'evil' alongside Microsoft in the eyes of geeks."

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

[RealityMogul]

That's a hard question to answer. Maybe you should ask Jeeves.

Re:Little by little

[Anonymous Coward]

When enough people like Google, it'll be fashionable to hate them.

Where have you been recently? Did you miss the auto-link debacle? That simply wouldn't have been an issue a year or two ago, but now Google are a "bigco" people automatically assume they are evil.

Re:Little by little

[mOoZik]

More than enough poeople like Google now...

Re:Little by little

[lakin]

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.

Microsoft have been trying this one for a while now, and are still considered evil...

Re:Little by little

[Anonymous Coward]

I dunno. That wasn't much of a debacle. More of a brouhaha.

Re:Little by little

[wed128]

Look, up in the sky! it's sarcasm flying over your head!

Re:Little by little

[matchboy]

Little by Little.. Slashdot is reporting information way after the fact. Is Slashdot still a place to find out "new" news anymore?

Re:Little by little

[D'Sphitz]

Yeah there go your rights right out the window. Fuckin google, what are they thinking?

Re:Little by little

[Xzzy]

They'll have to betray our trust and/or confidence first.

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

[gstoddart]

It's sort of like how the definition of sci-fi has been twisted to exclude Star Wars.

Ummmm .... the definition wasn't 'twisted' to exclude Star Wars. That was a literary definition which pre-dated Star Wars -- you know, by people like Asimov and his pre-cursors who were writing sci-fi back in the day. (eg, this or here)

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

[Anonymous Coward]

I've often wondered how long it's going to take, and how big Google will have to get, before it's considered 'evil' alongside Microsoft in the eyes of geeks.

There's no limit to how big they can get. What you should ask is, "how evil will they have to get, before they're considered evil?" Microsoft was never hated for its size. They were hated for their behavior.

Here's what Google should do, if they want to be inducted into the hall of evil: make a deal with computer manufacturers to have a web browser preloaded, which automatically goes to Google when it is first started, and just to be sure, the terms of the deal should specify that it should be difficult or obscure (or impossible), for the end-user to change this.

Re:Little by little

[AviLazar]

When enough people like Google?????

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 trying to be the best.

Re:Little by little

[xv4n]

how long it's going to take ... before it's considered 'evil' alongside Microsoft

May be when they start to charge for the service.

Re:Little by little

[NanoGator]

"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."

Thanks for the visual aid!

Re:Little by little

[burns210]

Google's stated goal is to: "organizing the world's information and making it universally accessible and useful."

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

[TrippTDF]

Everyone is a snob of something. You have sports snobs, fashion snobs, IT snobs, food snobs, anything.

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

[Anonymous Coward]

"That was a literary definition which pre-dated Star Wars -- "

Psst. Star Wars is not a literary piece of work. It is a movie. Star Wars is considered sci-fi in the Movie Genre. Don't believe me? Look it up on IMDB. It's listed as Sci-fi there, too. The reason there's a difference between literary works and movies when it comes to genre is that the movies are far more visual. A sci-fi setting is very hard to ignore in a movie.

The GP poster was right, there is a little too much effort being made here to discredit Star Wars. It's like saying that that a computer used at a library isn't a PC because it's not anybody's 'personal computer'.

Re:Little by little

[kin_korn_karn]

Yup, when is the other shoe going to drop? I'm getting really wary of there being nothing but positive press about Google. It reeks of spin and embedded control of the media.

Re:Little by little

[Meagermanx]

Personally, I don't trust them. "Do no evil?" Right.
At least Microsoft is honest with their slogan: "We own you".

Re:Little by little

[wernercd]

Get a grip. Not everything is a conspiracy theory. Maybe they are getting good press because *gasp* they are doing good things? Too complicated a concept eh?

But now I'm going to be labeled a fan-boy or something. Oh well. I'll believe the bad stuff if it gets published. Until then I bore of the conspiracy theory nuts. Just me tho.

Chris

Re:Little by little

[Minwee]

There's also a difference between "Science Fiction" and "sci-fi". In that sense "Star Wars" is sci-fi but not science fiction.

If you get a large enough group of people interested in the same thing, there are bound to be disagreements on something.

Re:Little by little

[NanoGator]

"Psst. Star Wars is not a literary piece of work. It is a movie."

"I'm sick and tired of people calling the novelization of Chicago a musical!!!"

Re:Little by little

[Pesticide01]

About the time Google starts doing a crappy job like Microsoft.

Google gives people what they want, and even comes up with things that are great ideas that most people hadn't thought of yet.

Microsoft tries to push everyone into thier own little mold of what they want you to have. Thier Windows monopoly will only permit this so long before competitors gain enough competitive edge to start stealing flocks of sheep.

Re:Little by little

[Anonymous Coward]

Here's some more aid: Learn what the word 'reconcile' means.

Re:Little by little

[Anonymous Coward]

"Here's some more aid: Learn what the word 'reconcile' means."

Thanks. Now you're free to read what I said.

Re:Little by little

[Egorn]

Becoming? I always start at google, if it can't answer me, it's find someone, thing or place that can. I don't think that's evil. I've never spent a day in school and I make a descent living. I learned everything I know through Google and the internet.

BTW, This feature has been around for a very long time.

Re:Little by little

[Jugalator]

It is pure and simple Space Opera.

Hmm... Well, space opera's are usually called a special subgenre of science fiction.

Here's a good article about it: space opera. It is summarized there as:

Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes romantic adventure, interstellar travel, and space battles where the main storyline is centred around interstellar conflict and character drama.

Re:Little by little

[cuerty]

Also there are to many services only avilable for the US. Maps, tracking, ... recently this week appear the option for translete gmail, months after they launch it with '50 invites' per user.
Maybe look at other markets don't will hurt them.

Re:Little by little

[Anonymous Coward]

I've often wondered how long it's going to take, and how big Google will have to get, before it's considered 'evil' alongside Microsoft in the eyes of geeks.

It won't because there is a big difference between Google and Microsoft: its how both companies did get big:

- Microsoft provided products of poor quality, but increased their market share by "dirty" tricks.
- google is aquiring market share because of the quality of its product

That's a BIG difference!

Re:Little by little

[Metroid72]

The bigger you are, the easier you are to target. Both by lovers and haters. BTW, this was an old feature of google though.

Re:Little by little

[Anonymous Coward]

And just when I thought you weren't going to be able to beat the first post for stupidity...

Re:Little by little

[Merdalors]

I'm thinking 'gefuffle'.

Re:Little by little

[Bob Uhl]

Star Wars does not attempt to fulfill the role of exploring how technology affects man.

Well, no. But something need not explore man's relationship with technology to be science fiction (IMHO; others differ, of course).

Re:Little by little

[Black Morning]

When enough people like Google, it'll be fashionable to hate them.

Look around you... *everyone* loves Google, and yet it isn't fashionable to hate them (yet). I don't think it's going to become "fashionable" to hate them unless they start changing their ways. It's going to take more than popularity to sway people away from the best source of information on earth.

Re:Little by little

[NanoGator]

" I don't think it's going to become "fashionable" to hate them unless they start changing their ways."

Nah, it wouldn't take that. All it'd take is for people to have the general opinion that Google can do no wrong. Frustrated that somebody with similar beliefs is a nauseating ass kisser, they'll want to disassociate with them.

There are a lot of people who 'go with the flow', and it's easy not to like them.

Re:Little by little

[pilgrim23]

that same facility can look up the ISBN number on any book...and helpfully point you to Amazon to buy it..

Re:Little by little

[Dr. GeneMachine]

Not everything is a conspiracy theory.

