Top 10 WebSites

1.CNET

Let's face it: You're surrounded. PCs, digital cameras, Palms, electronic books, wireless phones. Technology is everywhere, from your cubicle to your car. Which means, if you've got any chance of surviving -- of thriving! -- you've got to take control of your techno-life. CNET covers it all, with comparison-shopping, hardware reviews, and free software downloads -- all of it integrated in a slick cyber-package, ready for your consumption


2.Flickr

Digital photography can be thrillingly addictive, as the online phenomenon known as Flickr makes clear. Flickr isn't just your typical, run-of-the-mill spot for storing your photos and having prints made from them. Flickr is about sharing your images, and tagging them, and maybe even developing friendships around your photographic obsessions. Flickr is something of a subculture, or set of subcultures. Whatever your photographic interests, you will find communities of likeminded photogs eager to gather online. And the more you use Flickr, uploading your images to your "photostream," the more addictive it becomes -- even spawning fun, diverting offshoots in the form of games and whatnot.


3.ESPN.com

All things sports, from pitches to pucks. Schedules, stats, and special sections, like one on the top athletes of the century, from Red Grange to Secretariat (yes, the horse). Golf's your game? ESPN.com's got it, with leaderboards, insights on the latest irons, and even a fantasy golf game. Into X, as in the X Games? Completely covered. Same for hoops, tennis, hockey, and on and on, until you'll have typed and clicked so much you'll feel like you ran the Boston Marathon on your fingertips.


4.National Geographic Online

From the lowdown on Liberia to the stomping grounds of great whites, National Geographic Online covers our world. The features here tell stories in new, exciting ways, drawing you into virtual journeys with the sort of visually stunning photographs you would expect from National Geographic. In "The River Wild," for instance, you'll learn about whitewater rafting as you travel down a river on a tour that's both educational and entertaining. If you're a map aficionado, you'll be in heaven, what with maps of all types, for everything from trip planning to trail hiking. If you've ever wanted to explore the world from your desk, you'll find no better way than National Geographic Online.


5.Slate

You've got to love a publication with an article hyped as "Flipping the Bird: A History." Arts, culture, politics -- yes, lots of politics -- in a publication from Microsoft, of all places. "Today's Papers" is a must when don't have time for the real thing (and who does?). Served up with smarts.


6.Amazon.com

A bookstore? Not quite. Now with CDs, videos, toys, auctions, e-cards, DVDs, gifts, and lots more. The retailer for this nascent century? Sure thing. Amazon isn't simply a store, it's an experience. Just consider its user reviews of everything from cookbooks to DV recorders. If you want to evaluate a product, Amazon is now a required stop on your route to decision-making. Other features, like Amazon's "purchase circles," help you see what other people are buying where you live and work. Once you start wandering Amazon's byways, you're likely to find yourself spinning from all of the information (and, yes, products) available.



7.ZDNet

ZDNet's motto: "Where Technology Meets Business." Which is, well, everywhere. What business doesn't rely on technology? And, if you want, or need, to keep up with the ever-changing world of computer technology, ZDNet is the place for you. You'll find white papers on VPN and Web services, Webcasts on security and servers, and toolkits for coping with disaster recovery and wireless. Of course, not everything is geared for the hardcore techie. Those looking for digital cameras or notebooks will find recommendations and advice. And, with a lineup of tech-world luminaries, you'll find lots of opinions on everything from Apple to WiFi.


8.eBay

You want it, someone's got it. Millions of items for sale, from nobodies around the world. Going once, going twice . . . a Wilson metal tennis ball can with "light scratches" and "minor denting." Empty, too -- unlike eBay, which has everything you'd ever want to buy. Or, if you're more in a selling mood, here's a way to earn extra bucks -- or even run a business of your own. Auction sites can be found at all corners of the Web, with large retailers and individual consumers trying to sell just about anything: hard drives, jets, eight-track tapes, antiques, horses. If something is being sold, it's being auctioned on the Web. You'll find lots of deals out there, but don't get too excited and bid past your limit: Remember, you're spending cash at this game. And, to make sure you're buying from a reputable seller, use eBay's sophisticated feedback system to check out comments about sellers



9.CNN

Up-to-the-minute news from the U.S. and around the world, along with in-depth reports from the worlds of sports, show business, technology, politics, food, medicine and fashion. If something's happening, you'll find it here. CNN offers up the news as a multimedia mix. You want radio? You've got it. Video? That, too. Email alerts and other features provide both timeliness and depth. Few online news operations provide the sort of coverage offered by CNN.



10.E*Trade

Quotes, charts, trading -- all of the essentials for your investing quest, whether it's for day-trading mania or long-term security. Transfer cash, read the latest headlines from the financial world, or research -- and track -- companies for possible buys. Tops in online investing, with a simple, seamless integration of stats and tools.