SmallStep.gov, www.smallstep.gov
Many people would like to improve their health but are uncertain where to begin. Created by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, SmallStep encourages people to make small changes in their diets and lives to achieve their goal of weight loss and to promote physical fitness. Information on the Web site includes how to create a healthy balanced meal, how to estimate serving size, and how to integrate physical activity into your life easily. Interactive menus help you determine if you are exceeding your daily intake of fats, sodium, cholesterol, or calories.
Author/publisher: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Free/fee-based: Free
Date reviewed: Mar. 4, 2007
Smithsonian Institution, www.si.edu
Providing visitors with detailed information about the world’s largest museum complex and its exhibits, the Smithsonian Institution’s site also includes interactive online exhibits, supplementary information on the physical exhibits, and an impressive collection of interactive, multimedia resources found under the “Explore & Learn” section, divided into three areas: art and design, history and culture, and science and technology. Users also can find information on the Smithsonian Institution’s research centers and outreach programs of traveling exhibits and affiliate museums. This site is ideal for museum visitors and interesting for everyone.
Author/publisher: Smithsonian Institution
Free/fee-based: Free
Date reviewed: Mar. 17, 2006 (edited Apr. 12, 2007)
Son of Citation Machine, http://citationmachine.net
Son of Citation Machine is an “interactive Web tool designed to assist high school, college, and university students, their teachers, and independent researchers in their effort to respect other people’s intellectual properties.” This tool allows users to enter citation information for various types of print and electronic resources to produce a MLA-, APA-, or Chicago-formatted bibliographic reference and parenthetical citation; the Turabian citation section is under construction. Son of Citation Machine is very simple and straightforward to use. Although advertising appears on the site, a registration and login procedure allows schools to block ads. Teachers and students will appreciate the ability to simplify the citation process.
Author/publisher: David Warlick & The Landmark Project
Free/fee-based: Free
Date reviewed: Feb. 24, 2007
Trip Advisor, www.tripadvisor.com
Trip Advisor is very useful for anyone planning a trip. The site provides a brief overview of the city you are going to as well as the names and locations of hotels, attractions, and restaurants. Web site users are encouraged to post their experiences, videos, pictures, and advice about visiting the city. Names of hotels and restaurants can be sorted alphabetically or by user popularity. In addition to user reviews, reviews from professional travel organizations, such as Frommers, are available. Although the Web site does not make travel arrangements directly, airplane and hotel reservations can be made through their associates: Expedia.com, Orbitz, and Hotels.com. A helpful search engine allows users to narrow their searches for information inside the Web site.
Author/publisher: Expedia, Inc
Free/fee-based: Free
Date reviewed: Mar. 4, 2007
United Nations Environment Programme, http://na.unep.net/digital_atlasFeb. google.php
Google Maps drives this environmental atlas produced by the North American Node of the United Nations’ Global Resource Information Database group, which is co-located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, at the USGS EROS Data Center. This group works to leverage such technologies as remote sensing, geographic information systems, and online mapping tools to create an information format to influence environmental policy decision-makers. The atlas highlights sites around the world that have witnessed dramatic environmental changes. Each location is documented by striking satellite images that poignantly illustrate such environmental changes as glacial melt, desertification, deforestation, pollution, and population growth. The site’s authors use quality information from scientific sources to produce an impressive online reference tool for geographers, political scientists, and environmental researchers.
Author/publisher: United Nations Environment Programme’s Global Resource Information Database
Free/fee-based: Free
Date reviewed: Feb. 28, 2007
Who’s Alive and Who’s Dead, www.wa-wd.com
“Welcome to Who’s Alive and Who’s Dead–the site that helps you keep track of which famous people have died and which are still alive!” The Web site lists each person’s dates of birth and death (if applicable) and cause of death (if known). Hyperlinks from the person’s name display a very brief synopsis of each person’s achievements. Categories include actors and actresses, sports, political figures, musicians, and artists. The creator admits that his decision on whom to include is somewhat subjective. Useful for seeing who has died from famous musical groups, or who is still alive from famous TV shows.
Author/publisher: David Carson
Free/fee-based: Free
Date reviewed: Mar. 4, 2007
WorldCat, http://worldcat.org
WorldCat promotes itself as “the world’s largest network of library content and services.” This wonderful Web resource is basically a megacatalog of more than a billion items from OCLC libraries. Users can add a Worldcat search box to their Web sites and download browser plugins to allow searching from browser toolbars. Librarians and students can use this tool to locate resources in local libraries as well as confirm the existence of resources in libraries around the world.
Author/publisher: Online Computer Library Center, Inc. (OCLC)
Free/fee-based: Free
Date reviewed: Mar. 4, 2007
WordReference.com, www.wordreference.com
The WordReference Dictionaries are superior translation dictionaries for French, Italian, and Spanish. Entries include useful links to word definitions and synonyms, discussion forums where users offer human translation help, and links to Google searches for words or phrases used in context. This is especially helpful for users searching for translations of professional language in medicine, law, or business. The English language entries do not originate from a standard dictionary, but from the WordNet lexical dictionary developed at Princeton. The Spanish dictionary is derived from Espasa Calpe’s 2005 Diccionario de la lengua española and features 250,000 translations. The French features 250,000 translations; the Italian, nearly 200,000 translations. This site is an excellent resource for students and translators working with Romance languages.
Author/publisher: WordReference.com, Michael Kellogg
Free/fee-based: Free
Date reviewed: Mar. 9, 2006 (edited Apr. 12, 2007)
Zillow.com, www.zillow.com
Zillow.com, a new venture from the founder and former employees of Expedia.com, provides estimates of home values and related data for more than seventy million properties to prospective buyers and sellers. Entering an address will produce a satellite photograph and street map, as well as data on such home features as number of bedrooms. Users can refine the valuation of a home by adding information on renovations and special features and by selecting comparable recent home sales. As a beta site, Zillow.com’s data coverage is not completely even, but information is provided on data quantity and accuracy of estimates by state and for various metropolitan areas. Homeowners and buyers will find Zillow.com a quick and useful way to estimate a home’s current value.
Author/publisher: Rich Barton and Lloyd Frink
Free/fee-based: Free
Date reviewed: Mar. 11, 2006 (edited Apr. 12, 2007)
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