“A lot of people ask me if I were shipwrecked, and could only have one book, what would it be? I always say 'How to Build a Boat” Stephen Wright

In April I held a Passover dinner and invited a few friends to join in the fun. I chose quite a few people who had never been to such an event before. When everyone arrived I was putting final touches on the meal to come and one by one our friends would sneak into the kitchen to tell me they had Googled what was expected of a person at Passover dinner. They told me that they found some stuff but nothing great and were worried about offending me or screwing up the dinner. Regardless of the lack of info everything went off without a hitch but next time I send an email invite I will add a link to Howcast. Howcast has been around for a while and does a great job presenting instruction of anything you want to learn. They have everything from how to make a butter sculpture to how not to attend a Passover dinner done in claymation. The videos are usually short, filled with info and amusing. More and more I find myself turning to the net for instructions. The other day I looked up all the steps involved in taking apart my computer to replace the Hard Drive. I really needed to know if I could do it myself or even if I wanted to. As I watched the video it looked like a long job (60 steps) but doable. Before you say I don’t know how to do something give Howcast a try. I recommend even going over there when you have 5 minutes to kill to learn something new.

“A short saying often contains much wisdom.” Sophocles

Everyday more and more people are using shorter and shorter forms of communication like text messaging or the service Twitter to get their messages out. The problem with this form is that you have limited space. You get a certain number of characters or letters you can use. Usually you would use a thesaurus to find synonyms to fit your writing but instead you can use the service Thsrs to find a word that best fits the limited spacing of the message. As an example I typed in the word confused in the search box and hit enter. It then displayed synonyms but only words shorter than the searched for word. I got back words like baffled, bemused, lost, mazed, at sea and many others. If you find you are not at a loss for words but at a loss for smaller words then give this one a try.

“If the person you are talking to doesn't appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.” Winnie

Everywhere I go I see people with MP3 players. People are listening to more through their headphones than ever before and it is not just music. The listening public are listening to news, talk shows, radio programs, concerts, etc. Some are even having their RSS feeds and emails read to them. (Subject for another post) At this point the most popular player is the iPod. I get many questions about the Apple player. I usually refer students to the Apple store where they can ask questions with their iPod in hand and that seems to work out well. However what happens if you do not have a store near you or they cannot seem to answer your questions? Then it is time to head to iLounge. iLounge has been around for quite a while now and offers everything iPod. They have all the news you could want about the iPod. They also sell items related to the player but the real reason I send you here is the forums and help section. Every time I have a strange question about how to do something with my iPod I head to those sections and do a search. They have recommendations to find free legit music and video plus concerts and music blogs as well. I know I am mainly focused on music when it comes to iLounge but it is a music player after all. The site is very user friendly and helpful. Give it a try.

"Honest to goodness it's the absolute ultimate! " Gidget

Not too long ago I watched a video by David Pogue (technology reviewer) about free services for your cell phone. I have posted before about one of the ones he mentioned, GOOG-411. However I was completely unaware of ChaCha. Holy smokes! I love this service. On the fourth I was at a BBQ and we got into a very strange conversation involving the singer/actress Connie Francis. I was 100% sure she played Gidget in the movies. Yes, before you comment, I was very wrong. The problem was that I did not have a computer to look it up and check a website like Wikipedia. So I dialed 1-800-2chacha and got a recording that told me to leave a question. So I asked what movies Ms. Francis was in and whether she played Gidget. I hung up and got a text message with my question retyped and a message saying they were working on it. Within four minutes I got my reply which consisted of a list of the movies that she was in and an answer that no she never played Gidget. Now this cost me the price of two text messages which came to 30 cents. I thought that was well worth the price to find out I was wrong. I have had occasion to use this a few times and with great results each time. When ChaCha gets your message a person using Google searches for an answer for you and then sends it out to you. I really do recommend this service and the since the price is right I say give this one a try.

Additional notes to this post: Sandra Dee played Gidget in the movies and Sally Fields played her on TV.

Also thanks to Nate, Penny, and Mia for a great BBQ and a reason to use this service.

