Smokers Angel

If having to stand outside in the rain to light up hasn’t put you off smoking yet then this site is here to help. Check out www.smokersangel.co.uk and talk to other quitters in the forums and get in touch with specialists to help you stop for good

All The Crap In My Wallet

A rather odd website featuring the rubbish that you carry in a wallet. I was hoping for a rival site showing the contents of a womans handbag, though that may actually crash the internet.

How to get a human on the phone.

Sick of automated voices. Press 1 for this… 2 for that etc etc. Sick of being in a queue on hold. There is a way round this by pressing key combinations on your phone. Take a look at www.gethuman.com/uk as this explains how to skip the automated messages and get straight to a human operator.

Avoid Premium Rate Calls

Thursdays website review of the day

Take a look at www.saynoto0870.com. On this site you can find a regular number for a company rather than an expensive 0870 or 0871 number. These numbers cost from 8p a minute but all they do is divert into a local number and if you are one of the many people who get free minutes to 01 and 02 numbers and find that 087 numbers are not in your bundle then I`m sure you will find this website very useful. Just enter the 0870 or 0871 number into the search box and it will reveal the local number

Moonpig

This is one of many sites that allow you to send greetings cards but what I like about this one is that you can personalize them so that the person you are sending it to can be the butt of the joke. All in goof fun at www.moonpig.com

Magic World

Take a look at www.magicworld.co.uk Here you will find something for everyone and you can buy new equipment for your tricks and pick up tips in the forums

Hairy Bikers

Lock up your bikes and grease up your daughters...er, no...anyway, this is a web site all about the world famous hairy bikers. Check out www.hairybikers.com and find a feat of information. You can send video cards, download screensavers and even shop like a hairy where you can purchase their books and DVDs. Their are also recipes online for you to try and you can also find out all about the series.

One half of the Hairy Bikers, Dave Myers co presents the Sunday Lunch show with John Little from 12 til 4pm on Barrows Abbey FM

Ipod Convertor

Apple's iPod is perhaps the most successful MP3 on the market, but with the help of some free applications, you can unlock the full potential of Apple's neat little box.

The latest generation of video iPods will allow the user to purchase and watch TV shows and movies from the iTunes store, but what about converting video files from your computer which are saved in formats that iPods do not support.

Take a trip over to Videora at www.videora.com . This utility will only work for Windows users. Just download the Videora iPod converter 2.5 and once installed you are confronted with a simple interface.

This allows the user to convert any video file into an iPod friendly format.

Just click on the straightforward wizard and follow the step-by-step instructions for file conversion.

The utility will also auto resize video to the best possible resolution and aspect ratio for use with video iPods. A cool little app, which lets you take all of your video with you on the move.

Planet Earth

We can sometimes forget the wonders planet Earth has to offer but www.Lovearth.com should help us remember what an incredible planet we inhabit.

As you would expect with a natural history site, there are tons of gorgeous wildlife images and video from across the globe, including shots of animals on land and beneath the waves.

For more insight into how these images were created for the original film there is a really detailed blog from the film makers.

And if you want to find out about any of the wildlife featured there are enough articles and images to keep any budding David Attenboroughs happy for months. The real gem in this site though is the animal tracking section. This follows the movements of tagged elephants, whales and polar bears. The data is linked to Google Maps so you can see the kind of terrain or where in the world these animals are.

A great site and a must for wildlife enthusiasts everywhere.

Planning a flight

Now, if you've been planning a trip, ever wondered how to fly from point A to point B anywhere in the world - which airlines go there, when, and what price you'll pay? Well if you have this site is a revelation..

www.dohop.com is extremely simple to use and covers 660 airlines right around the world. Simply type in where you're going to and from - with a handy autocomplete making this even easier. When you've selected your dates, the site almost instantaneously gives you at-a-glance detailed information about the route and prices.

What I really like are the filters on the left, which allow you to refine your search and see the results update before your eyes.

One really clever touch is the slider to control departure and arrival times - a really easy and intuitive way of getting valuable information in no time at all

A Laugh A Day

The website reviews return this week. Monday Nights is below.

Whether you’re writing a speech or just want to get a laugh at a party then take a look at www.workjoke.com as it has hundreds of jokes about every career so no matter where you work you are bound to find something that tickles your funny bone,

Web site reviews

Website reviews returns to the radio in a week. If you have a good website then please email details to bill@abbeyfm.co.uk and it may feature on the show free of charge

Sleight of Hand

Thursdays website review on Abbey FM

Amazed by card tricks? Fascinated by the sleight of hand? Well click on www.caveofmagic.com to be truly amazed and fascinated by online card tricks, mind games and more. Plus it explains how magicians like David Blaine perform their illusions. Paul Daniels, eat your heart out!!

Volunteering.

Wednesdays website review

If you’re feeling the spirit of goodwill, why not get involved with volunteer work. The aim is to raise awareness of the important work that volunteers do, and to encourage everyone to do their part in helping their community. Take a look at www.do-it.org.uk as it’s a great way of finding volunteer jobs in your area.

