Journey To Colonial Williamsburg Online

Have you always dreamed of visiting Colonial Williamsburg, but haven't gotten around to it yet? If you're a true history buff it's probably high on your must-see list. But what if you can't get there in person? No problem-you can always visit them on the Web! Just point your browser to The Colonial Williamsburg Official Site.

Some of the highlights from the site include:

• An interactive map of historic Colonial Willliamsburg

• Educational online exhibits and slideshows

• Colonial Williamsburg Webcams

And so much more! When you have the chance, get there in person-till then, enjoy their remarkable Web site-it's really the next best thing!

How To Play The Piano With A Little Help From The Web

Have you always wanted to play the piano but just never quite got around to it? Or perhaps piano lessons were a little too much for your budget? Well, now thanks to the Web, put aside those excuses and take piano lessons anytime you like!

Fact is, there are plenty of sites that offer piano instruction that you can take online at your convenience. And usually, some if not all of the lessons you'll find on such sites are free.

Try free piano lessons at the following sites:

• ZebraKeys.com

• PianoVillage.com

• GoPiano.com

Now, none of these sites can promise to make you the next Beethoven or Chopin, but since they're offering free lessons, what have you got to lose? Go for it!

Featured Google How-To Video: "Google Book Search: Researching Your (Ancestral) Roots"

If you've ever used Google Book Search, you know how useful it can be. But did you ever think about using it to research your family tree? In the Google produced video below you'll see how one woman is doing just that!

While technically not a how-to in the strictest sense of the term, the video below nevertheless may inspire you to use Google Book Search in a way you might not have thought of-and remember, you can access Google Book Search right here at The Senior Surfer too!

If you want to use it immediately after you watch the video, simply scroll down the page and find it in the left-hand column!

Listen To Audio Books Right On Your Computer

Want to rest your eyes while enjoying some of the world's best literature? Try opening your ears instead of your eyes! Did you know that there are Web sites that will let you listen to classic works of literature for free?

A couple of good choices for listening to classics on the Web that you can try right now are Librivox and Free-Books.org. These sites offer free audio versions of literary works considered to be in the Public Domain.

Log onto one of the above sites and put away those reading glasses-thanks to the Web you can now enjoy timeless classics without them!

Take A Virtual Tour Of Popular Cruise Ships

Thinking of taking a cruise sometime soon? Perhaps yesterday's post on ocean liners piqued your interest. How would you like to experience right now what it's like to be aboard a cruise ship? You can-through a virtual tour!

To see a good example of this on the Web, point your browser to the 360 degree panoramic virtual tours available at Royal Caribbean International, one of the most popular cruise lines in the world. Just click on View Virtual Tour under the cruise ship of your choice and follow the instructions.

All aboard-virtually!

Explore The Era Of Ocean Liners Online

Did you grow up during the era when ocean liners were the preferred method of transatlantic travel? Were you lucky enough to have made a trip on one, perhaps? If you're the least bit nostalgic about those glorious seafaring vessels, and looking to bring back some fond memories, you need only turn to the Web.

Here are a few notable Web sites that feature the history, statistics, photos and more of some of the most famous ocean liners to ever sail the seas:

• Monsters of the Sea: The Great Ocean Liners of Time

• The Ocean Liner Virtual Museum

• The Great Ocean Liners

Anchors aweigh!

Discover Vintage Paperbacks Online

Remember when paperbacks cost no more than 35 cents apiece? A terrific site called Bookscans remembers too! This online destination, sure to become a favorite of yours if you're nostalgic about vintage paperbacks, features thousands of scanned images from paperback book covers of the 30's, 40's, 50's and on!

In addition to the vast amount of front cover artwork, you'll find examples there of back cover art as well. The site also features a series of articles where you can read all about the history of vintage American paperbacks.

A fascinating trip down memory lane, especially for book lovers, this is one of the best places on the Web to see what vintage paperbacks looked like!

Featured Google How-To Video: "Google Sites: Simple, secure group websites"

Are you looking for an easy way to create a Web site for your group or club? Creating such a Web site might have been a daunting task not too long ago, but today, thanks to a service like Google Sites, the process is a whole lot simpler.

In the Google produced video below you'll see step by step, how to set up your own site using Google Sites. This is a fast and easy solution for setting up your own Web site-and best of all, you don't have to be a computer programmer to pull it off!

Good luck with your site!

How To Improve Your Typing Skills With A Little Help From The Web

Surfing the Web requires a lot more than just the ability to click a mouse-it helps to be proficient at typing too. But before you go out and pay for special software to improve your typing skills, why not try a little help from the Web first?

On the Web, you'll find several sites where you can hone your typing skills and in many cases for free. A good example of such a site is Peter's Online Typing Course, created by Web developer and teacher, Peter Hudson.

This Web based course offers plenty of interactive typing lessons and exercises that just might make you a master of your keyboard yet!

Tour The International Space Station Right From Your Computer

Want to take a virtual tour that's literally out of this world? What if, with just a couple of clicks of your mouse, you could wander around the International Space Station? Well, thanks to NASA's interactive Web site, you can.

To take a virtual tour of the International Space Station, just follow these easy steps:

1. Log on to the International Space Station section of NASA's Web site.
2. In the right hand column, under Interactive Features, click on Interactive Space Station Reference Guide.
3. In the "window" that pops up click on ISS 360 Tour.

This is one virtual tour that really is far out!

Discover The HP Digital Photography Center

Do you find that the technology surrounding digital photography can get a little overwhelming at times? Don't worry-you'll be happy to know that there are resources-some even on the Web-that make understanding digital photography a whole lot easier.

