Welocme to 2010 and a Happy New Year to everyone. Hope you all had a good one and its been a good 2 years or so keeping these website reviews going but its been a lot of hard work and time has not always been on my side.
Therefore, its with a sad heart that I have to announce that there will not be a daily website review anymore but any good websites I come across will be posted here periodically. Please dont expect a post every day.
A big thank you to all contributors and thanks for all the comments. If you want to promote your own site then go ahead and leave comments to this post with the web address to it
Saturday 2 January 2010
Thursday 31 December 2009
Fly.com
This snappily-named flight-comparison service finds you the best deals on air travel with a single click.
www.fly.com claims to search every airline and a range of online travel agents to find the cheapest economy and premium fares, and then lets you refine the results to suit your requirements. You can use sliders to specify your desired take-off and landing times and trip duration, select alternative airports that may cost less to fly from, and view available flights in three different formats: summary, list and matrix.
This customisable approach is far preferable to scrolling through pages of results while the site's minimalist layout is a pleasure to use.
Wednesday 30 December 2009
StoryVault
This site continues the ancient tradition of oral storytelling via the medium of video.
www.storyvault.com encourages people to record and share their friends' and families' memories of events in their lives, be they of personal or historical significance.
You can already watch interviews with World War II veterans and the last Titanic survivor, and easily upload your own. The smart-looking site also features a family-tree builder and has a strong sense of community, letting you rate and comment on other users' content (unless they mark it as private). StoryVault is a great idea and the execution is superb.
Tuesday 29 December 2009
The BBC Story
Formerly called BBC Heritage, The BBC Story has been launched to provide an immersive online guide to the Beeb in the context of British history since 1922 (when the corporation was founded). Notable features include a scrolling History of Innovation timeline that displays key events by year; a Great Moments section highlighting important anniversaries; and the ability to browse and post photos, videos and recollections in the fascinating Memoryshare area.
There's loads to enjoy here, all presented in the BBC's reliably concise but comprehensive style. Complete with photo galleries, video tours and audio clips, this is nostalgia at its best.
The website address you need is www.bbc.co.uk/historyofthebbc
Monday 28 December 2009
Servicing Stop
Take a look at www.servicingstop.co.uk and Save money and hassle on motor maintenance at this smart site
Getting your car serviced or repaired can prove stressful and expensive, particularly if you're dealing with an unscrupulous garage.
Servicing Stop aims to take the pain out of the process by letting you arrange everything online with one of its 750 garages across the UK.
The site will collect and return your vehicle for free, clean it once the work is done and, for an extra £39, carry out an MOT.
Complemented by a friendly design, Servicing Stop couldn't be simpler to use, from its speedy booking form to the clear pricing information. It even offers reminders for when your next service is due. Save yourself time, hassle and money and get your motor running here.
Sunday 27 December 2009
WORLD'S HEALTHIEST FOODS
There is something slightly disturbing about launching a website to find that the food of the day is proudly announced as cabbage.
What I've found is that it really is incredibly good for you, as explained on this site.
As well as recipes and ideas involving the so-called superfoods - which are said to keep you fit and healthy - you can visit the food adviser for tips on how to improve your intake and work towards living a healthier lifestyle.
Saturday 26 December 2009
Whats On (Wozzon)
If you're looking for something to do this evening, this site will tell you ‘wozzon' (what's on) in your area.
www.wozzon.com lets you search for a specific event or performer or browse the extensive entertainment categories. These span everything from film, music and dance to pubs, restaurants and tourist attractions, with WoZZon's simple and spacious layout delivering results in a clear and speedy manner. But this isn't just a plain listings resource; rather it's a community to which you can contribute venue and event information, reviews and ratings.
Friday 25 December 2009
Christmas Day
Its Christmas again and its about time we had one as its been a good 12 months since we last had one.
Another day at work for me although I will take a little time out to be with my lovely family.
Merry Christmas everyone.
Another day at work for me although I will take a little time out to be with my lovely family.
Merry Christmas everyone.
