Movers Hit The Web Before They Hit The Road
More than one in six Americans move each year, and a growing number are turning to the Internet to help research, plan and carry out moves.
A survey by VirtualRelocation.com, an online relocation service, showed that 63 percent of those polled will perform more than half of their research on the Internet. Among these, nearly half will use online resources to plan 75 to 100 percent of their relocation.
Other findings:
* 57 percent of movers are moving because of their careers.
* Only 17 percent receive any form of corporate assistance.
* Just 4 percent receive lump-sum assistance from their employers.
Those factors, according to the survey, are driving the growth in the online relocation business, which offers cost of living analysis, community profiles, school information, local directory resources and assistance with utility and other service connections.
Whether or not you’re looking to make a move, here are a few Web sites worth a look:
* Foot traffic: It’s a little late to begin training for Bloomsday, but a few minutes spent online at this Web site could help runners avoid foot injuries.
FootHealthNetwork.com covers topics such as how to determine if old athletic shoes are still wearable and what factors are important when purchasing new ones. There are tips on stretching and warming up the feet and information about special situations such as seniors and diabetics.
http://www.foothealthnetwork.com
* Talk to me: Dictionaries are a great resource when you need to check the spelling of a word, but they’re less helpful when trying to determine proper pronunciation.
Now, Microsoft is offering free online access to its Encarta World English Dictionary, which provides “easy-to-understand definitions that actually talk to users through human-voice audio pronunciations.”
http://www.encarta.com
* Table for two: Making reservations at your favorite dining establishment used to require actually picking up the phone.
Now you can do it online via a Web site that says it can handle reservations to “virtually any restaurant in the U.S. that accepts reservations.”
Here’s how it works: Log onto the dinnerNOW.com Web site and select a restaurant. The reservation request generates a telephone call to the eatery, which responds through the telephone keypad to the system’s voice prompts. Users receive confirmation of the reservation via e-mail, as well as by telephone, fax and/or pager as desired.
http://www.dinnernow.com