“Fall is my favorite season in Los Angeles, watching the birds change color and fall from the trees.” David Letterman

My grandparents used to travel around for hours just looking for a bird species they had not seen before. I always remember seeing a birding book in their car at any time. Now there have always been internet resources for birders but this one seems to have some very cool features. What a Bird has a unique way of identifying the species seen. You go through a series of prompts identifying basics like where and when down to whether or not the bird was hawk-like or not. It seems to work pretty well. Also there are games like the bird sleuth. There is a tutorial on identifying bird songs and bunch of other resources like forums for discussing every aspect. If you are a bird enthusiasts then it is time to give this one a try.

“We all get heavier as we get older because there's a lot more information in our heads” Vlade Divac

I have written here before of the Internet Movie Database. The ender of all movie related arguments, OK most of them anyway. Well two similar sites have emerged and both do equally a good job in the information they have compiled. The first one is the IBDB or the Internet Broadway Database. Just like IMDB they have compiled a searchable database for everything Broadway. Essentially you can choose an actor and see everything they have ever done. Also you can see any awards or nominations they have received throughout their career. They also have histories and information on every show. The other is the IADB or the Internet Automotive Database. This is a searchable database of all the cars that were in movies or TV shows. This struck me as so strange but I remember my step father making sounds of pain every time, in his opinion, a beautiful car got crunched. This allows you to choose a make and model and not only see a list of movies or shows it was in but in many cases to see a still image of the car in the movie. Also for all the motorheads out there is a page of unidentifiables. Image after image of cars in the backgrounds of movies that you can help identify. This looked kind of fun if I knew a thing about vehicles. To end I should say I recommend both of these sites but I really do not use them not being a Broadway or automotive guy. However I can appreciate a good source of information no matter what it contains. Give it a try.

“Anatomy is destiny.” Sigmund Freud

Man o Mandibula! I unfortunately never took anatomy and physiology in school but I have always had an interest in understanding the body and its workings. VisibleBody is a site that can help that understanding and investigation. It shows a human body and allows you to peel away layers to see circulation or digestive systems. Now I have seen pictures of this stuff the first time I picked up a Britannica and was fascinated by the plastic transparent pages. This however goes further allowing you to come at any organ or part from any direction including inside itself. It has the ability to pull away all unnecessary bits and focus on just what is needed. The only downfall is that you must use Internet Explorer and the initial startup is a wee bit slow. However if this is an area of study for you or a class that you teach this really is awesome. Give it a try.

“It's marvellous, marvellous! Nothing will ever be as much fun. I'm going to photograph everything, everything!”Jacques-Henri Lartigue

Let’s say you are walking on the beach and see an unusual shell and you want to identify it. How do you go about it? Do you try to describe the colors or the shape? Do you put into a search engine that sort of information or do you grab a guidebook? The problem is that although a guidebook is useful it does not always have the exact description or picture of what you are holding in your hand. A search engine is inadequate for the simple reason of describing something to Google does not work well. This is where picasnswers helps out. You take a photo of the issue, post it, and then ask the question. A perfect example was of a traveler who came across a sign in a foreign country. It was a pictogram so there was no words or description just a symbol. The answer was from a viewer of the picture just like yourself. Many times the photo will prompt a discussion that is quite interesting. If you have an almost unanswerable question or penchant for looking at other peoples photos than it is time you give this a try.

“A new gadget that lasts only five minutes is worth more than an immortal work that bores everyone.” Francis Picabia

Think of the Secret Agent Man song before I start, OK got it, now onto the post.

I have always loved gadgets from my radio watch to my spy telescope and that is why I had to write about a really clever new product. The Trackstick II is a product that is devoted to tracking your position. It is the same size as a common USB flash drive but it is actually a type of low energy GPS. Let’s say you’re on vacation and you walked everywhere and you're now home and want to retrace your steps. The GPS in this model keeps track of all of your movements. All you do is plug it into your computer and open Google Earth. It then takes you on a virtual tour of your vacation retracing every step. The maker’s site talks about exploring while hiking or camping and being able to map out where you were. Looking at some of the maps on their site shows the typical confused tourist. Lots of turn arounds and backups. I love that it is so small and will run for about a week on two AAA batteries. Now this is not a cheap gadget that you pick up at a convenience store. It is currently running upwards of $200. I am not sure if I am saying give it a try but the gadgetization of our society sure is fun to watch even if we don’t buy the items.

Thanks to the blog A beef Sandwich w/ Sweet Peppers for the song.

“I know only two words of American slang, 'swell' and 'lousy'. I think 'swell' is lousy, but 'lousy' is swell.”

