My Yahoo! Blog

“Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” is a fine book by Dr. Seuss that inspires many graduating students at this time of year. It’s also a great phrase to motivate your next travel adventure.

 Vacation season is kicking into gear, and many of us start asking the common questions: Where should I go? When is best to take off? And will I be able to find an option that’s fun, relaxing, and affordable? 

 To help with planning, try these four additions on your My Yahoo! page.

• New York Times – Travel: The frequent articles in this feed are full of information that all savvy travelers want to know — from local tips and convenient destination guides to hidden discounts and best attractions.
• Best Fare Trackers: This app from Yahoo! Travel offers a great way to keep tabs on airfares to your top destinations of interest.
• Travel Plan Ideas: You may find some surprises on the Travel Plan Idea Blog that shape your next trip
• SmarterTravel.com – Deals: Learn about special fares and exclusive, limited-time-only sales on flights to great destinations around the world.

 Start planning an exciting vacation journey this year. Bon voyage!

 – Tom, My Yahoo! Editorial

“Saturday Night Live” had some great momentum this month: Betty White, then Alec Baldwin, then… repeats.  Momentum stalled. I’m not sure the new “MacGruber” film will be enough to fill the void most of us fans will feel until the fall.

 But I have found some fun related sites that you can add to your My Yahoo! page that will keep the laughs coming this summer while keeping you in the loop with any new SNL developments that happen.

• Hulu clips from Saturday Night Live: You can spend hours with this collection, reliving the best and funniest skits.
• Saturday-Night-Live.com: Catch up with news about the show and view Web exclusives (like Alec Baldwin’s faux commercial for “Scrotox.”)
• Hilarious.net: This collection has some great SNL spoofs, but it also highlights items that are good for a laugh any day of the week.
• KristenWiigfan.com: Clips and tidbits about one of the most talented SNL cast members (in my humble opinion), who also costars in “MacGruber.”

 Speaking of Kristen Wiig, I’ll leave you with one of the clips that crack me up from the hulu.com feed:

Tom
- My Yahoo! Editorial

Our lives intersect with personal electronic gadgets more and more every day. Even if you have a flat-screen HD TV, iPhone 3G S, Kindle, and a Pentax Optio M90 camera, I’ll bet there are times you feel intimidated by all the rapid innovations and updates.

 You’re not alone. Compared to the hypothetical consumer mentioned above, I’m a Luddite with my habits of reading books and watching a boxy, TiVo-less, 15-year-old television.

 While I’m in no hurry for upgrades, I am thankful for this CNET app. It’s the closest thing I’ve seen to having all the relevant info you need in one place. In addition to the daily top features, you get four handy sections that can help nearly all your tech needs: 

• Top Technology News
• Popular Gadget Reviews
• Up-to-Date Tech Videos
• Deals of the Day

 The sections have a simple presentation that doesn’t intimidate. But that’s not to say you can’t find really comprehensive information on any of the items that interest you.

 If that’s not enough geekiness for your My Yahoo! page, check out these more specialized feeds: 

• Apple, Mac, iPod and iPhone News: The latest from Macworld.
• Digital Photography Review: Loads of camera info (maybe more than you need to know) from dpreview.com.
• Gizmodo: Updates from one of the leading gadget blogs.

 Tom
- My Yahoo! Editorial

The big summer movie season kicks off with “Iron Man 2,” and fans can expect a steady stream of high-profile films that are packed with action and stars.

Surveying the latest reviews, celebrity interviews, and red-carpet action is all part of the summer-movie fun. Will Tom Cruise’s latest film bomb? Can a fourth “Shrek” find box-office gold? How will Julie Roberts look in her latest movie?

The following apps can help you enjoy all the details:

• Movies Coming Soon: Check this out for movie trailers, premiere dates, and more.
• Variety.com Film Reviews: Find out what the critics think at Hollywood’s influential trade magazine.
• Rotten Tomatoes – Opening Movies: Consult the Tomatometer, an aggregate of critical opinion, before deciding what films to see.
• Movie Showtimes: Find out when and where to see the films that catch your eye.

With all these features for keeping tabs on the summer film season, you’ll always have the best seat in the house.

Apps mentioned in this post:

• Add Movies Coming Soon
• Add Variety.com Film Reviews
• Add Rotten Tomatoes – Opening Movies
• Add Movie Showtimes

Tom
- My Yahoo! Editorial

Financial industry reform is getting lots of attention these days. Many of the issues in the debate may seem distant, partisan, or confusing, but the idea of protecting a consumer’s personal finances hits close to home for each of us.

 Are you looking for some personal finance reform? Start by monitoring your investments and budget, current mortgage-rate data, and business news that is relevant to your situation. These possible additions to your My Yahoo! page can help:

• Stock Portfolio: See how your investments are performing by the minute.
• Yahoo! News – Personal Finance News: Keep tabs on market updates and practical news that affect your bottom line.
• Budget by Mint.com: This handy tool allows you to monitor a budget and track your spending, among other applications.
• Bankrate.com – Mortgages Blog: Get commentary and tips on what to watch for when it comes to financing your home.

 When your money matters are under control and monitored regularly, you’ll be in better shape to handle whatever bumps the economy — and the financial industry — may throw your way.

 Apps mentioned in this post:

• Add Stock Portfolio
• Add Yahoo! News – Personal Finance News
• Add Budget by Mint.com
• Add Bankrate.com – Mortgages Blog

 Tom
- My Yahoo! Editorial