Thursday 24 December 2009
Future Me
Todays website review of the day is about the Future..
www.futureme.org The concept is brilliantly simple - you just write a letter to yourself, add your email address and set a date for delivery and futureme.org will take care of the rest.
Don't forget to make the mail private if you don't want the world to read it - and talking of which, this is a really intriguing way to spend a few minutes.
Click the link to View Public Entries and you can scroll through some of the letters old and new which, although anonymous, have been made public by their authors.
It is a fascinating look at culture and attitudes - seeing what different people think are the important things to tell themselves today, tomorrow. If you get what I mean.
www.futureme.org The concept is brilliantly simple - you just write a letter to yourself, add your email address and set a date for delivery and futureme.org will take care of the rest.
Don't forget to make the mail private if you don't want the world to read it - and talking of which, this is a really intriguing way to spend a few minutes.
Click the link to View Public Entries and you can scroll through some of the letters old and new which, although anonymous, have been made public by their authors.
It is a fascinating look at culture and attitudes - seeing what different people think are the important things to tell themselves today, tomorrow. If you get what I mean.
Wednesday 23 December 2009
Knitting help
This packed website, full of tutorials, patterns and advice to get the garments flowing off the tips of your needles can be found at www.knittinghelp.com
From casting on to casting off, and everything that comes in between, these tutorials are clear and unfussy
Navigation is also nice and straight forward, with expanding menu tabs at the top of the page to let you quickly leap between sections.
You will also find plenty of free patterns you can knit, once you have mastered enough of the art of needle waggling to tackle some creations.
Sign up for free membership and you can join in the forum activity too, perhaps sharing some of your own design ideas with this knit-crazy community.
From casting on to casting off, and everything that comes in between, these tutorials are clear and unfussy
Navigation is also nice and straight forward, with expanding menu tabs at the top of the page to let you quickly leap between sections.
You will also find plenty of free patterns you can knit, once you have mastered enough of the art of needle waggling to tackle some creations.
Sign up for free membership and you can join in the forum activity too, perhaps sharing some of your own design ideas with this knit-crazy community.
Tuesday 22 December 2009
Chord Book
www.chordbook.com is the site you need if you are learning the guitar, or are a seasoned veteran working on composing your own songs, this website offers several really useful features to help you make the most of your musical talents.
The chords section boasts over 1,000 chords and inversions, and the interactive interface lets you actually strum them so you can get a feel for how it sounds - which could be a real boost if you are writing a catchy love song.
Click the My Chords link and hit save on the guitar to add a chord to your personal selection, which can then be played back in a loop - another useful composing tool.
There is a similar section on guitar scales, which will not only help you to learn but could also provide inspiration for a new style of music. And of course what guitar resource would be complete without a handy little tuner - so you need never play a bum note again.
The chords section boasts over 1,000 chords and inversions, and the interactive interface lets you actually strum them so you can get a feel for how it sounds - which could be a real boost if you are writing a catchy love song.
Click the My Chords link and hit save on the guitar to add a chord to your personal selection, which can then be played back in a loop - another useful composing tool.
There is a similar section on guitar scales, which will not only help you to learn but could also provide inspiration for a new style of music. And of course what guitar resource would be complete without a handy little tuner - so you need never play a bum note again.
Monday 21 December 2009
Medtropolis
http://medtropolis.com is a medical website that aims to entertain and inform children and adults alike about the major health issues facing us today.
The content is written with a North American audience in mind - so the statistics and figures will not necessarily be relevant to where you live, and the Healthcare locator certainly will not be.
But there is one feature of this website that I found really interesting and wanted to share with the world - the virtual body.
Split into four key parts this interactive display allows you to tour the human body in several ways. There are stills with information panels, animated models, and even some narrated tours, which will help you reach a fuller understanding of how your body works.
Nice to navigate and clearly illustrated and labelled, this should prove a useful study guide as well.
The content is written with a North American audience in mind - so the statistics and figures will not necessarily be relevant to where you live, and the Healthcare locator certainly will not be.
But there is one feature of this website that I found really interesting and wanted to share with the world - the virtual body.
