Steve Bass
PC World
Thursday, December 15, 2005; 12:10 AM
This week I've got some great Web sites for you, including a new service that lets you back up huge amounts of data--for free. I also point you to a terrific natural-language search engine, plus a few search sites that I'm finding pretty useful.
Oh, and lest you think I'm all work and no fun, I used those sites to dig up a whole bunch of funny videos. Dig in!
I just backed up almost 2GB of photos and files to an online server. It didn't cost me a nickel--and from now on, any new files will back up automatically.
You can do it too, with a free service from Berkeley Data Systems. Mozy is limited to 1GB of storage (2GB if you take an innocuous 1-minute survey), and you're allowed four restores per month. The files are encrypted before they're sent across the Internet, using 128-bit SSL, a 448-bit symmetric key, or your own private key.
The catch? You need to accept e-mail advertising. How much, you ask? I don't know yet. But if it gets to be too much, you can delete your Mozy account to stop the spam.
BTW, Mozy is still in beta; I wouldn't rely on it for critical backups until all the bugs are worked out.
For more options, read " Online Backup Services Come of Age ."
Quick Aside:My standard response to most surveys is that I have 18 children and a junior-high-school education; I earn $5000 yearly; I'm unemployed; and I was born on 1/1/1900. I don't get in many marketing databases.
It seems like every week I discover another way to do an Internet search. For instance, I just ran across Lexxe , an ask-a-question site. It would have made a great addition to a short piece I did for our November issue, " Search Sites Try to Give Instant Answers ."
Lexxe did well on the same questions I used in the article. I tried it just now, typing "Where is Antarctica," and it provided specific links as well as a list of topic clusters. The only problem? The site's ponderously slow.
Here are three other search sites I use often. Give them a whirl and tell me what you think.
Want more? For more Web sites and services than you can shake a stick at, read " 30 Things You Didn't Know You Could Do on the Internet ."
Dig This:The Motley Fool is using haiku instead of typical 404 "file not found" error messages . I find them rather soothing. Here's one I got the other day:
Which sound is louderA solitary hand clappingOr a file not found?
This security video captures an unexpected visitor to an Alaskan hospital.
If you're a biker, or just enjoy marvelous animations, spend 6 minutes watching Hans Spilliaert's " 500 Miles Is Not Enough ."
Have you seen the vaudeville act with the small guy on the trunk? It'd be fun to watch at halftime.
Curious about how Ctrl-Alt-Delete came into existence? Watch this short video , and don't miss Bill's reaction.
I just love the commercials at the Best Ads on TV site. My favorite is a strange spot from Guinness called " Good Things Come to Those Who Wait ."