No, there are actually some real conspiracies out there...

tinfoilHat.takeOff();

Re:Little by little

[Anonymous Coward]

Hook, line, and sinker!

Re:Little by little

[dr.badass]

Google is becoming the one-stop shop for information. While I know their motto is, "Do no evil", I can't help but feel a little squeamish about it.

Consider that Google is a one-stop shop for information which is available elsewhere. If Google vanished right now, the internet would not grind to a halt. They don't really provide anything unique (that I can think of) -- they just do it better.

Re:Little by little

[Jherek Carnelian]

It's sort of like how the definition of sci-fi has been twisted to exclude Star Wars.

Star Wars defines sci-fi which is the sub-genre of science fiction that contains all the cheeze.

Re:Little by little

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm glad I have somebody highly experienced in stupidity to give me an objective review.

Re:Little by little

[InfiniteWisdom]

If by "sarcasm flying over your head" you mean YOUR head, then you're right.

Re:Little by little

[wed128]

You mean that google really should stop innovating? that's the most ignorant thing i've ever heard.

Re:Little by little

[Anonymous Coward]

ur gay.

Re:Little by little

[Anonymous Coward]

Definitely. Over your head.

Re:Little by little

[Anonymous Coward]

A PC is a Computer designed for Personal use. the letters probably got switched in a translation from French, much like that which SI and UTC fell fate too.

Re:Little by little

[Surazal]

I make no distinction between "sci-fi" and "science fiction". They are the same. Hell, one is an abreviation of the other. The nits being picked here are literally making me nauseous.

Re:Little by little

[aneroid]

Everytime they add a new feature I have this vague and unsupported feeling they are falling down this slippery slope towards utter evilness.

if they do, we're all fucked.

ymmv. mho.

sidenote:
alternatives to windows...yes (better).
alternatives to ....
alternatives to google search...???

Re:Little by little

[Antinomy325]

So, by Asimov's definition, the first Foundation books AREN'T science fiction? Interesting.

I'd hesitate to say that Star Wars didn't talk about the effect of technology on man. Consider the famous scene at the end of ESB where Luke is getting a robotic hand attached. The cheesy subtext, of course, is that he's becoming more like dad - more soulless, machine-like, etc.

So it might not be handled on the highest/most interesting/most sophisticated level, or a level acceptable to sci-fi geekdom, but it's there.

Saying otherwise is like saying that 2001 isn't science fiction, because it's mostly a fantasia. Or that Foundation isn't sci-fi because it's mostly psychohistory.

But in the end, I guess I can simply thank god I don't give two shits about Star Wars. That's my gaurantee of objectivity.

Regards

Re:Little by little

[Anonymous Coward]

This search by number service is NOT new. Not even close. It was first introduced in December of 2003. See: http://searchenginewatch.com/searchday/article.php /3288931

Re:Little by little

[kin_korn_karn]

I'm saying stop bullshitting us. The law of averages is not a conspiracy theory. Nobody does 100% good. I don't, you don't, a business sure as hell doesn't.

BTW - You're not a fanboy, just a dickhead.

Re:Little by little

[wernercd]

Bullshitting? Where does law of averages appear in any of the thread? Who said Google is perfect? Where does 'Google was spotted walking on water' appear in the headlines?

Your logic just astounds me. Google is a buisness like any other. They are doing, I think, a good job so far - even if they do have alot of work to do in some areas.

Not sure where you get me being a dickhead. Maybe you need to reread the thread and open your eyes. I think i've been rather polite, given the attitude of the one I'm replying too.

Re:Little by little

[kin_korn_karn]

Google is a business. Businesses care only about profit. Sometimes in business, you can't be both profitable and politically correct. Google is insulting my intelligence by suggesting that they always do the right thing.

Only a dickhead writes the way you do. You come off as simultaneously smug, arrogant, and obsequious. To wit:

Get a grip. Not everything is a conspiracy theory. Maybe they are getting good press because *gasp* they are doing good things? Too complicated a concept eh?

But now I'm going to be labeled a fan-boy or something. Oh well. I'll believe the bad stuff if it gets published. Until then I bore of the conspiracy theory nuts. Just me tho.

I never said there was a conspiracy. You decided that I did and put words in my mouth. Thanks, dickhead.

Not a new feature

[Anonymous Coward]

Favorite Hidden Google Features?

Just because someone's mom doesn't know something about Google doesn't make it new.

Re:Not a new feature

[Anonymous Coward]

Mom? Is that you?

Re:Not a new feature

[ShaniaTwain]

Just because someone's mom doesn't know something about Google doesn't make it new.

Slashdot: news for moms, one year after.

Re:Not a new feature

[NanoGator]

"Just because someone's mom doesn't know something about Google doesn't make it new."

It's new to her.

Re:Not a new feature

[fm6]

You mean all the Slashdot editors are somebody's mom? That explains a lot....

Google did this a year ago

[applecore]

I agree with Googleblog's Mr. Stocky that people need to be told about this. But which people?

Most of /. probably knew about this, since it's been around since at least February 2004

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

[FreshlyShornBalls]

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

[CyberSlugGump]

What numbers could Google search?

How about large numbers you wanted factored into primes? ;)

Re:Google did this a year ago

[Anonymous Coward]

IP Address is brilliant. Reverse phone is there, but not in TFA, UPC is in both.

Re:Google did this a year ago

[99BottlesOfBeerInMyF]

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, at least one of those people has downloaded the entire database and sells it on CD. There is really no reason for people to have to pay for this information, other than it makes a few people some money. I'd love to see google buy the CD every year and add it to a database.

Re:Google did this a year ago

[Anonymous Coward]

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!"

Freakin' hypocrites!

Re:Google did this a year ago

[webscathe]

How about UPC numbers, reverse phone...

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: 555-555-5555

Re:Google did this a year ago

[Anonymous Coward]

Jesus, how hard it it to click on a link before you post? UPC codes are there.

"Interesting", my hairy ass.

Re:Google did this a year ago

[Anonymous Coward]

You don't need the rphonebook syntax.

Try 6264492869

Re:Google did this a year ago

[Fiver-]

Google does have certain mathematical constants. Search for pi, phi, Avogadro's number, Planck's constant, etc.

The Google calculator can also do all kinds of weird conversions...how many decimeters in 3 lightyears? How many fortnights in 2 millennia?

Re:Google did this a year ago

[siliconwafer]

Having it search ISBN's would be handy; it'd be nice for finding out-of-print and rare books.

Re:Google did this a year ago

[99BottlesOfBeerInMyF]

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 enterprises want to publish publicly available information, that is fine. If they even want to send me spam and junk mail, that is fine too. If they try to disguise the spam and junk mail as non-commercial mail, well that is deceitful and unethical.

I don't see how that makes me a hypocrite, and if you do, maybe you should look the word up in a dictionary.

Re:Google did this a year ago

[Obfuscant]

License plate number lookup would actually be a very nice feature.

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

[way2trivial]

but can it compare the speed of light to the speed of a bicycle?
http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/04/1 4/1418255

Re:Google did this a year ago

[99BottlesOfBeerInMyF]

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 couple hundred bucks should be what decides who is trustworthy and who is not?

Re:Google did this a year ago

[Storlek]

Oh great, now Peng Xu's telephone is going to get /.ed.

Re:Google did this a year ago

[Anonymous Coward]

Most importantly, it knows the answer.

Re:Google did this a year ago

[Bongzilla]

I am very much too afraid to type my social security number into google!

Re:Google did this a year ago

[Bobman1235]

UPC numbers,

Look at how fast they fulfilled your request!

