Find Free Wi-Fi Spots

Its easier and easier to find places to work no matter where you go. Locations like Panera Bread and Barnes and Noble offer free wi-fi and in a bind you can get access at Starbucks if you’re a reward card member. But occasionally I still get stuck without wi-fi or at least free wi-fi. There are many online resources you can use to find free wi-fi and all seem to yield different results. None of the few I tried were able to find the free spots where I live. I know I have at least 2, but my area is rural so maybe its not worth listing on the map. Here’s a few resources you can try if you need free wi-fi:

Hotspotr can search using your address and will provide other nearby city options on a Google Map.

Jiwire can search worldwide although Paris wasn’t on the France list and I don’t remember enough about France to know what region its in. When searching my local area, it had a few options that didn’t come up on Hotspotr but was also missing a few that had been on Hotspotr. It provides results on a list with an option to click on a map for specific locations.

OpenWiFiSpot at first had no options when I searched the larger city near me. But then there was a list of other options that included the zip code I initially searched with. Clicking on that I got a list with some of the same options offered on Hotspotr and Jiwire. It gives an option to get results by list or on a map.

Find a Baby or Pet Sitter through SitterCity.com

Having trouble finding someone to watch your kids? Planning a trip and need someone to watch Fido? SitterCity offers a resources for families to find full-time childcare or the occasional sitter. It provides help for other needs including pet sitting, senior care, housekeeping and tutoring.  SitterCity provides a directory where you can search profiles of sitters and helpers to learn their experience, expertise, and references. Some sitters have their profiles marked with “background check”.

The database is fairly extensive; there were several sitters listed from my tiny, rural area. You can do a search and see a list of sitters for free, but to get their details you’ll need to join. The service offers a free 7 day trial and then a monthly or yearly membership option.

Find great sitters in your area on Sittercity.com. Try Sittercity for free today!

Too busy to research? Try CEO Express

Sometimes the hardest part of research is figuring out where to look. Patricia Pmerleau created CEO Express

…to be the executive’s interface to the Internet. The site’s peer editor recognizes that executives have precious little time to obtain all the information they require to conduct business. At the same time, much of the information that executives need is available on the Internet. CEOExpress takes all that information, and by employing expert human editors and “mind ergonomics,” pares it down to the 20% that is most critical and useful.

At CEO Express you can get up-to-date information from top news organizations, business and government organizations, and more. You get information on current events, statistics, health news, travel and weather updates, business tools, leisure information and more. Its like the Readers Digest of Internet information.

CEO Express offers a default (free) and membership services. The default offers only limited services such as Daily Polls, search capabilities, and daily editor notes. The upgraded services ($29/yr) offers extensive customization, RSS feeds and mobile access.

Visit CEO Express to learn more.

Recover Deleted Files … for free

Have you ever accidentally deleted or lost a file you wanted to keep? Well now recovering that file is easy. A free program, Undelete Plus can scan your computer for the lost file and restore it. ” It can also recover files that have been emptied from the Recycle Bin, permanently deleted files within Windows using the Shift + Delete, and files that have been deleted from within a Command Prompt.”

Undelete Plus works on Windows systems and supports all Windows file systems for hard and floppy drive.

To use the program, simply download and install (there is no spyware, adware, malware or registration). When you lose a file simply:

1) Do a quick check were the file should be as well as look in your recycle bin.

2) If its still missing, launch Undelete Plus and use it to search for the file.

3) From the list generated, find the missing file and re-save.

If you can’t find the file, try a new search. If its still missing, you can try some other free file recovery resources such as Restoration and PC Inspector File Recovery.

Mac users can use Data Rescue II which unfortunately isn’t free. You can check out other options at FreeDownloadManager where you can find free and shareware options.

Better Living Around the Web

Here are some great tips and news on digital tools and resources.

• Include the Word "Solved" In Your Searches to Troubleshoot Tech Issues [Search Techniques]
  Source Lifehacker
  It happens to all of us: we run into a bug in a program, a feature you want that isn't there, or something other software issue. Reader protiki offers some tips on finding a solution using Google....
• RD Mute Mutes Your Phone When Face Down and When You're Driving [Downloads]
  Source Lifehacker
  Android only: I like to mute my phone when I'm buried in work, sleeping, or driving my car, but turning on my phone and fiddling with the sound isn't ideal. RD Mute will mute your phone whenever you...
• Flightlite Tracks Airline Flights on a Map, in Real Time [Travel]
  Source Lifehacker
  Flying comes with all kinds of unexpected delays—and of course the occasional early arrival—that can throw off your plans to pick someone up . Coordinate your next airport pickup, to near perfect...
• Cookmate Suggests Meals Based on What's in Your Pantry [Video]
  Source Lifehacker
  iOS: Cookmate helps you come up with meal ideas based on what you've got in your pantry, and when you need one or two extra ingredients, it creates a shopping list you can pull out at the store....
• Plugin by C. Murray Consulting