Hello and welcome to Mac's Picks of the Week. If you are interested in why this site exists, how it operates, and a little about Mac, then click on the Why and How Info link and see what is there. When you have finished please return to this Home page and see what sites I have chosen this week to receive a Mac's Picks of the Week award. Thank you for visiting and please share this site with friends, family, and colleagues who you feel will enjoy it.

This page is updated on a weekly basis, each Monday Australian (Queensland) time (GMT + 10 hours according to the world clock). Please come back and visit often.

Finding a blog that interests you enough to keep coming back again and again to see the latest entry, is a difficult task. However, when you find one that fits that criteria you just want to share it with others. Therefore I introduce you to Neatorama which may be a bit "hippy" sounding for some, but trust me, it's far from that. This is certainly one of the most enjoyable blogs I've come across in a long time. See what you think.

Being a bit of a photography buff I love learning more and more about taking good photographs. Thus, the Photography Tips site, filled with great ideas and wonderful tips, is something you might enjoy as well. I might add it also has some amazing photographs for you to see. This one is well worth a bookmark, especially if you want to return again and again to really improve your photography skills.

Sharing knowledge about a subject (any subject) can sometimes be done with simple text, but there are times when you need the person you are teaching to look at what you're doing to ensure you get the message across. Doing that online can take a lot of work, and thus the site called viewdo Know-how on-the-go now! is just that little bit different from the rest. It will teach you all manner of things, like how to tie a proper Windsor knot, or do a back flip off a wall, or build a chicken run... Need I say more? Have a look.

One of the more pleasurable ways to keep your brain active is to try your hand at crossword puzzles, online as well as your local newspaper. However, you can get frustrated if the first clue in the puzzle doesn't become obvious and you need to move on. Discouraging as that may sound, there is a help site for crossword lovers that may just help you over that stumbling block and set you in motion to complete the entire puzzle, and that site is called One Across - Search for Crossword Puzzle Answers - Solve Crossword Puzzles Online, Find Anagrams. I know - long name but it does tell you exactly what the site does. Enter the clue and the pattern of letters and most of the time it will give you that elusive answer. Give it a try.

Another site that is interesting and also has some challenging games (some for younger folk as well as some for the more mature) is called Games For The Brain and I feel it's aptly named. See what you think. Go play... and learn.

Being an insulin dependent diabetic, sites like the one called SugarStats.com - Simple, Online Blood Sugar Tracking for Diabetes Management can be worth their weight in gold. Have a look and please pass it on to anyone you know who has this terrible disease. Did you know, by the way, that it's almost the most prevalent disease on the planet? When did you have your doctor check your blood for signs of diabetes? Remember, it isn't called "The Silent Killer" for nothing.

Those involved in education need all the help they can get. In particular, those who teach Chemistry or Algebra get a tip of my old hat any day. However, there are sites that can help you as an educator come up with some interesting ways to teach these subjects. Have a look at the Fun Based Learning - Welcome site and try out some of the tutorials available there. You can even make an html based 5 question quiz here and all for free. Now that has to be good. Have a look and pass it on to anyone involved in teaching these subjects in particular.

One of the most difficult, if not THE most difficult language to learn is English. There are so many meanings for the same sounding word that I'm thankful I grew up with the language. There are various sites that will help you learn this difficult language and the one called English the Easy Way certainly sounds helpful. I must admit I've not delved into the site all that much, but if you're trying to learn English it may be of help to you. Enjoy your language studies.

When was the last time you did your backups? I know, that is the most feared question computer users ever hear. You need not back up your programs (you hopefully still have the DVDs they came on) but you simply must backup your work, those files you made. If not, it is only a matter of time before you lose it all. All computers - I will say that again - ALL computers will pack up and die at some point. When that happens you will lose data. However, if you've backed it up in some way you should be reasonably safe. So what do you use? DVDs or CDs or floppy disks, or external hard drives or tape or .... Well, you see the problem. One solution that may sound different at first is to go to the Mozy Online Backup Simple, Automatic, Secure - Free Online Storage site and back up your data there. Yes, you can encrypt it so no one but you can open it, but the important thing is that you do your backups regularly. How often is often enough? I have always said it depends on how much data you're willing to lose. Photos? Word documents? Email? Spreadsheets or databases? The choice is yours. Back up your data now.

There is no doubt in my mind whatsoever that my grandsons would love a dog. However, they simply don't live in a place conducive to owning one and at this age (2 and 6) they aren't yet old enough to take proper care of a pet. So, what is the alternative? I suggest simply encouraging them to visit the AdoptMe.com Virtual Pets and adopt a pet there will help. This may sound simple but it's not. It is designed to ensure you realise how to take care of a pet. You need to play with it, exercise it, feed it, ensure it has water and also is free from disease, and you need to train it as well. Maybe your young folk can learn the lessons necessary to care for a pet here as well. Have a look - before you go out and purchase that pet.

More and more people are listening to online radio, and even broadcasting it to other rooms of their home over networks they have installed in their home. Where do you find radio stations from around the world that you might enjoy listening to? One great place is the PublicRadioFan.com - Music programs on now site. It lists more than you'll ever need but think how great that would be throughout your own home? And, if you're a student, be aware that scientific studies have shown that baroque music playing in the background helps you study. Why? *shrugs* I have no idea but it apparently does help. Save the rock for relaxation.

Do you remember playing Rock - Paper - Scissors as a child? If you do, you have got to have a look at the World RPS Society site. Yes, a site devoted to RPS. Would it be safe to say that some people have way too much time on their hands? You be the judge.

Rebecca Game of "Digital Women - Women with their modems running...", is my web designer and a graphic designer who is superb to say the least. Her site, dedicated to women on the net, is worth seeing and bookmarking for future reference. If you are looking for links of interest to women, please visit her site. And if you need the best graphic designer on the planet, I seriously can't recommend her more highly. Oh yes, and when you visit her site, tell her Mac sent you. Thank you Rebecca. I am eternally grateful for your assistance and expertise. ;-)