UPC codes example search: "073333531084"

Re:Google did this a year ago

[noamt]

How about large numbers you wanted factored into primes? ;)

Something tells me they're working on it. Why waste their super-cluster-grid?

Re:Google did this a year ago

[wgaryhas]

My personal favorite: the speed of light = 1.8026175 × 1012 furlongs per fortnight

Re:Google did this a year ago

[whovian]

I am very much too afraid to type my social security number into google!

Well, you could always post it here ;)

Re:Google did this a year ago

[Anonymous Coward]

42.

Re:Google did this a year ago

[Anonymous Coward]

crypto joke

Re:Google did this a year ago

[brundlefly]

Are there other types of numbers you'd like Google to search? Please contact us.

Yes please. 36-24-36.

Re:Google did this a year ago

[Obfuscant]

Did you even read my post?

Yes, of course I did.

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.

In other words, they must PAY MONEY to someone (who can later testify against them) for a CD and then figure out how to use it, instead of simply going to the library and using the free, anonymous web access therein. There is a concept of "degree of effort required" relevant to security, and making things trivially easy is not how one makes it difficult to accomplish an illegal goal. Locks don't prevent burglars, they just make it harder. Not handing the info out to every anonymous requestor doesn't prevent the problem, it makes it harder.

The answer to the hypothetical problem you mention is to make the database private, if that sort of thing becomes a problem.

It isn't a hypothetical problem. "Hypothetical" means "doesn't currently exist".

I can think of no significant reason any law abiding citizen needs a database of names and addresses of every owner of a vehicle in a state, and many reasons why that info should be kept out of the hands of criminals. Your "curiosity" over who happens to own the car you just saw driving by does not trump everyone else's right to privacy.

Oregon apparently agrees, because they've stopped selling the database, precisely because some idjit posted a website where criminals could identify not only people who weren't likely to be home (because their cars were somewhere else), but also precisely where to look for specific makes and models of high-value vehicles they could steal. "Hey, Bubba, Joe Smith just registered a 2005 Lexus at (some rural address). Let's go pick it up!"

Re:Google did this a year ago

[aclarke]

Sadly, searching for "speed of light in football fields per fortnight" did not work :-(

Re:Google did this a year ago

[Bombcar]

Of course not. A football field is an area, not a distance.

Re:Google did this a year ago

[99BottlesOfBeerInMyF]

In other words, they must PAY MONEY to someone (who can later testify against them) for a CD and then figure out how to use it, instead of simply going to the library and using the free, anonymous web access therein.

Any burglar with the sophistication to go to the airport, record license number, then lookup the associated addresses for prospective targets is plenty savvy enough to just get a copy of the CD (which requires no skill to use). It's not like they are worried about illegal copyright infringement with making as many copies as they want.

It isn't a hypothetical problem. "Hypothetical" means "doesn't currently exist".

Please reference any case of a burglar looking up someone's license plate number of a random car at the airport and using the address as a target for burglary.

Your hypothetical use of this information is not really very useful for casing a house. Just because one person who lives somewhere has their car at the airport does not mean a house is empty, and any sophisticated burglar would do better to just stake out a neighborhood.

You seem to believe that this information should not be public. There are reasonable arguments for that. However, this information is public. It is just inconvenient because a select group of people have the right to sell it. They don't ask names, and you can mail order the CD to a post office box, or grab it from a warez site. My argument is that since this information is public, it makes sense for it to be convenient. If it should not be public, then we should not rely upon the fact that it is inconvenient to deter it from being used by criminals.

Re:Google did this a year ago

[aclarke]

One of greatest strengths of the football field (ff) as a unit of measurement is its flexibility. Of course, this is also one of its greater confusions and annoyances as well. It can be used as either a measurement of distance OR area. Some references for you:

a common informal unit of distance in the United States. Americans aren't quite agreed as to whether the unit is exactly 100 yards (91.44 meters), the distance between the goal lines on an American football field, or 120 yards (109.728 meters), the distance including the two end zones. (Canadian football fields are 10 yards longer.) The football field is also used sometimes as an informal unit of area; including the end zones, an American football field represents an area of 1.3223 acre or about 0.535 hectare. (http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/units/dictF.html)

I can't help noticing the number of times American reporters and news anchors measure distances and areas in units of football fields. Aircraft carriers, bomb craters, space shuttles and shopping centres are all dimensioned in football field units. I wouldn't be too surprised if a common abbreviation of "FF" were to enter the language. (http://www.blogscanada.ca/blog/default.aspx?date= 2003-10-10)

100 meters is a regular football field plus 10 meters. (http://www.map-reading.com/ch5-1.php)

If you look at http://www.charliefrench.com/PDF/Gr4Measur1.pdf , you'll even see that it's being taught in Grade 4 math as a unit of length.

Fascinating, really. I'm almost glad I took the time to look this up! Now I know how big a football field is. God bless America.

Not news

[LordNimon]

Google has had this feature for a very long time. I don't see how this is news.

Re:Not news

[ImaLamer]

I say it's a dupe because we discussed all of these features before.

Check out their SMS service, you can even use this feature and the others from your mobile..

http://www.google.com/sms/

Re:Not news

[RealityMogul]

Because mom-says-so-thats-why. RTFA next time

Re:Not news

[Anonymous Coward]

Next thing we'll see is an article about Yahoo copying them!

OMG THIS IS SO OLD NEWS!!!

[homerito]

Dupe... This was in Slashdot long time ago... Lazy to look for it and prove it....

I have been using the tracking since then, its nice.

Re:OMG THIS IS SO OLD NEWS!!!

[filtur]

I won't belive there's a dupe till I see proof!

Re:OMG THIS IS SO OLD NEWS!!!

[Albio]

This kind of laziness is almost certainly the exact reason the dupe was posted.

Old news...

[cdrudge]

You could do this at least on February 2 of last year.

even cooler: check out the first google map hack

[paronomasia5]

this is old news you hams.

even cooler: check out the first google map hack (it even blew the pants of the google maps crew):

http://paulrademacher.com/housing/

I Don't Mean to be that guy, but....

[PogieMT]

I hate to be the guy who criticizes "news" items for being old, but this is definitely old news. Google has had this feature for months, at least. I have been demonstrating it in workshops for teachers for some time. It's interesting how little Google publicizes some of these features, though. Maybe the homepage needs to be a little more cluttered there.

Yet another reason Google is king

[Dread Pirate Shanks]

Ya-who?

Re:Yet another reason Google is king

[ackthpt]

Ya-who?

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...

[ackthpt]

Go to USPS and scribble down the id's of some priority mail or package tracking slips...
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...

[iabervon]

If you know you're in the post office when you write down the numbers, you could just go to the USPS site. The only thing that Google adds is that it identifies the shipper by the format of the number and lets you use a control you already have to get there. Google doesn't even report the information; it just sends you to the shipper's site.

Re:Should be interesting...

[rebootconrad]

Someone's bound to get caught for mail-fraud and bound for federal-pound-me-in-the-ass prison (a la Office Space).

Re:Should be interesting...

[deadmongrel]

Try it. The change of address could only be issued by the sender. I am pretty sure the sender information would not be in the tracking number. I have tried this many times with my own packages which were being sent to my earlier address. Be it USPS, UPS or Fedex the sender should initiate the change.

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 and state the package was accepted/ delivered and not the tracking history like UPS or FEDEX

This is news?

[bbzzdd]

Heck, I have been finding my UPS, FedEx, and USPS shipments via a Google search of the tracking number for the better half of a year now. If I know about it it must have been in place for some time before that.

Re:This is news?