Split into four key parts this interactive display allows you to tour the human body in several ways. There are stills with information panels, animated models, and even some narrated tours, which will help you reach a fuller understanding of how your body works.
Nice to navigate and clearly illustrated and labelled, this should prove a useful study guide as well.
Sunday 20 December 2009
Bullying UK
The online home of the anti-bullying charity combines a vast amount of content with a smart, modern feel. The address you need is www.bullying.co.uk
Well-organised menus offer easy access to advice for both children and adults on topics ranging from cyberbullying to bullying in sport.
News stories and case studies sit comfortably alongside tips and social-media tools, which let you connect with Bullying UK on Facebook, Twitter and Flickr.
These compensate for the lack of discussion forums, as do the blog and an interactive help tool called The Oracle.
The site also provides information about the charity's work and lets you donate money to this worthy cause online.
Well-organised menus offer easy access to advice for both children and adults on topics ranging from cyberbullying to bullying in sport.
News stories and case studies sit comfortably alongside tips and social-media tools, which let you connect with Bullying UK on Facebook, Twitter and Flickr.
These compensate for the lack of discussion forums, as do the blog and an interactive help tool called The Oracle.
The site also provides information about the charity's work and lets you donate money to this worthy cause online.
Saturday 19 December 2009
Gig Locator
Take a look at www.giglocator.com and find out when and where your favourite artists are playing at this live-music portal.
GigLocator, a site that keeps you in the loop about upcoming gigs, looks impressively slick on the surface but currently lacks the substance to stand out. The idea is to provide a one-stop shop for live music fans.
You can search by gig, artist, genre or location and buy tickets from third-party links. However, several links we clicked on didn't work, and some sections seem incomplete.
On the plus side, GigLocator has such handy features as letting you add concert dates to your calendar, invite friends, find out who is attending and share details on social-networking sites. But, at the moment, it's not quite music to our ears.
GigLocator, a site that keeps you in the loop about upcoming gigs, looks impressively slick on the surface but currently lacks the substance to stand out. The idea is to provide a one-stop shop for live music fans.
You can search by gig, artist, genre or location and buy tickets from third-party links. However, several links we clicked on didn't work, and some sections seem incomplete.
On the plus side, GigLocator has such handy features as letting you add concert dates to your calendar, invite friends, find out who is attending and share details on social-networking sites. But, at the moment, it's not quite music to our ears.
Friday 18 December 2009
Giveamonkey
This site takes the stress out of planning a party or other event by letting you organise everything online.
www.giveamonkey.com covers everything from choosing the perfect venue and sending out invitations to both researching and suggesting gift ideas.
I love the fresh and funky feel of the site, which makes full use of the web - from Google maps and online stores to social networks and bookmarking tools - to ensure your party goes with a bang. You can choose to keep your event details private or share them with the community, and let attendees share photos, videos and comments.
Free and very easy to use, Giveamonkey deserves three big cheers.
Thursday 17 December 2009
Yearbook Yourself
As the end of 2009 approaches why not have a go at at this website www.yearbookyourself.com and see yourself in glorious retro fashions dating back to 1950.
Finding the perfect image to use can be tricky - you may get best results from using the option to take a picture with your webcam if you have one installed.
Your face should be dead straight on to the camera, and have no hair or other obstruction across your face. Once you have an image inserted, tweak the size and position.
Each era can be fine tuned using the controls beneath the picture to get the best overall result, and is accompanied by music from the era and a smattering of information about fashion and trends on the right.
When you find an image you want to share you can post it directly to Facebook, save it to your computer, or use the share link to post it to a URL that you can share with whoever you want.
Finding the perfect image to use can be tricky - you may get best results from using the option to take a picture with your webcam if you have one installed.
Your face should be dead straight on to the camera, and have no hair or other obstruction across your face. Once you have an image inserted, tweak the size and position.
Each era can be fine tuned using the controls beneath the picture to get the best overall result, and is accompanied by music from the era and a smattering of information about fashion and trends on the right.
When you find an image you want to share you can post it directly to Facebook, save it to your computer, or use the share link to post it to a URL that you can share with whoever you want.
