In Case Of Delay

We've all been there ... sitting at the airport looking balefully at screens that show delays across the board. You're too tired and frustrated to work, read, or join the rowdy crowds at the airport bar. What to do? Assuming you're lucky enough to have Wi-Fi, we suggest you fire up that laptop and hit the Web for some fun, education, and self improvement! You'll be surprised how quickly the minutes will pass once you've become engaged in these cool, useful Web resources.

Go Just About Anywhere With Google Earth

Take a virtual trip home or abroad with Google Earth . This downloadable utility displays amazingly crisp, detailed satellite images across the world. After about five minutes to download and install, our team was able to type in several addresses and literally zoom right in on our homes in Austin, San Francisco, and New York. We also took a quick jaunt to Rome for an aerial view of the Vatican!

Once you've gotten over the thrill of flying across the country while sitting in the airport chair, zero in on a city or neighborhood and play with the layers boxes to find local schools, video stores, malls, bars, and more. We bet this cool utility will keep you occupied for a good while. It will probably become a very useful tool for future trips, too.

Get it here: http://earth.google.com .

Sit Back And Brush Up Your Business Sense

Did you know the major Web conferencing companies provide free Web seminars with leading business experts and authors? Of course, the strategy is to demonstrate their products, but the event archives are an excellent resource for fine tuning your business acumen and enthusiasm.

• Microsoft Live Meeting's seminar archive currently includes more than 250 seminars ranging from Freakonomics to Making Your Dreams Come True .
• Microsoft also powers the Leadership Forum and Trump University -- both great places to get lost for a bit and learn while you're at it.
• Raindance's Online Institute provides an extensive list of experts and topics, primarily focused on leadership, sales, and marketing.
• WebEx's Seminar Series offers yet another serious business seminar archive. It's sprinkled with quite a bit of self promotional seminars, but it's worth the wading to find the good stuff!

To view most of the archived online seminars, all you need is an internet connection, media player, and about an hour!

Test Yourself

You may not be feeling too sharp at the moment, but these online tests may help you feel a little smarter, self-aware, or -- at the very least, occupy your mind for a while!

• IQtest.com's exclusive IQ test will measure your performance in 13 different areas of intelligence and identify your main cognizant strengths and weaknesses. If you're not in the mood for a test, give their Consciousness Exercises a try. These three free exercises help you explore making choices, understand how you create meaning, and understand the difference between thinking and listening to a thought.
• Tickle.com , the "#1 Destination for Self Discovery," touches on the lighter side with a ton of free tests ranging from Your Style Profile to The Career Makeover Test. They typically take 15 minutes or less and deliver interesting, entertaining insights. Short, easy registration is required.