[antifoidulus]

It's strange though, if you go to UPS's tracking site, you have to check a box saying that you agree to the "terms and conditions", but you don't need to do so when you google....strange....

Re:This is news?

[fishbowl]

>It's strange though, if you go to UPS's tracking
>site, you have to check a box saying that you agree
>to the "terms and conditions", but you don't need to
> do so when you google....strange....

Does this mean Google has agreed to the terms and conditions on your behalf? Without a signed, notarized Power of Attorney that might mean Google has taken responsibility for you adhering to those terms. Or it might mean that Google has different terms.

Not New

[akweboa164]

I might be mistaken, but I believe this has been around for a while.

666

[FunWithHeadlines]

"simply enter any tracking number or id number into the Google search box, and Voila!:

User types "666" into the Google search box, hits Enter. "AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Re:666

[raistphrk]

User types "666" into the Google search box, hits Enter. "AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!" ...they're confronted with MSN Today?

Re:666

[kaellinn18]

Isn't this how Doom 3 started?

Re:666

[bujoojoo]

User types "666" into the Google search box, hits Enter.

Huh. How did they get a picture of my son, Damien? Weird...

OMG! Google now supports quotes around phrases!

[Anonymous Coward]

My mom was trying to Google a specific song lyric, but some of the words are pretty common, so I asked her "Did you put quotes around it?" She said "It's not a quote, it's a song lyric." So I said "Just do it." Voila she found the a bunch of pages with the song lyrics she was looking for. Another great Google innovation!

POS

[nodialtone]

Great. No everyone will know I am STILL driving that POS car around.

UPS requires the terms and conditions checkbox

[ZeeExSixAre]

If you enter their website traditionally, UPS requires that the user click the annoying "By selecting this box and the Track button, I agree to these Terms and Conditions." Google bypasses this. What are the legal ramifications of this bypass?

Re:UPS requires the terms and conditions checkbox

[Anonymous Coward]

In almost every email I have with links to track it they skip that page as well.
So Google skipping it doesn't seem different from what other companies have been doing.

Re:UPS requires the terms and conditions checkbox

[Anonymous Coward]

What are the legal ramifications of this bypass?

They are small as the enforceability of those Terms and Conditions: undetectably close to zero.

Re:UPS requires the terms and conditions checkbox

[Anonymous Coward]

What are the legal ramifications of this bypass?

I believe that it exposes you to the death penalty (at least in Texas), but since I'm not a lawyer, don't take that as the gospel.

Maybe you should submit it as an "Ask /." question. Cliff will probably post it.

Re:UPS requires the terms and conditions checkbox

[Anonymous Coward]

Nothing is being bypassed, nor does UPS require that somebody actually agree to terms and conditions. UPS' only requirement is that a web form be submitted with AgreeToTermsAndConditions=yes.

Don't lose sight of how the web works, or you will be deceived by illusions. Sending a header like that, isn't any different than browser spoofing. It isn't a social requirement or a indicator of a user making a decision; it is just a constant hard-coded into a defacto protocol. The web is too dumb and automatically processed in too many ways, for a header to actually mean something real.

Re:UPS requires the terms and conditions checkbox

[oasisbob]

Don't lose sight of how the web works, or you will be deceived by illusions. Sending a header like that, isn't any different than browser spoofing. It isn't a social requirement or a indicator of a user making a decision; it is just a constant hard-coded into a defacto protocol. The web is too dumb and automatically processed in too many ways, for a header to actually mean something real.

Why is it that geeks always over-simplify everything like a five-year-old? "I didn't hit you, I just was swinging my hand and you walked into it." How would you expect online commerce to work otherwise? You need to enter into an agreement for your credit card terms, the sale itself, etc.

I'm not arguing the enforcability of UPS's terms and conditions, but saying that you can't enter into a contract by a form-element is asinine.

"Don't lose sight of how drawing works, or you will be deceived by illusions. Signing a contract like that, isn't any different that signing an autograph. ..."

Bear my children, please. They are heavy.

[Leontes]

Google just keeps on being cool. I'm still looking at places I've lived in satellite maps, I'm trying to fill out my massively increasing gmail account, finishing editing some videos to upload and now I don't need to figure out what tracker number goes where? I love you, google.

Other things that go Google in the night....

[erick99]

I also like that I can type weather frederick md and get my weather or define:pragmatic and get a definition.

No DHL

[PxM]

No support for DHL yet.

It works!

[dmuth]

I typed in 42, and the first search result was The Answer to Life, The Universe, and Everything!

Re:It works!

[Urgo]

Well.. whats actually more impressive is a search for the answer to life the universe and everything.

Re:It works!

[donutz]

Yeah, but did you know that Google knows the answer to life, the universe, and everything?

You can even use that constant in Google's built-in calculator, like so

Re:It works!

[pipingguy]

Me too! I typed in "42" and Google responded, "your age"!

I'm thinking about uninstalling the Toolbar.

Old news and what's wrong with Google Maps

[ralejs]

Hasn't this feature been around for a while? Old new on /. again.

Anyway, I tried searching on area codes. It works well except I would expect it to link to Google Maps. Instead it gives me Whitepages.com. Seems a bit odd. Why would Google want to link to their own map?

Re:Old news and what's wrong with Google Maps

[alphakappa]

I'm sure you will find a link to google maps soon along with the whitepages info. Notice that if you enter an address into the google main search page, you will get links to google maps, mapquest and yahoo, since google is following the principle of finding information for you from all good sources, even if google has a product with that information.

Been there since Dev 2003

[hanson_mark]

This is not news, Google has had this feature since Dec 2003! Just look at Nov-Dec entry for 2003 in Google timeline

Oh thank God!!!

[Anonymous Coward]

It's been like two hours since I saw a Google article.

Ham callsigns?

[pilot-programmer]

As many have stated, this is old news. What is really surprising to me is that when I enter my ham callsign I do not get a lookup option.

Oldest. Non-Story. Ever.

[Fletch]

I've been using this to track packages for a year. The internet archive says it's been available since February of '04.

But anything on the Google blog is news, I guess.

MOD PARENT UP

[justforaday]

MOD PARENT UP! Very cool housing search tool.

Re:MOD PARENT UP

[frank_adrian314159]

...cool housing search tool.

You look for shipping boxes to live in? Most of the ones that FedEx and UPS use are too small for that. You have better luck in the dumpsters in back of appliance stores...

Google Still Can't Find ...

[rewinn]

... my car keys. So what good is it?

Re:Google Still Can't Find ...

[Anonymous Coward]

Try your pocket

Re:Google Still Can't Find ...

[British]

Google provides a plot idea for a science fiction story writer. Main character does a google search for his/her name, and it shows a news article saying they died in a car crash, in the fuuuuture. Yes, the supernatural search engine can now predict, index, and categorize death.

Re:Google Still Can't Find ...

[chuseq]

Well, maybe soon

Check this

http://comic.escomposlinux.org/ecol-200-e.png

Really old news

[jamesl]

Google search on "google package tracking" yields this December 11, 2003 Google Weblog post.

http://google.blogspace.com/archives/001089/

Re:Really old news

[Anonymous Coward]

bad link - moddown? The requested URL /archives/001089/ was not found on this server.

Re:Really old news

[jamesl]

OK, we'll try this again.
http://google.blogspace.com/archives/001089

An extra "/" showed up in the original post.

Google needs a Messenger and Chat software

[armando_wall]

In the mean time, I'm using my own community (see signature); but if Google makes something like Yahoo! Chat and MSN Messenger, maybe named "Google Messenger" and "Google Chat", that's it! I wouldn't get out of Google ever again (until they screw it like certain companies).