Wednesday 16 December 2009
Earth TV
Head over to www.earthtv.com/en and take a look.
Earth TV transmits streaming video feeds from 70 cameras across five continents, creating a window for visitors to travel the width and breadth of the world from the comfort of their own homes.
The quality of these feeds is exceptional, and unlike the usual fixed camera viewpoint, Earth TV can motion control each camera to capture the very best of the action.
Each destination feed is complimented with information and fascinating facts, maps and local weather reports - with a relaxing music track running throughout.
Earth TV transmits streaming video feeds from 70 cameras across five continents, creating a window for visitors to travel the width and breadth of the world from the comfort of their own homes.
The quality of these feeds is exceptional, and unlike the usual fixed camera viewpoint, Earth TV can motion control each camera to capture the very best of the action.
Each destination feed is complimented with information and fascinating facts, maps and local weather reports - with a relaxing music track running throughout.
Tuesday 15 December 2009
Looking for Property
If so then you need “Gartoo”. Go to www.gartoo.co.uk and get past its awful name and garish colour scheme and Gartoo provides a handy service for home seekers.
This property-search engine lets you hunt for houses and flats for sale or rent using keywords and phrases – for example “large garden in Barrow In Furness” – rather than checkboxes and drop-down menus.
Searches are impressively speedy and results provided in order of relevance, although you can sort them by price and date first advertised.
The site scours all the main property websites and many lesser-known names, including related-search suggestions, a map and a photo in each result, although some entries currently lack images.
This property-search engine lets you hunt for houses and flats for sale or rent using keywords and phrases – for example “large garden in Barrow In Furness” – rather than checkboxes and drop-down menus.
Searches are impressively speedy and results provided in order of relevance, although you can sort them by price and date first advertised.
The site scours all the main property websites and many lesser-known names, including related-search suggestions, a map and a photo in each result, although some entries currently lack images.
Monday 14 December 2009
Savoo
Voucher-code site www.savoo.co.uk has been redesigned to give savvy shoppers even easier access to the latest online deals.
The homepage now features the most popular promotions of the moment, as voted by users, as well as staff picks and recently-added offers.
A tidier layout and improved search facility make finding deals from specific stores and brands much faster, as do keyword tags that show you what other people are looking for.
Sign up for free to receive email alerts about new codes, share deals you’ve found and contribute to Savoo.co.uk’s burgeoning
The homepage now features the most popular promotions of the moment, as voted by users, as well as staff picks and recently-added offers.
A tidier layout and improved search facility make finding deals from specific stores and brands much faster, as do keyword tags that show you what other people are looking for.
Sign up for free to receive email alerts about new codes, share deals you’ve found and contribute to Savoo.co.uk’s burgeoning
Sunday 13 December 2009
Watzatsong
Do you ever get a song stuck in your head - going round and round, and you cannot quite put your finger on what it was? Or perhaps you have heard a snippet of something on a website and want to hear more?
www.watzatsong.com as the name suggests is all about putting names and artists to the tunes that are flying around in our heads.
Once registered, just record a snip of the song that has you stumped (whether you choose to sing it yourself or record it from wherever you heard it, the choice is yours) and wait for the suggestions to come rolling in.
www.watzatsong.com as the name suggests is all about putting names and artists to the tunes that are flying around in our heads.
Once registered, just record a snip of the song that has you stumped (whether you choose to sing it yourself or record it from wherever you heard it, the choice is yours) and wait for the suggestions to come rolling in.
Saturday 12 December 2009
What Does The Internet Think?
www.whatdoestheinternetthink.net is a simple concept. You type a search term into the box provided, say the name of a shop, TV programme or car, and choose the search tools you want it to reference.
A full search will be more thorough but will take a good deal longer, then just click to find out what the internet thinks.
The site will look for mentions of the term in either a positive, negative or indifferent light - giving you an approximation of the internet's feelings on the subject.
You will get a percentage breakdown of positive, negative and neutral sentiment.
A full search will be more thorough but will take a good deal longer, then just click to find out what the internet thinks.
