Step into My Web of Faves
I love finding my inner Tobey Maguire and getting into an interesting Web site.
In producing this column, I haven’t found one that does it all for consumers. But I’ve discovered a handful of sites that provide useful information, ranging from the functional to the merely fun.
Without further delay, allow me to share some of my pit stops on the information superhighway in the past year.
Googleguide.com: This how-to-best-utilize-Google tutorial should be near the top of your Favorites list.
Whether you are a novice or an expert, there is something for everyone to learn about how to navigate and most efficiently operate this mother of all search engines.
From Froogle (for shopping deals) to Google Earth (you can “fly” from Boynton Beach or Miramar to above the Taj Mahal in five seconds) to shortcuts in finding out a street address to go with a phone number, or travel conditions or a stock quote and much more … this site will take you there.
Seatguru.com: All airline seats are not created equal. And I’m not talking about the standard first class vs. coach disparity.
With that in mind, Seatguru has on its site seating diagrams of almost every jetliner.
So, as you make plans to fly, this site helps you make an informed decision, whether you are taller (or rounder) than most, or perhaps you get bothered if the windows are misaligned in relation to your seat.
To slightly bend the words of Michael Douglas’ Gordon Gekko character: Green is good.
The seats colored as such (and there are very few) offer the most space on an aircraft, usually 36 inches between seatbacks (32-34 is standard on most flights).
It should be noted that one jet, JetBlue’s A320, just finished being retrofitted so that the first 11 rows offer the 36-inch berths (currently, seatguru lists only rows 10-11 as such).
If you pick a red seat, you can expect to have a tight fit, no ability to recline the back and plenty of, um, conversation time with the people waiting for the assuredly nearby lavatory.
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Product-reviews.net: I love, love, love this one.
From eyebrow-raising new technology to funky miscellany, there’s a chance you will see it for the first (only?) time on this blog.
Outdoor beanbags? Check.
LCD TVs in the front-seat flip-down visors? I can’t imagine one on the driver’s side being a good idea, but, yes, they have that, too.
The cell phone flask? Yes!
Checking out this site is like going to the carnival.
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Blinkxtv.com: Video links galore to the latest national and international news images. Home page has a 25-thumbnail presentation of video links that resembles a bank of television screens (think Billy Baldwin’s setup in “Sliver”). Each thumb, when covered by the cursor, provides a sentence to provide context. Search options galore are available. The site doesn’t offer the broad, amateur-inclusive palette of YouTube, but it does offer a super-quick opportunity to come up with the newsy videos of the day.
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Freeadvice.com: This free general legal advice provider has answers for myriad queries in 14 areas of the law and another half-dozen insurance realms. On top of that, the “About Us” link at the bottom provides avenues to the company’s other publishing ventures, including DoItYourself.com and AttorneyPages.com.
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Throwplace.com: This donation facilitator acts as a conduit for the giving of goods, ranging from a business’ overstock to a personal item.
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Sheriff.org: Yes, the Broward (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office site. I’ve got it on my greatest-hits list for one reason above others: The Gone In Four Seconds video on the right side of the front page. It’s quick, creepy and informative.
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Beenfunkd.com: This site publishes complaints about various businesses (and allows businesses to respond). As always, take any listed complaint with a grain of salt. Someone may simply have a personal axe to grind.
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(Steve Svekis can be reached at heresthedeal@sun-sentinel.com, 954-356-4412 or 561-243-6600, ext. 4412.)
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