About.com
Everything we’ve ever wanted to know “about” anything is at www.about.com. The About network consists of hundreds of guide sites neatly slotted into 23 channels, covering more than 50 000 subjects, ranging from graphics software to proposal writing, gardening, painting, weight loss and video game strategies. There are over 1 million links to the best resources on the Net, along with the fastest-growing archive out, concentrating on high-quality original content.
Dpreview.com
If digital photography’s your hobby, Phil Askey’s DPReview is a surefire “fave.” Each month, five million “digi-photographers” read its news and reviews, including information about imaging, plus assesments of the latest and best cameras and accessories. There are e-galleries to post your work on and — best of all — forums that refer to every major manufacturer on the market, addressing a variety of user concerns such as storage, retouching and printing, along with PC or Mac utilities. A “must” for anyone about to purchase new equipment. as each product comes with sample photos, “specs” and a complete evaluation of its features and performance. Afterwards, you can forward questions or comments to a community of “shutterbugs,” and query fellow possessors of a given camera.
PCWorld.com
This online computer magazine looks and feels just like its paper version. Check out timely info on the “latest’n’greatest” systems and peripherals, then click on the “Download” tab to access an index of free demos, spotlighting shareware and freeware programs. Among others — Word Processors, Graphics software & plug-ins, CD or DVD authoring applications, Presentation enhancements, Anti-virus utilities, Firewalls, Personal Information Managers (PIMs), games and even mini-programs for your Palm Pilot.
Theurbanhub.com
A scrumptious culinary site hosted by a popular Canadian TV cook. Known as the “pied piper of simple cuisine,” CBC’s James Barber can reduce a recipe from ten steps to three without losing its essence. His e-kitchen proposes a multiplicity of clever concoctions, along with a list of tips and tools vital to each of them. When logging on, you get instant
access to the “dish of the day.” However, to consult the actual recipe data bank — you need to become a member (free of charge). Once “in,” you can call up any number of preparations by entering up to six ingredients, and specifying the type of cuisine or “method” you want, as well as the “cooking time” available to you.
WebMD.com
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, nearly 70% of Americans will consult health sites, at some point in their lives. So, because a lot of “misinformation” that could potentially harm them is “afloat” on the Net, the American Accreditation Health Care Commission has set up a rating system based on 53 standards — including how well each of them checks and updates its content, how well they preserve their users’ private medical histories, and to what extent they’re “up front” about their various commercial sponsors. The idea is to help online patients distinguish between credible sources and Internet quacks. Among the 13 sites deemed worthwhile, WebMD is one of the best. Not content to offer a mere “compilation” of dictionaries, this e-resource is a gold mine of documentation on a multiplicity of topics. For instance, Diseases & Conditions, Drugs & Herbs, Parenting &Pregnancy, or Diet & Nutrition.
