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SEARCHING AND REFERENCE
MacOS 8.5's Sherlock uses a search technique that involves searching several sites at once... but they weren't the first to think of it. MetaCrawler was! It searches several sites at once. For voyeuristic fun, also try MetaSpy on the same page; you can look in on what everyone else is searching for, updated every 15 seconds. Find both of them at: MetaCrawler.
How about a different kind of search engine? Two guys at Stanford came up with a unique way of searching the Web: rank matching search terms to the frequency of how many times a web site is linked to other people's sites. The idea is simple... if a particular site is linked to dozens of other sites, it must be popular and authoritative on whatever the subject is. The guys then made their site faster than fast, and named it... Google.
The City of Los Angeles has its own home page now. Recently revamped, it provides information on all essential city services, such as trash collection or the library system. Phone numbers, hours of operation... it's all here at: City of Los Angeles Home Page.
And don't forget the Freeway Speed maps at... Sigalert.com and the TANN LA Regional Map. There is also Traffic411.com and http://trafficinfo.lacity.org/
Need a zip code fast? The US Postal Service has what you need at their... Zip + 4 Lookup Page.
If you watch a lot of television you want to keep up with who is broadcasting what for a given area, try a visit to http://antennaweb.org/. Give them your Zip code and they'll tell you what kind of antenna you'll need and where to point it!
If the IRS is on your mind - and really, when isn't it - you can finally do something about it. The IRS has so thoughtfully put every form it makes on their web site, all downloadable in Acrobat PDF formatted files. It helps to know what form you want, but a handy search area will help you find what you need. Find your form at... IRS Forms and Publications.
Here is a handy site: Dictionary.com. It even includes Roget's Thesaurus. Don't know how to spell a word? They have you covered!
If languages are all Greek to you, let AltaVista's BabelFish sort it out for you. Paste English text - up to 500 words at a time - into the text area on the BabelFish site and click on the translation you want: English to French, Italian, Spanish, German, Portuguese and more. Reverse translations are also possible. It really works! Remember to avoid slang terms whenever possible. BabelFish.
Okay, let's quit pussy-footing around the Reference concept, and go straight to the source. The Virtual Reference Desk contains just about everything a normal person would need to know in their lifetime... all on one page updated daily! The only word to describe this site is "awesome"; many people have made it their Home page that is displayed whenever their browser is launched. Get it all at... The Virtual Reference Desk.

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			SEARCHING AND REFERENCE MacOS 8.5's Sherlock uses a search technique that involves searching several sites at once... but they weren't the first to think of it. MetaCrawler was! It searches several sites at once. For voyeuristic fun, also try MetaSpy on the same page; you can look in on what everyone else is searching for, updated every 15 seconds. Find both of them at: MetaCrawler. How about a different kind of search engine? Two guys at Stanford came up with a unique way of searching the Web: rank matching search terms to the frequency of how many times a web site is linked to other people's sites. The idea is simple... if a particular site is linked to dozens of other sites, it must be popular and authoritative on whatever the subject is. The guys then made their site faster than fast, and named it... Google. The City of Los Angeles has its own home page now. Recently revamped, it provides information on all essential city services, such as trash collection or the library system. Phone numbers, hours of operation... it's all here at: City of Los Angeles Home Page. And don't forget the Freeway Speed maps at... Sigalert.com and the TANN LA Regional Map. There is also Traffic411.com and http://trafficinfo.lacity.org/ Need a zip code fast? The US Postal Service has what you need at their... Zip + 4 Lookup Page. If you watch a lot of television you want to keep up with who is broadcasting what for a given area, try a visit to http://antennaweb.org/. Give them your Zip code and they'll tell you what kind of antenna you'll need and where to point it! If the IRS is on your mind - and really, when isn't it - you can finally do something about it. The IRS has so thoughtfully put every form it makes on their web site, all downloadable in Acrobat PDF formatted files. It helps to know what form you want, but a handy search area will help you find what you need. Find your form at... IRS Forms and Publications. Here is a handy site: Dictionary.com. It even includes Roget's Thesaurus. Don't know how to spell a word? They have you covered! If languages are all Greek to you, let AltaVista's BabelFish sort it out for you. Paste English text - up to 500 words at a time - into the text area on the BabelFish site and click on the translation you want: English to French, Italian, Spanish, German, Portuguese and more. Reverse translations are also possible. It really works! Remember to avoid slang terms whenever possible. BabelFish. Okay, let's quit pussy-footing around the Reference concept, and go straight to the source. The Virtual Reference Desk contains just about everything a normal person would need to know in their lifetime... all on one page updated daily! The only word to describe this site is "awesome"; many people have made it their Home page that is displayed whenever their browser is launched. Get it all at... The Virtual Reference Desk. Mac Stuff Fun Stuff Software Utilities Contact Us