Acceptable in the 80’s

Tuesdays website review

If you’re one of those people who like to look back on how things used to be then www.letsgoretro.com is an online directory and shop of all things retro. From Space Invader arcade games and Rubik Cubes, to cult T-Shirts and Space Hoppers, you’ll find it all here. And best of all it’s a British site so you’ll get your retro gear delivered the very next day.

Hungry Suitcase.

Mondays website review

If you would like to know what your perfect holiday would be, pay a visit to www.hungrysuitcase.com Simply feed the case with items from the virtual house and it will reveal what type of trip would suit your personality perfectly.

The life and times of a Barrow Cabbie.

I`ve covered this site before and there is an interview with the webmaster available for download HERE. Its such a good blog I thought I would just mention it again as its updated almost daily by the webmaster and is well worth a daily read. The website address is www.taxistorys.blogspot.com

Trading Standards

Know your rights and don’t give dodgy dealers a chance to rip you off. Verything you need to know can be found at www.tradingstandards.gov.uk . This government site lets you know where you stand legally when you walk into a shop and buy a product.
Apart from the advice, the website also keeps up to date with any product recalls and tells you how you can block your telephone and computer to unsolicited callers and emails.

Fancy a Pint?

Wednesday nights website review of the day

Bored of the same old local every week? Want to sample the pleasures of a beer a little further afield? Log onto www.beerintheevening.com and find yourself a new hangout. Comments about people who have visited the pubs are very useful and an added bonus is transport information. In addition, a real gem of an extra is a “Crawl Generator”, which sorts out a pub crawl itinery for you.

Know where you’re going.

If you want to know anything about any town in Britain straight from the horses mouth then check out www.knowhere.co.uk . This directory and search engine features notice boards for almost every town right down to teeny villages, where locals can post up info on where to go, what to do and what to avoid. Good features include information about local celebrities and hang outs

Builder Blues

Whether you’re putting up some lights, building a fireplace or being really adventurous and building your own house, its always wise to learn from others.

Whatever your building needs you can find the help you need at www.askthebuilder.com . The site features an A-Z of design and construction issues of which you will find answers to reader questions. You can also read the weekly column and tips or submit your own queries.

Arcade Fire

If you spent your youth playing Arcade games then take a look at www.mame.net as it allows you to take a nostalgic trip down memory lane and play them again. At this site you can enjoy some long lost arcade games as well as some new ones.

Calm Down

Wednesdays website review is A website that’s is aimed at helping you manage stress and the importance of taking care of your own mental health. If you find that life’s getting on top of you then visit www.stressbusting.co.uk and you will find that it is one of the many websites designed to help.

I Used to Believe….

When you were a child, you probably believed in a lot of things like the Tooth Fairy, The Bogey Man and the Easter Bunny. But what about the less common beliefs such as those that are unique to one person? Click on over to www.iusedtobelieve.com and you will find it is an entertaining collection of things that people used to believe when they were young.

Real Magic

The first website review of 2008 is all about magic and tricks.

www.realmagic.net is a must visit site for anyone who fancies themselves as a budding Harry Potter. You can play all kinds of online magic games, play card tricks with Esmerelda or let her predict your future in her crystal ball. There’s also a section where you can find out the secrets behind some of the memorable magic tricks.

If you have a website or know of any interesting ones to feature on the show then please get in touch with me and it may appear on the show very soon. Its all free of charge and can promote your website. The only proviso is that you are not a business and there is no profitable gain made from the site.

Catflaps and Sport

A website suggested to me by a listener to the late show here on Abbey FM is a site called Catflap Magazine - "It's not about cats, its about football!" and it is actually the world's first football eZine, which is totally free and delivered to your inbox each Friday. The magazine ( and sister website) takes a humorous and irreverent look at the world of football and can be found at http://www.catflapmag.com.

Catflap Mag has already been garnering some great recommendations - most notably in The Telegraph (a hot pick), The Sunday Times and The Guardian. Why is it named Catflap - well it means stuffing the ball in the corner of the net where the goalie can't get to it - as in "Rooney's put it right through the Catflap."

Regular features include the Catflap Chinwag - this week we talk to star of The Royle Family, Ricky Tomlinson, about his love of the sport, and next week we interview star of Gavin and Stacey Mathew Horne, who talks about his love of Spurs and Kylie. Other features include:

* Ground Control to Major Tom, - a unique big budget blockbuster competition involving a cat falling from space onto a variety of British football Stadia.

* 2 Become 1 - a morphing item wherein we use our technology to fuse two seemingly disparate things - such as Alex Ferguson and a Highland terrier.

* Catflap Doghouse - People in trouble in the news each week.

On a sports tip, the company that create Catflap (Made Up Media) also produce a rugby site, and a golf site http://www.ScrumOfTheEarth.com and http://www.InGolfWeTrust.com

Green Christmas

Christmas is the one time of year when you can eat, drink and spend without having to feel guilty but according to environmentalists, Christmas 2007 will result in three million tonnes of waste but help is on hand at www.wasteonline.org.uk . The website is full of useful tips on how to cut down on the amount your household wastes as well as how to save you money without being a scrooge!

Difficult Times at Christmas

The lead up to Christmas can be a difficult time if you are single as you imagine happy couples exchanging gifts and kissing under the mistletoe and this can start your mind wondering as you think of some of the people you havnt seen for a long time and if you want to track down anyone then check out www.myoldflames.com as it might be a good place to look as the website has nearly two million users so one of them just might be someone you have lost touch with.

