How To Use The Web To Find The Best Travel Deals

If you want to use the Web to find the best travel deals you should know about travel search engine sites. Using these types of sites is like having your own private travel assistant who scours the Web for the best travel bargains so you don't have to!

Here are some examples of sites that act like travel search engines:

• Kayak.com
• SideStep.com
• Mobissimo.com

Next time you're trying to find travel discounts on the Web, let one of these sites do the work for you-it's quicker and easier!

Got Health Questions? Go Ask Alice!

Want to know a site on the Web that lets you submit your own health-related questions? It's called Go Ask Alice! the Question and Answer Health site from Columbia University. According to the site, all questions submitted are read and a select few are answered.

Boasting an archive of over 3,000 questions and answers as well as the opportunity to submit your own, this popular health site covers topics like:

• Alcohol & Other Drugs
• Fitness & Nutrition
• Emotional Health
• General Health

And more! If you like a health site with a question and answer format, you'll love Go Ask Alice!

Get Them To ChipIn For The Cause

Have a cause that you'd like to raise money for? Perhaps a Web site like ChipIn.com can help. They provide online tools and instructions to make it easy to use the Web to promote the fundraising activities and collect money for your cause-they'll even help you set up your very own fundraising Web page!

To learn more about how ChipIn.com can help you conduct an online fundraising campaign, be sure to read their overview page. You'll find all the information you need to get started!

How To Get Your Computer To Read To You

Want to give your eyes a rest while surfing the Web? If you're lucky enough to have grandkids that are willing to read the text of Web pages aloud to you then you're all set-if not, why not get your computer to do the task? How? By using what's known as text-to-speech software. And you don't have to look far to get it-in fact, you can download a no frills version of this type of software right on the Web for free!

The following sites offer a free basic download of this type of software:

• NaturalReaders.com


• ReadPlease.com
  

It's important to note that the free versions of this type of software typically don't provide the selection of voices or the full range of functions offered with the premium versions, but they're at least a great place to test the waters and see if text-to-speech software is right for you.

Enjoy Free Online Learning Resources At Fathom.com

Looking for free online courses from a respected institution of higher learning? Look no further than the free seminars at Fathom.com, a project of Columbia University. The learning resources you'll find there represent a wide range of topics-everything from Arts and Humanities to Technology.


Here are just a few of the seminars you might find interesting at Fathom:

• The Basics of Screenwriting
• The First Fifty Years of Cinema
• Music from the Renaissance and Baroque
• Biodiversity: Threats and Protective Measures
• Beyond The Internet: Predicting the Future of Computing Technology
  

As you can see from the variety of the seminar titles above, Fathom.com is quite an eclectic resource for the curious mind-you'll likely find plenty to satisfy your hunger for knowledge.

Play Picture Sudoku

Numerophobes take note: If you've been staying away from the challenging game of Sudoku because of your fear of numbers you can no longer use that as an excuse. You'll be happy to know that there are sites on the Web where you can play Sudoku with pictures instead of numbers!

Give picture Sudoku a try at one of these sites:

• Play sudoku with pictures of lemons, grapes, strawberries and other fruit at PictureSudoku.com.
• On this Picture Sudoku page from SodokuScore.com you can play with pictures of U.S. presidents, Hollywood actors and actresses and more.

Once you try playing picture Sudoku don't be surprised if you prefer it over the number version.

Free Online Backups For Your Important Files

You've probably heard by now how important it is to make backups of the data stored on your computer-your precious pictures, important e-mails, documents and other vital information that could be potentially lost if your computer ever suffered a major malfunction.

But, if you thought that the only way to make these backups was by using CDs or some other external device, think again-you can also accomplish this task online at one of several sites that will store copies of your data on the Web.

Here are a few online backup sites to check out:

• Mozy.com
• Idrive.com
• Xdrive.com

All of these online backup services offer a limited amount of free storage-enough to allow you to make backups for at least some of your pictures and important documents-for unlimited online storage you'll have to pay of course!

A Virtual Reference Desk At Your Fingertips

Where on the web can you access a dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopedia and dozens of other top notch reference tools for free? One of the best sites for this purpose is Bartleby.com. It not only scores points for its comprehensive list of reference texts-the fact that it's easy to navigate and boasts a clutter free design adds to its usefulness too.

At Bartleby.com you'll have access to all the essential reference tools that years ago you would've probably had to visit a library to find. Some of the highlights include:

• The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language - This dictionary features more than 90,000 entries.
• Columbia Encyclopedia -This sixth edition contains almost 51,000 articles.
• The Elements of Style - An essential reference for anyone who works with words, this classic is included here in its entirety.

And these are only a few of the important reference texts you'll find at Bartleby.com-consider it your virtual reference desk online!

Do You Care2 Make A Difference?

Which of these causes are dear to your heart? The environment, civil rights, cancer awareness, animal welfare? Whatever cause you're passionate about, chances are you'll find many like-minded individuals to connect with when you join Care2.com an online community especially for people who are dedicated to making a difference in the world they live in.

Here are just some of the things you can do at Care2.com:

• Join a group or start your own
• Create free online petitions
• Learn to become more environmentally conscious
• Discover some unique ways to generate donations online

And more! Not happy with the status quo? Join Care2.com like more than 7 million people already have and start making a difference right now!

Photo Tips From The Pros & A Whole Lot More

Just like all cameras are not created equal, all photography web sites aren't either-some, like TakeGreatPictures.com are just a cut above the rest. A production of The Photoimaging Information Council, TakeGreatPictures.com offers advice from professional photographers among its many features that make it a standout.

Whether your interest lies in digital photography or just photography in general you'll find a lot to like here. Pay particular attention to the terrific selection of columns including:

• Master Photographers Tell You How
• Digital Photography
• Digital Camera information
• Scrapbooking
• Photo Tips & Techniques

In addition to all the informative articles they offer, TakeGreatPictures.com also provides helpful tools like a camera comparison guide, a qualified digital processing lab finder, and more. You'll want to check out this site, before you take your next snapshot!