Re:Google needs a Messenger and Chat software

[superpulpsicle]

There is already way too many messenger services. Unless the messenger includes video, microphone support right-out-of-the-box, it'll stand no chance.

This is too sketchy for me...

[HardSide]

Ok maybe sketchy isn't really the word I should use here, but wasn't there a report on wired.com like two weeks ago about how google tracks your every move if you are logged into there service (gmail account). So they know exactly who you are (because of the email info) they know what you are searching for (everytime you type in a search query) and now all they need is to see what tracking numbers you put in...they see what you buy, and they can sell this info to massive companies, or hell to advertising companies and bombard you with spam or banners when you go on there site. That or they just wanna create a better service for all of us...(right) P.S. Yeh its a pretty far fetch idea, but then again anything is possible when you live in a time when Senators wanna tax you for every byte you download off the net.

Re:This is too sketchy for me...

[Anonymous Coward]

Wow none of the things that you just said are true

Re:This is too sketchy for me...

[HardSide]

http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,67062,00. html here is the link.

Kind of useless

[to6o]

I think this is kind of useless anyways, since if you sent something you (hopefully) know which company you sent it with. And most companies have tracking as a feature on their web sites, so what's the point?

I for one

[Anonymous Coward]

I for one welcome our new Package Tracking Overlords

Re:I for one

[Cunk]

If you put as much effort into wiping the drool off your chin as you put into that post then you must be soaked by 10 AM.

It's Google

[Pac]

One assumes Slashdot will publish at least one Google story every day, because Google is "the coolest application out there". If there is no story to be published a dupe will do.

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.

Google's going too far

[Anonymous Coward]

Everything is being ruthlessly indexed by Google.

That means tons and tons of info can be logged (as they do) and tied to specific IP addresses and cookies etc to build up an entire portfolio of personal data on an individual which can then be sold to other spamdata type companies or passed on to governments on a whim.

Google are the Microsoft of searches.

del

[Anonymous Coward]

watch out, zonk will delete this because how old it is and he wants to cover up all his mistakes

Yes they have...

[forum__32]

"Well, Google has done it again"

Yes, they managed to get on slashdot for something really, really old.

Privacy Concerns?

[LaughingLinuxMan]

Having this information crawled and therefore easily available to a world-wide audience makes me nervous. What if you are having passports or some other ID material shipped? Or medical tests? Interception is now that much easier. I know the protection before was via obscurity, i.e. the information was not crawled, but, personally, I think that shippers should not make this information crawlable.

-LLM

Re:Privacy Concerns?

[alphakappa]

Correction: Google does not crawl and find that information - it merely recognizes the number as a UPS/Fedex/whatever number and links you to the appropriate page on the UPS/Fedex/whatever website. Note that the remote page (the shipping company's) is generated dynamically only when you enter the tracking number, and only you and the shipper know that number. Google merely saves you the trouble of manually entering the number in a search box by directly generating the search URL for you.

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?

[BenFranske]

It's not crawlable, Google just determines who the transport company is and directs you to their site.

Re:Privacy Concerns?

[Anonymous Coward]

Nice thought but wrong.

Nothing to stop Google doing:

for ($n=1;$n is less than some big number;++$n){

GET http://fedex.com/search.cgi?trackingno=$n //or POST if needs to be done like that
}

What is stop Google or anyone else pounding the hell out of everyone else's search facilities/databases and recording the result ? Nothing. Just because a page is created dynamically doesn't mean anything.

Google could index the entire dark internet if it wanted to by brute force.

Re:Privacy Concerns?

[gl4ss]

if you had the tracking number, then you probably already knew what the courier company was... so you could have used their own tracking servics.

Re:Privacy Concerns?

[data64]

Having this information crawled and therefore easily available to a world-wide audience makes me nervous.

ummm. Pretty much all the carriers already make this information available from their own websites. Google is just consolidating it in one place. So if you know enough about the package to know the tracking number, you would also know which carrier and so could obtain the same information anyway (eg: by calling them on the phone) So just by consolidating it Google is not increasing the risk in any meaningful way.

Also, just because you did not know this information was not available does not mean it was not widely know.

Re:Privacy Concerns?

[alphakappa]

"What is stop Google or anyone else pounding the hell out of everyone else's search facilities/databases and recording the result ?"

BEcause you cannot brute force the pages without being noticed. No legit company would even dream of doing such a thing without getting into legal trouble.

how long before SSN's and CC # will be there too?

[drgonzo59]

I am wondering how long before I plug my SSN and get some results too. Actually I already have. The university I go to uses SSNs as university id and I took this Network Security class (oh the irony!) and sure enough the supposedly "security and privacy aware" professor has posted the results of first midterm on the web indexed by SSNs. Then just a page away he posted later the results of one of the homeworks indexed by first and last names. I have both lists now and for 20 people there is 1 in 10 chance to randomly find Name and social security combination of one of these 20 people. I then went to the library, which conviniently uses only SSN and last name as a login for their machines. In about 20 minutes I knew 19 SSN and the names associated with it. All from Google.

I am not blaming Google of course, it is the fault of the university and the professor.

Re:even cooler: check out the first google map hac

[paronomasia5]

i know -- its a killer app for CL / Maps.

some trolling hamster modded my post offtopic..

other projects i'd like to see:

maps.google.com / live 'Map of the Internet'
maps.google.com / live google news blurbs

What do you get???

[Anonymous Coward]

A link to GOATSE with adsense links to breath mints?

i don't think this is new

[m2bord]

i think that this is actually an old feature. i know that i've used the numeric stuff before.

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=mozilla -search&start=0&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=f irefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official

i've also used it to find out information about cars via the VIN number.

That is silly

[Jane Hackworth]

If you're going to report on breaking Google features, shouldn't you also mention that they came out with an e-mail service? a separate search for Linux-related topics? a way to shop and compare prices?

Geeks at work.

[sugapablo]

This is what happens when geeks get billions of dollars (from going public) and have no parental supervision. :)

Do no evil my ass

[Anonymous Coward]

Do no evil from the company that paid it top two employees a salary of $1 to avoid having to pay taxes. (To the goverment that maintians the roads they drive on to get to work, prevents the telcos form becoming monopolies, and generally makes the united states as free as it is)

For those who are abotu to claim we live in a police state, wake the fuck up. The US may not be perfect but I don't have to worry about many things people in real police states do.

Re:Do no evil my ass

[PhotoJim]

I wish I'd thought of this years ago. You mean I can avoid paying income tax just by earning nothing? I'll tell the payroll department right away! Think of all the money I'll save!

Re:how long before SSN's and CC # will be there to

[ElyseMyers]

Mysterious Area 51 revealed by Google maps? http://www.livejournal.com/community/the_unexplain ed/37956.html#cutid1 Is it just me, or has this week been extremely google centric??

Ughhhh... Possible Abuse?

[ackthpt]

If you know you're in the post office when you write down the numbers, you could just go to the USPS site. The only thing that Google adds is that it identifies the shipper by the format of the number and lets you use a control you already have to get there. Google doesn't even report the information; it just sends you to the shipper's site.

I hope they've already proofed this against the spammers who are sending out the bogus tracking numbers... Imagine typing in a number and being sent to some pharmacy page or worse.

I hope Google checks out whatever shippers the agree to do this for.

Re:Ughhhh... Possible Abuse?

[Anonymous Coward]

The shipping company's page.

Not the party who shipped the good.

Type in a bogus tracking number, you go to the webpage and get a "This tracking number is invalid" error. That's it.

Why...

