Everyone Loves Freebies!

You know, for just about every piece of software that is available commercially, there is a counterpart program that can do almost the very same thing and the software is free.

Don't believe me?

Click here to access 101 free programs, the list has been compiled by PC World Magazine. And to think, those 101 selections are just the tip of the iceberg!

Gettin' the facts fast....

My wife left Indiana a few weeks ago to go visit with some of our kids and grand kids who live in New Mexico. Wouldn't you know it, but this past Friday night, an EF2 tornado hit the small town of Clovis, New Mexico - the same exact place that my wife and family members are located!

I was only able to speak with my wife on Friday night, for just a few moments on her cell phone, so you can imagine my anxiety in wanting to find out more about what was going on. We don't have cable television here at "PondRun" so being able to flip around the channels was out of the question.

The Internet saved the day though!

Within just an hour or so after the tornado struck, news stories started popping up on the Lubbock Avalanche Journal Web site. I then started checking the newspaper Web sites for the Albuquerque and Amarillo newspaper sites also. Within another few hours, I found a video on YouTube.com that captured the tornado just before it struck Clovis. A little while later, a friend of mine in Clovis sent me pictures that she had just taken with her digital camera.

By morning, all of the major online news sites such as CNN and FoxNews had articles about the massive destruction that took place in New Mexico.

Almost instantaneous information at our fingertips!

Let's meet up at the KinCafe!

I've written about social network sites in the past, they are the "hot" thing right now. Most of the sites are not very user friendly, nor are they very family friendly either. It seems to me that most of those sites have adult oriented ads on them, ads that I don't particularly want my grandchildren viewing.

I just recently learned about the "KinCafe" Web site and thought I'd check it out. KinCafe is a social network for families and by the looks of it, a very "safe" place for family members to network together.

It's private, it's secure, and best of all - it's free.

I was able to sign-up for a free account and start building a page within just a few minutes. Soon, I plan on inviting all of my family members to join me in building our network. My family is spread out all over the United States and KinCafe is going to help us stay "connected" in more ways than one.

Please, check out the site and give it a try. You won't be disappointed!

Microsoft/AOL Giveaways...

Today, for what feels like the billionth time in the past 10 years, I received yet another forwarded email from someone telling me not to miss out on receiving money from Microsoft & AOL.

It's a hoax friends!

The Microsoft/AOL Giveaway is a hoax which has been circulating on the Internet since around 1997. I've seen just about every variation that you can imagine - free vacations, new clothes, etc.

You can visit the "Urban Legends" Web site and read about the hoax by clicking on this link:

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/nothing/microsoft-aol.asp

Whenever you receive an email that seems a little far-fetched, I'll just about guarantee that there will be information about it at the "Urban Legends" site.

Court Jesters...

I never knew courtroom trials could be so entertaining until I found this Web site. It contains partial transcripts of proceedings and you won't believe the outrageous questions and responses contained within them.

Have fun!

Evolutionary Mice....

Not the rodent type but the computer kind.

If you click here you will be able to view a pictorial history of the computer mouse with a brief background for each image.

It is very educational!

Use the Watchdog...

Almost daily now, we hear or read about the increase in sex offenses all over the country. It also seems like of late that a higher percentage of the sex crimes are being committed against this nation's children.

It's a travesty that requires increased vigilance by all of us.

That is where the "Watchdog" Web site comes in. It is probably the best online sex offender database service in existence. When it comes to Web pages and software, simplicity is best and it cannot be any simpler or easier to type in your home address and then to be presented with a map that indicates the locations of registered sex offenders in your area.

A legend on the left side of the map indicates what each symbol represents. For example, a small red square shows the location of an offender's home. If you click on the square itself, another window will pop-up (you may have to turn off your pop-up stopping program temporarily) and that window will provide you with a picture of the offender, their name, and a list of their prior convictions.

Now I know, some people feel that having access to this kind of information is very intrusive - I can see their point. But, I am more in favor of protecting innocent children than I am worrying about the "rights" of people who have a history of sexually abusing others - especially the little ones.

If you are a parent, a grandparent, a husband, or you truly care about the well being of your neighbors, you will want to explore the "Watchdog" Web site.

Say it on anything!

I found a Web site that is quite unique. I'm not exactly sure what to do with the things that I create at the site, but the gears in my brain are turning.

Not only can you generate an image with customized text such as you see here, you can do the same thing with a church sign, cassette tape, record album, and so much more.

The best and the worst....

Television commercials that is -most are "local" not national ads but still quite entertaining. Hey, it's a great site to kill time at while dinner is cooking!

Click here to explore the site.

Just for fun....

Click here to view a small collection of photographs displaying cars in "unusual" circumstances. The images will make you smile and be glad that you aren't in any of the pictures!

Meebo helps you stay connected....

Have you ever found yourself away from your very own computer for an extended period of time and having a real craving to chat with some of your friends and family?

In a lot of cases, you just might have access to another person's computer but they may not have the I.M. program installed that you need to utilize. Or, in some cases such as public library computers and such, the system may not allow a person to use an I.M. program whatsoever.

Have the folks at "MEEBO" got a great solution for you! Just hop on over to the their Web site and the first thing you will see is a means to log into AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, Google Talk, or MSN - all individually. Just type in your user name and password and a small window will pop up with the appropriate interface - which is totally Web based, which means most networks/computer set-ups will not balk at it.

If you are the type of person who uses multiple message programs, all you need to do is sign-up for a free MEEBO account. Once the account has been established all you need to do is enter the information for all of your different accounts. From that point on, whenever you into your MEEBO account, an interface will pop-up that will allow you to communicate with all of your contacts from multiple types of chat programs.

Now, how cool is that?

It's Tax Time....