The site will look for mentions of the term in either a positive, negative or indifferent light - giving you an approximation of the internet's feelings on the subject.
You will get a percentage breakdown of positive, negative and neutral sentiment.
Friday 11 December 2009
PIXLR
www.pixlr.com is a photo editing tool.
It is similar in functionality to Photoshop Express with all of the basic features you would expect - such as brightness and contrast, hue and saturation, crop and rotate.
This is a lightweight, effective and free application - and the package itself is Flash based so requires no installation. Just open up the website, click the link to begin creating and dive straight in.
When you have finished, simply save your work onto your own computer - no registration is needed.
It is similar in functionality to Photoshop Express with all of the basic features you would expect - such as brightness and contrast, hue and saturation, crop and rotate.
This is a lightweight, effective and free application - and the package itself is Flash based so requires no installation. Just open up the website, click the link to begin creating and dive straight in.
When you have finished, simply save your work onto your own computer - no registration is needed.
Thursday 10 December 2009
Putiton
www.putiton.com is a portal where creative people from four disciplines - art, music, fashion and films - can showcase their work and perhaps even sell it.
Registration is free and you get one gigabyte of space to upload your portfolio. Artists can stream audio and video and even make live broadcasts to their fans.
If you are not an artist yourself there is plenty to be gained by visiting these pages. You can browse all the content by category, offering support and enc
Registration is free and you get one gigabyte of space to upload your portfolio. Artists can stream audio and video and even make live broadcasts to their fans.
If you are not an artist yourself there is plenty to be gained by visiting these pages. You can browse all the content by category, offering support and enc
Wednesday 9 December 2009
Geeks
www.geeks.co.uk is the website address you need for this site which provides news, reviews and in-depth articles covering everything from gadgets and games to guitars and grub. Thanks to a large team of switched-on contributors, the content is impressively varied and incisive, making effective use of video and Web 2.0 tools. We particularly like the Pleasant Conversations section of the forum, the ‘week in geek’ round-up and the RSS feed of user comments. With its friendly feel and functional design, the site is sure to prove popular with the geekerati - people who are cooler than nerds and cleverer than dorks.
Tuesday 8 December 2009
Compare Download
www.comparedownload.com compares the cost of music across the main digital download stores.
It's such a fantastic idea it’s a wonder that nobody thought of it before.
Simply search for artist, song or album, hit ‘compare prices’ to find the best deal and then click through to make your purchase.
An embedded music player provides a preview of each track, and you can also watch related videos, read customer reviews and get details of upcoming concerts.
CompareDownload.com has a clean, user-friendly interface, organised by genre, and scours big-name music merchants including iTunes, Amazon and 7digital to save you time and money. And if you need to listen something to your cheap tunes on, you can compare the prices of MP3 players, hi-fis and audio docks.
It's such a fantastic idea it’s a wonder that nobody thought of it before.
Simply search for artist, song or album, hit ‘compare prices’ to find the best deal and then click through to make your purchase.
An embedded music player provides a preview of each track, and you can also watch related videos, read customer reviews and get details of upcoming concerts.
CompareDownload.com has a clean, user-friendly interface, organised by genre, and scours big-name music merchants including iTunes, Amazon and 7digital to save you time and money. And if you need to listen something to your cheap tunes on, you can compare the prices of MP3 players, hi-fis and audio docks.
Monday 7 December 2009
Kiss My Bingo
Get your eyes down and pucker up for Kiss My Bingo, which lets you play bingo for money online.
The site has relaunched with a fresh look and further ways to win and waste cash.
The boring brown design of old has been replaced by a bright blue and pink colour scheme, which gives the site a fun, modern feel.
The site now offers a broad choice of bingo games across its chat rooms, with some cards available for as little as 5p each and ‘free’ sessions open to players who have at least £30 in their accounts. Kiss My Bingo offers various incentives to sign up, including a £10 bonus when you deposit your first £10, but it lacks the community feel of some of its rivals.
The website can be found at http://www.kissmybingo.com
The site has relaunched with a fresh look and further ways to win and waste cash.