Cheesy Chat-Ups

If you want to make sure you have somebody to kiss this Christmas then there’s one website you could visit. Take a look at www.chatuplines.net which apparently has the best chat up lines for both men and women, so no matter who you are, you will always have the right thing to say. But as men and women seem to think having a good sense of humour is the most attractive thing, the website also has a list of jokes.

Precious Moments

As the days get shorter, its even more important that you make the most of your time. One website says their quick tips can save you hours in wasted time. www.waitless.org shows you how to shave seconds off tasks like tying your shoe laces and taking your shirt off. The websites also worked out that their tips can save you a month over the course of your lifetime so its gotta be worth a look, if only for a laugh.

Video Lan

If you are looking for an all singing all dancing media player which will play just about any file format and you want it to be open source, then look no further than VLC: a free download available from www.videolan.org .

Long known to the web wise, VLC is the ultimate multimedia application. So, what is so special about this player?

Well it can chew up and spit out just about any sort of media file: MPEG, DivX, OGG, DVD - in fact it would be quicker to list the file formats it does not support.

The technology is open source and is constantly being updated by developers in 20 different countries.

There are also different versions of VLC for pretty much every operating system around. All your multimedia problems solved with a quick download and it is free

Freebie Fun

If you’re permanently skint or just can’t resist a freebie then head on over to www.smartfreestuff.con as this site provides free access to hundreds of freebies, special offers, competitions and discount vouchers currently available on the internet. Offers are constantly monitored and updated to ensure that they bring you the best offers to UK residents and it could save you a few quid along the way.

Video Guidance

If you’re looking for helpful video guides on how to do just about anything then take a look at www.expertvillage.com as the site has a strange selection of miscellaneous video tips on how to do everything from standing on a skateboard to juggling with knives, all submitted by users of the site

Keeping Fit

Tonights website review is about keeping fit so if you’re into health and fitness or have any intention to be, then check out www.netfit.co.uk . The site is devoted to all aspects of exercise and provides extensive routines and regimes. You can guage how fit you are, get information about some 200 different excercises, read about eating, diet and nutrition, and find links to other, mainly sporty websites

Freaky Dreams

If you have ever walked down the high street naked or woken up in a cold sweat then you’re not the only one! In fact most dreams reflect on the state of mind people are in. So musch so that www.freakydreams.com lets you describe your dream and will then interpret your dream and explain the possible reasons for your dream.

Movie Mistakes

www.moviemistakes.com is a huge collection of errors found in hundreds of films by eagle-eyed viewers. For instance, Did you know that a gas canister is visible on the back of a chariot in “Gladiator” and there are 356 mistakes in “Pirates of the Caribbean”?

Watching films will never be the same again.

If you would like a website reviewed on the late show at Abbey FM then just email all the details to bill@abbeyfm.co.uk

Song Facts

If you want to know more about your favorite song then head over to www.songfacts.com to find ot why it might have been written and what its trying to say. With hundreds of entries listed, you can find out who the “egg man” was in the Beatles “I am the Walrus” and how “Definitely Maybe” helped form “Oasis”

If you would like a website to be reviewed on Abbey FMs late show then please get in touch by email to bill@abbeyfm.co.uk

Yamipod

This is a download for you iPod users. Check out www.yamipod.com . I know a lot of people that get very frustrated when using iTunes with their iPods, there are a lot of programs on the web that are written to make life easy for users - and this is one of them.

Yamipod is a terrific little program that for my money is exactly what the internet is all about.

It is a small freeware program written by someone who had an idea and then when it worked, distributed it. You download it onto your PC, Mac or Linux machine and run it - it automatically senses your iPod and gives you a listing of the tracks on your machine.

The screens are well laid out and easy to understand and you just drag and drop your music files into the Windows Explorer-like front end.

The program does not have to be installed when you run it, it is loaded directly into memory and works right away. I know someone who runs it from their iPod, enabling them to swap files on any machine. Simple, effective - and free.

Free Codecs

www.free-codecs.com is dedicated to the little bits of software that translate your audio and video files into something your computer can use.

Called codecs, they allow something like Windows Media Player or whatever software you use to listen or watch with, to read new files. Basically, if you have a file that you want to play and you cannot - you come here.

For example the XP codec pack has just about all a Windows XP user would need to play audio and video from the web. There is a Vista pack too - although I thought that came with everything including the kitchen sink.

And if you want to learn more there is a guides section that explains some of the finer points of codecs. Including "What codecs should I use?" article that tells you how to go about finding the right piece of software to play your audio or video file.

Just about all of them are free and - according to the site - have been scanned for spyware and viruses

Mocked Up

It might be a long time til April Fools Day but there’s no reason why you shouldn’t start practicing your pranks. Head over to www.getclippings.com where you can mock up news articles to fool your colleagues and friends. You can then email them newspaper stories about your heroic deeds, or how a person matching their description is being sought by the police!

