Haunted Homepages for Halloween

Looking for some scary sites for Halloween fun? Today on Newsradio 750 KXL we took to the web in search of haunted homepages. Check these out:

http://halloween.com-- general overview with great links and information.
http://halloweenmashup.com -- find local haunts, area events, activities and more on a map!
http://halloweengames101.com-- great party games, fun ideas for halloween parties and entertaining.
http://halloweenghoststories.com -- relive the legends and scary ghost stories.
http://halloween-ecards.com -- e-greeting cards to send to friends and family with Halloween themes.

And keeping kids safe is definitely priority #1 this Halloween, visit the following sites for tips:

http://allergizer.com / http://healthcentral.com / http://allergymoms.com -- all great sites for allergy-free alternative treats.
http://familywatchdog.us -- enter an address, get a list of predators in your area -- great places to avoid trick-or-treating.
http://halloween-safety.com -- good site with general-purpose Halloween safety tips. (including tips for pets)

Learn-Anything Site TeachStreet.com Adds Portland!

Ever wish you could learn something new?

(I'm a difficult person to teach -- I blame the ADD.)

With a simple premise, a new website hits Portland this weekend. After a successful launch in Seattle earlier this year, startup TeachStreet.com looks forward to revolutionizing how you learn about, connect with, and ultimately review area teachers.

Future students visiting the site are presented two search boxes. One for the subject matter you’d like to learn and another the city where you’d like to find instruction.

CEO Dave Schapell tells me they’ve combed the Internet, course offerings catalogs, and directories to catalog every available class they could find – putting it all online for the Portland, OR and Vancouver, WA communities – some 30,000 classes in all.

And teachers can get in on the action too. If you’ve got something to teach, or are good at – well, anything – you can list your services, prices, and class offerings online. (The site welcomes anything from 1:1 instruction services to more traditional classroom offerings.) Right now it’s free for teachers to list and students to search.

Now while I doubt anyone will have time to attend all 30,000 classes – it’s good to know the next time I need a Rumba refresher or a splash of Spanish – there are folks in my area ready to teach... even me.

Listen to this report, originally broadcast on KXL-AM Friday Aug 1: kxl_techexpert-teachstreetcom_20080801.mp3 (MP3)

Remember, the site launches this weekend, so if TeachStreet.com doesn’t find a class you’re looking for try searching in Seattle to get an idea of how the site works and check back... Dave promises it will be up-and-running by Monday.

Essential Sites for Travel Trouble

Tech Expert Topic Notes for 11 April 2008

If there's one thing I can't travel without its my Macbook Air.

More than an inflight entertainment system or essential communications tool -- when travel plans require flexibility, the sleek ultraportable becomes an airline rebooking engine.

With flight cancellations dominating the news in recent weeks, and a record-breaking summer travel season to follow -- there are a few websites you should keep handy to deal with inevitable disruption:

Airline websites: In the event of a flight cancellation, you may not be able to rebook online, but you will be able to find alternate flights, check availability, or -- if necessary -- buy another ticket altogether (on a different carrier if necessary). Don't forget many carriers also have sites designed for work on mobile phones like the iPhone or Blackberry. Check flight delays, routes and schedules, aircraft types and get the latest operational status.

Flyertalk.com: If there's a community of travel experts -- this is it. Many members of this online community fly every week, some more often, and they know the tricks of the trade.

SeatGuru.com: It won't necessarily help you find an alternate flight, but it will get you a comfortable seat. A must-visit resource when planning any travel.

TripAdvisor.com: The travel portal for community reviews and information to the tune of nearly 18 million! Whether you're looking for a good quiet hotel to get a decent night's sleep before trying to get home the next day, or want to know where to plan your next vacation -- this site, by the same people that run the online travel kings Expedia.com and their discount brother Hotwire.com, has it all!

Tech Tips for Travelers:

• Always carry your chargers with you. Gadget batteries don't last forever and if your luggage is lost, or stuck in the bowels of the airport -- you'll want a recharge.
• Go online! While many are lining up for the few rebooking agents at an airport, jump on the web and rebook yourself. (In some cases you may not be able to rebook a specific ticket, or reuse credits -- but buying a new ticket may get you home and not be an option hours later when you reach the front of the line!)
• Find a hotspot. Most airports have gone wireless - some, like PDX, are free. And if you don't have a laptop, airport lounges, internet kiosks and business centers are a great place to get online.
• Download airline flight schedules before you head to the airport. A copy (usually a PDF but a printout works too) of a carrier's schedule will help you find alternative flights and routings (think outside the box -- maybe Portland to Los Angeles to get to Denver?)

All the gadgets in the world can not replace the most essential carry-on: Patience.

