Webware

Like death and taxes, another one of life's inevitabilities is moving. Unless you're a wealthy agoraphobic, chances are you've either done a move all by yourself, or hired outside help. The process for the latter can be expensive, which is where CityMove comes in. The free service lets you post a job for movers who can then offer you a bid, allowing you to choose the best deal if there are multiple offers.

It's the same idea that was popularized with bank loans by LendingTree in the 1990s, although in this case you're the one doling out the cash. You can select to pay your movers on a flat rate for the whole move, or by the hour. Either way, everything short of the transaction is managed on the site using a simple, but detailed wizard.

As the person who's moving, there are a few prerequisites. For one, you have to estimate how many people you'll need to help you out, as well as what kind of transportation they should bring. You can also leave it up to the movers. In either case, you're required to provide a detailed of estimate on how much stuff you have, right down to how many boxes are being moved, what size they are, and how much they weigh. This can be difficult if you haven't started packing yet.

Just one part of the lengthy moving preparation involves guesstimating how much space you need, and how many people you need to help you move it.

(Credit: CNET)

This level of detail can be helpful though. It shows you what you have to do to get ready for the move, such as breaking down a dresser, or ordering supplies to package delicate items like glass or artwork. For first-time movers this can be a good gut check, although having to go through these motions on every item you own is a big pain if you've got a lot of stuff.

Once you choose the company you want to hire, and finish the move, the site lets you review those movers for future customers. These are called "verified" reviews, and can only be done if the move is organized through CityMove's system. However, if you've used one of the movers previously, you can also review them--it just isn't weighted as heavily. CityMove also lets the movers respond to bad reviews, which can give you the heads up on whether that particular company is paying attention to feedback.

CityMove is currently available only in the U.S. and Canada. See also our two guides that help you use various Web services to do a move: Your online guide to moving, and Moving 2.0: More than 30 services to help you relocate.

Yahoo is closing its GeoCities personal home page service, and with it will go an era of self-expression on the Web that's largely been replaced by social networks and blogs.

GeoCities rose to power during an era when publishing on the Internet meant setting up your own Web site. GeoCities simplified the process by helping people sidestep the complications of registering a domain and learning how to program HTML, the language that describes Web pages.

Yahoo is closing it GeoCities site this year.

(Credit: Screenshot by Stephen Shankland/CNET)

Yahoo bought GeoCities for more than $2.9 billion in dot-com-priced stock in 1999, when GeoCities had more than 1.1 million users. However, while the idea of having a personal presence on the Internet has caught on, GeoCities turned out to be a backwater, not the mainstream.

"We will be closing GeoCities later this year," Yahoo said in a note on the site. "We'll provide more details about closing GeoCities and how to save your site data this summer."

Goodbye Geocities, hello Facebook
Today, the way people choose to express themselves on the Internet is shifting away from isolated Web pages. Instead they use social-networking sites such as Facebook, with built-in features for creating a profile, staying in touch with contacts, and maintaining at least a little privacy; WordPress, where it's easy to post updates to a blog; or Flickr, where the photographically inclined can meet, share, and comment.

What these services and others including Twitter, YouTube, MySpace, and Blogger possess is a mechanism to notify interested parties of new activity, helping to keep social links pulsing with new information in a way that just can't be replicated by depending on a person to swing by a personal Web site.

That's not to say personal home pages are extinct. Google Sites is still around, and Yola, formerly SynthaSite, bought out search ads related to GeoCities searches on Thursday. But for most folks, it's easier to rely on more sophisticated pre-built services than to roll their own sites.

It's no surprise GeoCities is on the chopping block. Yahoo has its hands full trying to integrate its successful properties with the socially active parts of the Internet. The company hardly has resources to spare on last decade's trend.

Part of GeoCities' closure is related to Yahoo's circumstances. The company already was under financial pressure before the recession arrived in full force, but now things are even tighter, and new Chief Executive Carol Bartz is focusing on the company's core, successful properties--laying off about 675 employees in areas that don't pass muster.

GeoCities' vanishing sites?
Still unclear is what exactly will become of GeoCities pages. New sign-ups are already no longer permitted, but what about existing sites?

Here's how Yahoo put it: "You can continue to enjoy your Web site and GeoCities services until later this year. You don't need to change a thing right now--we just wanted you to let you know about the closure as soon as possible. We'll provide more details about closing GeoCities and how to save your site data this summer, and we will update the help center with more details at that time."

That leaves open the possibility that Yahoo will make it possible to move a site to another service, as it did when shutting down Yahoo Photos, but in the current climate, it's probably best not to expect such a graceful transition option. Yahoo wouldn't comment on its plans.

