January 25, 2014

Distance Card in Google Search

A few months ago, I wrote about Google's directions card. You can find the distance between two places and the driving directions directly from Google Search. Just search for [directions from START_ADDRESS to END_ADDRESS] or [distance from START_ADDRESS to END_ADDRESS].

But what happens when Google can't provide driving directions or there's no way to get from A to B by car? Google has a backup card that's now displayed when you search for [distance from START_ADDRESS to END_ADDRESS] and there are no driving directions. Here's an example: [distance from Easter Island to Galapagos Islands].


Another example: [distance from New England to England].


"The next time you're killing time with friends or family, name two spots on the planet - say, Hawaii and Siberia. Get everyone’s best guess on exactly how far apart they are - 2,000 miles? 5,000? 8,000? Then pull up the Google Search app on your phone and ask, 'How far is it from Hawaii to Siberia?', and there's your answer. (This 'as the crow flies' distance is a new Google Search feature that works for far-flung locales, beyond what you can drive or walk)," explains Google.

There are many ways you can ask Google:

* distance from A to B
* distance A to B
* distance between A and B
* miles from A to B
* miles A to B
* how far is it from A to B?
* how far is it between A and B?


Here's a different example: [how far is it from Amman to Damascus]. This time, Google can't provide driving directions (unlike Bing).




Unfortunately, I couldn't find a way to switch from miles to kilometres without having to do an additional conversion.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.