There are people out there who can type so fast, it’s almost as though they’re beaming their thoughts right into the computer, translating their brainwaves directly to text. Take court reporters, for example. In order to become officially certified, they need to be able to type 225 words per minute. At that rate, they could type an entire novel, which is about 80,000 words, in less than six hours.
Yet, Google can still type faster. In fact, it’s veritably impossible to type faster than Google, thanks to a recent mobile update. After all, how can you type faster than a program that can automatically finish — and answer — the question you’re trying to ask?
The monolithic tech company didn’t announce the new update, which is still rolling out, but some have already noticed that if they begin to ask Google a question on their mobile devices, the app will immediately offer an answer before they finish typing.
For example, after typing “when did Hawaii,” Google will finish the query with “become a state,” and then provide the correct answer (August 21, 1959).
Although instant search results have been available for desktop and mobile for a while now, the new feature actually places the results right into the autocomplete suggestions. In other words, “August 21, 1959” will be offered before the search is ever made, just below the search field.
As neat of a feature as it is, it’s still a bit clunky. After all, Google isn’t a mind reader, as much as it may seem like it is. If you ask “how many inches,” it probably won’t know the measuring system you’re looking to convert into, nor the amount you’re looking to convert. It does seem to work well with dates, though.
As previously mentioned, Google is still rolling out the update, which means that not all mobile users will have it, but that doesn’t mean it won’t hurt to check. Why not try asking Google a question, and see if it gives you the answer you’re looking for before you finish?