Use SlyDial to get through awkward situations

SlyDial is a new Web service that helps you leapfrog straight to someone's voicemail. Now, when would this come in handy? Let's see:

• Say you forgot your Aunt Wilma's birthday - for the second year in a row. It's not looking good for you.
• Your high school reunion is coming up, and they want YOU to make a speech about how you never achieved your dream of being a doctor, but you're successful anyway.
• The office would like to know if you're going to be organizing the yearly barbecue even though you, um, got laid off.

See what I mean? SlyDial is perfect for those awkward situations where you don't really want to talk to someone directly, yet you still need to make contact. The service is free.

Connect with someone on the Web

• Twitter: Twitter is a mini-blogging platform that you can use to send messages of 140 characters or less to family, friends, or just the general Web community at large.
• Google Talk: Google Talk is one of the best instant messenger clients out there on the Web. It's easy to use, plus, you can send files, leave voicemails, or see what other people are listening to.
• Skype: Skype is quickly becoming one of the most popular (and cost-effective) ways to make phone calls to anyone in the world. Learn more about Skype and how you can make it work for you.
• Facebook: Facebook.com is a social networking web site that you can use to connect with other people in your unique community: whether that is a workplace, geographical region, high school, or college.
• Web Community Sites: One of the primary concepts underpinning the Web 2.0 movement has to be that of community: sharing content and ideas with others on the greater Web. Social community sites on the Web offer the searcher anything from shopping to fitness. Here are ten new community Web sites that you might not know about yet, but should.