Tabor’s Taste: Fiesta Mexicana

This week I went to a restaurant in Wakefield called Fiesta Mexicana. The restaurant is Mexican themed. The walls of the restaurant are painted like you’re in a Mexican village with buildings and people painted on the walls. Read more

Karlly’s Korner

BOOK REVIEW:

I love Margaret Peterson Haddix’s books! Have you read any of them? The most recent one that I have read is called The House on the Gulf. Read more

The Best Search Engines and Instant Messaging Software

Search engines are used everyday from people around the world. It may be a young child trying to find answers to their homework, or an adult researching a good stock to invest in. No matter what you are searching, you can find it on the Internet. But many factors affect which search engine a user chooses to utilize. Many users choose to go to the same search engine every time they have a question that they want answered. Are you using an accurate search engine? Did you just download poor instant messaging software? This article will tell which search engines and IM software you’re better off with.

IM Software

Google Talk

Pros:

• Sleek & Easy to use interface
• Non Google Talk users can chat with users who have it
• Directly linked with Gmail
• Voice calls, File Transfer, Photo sharing, Video sharing, and built-in Gmail Notification
• Light weight and easy on Memory

Cons:

• No Video Calls
• No conference facility
• No facility of changing the font & color on the fly
• No support for plug ins
• No stealth settings

I still like Google Talk, despite all of the problems it faces. I really would like to see it improved though. Of all IM software, I use Google Talk the most.

My Rating: A

Skype

Pros:

• Easy to install
• Works behind typical network security devices
• Call quality is excellent
• Large Community
• Popularity

Cons:

• NOT Free
• Requires the Internet to function

I used Skype once or twice on my computer and then I stopped using it. I installed it mainly so my two friends and I could talk to each other in a conference call. We used Google Talk to communicate but we could not have three-way calling.

My Rating: B

Windows Live Messenger

Pros:

· Sleek & Easy to use interface

· File Sharing is protected from incoming viruses

· Send animations to your buddy

· Play your friend in games

· Video Conversation

Cons:

• Basic emoticons
• Registering a WeeMee avatar is not free

I had a bad experience with Windows Live Messenger. To edit your account settings, you have to undergo a long a tiring process or register all over again! I didn’t like the look either. Because of this, I stopped using it.

My Rating: B-

Those are three of the best Instant Messaging software around right now. Even some of the popular ones like AIM are great to use! Now search engines are as abundant as IM software. The following are the top three search engines that are really helpful and useful. Though I may use one more than another, I still can find what I’m looking for fast.

Search Engines

Google

Pros:

• Very Accurate
• Ability to search non-web related topics
• Secure
• Comes with many free and useful products

Cons:

• Poor accuracy when asking a question
• Shows only related topics for the search category

Google is the most well-known search engine right now. Everywhere you go on the internet, you see their advertising. Anyway, I use Google daily. It’s my only primary search engine that I use when I need something

My Rating: A+

Wikipedia

Pros:

• Nice layout
• Articles are well organized and easy to read

Cons:

• Contributors (How do you know if the information you have is false?)
• Searching is long and tiring
• Articles don’t always match your query

Wikipedia is a great search engine but I worry that the information that I’m getting from there is false. Also, I get put at articles that are irrelevant to my question or search query.

My Rating: B-

Ask.com

Pros:

• Ability to search non-web related topics
• Secure
• All related topics are shown when query is entered

Cons:

• Poor accuracy when asking a question (Pretty ironic, huh?)
• Sometimes inaccurate

Ask.com was formerly known as Ask Jeeves. But Jeeves retired and is traveling the world now, says the Ask Kids page. Ask.com has a nice layout but it is a bit inaccurate and slow when searching for your query. But like Google, it has good things to offer.

My Rating: B

So there you have it! IM software and search engines have to match your criteria. Just because one is more popular than the other doesn’t mean that it’s safe. So remember to research products or software that you’re thinking of downloading. Read ratings and reviews, look at problems many users have faced after downloading it, and look at alternatives if you’re not going to download or install your primary choice.
For questions and tips, e-mail me at sean@whatsupwakefield.com

Wakefield Wolves Football

On November 7, 2007 Wakefield Middle School had a great challenge. Wakefield football with a now 3-4 record took a harsh loss from Zebulon Middle. In the end the score was 36-0 with Zebulon on top. This season has been fair for Wakefield. They have risen to the challenges that have been thrown at them. They have had many victories and losses. This year they beat Durant Middle who were the past conference champs for three yeas in a row. The Wakefield Wolves have worked very hard this year and have became a powerful team. Their next and final game is at Wakefield High School, next to the Middle School’s campus. They will be playing against Wake Forest Rolesville Middle. This game should be tough, challenging, and exciting. It should be a close win for Wakefield in the end. The game is scheduled for 6:00 P.M., Wednesday, November 14, 2007. This will be the last game of the season. Come and support our Wakefield Wolves! *Students who attend Wakefield Middle School and are in the 7th or 8th grade, remember that basketball try-outs are November 19 at 3:15 for boys and girls after. Turn in packet forms and physicals on November 14. (Packets turned in later won’t be accepted.)

Google, More than just a search engine

The most well-known search engine is, well, more than just a search engine. Google offers many free products that users can use. A wide variety of things allows the user to find a tool that fits their needs, not just on one specific topic. But before you look at the many products that Google has to offer besides “searching”, you might want to sign up for a free Gmail account. This will also serve as your Google account that you use to log in so you can use their features.

