As
you may know, Google.com aspires not just to display lists of Web
results; increasingly, it tries to show you the information you’re
looking for, without your having to click through to a Web page.
Try Googling a math equation, a unit conversion (“gallons in 83
liters”), or a historical fact (“when did Lincoln die”), for example.
But
here’s one that very few people realize: Google.com also has a built-in
reminder service — one that lets you record a reminder on your computer, while you’re working, that later pops up on your phone. Great
because (a) you don’t always have your phone with you, and (b) a
keyboard and mouse is easier to use for recording things than a
touchscreen.
Into
the Google search box, you can type, for example, “Remind me to walk
the dog at 8 pm.” Or, in the Chrome browser, click the little microphone
button and speak your reminder: “Remind me to change clothes when I get home.”
The
reminder you’ve just created shows up automatically on your iPhone or
Android phone, courtesy of the Google app and its notifications.
It’s wireless inter-gadget magic!
Adapted from the New York Times bestseller “Pogue’s Basics,” available here.