The boring brown design of old has been replaced by a bright blue and pink colour scheme, which gives the site a fun, modern feel.
The site now offers a broad choice of bingo games across its chat rooms, with some cards available for as little as 5p each and ‘free’ sessions open to players who have at least £30 in their accounts. Kiss My Bingo offers various incentives to sign up, including a £10 bonus when you deposit your first £10, but it lacks the community feel of some of its rivals.
The website can be found at http://www.kissmybingo.com
Sunday 6 December 2009
Download Buyer
As its name suggests, www.downloadbuyer.com is an online software store with a difference.
Instead of products being sent out by post, everything this site sells is delivered directly to your Desktop. A wide range of programs are available for both PC and Mac, including titles from Avanquest, Magix and ZoneAlarm. Because there are no boxes, postal costs or overheads involved, you can buy most software for around 10 per cent less than the recommended retail price, although Amazon is slightly cheaper. Products are helpfully accompanied by screen shots, reviews and detailed specifications.
Instead of products being sent out by post, everything this site sells is delivered directly to your Desktop. A wide range of programs are available for both PC and Mac, including titles from Avanquest, Magix and ZoneAlarm. Because there are no boxes, postal costs or overheads involved, you can buy most software for around 10 per cent less than the recommended retail price, although Amazon is slightly cheaper. Products are helpfully accompanied by screen shots, reviews and detailed specifications.
Saturday 5 December 2009
Review Centre
Find out what people think of thousands of different products at this consumer-review website.
Take a look at www.reviewcentre.com
After 10 years of amassing consumer opinions, Review Centre was starting to look a bit creaky. Now the popular site has been spruced up and is slicker, quicker and easier to use.
Draped in regal purple and blue, the revamped layout makes finding product and service reviews a doddle, be it through browsing the tidied-up category menus, clicking keyword tags or using the search box. The community aspect of the site is more prominent, with the best member opinions flagged on the homepage, and the presentation of reviews has also been significantly improved. With further features to be added soon, including video reviews, Review Centre deserves a five-star rating.
Take a look at www.reviewcentre.com
After 10 years of amassing consumer opinions, Review Centre was starting to look a bit creaky. Now the popular site has been spruced up and is slicker, quicker and easier to use.
Draped in regal purple and blue, the revamped layout makes finding product and service reviews a doddle, be it through browsing the tidied-up category menus, clicking keyword tags or using the search box. The community aspect of the site is more prominent, with the best member opinions flagged on the homepage, and the presentation of reviews has also been significantly improved. With further features to be added soon, including video reviews, Review Centre deserves a five-star rating.
Friday 4 December 2009
Find a Babysitter
www.findababysitter.com is a site for parents looking for a babysitter, nanny or au pair will find plenty to choose from at this relaunched site.
Findababysitter.com features a ‘geo-coded’ search facility that shows you at a glance how far away each candidate lives from your home.
This is handy for when you need to hire a suitable person in a hurry, while you can also search by qualifications, experience and language.
Findababysitter.com couldn’t be simpler to use and lets you save your searches, as well as providing helpful articles and advice.
The site charges parents £10 per month for unlimited access, but child carers seeking employment can post their details for free.
Findababysitter.com features a ‘geo-coded’ search facility that shows you at a glance how far away each candidate lives from your home.
This is handy for when you need to hire a suitable person in a hurry, while you can also search by qualifications, experience and language.
Findababysitter.com couldn’t be simpler to use and lets you save your searches, as well as providing helpful articles and advice.
The site charges parents £10 per month for unlimited access, but child carers seeking employment can post their details for free.
Thursday 3 December 2009
OMGPOP
www.omgpop.com is flash game site where you can play on your own, wait for other users of the site to join in, or you can click the "invite a friend" link to copy a URL which you can then paste into a forum, twitter, or blog where your friends can jump directly into the game you are hosting.
If you prefer you can join a game in progress rather than hosting one yourself. Registering with the site will give you a little more functionality.
If you prefer you can join a game in progress rather than hosting one yourself. Registering with the site will give you a little more functionality.
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