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20 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do with Search

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It’s no secret that Google Search is the place Nigerians go to answer questions they are too embarrassed to ask their friends. From answering questions to weather forecasts and sports results, Google has developed some pretty cool features over the years. Search turned 20 recently, and we’ve compiled 20 of the most useful tips and tricks to help you search, that many people don’t know about.

 

  1. Find events: With your phone, simply search for [events near me] or for a specific event type like [food festivals] and you’ll see listings for local activities from around the web.

  2. Movie showtimes and tickets:  Type ‘movie showtimes’ into the Search bar to get showtimes, theater locations, and ratings all in one place. It makes it easy to decide which movie and location work best for you (and then to buy your tickets in advance).

  3. Recipe Search: Got a craving for jollof rice? Type ‘jollof rice’ into the search bar and Google will show you a host of recipe suggestions, so you’re guaranteed to find one exactly to your taste.

  4. Live sports scores: Search makes it easy to stay up on the latest scores, whether you’re a fervent fantasy sports aficionado or a casual fan. Type in the name of your favorite team or league (like the NPFL), and get real-time scores and recaps from recent games.

  5. Weather Forecast – Planning a trip somewhere and need to know what to pack? Simply search ‘weather [location]’ and right there on your search results page you’ll get the forecast for the next week.

  6. Find a job: Now available in more than 100 countries around the world, you can search for jobs right on Google. Try searching for [jobs near me] or [retail jobs] to explore jobs from across the web. You can also save jobs set up alerts, map your potential commute and click through to apply.

  7. Set a timer – Need to monitor your dinner while you’re elsewhere in the house? Set a timer by typing ‘set a timer to 12 minutes and 45 seconds’, for example, and Google will sound an alarm when time is up.

  8. Help with health questions: Not feeling so good? Type your ailment name into the search bar and, if it’s a common condition influenza or a sprained ankle, you’ll find relevant medical facts in a knowledge panel. Google will show you typical symptoms, treatments, how common the condition is, whether it’s critical or contagious, ages of people affected and more—all from reliable sources and vetted by doctors.

  9. Tip calculator: You can use Google to calculate your tip when you’re in a restaurant. Simply search for [tip calculator], enter the cost of your meal, and the percentage you want to tip. You can even ask Google to help you split the bill evenly with your friends.

  10. Convert cash: If you’re heading out on a trip, here’s a tool that makes a ton of cents – real-time currency conversions right on Google. Search for something like [$500 in naira ] and you’ll get a box with the current exchange rate and an interactive graph to let you explore the change over time.

  11. Track packages: You can enter any UPS, USPS, or Fedex tracking number directly into the Google search bar, and it’ll show you the tracking information about your package.

  12. Keep track of your life: If you don’t want to toggle through your tabs, Search can help you find information about your upcoming plans. If you’re logged into your Google account, search for “my trips” or “my appointments” and Google will show you (and only you!) your upcoming flights, hotel reservations and schedule from Gmail and Google Calendar.

  13. Get the numbers about your noms: Watching your weight? You can search for nutritional information and find out the number of calories in your everyday foods. For example, ask Google “how much fat is there in chocolate cake?” or “how much sugar is there in tomato sauce?” and Google will break down the nutritional stats for you.

  14. Definitions and synonyms: You can use Google as a dictionary and thesaurus. Try searching for [what does loquacious mean] and you might find yourself talking nonstop about this feature.

  15. Ask complex multi-part questions: Google really does have the answer to just about everything – no matter how complex. For example, if you search [when were the members of Plantashun Boiz born], you will (feel old and) see the birthdates of ‎2face Idibia‎,  ‎Faze and ‎Blackface.

  16. Search with an image: On your computer, upload your own photo to Google Images to find the same or similar photos on the web. Click on the camera icon in Google Images and Google will also tell you the origin and other details about the photo. Now you can know where that meme really came from.

  17. Check how to say massive numbers correctly: Type in any long number and add “=english” to the end of your search and you’ll find the correct way to spell out the number in words. Try it for 6006131520 (hint: it’s not “Google is 20”).

  18. Search within a time period: You can narrow your search to a specific date range and see only content published during that time. This can be useful if you’re looking for insight into how a news topic may have been covered at a certain point in time or looking for resources for a history paper, perhaps.

  19. Search within a site: If you’re looking for an article or page from a specific publisher, Search will let you focus your results on that single website. Just add “site:” ahead of the web URL to limit your results to that publisher – for example, site:cnn.com (you need to drop the www). You can then sort by recency or add additional keywords to narrow down your search.

  20. Advanced Search: If all of these tricks still don’t get you what you need, you can use Advanced Search to apply a number of filters, like specifying terms you want to exclude or only find pages that are in certain languages, regions, sites or file formats.

