Jim Rhodes's Bookmarks
These Bookmarks are courtesy of PC World Magazine, August 1997. They were demonstrated by Jim at the July NCTCUG Internet Sig.
Computers; the best places to . . .
- PC World, August 1997
- Get Tech Support at 2 a.m.
- Printer blue? Software flu? If your vendor is unreachable, try SupportHelp.Com. This terrific free service warehouses tech support sites, e-mail, bulletin boards, and phone numbers for more than 3000 companies.
- Get Support Worth Paying For
- Smart, very smart. We're talking about the staff at TuneUp.Com. For a measly 4 bucks a month, they'll answer computer questions by e-mail within 2 hours during business hours. Or wihtin 2 hours of opening the next day if your question arrives at night.
- Find Cool Net Tools
- Dripping with Gen-X Nettitude, Cool Tool of the Day reviews Internet utilities and plugs-ins almost daily. You can join the Cool Tool mailing list or search the site by keyword, platform, or helpful categories.
- Foil Would-Be Hackers
- Don't get hacked, get even. The Navional Computer security Association's tips, links, security alerts, lbiraries, and search engin are the best ways to learn how to keep data secure. From data encryption news to antivirus blues, you'll find it here.
- Master Your Domain
- Want to register yourname.com? it might already be taken. The InterNIC site's Whois search will find domains by owner and give you contact information in case you want to bin on a domain someone else already owns. (For example, Devil.com is a steal at $6660.)
- Turn your $2000 PC into a $29.99 Radio
- Progressive Networks' free RealAudio plug-in brings live news, sports, and music to your PC. The spanking new $29.99 RealPlayer Plus 4.0 lets you scan the virtual airways, choose six preset stations, and even record your own stuff. Sound quality varies from fuzzy AM to funk CD, depending on your speakers.
- Turn Your $2000 PC into a $1.19 TV Guide
- Surfing the other tube? TV Tonight lists every network, cable, and premium cable show available in your zip code. Links include episode descriptions, air dates, and reviews, along with silly rating icons like the Happy Box and Mr. Yeech.
- Turn Your $2000 PC into a $1000 Music Mixer
- Download Macromedia's free Shockwave plug-in, and glide on over to M/B Interactive. CD-quality sound, funky animations, and galloping graphics help you mix yourself silly using M/B's stunning audio controls. From junglematic to electrobop, the streaming audio helps you discover the digital DJ within. Chaka-khan!
- Find Out if You Need a Life
- Download a free copy of InternetMeter Inlay 2.0 from Starfish Software's site, and pay close attention to the online activity meter. You might be surprised how much time you reall spend Web surfing.
- Stash Your Data
- We believe that you back up regularly. Of course you do. But if you don't store your backed-up copies off-site, they are still vulnerable to theft, fire, and any number of other disasters. With Connected Online Backup, you can use the Web to keep your data safe and sound. Connected's free backup software is easy to set up, and the storate prices are reasonable: $14.95 per month for 50 MB of storage, 25 cents per each additional megabyte.
Business; the best places to . . .
- PC World, August 1997
- Get the Company Line (PR Newswire)
- Business Wire and PR Newswire give away loads of useful material online. Both sites are cleanly designed, providing useful searches, timely information, and company background stories. Though PR Newswire's content is spin-doctored, many companies have empirical data (such as SEC records) attached.
- Get the Company Line (BusinessWire)
- BusinessWire and PR Newswire give away loads of useful material online. Both sites are cleanly designed, providing useful searches, timely information, and company background stories. Though PR Newswire's content is spin-doctored, many compaines have empirical data (such as SEC records) attached.
- Become the Next Bill Gates
- One of Uncle Sam's best-kept secrets, the Small Business Administration site is an excellent resoure for starting and maintain a business. Besides helpful software, you'll find online tutorials and information about SBA assistance programs and applications.
- Raise a Million Bucks
- So, you've got a killer idea for a Java-based mousetrap, and you've got a business plan. All you need is a little cash infusion, right? Stop by the Venture Capital Resource Library for some free tax, legal, and strategic information. You can download a free business plan template, and even submit your plan via a form if you want the site operators to give you some advice. Just remember us when you strike it rich.
- Get the Lowdown on Competitors
- Yes, Hoover's saves its detailed profiles of public and private companies for its $10-a-month subscribers. But its free IPO backgrounders, stock tracking, and 10,000 capsule company reviews ain't so shabby either; in addition, there's contact info, sales and employment figures, and Web site links galore.
- Replace Your Morning Paper
- The Web is stuffed with newspapers, RealAudio radio broadcasts, weather reports, stock feeds, and cartoons. How's a business person supposed to find the important stuff? Browse Crayon's vast compendium of free online news sources, check off the ones you like, and henceforth, whenever you visit your personal page on the site, scroll down the links on the left to visit your news sources of choice.
