Where's the best free place to host your blog?
Beats me!
But I can tell you where several million bloggers are hosting theirs. Using a combination of metrics from Alexa and Compete.com, and some lists of popular blog sites, here are the...
Top 20 Blog Platforms Where You Can Host For Free
1. Blogger/Blogspot (which is where you are this very moment!)
2. Wordpress.com and Wordpress.org
3. Tumblr
4. Typepad
5. Weebly
6. LiveJournal
7. Multiply
8. SquareSpace
9. Xanga
10. Bebo
11. Blog.com
12. Edublogs
13. Thoughts.com
14. Blogsome
15. DreamWidth
16. Insane Journal
17. Blogster
18. Blogetery
19. Aeonity
and last but certainly not least
20. tBlog
and I can resist runner-up
21. Greasy
See ya on the blog circuit!
===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools.
If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
What's the Best Free Site to Find People?
Well, that's easy. The best free people-finder site is Google, of course.
Sort of.
Depending on who, and what, you're looking for, and how common or unusual their name is.
Try three types of Google searches: the name, the name in quotes ("John Smith"), and the reverse name in quotes ("Smith John"). And remember that someone you know as Bob or Mattie may be listed as Robert or Mathilda in various places, so play around with that first name.
Search Google News as well, and while you're at it, search at NewspaperArchives.com (search is free, but there's a charge to retrieve articles). You'll be amazed at how many people get mentioned in newspapers for all sorts of reasons, from weddings to arrests!
Try your search at Pipl.com, one of the best web-scraping sites that shows a scary collection of personal information from Facebook, Linked-In and elsewhere on the Internet. Don't forget a search in the phonebook, too...I usually use SuperPages.com for both people and business searches.
Look in specialty databases. CriminalSearches.com has pretty deep arrest records. Jigsaw.com for business listings (free search, but pay for full records), and MissingMoney.com for (believe it or not) people with abandoned bank accounts (search for your own name...you never know!).
Check the Social Security Death Index if you think the person you're seeking may have gone to the great beyond.
Intelius is the best of the commercial people-finders. They have the largest dataset and, in my experience, produce the most reliable results. You can do a preliminay search for free and get some pretty useful information, but you have to pay for a full record. Be forewarned...I've heard complaints about their customer service, so be careful with the site.
===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Sort of.
Depending on who, and what, you're looking for, and how common or unusual their name is.
Try three types of Google searches: the name, the name in quotes ("John Smith"), and the reverse name in quotes ("Smith John"). And remember that someone you know as Bob or Mattie may be listed as Robert or Mathilda in various places, so play around with that first name.
Search Google News as well, and while you're at it, search at NewspaperArchives.com (search is free, but there's a charge to retrieve articles). You'll be amazed at how many people get mentioned in newspapers for all sorts of reasons, from weddings to arrests!
Try your search at Pipl.com, one of the best web-scraping sites that shows a scary collection of personal information from Facebook, Linked-In and elsewhere on the Internet. Don't forget a search in the phonebook, too...I usually use SuperPages.com for both people and business searches.
Look in specialty databases. CriminalSearches.com has pretty deep arrest records. Jigsaw.com for business listings (free search, but pay for full records), and MissingMoney.com for (believe it or not) people with abandoned bank accounts (search for your own name...you never know!).
Check the Social Security Death Index if you think the person you're seeking may have gone to the great beyond.
Intelius is the best of the commercial people-finders. They have the largest dataset and, in my experience, produce the most reliable results. You can do a preliminay search for free and get some pretty useful information, but you have to pay for a full record. Be forewarned...I've heard complaints about their customer service, so be careful with the site.
===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Beer-Fi?!?!? Can I Really Boost Wi-Fi With a Beer Can?
Yes indeedy, you certainly can with a can! Boost wi-fi that is, with a homemade beer can antenna. Or soda can. Doesn't make a difference (I don't think a can of tuna will do the trick, though).
Your wi-fi router -- you know, that little dojigger that sends wireless signals throughout your home or office -- is omnidirectional. That is, it's sending out its little electromagnetic waveforms every which way it can, including down into the earth, straight up to the sky and over to your neighbor's house (who loves having free access to your wi-fi, by the way).
