New Brain Games At Prevention.com

Next time you're looking for a real cerebral challenge on the Web, try the new Brain Games you'll find at Prevention.com. These 21 games are as attractively designed and fun to play as they are mentally stimulating.

Some of the games you can play there include:

• An American In Paris - This game puts your memory and powers of concentration to the test.

• Decipher - Your logic and deductive reasoning abilities get a workout with this game.

• Towers of Hanoi - How good are you at problem-solving? This challenge should help you find out!
  

If you're ready for it, hours of brain-twisting pleasure await!

Put Your Best Photo Forward

Think you have an eye for digital photography? Don't let your best digital photos just take up bits and bytes on your computer. Why not enter them in an online photo contest? A good place to start is with contests that don't require entry fees.

Here are some of the free photography contests available on the Web:

• Free Photo Contest at BetterPhoto.com

• Free Amateur Digital Photo Contest at SOAPhoto.com

• Monthly Focal Photography Contest at FocalPress.com

Make sure you read the terms and conditions before entering the contests and may your best photo win!

How To Use The Web To Send A Fax

Have you ever faced this dilemma? You're trying to resolve a business or personal issue over the phone and the person on the other end says "send me a fax," which would be fine if only you had a fax machine.

Not so long ago, the only way to resolve this problem was to either use a friend's fax machine, provided they had one, or else trudge down to the local stationery store and pay to use their fax service. Today, you have another option: You can use the Web to send a fax!

Several Web sites have sprung up in recent years that allow anyone with an Internet connection to send faxes right over the Web-no fax machine required. Some of these sites will even let you send that fax for free!


An example of a free Internet fax service is faxZERO. They'll let you send a free fax to anywhere in the U.S. and Canada. Here's how:

1. Go to faxZERO.
2. Where you see Sender Information type in your name and a valid e-mail address.(note: this e-mail address will appear on the cover page that's sent to your recipient)
3. Under Receiver Information type in the recipient's name and their fax number.
4. In the Fax Information box type the text of your fax or click browse to select a document from your computer.
5. Click on Send Free Fax Now and you're done!

You should be aware that in order to send the fax for free, an ad will appear on the accompanying cover page and there's also a 2 fax per day limit. If you'd like to send more faxes per day or don't want an ad to appear on your cover page, you might consider their premium service.

Be sure to check the site for more details!

What Will You Learn In 5 Minutes?

Want to learn how to do something new and useful but strapped for time? How about learning it in 5 minutes or less? That's the premise behind 5min, "a place to find short video solutions for practical questions..."

Just what kinds of things can you learn in such a short amount of time? Here's a small sample:

• How to Clean a Microwave Oven



• How to Build a Birdhouse



• How to Make Chocolate Chip Waffles



• How to Grow Tomatoes

And tons of other neat tips. The site also boasts what they call a "Smart Player" which lets you zoom in and even slow down the video you're watching. By the way, since this is a user-generated video site, if you have something to teach others in 5 minutes or less, you can submit your video too-just check the site for more details.

If you enjoyed the other how-to video sites previously discussed on The Senior Surfer, you should get a lot out of this one as well!

3 Must-See Sites For Movie Lovers

The Oscars play for one night only, but thankfully, movies play on and on-luckily, so do some great Web sites for movie lovers.

Love the silver screen? Then you must see these essential sites:

• IMDb - The Internet Movie Database - This is quite simply the King Kong of movie sites on the Web. If there's something you want to know about a certain movie, chances are you'll find the information here.

• Rotten Tomatoes - Why sift through dozens of newspapers and other media to read all the important reviews of a particular film? Here, you'll find them all on one convenient Web site.

• Drew's Script-O-Rama - Before the movie gets made, someone has to write the screenplay. At this terrific site, you get to read those screenplays-tons of 'em!

What's your favorite movie site?

The Nominees For Best Web Site For Oscar Fans Are...

The 80th annual Academy Awards Presentation takes place this Sunday night and in honor of the event here are some sites that fans are sure to find interesting:

• Oscar.com - 80th Annual Academy Awards

• Oscars.org - The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

• The Academy Awards - Infoplease.com

• IMDb: Academy Awards, USA

And the best Web site for fans of the Academy Awards is...you decide!

How To Save Time When Researching A Product Online

If you've ever used the Web to research a product you were thinking of purchasing, you know that it can be both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, you have access to a tremendous amount of online reviews. On the other hand, that's precisely the problem-there's an overload of information and it simply takes too much time to sift through it all. Wouldn't it be easier if someone did that for you? That's exactly what a site like ConsumerSearch.com does.