Horrible History

Tonights website review of the day is about Horrible History. If you have a good website you would like reveiwed on the show please email me the details to bill @ abbeyfm.co.uk

If you’re fascinated by court cases, trials, crime and punishment then www.oldbaileyonline.org is the website for you. Here you can check out historical cases in great detail and search more than 100,000 criminal trials that took place between 1674 and 1834, as well as transcripts which can be searched by subject, date, punishment and verdict. It gives an extraordinary insight into the lives of ordinary people, and is both educational and absorbing.

Classic Shows

If you’re passionate about classic TV shows, then check out www.tv4u.com . On this site you can watch stacks of classic programmes, and it’s the place to see stars like Groucho Marx and the Three Stooges along with other classic movies, music and commercials.

Star Search

Have you ever wondered how you could get in touch with your favorite stars and celebrities? Perhaps you’re desperate to write to George Clooney or maybe keen to maeet Angelina Jolie. Well, if this is the case, then www.seeing-stars.com/Search.shtml is the site for you. Simply enter the name of the star you’re keen to stalk and it will give you an address to write to!

We Dig TV

Over the years there have been some classic TV game shows so welcome to We Dig TV, at www.wedigtv.com . Its a collection of completely interactive versions of popular game shows.

They are all official versions of the original shows and most include footage specially shot for the site.

For example Deal or No Deal includes over 1000 different pieces of flash video to take into account all the permutations of boxes and the amounts you can have remaining at any point.

You are even grilled by the hosts of the UK versions of the show. A really nice touch is that you yourself appear as an avatar, inserted into the picture, even swinging on your chair while you are waiting to answer.

Now some things to watch out for - first, do not be put off by the terrible twosome who welcome you to the site. They are the most dreadful part of the experience - click straight past them to the network guide.

It is here that you choose your game and you can switch from one game to another at any time.

Secondly, just as the games are close to TV quality, so are the adverts. The games actually go to commercial breaks halfway through. Okay, fair enough, the website has to make money somehow, and the breaks are in keeping with the style of the site.

Thirdly, when you start a game, you can choose to play it for fun, free, or you can choose to pay. The only advantage paying gives is that you do not see the ads, and you stand a very small chance of winning some of the money that other players have paid.

The creators of the website say they do not take any of the money players pay. It is all redistributed amongst the top 10 players of the month.

Girls World

www.girlynation.com is a free online stylist for girls, and with everything from hair and nail tips to face shape and make-up analysis, this site is a must visit for any woman looking for beauty inspiration or even a full makeover. It promises to give you the scoop on hot new make-up tricks, what clothes suit different figures, celebrity style, dating advice, coverage of fashion shows and a whole lot more.

Riddled Out

Mondays website review of the day

www.riddles-online.com claims to be the best online riddles website. Whether you are looking for easy or difficult puzzles, this site has simply hundreds to choose from. All the riddles are classified to make it easy to find exactly the type you are looking for, be it logic riddles, animal riddles, maths riddles or whatever. And they all have solutions as well so you wont leave feeling frustrated.

Scary Stories

If you like scaring yourself at bedtime, go to www.ghost-stories.net. Which claims to have the best collection of ghost stories on the Internet. Choose from hundreds of true chilling tales as well as fictional scary stories and spooky poetry. But a word of warning. You may have trouble sleeping after visiting this website.

Constant Comedy

Constant Comedy

British site www.constantcomedy.com does exactly what it says in the URL - streaming comedy videos by both professionals and amateurs in a kind of never ending talent contest.

No need to sign up to view, but if you do, you get to vote off videos you do not like and if enough people agree with you the performer gets the axe and the next funny man or woman takes centre screen.

You can choose the videos you think you will like by category on the left-hand side or just browse through them in the video section.

Again - signing up means you can upload your own funny video for people to watch and vote on.

If you like your laughs stand-up style this is the site for you - and while there are some absolutely tragic performances - it is not hard to find some truly funny people

Moving Messages.

Its faster and more fun than typing an email. Video messaging is an efficient way of communicating over the web and there are lots of sites that allow you to do this very easily. Check out these sites and you will very soon be sending video messages as long as you have a webcam.

www.oovoo.com

www.flixn.com

www.springdoo.com

Fixing a PC boot problem

www.bootdisk.com is a great resource for people that want to get ever so slightly technical with their PC.

It has features and guides on tuning up your PC and links to other sites with even more information.

But this place is a must if you need to boot up your PC from a floppy disk, say if you have had a disk crash or wanted to format a hard disk or simply not boot via Windows.

You download any of the files from the site and you run the file and it writes a floppy disk that you can boot your PC from.

And if you are into developing that skill there are sections on creating boot CDs and even showing you how to boot up using a USB stick.

The site is aimed at techies so take a friend if you are scared by naked bits and bytes

Live Maps

http://.maps.live.com

Now, Google Street View is definitely a glimpse into the future of what we can expect from mapping apps a few years down the line - but as you might expect, Google's nemesis Microsoft have a few tricks of their own up their sleeve.

Microsoft's live maps uses aerial images shot from an angle and from nearer the earth's surface to supplement its core satellite maps. So, whereas a satellite map gives you a rather flat view, the other aerial images add real dimension to the image, and shows off incredible detail in images.

