Archive of Tricks & Places


John M Peckham III


Jack Peckham ( ) is the Executive Director of the Real Estate CyberSpace Society, based in Boston, MA.

TRICK#1: GOOGLE STRIKES AGAIN
TRICK#2: CHECK FOR SPYWARE ON LINE
GREAT PLACE #1: FIND HEALTH HELP -- CLINICAL TRIALS
GREAT PLACE #2: A PLACE FOR YOUR LAZY SON IN LAW

TRICK#1: GOOGLE STRIKES AGAIN
http://desktop.google.com/
How often have you had to sit in front of your monitor screen waiting while your computer grinds away searching for information stored on your hard drive. It could be about a house search, real estate investment or for that matter any document, email or other file that you just know is there but can't find? Now Google has aimed its powerful search functions inward. "Google Desktop Search is how our brains would work if we had photographic memories." That's how the Google folks describe their new search application.

Google will now give you this new application that finds your files, email, web history and lots more - instantly. Once you perform the automatic indexing you can view web pages you've seen, even when you're not on-line. And to top it off you can search as easily as you do using the Google you are probably familiar with already.

For now this new Google program only works with Windows XP or Windows 2000 Service Pack 3 or later but it is neat - and the price is right.

TRICK#2: CHECK FOR SPYWARE ON LINE
http://www.spywareinfo.com/xscan.php
If you spend any time on the web there are grungy things crawling around in your computer. This is just about guaranteed, especially if you haven't already downloaded and regularly run the popular no cost spyware/adware programs such as Spybot or Ad-aware.

Go to this neat spot to prove it to yourself on-line. Upon arrival activate the scan process and these folks will quickly check your hard drive for any spyware. You can remove it on the spot but be sure to create a system restore point before removing the crud.

Scary times we live in.

At this potentially useful site the National Institutes of Health (NIH) provides an easy-to-use search function to find regularly updated information about federally and privately supported clinical trials. You can find specific trials for a wide range of diseases and conditions. By searching by condition and location you can find the trials in your area along with a description of the study and the contact information for volunteering.

Great use of your tax dollars.

GREAT PLACE #2: A PLACE FOR YOUR LAZY SON IN LAW
http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/
Know someone (like that lazy son- in law) who wants to go to the trough and nail down a good paying civilian job with the US government -- this may be the place.

Rather than contact or visit thousands of sites, your federal government has created this great place they call USAJobs where you can search through over 16,000 (at this writing) available federal government openings.

Search by location, job type and salary range. For example a quick test of the system using real estate as a key word turned up 203 openings. Then, if you wish, you can create and store a resume and get briefings on the jobs that are most in demand.

This should be a cinch for your son-in-law. He knows all about real estate -- he's probably been living in your house for the last 2 years.

Real Estate CyberTips are provided with compliments of the Real Estate Cyberspace Society.