What Will You Stumble Upon Today While Surfing The Web?

In the offline world you take recommendations from others when deciding what restaurant to eat at or what movie to see, right? Well, now a site called StumbleUpon has brought that concept to the online world of search. Stumbleupon harnesses the collective power of the masses or what they call, "people-driven technology" to help you find the web sites that might interest you most.

From the site:

Using a combination of human opinions and machine learning to immediately deliver relevant content, StumbleUpon presents only web sites which have been suggested by other like-minded Stumblers. Each time the 'Stumble' button is clicked, the user is presented with a high quality web site based on the collective opinions of other like-minded web surfers.

To take full advantage of this service, including the 'Stumble' button in the above quote you'll have to download a piece of free software called the Stumbleupon Toolbar from their homepage. Read Getting Started With StumbleUpon to learn more how this software works, and to see if it's something you think you would enjoy using.

Try These Mind Bending Challenges From Scientific American

As mental workouts go, you'll find fewer that are more challenging, educational and just plain fun, than the workout you'll find at the Recreations section on the companion web site of the popular magazine Scientific American.

The game categories include:

• Sci-doku - Enjoy Scientific American's twist on the game of sudoku.
• Interactive games - Learn a thing or two while having some fun.
• Puzzling adventures - Put you logic and reasoning abilities to the test.

Kudos to Scientific American for providing some terrific online puzzles and games!

Where To Find Important Nutrition Information For Seniors

Looking online for reliable information about the nutritional needs of seniors like yourself? You'll want to check out the Food and Nutrition Information Center's page on nutrition for seniors. It consists of a series of links to articles and tips covering a wide variety of relevant topics.

Here are just some of the interesting links you'll find there:

• Young At Heart: Tips for Older Adults
• Eating Well as We Age
• Better Taste for the Older Years
• Nutrition After Fifty: Tips and Recipes

Brought to you by the USDA, this nutrition page for seniors is worth a look!

How To Use The Web To Give Your Hospital A Checkup

Not so long ago, if you wanted to get detailed information about the quality of care at your local hospital, you had to write letters or make phone calls and probably wait a long time to receive a report by mail. Today, thanks to the Web you can get that type of information in a matter of minutes and with just a few clicks of your mouse-if you know where to look, of course!

A particularly useful site to check when you're researching hospitals is Hospital Compare, a website created by the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Hospital Quality Alliance.

From the site:

Hospital Compare displays rates for Process of Care measures that show how often hospitals provide some of the care that is recommended for patients being treated for a heart attack, heart failure or pneumonia, or patients having surgery. Hospitals voluntarily submit data from their medical records about the treatments their adult patients receive for these conditions, including patients with Medicare and those who do not have Medicare.

To see how your local hospital measures up, go to Hospital Compare and type in the hospital's name and state in the appropriate text entry boxes at the bottom of the page, and then click Next Step. Just continue following the instructions the site provides and you'll eventually see how your local hospital compares in some key areas of medical care.

Make A Difference At Wish.org

Want to get more involved with The Make-A-Wish Foundation but not exactly sure what the first step is? They've made it easier and more convenient than ever by listing all the ways you can help right on their web site at Wish.org. To get started, just visit the site and click on Ways to Help (upper right corner of homepage)

Some of the ways you can lend a hand that are listed on the site include:

• Make an online donation
• Volunteer time and/or your talents
• Raise funds by shopping at select online retailers
  

Wish.org is the online destination for those of you who've always wanted to learn more about this terrific foundation and more importantly, explore all the ways you can help out!

Discover Borders Book Club Resources

Are you passionate about books? You'll be equally passionate about Borders Book Club Resources.

Here are some of the highlights from the site:

• You can watch The Borders Book Club Show, featuring interviews with bestselling authors and round table discussions about their books.
• See what made the list of current and past Borders Book Club Selections.
• Get helpful advice on how to start your own book club.

If you're a big fan of books, this is one site you'll be visiting often!

Missed A Retirement Living TV Program? Catch It Online

If you're a senior who enjoys watching Retirement Living TV you might be happy to know that they offer video clips of many of their programs online as well. This can really come in handy if you missed an episode or two. To view them, simply log on to Retirement Living TV and click on Video Library. You'll find many past episodes of popular shows like:

• The Daily Apple
• Healthline
• Prudent Advisor
• The Art of Living

And others! Additionally, the web site offers message boards, the opportunity to sign up for an e-newsletter, and more-so make sure you check those out as well, while you're catching up on those previous shows!

HP Offers Free Classes Online

When you hear the name Hewlett-Packard what comes to mind? Computers, printers, cameras and more, right? But, did you know that this technology leader also offers a variety of classes on everything from learning more about digital photography to improving your business skills? What's more, you can take the classes online in the comfort of your own home-and they're absolutely free!

Here are just some of the classes offered by HP:

• Professional Digital Photography Made Simple
• Security boot camp
• Building your first web page
• Run your own direct mail campaign

Since class schedules vary, be sure to check with the site to see what's currently available. You can also find out more about the classes and how they work at their Frequently Asked Questions Page.

Could You Be Fooled By A Phony E-mail?

Of the many Internet threats you face while surfing the Web, one of the more notorious is what is known as a "phishing" attack. Although these types of attacks can be carried out in a variety of ways, perhaps the most common form involves the use of e-mail.

The scam works like this: You receive an e-mail purportedly from your bank or similar organization that asks you to verify personal information-usually via a link in the e-mail. Of course, the e-mail is a fake. If you do what it asks, your sensitive information will be stolen and you'll find yourself the victim of a phishing attack!

Question is, how can you tell the difference between legitimate e-mail correspondence from trusted institutions and phony e-mails from the perpetrators of phishing attacks? It's not always easy, which is why several reputable Web sites have created helpful quizzes to test your ability to do just that and help you stay one step ahead of the phishers.

Think you couldn't be fooled? Before you answer, take these quizzes:

• OnGuard Online's Phishing Quiz
• PayPal's Can You Spot Phishing? challenge
• SonicWall's Phishing IQ Test

After taking these quizzes don't be surprised if you start looking at your incoming e-mails with a more critical eye!

How To Stay On Top Of The Latest E-Scams

It can be hard for a busy person to stay on top of the latest E-Scams and Internet warnings. That's why it's good to know there are some great government web sites that have your back. The Federal Bureau of Investigation's New E-Scams & Warnings Page, is a good example-it's a quick and handy reference you can access to keep you abreast of current Internet related scams.

Some of the recent warnings you would have read about had you checked the site recently include:

• An increase in Internet schemes purportedly from the FBI
• Spam involving the U.S. Military
• Greeting Card Scam

For added convenience, you can even sign up to receive these warnings by e-mail if you choose! If Internet security is something you're concerned about, you'll definitely want to check this page out.