[Masami Eiri]

is this news?
Google's had this feature for quite some time now...

Way up on your horse again?

[gosand]

Favorite Hidden Google Features? Just because someone's mom doesn't know something about Google doesn't make it new.

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?

[Anonymous Coward]

1. From the submission "Google has done it again." That implies that this is something new, else it would be "Google did it again, over a year ago."

2. Again, more than a year ago, when it was NEW. And it's not actually hidden, it's simply not one of the big five or six features mentioned on the front page. Google lists it in their press center product descriptions and in their online help. You can get to it from the main page by clicking on "more" then "web search features."

The reason it's such a "dork-irker" is because this is a site for GEEK and NERDS, and we already know about this feature because it's more than a year old. This isn't slashmom.org where the basics of search are news.

Re:Way up on your horse again?

[Fortyseven]

You say "nobody said it was new", and then call it 'news' toward the end. By definition things on the front page of a news site are...well, you know. ;)

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 page, just chock full of similar surprises. Ciao!

Re:Way up on your horse again?

[Anonymous Coward]

it was posted to digg some hours ago.

ISBN. UPC. Credit cards.

[Russ Nelson]

Hehe, I'm just kidding about the last one.
-russ

Google is becoming too niched

[JanneM]

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.

Bathtub Overflow Control Device

[Anonymous Coward]

Just for the record, 5,123,123 (Google's example patent search) is the patent number for a "Bathtub Overflow Control Device". Guess how I found it... ;)

I'm waiting for the day I can type in .....

[CitznFish]

I'm waiting for the day I can type in "F/22/Southern California" and get a list of interested, available women. =P

C'mon Google, help us out! =]

Re:I'm waiting for the day I can type in .....

[Anonymous Coward]

Here's some friendly advice my friend:

INTERNET DATING NEVER WORKS.

Get this from someone who has burned out twice over.

THIS THREAD IS USELESS WITHOUT PICTURES

[donutello]

Well, not exactly. It's a very cool hack. My #1 feature request is to link it to Google's satellite maps also.

Re:THIS THREAD IS USELESS WITHOUT PICTURES

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm impressed. I'd like to toggle to sattelite view though so I can look at the 1million+ lots for sale :D

Re:THIS THREAD IS USELESS WITHOUT PICTURES

[sho222]

It has pictures. Click on the icon that denotes the location on the map, and it brings up pictures of the house from Craig's List. Satellite pics would be a welcome addition, true, but your statement that it is useless (which you decided to SHOUT for some unknown reason) is not completely true.

Re:THIS THREAD IS USELESS WITHOUT PICTURES

[FuturePastNow]

your statement that it is useless (which you decided to SHOUT for some unknown reason) is not completely true

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:THIS THREAD IS USELESS WITHOUT PICTURES

[sho222]

I guess I just don't get it then :'(

Re:THIS THREAD IS USELESS WITHOUT PICTURES

[Anonymous Coward]

Search for "This thread is useless without pictures" on Google to see what the original poster was parodying.

Please stop parroting the Google Blog!

[duffbeer703]

Give me a break. Google has done this for nearly 2 years now.

...and in other news...

[Fortyseven]

Microsoft recently introduced Windows 95, an upgrade that completely replaces your old DOS/Win3.1 combo.

Give me a break. God, I feel like I'm in some sort of trippy time warp or something...

And what's scarier than posting ancient news that was supposed to be common knowledge? The handful of replies that also seem to think it's new.

My head won't stop spinning... whoooa...

Re:...and in other news...

[CitznFish]

Yeah, since YOU knew about this it makes sense to assume EVERYONE knows about this as well. Sheeesh...

Re:...and in other news...

[ebrandsberg]

Guess not everybody bought the book Google Hacks 2 years ago that goes into details like this about what Google can do. It IS old news though, and just because a bunch of people don't know it doesn't mean it should be posted as news.

Re:...and in other news...

[Fortyseven]

That's okay, Mr. Fish. I know it's a real strain. The web can be so trying. In this case, it's a whole two clicks deep from the main page. Boy, they really hid this stuff from the public. Almost like they didn't want us to know. Almost...a conspiracy.

I might lose my job over this, but here's some more information you also might not know about, that a friend told me earlier: most toilets made after 1998 have a 'flush' feature that lets you automatically dispose of the waste from inside the bowl. Water comes in and WOOSH takes it down that hole at the bottom! No more need to manually scoop out the contents.

I was going to submit this as a front page post, but I figured you were nice enough to reply, so I'd give you an early heads up on it.

You're welcome.

Re:...and in other news...

[CitznFish]

Wow, just wow.

Try re-reading my response. I don't care where it's located. because YOU found it 2 clicks deep doesn't mean anyone else did, or even cared to look. SO FUCKIGN WHAT if you already knew about it. Want a cookie?

Track via RSS

[SuperJason]

Wouldn't you rather track using RSS?

http://www.young-technologies.com/Utilities/Packag eTracking/

Very old..

[BigZaphod]

I've been using this feature for at least a year. Possibly more. Geesh.

Another U.S. only feature?

[martok]

I tried entering a tracking number from Canada Post, our national mail carrier and no dice on google.

Nice, but incomplete

[c0ldfusi0n]

Nice feature. I work in a shipping dock and i get couriers here all day delivering their stuff. Some packages are unnamed, some get here when i'm gone so i don't know who shipped it. Chances are, though, that there's a sticker on the box that says who the shipper was, who is it supposed to go to and the P.O. and tracking number. However Google supports only major couriers such as USPS, UPS, Fedex and others among those lines. It will never be complete, either since local couriers are way too numerous and small to be important to Google. Also, i only get FedEx and UPS delivering here, so if the tracking is starts with "1Z", i know it's UPS, if it's all digits, it's FedEx. Those two are about 1/4 of all my incoming packages, and Google doesn't support the others. So it's a nice innovation, but mostly useless for someone who has a minimum experience with couriers.

next step

[Anonymous Coward]

next step will be to pull the tracking number directly from your email that you recieve from sender and allow you to track from the google ads on the side of the email window.

Are you an idiot?

[Anonymous Coward]

Do you even have any idea of what I am talking about?

Look here Forbes to see the article.

They took stock which is not taxed as income thus avoiding paying income tax. And yes, stock is taxed but only when sold rather then when earned.

Re:Are you an idiot?

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe you'd be happier in, like, Cuba, or some place.

Re:Are you an idiot?

[PhotoJim]

Using this logic, retirement plans like 401Ks and RRSPs are evil, too. You're deferring taxes by buying one. Tax deferment is a perfectly acceptable tact. Stock options are only worth something once the stock price goes up and the gain is realized in actual dollars. You can't pay tax on theoretical earnings, only on real ones. Unquestionably, there are advantages to be had in some circumstances to be paid in stock options, but to think that it's some perfect panacaea to avoid paying taxes is naive. Besides, in most jurisdictions, consumption taxes earn as much money for government, or more, than income taxes do.

Also..

[E IS mC(Square)]

Did anybody notice this :

Enter anything you want to search on www.google.com input box, click "Google Search" and VOILA!! Google displays the webpages containing those keywords!!!

Re:Also..

[Greentryst]

"Search"? I dunno, that sounds like unproven technology to me.... I got burned when I was an early adopter of "sound cards" and "GUIs," so I personally will leave this to the labcoats for now.

This was old news a year ago.

[Asprin]

I'm not trying to be a jerk, but this was old news a year ago, maybe even two.

That said, here's another Google trick that's new to me. Put in the word "movies" followed by your ZIP code.

They also take UPC codes and (if I recall correctly) ISBNs.

Re:This was old news a year ago.

