The secret Google inter-gadget ‘remind me’ command

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.