Tips & Tweaks: Smart Searches, Without Google

That title caught your eye, didn't it?

Don't get me wrong: I love searching the Web with Google. It's on my toolbar, and it's been my mainstay search engine since what feels like the late seventies. (Okay, so that's an exaggeration--but you get the idea.)

The question is, are there equally good alternatives? You bet. And this week I'll share some of the ones I've found, as well as a few articles, all to help you better find your way around the Internet.

Hey, Bass, Write This

It all started a couple of months ago when one of my favorite editors floated an idea past me. He asked if I could dig up other ways to find things on the Web. I liked the idea, and the challenge, and agreed to coauthor the aptly named "The New Web Challengers."

All told, Scott Spanbauer and I nail 45 tools--and Scott has the last word on what he thinks is the champion browser. But he's wrong, and in a few weeks from now I'll show you (and him) why. In the meantime, there are a few Web sites I'm particularly delighted with and I want to make sure you see them.

Chowhound: If you live in one of the cities served by Chowhound, I absolutely insist you log on and ask for restaurant advice. My wife checks the site regularly, scarfing up recommendations and asking for recipes. Last week a bunch of us went into Hollywood (affectionately known as Hollyweird) for a Chowhound-recommended Thai restaurant. It was outstanding--and four of us scraped up tons of food for under $40. Thanks, Chowhound! Read more about it, and get the link, in our story's "New Names Shake Up Web Searching."

Craigslist: If you need to buy or sell something locally, check Craigslist, the site that's scaring the beans out of traditional newspapers. That's because Craigslist users can churn out classified ads quickly and easily, and mostly for free, or at a fraction of the cost compared to newspaper classifieds. You'll find it in "New Names Shake Up Web Searching."

TVEyes: I've used TVEyes for months to monitor television shows for specific words. There's more about the service in "Tools for Business."

TVEyes is an effective tool, but Google has taken the concept a step farther with Google Video. It's a free service that, at least for now, includes just a still image of a video clip. As the beta progresses, I'm sure we'll see actual video footage with the keywords you've searched for. For more details about this intriguing service, read "Google Launches TV Search Engine"; then read the complaints in "Jeers, Cheers Greet Google's Video Search."

Snap and LiveDeal: two sharp sites. Snap's for comparing products; LiveDeal is for finding local bargains. Get the details in "Shopping, Internet Style."

I'm almost out of room, but I don't want you to miss the "Late News, Fresh Info" section in my article. It profiles Amazon A9, Secunia, and Clusty (which I keep wanting to write as "Klutzy").

Dig This: Cats are way too arrogant for my taste. So I love the idea of putting them to work and having them, say, clean my monitor. [1MB Flash video] Once you're done staring in amazement at your monitor, check out "Ten Signs Your Cat Has Learned Your Internet Password."

More Cool, New Sites

Blink an eye and another new site appears. Or if it's not new, it's substantially updated. Here are just a few.

MSN Search: Needless to say, the giant is feeling threatened by all the hubbub, so it's responding with a new search tool. Read about it in "Microsoft Spotlights Its Search Engine," then check it out for yourself at MSN.

BTW, if you want to stay on the cutting edge, don't limit your searching to the Web. Search engine sites like Ask Jeeves, Google, and Yahoo are coming out with tools that let you search your own computer just as easily. Of course, Microsoft's not about to be left out of this; its MSN Toolbar is now in beta.

Yahoo and Ask Jeeves Go Mobile: You probably know I have an ancient Nokia 5160 cell phone. It's so lacking in smarts, PR people snicker (not even behind my back) and don't bother to send press releases about smart phone technology. That doesn't stop me from being excited about some cool news, though: Both Yahoo and Ask Jeeves now have a way for users to send search results to their mobile phones. For details, read "Yahoo Local Search Goes Mobile" and "Ask Jeeves Developing Wireless Search Service."

Answers.com: You might be looking for, well, answers. GuruNet's new site may have a few. Instead of giving you a list of links, Answers.com attempts to provide detailed information. And it works miraculously well on topics that involve people, places, words, and names. For instance, when I tried "X10," a remote-control technology, I received three pages of solid results. Results on "Hippodrome" (which I misspelled, but the site offered a correction) were also good, including details about the Hippodrome Theatre, a landmark in New York until the late thirties. Answers.com is definitely worth a visit.

Dig This: Would you believe the people at Novell have a sense of humor? Yes, yes, they do--and you'll LOL at this funny streaming video that pokes at Microsoft early and often.

Next week? More out-of-the-way sites you can use.

In addition to writing PC World's Home Office column, Steve Bass is the author of "PC Annoyances." Sign up to have Steve Bass's Tips and Tweaks newsletter e-mailed to you each week. Comments or questions? Send Steve e-mail.