Are you still trying to decide exactly how to file your taxes this year?

I've got one simple solution for you and it is H&R Block's "TaxCut Online" service. This is the third year in row that I have used their services and it has worked out great every time. I really don't think it could be any easier to file my taxes, to make sure that I'm getting the best advice, to file electronically, and to receive my refund automatically into my bank account within two weeks of filing.

It's that simple and that easy.

And no, I'm not getting paid to promote "TaxCut Online", I'm just a big fan! By the way, if you use the "Basic" service like I do, it will cost you less than ten bucks - now THAT is a deal!

Music to your ears...

I love music, all kinds of music.

I also know that there are lots of folks like me in the world. So, with that in mind I'm going to tell you about "Dismuke's Virtual Talking Machine". The Web site contains Real Audio versions of 100's of vintage phonograph recordings which even include old radio shows. The time frame of the recordings runs from 1900 to 1939. The music genres covered are jazz, dance band, swing, ragtime, and even opera. There is also a section for World War I & II era music.

You can listen to the music online or you can download the files separately and play them on your computer.

Happy listening.

For those with eclectic tastes...

Are you tired of buying all of your "stuff" from mega-stores that resell mass produced - absolutely identical items - to you and everyone else in the world? Would you like to purchase handmade art creations or jewelry? Well, if you answered "yes" to any of my questions, then you should check out "Etsy" - it is a fabulous Web site that offers very unique hand-crafted items.

I love the way the Web site has been designed and it works very, very well. I think this is one site that you could maybe spend just as much time at as you do at e-Bay.

Is that really possible?

And - if you are an artisan, the "Etsy" Web site allows you to promote and sell your wears on their site. Please, go check it all out, right now - before you forget about it!

Keepin' an eye on the south...

South Pole that is - click here to view a live Web cam and to learn all about the U.S. Antarctic Program. Lots of interesting stuff on the site. Did you know that counting the wind chill factor, it's about 100 degrees below zero (F) right now?

Makes our 10 degrees here on Pond Run seem nice and toasty!

And now for something a little different....

If you are in the age group of say 13 to 25, you will probably find the "HomeStarRunner" Web site very, very amusing. The site and its content is the brainchild of a couple of really warped guys who started the site while in college. These days, the site receives 200,000 visitors a month! It's made up mostly of animations - pretty funny animations.

Now, me - at the age of 48, I don't find the animations THAT funny, but my 13 year old grandson Hector finds them hilarious! Apparently so do many, many other people. From the content that I have viewed - at the insistence of my grandson, I have yet to find anything that is not "family friendly", it could be there, but I nor my wife have witnessed it.

SO, if you have a slightly warped sense of humor and you like animation, give "HomeStarRunner" a try.

Take a free tour of NYC...

I've always been fascinated with the "Big Apple", especially the early 1900's version. You can imagine my joyous surprise today when I came across a wonderful slide show of early 1900's NYC images at the "New Yorker" Web site. The focus of the images is on the many bridges in that city but there are a variety of other images included also.

Click here to view the slide show.

Live Internet Television....

It seems like lately there are more and more Web sites offering access to television stations that are now broadcasting over the Internet. Click here to access one of those new sites. I found the interface very easy to navigate and the quality of the video outstanding. Unfortunately for me, I have a pretty slow Internet connection so the video stopped periodically. If you've got DSL or cable Internet though, you should be quite satisfied with your "reception".

I find it absolutely fascinating that I can view television programing from around the world at the click of my mouse and for no more cost than my Internet connection.

The History of Video Games...

PBS has created a Web site that provides an in depth look at the history of video games. It's interactive time line starts at 1952 which surprised even me. You can click here to access the site and learn all you ever wanted to about the subject.

Another Great Source of E-books....

I've mentioned e-books in the past and of their growing popularity. I've even provided some great Web addresses from which to download files or to read online. Now I've got another address to add: FullBooks.com - it claims to provide the content for thousands of books. Check it out for yourself, you just might be able to save some money or a trip to the library.

The Scoop on Daylight Savings Time...

If you didn't already know it, most of the folks in this country will be setting their clocks one hour ahead this coming Sunday. Daylight Savings Time is upon us earlier than normal this year. If you'd like to learn more about DST click here and you'll find a very interesting article on the subject.

Raising a Ruckus....

If you are a college student with an official ".edu" email address, you are automatically eligible for a free membership to "Ruckus" - a music download site. The site claims to have over 2 million songs available for download and there is absolultely no charge for the service whatsoever as long as you have a ".edu" email address.

Lucky for me, I just happen to be enrolled in collge full-time at the moment! I checked out the site and it looks totally legit. They make their money through advertising that is on the site and embedded in the "Ruckus Player" that I downloaded to my PC. By the way, the music that is downloaded is only meant to be played on a PC, not on an MP3 or other device, or burned to CD. It's part of the user agreement that you either accept or don't accept.

To me, it's a pretty nice thing to have. I downloaded a couple of Norah Jones and Bonnie Raitt CD's this afternoon and then listened to them contently. The quality was great and the Ruckus Player was easy to use.

The site mentioned that after I leave college, I'll be able to contine to use the service for $8.99 a month.

Sometimes it's okay to stumble....

Lately, it seems like almost every week, I'm reading about yet another new online video Web site. This week hasn't been any different but different is what the "StumbleUpon" site is all about. About as close as you'll get at the moment to "channel surfing" on the Internet is what you will get at "StumbleUpon".

What the site does is record your viewing preferences and your favorite subjects and then it creates a link that allows you to "surf" through videos that might interest you. While watching a video, you can click on either the "Thumbs Up" or "Thumbs Down" buttons and "StumbleUpon" will become customized to your tastes.

This is one Web site that I'll be visiting often!