As the motto goes, "Be Prepared". Flight cancellations, delays and other travel disruptions are a reality... those prepared and armed with the information and tips to get their travel plans back on track -- will find themselves home with the loved ones first.

Listen to this report, originally broadcast on KXL-AM Friday April 11: kxl_techexpert-travelwebsites_20080411.mp3 (MP3)

"Best Websites to Know" - KOMO's Northwest Afternoon

On KOMO-TV's Northwest Afternoon for 19 March 2008, I highlighted a few websites you may not have heard of. The sites featured, in no particular order, are after the video clip and also available on the NWA site here.



Meebo.com (Instant Messaging) - You know the problem… you’ve got a few friends on one instant messaging client, some on others – Meebo.com brings them all together into a single website. Handy for those that might have trouble with the traditional IM clients downloaded to your computer, perhaps banned by your company or school’s network settings – meebo.com makes it easy. Networks supported: MSN, AOL/ICQ, Yahoo, and GTalk/Jabber. Bonus points for registering: Ability to save chat logs, single sign-in, and customization.

Buzzillions.com (Product Reviews) - Before you buy anything online, it’s good to get the good, bad and the ugly from those who have ventured through the checkout path before. Are the shoes true to size? Does that product really do what it’s designed to do? Did you have any problems? Consumer reviews are a powerful force. A leader in product ratings online is Power Reviews and their consumer site Buzzillions.com brings this data to potential buyers. The same folks that power sites from big players such as REI, Toys-R-Us and Brookstone – present the shopping site buzzillions.com. Features to look for: Narrow search results by various criteria, compare brands, upload customer images. Unique: Buzzillions users have, for the most part, actually bought the product they’re reviewing.

Pandora.com (Online Music) - Pandora creates a radio station tailored to your tastes. By selecting songs and artists you like, the online service selects other music based on hundreds of criteria in the Music Genome Project. The service is free and doesn’t require you to load a player – it works right in your browser. The more songs you review the better it predicts what else you might like. Limitations: It’s not a music-on-demand service, so you can’t play a particular song or request only songs from one artist, given rights issues – only US customers can play, a bummer if you travel. Favorite feature: Thumbs-up, Thumbs-down ratings are super-simple.

Yelp.com (Local Guide) - Looking to check out that new neighborhood restaurant? Want to try a new night club? Want to share your review with friends and get their feedback? Social Networking meets local community reviews with Yelps slick interface, intuitive navigation and the ability to add darn near everything in your ‘hood. Seattle’s a focus city, so you may not find the same level of detail if you’re visiting, say Peoria.

Woot.com (Electronics Bargains) – Shopping for a bargain? Don’t really care what the bargain is? Look to woot! Woot offers exactly one product (most days) and each customer can buy up to three of this item each day. When the item is gone, it’s gone… some products can sell out in hours or even minutes and are generally electronics or related gizmos. Sign up for various woot! notification services to have new products sent to you daily. Caveat: Return policy restrictive, shipping can be somewhat slow.


Etsy.com (Handmade Marketplace) – The “ebay for handmade products” allows anyone to sell homemade products to others online. Unlike Ebay, which sells anything to anyone, Etsy focuses only on handmade products. One real benefit to this site, as opposed to buying from some of the larger mass-merchants, is that you can focus your search on those items made right in your area – perhaps you’re limiting your carbon footprint or just want to support local artists. Another neat feature – search by color. How clever is this? The site offers the ability to pick a color and it will find products that match that color. Wouldn’t you have loved to have this feature the last time you were decorating a room or in search of the “something blue” at a wedding.

Election 2008: Two Essential Sites

Tech Expert Segment for 07 March 2008

Regardless of which candidate you're supporting in the race for the White House this year -- there are two sites you should check out, we discussed both on Portland's Morning News today.

The first, electoral-vote.com is a must-visit resource for all things voting. A one-stop-shop for election data, the site slices and dices "data galore" in many views, maps and charts. Updated frequently, the information is invaluable and a favorite among the "election geeeks" that just can't get enough.

Want to know who your neighbors are supporting? Chances are, if they've contributed to a political campaign in excess of a few hundred bucks -- you'll find their name on opensecrets.org. That public campaign contribution data -- online and searchable! Go ahead, you know you want to... drop in a neighbors name, family members, or even your favorite celebrity -- find out just which candidate (or candidates!) they support.

No matter who your pick for the top spot is, you've got to register to vote. That's the goal of a handful of Northwest college students who developed the "Your Revolution" Facebook application. It makes finding information about voter registration simple and appeals to the youth vote. Check it out on Facebook.com.

For continuing election coverage... tune to Newsradio 750 KXL and online at KXL.com.

