Switchboard is my favorite. I don't know why people buy CD-ROM telephone directories when they could use Switchboard for free. Now that you have their number, try this search for e-mail addresses. Newsgroup topics and discussions. Deja News is the best way to search them.
Web searches are pretty easy anymore and there are plenty of good ways to search the Web.
Everyone has a favorite search engine and mine is AltaVista, especially when I'm looking for information that's hard to find or buried in the text of a Web page. Weather reports are real handy, especially when you're travelling or planning an outdoor activity. My favorite way to check for weather conditions is by looking out my window. My second favorite is at Atlanta-based The Weather Channel. Computers don't know everything.