Another option is to upgrade to a separate paid Yahoo service: "You don't need to change your service today, but we encourage anyone interested in a full-featured Web hosting plan to consider upgrading to our award-winning Yahoo Web Hosting service."

But given how many GeoCities users weren't technical experts, it seems likely that a lot of amateur Web sites soon will vanish without a trace, a casualty of business priorities and the Internet's rapid changes.

(Credit: Twitter)

In observance of Good Friday, a New York church has been Twittering the story of the Passion--the biblical tale of the hours leading up to Jesus' crucifixion. This means that subscribers will receive 140-character updates coming from a set of Twitter accounts run by people playing characters in the story.

Trinity Wall Street is an Episcopal church in Manhattan's Financial District that live-streams its services on the Web, encourages members of the congregation to send video e-postcards to friends and family, and produces its own podcasts. The church's thinking behind offering a Twitter feed of the Passion is to offer a way to bring the day of observance into modern life and technology: While Good Friday is one of the most important days of the church year for many Christian denominations, there are plenty of devout Americans who don't take the day off from work.

But edgy interpretations of the Passion are nothing new. This is the same subject matter depicted in "The Passion of the Christ," the controversial Mel Gibson movie from a few years ago in which the dialogue was presented in the languages of the time without subtitles.

Also worth noting this week: a Passover haggadah depicted in the form of a Facebook news feed.

Whether you're moving to a new place or you just want to be more familiar with your surroundings, there are a variety of sites on the Web that fill you in on everything from restaurants to businesses to apartments in your area.

Find some businesses

BooRah If you're only looking for restaurants, BooRah is for you. The site features information on how to get to a restaurant, but really shines when you read through the informative reviews from users and consider the "similar restaurant" tab, which features a listing of local eateries that are similar to your search. Also good: The site's "explore" tool, which lets you look through the city your restaurant is in to find other eateries. It is not as full-featured as Yelp, but BooRah is a fine alternative if you want to find a place to eat tonight.

CitySearch makes it simple to find places in your area.

(Credit: Don Reisinger/CNET Networks)

CitySearch With a revamped site that includes new features and Facebook Connect support, CitySearch is a solid alternative for those who want to get to know their surroundings. The site gives you the option to find bars, restaurants, shopping locations, and more. Each page includes a description by an editor, supplemented by user reviews. In most cases, those user reviews provide valid insight into different locales.

InsiderPages If you're looking for specific type of businesses in your area, InsiderPages is a great resource. You start in a city of your choosing and input keywords like "dentist" or "plumber" to find all the companies providing those services in the area. Once you find a company, InsiderPages displays reviews it takes from CitySearch and other sites, and it includes a description of the business that was written by users who have been there.

FindnTell FindnTell is a useful site, although it's only got New York City info right now. It allows you to search for local businesses anywhere in the U.S. and uses Google Maps to make it easier to find places. It's designed well and its listings are informative.

NearbyNow If you're looking for specific products, try this site. It features categories ranging from appliances to cell phones to luggage. Once you input your location and choose a category, you'll be brought to a page detailing products that are available and where you can get them in your area. Looking for a Stilettoi t satellite radio? It's available at the Best Buy 20 miles from your home and it costs $250. That's the kind of information NearbyNow will provide and it comes in especially handy when you know you need something and you have no idea if it's available. It's a unique service.

TripAdvisor It might not be designed specifically for those who want information about their neighborhood, but TripAdvisor is still a great place to go if you want to find out about hotels or other tourist locations in your area. Whenever I want to get out of the house for a night or simply want to check out something notable in my area, TripAdvisor is my first stop.

Yahoo Local Yahoo Local reminds me of Yelp in quite a few ways. It includes a huge listing of businesses, the option to create reviews, and its page design makes it easy to search around the site. And thanks to the massive Yahoo community, it's also one of the more active sites in this roundup, featuring numerous reviews on restaurants, bars, shopping malls, and other frequented locales in your area. That said, it doesn't have the same social flavor as Yelp, and its listings pages are a bit cluttered. Regardless, it's worth using for a second opinion.

YellowBot is simpler than CitySearch.

(Credit: Don Reisinger/CNET Networks)

YellowBot If you're looking to find places and you don't want to deal with all the extras that sites like CitySearch offer, use YellowBot. The site makes it simple, with two search boxes entitled, "What" and "Where." As you might expect, you're only required to input what you're looking for and where you want to find it and within seconds, you'll have a page displaying the company's user rating, reviews by those who have been patrons of the firm, and contact information. The site also finds reviews from across the Web to supplement its pages.

