Google's New Goodies

Ever innovative, Google raises the stakes again this week by adding some incredible functionality:

• Enter a flight number: results show the flight's status and a map indicating its progress
  
• Enter an area code: get a MapQuest.com map of that area
  
• Enter a UPPS tracking number: receive a page denoting tha package's delivery status
  
• Enter a VIN number: get a page with the car's year, make and model
  
• Enter a UPC number: results include the product name and sites selling it

Not too shabby. What'll they think of next?

In the future, I want the following:

• Buy a traditional-looking paper-based book: it incorporates a search engine (voice recognition?) and you can search for any word or phrase in the book - I know you can practically do this online at Amazon already and we'll all have wireless web-based evices within five years or whatever anyway, but . . . this is just a fetish
  
• Whistle or sing a tune into any device: it recognizes the song and can name the tune and tell you who wrote, most popular recordings, verisons, etc - never worry what the name of that/who wrote that ear worm again!
  
• Replace my own already badly faltering memory

Also, Google may be getting into ad-based email al la Hotmail and Yahoo.