Mixx is a fast, fun, and most of all, informative site that gives you a nice change of pace from competing community-driven news sites like Digg.

Clean and simple interface. Fast navigation. Offers a wide range of topics and sub-categories. Users can see voted and how.

Users can't vote on comments. Relatively new, so content history is sparse.

Fast, easy to use, fun, and most of all informative, Mixx offers an interesting change of pace from competing community-driven news sites like Digg.

Outraged users are petitioning Google to roll back implementation of iGoogle's new "Canvas" display style, but I don't agree.

Canvas view lets you do more with gadgets. Full-page feed view. Loads faster than Netvibes or Pageflakes. No display ads. Theme search. Highlights editor-recommended gadgets.

Still trails Yahoo! in content service integration and display conveniences. Pageflakes has a slicker customization interface and better sharing options.

Simplify your Internet experience by using Pageonce to manage all your everything—from your Netflix queue to your utility bills.

Lets you manage a variety of online accounts from one place. More personalized content than most start pages. Can view Pageonce info on iPhone, iPod touch.

No Facebook support. No open platform for third-party apps. Can't add POP3 e-mail accounts.

Pageonce simplifies your online life by letting you manage all your online accounts from one simple platform.

Kaspersky Internet Security 2009 has a new interface that's more attractive and better organized; on the inside, the suite's new application filtering offers no-hassle protection.

Application filtering protects specific system areas against unknown programs. Program takes necessary action without hassling user. Repeat scans blazingly fast. Firewall blocked intrusion tests. Checks for OS and program vulnerabilities. No big performan...

Parental control is still rudimentary. Antiphishing is weak. Spam filter blocks much valid mail. Difficulty installing/scanning on malware-infested systems.

Kaspersky Internet Security's new user interface hides messy security details but leaves them accessible to power users. The new application filtering feature makes the suite smart enough to make its own decisions without hassling the user. As long as you...

When 90 million people use your site to keep track of close and not-so-close friends, a site redesign such as the one Facebook recently undertook can create a lot of upheaval. In fact, when the new look was first shown, people complained about changed loc...

Almost everyone you know is on it. Improved navigation. Less-obnoxious ads.

Limited personalization, skinning options. In IE, can't move content where you want. Applications more hidden than before.

The insider's social network gets a much-needed but mild redesign that boosts clarity, though it still offers little in the way of interface personalization.

The search giant throws its cap into the 3D chat space, but its first beta falls far short of Second Life.

Simple to get started. Clear interface. Lets you customize your 3D space with music, pictures, YouTube videos.

Unsophisticated graphics. Not yet a rich enough experience to become addictive.

Google's foray into the 3D chat arena shows the company's typical ease of use but lacks the depth and graphics quality you'll find in heavy hitters like Second Life.

The Daily Plate helps you reach your fitness goals by making it a snap to track what you eat.

Easily tracks what you've eaten. Customized calorie goals based on your metabolism, how fast you want to lose weight. Comprehensive food, meal database. Lively, helpful community.

Doesn't offer diet tips. Pay version offers few advantages over basic. Doesn't factor body fat into calorie calculations. A lot of work for experimental chefs who create many new multi-ingredient meals.

The Daily Plate is a valuable resource for those who want to track their daily nutritional intake to meet their fitness goals.

Compared with other online PC support services, iYogi costs little more than a mantra. But to get the service you need, you have to be knowledgeable and vigilant.

Low cost. Good availability of technicians. Service's remote-control software can regain control after reboot. Friendly, polite staff.

Less thorough service and diagnostic tools than those of firedog or HiWired. No Mac or Linux support.

iYogi is the lowest-cost service I've tested, and it delivers support 24/7/365. But to get what your PC needs, you have to know the right questions to ask and be willing to ask them.

Some people like to keep their data private. Others like to let it all hang out. Blist is a free online database and spreadsheet application designed mostly for people who like to display data in public. The publicly inclined might use this (somewhat bugg...

Graphics-rich online database application. Can create databases from column headers of hundreds of already-posted databases.

Imperfect imports from existing spreadsheets. Privacy settings default to making all your work available to the public.

This database for MySpace and Facebook addicts might also be useful for small businesses and others with data-sharing needs-might, that is, if it can fix the bugs that plague the beta.

Support site HiWired distinguishes itself from fix-anything services like Geek Squad by being focused solely on PC service and by offering a money-back guarantee (though SupportSpace does this too). While testing HiWired, I encountered the best processes,...

More consistency among technicians, service process, and software repair tools than with some other services. Highly qualified techs. Excellent chat, software repair, and remote control tools.

Pricey.

HiWired offers well-qualified technicians that have a good bedside manner as well as a comprehensive suite of diagnostic, repair, and security software at their disposal.