[webhat]

It's so old that they had it when Yahoo! was still funding Google and Google was starting to do the Yahoo!! backend. It still works in Yahoo! btw.

Re:even cooler: check out the first google map hac

[hairykrishna]

That's badass. Another reason why I wish they'd hurry up and roll out global google maps.

Re:ISBN. UPC. Credit cards.

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, and you're ignorant about the second one. Couldn't be bothered to click on the link, could you?

Repost

[Anonymous Coward]

This has been around for a long time. I've used it for probably a year or so...

Re:even cooler: check out the first google map hac

[Ark42]

Wow! That is a very great idea. Why does it only have certain cities though? They should tie in MLS listings and let you search by any city.

Re:even cooler: check out the first google map hac

[Anonymous Coward]

only problem is the guy refuses to tell how he did it or give any details.

it's a "lookie what I did! tell me how cool I am!"

giving nothing back to the community.

imagine taking the code and modifying it to display maps based on census data, or a thousand other uses.

Newer feature - pre-fetch

[predakanga]

I expect most slashdotters have already known about google shipping number lookups, etc, for months now, but I noticed a new feature on google's feature page just the other day... pre-fetching! It looks to be a well thought out technology, hopefully the other browsers will adopt the handling too, and it will grow and make surfing the internet practically instantaneous (yes, I do realize that it only pre-fetches and headers with the pre-fetch keyword, but I can dream)

Why doesn't Gmail use this?

[Acoustic]

Since Gmail is already scanning my messages, why doesn't it pick tracking numbers out of my e-mail? Then it could do something useful and give me a link to the shipper.

Wanted feature

[nearlygod]

I want Google to add sports scores, box scores, etc. to their interface. i don't mean like a sports portal, I mean enter:

"score: indians" and it will give me the box score of the current or last game played.

"score: indians WS" and it will list all of there box scores for the season and the schedules of there upcoming games against each other.

Dates can be added for more in-depth searching. Maybe enter "score: Hafner 2-3 HR" and it will list all of the times that this has been his line in the box score.

Re:ISBN. UPC. Credit cards.

[Anonymous Coward]

Hey, there rump ranger, try typing an ISBN into Google and see what happens. Oh yeah, and it does UPC searches too. So I guess you're pretty much a fudge packing loser.

Re:even cooler: check out the first google map hac

[Anonymous Coward]

Very cool. Needs more cities.

Google Video Upload

[Anonymous Coward]

Google also started offering unlimited web space for your personal videos.

https://upload.video.google.com/

p.s.
yes, I tried sumbiting it to /.

Google Maps Sightseeing

[davetrainer]

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 doesn't quite have its utility, but is hours of entertainment nonetheless.

Confirmation that (North) America is the world!

[benhocking]

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 in which to live.

Re:Confirmation that (North) America is the world!

[Anonymous Coward]

Any list that includes Atlanta in the top 10 places to live in America has its head so far up its own ass that all the results must be totally ignored.

Re:Confirmation that (North) America is the world!

[mapmaker]

even if they didn't have any listing for Charlottesville, VA

The data comes from Craigslist. C-ville doesn't have a Craigslist, ergo no listings on the map.

Certainly Not New

[MITDude]

This has been around for a while, certainly a year or so; why is it on /. as a new item?

Now I understand

[Anonymous Coward]

why UPS.com is not responding.... suddenly.

You've /.'d my package!
Oh well. I'll have to obsessively reload some other page.

Shark Jumping

[cephyn]

I've never really wanted to mod down a frontpage post...until now. Come on /.

Good for IDing computer componets to find drivers

[bach37]

If you have ever tried to locate drivers or a manufac for an unknown piece of hardware, you can find the brand and model with its FCC number, which is required to be on the hardware. Good for computer geeks!

Firefox does it already!

[davetrainer]

Firefox has had Smart Keyword bookmarks 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.

... but the spamdexers are there too

[angusmci]

I just typed the tracking number for a package I'm expecting into Google. Sure enough, I get a link to the tracking site of the courier company. But the page also contains another link, which reads "Free hardcore porn if you click here!" and takes you to a page filled with 3- and 4-number and -digit groups that has been used to spamdex a porn site into Google (the page in question is currently safe for work, unless your employers disapprove of promiscuous associations between small integers, but it links to the main page of the porn site, which probably isn't. And maybe you don't want (name of pornsite deleted) showing up in the traffic logs on your company firewall). The spamdexers seem to have done their work well. Having done some experiments, I now suspect that almost any UPS tracking number entered into Google will bring up a page containing a link to that particular porn site. Can't beat that for free advertising.

What's next? Googledate?

[Anonymous Coward]

Wow, I half expect Google to unveil the next feature, allowing you to find people based on your specified criteria... what else is left for google to tackle??

its Zonk again

[venkythegeek]

seems hes the only one who's msg gets posted here. Isnt this news a bit too OLD!!

It's a useful reminder

[btarval]

Personally, I had forgotten about Google. UPS has recently changed their website to make it a pain for guys like me. You see, I don't run Javascript and I don't allow cookies by default. UPS's site is hard to negotiate with out this. One has to hunt around several pages to find the tracking site.

The obvious work-around is to bookmark the page; but I use lots of different computers, and this means a bookmark for each one, AFTER I go through this nonsense.

So now I can just go to google.com, and type in the tracking number from there. The heck with ups.com and their lame website.

So thanks for the reminder. It's helped me out already today.

Mother/son

[DeVryGuy23]

The funnyness of that mother/son thing was a bit overhyped. Like mom knows what Google is to begin with :)

Re:even cooler: check out the first google map hac

[Anonymous Coward]

Did no one tell you that those are the only cities that matter in the U.S.? If you're not on that list, well, sorry...

Google Q&A

[bunnyman]

For something that is actually new, check out Google Q&A

I asked it how many ping pong balls fit in an olympic sized swimming pool, but it doesn't know that.

patent no1

[Anonymous Coward]

http://www.google.com/search?q=patent+1&btnG=Googl e+Search/

i for one welcome our new number searching overlords

even if you're not expecting a package

[Aerion]

This came in handy in January during the MIT Mystery Hunt, for this puzzle. Nobody knew what to do with the 12-digit number, but Googling it revealed it as a FedEx tracking number.

Unfortuantely, one of the teams stole the package from the room it was in.

Try this trick

[Anonymous Coward]

Go to WWW.G00GLE.COM, type in your social security number and your credit card numbers. Now wait for your next credit card bill for a HUGE surprise.

Re:even cooler: check out the first google map hac

[5n3ak3rp1mp]

holy crap! this is definitely the coolest hack I've seen this week!

Been here since 2003

[pbrammer]

This is not news. This functionality has been here since late 2003...

See Google's timeline...

Why doesn't Google...

[shadowmatter]

... just put a little "Did you know?"-like tooltip at the bottom of the main search page? (Much like the default Firefox page.) It doesn't even have to appear every visit -- just 1 out of 5 times, 1 out of 10 times, etc. Regardless, the average web user will visit Google often enough to pick up on some new tricks. Making these features well known will only reinforce people coming back to Google.

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

Re:even cooler: check out the first google map hac

[Edward Faulkner]

Wow! That is a very great idea. Why does it only have certain cities though? They should tie in MLS listings and let you search by any city.

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.

Nevermind it not being a new feature

[JaF893]

It's not so bad that its not a new feature but its certainly not even a new stroy. I guess people really do just monitor the google blog XML feed and just submit a story everytime there is a new post. The same could also be said about The Register as well.

