I've downloaded quite a few freeware programs in my time, and with very few exceptions, I've found them to be just as good as their pay-for-play alternatives - and in some cases, even better! Here are a few sites to find freeware programs for pretty much anything you can think of.

• 51 Essential Programs for a Freeware-Only PC: This guy's computer decided to crash, and instead of paying for programs, he went out and found the freeware programs alternative. Some very good picks here.
• 24 Killer Portable Apps for Your USB Flash Drive: If you carry around a USB then you'll definitely want to check out this list.
• TinyApps: This is a large list of (mostly) freeware programs for Windows PC's.
• Lifehacker, a technology productivity blog, has daily freeware downloads. You'll want to check out these categories: Windows Downloads, Featured Downloads, or Mac Downloads.

I also keep track of individual freeware programs that I've personally checked out myself; you can see these at Free Downloads.

Many of us probably take a glance at news online sometime throughout the day, just to see what's happening in the world. The next time you do so, I invite you to check out Newsmap, a visually stunning site that presents Google News in a color/age coded format. It's easy on the eyes, and it's definitely an interesting way to grab the latest headlines.

Speaking of news....

• Ain't It Cool News gives you the inside scoop on movies, television, films, etc.
• World News: Following world news is easy now with the Web. You can get news from all over the world, from virtually every country.
• Technology News: There are plenty of places on the Web where you can find up to the minute technology news on all kinds of interesting new technology, from digital camera technology to nano technology to Bluetooth technology.