- Start Your Own McFortune
- Whether you're the Roto-Rooter type or an aspioring Jerky Hut owner, if you really want to be your own employer, Be the Boss should be your home page. It provides background on major franchisers, a huge list of companies, and the most comprehensive set of links to entrepreneurial resources we've seen.
Careers; the best places to . . .
- PC World, August 1997
- Find a Dream Job or Employee
- Searching for a job is a job in itself, but so is finding good employees. Jobtrak, Margaret Riley's guide to employment opportunitites and resources on the Internet, is an excellent first stop primer for job seeker and employer alike. In tandem, don't miss The Riley Guide's gold mine of lins to employment search sites at http://www.jobtrak.com/jobguide/multiple.html. (7/23/97: http://www.jobtrak.com)
- Create a Killer Resume
- Before you post that resume, visit JobSmart. This thoughtful site not only teaches you how to build the best resume for your intended career, it shows you how to evaluate the online resume banks and provides links to the top dozen or so where you can post yours.
- Hire a Virtual Headhunter (E-Span)
- Don't want your resume online, for your boss to see? Use a virtual headhunter. NationJob's Personal Job Scout (P.J. Scout to its friends) and E-Span's CareerMail are the ideal agents; On a regula basis, they e-mail for free job listins that match a profile you enter at the sites.
- Hire a Virtual Headhunter (NationJob)
- Don't want your resume online, for your boss to see? Use a virtual headhunter. NationJob's Personal Job Scout (P.J.Scout to its friends) and E-Span's CareerMail are the ideal agents; On a regular basis, they e-mail for free job listings that match a profile you enter at the sites.
- Translate New York Dollars into Duluth Dollars
- So you've been offered a job with a 15 percent pay raise in a new state? But how much will that enticing salary really buy in another town? Come to the Homebuyer's Fair, and enter the names of your current and future home towns and your salary. Homebuyer's Fair spits back what your paycheck's worth in the new burg.
Travel; the best places to . . .
- PC World, August 1997
- Get Lost
- Equally suited to global jet-setters and armchair travelers. Expedia offers travel guides; plance, hotel, and car reservations; even a fare monitor that e-mails you when prices drop. Or just enyoy Expedia's lush travelogues -- day-by-day reports from adventurers in remote corners of the world.
- Get Found
- MapQuest provides geographic information over the Web. You navigate a global atlas, searching by city, business, or street address. You can then zoom in to a detailed street map and get point-to-point driving instructions.
- Travel In Style
- TheTrip.com isn't unique. Other sites provide flight information, reservations, airport maps, city guides, ground transportation, hotel and restaurant reviews, and up-to-date travel news. But no other sites does it quite as smoothly. A visit here can make your visit there a better one.
- Get Your Kicks on Route 66
- Planning a quick business trip across state lines? Before you hit the highway, stop by Delorme's CyberRouter (an online version of the company's Map'n'Go software). The site helps you pick the shortest or quickets route between two cities and provides an itinerary that's as concise or as detailed as you need.
- Get Hard Copy in a Strange Town (Kinkos)
- Why carry paper in your carry-on? These two sites help you find all the Kinkos or Sir Speedy print shops in virtually any town. Better yet, you can send your print job ahead electronically and have it waiting at your destination.
- Get Hard Copy in a Strange Town (Sir Speedy)
- Why carry paper in your carry-on? These two sites help you find all the Kinkos or Sir Speedy print shops in virtually any town. Better yet, you can send your print job ahead electronically and have it waiting at your destination.
- Collect Frequent Flyer Miles
- Like many Web sites, Inside Flyer will book your flight via the Internet Travel Network site (http://www.itn.com) but that's only the beginning. Ckeck here for links to the best deals in flyer and hotel programs, frequent flyer links, and hefty doses of humor and consumer advocacy.
- Land a Free Trip to Paris (Trade Show Central)
- Want to visit Paris in the spring but can't afford the fare? No problem -- just find a conference you can attend and let your boss foot the bill. (Hmmm, next February's BioExpo looks tres interessante...) Trade Show Central and TechWeb let you look up domestic and international trade shows by location, date, or category and get conference schedules; you can even register without having to stand in line.
- Land a Free Trip to Paris (TechWeb)
- Want to visit Paris in the spring but can't afford the fare? No problem -- just find a conference you can attend and let your boss foot the bill. (Hmmm, next February's BioExpo looks tres interessante...) Trade Show Central and TechWeb let you look up domestic and international trade shows by location, date, or category and get conference schedules; you can even register without having to stand in line.
- Find Things to Do in Teledo (or Anywhere Else)
- City.net's highly usable guide to the cities of the world has clickable image maps that let you zoom in on the city of your destination. From there, with links to other helpful Web sites, you can figure out what to do, where to stay, and where to eat. For a star-studded night in Toledo, try the Ritter Planetarium.
