"Omnibar" Tricks in Chrome Browser

Hipster Chrome

Want to be "hip" with your Chrome browser? Learn what the omnibar can do. The Google omnibar is useful for so much more than searching with Google or typing in a url address. (For beginners, the omnibox is where the address to this website is at the top of this screen.)

 Here are some of my favorite "tricks". Check 'em out.

1) There are some little shortcuts. For instance, don't know a word? Highlight this word "hippopatumus" and drag it to the omnibox. You can also drag and drop an image to do the same thing. 

2) Now try this: Type "timer 30 seconds". It takes you to an instant timer and stopwatch.

3) Type "Roll dice". 

4) Type y=3x+4, viola instant graph and type 300*400, instant calculator. It does some trigonometry as well, try "(x+y)sin(1/x)sin(1/y)". Lovely, no? 

5) Type  "gm" and immediately it will have you begin to search your gmail account. 

6) The omnibar converts all types of measurements. Type "One mile in feet?" or "milliliters in gallon". Nifty, right?

7) Type "Flip a coin" 

8) This tip is for hipsters wi























8) Type "What does the cow say?" and you'll be amused by the result. 

9) Type "metronome"

10) Finally, for fun, try "barrel roll". 

Google calls these boxes that pop up as the result of these searches, "cards". These cards are more than search results. They are powerful interactive tools. Some have real utility in the classroom.

Though it does many, many more things, I think this is a nice sampling of the things one can do with the Omnimar. YouTube is full of videos on the omnibar. Here's a little playlist of some useful ones.