Great Websites

There are so many amazing ways that the internet has changed our lives.  Every now and then, a website comes along, that can transform the way we work, travel or access information.  We have started to compile lists of great websites to pass onto members, and starting in this edition, we will continue to bring new cool sites to your attention.

Skyscanner.net

Being part of the EuRA team means organising a great deal of travel, for conferences, council meetings, training and so on.

One of the very best websites for checking out cheap flights is www.skyscanner.net

This highly intuitive site, allows searches of cheap flights, by origin and destination.  For example; I recently had to organise the first EARP Level Three training in Berlin.  In order to check the best ways for the speakers and Board Members to fly into Berlin, I would previously have had to check about eight different airlines, such as Air Berlin, Easyjet, Ryanair, German Wings, Wizz and so on.

With Skyscanner, one search per origin to Berlin, lists all of the low cost airlines that fly there, along with times and costs.  Once you choose your route, time and flight, the system takes you straight to the airline's website to complete your booking.  A huge time saving!

Be aware however, that Skyscanner only checks low cost and charter airlines, so flights with Lufthansa, Air France, British Airways etc, are not listed.

The CIA Website

The CIA website is not as secret as we may imagine!

In fact, it contains arguably the most up to date and comprehensive country guides of any online resource.

A quick visit to www.cia.gov will give you access to an amazing diversity of information.  Go to the Library anf References section and click on The World Factbook.  Use the click down box on the top left to select a country, and you will have access to some valuable information, all for ffree and with no login requirement.

Examples of Information Available;

Geographical maps
Land area and borders
Population
Economic overview - including GDP, growth and tax burden
Major imports and exports

This website is well worth spending some time to explore.  The direct link to the World Factbook is http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html

Google Earth

Although at first sight, www.googleearth.com looks like too much fun to be a useful tool, it can actually save both time and money when travelling, especially to the US.

On entering google Earth, you will be prompted to download the software, a very easy, two minute task, that then loads the system onto your PC.  You must be online to use the service.

Once this is done, the world appears before you (literally) and now the fun begins.  You can search the world by aerial photograph, although the highest levels of detail are currently reserved for the US.  Google are massively expanding the system, and hope to have the highest resolution images of 80% of the populated parts of the planet online by the end of 2007.

This is truly an awe inspiring system, and does have more practical aspects than just trying to find your house!

Travelling to the US for coneferences or meetings, it is easy to judge just how far that hotel with the great deal on Expedia is from the office or convention centre where your meeting will be.  The system can pinpoint hotels and even restuarants.  The system can search by Zip code or postcode and is even entertaining to watch as you sweep around the globe from country to country.

Alta Vista Babel Fish

Although I wouldn't rely on this site to translate a legal document, the clever translation service available on http://babelfish.altavista.digital.com/ is well worth testing out.

Just type in a word or phrase and select "Translate from and to" to see the phrase in the language of your choice.  The system is very literal, but offers a good, online phrasebook.

Some examples;

English Phrase:  I am relocating to Tokyo in the summer

French:  je replace à Tokyo en été

German:   ich verlagere nach Tokyo am Sommer 

Japanese:  ?????????? (Was not able to deal with this one!)

Portugese:   eu relocating a Tokyo no verão

Russian:   я пе€еЎОслП†О€ƒŽ к tokyo в ле‚е

Spanish:   estoy volviendo a poner a Tokio en el verano

Dutch:   ik vestig me aan Tokyo in de zomer opnieuw


The EuRApean is offering a prize for the funniest bad transaltion to come out of Babel Fish - Please email your answers to Dominic Tidey