And if you are prepared to download a dedicated application rather than simply browsing, you get treated to the piece de resistance - the 3D view. Once installed, you will find buildings in some locations faithfully modelled in three dimensions to provide a truly breathtaking experience.

In this sense I think it trumps Google Earth's attempt at the same 3D modelling features. Having said that, as a truly useful application for finding locations like restaurants, hotels and the like, Google Earth wins hands-down

Unknown Files

One of the problems with finding out what to do with a file is finding out what software made the file. The trick to finding out is the three letters at the end of the file name called the file extension - like .exe or .doc. But what if it is .msg or .zip?
Well, you need www.fileinfo.net , it is a massive list of file extensions along with the name of software that can read it.
So if you are confronted with, say a .uue file extension, you go to the .uue entry and find out not only what kind of file it is but what software you need to make it work.
The site also lists files by their role - so for example if you have trouble telling your .ini file from your .idx file - this is the place to go.

Google Maps

http://maps.google.com

Over the past couple of years, Google Earth has made headlines by giving us a stunning birds-eye view of our planet from satellite images. But getting down to human-eye level has not really been catered for.

One issue is its notworth trying this site if you have a slow connection because the photos will take an age to update. Nevertheless, if you have got a blistering connection, you have simply got to check this out, even if you have got no practical use for it.

Cute PDF

www.cutepdf.com is a site that the writer lets you turn your usual documents into more secure and reliable PDF documents really easily.

Once you have installed the programme, the option to save or print any web page or document as a PDF just appears in your printer list.

That is it really. There are no adverts foisted on you, no weird watermarks splurged across the pages.

And it is free because they hope that you like it so much you will eventually pay for their advanced version. But - of course - you do not have to

Midomi

Midomi lets you search for music with your voice. Plug in a microphone, sing a bit, and this site will search in its database and hopefully, name that tune. Visit www.midomi.com

I tested out the system with a Carpenters song and amazingly, Midomi got it right first time.

Instead of matching my rendition of "Close to you" with Karen Carpenter's version, it was matched with recordings by other Midomi users, who all seemed to go flat in the same places as me! I had no idea that bad singers were that predictable.

You can also build an online profile, hook up with fans of the same kinds of music, and rate or comment on each other's songs.

Like all social networks, Midomi works on the strength of its users. So the more people sing into it, the more we will all get out of it and - believe me - this site is has only just begun

3D Mailbox

Most of us spend a lot of time in front of our e-mails and this application is giving us the opportunity to make them a bit more fun. A bit gimmicky but nevertheless an interesting idea.

Downloading the 3D Mailbox application at www.3dmailbox.com reveals a whole new way to look at your e-mails.

There is a free version of the software to download and once it has been setup you will find you have been transported to a virtual Miami Beach, a place where your e-mails are represented as bikini clad avatars.

When you receive an e-mail the avatars appear at the entrance to the hotel's pool. Your spam manager acts a gatekeeper, only allowing through genuine messages to lounge by the pool.

Spam is dispatched to the beach, where they are represented as overweight tourists. Hitting delete results in the spam taking a deadly swim in shark infested waters.

Meanwhile your unread e-mails perform lengths in the pool. Read e-mails tan themselves on the sun loungers.

The outbox shows your avatars enjoying a drink, and if there are any e-mails which your spam manager is unsure about you will find them skating around in the hotel's ice ring.

The developers are currently working on other locations around the world, which will be available to subscribers soon.

Essentially this app is like a real beach holiday: after a few days it can get boring soaking up the rays. This is also processor heavy software so beware if you do not have a high-end PC.

Mapping

There are lots of mapping applications on the web but www.platial.com offers something a little different. It is a social networking site where people blog about their interests and favourite places, but in this case they place it on a map.

This site bills itself as the people's atlas. You do not have to register if you want to check out other people's maps and see what they have said about a place.

There are good tips for travelling with kids or if you want to find a night club that is popular with locals rather than tourists.

However, you have to register if you would like to add your map and places of interest. Registration is quick and easy and you do not have to type out a lot of information about yourself.

To create a map, click Mapmaker, choose a location and what kind of map you are about to create and off you go.

Once you have created the tag you can add pictures from a Flickr account or directly from your PC, add links and information.

The site will tell you if somebody else also tagged the same location and if you want, you can join them

Meebo

www.meebo.com is about instant messages. With AIM, Yahoo, Googletalk and MSN, there is no doubt about it, there are too many different systems.

But visit meebo.com and you can connect to them all over the web. So you can use them all at the same time without having to download all those different applications. Putting it to the test, I must admit I felt uncomfortable giving away so many passwords and usernames all in one go.
But, having said that, this is a great way to get in touch with all of your friends through one single portal, no matter what system you use. And let us not forget, it is free and it works. There are not many things you can say that about, but here is another one

Slideshows

The trouble with digital cameras is that you end up taking hundreds and hundreds of photographs - just because you can - but what do you do with them all? Here is an idea: www.slide.com lets you create your own slide shows. You can use photos on your computer or from the net eg Friendster, MySpace, Flickr; you can get them from anywhere.

Once you have uploaded an image, you can add captions and music, and then display your photos as different styles of slideshow. There are some really silly styles to choose from, like "cube". You cannot see the pictures very easily, although increasing the overall size does help.