To begin I would like to say we have three well worn dictionaries at home that still get used often. Now with that statement out of the way I am having trouble keeping up with new words. New words or slang come out everyday to describe new cultural phenomenon like a locavore. (a person that only eats locally grown foods). I could wait for this word and others to be welcomed into the fold that is Websters but the language is moving faster than committees can judge if a word a word has merit. That is why I turn to the Urban Dictionary in these cases. I want to understand what I am reading on a blog or in an email. This site takes submissions and people rate the one that fits the closest approximation of the definition. They also do the standards like tagging it to make it easier and trying to document it where possible. Now is this the authority on new language? I would say no but I would say it is one of the best for a quick understanding of what is new. Also for those who crave the dictionary experience (on paper) you can order an urban dictionary to put on your book shelf. If you feel like you are missing the some jive lingo give this one a try.

woot!!

“Histories are a kind of distilled newspapers” Thomas Carlyle

So you are a news hound and nothing excites you more than reading the paper well then the New York Times has something for you. Recently they opened up their archives that have only been accessible if you had subscribed. They have two sections 1981 to the present which is available in text from only and 1851 to 1980 in PDF from. Clarification is needed here. Some articles are still being charged to view. All the articles previous to 1923 are free in PDF format. 1923 on till 81 might be charged. It is a hit or miss feature. However if you are looking for some recent research (80’s till now) or you want to go way back (23 and previous) all seems free. PDF format is a standard format that any system can open. To read it you will need a Adobe Acrobat which is free. To access all of the archives just go to NYTIMES.com and use the search bar at the top of the page. You can adjust the period by clicking on the pull down menu. So if you need to do some research from one of the largest papers in the US it is time to give it a try.

"I've learned there are three things you don't discuss with people: religion, politics and the Great Pumpkin. " Linus

Halloween makes me think of costume parties but the backbone of any party is always the music. Halloween music can be difficult to find and so I have put together a quick list of some sites to either learn more or download some. There should be enough as a beginning. So go forth and spook some one for the night is young. Oh ya, give it a try.

• First off, NPR has had several treats on Halloween Music from the classics to the brand new. They even have a free download from the Evangelicals.
• This has to be one of the best lists of Halloween music I have ever seen. They do not have any direct downloads so you will have to shop around.
• OK you need some creepy chains moving in the attic or a moaning ghoul? Check this one out. It is a long list of sounds in wav format. You can download them by right clicking and choosing save as. However, you can play them from the site.
• A remix of the Munsters Theme called Munsterbeat
• This site has tons of Halloween themed music from the 50’s and 60’s. The only strange thing is that you have to scroll to the right instead of down. Just click on a number to hear it. You can also download them.
• Lastly is a site that has all the perennial classics from TV and movies like the Addams Family. Great for any playlist.

“There is always something to upset the most careful of human calculations.” Ihara Saikaku

When I was in high school sitting in a chemistry or math class we had to use those really fantastically awesome science calculators. Now I never did well in either of those subjects, let’s chalk it up to the fact that I never figured out how that amazing calculator actually worked. Recently I noticed the lack of calculators in general so to bridge the gap I give you the Scientific Calculator. Essentially it is just a page that looks and feels like the real thing. I have to say I like this version even better because of the largeness of the screen and the fact that it is not that as hard as it was to read a liquid crystal screen. So if you want to relive a class or need to process some higher functions give this a try.

“All religions must be tolerated... for... every man must get to heaven in his own way.” Epictetus

Religion can be tricky to write about on a blog like this and I have avoided it until this point. Unfortunately religion on the web breaks down into the two usual camps: a glorification of one’s own religion and bashing of another’s. This is too bad because it kills discussion and understanding. However, there is a site that is really trying to make a difference in the religious information realm. Beliefnet has information on most religions. Now when I say information I do not mean a quick definition. I mean a real investigation that allows the user to really explore different religions. They use things like audio visual tours and interesting news stories to round off the information. They even have cooking recipes for each faith and holiday that it is associated with. There are discussion forums for every belief from Atheism to Zoroastrianism and everything in between. My favorite part has to be the Belief-o-Matic. Don’t be fooled by the name. It is a fill in survey that shows you which faith is in line with your thinking. I found it to be right on the mark. Faith is part of out society and makes its way to technology just like any part of our social makeup. So if you are interested give it a try.