Old News

[TyrelHaveman]

Google has had this feature for a very long time. I use the UPS/FedEx tracking number thing all the time. I've also searched by UPC codes. Very great things.

Lame

[5n3ak3rp1mp]

This has to be the most delayed reaction to a feature that was new over a year ago, EVAR!!

slashdot is losing the edge... what, do you guys sleep all day now and rest on the laurels of advertising?

why?

[mapmaker]

What purpose does this serve? If I have a tracking number for my package, presumably I know what shipper it's from. How is it at all beneficial to me to go to Google's website to look it up instead of the shipper's site?

Not NEW by any stretch

[Anonymous Coward]

Advertised or not, Google has had this feature for quite a while. In fact I think I've seen it reported on /. a long time ago. What's happening to the /. editors? Why does it seem like they stopped giving a damn about checking posts for accuracy anymore??

Patent 5123123

[argent]

Google's example patent search:

Bathtub overflow control device

Abstract

A control mechanism for use with a bathtub having a drain opening and an overflow opening, with the drain opening having a stopper moveable between open and closed positions.

Is this a hint? Will we have google bathtubs that automatically grow over time so they never overflow?

Hey this is really handy if

[ClosedSource]

you remember your tracking number but don't remember the shipping company.

Seriously wouldn't be a lot more useful if you could enter your name and some keyword that meant "check for any packages with all the major shipping companies"?

Re:even cooler: check out the first google map hac

[Ark42]

Why doesn't Craigslist expand and obsolete MLS then? I'm moving soon to a city not listed there and a tool like this would be very useful for driving around and looking at houses.

Re:OMG! Google now supports quotes around phrases!

[Anonymous Coward]

"Innovation"?

This has been standard search procedure since Ug the caveman was looking for his glerpt.

Just don't Google for: "mom/son"!

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm sure it won't turn up any shipment data or blogs! ;)

Let's use the auto-cs paper to test slashdot.

[pangel83]

Search by number exists for more than a year! Why is this even posted here?

I was wondering what would happen if I used that MIT random content generating gizmo to submit articles to slashdot. I expect that the number of the random articles tweaked to seem to praise linux and google that are accepted would outnumber the ones that are actually usefull IT news.

Other stuff that'd be cool...

[RukuArtic]

DNS/WHOIS...
Search by /. Karma...

use google "range" to lookup SSN

[peter303]

Google saves every inquiry made to it. They a screenin their lobby showing random searches. You dont want to be advertising the fact you are looking for a particular 10-digit SSN. Type something like 1234567000...1234568000 to search for the SSN number between that range.

Re:use google "range" to lookup SSN

[drgonzo59]

Thank I didn't realize that. They technically also have my Gmail, with my name, all my friends' names, where I work, where I shop, the passwords to some websites I visit. They know what I search for if I log in to Gmail then, from the same IP do a a google search. I don't even know who to trust anymore.

People make the mistake that there are many more others to keep track of and that is just too many, which may have been true 20 years ago, but not now when one can get a 2 Gig free inbox. I know, I know what do I have to hide, it is just I get one of those feelings like in the dream of being naked in public. Not much unusual there to see it is just that I don't want everyone one to see it.

Re:use google "range" to lookup SSN

[Anonymous Coward]

Tor is the answer to this.
see http://tor.eff.org/howitworks.html
to see an overview of it's ip hiding technology.

haha

[criticalmass24]

I guess that google will be doing my homework for me now even more then before.

What about all those phishing emails?

[csoto]

I get all these emails with bogus tracking numbers in them, and a link to a phishing site. What does Google come up with for them?

typing each numeral into google

[peter303]

Typing each of the first ten numerals into google gives:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Re:even cooler: check out the first google map hac

[lucidvein]

Here is another version of a Craigslist/GoogleMaps Mashup and features the ability to view the Satalite images also...

It is based on the Standalone Google Maps which has a hosted version at MyGmaps.

ehh Satellite

[lucidvein]

typing too fast

heh..

[Teja]

I personally couldn't care less that people are noticing that google is coming out with more and more features. So what if it's come so that you no longr have to visit other search engines? Rather than visit many other places, I'd rather just stick to one place which will provide me all the info that I need.

Re:even cooler: check out the first google map hac

[Anonymous Coward]

Just like middle-men of all kinds, the reality industry is feeling a little threatened

Wow. Not exactly sure what to make of that, but wow.

Re:OMG! Google now supports quotes around phrases!

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, see this is making fun of the fact Slashdot ran a story on an old feature.

Searching for RFCs is as easy

[pomakis]

In my current job I find myself looking up RFCs fairly frequently. I have found that typing the RFC number prefixed by "RFC" (e.g. "RFC2396") into Google and pressing "I'm feeling lucky" always brings me directly to the RFC (rather than a discussion about it or a reference to it). My bookmarks list is slowly shrinking and converging on just one entry: Google.

this is an old feature.

[Anonymous Coward]

it's been in place for quite some time--well over a year, possibly as much as 2 or 3.

Neither for TNT

[plj]

Sheesh. Apple's shipment status tells me that they have shipped a new iPod mini to me via TNT today. But Google does not search TNT tracking ID's. And for some reason even TNT's own webpage is unable to find it.

It's a long time to wait...

Yahoo has this as well

[BlueHands]

and I wouldn't be suprised if there were other search engines that do this. All the "search engines" are really doing is packaging shortcuts in this case. They have no information about you packages, they just skip to the meat.

Re:Way up on your savvy horse again?

[Fortyseven]

What really pisses me off is that I wrote that before realizing that, in fact, the post in question was a knee-jerk reaction to someone at the Google Blog having a less than savvy mom.

Which makes me wonder why someone who didn't know about the ancient package tracking number voodoo spell was reading Google's blog... I mean, isn't that a bit more savvy than knowing about a basic feature?

And shouldn't an editor (however new) of the biggest geek site on earth be savvy about it already and skip over it?

And what about the blogger in question? He's gotta be savvy: yet he chose to keep his mom in the dark about these things for well over a year.

Poor unsavvy mom.

Savvy, savvy.

(Savvy.)

big f-ing deal. yahoo had this ages ago....

[Anonymous Coward]

yahoo shortcuts pre-date google crap

http://tools.search.yahoo.com/shortcuts/

The IPO is coming soon....

[bazily]

As long as we're living a year in the past, I've got a hunch this Google IPO is going to go through the roof!

-bazily

Re:Good for IDing computer componets to find drive

[dq5 studios]

Even better is the FCC's page for doing fccid searches! https://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/oet/cf/eas/reports/ GenericSearch.cfm

Holy shit! Phone number to map to directions

[mattr]

I typed in my home phone number in this format:

(xxx)yyy-zzzz

and it gave me my father's name, profession (MD), street address (though we use a post office box not listed there) and links to three maps sites including google's.

But that's not all! Click on the Google Maps link and I get a personalized map with a cartoonish text bubble pointing to where my house is!

And guess what? A link inside that text bubble takes you to a driving directions page. Okay, I type in "New York" which is 45 minutes away by car, on the highway. Well it draws a map with a line between there and my house, and perfect driving directions down to the tenth of a mile and what direction to turn on each street.

This works too well.

Re:er...

[v_1matst]

once again... look at the post time/date.... it isn't redundant if it's one of the first... jeeze...

You Just Wait

[Anonymous Coward]

It's pretty scary when you think of how easy it is to put in any telephone number and find out whose it is from Google. I've finally trained my wife to do this, but what is going to be scary is when they give you the option not only to get the persons name and address, but also a satellite picture of there house and who knows how much longer it will be before they provide some type of mug shot of the person next to the number. Oh all the mind chilling possibilities.