Once you have made a slide show, you can keep it private and save it as a screensaver for your computer or share it in a variety of ways. You could allow users to comment, or cut and paste some code that will publish it on your own blog or website, facebook page or anywhere you can think of.

Despite the name, Slide.com is not just about slide shows. You can also create a Skinflix, which sounds a bit dubious but basically means you can customise videos too. Anything on YouTube can be given the Slide.com treatment and then once again you get the code to display it on your own website or social networking site.

Expect to see a lot more pimped-up videos and slide shows right across the net from now on. Whether that is a good thing, you decide

Surname Profiler

Did you know there are more than 25,000 surnames across Britain? And www.surnameprofiler.org lets you type in a name and see where people with a certain surname live.

The website maps the distribution of surnames from the 1998 electoral register and compares it with the 1881 census so you can see how surnames have moved around the country in the last century.

Chinese Chopsticks

www.chopstix.co.uk is a great guide to the world of Chinese cooking. It looks at all things Chinese, from the ingredients you’ll need to Chinese dining etiquette. The recipes are well presented and easy to follow.

A search engine can also find Chinese recipes on the web and has over 4000 indexed.

Fountain of Knowledge

Some people just know how to do things. Others are a bit, well, useless.

www.orature.com is a site created by the former for the latter. Its about people teaching people how to do stuff. So next time you want to know anything then this is the place to go

On-line Conversion

Check out www.onlineconversion.com and let this site do the calculations for you, whether its pounds to dollars, grams to ounces, metres to feet or joules to calories you can let this site do the maths for you when it comes to conversion. It might not be the most exciting site but it sure is functional.

The Weather

So the weather hasn’t been great this summer but at least you can be prepared for the rain with this website. Check out www.weather.co.uk and you will also be informed of how local roads and motorways have been affected

Word On The Street

Keeping up with the kids when it comes to the word on the street can be harder than learning a foreign language, but if you want to appear cool and keep a grip on what the youngsters are talking about then you need to read www.urbandictionary.com . As well as being able to search the phrase database, you can look at the new words for the day and extend your urban vocabulary.

I.T. Review

If you want some unbiased advice on anything computer related then check out www.itreviews.co.uk . The subject matter ranges from general reviews to information on how to find the best PC. The site also gives advice on technical queries as well as having a games room, a place from which you can download programs.

Japanese Cuisine

Japanese Cuisine continues to be ever so cool which is why www.japanweb.co.uk is worth a look – especially if you fancy turning your hand to it yourself. The site covers the basics of Japanese cooking along with recipes and a UK restaurant guide. It also has a glossery and tips on Japanese etiquette

Childrens Legal Centre

www.childrenslegalcentre.com provides free legal advice and an information service covering all aspects of the law affecting children and young people. It can help provide advocates in disputes with the local education authority and campaigns for childrens rights in the UK and abroad. So if you’ve got chilld related problems at the moment then see if this site can help you

Insomnia Cure

So, you thought sheep were only good for putting you to leep and making wooly jumpers? Well, not anymore. Visit www.sheepgame.com and you could have endless hours of fun trying to herd cartoon sheep into a pen. Or it’ll just be a new cure for insomnia instead of the tradional method of counting them.

Phobia Fear

Think your fear of spiders is irrational? Scared of flying or being up high? Well now you can find an online encyclopedia of phobias at www.phobialist.com . From the downright bizarre such as geniophobia (the fear of chins) to the more common like Agoraphobia. Literally hundreds of phobias are listed and it seems its possible to fear almost anything.

Pointless Ponderings

www.crazythoughts.com ponders all the insane questions that plague modern life. Have you ever wondered why round pizzas are delivered in square boxes, or why the word “abbreviation” is so long? If not, this site certainly has and some more. It will certainly get the old gray matter working.

Excuse Me!

Wednesday nights web review is about an excuse to take time off work. So if you fancy a day off work in bed? Or need a pefect reason for not doing anything. Check out www.excuselist.com which will come up with the perfect excuse to get you out of something you really don’t want to do.

Strange Dreams

Plagued by scary nightmares? Or puzzled by what an unusual dream may mean? Then visit www.freakydreams.com and see if it can interpret what happens when you sleep. Enter a detailed description of your dream and the site will try and work out what it all means.

Crush Calculator

If you’ve got a bit of a crush on a colleage or the girl or guy next door then check out www.romancelevel.com to see if you’re right for each other! This online calculator works out your compatability based on your names and age. OK, its not exactly scientifically proven, but its fun

Got a Crush?

Fancy someone but don’t know whether they feel the same way? Then click on to www.ecrush.com a site that might be able to find out for you. Simply enter your name, their name and your crush’s email address.

This site will then email the object of your affections asking you their crushes, which will then be emailed back to you. And its all done anonymously so they’ll never know it was you

Make your choice

If you’re one of those people Who likes pondering random questions, then give this site a go. www.whichisworse.com asks you to vote on which choice is worse in various situations. So what is worse? Being stuck voting on pointless websites all day, or actually doing some work? Only you can decide

Food for thought

Its best not to visit this site while eating. www.wierd-food.com lists unusual dishes from around the world, all of which are delicacies to locals, but sound disgusting to most other people! So if you fancy eating rat in Thailand or calfs head in France, visit this site to get the lowdown on the wacky foods eaten the world over. Yuck!

