SPIEGEL Surfs the Web Geography Made Easy with Google
It would be easier to dis Google if it weren't so darned cool. The search engine Google has become an indisposable tool in navigating the Internet. Now it wants to do the same thing for navigating the offline world. Have you just sold your Mickey Mouse collection on Ebay? Was the buyer someone on Snow Street in Providence, Rhode Island, but you have no idea where that is? Just in case you would like to drop it off personally, or even get it back, on Google Maps you will find a map of North America that will help you track down your erstwhile possession's new home. Just enter the address into the "Search" field. The Google-map will then search for "Snow Street" and you can zoom into the map. If you want to get there, Google will plan your car route in detail. Eventually, the service will provide street maps for much of the world.
Are You There, God?
Deciding on what to believe in amid these troubled times isn't easy. The modern world doesn't leave us a lot of time to ponder the Big Questions like "Why is there so much evil in the world?" But, never fear, Belief-o-matic is here: by asking you 20 questions on "your concept of God, the afterlife, human nature, and more," Belief-o-matic can tell you if you're a Roman Catholic, a secular humanist, or a reform Jew. Be careful, though. Belief-O-Matic, as the Web site points out, "assumes no legal liability for the ultimate fate of your soul."
Stork Cam is Live
Spring has decidedly sprung here in Germany and even the mythic baby-bringing storks have noticed. That's right, Germany's native white storks are back from their winter vacations in South Africa and up to their mating games again. Typically, they mate in the spring and lay their eggs around mid to late April. The baby storks -- usually two to five to a nest -- hatch about a month later. You can catch a peek of this exciting wildlife moment at this all-stork, all-the-time Web site, which includes bounteous information about these magnificent creatures and even a live video feed allowing you to - yes - watch a stork sit on its eggs. If you are lucky and keep watching for a full month, you may even catch the magic moment when the little baby birdies hatch. Then again, you might be brain dead by then.