Law; the best places to . . .
- PC World, August 1977
- Find a Lawyer
- Next time you have a legal beef, don't hire the first shyster whose ad you see on latenight TV. Search West's Legal Directory, a respected directory for the practices in your town, based on 42 areas of specialization -- and find out the lawyers' education, qualifications, and the percentage of the attorney's practice that's devoted to litigation.
- Avoid a Lawyer
- Want to get the letter of the law on a vast range of subjects, from admiralty to workplace safety and all points between? The Cornell University Law School site's well-designed interface and speedy search engine uncover the content of the U.S. Code on matters that matter to you.
- Be Your Own Lawyer
- Any legal site with a huge collection of lawyer jokes and the slogan "Don't feed the sharks" is worth a visit. Nolo Press's long history of dispensing legal aid and publishing translates well to the Web. Don't miss the daily tips, regular features, online legal encyclopedia, and FAQs.
- Parlez Legalese
- Them furriners do things different -- and that's true of their business, export, and import laws, too. Unless you have an international lawyer on payroll, do your preliminary legal lookup at the Library of Congress. Then bring in an attorney to translate the jargon.
- Patent Your Brilliant Ideas
- That great idea for a Frisbee that doubles as a life preserver? Don't look for venture capital yet -- it's already patented. How can you tell? Dial up the U.S. Patent Office site, which lists all patents registered since 1976 and provides answers to scores of questions on a wide range of intellectual property issues.
- Find Out if Your Brand Name Is Taken
- Thomson & Thomson's secure site requires registration -- but a guest account provides a lot for nothing: access to the federal trademark database of half a million designs and logos, trademark news, application form downloads, and a search of new trademark applications. You can order a trademark availability search here, but it will cost you $350 or more.
Money; the best places to . . .
- PC World, August 1997
- Pick Up Hot Stock Tips
- If you favor irreverent but informed humor coupled with daily news updates, workshops, and portfolio recommendations, go with The Motley Fool. It's a rich source of straight-shooting, down-to-earth, often idiosyncratic investment advice from experienced amateurs. From investing basics to advanced analysis, this Fool is no fool.
- Protect Your Nest Egg
- Once you've checked Motley Fool's hot tips, where do you check out the details on a public company that you want to invest in? Where else but the hub of all publicly traded companies -- the Securities and Exchange Commission? Searching EDGAR briefings and other documents will bring up details and relevant information, and the SEC's briefs are the definitive fiscal resource.
- Retire With $1 Million
- Schwab, the king of the discount brokers, is now online with e.Schwab. Get realtime stock information, set up a portfolio, make stock trades, and manage your retirement fund. All you need is $5000 to open an account ($2000 for an IRA) and download e.Schwab's proprietary software for Windows or Mac.
- Get an Insurance Quote (QuickQuote)
- All life insurance policies seem to be designed to bore you to death ("Oh, we're sorry, but your husband's policy doesn't cover beath by bordom"). QuickQuote cuts a swift path through all the jargon to provide excellent guidance for neophytes, along with impartial quotes and referrals. However, if you know what type of policy you need, Quotesmith is a better bet: With a database of 316 insurance companies, it provides mroe price and plan choices.
- Get an Insurance Quote (QuoteSmith)
- All life insurance policies seem to be designed to bore you to death ("Oh, we're sorry, but your husband's policy doesn't cover beath by bordom"). QuickQuote cuts a swift path through all the jargon to provide excellent guidance for neophytes, along with impartial quotes and referrals. However, if you know what type of policy you need, Quotesmith is a better bet: With a database of 316 insurance companies, it provides mroe price and plan choices.
- Get a Home Loan
- Want a mortgage lender that won't drop you in the East River if you fall behind on payments? Microsurf has more than 5000 mortgage tables online, ranging from 1- to 30-year fixed or adjustable rate loans, including two-step and balloon programs. Don't know what any of this means? Then you can use the site's jargon-to-English glossary, along with smart mortgage calculators to figure out how much all this is going to cost you. (Answer: a lot).
- Have Fun While Uncle Sam Takes Your Money
- Okay, we lied. Paying taxes is never fun. But the IRS's nifty Digital Daily site makes finding tax information easy, and you can download any form on the spot in Adobe Acrobat format. Sure beats going to the post office!
Shopping; the best places to . . .
- PC World, August 1997
- Shop Till You Drop
- The Internet Mall is so enormous even your teenager couldn't cover it all in a day. Its 20,000 shopping sites are filed in easy-to-navigate categories, and the mall.s search tool helps you zero in on exactly the stuff you're looking for.
- Find a Deal on Wheels
- Whether you're looking to buy a brand-new Miata or unload your clunky old Volvo, AutoWeb does everything but give you the keys. Scan extensive directories of car dealers and new model specs, post your own used-car ad for $19.95 for 30 days, or search the database of classified ads. When you're ready to buy, you can submit a request directly to the dealer online.