A properly-formed, thoughtfully directed and nicely smooth aluminum reflector can help your router focus its signal strength exactly where you want it focused, leaving a much weaker signal in the areas behind the reflector.
Your friendly beer/soda can is easily snippable, lending itself to a quick, five-minute transformation into an ideal wireless booster (once it's been emptied, of course...select the beverage of your own choosing). And since the can already comes with a hole in the lid, where the pop-top used to be, you can slip your reflector right over your router's antenna and voila...a stronger wireless signal. Instant extra bars!
You know that spot in your living room where you can never get a reliable signal? Try it now! I used it on my Belkin wireless-N router and it worked like a charm.
The proper can-snipping technique is something where pictures do a better job than words, so have a look. And enjoy your new found freedom.
===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Your wi-fi router -- you know, that little dojigger that sends wireless signals throughout your home or office -- is omnidirectional. That is, it's sending out its little electromagnetic waveforms every which way it can, including down into the earth, straight up to the sky and over to your neighbor's house (who loves having free access to your wi-fi, by the way).
A properly-formed, thoughtfully directed and nicely smooth aluminum reflector can help your router focus its signal strength exactly where you want it focused, leaving a much weaker signal in the areas behind the reflector.
Your friendly beer/soda can is easily snippable, lending itself to a quick, five-minute transformation into an ideal wireless booster (once it's been emptied, of course...select the beverage of your own choosing). And since the can already comes with a hole in the lid, where the pop-top used to be, you can slip your reflector right over your router's antenna and voila...a stronger wireless signal. Instant extra bars!
You know that spot in your living room where you can never get a reliable signal? Try it now! I used it on my Belkin wireless-N router and it worked like a charm.
The proper can-snipping technique is something where pictures do a better job than words, so have a look. And enjoy your new found freedom.
===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
What are the Best Resources for Finding Old Newspaper Articles Online, for Free?
Warning!
Online newspaper archives are sort of addictive. Especially, free online newspaper archives. There's something about seeing history and life and even grocery store ads from bygone times, unfolding as it appeared in real time back in the day. Here are the best sources for online historical newspapers, most of them free:
U.S. newspaper archives...a comprehensive and regularly updated list of free newspaper archives throughout the country.
Europe newspaper archives...ditto, except it covers Europe, west and east, back to the 1600s, believe it or not.
Other international archives...Canada, Palestine, Indonesia, South Africa...you name it, it might be listed here.
Google news archives...Google keeps changing this around as they get sued by different publishers around the globe, so it may be a fantastic resource, it may stink. Have a look to see what's what.
Newspaperarchives.com...The absolute best of the archive subscription services. You can search for free, and some of their materials are viewable for free, but there's a charge to see most of their content. Totally worth it, though.
College newspaper archives...Were mom and dad streaking in their college days? Grandpa swallowing goldfish? Here's the page that tells all.
Magazine archives...not a lot of options, but you can get the full text of Time magazine, the Atlantic Monthly and even a bit of Life.
===
If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius...one of the deepest people-search tools available.
Online newspaper archives are sort of addictive. Especially, free online newspaper archives. There's something about seeing history and life and even grocery store ads from bygone times, unfolding as it appeared in real time back in the day. Here are the best sources for online historical newspapers, most of them free:
U.S. newspaper archives...a comprehensive and regularly updated list of free newspaper archives throughout the country.
Europe newspaper archives...ditto, except it covers Europe, west and east, back to the 1600s, believe it or not.
Other international archives...Canada, Palestine, Indonesia, South Africa...you name it, it might be listed here.
Google news archives...Google keeps changing this around as they get sued by different publishers around the globe, so it may be a fantastic resource, it may stink. Have a look to see what's what.
Newspaperarchives.com...The absolute best of the archive subscription services. You can search for free, and some of their materials are viewable for free, but there's a charge to see most of their content. Totally worth it, though.
College newspaper archives...Were mom and dad streaking in their college days? Grandpa swallowing goldfish? Here's the page that tells all.
Magazine archives...not a lot of options, but you can get the full text of Time magazine, the Atlantic Monthly and even a bit of Life.