Digit Dexterity

If you’re pretty proud of your typing skills, put them to the test at www.jonmiles.co.uk/fingerjip.php . Here you must carry out increasingly tricky tests during this six minute game, requiring real dexterity.

The Day You Were Born.

If you want to find out what was hot and what wasn’t on the day you were born check out www.kakophone.com Just type in your birth date and you can find out what song was number one in the charts, what film won an Oscar, who was on the cover of Time Magazine and which celebrities you share your birthday with.

And if you are not from this planet, you can find out what was happening in the sky or on Mars on the same day.

Sign of Sillyness

www.funnysign.com is a hilarious collection of the stuidest signs from around the world although it has to be said that a lot of them are from America. Examples range from hairdresser names like Curl up and dye to a service station sign saying “Eat here and get Gas”

How Big Is Yours?

Hold on... Dont get pervy. Its got your attention but its not what you are thinking.

These days everyone is talking g about carbon footprints, but how do you know the size of yours? At www.footprint.wwf.org.uk you can find out. It only takes a few minutes to measure it and all you have to do is answer a few questions about your diet, travel habits and pets - all of which contribute to CO2 emissions

Selfcast

Try www.selfcast.com. Its like youtube, but live. If you are holding an event such as a wedding for example, this site will let you broadcast it on the internet in real time, provided you have a camcorder and internet connection ready.

Page by Page

Page By Page Books at www.pagebypagebooks.com is the equivalent of an online library of classic literature.

The site makes use of books on which the copyright has expired so they can be shared and read online for free.

The site lacks a search engine so to check out which books are available click "View all Authors" or check "See book list by Title" option.

From here just browse through the available books and authors alphabetically.

Most public domain book sites force you to download the whole book at once on one page or in extremely large chunks, this can make reading them or finding a lost place kind of tedious.

In contrast, this site loads a single page of text at a time making it much easier to read. If you do not fancy reading an entire book in one sitting simply bookmark it using your search engine and then open from the bookmarked page when you fancy dipping into the story again.

The site design itself is simple and uncluttered and it is fairly easy to track down interesting titles. At the moment there are only a couple of hundred books on the site but the number of available titles is increasing all the time

Where Are You

Try www.gchart.com and click a section of the map and this site will display a pop-up with the cuirrent time and date in that location along with local blog posts and also pictures from that area. It’s a clever use of modern web technology to do something interesting – You can go on a world tour from the comfort of your chair.

Walking the streets

This is a blog that will make you feel sorry for traffic wardens which shows the day to day life of a traffic warden who quite often finds people aiming cars at him or raising a fist to dispute the ticket. Reading this will give you an indication of what its like to deal with the public when they don’t want to be dealt with. Its very enlightening and should make you think twice about berating a warden. Oh, and given the subject matter, you can expect a few choice vulgarities as the warden recalls the abuse hurled in his direction. The blog can be found at www.parkingattendant.blogspot.com

How To do just about anything.

www.How.com is a fairly big "How to" site offering "How to" guides on a wide variety of subject matter. While the sites claim of showing you how to do just about everything is perhaps a bit of an exaggeration, it does have 35,000 "How to" guides for a staggering amount of different things.

The site is organised by subjects: cars, personal care and style, that kind of thing. There is also a search option if you are looking for something specific fast.

Once a category and specific guide has been selected the "How to" itself is revealed. Each guide carries a difficulty rating and is separated into easy to follow steps. After following the "How to", the guide ends with tips and warnings.

While the tips can be useful, some of the warning advice can be a tad hysterical.

Television on Demand

Check out www.tv-links.co.uk There is a lot to choose from and is free and plays via streaming on real player or whatever. You can choose from various categories including kids TV, films, documentarys and music videos to name a few. The site is crammed packed with lots of TV and its not just clips, its all full episodes available for you to watch on line on demand for free.

Who's the best

Check out www.shockwave.com/gamelanding/arcadia.jsp and lets settle that old chestnut over whether men or women can multitask the best by gathering everyone round this brain itcher that demands you play four games simultaneously. This is the best hoot we have had in ages with all four games coming from the classic Atari 2600 console

Cute and Cuddly

Now the world can be a pretty harsh place and sometimes it is nice to take a break and spend some time on a site which makes you feel all warm and fuzzy.

Put your thoughts to one side and banish the blues, Cute Overload is a site that is guaranteed to make you go "Ahhhhh".

This is a corner of the web which is unrelentingly cute.

Basically this site consists of hundreds of photos and videos of adorable and cuddly critters.

The site is separated into categories including baby birds, kittens and puppies. All of the categories have one thing in common - fluffy little animals with huge eyes staring into digital cameras eliciting "oohs" and "ahhhs" from anybody that glances at them.

Users can add their own photos or videos in the Got Cute section of the homepage.

And that is basically it, a sweet site which offers a quick pick-me-up. A word of warning though, spend too long surfing and you will discover there really is such a thing as cute overload.

