When I was a kid, I spent money earned from lawn-mowin’ and car-washin’ on practical items, like Nintendo games and more Nintendo games. But since I was clumsy, I was wisely kept far away from anything sharp and pointy, like a Swiss Army Knife. Pushing joystick buttons was safer.

But a Swiss Army Knife has a strong and almost mystic allure. The name is impressive. Anything endorsed by a whole army must be good. And the tools have enough blades, saws, toothpicks and gadgets to impress James Bond. (Although if I’m ever to the point where I’m regularly using a Swiss Army Knife toothpick, I’ve got more problems than what’s stuck in my teeth.)

Swiss Army products are advertised as being innovative, precise and of good value. This definition can also be applied to Google, arguably the Internet’s best search tool. And like the Swiss Army Knife, Google is deceptively simple until you open it up and look inside. A previous Digital Bits column covered basic Google search techniques, so let’s take information retrieval to the next level: Use these tools to find specialized information.

Google Alerts at http://google.com/alerts
Enter your subject, like ‘Michael Jackson trial’, give Google Alerts your email address, and wait. You’ll receive emails as breaking news or web articles appear about your subject. You don’t have to go looking for news you’re interested in – the news finds you.

Google Maps at http://maps.google.com
Type an address in the search field, and get a map showing that location and driving directions. Like Yahoo Maps, Mapquest and others, Google Maps has a couple bonuses. The map is scrollable: Drag your mouse around the display to change what the map shows. Or click the “Satellite” link, and view a satellite photo of the area. For a demo, view a satellite photo of Fifth Third Ballpark, our home for the West Michigan Whitecaps.

PhoneBook at http://www.google.com
Look up residential or business information. Type a name, city, state, zip code, phone number, or whatever information you know. The first result you see should identify who you’re looking for, their address, and links to maps and directions for the area. Go here for more detail.

Weather at http://www.google.com
Search for ‘weather grand rapids, mi’ (substitute your own city / state preference if desired). The first result you’ll see is current weather conditions and a four-day forecast. Results beneath that should be more weather links on the Internet, including those from the National Weather Service and local TV stations.

Google does indeed contain more than we realize. It’s pretty impressive when a search engine is successful with a simple interface, but you could still write an instruction book about its many uses. I’m going to stay away from Swiss Army Knives, though. I’d end up cutting myself. But I did just eat some popcorn, and now I’ve got a kernel stuck way back there. If only I had a toothpick handy.