===
If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius...one of the deepest people-search tools available.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Does GutterStuff Work? Does it Keep Your Gutters Clear?
GutterStuff is a highly porous foam-y, sponge-y sort of insert that you pop into your gutter. It's supposed to keep out leaves and such while letting water flow right through.
Does GutterStuff really work? Yep! I've had it in my front gutter for six months now and it works just fine. So much so, that I just installed it in the back gutter as well.
Water flows right through this stuff. No matter how heavy a rain you get, GutterStuff isn't going to cause your gutters to overflow. Leaves and twigs, on the other hand, just sit on top of the GutterStuff inserts. Most of the flow right off with the rain, a few might hand on and have to dry out in the sun before they blow or wash off. Some do get caught in the tiny spaces between GutterStuff and the edge of the gutter, but not so many that it's any sort of problem.
I don't have pine trees near my house, but I've heard that GutterStuff works well with pine needles too.
Installation is easy, or at least as easy as anything involving gutters and ladders ever is (and that's a particular challenge in my house, with my sloping grounds and shrubbery in all the places the ladder wants to be). Once you have access to the gutters, clean them out (yuck!) and just put the GutterStuff inserts in place, making sure they're all facing the same direction (GutterStuff is cut at an angle and leaves an open channel in your gutter for water to flow).
The stuff ain't exactly cheap. Expect to pay anywhere from $2-4 a foot, depending on how much you buy, whether there's shipping, etc. A 30-ft gutter can run you $75. But if it means not have to go up and down and up and down and up and down....you know what I mean....and deal with gunky gutter-cleaning, then in my book, it's worth it.
By the way, I used to have screens over my gutters, a much cheaper options. They worked well for a while, but eventually collapsed and had to be replaced. Give me the spongey stuff, any day.
===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Does GutterStuff really work? Yep! I've had it in my front gutter for six months now and it works just fine. So much so, that I just installed it in the back gutter as well.
Water flows right through this stuff. No matter how heavy a rain you get, GutterStuff isn't going to cause your gutters to overflow. Leaves and twigs, on the other hand, just sit on top of the GutterStuff inserts. Most of the flow right off with the rain, a few might hand on and have to dry out in the sun before they blow or wash off. Some do get caught in the tiny spaces between GutterStuff and the edge of the gutter, but not so many that it's any sort of problem.
I don't have pine trees near my house, but I've heard that GutterStuff works well with pine needles too.
Installation is easy, or at least as easy as anything involving gutters and ladders ever is (and that's a particular challenge in my house, with my sloping grounds and shrubbery in all the places the ladder wants to be). Once you have access to the gutters, clean them out (yuck!) and just put the GutterStuff inserts in place, making sure they're all facing the same direction (GutterStuff is cut at an angle and leaves an open channel in your gutter for water to flow).
The stuff ain't exactly cheap. Expect to pay anywhere from $2-4 a foot, depending on how much you buy, whether there's shipping, etc. A 30-ft gutter can run you $75. But if it means not have to go up and down and up and down and up and down....you know what I mean....and deal with gunky gutter-cleaning, then in my book, it's worth it.
By the way, I used to have screens over my gutters, a much cheaper options. They worked well for a while, but eventually collapsed and had to be replaced. Give me the spongey stuff, any day.
===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Why are Printers Cheaper Than Ink
I just purchased an HP Photosmart wireless printer for $29.99. New ink for the printer cost about $40.
What's up with that???
The printer, with a nifty LCD screen, prints loverly, full color inkjet pages. HP wants me (and you too!) to be a long-term buyer of their ink, which is where the big bucks come in when it comes making money on printers. That's right! Printers are sometimes cheaper than ink.
It's like the supermarket selling their soda really cheap to get you into the store, so you can buy other stuff. OK...maybe it's only a little like that! More like getting a cheap subscription to a magazine in the hopes you'll renew for years into the future...at full price, of course.
Whatever the reason, it is sometimes the case that you buy a new printer from HP, Epson, Lexmark, Canon and other major manufacturers and get the printer cheaper than you can get the ink.
So next time you need ink, think about buying yourself a new printer! Just make sure the printer comes with nice, new, full ink cartridges (and not some starter cartridge that some printers are rumored to carry).