“Baseball is dull only to dull minds.” Red Barber

Since we are in the heart of Baseball season I thought it was about time to do another sports post. Baseball fans seem to have extremely long memories for dates, statistics, lost games and the like. The Baseball Almanac has tons of information for every aspect of the game. You can look up autographs and see a family tree of all the brothers in Baseball history. Because I am not a true fan I only had some names that I know to try this site out with. I used Sandy Kofax and it gave reams of information. It is extensive. If you are a fan and have not been here before I recommend eating first, you will be there for a while. Grab some peanuts and crackerjacks and give this one a try.

“I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend.” Thomas Jefferson

Do most people agree with your opinions or are you in the minority? It is time to find out. BuzzDash is a place of online polls. If you have a question, ask it and let others answer. Now this is not something like Yahoo Answers where you might get an answer to a question this only shows how many people agree with a certain topic. One poll example was “Are you excited for The Simpson’s Movie?” They took all the votes and created a pie chart. I don’t really think this is scientific but it does give some results that are fun to read through. The topics range from pop culture to politics. If you enjoy random statistics and seeing if you are agreed with give this a try.

“I'm leaving because the weather is too good. I hate London when it's not raining.” Groucho Marx

In New England weather is a constant conversation. Is it sunny or has it started hailing can be questions you hear all in one day. So that being said, we need more information on the every aspect of the meteorological condition. Weather Bonk really delivers in some nice ways. They take everything weather and combine it with things like webcams and Google maps to really allow for really investigations of conditions. They also have live feeds from cams close to your area so you can get a glimpse of how it is at home. I also got a kick out of the weather for your route. Many times I am at the library and it is bright and sunny and at home (30 miles away) it is storming. They have a traffic feature as well. If you are a weather junkie and just want another way to feed the addiction give this a try.

“I'm writing a book. I've got the page numbers done.” Stephen Wright

Numbers are everywhere and to check information about them I must go to many different sites. This is a pain in the neck. There is a solution or at least a help. Any recognizable number can be put into the search box of Google and it should retrieve the information. Check the list below to see many different examples and if you have one give it a try.

•	UPS tracking numbers	example search: "1Z9999W99999999999"
•	FedEx tracking numbers	example search: "999999999999"
•	USPS tracking numbers	example search: "9999 9999 9999 9999 9999 99"
•	Vehicle ID (VIN) numbers	example search: "AAAAA999A9AA99999"
•	UPC codes	example search: "073333531084"
•	Telephone area codes	example search: "650"
•	Patent numbers	example search: "patent 5123123" Remember to put the word "patent" before your patent number.
•	FAA airplane registration numbers	example search: "n199ua" An airplane's FAA registration number is typically printed on its tail.
•	FCC equipment IDs	example search: "fcc B4Z-34009-PIR" Remember to put the word "fcc" before the equipment ID.

“He who can take advice is sometimes superior to him who can give it.” Karl von Knebel

I have always recommended Consumer Reports Magazine for questions and reviews concerning computers and gadgets. They are not always 100% perfect but they are definitely a good source for info. However many times they are working on something at the magazine and either it does not fit that issue or it is pertinent to concerns going on at this moment. That is why they started the blog. I think they wrote a better introduction for their work than I can so here it is.
"Check out the Consumer Reports Shopping blog for time- and money-saving tips, and other need-to-know advice to make shopping more enjoyable. The blog enables us to zero in on the latest product information, news, trends, and sales figures, and reveal what retailers and e-tailers are doing to win your business. We’ll keep you posted on critical information to help you get the best deals, and reveal key findings from our series of unique national polls on consumer shopping behavior. "
Give it a try.

"Set the WABAC Machine to 1895" Mr. Peabody to Sherman

When you look at some websites do you ever wonder what they looked like years ago, maybe when they first started? EBay is a good example. It started in 1997 and has gone through change after change. They added new features, changed their logo and adapted new practices as the Internet grew. What watch need is a way to see what it was like at that point. The Wayback Machine has been archiving the Internet since 1996 and almost has 2 billion pages. You can search for any site and if it has it archive it will be broken up by year and certain archiving dates through that year. It is a very interesting reference to see how much it has changed. it gives some real perspective and helps out the student or researcher to find information that may have been removed years ago. Also they feature categories like how web pages were reacting to the election of 2000 or any other large event. Give it a try to see the past of the net.