Yelp If you're looking for the best local search service on the Web, go to Yelp. The site has it all. According to the company it now has over 5 million user reviews and based on my searches, I believe it--nothing was left out. But where Yelp really shines is in its coverage. Regardless of whether you sign up for the site or not, you'll find more cities in Yelp than in any other service in this roundup and I found that since the community is much larger, there are more reviews, giving Yelp an advantage over competitors. (On the other hand, there are questions about the credibility of Yelp business pages.)

Apartments, events, and more

ApartmentRatings Looking for a new apartment and don't know where to begin? Check out ApartmentRatings. Once you input a zip code into the site's search box, you'll find a listing of apartments in the area. Once you click on a property you're interested in, tenant reviews tell you if it's worth living there. I've used the site in the past and the reviews are spot on. If you're moving into an apartment, don't do anything before you consult ApartmentRatings.

Craigslist What good would a local site roundup be without Craigslist? As if you need to be told, Craigslist is the single destination to find anything you want in your area. Whether it's a used couch or open slots on a softball team, you can find it all on Craigslist. And since it's such a popular destination, there's no shortage of local information. It's one of the best destinations in this roundup.

Upcoming helps you find out what to do tonight.

(Credit: Don Reisinger/CNET Networks)

Upcoming Upcoming includes information about upcoming events in your area, such as conferences, concerts, and other social events. But what sets the site apart is its geotagging, which allows you to search for events by neighborhood or general area. And if you meet someone at a show and you want do something with them next weekend, you can friend them on the site and see where they're going next.

Zvents If you're looking for something to do this weekend, Zvents is worth visiting. It automatically determines your location and lets you search through all the events that are happening in your area. Whether you want to check out the free concert at your neighborhood hangout or the big event at the local arena, Zvents has it all. It's my go-to destination when I want to go out.

Twitter has been great for tracking things like earthquakes, forest fires, and other natural disasters, but what about human health? SickCity, a new Twitter mashup is doing just that, by tracking people's tweets about being sick, having sore throats, and other physical maladies (like zombification). The tool lets you track these occurrences both by city and each specific ailment. And the stats go back to the last 31 days, which can show you if a certain type of sickness is trending.

Google rolled out something similar for flu trends back in November of last year, however that's based on people's searches on Google.com along with historic data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. SickCity, on the other hand, has more up to date information, albeit from a smaller portion of users, and the added benefit of letting you drill down to a city level (something Google doesn't do). In the future, I'd love to see the tool integrate both sets of this data: that of Twitter users, and the results from Google. This could make things really interesting.

Coming soon as an additional source of data for SickCity will be status updates from Facebook, which should make good use of that new "What's on your mind?" box. If "braaaaains!" starts showing up, SickCity may be the first place to give you warning of the zombie apocalypse.

SickCity shows you the latest Twitter messages about certain colds and other ailments down to a city level.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

Google Maps and Google Earth are the centerpiece of NYCGo, a new information and reference project launched by the New York City government to provide resources to both visitors and locals. Wednesday's launch announced the debut of NYCGo.com, a Google Maps-fueled local search and reference site, as well as the unveiling of the renovated New York City Information Center a few blocks north of the tourist-heavy Times Square district.

NYCGo.com contains not just Google map and search data, but also travel deals from Travelocity and local content from what-to-do powerhouse Time Out New York, nightlife culture magazine Paper, the New York Observer, and eco-living guide Greenopia.

The information center, located on Seventh Avenue between 52nd and 53rd streets, is equally Googly. The city's technocratic mayor, Michael Bloomberg, even contributed a guest post to the official Google blog to announce it: "The Information Center features interactive map tables, powered by the Google Maps API for Flash, that let you navigate venues and attractions as well as create personalized itineraries, which can be printed, emailed or sent to mobile devices," the blog post explained. "Additionally, there's a gigantic video wall that utilizes Google Earth to display a 3D model of New York City on which you can map out personalized itineraries."

Bloomberg has been aggressive about promoting tech initiatives during his time in office, from a wind power plan (part of the much bigger "GreeNYC" project) and a city-run venture firm. Under his watch, the Mountain View, Calif.-based Google opened its New York satellite office, taking over several floors of the historic former Port Authority building downtown.

A side note: the video provided by Google shows the "interactive map tables" in the new information center, and they look a whole lot like Microsoft Surface units. But they aren't, a representative from NYCGo tells us. They're custom-made.

Zannel, a media-rich microblogging service that launched in late 2007, has a new and free iPhone application that puts many of its features on to the popular portable device.

