Intranets.com is a private place on the Web where you, your family, friends or business associates can easily access and share documents, calendars and event information.

In effect, it's like your own private web site where only those who are invited can visit. Among other handy things you can do here: Set up a group calendar, have group discussions, post a poll and watch the results roll in. Your intranet site includes site hosting, a custom URL, and interactive applications. You can use your site to centralize important personal or company information, let your users post documents, create group schedules, announce events, and lots more!

You and your authorized participants can even sync information wirelessly with your handhelds.

This is lots of good useful stuff---and it's free!

Find anyone's birthday

Question: When was Bill Gates born? Answer: October 28, 1955.

AnyBirthday.com will fetch you anyone's birthdate. Now you can go to this magic place and simply enter a name and zip code (optional) and Shazam—up comes the birth date –year and all! This unique site draws on a giant database of over 135,000 records.

But there could be big trouble in River City! What if you or your loved ones are among that fussy band of folks who don't want ANYONE to know their birth date? They can breath a little easier. There is a quickie “Opt Out Option” that allows anyone to remove their name from the prying eyes of public curiosity!

While here you can also create a list of birthdays and these clever folks will send you a birthday reminder –and even some gift suggestions! This service is free and great for helping you keep track of your customers' birthdays!

Run your computer from anywhere

Do you move around a lot but have a lot of information stored at home on your computer that you need? With GoToMyPC.com, you don't even need a notebook or handheld!

This clever site allows you to remotely access and control your computer from any other Internet-connected computer in the world through a secure, private connection. In short you can run your computer back home from someone else's machine over the Internet.

Once you have downloaded and installed the software on your computer you can remotely access it from any PC with a Web browser. Once connected you can immediately access your email, applications, documents and network resources. Then you can work on your computer as if you were sitting right in front of it – from anywhere in the world!

Saves a lot of lugging, and it is also free.

A real estate library worth browsing

Want to do some easy-to-access real estate research? Be sure to bookmark this unique resource at www.recyber.com. This fast growing great place has the full text of several major real estate books, periodicals and studies. A quick walk through the stacks finds a major real estate taxation book with hundreds of citations regarding real estate exchanging, the full text of all issues of a major retail real estate publication, two complete thesis studies that research the effect of the internet on the real estate industry and real estate consumer, plus much more in this expanding full-text on-line real estate library!

This is lots of good information for those who are serious in their quest for real estate knowledge!

Published: April 4, 2001

Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.

John M. "Jack" Peckham is the Executive Director of REcyber.com (the Real Estate CyberSpace Society). In that capacity he oversees the development and delivery of the latest up to the minute Real Estate Cyberspace tools, strategies, networking structures and services that the Society provides its members to leverage their effectiveness, visibility, professionalism and earnings. As host of Real Estate CyberSpace Radio, he provides over 40 hours of programming to help listeners integrate the power of the Internet into their daily business lives. He is the author of several real estate books published by Prentice Hall and Harcourt Brace Jovanovich including his latest Master Guide to Income Property Brokerage from Wiley Publishing. A columnist for the Boston Herald for nine years, his syndicated columns have appeared in over 100 papers nationwide. Jack loves to sell real estate has been involved directly in the sale of over one billion dollars in Real Estate. Today he sells in his jeans and fuzzy slippers as a one-man shop and has closed over $40,000,000 in sales on the Internet recently in 20% of his working time. The balance he spends directing the affairs of the 10,000 member Real Estate CyberSpace Society. The Society awards the RECS (Real Estate CyberSpace Specialist) Designation to members based on the current criteria. He served as Chairman of the Strategic Planning Committee for the National Association of Realtors (NAR), is a Past President of the Massachusetts Association of Realtors and has been honored as the Massachusetts State Realtor of the Year. You can reach Jack at or by calling 617-523-4441.