Gmail

Click here to get started!

Alright, so you’ve got your Gmail and Google account set up now. Now wasn’t that easy?

Gmail: Features

So what makes Gmail so different and special from the other e-mail services? Well, take a look at the features you just got for free if you’ve signed up.

• Cost: $0
• 4529 MB (and counting) of free storage so you’ll never need to delete another message again.
• Excellent Spam Blocker
• Messages can be sent and read in over 40 languages

• Supported by numerous browsers (If your browser does not fit the minimum requirements, you can download it from Google)

Alright, so those are some things that are in the free Gmail Package. Now let’s see what features that are in the Gmail interface that make it different from the other usual e-mail service.

Folders/Features

Starred: Click on e-mail messages and chats to mark as a “special” item. It will automatically be placed in this folder so you can get to it quickly.
Archive Button: After reading an e-mail from your inbox, just press the “Archive” button and it will be put in the “All Mail” section for you.
Searching your e-mails: Google doesn’t just search for web related stuff on the web anymore. With Gmail, you can find a specific e-mail without taking extra time to search each message individually. You’ll never need to make a specific folder for your messages again!
Your e-mail conversations tell a story: It’s true, actually! To explain it better, here is an example: You ask your friend when the big project is due. Your friend replies and says that it is due on Monday. You “archive” your message and leave your desk. You come back and ask yourself, “When is that project due again?”. No need to bug your friend again! Find the message that you sent and you should find your answer, as if it was stapled to your outgoing e-mail. But that is just a two way conversation through e-mails. What if you sent a letter to all of your family and friends about your essay that won an award? All of the replies that you get will be attached to your sent e-mail. Also, the names of the senders who sent their response will have their names in a certain color, which makes it easy to identify who said what.
Chat while checking your e-mail: You can chat with anyone you know who is a Gmail user and is in your “Quick Contacts” list. You can click on their name to begin chatting with them. In your bottom right hand corner, you should see a small window where you can chat. Unless you specify not to, your chats will be automatically saved. This is used while you are logged on to your Gmail. However, if you are not logged on to your Gmail inbox, you can use Google Talk.
Google Talk: Not logged into your Gmail? No worries. You can save time by downloading Google Talk for numerous reasons. Google Talk doesn’t have a basic look like the chat in your Gmail, it looks professional. Not only can you chat with your friend using your keyboard, but you can actually speak to your friend. Plug in a microphone to your computer and make sure to turn on your speakers. Click on the “Call” button on your buddy’s name. You should then here a dial tone. They can either answer or ignore the call. If they aren’t there, you’ll have a self recording and you can leave a message. When they get back, they’ll be able to listen to the message when they find it in their inbox. But why just use your cell phone? Google Talk is free and you can talk to your friend over the Internet for free. Why waste your minutes when you could talk to them while doing anything on your computer? If you download Google Talk, you should find a small speech bubble on your toolbar after the installation. Click on it to access Google Talk.

Gmail “Must Have Add-Ons”

Google Talk: Talk for free over the Internet and IM your friends. Download it!
Gmail Notifier: This small envelope icon will appear on your toolbar, notifying you when you have new e-mail messages with a pop-up. Tells you who sent you the e-mail, when, subject, and shows a snippet of the e-mail. Download it!

Gmail isn’t the only free service that Google provides to its users! Here are some others:

SEARCH
Alerts: Get e-mail updates on the topics of your choice
Blog Search: Find blogs on your favorite topics
Book Search: Search the full text of books
Catalogs: Search and browse mail-order catalogs
Checkout: Complete online purchases more quickly and securely
Desktop: Search and personalize your computer
Directory: Browse the web by topic
Earth: Explore the world from your computer
Finance: Business info, news, and interactive charts
iGoogle: Add news, games and more to the Google homepage
Images: Search for images on the web
Maps: View maps and directions
News: Search thousands of news stories
Notebook: Clip and collect information as you surf the web
Patent Search: Search the full text of US Patents
Product Search: Search for stuff to buy
Scholar: Search scholarly papers
Special Searches: Search within specific topics
Toolbar: Add a search box to your browser
Video: Search for videos on Google video and YouTube
Web Search: Search over billions of web pages
Web Search Features: Find movies, music, stocks, books, and more

EXPLORE AND INNOVATE
Code: Download APIs and open source code
Custom Search: Create a customized search experience for your community
Labs: Explore Google’s technology playground

COMMUNICATE, SHOW & SHARE
Blogger: Share your life online with a blog — it’s fast, easy, and free
Calendar: Organize your schedule and share events with friends
Docs: Create and share your projects online and access them from anywhere
Gmail: Fast, searchable e-mail with less spam
Groups: Create mailing lists and discussion groups
Orkut: Meet new people and stay in touch with friends
Picasa: Find, edit and share your photos
SketchUp: Build 3D models quickly and easily
Talk: IM and call your friends through your computer
Translate: View web pages in other languages
YouTube: Watch, upload and share videos

GO MOBILE
Maps for Mobile: View maps and get directions on your phone
Mobile: Use Google on your mobile phone
SMS: Use text messaging for quick info

MAKE YOUR COMPUTER WORK BETTER
Pack: A free collection of essential software
Web Accelerator: Speed up the web

Now you know that Google is more than a search engine. Take advantage of the tools they offer for free. And take advantage of the hidden Flight Simulator on Google Earth. How do I access the Google Flight Simulator on Google Earth?

For questions and tips, e-mail me at sean@whatsupwakefield.com

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