ConsumerSearch.com editors take a look at top reviews of products across a broad spectrum of categories, then they summarize the findings of those reviews and determine which products are best based on those findings.

Using a site like this just might save you some time when you look to the Web to research a product.

Double-Click Your Way To A Definition

How many times has this happened to you? You're reading something online and you stumble upon a word or phrase that just doesn't register-you'd like to know the definition or a little more info about the word but you don't want to leave the site you're on. What's a Web surfer to do?

Starting today, if you run into that problem while reading The Senior Surfer, you have a solution to that dilemma. Simply double-click any word on the page that's not a hypertext link and a small window will pop up with a definition and related info provided by Answers.com.

Incidentally, you can do this on select other sites on the Web too-CBS News is a notable example!

Have You Used An Alternative Web Browser Yet?

Do you think at all about the Web browsing software you use to surf the Information Superhighway? If you're like many people, you probably use the program that came with your computer-namely, Microsoft's Internet Explorer. But, what you might not know, especially if you're relatively new to the Internet or you haven't given the subject much thought, is that there are are other web browsers available too.

Here are a few of the notable alternatives to Internet Explorer:

• Firefox web browser

• Safari web browser

• Opera web browser

If you're the least bit curious about what other programs are available for surfing the Web, check these out. Oh, and these alternative browsers are available at the above sites as free downloads, by the way!

What's Your Presidential IQ?

How well do you know your U.S. Presidents? In honor of Presidents Day, here are a few quizzes from around the Web to test your knowledge:

• U.S. Presidents Trivia Quiz at WorldBook.com

• Presidents Day Quiz at AOL Research & Learn

• 20th Century U.S. Presidents Quiz at Biography.com

• Quiz: U.S. Presidency at BBC News

Happy Presidents Day!

Grandparenting Advice And Inspiration On The Web

Sure, you make the role of grandparent look easy, but you know it's not-like everything worthwile in this life, it takes effort, at least a little bit of patience and helpful advice when you can get it. Enter Grandparenting.org, the Web site you can turn to for just that.

Grandparenting.org is the Web site of The Foundation For Grandparenting, a non-profit corporation that's "dedicated to raising grandparent consciousness in order to better the lives of grandchildren, parents, grandparents, and communities through education, research, programs, communication, and networking."

Some of the highlights include:

• Articles written by noted author and expert on grandparenting, Arthur Kornhaber, M.D., who's a grandfather himself.

• A discussion center and bulletin board where you can share your views on grandparenting.

• A list of books, films and videos of particular interest to grandparents.

And more! Equally inspirational as it is useful, this is an essential grandparenting resource on the Web.

Spend Some Time Online With Your Valentine

In honor of Valentine's Day here are some great sites you can check out together with your significant other. But don't worry if you're going solo this year-you can still appreciate these great sites with or without a partner!

Here goes:

• The History of Valentine's Day - At this special feature of the History.com Web site, you'll learn everything you always wanted to know about the history of this popular holiday.
  


• Famous Celebrity Romantic Love Letters - Want to know how famous people throughout history expressed affection for their soul mates? You can read their love letters at TheRomantic.com.

• All About Chocolate - The holiday just wouldn't be complete without mention of this magical confection. Part of FieldMuseum.org's Web site, this was profiled last year on The Senior Surfer as well (see What's Your Chocolate I.Q.?). A year later, it's still a great Web resource about chocolate.

Happy Valentine's Day!

4 Google Secrets Hidden In Plain View

When you use Google to search the Web, how do you typically go about doing it? Do you just quickly type in your search terms and then click Google Search? If that's the only way you use Google you might be missing out on some neat features designed to improve your search experience-and some of these features are right on the Google homepage just waiting for you to click on them!

Next time you go to Google, check out these 4 "secrets" hidden in plain view:

1. I'm Feeling Lucky - Have you seen this button that's located right next to the Google Search button but not sure what it's for? Try this: Next time you type in your search terms, click it instead of the Google Search button and you'll be taken directly to the first Web site on the list of Google search results for those search terms.


2. Advanced Search - Located to the right of the Google Search box, clicking on this link will bring you to a page where you can fine tune your search. Getting specific about exactly what you're searching for is what this feature is all about.


3. Search Preferences - Located underneath Advanced Search, clicking on this link will bring you to a page on the Google site that will allow you to customize how you want Google to display your search results and what language to display those results in, among other things.


4. Language Tools - Below Search Preferences you'll find this link, and clicking on it will bring you to a page where you can translate text and even whole web pages.
   

When you explore these Google features in greater detail, you'll be amazed at how useful they can be!

What New Word Will You Learn Today?

