1) DuckDuckGo
duckduckgo.com (ddg.gg)
A time-saving, search engine alternative to Google, DuckDuckGo offers the privacy, speed, and simplicity that other, bigger search engines no longer provide. Unlike Google, Bing, or Yahoo, DuckDuckGo doesn’t filter search results based on customer behavior, or track customers for that matter.
However, my favorite feature of this search engine is the ‘!bang’ system, which allows simple command-based searches to be executed from the search bar in your browser (once you set your default search engine to DuckDuckGo). For example, searching for “!d crepuscular” sends the browser directly to The Free Dictionary search result page for “crepuscular”.
The traditional way of getting there would involve going to thefreedictionary.com, loading the main page, then typing in your search query, and finally loading the results page. Using DuckDuckGo’s !bang system saves time and bandwidth. There are over 7000 !bang commands built into DuckDuckGo. Here are some of the most useful and time-saving commands:
| !a | Amazon |
| !b | Bing |
| !d | TheFreeDictionary.com |
| !e | Ebay |
| !g | Google (TSL encrypted) |
| !gf | Google Finance |
| !i | Google Images |
| !m | Google Maps |
| !mc | Metacritic |
| !n | Google News |
| !rt | Rottentomatoes |
| !t | Thesuaraus.com |
| !wa | WolframAlpha |
| !y | Yahoo |
| !yt | Youtube |
| !zillow | Zillow |
Full list of !bang commands here.
I find DuckDuckGo to be one of the more underrated and useful web developments of the last few years. However, the search engine may be gaining recognition. According to DuckDuckGo’s official traffic report, the search engine has grown to over 5 million search queries daily.
2) Glassdoor
Although the cumbersome layout—including pop-ups pestering the user to login or register before viewing some content—diminishes the user experience of this website, it is nonetheless notable for providing indispensable information about the job market. The website compiles current and former employee reviews of experiences working at many major companies and government agencies. Current employees can compare their work experiences, salaries, and even opinions of their CEO to those of coworkers in different positions, while prospective employees can read company reviews and interview experiences to better prepare and determine if a company is the right fit for them.
3) Where’s George?
This entertaining gem of a website harkens back to 1998. During the late 90s and early 00s dollar bills with “wheresgeorge.com” stamped on them became a ubiquitous fixture in many cash registers in the US. The simple concept of Where’s George? allows users to track the circulation of US banknotes by stamping them. When another Where’s George user comes across a banknote that has been stamped, she or he may log the time and place of the transaction on the website.
Although its popularity has declined in recent years, the website is still fully operational and can be a surprising source of occasional entertainment. For example, I once logged a bill that I received as change at my university, only to find that it had originally been deposited by a patron at a nearby strip club. It can take a long time before banknotes get logged by another user, however it’s rewarding to see how far your bills have traveled and where they were spent.
4) Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD)
Everyday for the past 20 years APOD has posted an image relating to astronomy. Each post includes a brief commentary on the image written by an astronomer. This website can provide an interesting and often beautiful 2-minute diversion from anyone’s daily routine.
Indispensable PC 