HOW OFFERINGS CHANGE QUICKLY

Constant new programs, new Web site challenges, and new hardware keep reviewers hopping. Writing a column like this is like tossing a dart at a moving target so here are some of this month's targets that may be updated in the next month or two. So keep researching your buys.

1. SWITCHBOARD MAY WORK FOR YOU

It's hard to beat Google Maps for finding what you want and where you want it, but here's another offering as close as your Internet connection. www.Switchboard.com boasts that it provides a fast and easy way to find local businesses offering specific products and services. It boils down to an online Yellow and White pages directory that helps users find businesses and people nationwide.

It will find a local florist, a new car dealership, or types of restaurants closest to a given location. Then it will link to that place with details about the site. For a restaurant, for example, you would go to the Website and check the menu, and then you can find it on a map with a star locating the business.

A great concept and somewhat workable, but I checked it out against Mexican restaurants near my home (or within a given mile radius) and the offerings were slim and further away than I would travel. I knew there were many more and much closer. I also looked up Tsunami relief charities under "charities" and if I didn't have a state, I was out of luck.

You can search by business name, category, or keyword. It may be just the help you need when traveling if you want something near your hotel, or if you have to find the best way to reach a client. But don't rely on it completely. I suggest checking it out for your needs first. www.switchboard.com.

2. OLYMPUS'S NEW STYLUS 800 CAMERA

The Olympus Stylus 800 digital camera has an 8-megapixel image sensor and new Bright Capture Technology for flashless, low-light photography. It has an estimated street price of $450 and includes a 2.5-inch LCD and an all-weather metal case. I like the idea of the ability to use a manual-exposure and manual-aperture settings like a Single Lens reflex (SLR) camera. Most of the less expensive cameras don't have that. If you're used to using a film camera and the ability to blur backgrounds with manual f openings you'll appreciate this feature in the Stylus 800.

Other features include image night lighting and blur reduction settings, based on their "bright capture technology" built into the camera. I haven't had a hands-on test of the camera but you'll find all the information at www.olympusamerica.com. The camera has 19 automatic preset scene modes and, according to Olympus, the camera has a "nearly instant" shutter-release time. It measures 4.0 x 2.3 x 1.3 in size.

When you're at the Olympus site, find their FREE CAMERA SCHOOL. There are about 10 lessons you can take such as glamour photography, close-up photography, product photography, wedding photography and more. Each lesson also tells you which camera and what accessories were used. It can be a revelation for anyone, no matter what his or her level of expertise.

3. DISCOVER PICASA From GOOGLE

Looking for free software that will organize your photos and let you see them in thumbnail sizes? Look at Picasa from Google. No it's not better than sliced bread, not better than some of the programs you pay for, but for the price, it can't be beat. Just download it from Google, click on the appropriate box and it will find all the images on your hard disk and sort them according to labels you've given them.

Anytime you add a CD or a camera full of photos, Picasa gives you the opportunity to organize them in its trays. Then you can move them about, title them, send them elsewhere and even do some editing. I have 1300 photos from my current book with about 75 submitted on CD's. Picasa makes them easy to get, easy to find, and organize. It won't let me pull them directly into PowerPoint but with a little manipulation I can do it. I export (their feature) the images I want into a folder on my desktop, then access that folder to pull the slides into PowerPoint.

4 . PANASONIC INTRODUCES A LOW-COST PORTABLE PROJECTOR

If you give presentations such sales pitches, lessons, marketing ideas, wedding photography, or just for your family's pleasure, you might consider having your own projector…one that is small, lightweight, and moderately priced. To that end, Panasonic has introduced the Panasonic PT-LM2U. It is $749 and weighs only 3.5 lbs.

The LCD projector has a brightness rating of 1,400 ANSI lumens, a 400-to-1-contrast ratio and SVGA resolution (800 x 600 pixels). It has horizontal and vertical digital keystone correction, password protection and a speed-start function that produces an image on screen within five seconds of powering up. The lamp should last for about 3000 hours. Other features that may be important to you can be found in a description of the PT-LM2U at their Website. www.panasonic.com. You can also find a local dealer.

You can't beat it for the price. I couldn't live without it! But for more professional needs, you may have to check out some of the commercial software. Still Picasa is a good program to get you started on digital software.

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Dona Meilach is the author of over 85 books with 10 on computers. Her latest book, just out, is TEAPOTS: MAKERS & COLLECTORS from Schiffer books. Other computer organizations interested in running this column should contact the author. The column is also available as a free E-zine. Subscribe DCC: Contact dmeilach@msn.com. Dona’s Computer Capers may also be found at http://www.smalladdictions.com/Skateboard