Monitor picks

D.I.Y. without your Guy

Who needs a handyman? Be Jane's Guide to Home Empowerment by Heidi Baker and Eden Jarrin ($29.95) offers female-friendly how-tos for wiring light fixtures, designing a "spa-licious bathroom" – even installing a garbage disposal. It includes testimonials from "Janes" across the country.

With more than 57 million blogs swirling around the Net, it's hard to stay on top of what's hip and what to skip. Enter the Weblog Awards. Now in its seventh year, the "Bloggies" asks websurfers to vote on who's the best in the blogosphere, and can point Net newcomers toward what's worth reading. Cast your vote at 2007.bloggies.com. But be quick – polls close Friday night.

A fiendish conspiracy. Murder most foul. A dramatic escape. Manhunt – the thrilling, hour-by-hour account of John Wilkes Booth's 12-day vanishing act into the swamps and woods of Maryland and Virginia with the Union Army in hot pursuit, is an irresistible pageturner. It's now in paperback and soon to be a blockbuster motion picture. How about handsome Southerner Johnny Depp in the title role?

Your favorite band rolls into town. You find out about it weeks later. Sound familiar? Check out iConcertCal, an iTunes plug-in that scans your MP3s and each week creates a personalized concert calendar. This free download, which works on both Macs and PCs, is available at iconcertcal.com.

Throwing the perfect Super Bowl party can all depend on picking that perfect treat to fill your super-sized snack bowl. For the true potato chip connoisseur, there's Taquitos.net. Their fearless taste testers have reviewed more than 3,000 munchies – everything from the newest Doritos (yum) to Asian squid crackers (yuck).