College-style glee, tricky spelling bee highlight Net Notes
A potpourri of odds ‘n ends that sat in my in-box this summer make up today’s edition of Net Notes, including a search engine that does double-duty, a fun spelling bee challenge and a dose of higher education laughs.
•Search Both
Why search only Google or Yahoo when you can do both at once? This site lets you search across both of the biggie search engines, showing you side-by-side results.
It’s the brainchild of Bobby Kalili, founder of Idea Labz (www.idealabz.com). "I initially developed the Web site for my own personal use. I use both Google and Yahoo and I got tired of going back and forth between both sites," Kalili said in a release. "Going to one Web site, looking at the page, finding what I am looking for, then minimizing the page and then going to the other Web site and doing the same thing. Meanwhile, trying to remember what I saw on the last page while trying to compare the results of both sites.
"This ultimately got annoying enough to where I just developed a service to have both Web sites on one screen, side-by-side. I ended up calling it what it really was. Search Both," he said.
You may not need to compare search results every time you’re looking for something, but it’s a great resource for people looking to see which sites are getting top billing on each of the engines.
•Ken Jennings Spell-off
Know-it-all Ken Jennings, who holds the record of 74 consecutive wins on Jeopardy, is the quiz master for this online spelling bee. A virtual Jennings speaks a word and players have 30 seconds to type it correctly.
Just as in most spelling bees, contestants can ask for a definition of the word, the origin of the word, or to have it used in a sentence. Get a word wrong, and the virtual Jennings rubs your nose in it. Keep spelling them correctly and cyber Ken heaps on the praise.
The game is sponsored by Odwalla (www.odwalla.com), maker of soy-based beverages. Be sure your computer has the latest Flash player installed before you sharpen your pencil, er, cursor.
•College Humor
It’s a place for the college crowd to connect with friends and share a laugh, or two. There are videos, photos and stories from campuses across the country, and all the usual tools and resources you’ll need to make new friends across cyberspace.
It’s reminiscent of the early days of Facebook (www.facebook.com), the superpopular social site once reserved for students, but now open to anyone.
Users of both sites have an assortment of College Humor applications they can use on their Facebook page, such as "How Fratty Are You?" and "The Dramatic Chipmunk."
Schools are ranked on a variety of fun topics, so sign up and share the fun.
Share your Internet story with me at agibes@reviewjournal.com.
AL GIBES: The Online GuyMORE COLUMNSTIP OF THE WEEK Info Sync Read reviews of modern tech gadgets, ranging from phones and cameras to headphones and robotic vacuums. It’s interesting reading, and a stop you should make before spending your bucks on a new gizmo. NOTE: This is the final weekly tip of the summer provided by my 17-year-old son Ben, who spends more time online than I do. He’ll be concentrating on school again. (At least that what he tells me.)
