Trick #1: A Butler to Read You the News

How about a butler to read the news to you each morning? This software converts any text you highlight on the web into spoken words so you can listen to text instead of reading from the screen. And as long as this neat software is running all you need do is press the program hot button on your keyboard to hear any selected text.

This neat little program can also read you your e-mail, your word documents -- in short any text you can see on your screen in just about any program. It will also convert text into an MP3 or WAV audio file, so you can listen later after downloading to your iPod or burning it onto a CD.

Good stuff and the price is right -- it's on the house.

Trick #2: Family Tree Geni

How'd you like to build a family tree and get your relatives to do most of the work?

This is a new genealogy site with a new attitude. Instead of making you do all the work, the site allows you to invite in relatives, who use their knowledge of the family history, and let them fill in their information. It looks like when everyone gets through doing their bit we'll end up with a huge consolidated family tree of the world.

And like many other noble causes there is no cost to use this neat service.

Great Place #1: Never Forget a Thing

This is a simple and easy to use tool that really works. Just go to this great place, enter your cell number and a text reminder. Then schedule the time you would like it delivered and Shazam -- your cell phone will alert you right on time.

You can set up birthday reminders for the rest of the year and get your "to do" reminders right on schedule. You can also use this little web service to remind others about an event at a specific date and time. Its uses are only limited by your imagination.

The simplicity of this program will remind you of Google and there is no cost to use this one trick pony.

Great Place #2: Find Local Events Fast

Want to find out what's going on around town? Then this is a great place to start. You can search by date, zip code, insert a mileage radius and select the type of event such as Arts & Crafts, Community, Business & Tech, Dance, Fairs & Festivals, Food & Dining, Music, Performing Arts, Sports & Outdoors or Visual Arts.

In addition you can add your event and it will be picked up here and at any applicable media partner where it will also appear locally on the web and in print.

There are lots of additional bells and whistles here. Nice resource.

Published: August 3, 2007

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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.