AOL Music Now, currently in preview, offers great new features for those who use multiple PCs but still needs to work on the basics.
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The Yahoo family of dynamic products represents the company's focus on integrating a diverse variety of online applications. These Web 2.0 tools include those for e-mail, mapping, scheduling, instant messaging, managing RSS feeds, bookmarking, and vertical search. As these free products remain in beta testing, this list will continue to evolve as Yahoo updates its products.
The Google package of services represents the company's efforts to serve and integrate a diverse assortment of dynamic applications online. These Web 2.0 tools include those for e-mail, mapping, scheduling, instant messaging, managing RSS feeds, bookmarking, and vertical search. Because many of these free products remain in beta testing, this list will continue to evolve as Google updates its products. See our favorite 10 Google apps here.
The Windows Live package of products represents Microsoft's attempt to serve and integrate a broad array of dynamic, online services. These Web 2.0 tools include those for e-mail, mapping, scheduling, instant messaging, managing RSS feeds, bookmarking, and vertical search. Many of these free products remain in beta testing. This list will continue to evolve as Microsoft updates and adds Windows Live products. See our 10 favorite Windows Live tools here.
If you are prone to Big Brother paranoia, this is not the program for you. But if you couldn't care less whether a company or a label monitors your tastes, you'll be rewarded with gobs of new music--and an easy method for navigating it all.
Fresh on the heels of its acquisition of DVR company Meedio, Yahoo's entry in the alternative Media Center front-end sweepstakes, Yahoo Go for TV, is currently available as a beta release from the company's Web site. The program offers easy media management in a free package, but hardware support is limited, and the emphasis on driving branded online content knocks local file browsing to second place.
Google Scholar scours scholarly journals quickly and thoroughly, although Windows Live Academic Search beta better organizes finds on its pages.
If you're an existing Yahoo user and you have a Nokia Series 60 phone, Yahoo Go for Mobile is an excellent free addition to your mobile experience.
If price trumps image quality, consider renting or buying from CinemaNow. However, we prefer Movielink's larger catalog of new and classic films.
Google Calendar is an easy-to-use, attractive scheduling service that integrates with Gmail and exports XML feeds.