 


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Ugo Onwuaso is an ICT enthusiast. He believes technology should be used for general good. He holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the Lagos state University. Dear Reader, Your support matters. But we believe that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. That is why, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and finance and how they affect lives. Our incisive and analytical view of how technology news affects the daily life help individuals and organizations make up their minds. Quality journalism costs money. Today, we're asking that you support us to do more. Kindly support our effort to deliver technology and finance journalism to everyone in the world. Donate as little as N1,000. Bank transfers can be made to: UBA Plc 1017156876 Communication Week Media Ltd

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Safer Internet Day: Sophos Warns – 42% Attacks Hit Stolen Logins in 2025

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Sophos, a leading provider of innovative cybersecurity solutions, shared practical advice to help internet users safeguard their credentials and maintain continuous protection online.

Safer Internet Day: Sophos Warns – 42% Attacks Hit Stolen Logins in 2025

Sophos

According to the upcoming Sophos Active Adversary Report, compromised credentials were the leading cause of attacks (42.06%) in 2025.

This is a strong trend that continues to dominate the scene, with cyber attackers demonstrating ever-increasing ingenuity and relying on new tools to compromise the security and privacy of internet users.

John Shier, Field CISO Threat Intelligence at Sophos, said: “The way attackers are using automation and generative AI to massively increase the speed and volume of their attacks suggests that attacks will become faster and more sophisticated. The best approach to protecting our identities and digital data is to take a proactive stance on defense.”

“Criminals are increasingly targeting people rather than devices, and this trend is expected to continue and even accelerate. Once again, AI is being used as a weapon to create highly detailed phishing lures to entice people to disclose passwords or financial information through well-designed emails, text messages, and WhatsApp messages.”

1. Keep your devices up to date: the most important and simplest measure you can take to protect yourself in the long term.

Cybercriminals are constantly on the lookout for computers that don’t have all the latest security patches, making them easy targets for compromise. This includes computers, laptops, smartphones, tablets, and home Internet/Wi-Fi routers. In most cases, you just need to click “Check for Updates” or “Update Now” and allow the device to restart.

2. Use a password management tool, whether it is built into an operating system or a third-party tool.

Password uniqueness and complexity are then managed automatically, greatly facilitating account isolation and protection.

3. Enhance protection with phishing resistant (MFA).

Many websites offer the option of using an “authentication app,” a smartphone app that displays a unique code for a short period of time, which must be entered after the password, making it much more secure than simply using a password.

Better still, there is a new solution called “passkeys,” which generally uses biometric authentication on your smartphone (face scan, fingerprint) to log in without any password. This is the best choice when available.

John Shier concludes: “Criminals will never stop trying to steal from us, so we must remain vigilant. We know that they are constantly improving and becoming more skilled at deceiving us, so it’s up to us to move forward and improve our protections to stay safe.”

For more information, please visit: https://www.sophos.com


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EU Eyes Interim Ban on Meta’s WhatsApp AI Restrictions

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European Union has launched a formal challenge against Meta Platforms over a new policy restricting third-party artificial intelligence tools on WhatsApp.

EU Eyes Interim Ban on Meta's WhatsApp AI Restrictions

Meta

Regulators accuse the U.S. tech giant of abusing its dominant position in the messaging market to favor its own AI assistant.

On January 15, Meta implemented changes to the WhatsApp Business API, allowing only its proprietary Meta AI to operate while blocking rival chatbots.

The European Commission quickly responded with a statement of objections and announced plans for interim measures to prevent “serious and irreparable harm” to competitors during the ongoing investigation.

EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera stressed the need to safeguard competition in the booming AI sector. “We cannot allow dominant tech companies to illegally leverage their dominance for an unfair advantage,” she said.

Interim steps could force Meta to restore access for third-party AI tools on WhatsApp pending the probe’s outcome.

Meta defended the policy, insisting the WhatsApp Business API serves business-to-customer needs, not general AI distribution.

A spokesperson highlighted alternatives like app stores, devices, and websites for other AI options, rejecting claims that the API is essential for chatbots.

This dispute echoes actions elsewhere: Italy restricted Meta similarly last December, while Brazil recently lifted a comparable court order.

As AI integrates deeper into daily apps, the EU’s moves signal heightened scrutiny on tech gatekeepers.


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Webb Fontaine Unveils AI Customs Revolution at WCO Abu Dhabi Summit

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Webb Fontaine has launched Webb Fontaine Zerø, a groundbreaking AI-powered Customs platform, at the 2026 WCO Technology Conference in Abu Dhabi, drawing over 1,500 delegates from 100+ countries.

Webb Fontaine Unveils AI Customs Revolution at WCO Abu Dhabi Summit

Webb Fontaine

CEO Alioune Ciss unveiled the LLM-based concept during the keynote, calling it a “complete reset” from legacy systems – embedding AI across operations for real-time regulatory adaptation, risk management, and trade facilitation under the theme “Customs Agility in a Complex World.”

CTO Ara Shamirzayan led panels on AI risk analytics, while GM Anicet Houngbo moderated border digitalization talks showcasing emerging market successes.

The firm’s stand hosted Zerø demos, interactive sessions, and a sponsored gala dinner, reinforcing WCO ties via SAFE Framework and PSCG contributions.

Webb Fontaine eyes global partnerships to deploy agile, future-proof Customs tech amid rising trade demands.


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