Getting  Along With Your Computer Column Archive

Foolishness

By Cate Eales
Appeared April 12, 2007 on castanet.net

This week's column is all about fun. I promise this column will be free of dire security warnings.


Google Does It Again
The people at Google are either dedicated to increasing knowledge and productivity around the planet, or they're dedicated to producing the most entertaining time wasters in the universe. I can't decide.

Next time you need Google Maps for something you're going to find a tab called "My Maps" there. Google says you can "Create personalized, annotated, customized maps using Google Maps" and indeed you can. Starting with Google Maps, you can add lines, shapes, placemarks, text, photos, videos, and who knows what all else. Then you can share the map with others. They seem to have incorporated many of the features of Google Earth, and apparently once you've created your map you can open it in Google Earth. See the guide, here. Be sure to check out some of the Featured Maps.


The 50 Best Tech Products of All Time
PC World has the list, here. I was glad to see the Hayes Smartmodem (#7) and Tetris (#10) make the list. There's a companion article that discusses the products that should have made the list and didn't. Check it out here


FutureMe.org
This one is kind of strange. Write yourself and email to be delivered to the future you. Make it public, or keep it private. View emails that others have written and made public. Some of them are quite touching. Others are...creepy. Oh, yes. And the site owners are promoting a book. What a coincidence! Check out the site here.


Bracketology
What is Bracketology? According to DailyBracket.com:

Bracketology is our system for parsing people, places and things to determine what is good, better, best in the world. We do it by breaking down a choice into a series of binary matchups and making you decide either/or, black or white, this one or that one.

It's inspired by the annual tradition in college basketball that determines the number one team in the U.S. If you've read this far, you know the drill. Sixty-four teams are organized into a series of one-on-one matchups through several rounds until one champion emerges.

Well, we've applied this winner-take-all knockout format to everything else (check out the categories). In effect, we're making opinion a sport.

Check out the many existing brackets here and try creating one of your own. They have everything from fishing flies to inventions. (What do you think the greatest invention is? Check here) Oh, and did I mention they're promoting a book? Two coincidences in one day!

RocketDock
RocketDock is a task bar replacement, really, but it's beautiful and fun. It reminds me of the application launcher in Mac OS, but it works. It's good right when you install it, but apparently most people want to add things to it. Go ahead --- it's easy. Change the size, change the skin, change what gets launched, change RocketDock's position on the screen. Prettier than the QuickLaunch bar for sure. Free, and free of malware, here.


What websites and gadgets do you like? Email cate@rlis.com and let me know. And thank you to everyone who wrote with questions, comments, and suggestions. I really appreciate it. Please keep the emails coming. Don't forget you can browse the column archives at any time. We're open 24/7, here.  If you'd like to subscribe to this column by email, please visit this link.  It's free and easy. If you'd prefer the RSS Feed, click here.

See you next time!


Links
Google Maps http://maps.google.com/
How to Create a Google Map http://maps.google.com/help/maps/userguide/index.html
Google Earth http://earth.google.com/
The 50 Best Tech Products of All Time (PC World) http://www.pcworld.com/printable/article/id,130207/printable.html
Should have made the list (PC World) http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,130411-page,1-c,electronics/article.html
FutureMe.org http://futureme.org
DailyBracket.com http://dailybracket.com/
Invention Bracket http://dailybracket.com/view_bracket.php?id=109
RocketDock http://www.punksoftware.com/rocketdock
Getting Along With Your Computer Column Archives http://rlis.com/column.htm
Get Cate's column by email http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub=20618
RSS Feed: http://rlis.com/rlis.xml
Cate's list of good, free software http://rlis.com/columns/column75list.htm

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Cate Eales has been helping people make online computing safe, accessible and fun for over 20 years. She lives in Kelowna with her husband, Eric, and her dog, Sandy. Cate is a partner in Real Life Internet Solutions, helping individuals and small businesses with virus, spyware and malware eradication; personal computer training and management; digital image management; music transfer; and website design, hosting and management. Email Cate at cate@rlis.com with your comments, suggestions, or questions. To browse the column archives, visit the Real Life Internet Solutions website at www.rlis.com.