More Amazing, Wonderful, and Useful Web Sites (12/30/2013)

Practical Computer Advice
from Martin Kadansky

Volume 7 Issue 12

December 2013

More Amazing, Wonderful, and Useful Web Sites

Here are some fun, interesting, and useful web sites. Many of these I use frequently. Enjoy!

Private searching

http://www.startpage.com - This site uses google.com to do the searching but prevents google from getting your IP address, and it also removes google's advertising from the search results; in the past I've recommended www.scroogle.org for this, but it closed

Photos

http://justpaste.it/3ky - "Earth from Above" - A collection of beautiful aerial photographs shot over 5 years and 6 continents

Reverse image search engines
Given a picture on your computer or on a web site, these sites search for the original and other variations:

http://www.tineye.com - "It finds out where an image came from, how it is being used, if modified versions of the image exist, or if there is a higher resolution version."
http://images.google.com - Don't type any keywords, instead click the little camera icon

Humor: Misheard song lyrics or Mondegreens
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mondegreen for the precise definition, not to be confused with a soramimi, malapropism, eggcorn, or mumpsimus.

http://www.kissthisguy.com - "Hold me closer, Tony Danza" vs. "Hold me closer, tiny dancer" ("Tiny Dancer" by Elton John)
http://www.amiright.com - "The girl with colitis goes by" vs. "The girl with kaleidoscope eyes" ("Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" by The Beatles)
http://www.topmondegreens.com - "She's electric boobs, her mom has two" vs. "She's got electric boots and mohair shoes" ("Bennie and the Jets" By Elton John)

Movies

http://www.imdb.com - The Internet Movie (and TV) Database
http://www.ruinedendings.com - plot summaries and movie "spoilers"

Shopping

http://www.etsy.com - "Your place to buy (and sell) all things handmade, vintage, and supplies"
http://www.airbnb.com - Find a short-term vacation rental, list your unused space to rent

Interesting

http://www.helpareporter.com - You're an expert at something, help a reporter by being a quoted source, get some media exposure for you or your business
http://www.donorschoose.org - "An online charity that makes it easy for anyone to help students in need. Public school teachers from every corner of America post classroom project requests on our site, and you can give any amount to the project that most inspires you."
http://www.truthorfiction.com - "Is that forwarded email Truth or Fiction? Research into stories, scams, hoaxes, myths, and urban legends on the Internet"
http://arstechnica.com - "A trusted source for technology news, tech policy analysis, breakdowns of the latest scientific advancements, gadget reviews, software, hardware, and nearly everything else found in between layers of silicon"

Security:

http://www.sonicwall.com/furl/phishing - Phishing IQ Test: Do you know how to distinguish between a real email from your bank and a fake one from a scammer?
http://www.mywot.com - Free software for Windows and Macintosh that helps protect you from web sites with known bad reputations
http://blog.emsisoft.com/2013/11/28/hacking-identity-theft-entry-points-tools-and-prevention - How hackers can steal your identity, how you can prevent this from happening
http://pando.com/2013/10/26/i-challenged-hackers-to-investigate-me-and-what-they-found-out-is-chilling - "I challenged hackers to investigate me and what they found out is chilling" - How hackers can break into your computer, violate your privacy, and destroy your finances and reputation, including how you can protect yourself

Useful

http://groups.yahoo.com - Connect with millions of users around the world on a huge variety of topics (requires a Yahoo ID), e.g. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BelmontChicken
http://www.parkopedia.com - Think Wikipedia...but for parking - Find "the closest and cheapest available parking in your chosen area on the dates you have selected"
http://www.savepostage.com - Inexpensive software to help you prepare Postal Bulk Mailings with minimal effort
http://opensignal.com - "A comprehensive database of cell phone towers, cell phone signal strength readings, and Wi-Fi access points around the world," all data collected by actual Android and iPhone users; useful in finding which service providers are close to you

Technical

http://www.myipaddress.com - This simple site displays your computer's IP address
http://www.crucial.com - Find and buy RAM for Windows and Macintosh computers
http://www.coffer.com/mac_find - Look up a network card's MAC address ("media access control") and find the corresponding manufacturer

Macintosh

http://www.everymac.com - Detailed information on every Macintosh ever made, including ones not made by Apple
http://www.ramseeker.com - Compare prices on RAM upgrades for your Mac

Windows

http://www.annoyances.org - How to solve annoying Windows problems
http://av-test.org - Is Norton Antivirus better than McAfee? What about AVG? This lab tests current antivirus software, and then rates each one using 3 criteria. Click "HOME USER," then click the version of Windows you're using to see their test results.

Where to go from here

http://www.kadansky.com/files/newsletters/2013/2013_10_29.html - "Web of Trust: Additional Protection From Malicious Web Sites"
http://www.kadansky.com/files/newsletters/2008_12_17.html - "Amazing, wonderful, and useful web sites"
If you have a wonderful web site to share, please let me know!

How to contact me:
email: martin@kadansky.com
phone: (617) 484-6657
web: http://www.kadansky.com

On a regular basis I write about real issues faced by typical computer users. To subscribe to this newsletter, please send an email to martin@kadansky.com and I'll add you to the list, or visit http://www.kadansky.com/newsletter

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Copyright (C) 2013 Kadansky Consulting, Inc. All rights reserved.

I love helping people learn how to use their computers better! Like a "computer driving instructor," I work 1-on-1 with small business owners and individuals to help them find a more productive and successful relationship with their computers and other high-tech gadgets.

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