For word lovers it's always a thrill to discover a new word, learn its definition and master its usage. And now, word lovers who visit The Senior Surfer can experience that thrill on a daily basis thanks to the introduction of the Word of the Day feature.

You'll find this brand new feature over on the sidebar. What's today's word? Scroll down the page to find out.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Got a passion for gardening but lack the green thumb to match? Don't worry. As long as your thumb is at least the opposable kind and you have an Internet connection, you should have no trouble finding the expert advice to grow the garden of your dreams.

Several gardening Web sites feature "ask the expert" sections. Here are a few examples:

• Ask Mr. Smarty Plants at Wildflower.org

• Ask the Expert at PlantersPlace.com

• Ask the Experts at GardenPlace.com

Spring is right around the corner. If you have gardening questions, you might find the answers right now on the Web-before planting season even begins!

A Blog That's Like Boot Camp For The Brain

Want to know an easy way to make a habit of working out your brain? Try signing up for a regular supply of puzzles and brain teasers from Smart-Kit.com, a blog created by a neurologist and designed to whip your noggin into shape.

Puzzle categories you'll find there include:

• Anagrams
  


• IQ Test Questions
  


• Photo Puzzles
  


• Word Puzzles

And plenty more to tax your gray matter. Think you're smart? You'll need some serious brain power for these challenges!

How To Start Your Own Discussion Group Online

One of the remarkable things about the Internet is that it allows you to communicate with lots of people quickly and easily, even when those people are located on the other side of the planet. Today, at a site like Google Groups, for instance, you can create an online discussion group and invite others to participate in it with a minimum of fuss, even if you're a newly minted Web surfer.

To start your discussion group follow these steps:

• Sign up for a Google Account (skip this step if you already have a Google Account).

• Next go to Google Groups and click on Create a group.

• On the resulting page fill in required information like the name and description of your group and decide whether you want to make it public or private. When you're done, click Create my group.

• Now you'll be prompted to add the e-mail addresses of people you want to invite and you can even write your own invitation message. When you're finished, click Invite members or if you haven't invited anyone specificaly, click Skip this step.

That's all there is to it. Got a topic you want to discuss? Don't be shy. Go to Google Groups and you'll be discussing it in no time!

Celebrate Black History Month Online

Did you ever hear about the Abiel Smith School of Boston, Massachusetts? Do the names Sarah Roberts and William C. Nell mean anything to you? If you're a little rusty on your knowledge of Black History you might be scratching your head right now. Of course, the answers to these questions and others you have regarding Black History are available on the Web.

Check out the following sites:

• Museum of African American History

• Black History Month - Infoplease

• The African-American Mosaic Exhibition (Library of Congress)
  
  
• Black History Month - The History Channel

This February celebrate Black History Month by learning more about it online!

Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Protecting Your Digital Photos But Were Afraid To Ask

Is there anything more frustrating than taking a bunch of digital photographs-especially of a momentous event in your life-only to lose them through some software or hardware glitch? That's precisely the reason you need to get into the habit of backing up your digital photo collection. If you're not sure how to go about doing this, there's a site designed especially for you called SaveMyMemories.org.

Created by industry leaders in the field of digital photography, SaveMyMemories.org serves to educate the average digital photography enthusiast on how to go about protecting those precious photos.

The site covers the following topics:

• Hardware and software issues you should be aware of

• A comparison of the different backup solutions available

• Tips for getting the most out of each backup method

And more. This is a must-see site for anyone interested in preserving their digital photographs and looking for some guidance on how to get started!

Are You Ready For Super Tuesday?

On the eve of Super Tuesday do you still find yourself a little uncertain as to where the candidates stand on the major issues? If you happen to live in one of the states holding primaries tomorrow, you might benefit from a last minute review of the candidate interviews and debates that have appeared on television over the last several months and are now archived online.

Here are a few sites on the Web where you can check out these political videos and perhaps gain some insights on the candidates and their views:

• YouTube - You Choose '08

• Meet the Candidates - Meet the Press, online at MSNBC.com

• Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer - CBSNews.com

• ABC News: Vote '08

Don't forget to vote!

Have You Fired Up Your Synapses Lately?

How long has it been since you've given your mind a good workout? When was the last time you put it through a rigorous obstacle course of brain teasers and puzzles? If it's been too long and you want to test your mental mettle, try the mind teasers and brain games at the popular SharpBrains.com Web site.

You'll find plenty of mentally stimulating exercises in categories like:

• Pattern recognition and planning
  
  
• Visual workouts
  


• Logic



• Math Puzzles
  

And several others-50 brain teasers in all. Enjoy the challenge as you fire up a synapse or two!