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Site Seeing

By JULES ALLEN
© St. Petersburg Times
published December 16, 2002


Feel free to browse

Home invasion

FlightView.com/TravelTools/

What better time to visit Florida and leech from relatives than now? Yes, the stress and strain of the holidays are amplified by screaming kids running around your otherwise quiet abode. Silence is punctuated by making airport runs, only to wait around for hours for delayed flights and fewer parking spaces than the mall the day after Thanksgiving. But the Web is here to help. This fine, free site gives you real-time details and pretty maps of inbound flights. So the only reason you'll have to hang out at the airport is choice. The site is invaluable and worth the bookmark.

Linux living in Largo

NewsForge.com/newsforge/02/12/04/2346215.shtml?tid=19

I like Linux and Mac OS X because they smell and taste like the Unix operating system. And it seems that the city of Largo is of the same opinion. It's saving a bundle on salaries, software licenses and support costs because it has adopted Linux to run most of the city's computer needs. This technically light article will give you an overview of how it saved almost 2 percent of the city's information technology services budget and perhaps an idea of what you can do with free software. My only gripe with the article is that it seems to suggest Microsoft software can't scale to match the capabilities of a free system. Yes, it can, but certainly costs more money.

Law (for you and me)

consumer.pub.findlaw.com/

I'm a wicked, self-centered consumer. I want it my way all the time and holler and scream like some spoiled 2-year-old if I don't get my way (and usually in public for maximum effect). But it's mostly an act because I'm cheap and I usually want little more than my money back. So I'm surprised to comb this site and discover that in a lot of cases the crocodile tears aren't necessary because the law is on my side (for once). There are great tips on canceling contracts, plus advice on divorce, adoption, medical issues and employee's rights. And it's all free.

Beauty of black and white

www.DoubleTakeMagazine.org/

Black and white photography is sexy. I have no idea why this is, but even the most mundane subjects take on a worldly sheen and become much more interesting when the color is stripped away. So I adore Double Take Magazine and its mostly monochromatic outlook. The visuals are good and, surprise, the words and spaces actually add to the images. I was enthralled by the images of Cuba on my last visit to this site.

Lapping it up

www.LapWorksInc.com/

On a recent flight, I almost had to cash in my PowerBook's insurance policy when the plane rolled one way and the PowerBook was determined to go in another. It's amazing how the reflexes kick in when you haven't backed your data up for a few days. Visions of going to bed at 5 a.m. dance in your head. So I almost bought another RoadTool's CoolPad but decided to dance with the Laptop Desk instead. And I think it's better suited for travel. It's a bit bigger than the CoolPad, taking up slightly more space in one's bag. But it folds out with enough space for a cell phone or PDA while working on the move. It means no more cramped knees or hot legs from a warm computer. You also don't have to use the tray table, and the rubberized surface means your computer isn't going to slip anywhere. There are two versions to choose from, both under $30. If you work while you travel, what are you waiting for?

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