Bonus Day? Time to Kill? Fun Websites To Visit

Tech Expert Segment for 20080229

Happy Leap Year! What to do with this bonus day that comes but once every four years? Spend it online... check out these fun websites:

Meebo / meebo.com -- You know the problem… you’ve got a few friends on one instant messaging client, some on others – Meebo.com brings them all together into a single website. Handy for those that might have trouble with the traditional IM clients downloaded to your computer, perhaps banned by your company or school’s network settings – meebo.com makes it easy. Networks supported: MSN, AOL/ICQ, Yahoo, and GTalk/Jabber. Bonus points for registering: Ability to save chat logs, single sign-in, and customization.

Buzzillions / buzzillions.com – Before you buy anything online, it’s good to get the good, bad and the ugly from those who have ventured through the checkout path before. Are the shoes true to size? Does that product really do what it’s designed to do? Did you have any problems? Consumer reviews are a powerful force. A leader in product ratings online is Power Reviews and their consumer site Buzzillions.com brings this data to potential buyers. The same folks that power sites from big players such as REI, Toys-R-Us and Brookstone – present the shopping site buzzillions.com. Features to look for: Narrow search results by various criteria, compare brands, upload customer images. Unique: Buzzillions users have, for the most part, actually bought the product they’re reviewing.

Pandora / pandora.com – Pandora creates a radio station tailored to your tastes. By selecting songs and artists you like, the online service selects other music based on hundreds of criteria in the Music Genome Project. The service is free and doesn’t require you to load a player – it works right in your browser. The more songs you review the better it predicts what else you might like. Limitations: It’s not a music-on-demand service, so you can’t play a particular song or request only songs from one artist, given rights issues – only US customers can play, a bummer if you travel. Favorite feature: Thumbs-up, Thumbs-down ratings are super-simple.

Yelp / yelp.com – Looking to check out that new neighborhood restaurant? Want to try a new night club? Want to share your review with friends and get their feedback? Social Networking meets local community reviews with Yelps slick interface, intuitive navigation and the ability to add darn near everything in your ‘hood. Seattle’s a focus city, so you may not find the same level of detail if you’re visiting, say Peoria.

Woot! / woot.com – Looking for a bargain? Don’t really care what the bargain is? Look to woot! Woot offers exactly one product (most days) and each customer can buy up to three of this item each day. When the item is gone, it’s gone… some products can sell out in hours or even minutes and are generally electronics or related gizmos. Sign up for various woot! notification services to have new products sent to you daily. Caveat: Return policy restrictive, shipping can be somewhat slow.

Etsy / etsy.com – The “ebay for handmade products” allows anyone to sell homemade products to others online. Unlike Ebay, which sells anything to anyone, Etsy focuses only on handmade products. One real benefit to this site, as opposed to buying from some of the larger mass-merchants, is that you can focus your search on those items made right in your area – perhaps you’re limiting your carbon footprint or just want to support local artists. Another neat feature – search by color. How clever is this? The site offers the ability to pick a color and it will find products that match that color. Wouldn’t you have loved to have this feature the last time you were decorating a room or in search of the “something blue” at a wedding

Chegg / chegg.com – Why buy when you can rent? Textbooks are an expensive part of any education. Now various online sites are providing an alternative to the full-price of retail stores. One site, chegg.com allows students to rent a textbook for a semester or quarter. That econ text that costs over 150 bucks? Just one-third of that for a quarter – $60 if you need it for the semester. When you’re done? Print a pre-paid shipping label and send it back. Eco-friendly bonus: Chegg.com plants a tree for every book rented!

Prosper / prosper.com – Need some cash? Got some to lend? Prosper.com matches lenders and borrowers. Giving borrowers the opportunity to bid on the loan, value, and rate you want to receive – lenders select the max. interest rate they’re willing to pay. Prospective lenders have insight into the credit rating (through an obfuscated grade) for a better idea of the risk involved. Sign up at: http://www.prosper.com/join/brianseattle

Grand Central / grandcentral.com -- One number. Doesn’t that sound great? Sign up for a Grand Central account and you are assigned a number. This number, when called, will ring all your phones, give callers the ability to leave you a voicemail that you can listen to online and the ability to switch calls mid-conversation. Personalize voicemail greetings – (tell the boss you’re working when you’re really out goofing off). Big Brother Add-on: Record calls during a conversation.


Of course, if you've got others... pass them along or post in the comments for all to enjoy! Happy Leap Day Portland!

California Wildfires: "On Fire" (per Google)

While we send our thoughts and well-wishes to those affected by the Southern California wildfires, Google has something of an (incidental) ironic observation. The search engine tracks popular search terms and presents a relative scale (using phrases from "mild" to "volcanic") of their popularity for a given day.

On Monday 22 October 2007, "california wildfires" was ranked on the "hotness" scale as On Fire.

Check it out here (or click the screenshot above).

View the current list of Hot Trends using the Google Trends tool.