10 Secrets You Never Knew About Google

Every day Google answers more than one billion questions from around the world. But here are 10 things you might not have ever known you can do with the world's most powerful search engine.

1. Google Mars

The Mars Feature on Google Earth 5 allows users to explore the surface of the red planet and even talk with an alien! Just enter
“Meliza” into the search box and watch as your taken to a section of the planet where you can “chat” with a local alien. It's just a chat bot, but it's fun to try. Give it a shot.

2. Do a Barrel Roll

You can make your Google page roll on end by entering the phrase “do a barrel roll” into the search box and hitting enter. It’s a fun reference to the classic video game Star Fox!

3. Track a Flight

Just enter the desired airline and flight number into Google's search box and instantly see the arrival and departure times right in the results. Now you can keep up-to-date with any flight without having to constantly check the airline's website such as United Airlines.

4. Fly Using Google Earth

Visit Google Earth, press CTRL + Alt + A (Command + Option + A for Mac), choose your aircraft, and fly! You can even simulate flying an F16 Fighter Jet. Click here to learn the flight controls. 

5. Reformat Your Gmail Address With Dots

You can create multiple email addresses by simply adding a dot (.) anywhere in your Gmail username Because Gmail doesn't recognize dots as characters, messages sent to yourusername@gmail.com and y.o.u.r.u.s.e.r.n.a.m.e@gmail.com will all go to the same place!

6. Synonym Search With a Tilde

Adding a tilde (~) to your search terms will tell Google to include any related search terms or synonyms you missed. This improves your results page and can help find exactly what you’re looking for.

7. Search Like Elmer Fudd

That's right, Google Preferences lets you search in any language. Even Elmer Fudd. This is a great trick to show the kids. Just go to Preferences, click "Language" and choose "Elmer Fudd" .

8. Browse The Classics

Google Book Search lets you thumb through the pages of classic books, all from the comfort of your computer. It's a great way to see if you'll enjoy a book before you buy, check out, or borrow it! You can even find the latest magazines.

9. Play Games on Youtube

Visit YouTube, pick a random video, and simply type 1980. This will automatically bring up a missile defense game where you will have to protect your video from an impending attack! Fail and your video will crack apart. This is the perfect way to kill time while waiting for your video to buffer.

10. Search for local film showings

Search for film showings in your area by typing 'films' or 'movies' followed by your postcode. In the UK, this only narrows it down to your town or city. In the US this is more accurate, as results are displayed according to zip-code.