Called CityWatch, the app takes a similar approach to Loopt and Whrrl in allowing you to see and interact with what's going on in your general proximity. It does this by taking each item that's been posted to Zannel and overlaying it onto a map using its geo tag. This also includes items from other networks, like Twitter, Flickr, and eventually any other service that has an open API.

What's neat in Zannel's case is that this activity becomes exploratory and interactive, as you're able to both post and browse through new content in your city or anywhere else in the world. You can also reply to comments in threaded form, just like you can by using the social network on your computer. Eventually users will also be able to sort through all Zannel's content not just by location, but by topic across the entire network.

In my initial run with the application I actually got a little freaked out since the first photo to pop up in my neighborhood was one I had snapped just a few hours before and uploaded to Flickr. I hadn't even plugged in my Flickr credentials, which you can do, along with Twitter to cross-post the Zannel equivalent of "tweets" and vice-versa.

My only qualm with the otherwise very enjoyable application is that it relies a little bit too much on Safari when it comes to making changes in its settings menu. If you want to authorize Twitter or Flickr, you're kicked off the application and into the browser. The same goes for changing notification settings, which if you're signing up for the first time, are automatically set to opt-you in to a text message and e-mail every time another Zannel member: decides to follow you, publishes a comment, sends you a friend request, or replies to one of your messages. All this can be turned off, but it's annoying that it's turned on by default and must be managed outside of the application.

CityWatch by Zannel (App Store link)

CityWatch offers two views for geotagged content, both in list form and on a map so you can see where posts and photos come from.

(Credit: CNET Networks / Josh Lowensohn)

Is this a local news site or a celebrity gossip blog? I can't quite tell.

(Credit: AOL)

Maybe it's just because it's Monday morning and I've had only one cup of coffee, but I'm not quite comprehending DigitalCity.com, the latest in a parade of bloggy new sites from AOL.

A press release describes Digital City, which gets its name from a very vintage AOL brand, as "a new approach to geo-blogging by showcasing original content with a local slant, but global appeal." In other words, it's stuff about nightclubs in Vegas, concerts in Portland, and New York vs. Boston rivalries that are written so that you don't have to actually live in one of those cities to get what's going on. I suppose it's supposed to be in contrast to the insidery SFist or New York magazine--more like Gawker, which is New York-centric but pulls in traffic from around the world.

Unfortunately, it's disjointed, and that's something that advertisers, in addition to readers, will likely note. A post about great grilled cheese restaurants (one in Colorado, one in L.A.) precedes one about John McCain's ties to the gambling industry and then one about Segways. And the most recent post right now informs us all that it's Zachary Levi's birthday. We all heart Zachary Levi (he's the title character on sitcom Chuck, not Bristol Palin's fiancé, FYI--that's Levi Johnston), but this blog still doesn't exactly have a clear vision.

AOL can back it up with a ton of non-blog content, like its city directory and local news sites, but I can't really see how that would fit into DigitalCity.

Oh, well. Better luck next time, AOL.

A look at the iGoogle Artist Theme created by Brazilian label Havaianas.

(Credit: Google)

Many a couture designer might frown on Google's trademark primary colors (what do they say about putting yellow next to red again?), but that doesn't mean that Mountain View doesn't have some fashion sense. To commemorate this month's New York Fashion Week in midtown Manhattan, Google has introduced a new set of themes for its iGoogle personal homepage service, created by some of the biggest names in high style.

The 19 designers and labels included in the special edition of iGoogle Artist Themes (a project originally launched in May) include Gucci, Betsey Johnson, Vivienne Tam, Kate Spade, Burberry, and my personal favorite--funky Brazilian flip-flop line Havaianas. Several other fashion labels, like Diane von Furstenberg and Marc Ecko, were already on iGoogle as part of the original Artist Themes launch.

Google also launched nine more themes created by musicians, including Bob Dylan, Gnarls Barkley, and Radiohead, the pioneering British act that already has a big following from the Googleplex.

The debut of iGoogle's fashion themes, to take place Wednesday through Friday at New York Fashion Week's headquarters, will be lower-key than the glitzy affair in May that splashed colorful projections all over the cobblestone streets of the downtown Meatpacking District.

But having a presence at Fashion Week is a savvy move for Google, regardless of how many iGoogle users want to put Jimmy Choo on their personal homepages, as the biannual sartorial confab isn't just a big deal for the fashion business. It's also a big occasion for Google's dance partner of choice in New York--the ad industry.

This post was updated at 7:58 a.m. PT.