===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
What's up with that???
The printer, with a nifty LCD screen, prints loverly, full color inkjet pages. HP wants me (and you too!) to be a long-term buyer of their ink, which is where the big bucks come in when it comes making money on printers. That's right! Printers are sometimes cheaper than ink.
It's like the supermarket selling their soda really cheap to get you into the store, so you can buy other stuff. OK...maybe it's only a little like that! More like getting a cheap subscription to a magazine in the hopes you'll renew for years into the future...at full price, of course.
Whatever the reason, it is sometimes the case that you buy a new printer from HP, Epson, Lexmark, Canon and other major manufacturers and get the printer cheaper than you can get the ink.
So next time you need ink, think about buying yourself a new printer! Just make sure the printer comes with nice, new, full ink cartridges (and not some starter cartridge that some printers are rumored to carry).
===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
How Much Does Central Air Add to Home Value?
You're thinking of spending thousands of dollars to retrofit your home with central air conditioning. And you're probably wondering, What will this mean when I sell my house? Does central air increase the value? How much? Enough to pay for itself (and maybe make a profit)?
All good questions. But of course, there's no simple answer about how much dollars to add to your home's value -- or what percent increase you will get when you sell your house -- once you install central air.
Rule of thumb used to be you could tack on $5,000 to your home's price by offering a central HVAC system (that's heating, ventilation, air conditioning, in case you didn't know) when you sell. But that old rule is probably (pardon the almost-pun) out the window these days. A good system can easily top $10,000 to install.
In some areas, and some neighborhoods, central cooling and heating may mean the difference between selling your house and not selling it. If buyers are expecting it -- and you don't have it -- finding a buyer can be a tough sell. Down south, where it gets awfully hot, or way up north, where winters are danged cold, buyers might be expecting central cooling and heating no matter what. Lack of central might reduce your home's price by 10%, according to some knowledgable folks.
So...think of your HVAC as a possible ten percent premium on your home's value. Not a bad bump, especially if you're in a high-priced area of real estate (there are some left, I believe!)
===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
All good questions. But of course, there's no simple answer about how much dollars to add to your home's value -- or what percent increase you will get when you sell your house -- once you install central air.
Rule of thumb used to be you could tack on $5,000 to your home's price by offering a central HVAC system (that's heating, ventilation, air conditioning, in case you didn't know) when you sell. But that old rule is probably (pardon the almost-pun) out the window these days. A good system can easily top $10,000 to install.
In some areas, and some neighborhoods, central cooling and heating may mean the difference between selling your house and not selling it. If buyers are expecting it -- and you don't have it -- finding a buyer can be a tough sell. Down south, where it gets awfully hot, or way up north, where winters are danged cold, buyers might be expecting central cooling and heating no matter what. Lack of central might reduce your home's price by 10%, according to some knowledgable folks.
So...think of your HVAC as a possible ten percent premium on your home's value. Not a bad bump, especially if you're in a high-priced area of real estate (there are some left, I believe!)
===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
Is This Old Stock Certificate Worth Anything?
If you found an old stock certificate in your attic, your grandpa's papers or tucked between the pages of a long-forgotten book, congratulations! You may be a millionaire!
Or...it may be a quasi-attractive but relatively worthless document. In fact, the chances are good that's exactly what it is. But occasionally, old stock certificates do have value.
Search the company name on the web, for starters. You may find a quick entry (Wikipedia?) that gives you the company's complete history. If it's bankrupt or out of business, your certificate is worthless. If it was bought out or merged with another company, contact that firm's investor relations department to find out the worht of your certificates and how to cash in your stock.
See if your library has a copy of the Directory of Obsolete Securities, where you can look up the fate of old companies. The librarian can request some interlibrary loan research if they don't have their own copy.
Look online in old newspapers, too. Newspaper archives can detail the end days of a firm, and clarify whether they still exist under another name or have simply vanished into investment ether.
By the way, your nearly worthless certificate may have some value to scripophily collectors, who sometimes just dig the artwork. Contact one or two to see if there's any interest.
Good luck!
===
Need more information? Newspaper archives are one of the best online research tools. If you're searching for information on people, try Intelius.
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