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TOOLS AND ESSENTIALS
BY MARYANNE MURRAY BUECHNER
Here are some new, exciting and maybe better ways to do a lot of things you probably already do — search the Web, share digital photos, consult a thesaurus, find something on a map and decide what to cook for dinner.
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When you're headed out to the hottest parties in the Hamptons, check maps.yahoo.com for the points of interest along the way
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A9.com
Recently hatched, this newfangled search engine, created by an Amazon.com spin-off, conducts general Web searches but also a separate book search just in case you're wondering what Amazon has in store on the subject. Book results are kept under a separate tab, and include links to full-page views, part of Amazon's nifty Search Inside the Book offering, though you have to be a registered user of Amazon to access them.
Freetranslation.com
Copy and paste a Spanish, French, German, Dutch, Italian, Portuguese or Russian word or phrase into one field and the English translation appears almost instantly in another. It also works the other way: the site translates English into one of 10 different languages, including two forms of Chinese (though for this, you'd probably need to install what's called a "language pack" so your PC can display the characters). Don't push things too far; longer passages quickly reveal the program's limitations, so if your text is going to end up in a business letter, you might want to put a human translator on the case. The site will provide one, for a fee.
Froogle.com
Before you buy anything online, look for it here. What we like best about Google's shopping search engine is that it limits search results to one product per website, making it easier to see which different vendors carry the product (or something like it) without having to scroll so much. Just click "More from…" to see other items in a particular store's selection.
JiWire.com
Everything you always wanted to know about Wi-Fi but were afraid to ask. This comprehensive guide covers the increasingly popular wireless technology as both a tool for networking your home computers and as a way to connect to the Internet when you're out in the world. Includes product reviews and practical tips such as "Top Ten Ways to Avoid Wi-Fi Hijacking." The handy hotspot finder, a database of nearly 42,000 public places in 60 countries where you can log on, includes pricing.
Local.google.com
Google's local search engine asks for keywords and a specific address before delivering the goods — nearby pet groomers, say, or some other person, place or thing. You can save locations, narrow the search by distance and view the results on a map.
Maps.yahoo.com
The cool new SmartView feature points out train stations, movie theaters, hiking trails and other points of interest. Select what you want to see from the SmartView menu and little yellow icons pop up on the map; run the mouse over a particular icon and more information appears. We still like to get our driving directions from randmcnally.com, but two sources are always better than one.
Mobissimo.com
We love this travel search engine for the same reason we loved our Palm Pilot: it does one job really well. Plug in your travel dates and the site will cull options from popular travel sites like Orbitz and Travelocity, travel consolidators such as Airfares.com and the airlines (both U.S.- and foreign-based) so you don't have to.
Photos.yahoo.com
Our favorite way to share digital photos with friends and family. Uploading and organizing images is easy, and there's even a tool for fixing red-eye. Shutterbugs will appreciate the free unlimited storage.
Refdesk.com
All things reference. Be sure to try the Visual Thesaurus; the link is on the left-hand side of the home page, near other basic tools such as a dictionary and calendar. Delve deeper and you could get overwhelmed by all the resources listed, but it's reasonably well organized so you shouldn't get lost.
ResearchBuzz.org/archives/001404.shtml
Why limit yourself to just epicurious or allrecipes.com? This Google hack scans several major recipe sites to give you as many options as possible, and all you have to do is type in your key ingredients. You can further narrow the search by selecting a specific recipe type, such as Atkins, vegan or seafood.
Testmyspeed.com
How fast are you driving? Find the right test for your broadband connection to see what upload and download speeds you're getting and how they stack up against the norm for your type of service (cable modem, ISDN, etc.) Don't have a high-speed link to the Net yet but want to get one? Broadbandreports.com will list the options in your area, help you compare prices and identify top-rated providers based on user reviews.
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