- Go Buy the Book
- If a book is in print, you're almost certain to find it among the 2.5 million-plus titles at Amazon.com. Be sure to keep an eye out for reader and staff recommendations, or post your own book reviews. Ordering is a snap and -- best of all -- the prices are reasonable.
- Tap Your Toes and Buy the CD
- More than a regular music store, CDnow contains music news, discographies, biographies, information on upcoming concert dates, and more. You can even join discussion groups to chat with other fans about your favorite stars. And, of course, you can purchase hadr-to-find CDs and sample RealAudio sound clips for many album tracks before you buy the disc.
Information Please; the best places to . . .
- PC World, August 1997
- Put Some Zip Into Your Mail
- You know your mail will get there through snow, rain, heat, and gloom of night, but it will get there sooner with a proper 9-digit zip code. Look up the full zip code at this site, then print an address label complete with postal bar code.
- Find the Definition of Foobar
- Stuck in a bog of acronyms and technical terms? OneLook indexes 79 computer, business, acronym, and general dictionaries for a one-stop word search. Just enter your mystery word in a box and pick a dictionary. Oh, yes, foobar is a cute misspelling of FUBAR -- and the acronym is demystified in OneLook.
- Avoid Cliches Like the Plague
- It's as plain as the nose on your face: If cliches run rampant in your business writing today, your goose will be cooked tomorrow. To find the phrases that will bore your readers stiff, run like the wind to Eccentric Software's A Zillion Kajillion Rhymes and Cliches. Cutting down on stock phrases isn't the unkindest cut of all, but it will help you save face.
- Plug the Holes in Your Memory
- Want a virtual mom to remind you of birthdays, appointments, and anniversaries? Pump dates and reminders into Mercury Mails's free ConsoliDate, and you get e-mail notices the week and the day before the event. Other e-mail services include a news digest that's updated three times a day, weather reports for any number of cities, sports reports, and entertainment info.
- Learn About Mad Cow Disease
- Sponsored by the National Science Foiundation, The Why Files site is dedicated to explaining the science behind everyday events, usually with tongue planted firmly in cheek. Find out about the science of the stock market, how O. J. Simpson's DNA was analyzed, and what made the cows so mad.
- Heal Thyself
- Worried about that wart growing on your nose? Search the Mayo Health O@sis's huge library to find information on nearly any medical topic. You'll also find feature stories on topical subjects and the latest health news as well.
- Tell if It's Raining Without Sticking Your Head Out the Window
- So you've been surfing the Web for the last 48 hours, and you're wondering what the weather's like outside in the "big room." Point your browser to Intellicast where you can find satellite photos, maps, and the current and future weather for your town, whether it's New York, Hong Knog, or Wausau.
Leisure Time; the best places to . . .
- PC World, August 1997
- Enjoy a Dry Martini
- Seventy percent of any cocktail is attitude. How you order one. How it's mixed. What you look like drinking it. The resolutely hip HotWired features a new libation every week, with poetic ruminations on the history and meaning of the drink, recipes (of course), and links to Cocktail's database of spirits and mixed drinks. Even if you don't drink, you will feel suave just browsing this site.
- Save the Planet
- Forget hugging a tree -- if you're concerned about the environment, visit the Sierra Club's Web site. Browse current issues of Sierra and the Planet on the TreeFree Newsstand, get outings and trips info, and most important, find out how to lobby your elected officials to protect the environment.
- Destroy the Universe
- Feeling trigger-happy? Try playing against real, human opponents. Just download Kali Multiplayer Gaming Network, and you're ready to play popular games like Descent or Doom over the Net in real time against multiple adversaries. Best of all, Kali doesn't charge hourly fees.
- Dish the Dirt
- If you can't live without your daily dose of dirt, check out E! Online's Gossip site. Like the TV show of the same name, it offers gossip from professional star watchers, plus message boards where you can start your own rumors.
- Get Sporty
- If your daily workout involves a six-pack and a TV remote, dial up SportsZone. With player profies, an almanac, audio and video highlights, and more, SportsZone is a big thrill for unabashed sports fans. Warning: Dick Vitale audio clips are available.
- Find Your High School Sweetheart
- So you got your teeth fixed, dropped some weight, and landed a job. Now it's time to track down that old flame. WhoWhere can help -- type in a name (or part of one) and location, and this search engine tracks down e-mail addresses, phone numbers, and street addresses.
- Find True Love
- If you're looking for love in all the wrong places, you probably haven't been to LoveSearch.com. This nonsleazy site boasts a good sense of humor. In addition to the personal ads, you'll find advice for the lovelorn, chat rooms, message boards, and a mall where you can buy chocolates, flowers, and diamond rings for your dates.