First, a couple new features at Google. You now have the ability to search by several types of useful numbers; patent numbers, vehicle identification numbers, UPS and FedEx tracking numbers for example, and are given a direct link to a specialized database for each type of number. Some number searches must use a keyword in the search string. For instance to search on a patent number you must enter the word "patent" before the number in the search box (patent 5123123). In the results the first hit as a link to the patent in the US Patent and Trade Office database. See http://www.google.com/help/features.html#number

You can also now check the status of an airline flight in the U.S. or view airport delays and weather conditions. To see delays and weather conditions at a particular airport, type the airport's three letter code followed by the word "airport". To check the status of a U.S. flight, type the name of the airline followed by the flight number.

Two great jumping off points for research and gathering intelligence are the New York Times Navigator http://www.nytimes.com/ref/technology/cybertimes- navigator.html?pagewanted=all&position=top and the Reporters Desktop http://www.reporter.org/desktop/. The Navigator is the home page used by the newsroom of The New York Times for web research and is the larger and more comprehensive of the two directories. Take the time to go down through the extensive list of resources as it helps to reorient one to what's available on the web and ways to begin your research. The Reporters Desktop, although smaller, offers a concise compilation of important web resources and is less overwhelming. One of the most common errors in web searching is using only one search engine. Both of these pages make the point to begin with a list of the many search engines available to more fully search the Internet. From the Reporters Desktop you can even input search terms directly from the homepage.

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