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Simple Tools Like Online Yellow Pages Streamline Holiday Shopping

BELLEVUE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 1, 2004--With six less shopping days this holiday season, a lot of people may begin December panicking about how little time they have left before they start exchanging gifts. Organization expert Georgene Lockwood, author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Organizing Your Life, says the key to reducing holiday stress lies in spending a little time getting organized.
"It's the simple things that can make a big difference -- like selecting a signature gift you'll give all holiday long rather than buying a different gift for every hostess who throws the parties you attend this season," said Lockwood. "You make one decision, shop once and you're done!"
Another time-saver: "Use the Internet. Spending a little time online gathering information before you jump in the car can save you so much time and a lot of headaches. A site like Switchboard.com is a great resource because it has everything from local businesses plus maps and directions so you can plan your shopping trips, to nationwide white page listings to update your holiday card mailing list. This is stuff you just can't do with the print Yellow Pages."

Lockwood's other tips include:

1. Brainstorm one or two gift ideas for each recipient on your
list. You'll have some flexibility when shopping, but are less
likely to get desperate just to buy something you later regret
purchasing.

2. Once you know the gifts you need to buy, find the stores that
carry them and make a list. At Switchboard.com, you can type a
brand name, product name or store name into the search field
to find the local businesses that carry what you're looking
for.

3. Plan an itinerary -- You can also use Switchboard.com to find
the bookstore closest to the hobby shop that carries the
vintage poster you're buying for your nephew. Type the name of
the hobby shop into Switchboard.com to find the address. Then
use Switchboard's "advanced search" option to find the
bookstore closest to that address. You can even pull up
driving directions with one click.

4. Know the return policy for each store you buy from before you
make the purchase.

5. Choose one easy-to-remember place in your house to keep all
your receipts in case you or the gift recipient need to make
any returns.

About Georgene Lockwood

Georgene Lockwood is a leading expert on getting organized and has been quoted in magazines including Redbook and Woman's Day. She is the author of eight books, including the best-selling The Complete Idiot's Guide to Organizing Your Life (Alpha Books), the 4th edition of which is due on bookstands in 2005. Lockwood also authored the just released The Complete Idiot's Guide to Beading (Alpha Books, 2004).

About Switchboard

Switchboard (www.switchboard.com) is a leading provider of Internet-based yellow pages and white pages that helps consumers by providing a fast, easy solution to finding businesses and people nationwide, and connects consumers with merchants through interactive and innovative directory technology. Switchboard is part of the InfoSpace Search & Directory family of Web search and online directory properties. These products bring people, information and businesses together online to help users find the information they need quickly and easily. InfoSpace Search & Directory is a business of InfoSpace, Inc. (NASDAQ:INSP). More information can be found at http://www.infospaceinc.com.

This release contains forward-looking statements regarding Switchboard. These forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Factors that could affect InfoSpace's actual results include the scope and timing of market acceptance of Switchboard.com's new features. A more detailed description of certain factors that could affect actual results include, but are not limited to, those discussed in InfoSpace's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, in the section entitled "Factors Affecting Our Operating Results, Business Prospects and Market Price of Stock." Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. InfoSpace undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events or circumstances after the date of this release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

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