Useful Web sites
The world of learning at your fingertips
One of the rich resources on the Internet is the collection of free university courses that are available. Open Culture lists 250 Free Online Courses from Top Universities. This is only one example of the revolution in the availability of knowledge. In his Computerworld blog, Mike Elgan discusses how the spread of knowledge is changing [...]
Track Santa with NORAD and Google
If you would like to track the progress of the jolly old gentleman as he and his reindeer fly from the North Pole, go to this link after 2 pm EST today. For some more details see the Official Google Blog.
How to read a lot of magazines
Personally, I already have more to read than I can manage, but if you are looking for some extra reading materials, Maggwire offers selections from 650 magazines. At the moment, the selections are free but premium material seems likely in the future.
MakeUseOf reviews the site:
Maggwire (beta) is an online destination for those who are interested [...]
Site on technology for seniors
Eric Taub writes in the New York Times:
The market research firm and Web site Aging in Place Technology Watch is a valuable source of information. It covers technology trends that help the elderly stay connected to society while remaining in their homes as they get older. It is run by Laurie Orlov, a tech industry [...]
Microsoft updates MSN.com
Microsoft is giving a new look to its Web portal MSN.com. Computerworld reports:
Microsoft plans to start rolling out a redesigned MSN.com on Wednesday in the U.S., the first major update for the page in more than 10 years.
Frequent visitors to the site will immediately notice one major change: The new page has only [...]
Free movies on the Web
Although there are very popular commercial services like Netflix that provide movies for downloading or streaming, there are also sites with free movies. MakeUseOf recently reviewed three sites:
Internet Archive
Classic Cinema Online
Archive Classic Movies
MakeUseOf also has a free PDF, The Internet Guide for the Movie Addict:
This entirely free PDF production will show you anything you’ve ever [...]
New file extension site
Nir Sofer is one of those public-spirited programmers who provides useful, free utilities for the PC community. Recently he also announced a site for getting information about file extensions. The site allows you to find out which Windows software can open a specific file extension.
Attenborough nature films online
The naturalist David Attenborough has been making excellent TV programs for BBC for years. Now his selection of 50 of his most memorable natural history moments is available on the Web. A description of some of the material is at this BBC blog.
Free eBooks
Do you like to read or download books in digital format? Maybe you have a Kindle but then maybe you prefer free books. For free books, here is a TechSupportAlert site with a list of 193 sites that legally offer free books (eBooks) for download or for online viewing.
Outstanding free security list
“Gizmo” Richards has long been a source for excellent advice on free security software. His TechSupportAlert site has a new list of the best security software of all types, almost all of it free. The only problem with the list is that it is so comprehensive that it may be a little overwhelming. For those [...]
Another way to get your answers
The Internet is full of information, some good, some bad. Periodically, I mention sites for getting answers to your questions (for example, in this post). Here are some more recommendations, this time from Webware, which recommends Ask Me Help Desk and Amazon’s Askville.
Anybody tried these?