Take the HP Digital Photography Center for example. If you're passionate about digital photography but short on patience for all the technical mumbo jumbo it usually entails, you'll love this online resource, loaded with tips and tricks that's informative and easy to understand.

Some of the topics they cover include:

• How to take better photographs
• Free digital photography projects
• Tips for printing better photographs

And much more! This is one handy Web resource that'll help you get the most out of your hobby!

Everything You Always Wanted To Know About The History Of Father's Day

Back in May, The Senior Surfer posted several links to Web sites where you could learn more about the history of Mother's Day. Since Sunday is Father's Day, we thought we'd do the same thing for the holiday that celebrates dads.

Here are a couple of places on the Web where you can learn about the history of Father's Day:

• The Father's Day Exhibit from History.com
  


• Father's Day at TheHolidaySpot.com
  
  
• Father's Day facts and history from USA.gov

Here's to a happy and healthy holiday to fathers everywhere!

Have A Gander At Google Health

Have you heard of Google Health yet? Google, the same company best known for its famous search engine, is now offering a free service called Google Health, that's designed to help you organize all your health and medical information in one convenient place-online!

To take advantage of this service, all you need is a Google username and password. In addition to using it to store and manage medical records, you can use the service to learn more about medical conditions, help you locate doctors and hospitals and more.

Get all the details by going to Google Health and clicking on Take a quick tour.

Try A Free Online Word Processor

Would you like to be able to use a feature-rich word processing program when you need to, but without forking over a lot of money for it? How does free sound? Increasingly, a variety of free word processing programs are being made available on the Web. And, since these are Web-based programs, you don't even have to download them onto your computer to use them.

An added advantage of these programs is that they allow you to create and edit documents from any computer with an Internet connection. Here are a couple of popular sites worth checking out that offer free Web-based word processors:

• Zoho Writer

• Google Docs

• Writeboard

Give one of these online word processors a try today!

Featured Google How-To Video: "Plan Your Trip With Google Maps"

If you're the type that likes to plan every detail in advance before you take a vacation or a trip, you'll be amazed at how much Google Maps can help you do just that. In the Google-produced video below you'll see exactly how to take advantage of the planning capabilities of Google Maps. You'll even learn how to make your own travel maps!

Who knew Google could be so helpful planning your next trip?

Need A Book Recommendation? Turn To The Web

After you've read a really good book how do you typically go about choosing what to read next? If you're like most people, you probably ask family and friends for their recommendations, right? But did you know you could also turn to the Web?

One of the easiest and fastest ways on the Web to get a book recommendation is to visit a site called, aptly enough, What Should I Read Next? The process couldn't be simpler. Just follow these steps:

1. Go to What Should I Read Next?
2. Type in the name and author of a book you liked.
3. Click on What Should I Read Next?

You'll immediately be given a list of recommendations based on other readers' suggestions. To learn more about how this useful service works, make sure you read their Frequently Asked Questions.

Remembering D-Day On The Web

Today marks the anniversary of D-Day, a turning point in World War II when the Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy. Last year at this time, The Senior Surfer presented a series of links on the Web about D-Day.

This year, to commemorate this historic event, we're adding this YouTube hosted video about D-Day right here on The Senior Surfer for your convenience. Just press Play below to watch!

To see more videos about D-Day online, simply go to YouTube or try the World War II D-Day videos on the Web site of History.com.

Get Senior Health Info At EverydayHealth.com

Looking for an authoritative health site that has a special section just for seniors? Check out the Senior Health Center that you'll find on the Web site of EverydayHealth.com.

Key highlights from the special Senior Health Center include:

• The latest senior health related news

• Articles on a variety of senior health topics

• Senior health videos

And tons more! More impressive still, is that this easy to navigate health site is written in a style the average person can understand!

Watch An Award Winning Documentary Of The Battle Of Midway

Today marks the sixty-sixth anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of Midway in World War II. In honor of this historic battle, The Senior Surfer is featuring "The Battle of Midway," an Academy Award-winning documentary.

Directed by the legendary John Ford, this film is currently hosted on YouTube and presented here in 2 parts for your convenience. Simply click play below to watch the documentary which includes authentic archival footage of this important naval battle!

Part 1



Part 2

Download A World Of Learning

If you've been putting off downloading iTunes software because you don't have an iPod or you're not interested in downloading music over the Web, you might be missing out on one of the best deals going-free educational content called iTunes U.

When you download iTunes, you'll also have access to iTunes U which allows you to listen to free lectures, learn a new language and much more-and you don't need to be anywhere near a college lecture hall to take advantage of it. Oh, and don't worry if you don't have an iPod. You can listen to all this great educational content right on your computer too!

According to the site, they currently have "over 50,000 educational audio and video files from top universities, museums and public organizations from around the world."

Is your curiosity piqued a little bit? Check out the iTunes U Overview featuring a video introduction where you'll learn more!

Virtual Sticky Notes

Are you a fan of those ubiquitous sticky notes? Did you know that there's an online equivalent too? In fact, there are several sites that have sprung up in recent years that let you make a sort of digital version of those popular sticky notes you can't live without.

Here are some examples of sites that let you create online sticky notes:

• Stikkit



• MyStickies



• Jjot

This is by no means an all-inclusive list of online sticky notes, by the way, but it's a good representative sample to give you an idea of the variety and function of these useful Web tools.

Depending on the service, you can use online sticky notes to make lists, take notes, annotate Web pages and more. See what each of these sites have to offer and don't be surprised if you never think of sticky notes the same way again!