Check it out at www.cuteoverload.com

Animation World Network

The Animation World Network is a huge source of information about cartoons, animated movies and the animation industry itself. This is a site which is useful for professionals and students alike.

The homepage includes the latest news about the animation business, from which movies are breaking box office records to the winners and losers at animation festivals all over the world.

For the amateur animator the resource section includes a database of animation schools and courses across the globe.

A visit to the Student Corner reveals articles and tips from industry greats, including traditional drawing tutorials and advice on how to master 3D graphics packages like Maya.

For those that are serious about pursuing a career in animation the resource section also includes the animation industry database. Here you will find global listings for everything from where to get hold of materials and equipment to production companies that specialise in animation. Find out more at www.awn.com

WikiHow

wikiHow is a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. With your edits, we can create a free resource that helps millions of people by offering solutions to the problems of everyday life.

wikiHow currently contains 21,869 articles written, edited, and maintained primarily by volunteers. Please join us by writing on a topic not yet covered or editing a page that someone else has started.

Check it all out at www.wikihow.com

Petrol Prices

Tonights web site review is a great cost cutting site, especially for all you disgruntled motorists who begrudge paying extortionate prices for your fuel.

To make the site in any way useful, you will have to fill out the free registration form, which gives you the option of weekly email alerts of the cheapest fuel. But of course you can do this directly from the site. Simply plug in your postcode and voila, within seconds a guide appears to the cheapest petrol in your area.

You will be amazed at the differences in price even within a 10-mile radius of home, and over a year the savings can seriously add up.

There is a lot of useful motoring info too, and the site is keen to big up its environmentally-friendly credentials, with some useful green tips on everything from car shares to emerging petrol-replacing technologies. www.petrolprices.com is the address you need

Embarrasing health problems.

Discussing Embarrasing health problems is n ot always an easy task and some people I talk to on the radio change their names or disguise their voices so with that in mind I found this website which may be of help.

Ever had a health question you have always been too embarrassed to ask? There has always been an assortment of places to ask on the web but this site offers a social networking twist.

TauMed is an online health community where you can ask questions, share information and give advice and support to others. You can also browse similar queries by clicking on a particular community, such as Allergies or Eye Problems. Check it Out at www.taumed.com

The topics are pretty comprehensive and are helpfully divided into simple and easily definable sections. It also includes a helpful pregnancy area, where you can sign up to a weekly newsletter charting your baby's growth.

TauMed is not just a user-driven site. Each answer is screened by medical professionals, which makes it much safer than many of the alternatives.

To ask a question you have to register, which also gives you the option of setting up a profile in the My Health Space section, where you can socialise with other members.

At the moment, most questions only get one or two responses, but that could change. TauMed is still in beta but says it is the fastest growing health community on the web.

Scratch

The website review for today .

If you would like to animate your own cartoons, write your own video games or even create interactive artworks, but cannot be bothered with all of that complicated coding business this next site could be for you. Check out www.scratch.mit.edu

Scratch is the brainchild of Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) media lab. It is a set of tools designed to be used by people without computer programming skills - that is most of us then.

It makes use of a graphical interface which allows the user to build a sequence with building blocks. These are dragged, dropped then linked together, a little bit like multimedia Lego. Images can be selected from an existing library or imported from your hard drive.

Once imported, a number of action blocks can be assigned to the image. These blocks are assigned commands like "move" or "play drum", and the blocks can then simply be stacked together to create an animation.

Once your masterpiece is complete it can be uploaded to the Scratch site for other users to check out. Scratch's inspiration comes from Hip-Hop DJs, who take a bit of this and a bit of that to create something new.

While the site is primarily aimed at younger users, it is still a lot of fun for grown-ups with a creative streak.

Great Garden

Now that summer is here, you’re probably spending more time in the garden enjoying barbecues and a spot of al fresco dining. Problem is, you may also have noticed how untidy the garden has become.

Fear not though as www.gardenadvice.co.uk has plenty of expert advice to help you achieve a green space to be proud of.

Thank Goodness For That

You can’t help but mock some of the ridiculous safety signs put up in offices and out on the streets. But when it comes to terrorism, safety warnings become even more laughable so at www.safenow.org you can have a good laugh at the witty captions accompanying genuine safety images used by the US government

Football Blogging

It’s easy enough to get into your favorite football team online these days but what about a good old sporting blog? www.caughtoffside.com recently won a newspapers award for the best blog in the sport category, so go online and see for yourself if you think it deserves the honor.

Top Up Your Glass

One of the most important elements of a good meal is having the right wine to go with it and at www.wineanorak.com even complete novices can pick up lots of expert advice on pairing wines with food and what to look for in a good tipple.

Silver Screen

Cinema buffs will love www.myfilms.co.uk – a simple to use search engine that allows you to access the film trailers and reviews you’re after. There are links to interviews with the stars about their movies, and there are sections dedicated to upcoming releases, film festivals and the latest movie news.

Fingers On The Buzzer

Monday nights website review of the day is all about TV Game shows.

If you love TV Game shows then you might want to save this site til you get home. Because www.wedigtv.com is ! Whether you want to beat bully in Bullseye, have a ‘p’ please Bob in Blockbusters or another consonant from Carol, these online game shows will keep you occupied – or unpopular with your boss – for hours