Add, Subtract and Multiply

Getting your head around numbers and figures can be quite stressful which is why www.calculator.com is here to help. You can choose from a number of different settings to help you work out how much you pay back on a loan, mortgage or lease. He site is a godsend for anyone who has difficult with mathematics

In Case of Emergencies

For most of us the worst part about dying suddenly would be never getting to tell friends and family how much we loved them. But for others it could be never telling enemies what you thought of them. www.justincaseidie.com lets you leave a message which the site will send on your behalf if you pass away.

The way it works is that you set a time limit, and if you don’t log back in and cancel the message then it will be automatically sent out

Really Worried

Be it money, health or global warming, we all have our worries and, according to this new site, spend more than five years of our lives dwelling on them. www.reallyworried.com helps you reclaim some of that time by providing a place to seek help and offer advice on any worrying topic. Like a more supportive version of Yahoo Answers, users can read, reply to and tag each other’s worries; rate and subscribe to responses; and invite their friends to join. With its calming purple colour scheme, welcoming community and links to professional bodies such as Relate

Screaming Bee

Ever heard your voice on a recording, like an answerphone message, and thought: "I don't sound like that, do I?"

People rarely like the way their voice sounds when they hear it played back - well with our next piece of free software you can do something about that.

Point your browser to www.screamingbee.com and download the free version of MorphVOX,.

No registration needed and the set-up is very simple. The software will step you through an optimisation process on installation, and then you can start playing around with the sounds.

You will need a microphone installed, for obvious reasons, and the free version comes with three basic voice types: male, female and little people.

If you want more options you can download additional voice packs but you will need the pro edition which is not free after the trial period.

This software is simply a bit of fun - though it can be used in conjunction with any voice communication programme you use.

Winking Skull

The human body is an amazing piece of architecture. Man has been studying anatomy since at least 1600BC, when the ancient Egyptians first began to map the way our bodies work.

Whether you are studying anatomy, cramming for an exam, or just have a curiosity to find out more about what makes you tick, www.winkingskull.com is an amazing website.

Navigate through each region of the body by clicking the links in the navigation panel on the left. Every part of the body is covered, literally from head to toe, and beautifully illustrated with interactive diagrams that peel away the layers of our anatomy for all to see. You can click the labels on and off so you know exactly what you are looking at.

If you register, which is free, you can even use the site's extensive self-testing exercises, which ask you to place the labels on the diagrams in an allotted amount of time. Skilled labellers could rank among the website's most brainy users.

Wondering How To....

Are you the curious type? Well the web is alive with how-to guides and step-by-steps, but there is nothing quite like seeing a process demonstrated live - www.wonderhowto.com is rich with great video content, caught my eye.

At WonderHowTo you will find a multitude of how-to guides in video form, covering everything from making a 3D dragon that follows you with its eyes to squeezing a spot in the proper way - how pleasant.

There is a clip of the day at the top of the homepage and then under that, three columns of fresh, hidden gems and hot video picks for you to peruse.

When you are through looking at the recommended picks, you can dig deeper using the category menu.

There is so much here to see, pulled from literally every corner of the web, it is a delight. And likely to suck up half your day, so be warned.

And of course like any site of this type, there is some adult content to be found, so best not to let minors browse here alone

Time Lines

If you’re writing a historical essay or reading up for a pub quiz or just want to improve your general knowledge then visit www.timelines.ws This site holds information and historical dates since time began. A Must see for any historian

Band to Band

Throughout the years band members have had a tendency to move about from group to group. www.bandtoband.com has decided to map out a rock and roll family tree showing you which records artists have appeared on in the last 60 years. This fascinating website is a must see for any die hard music fan.

Hassle Me

No matter what day in the week it is then no doubt you have a million and one things to do. If you need reminding what needs doing then go to www.hassleme.co.uk The online service will nag you so you don’t forget to do these tasks

Psychic Powers

If you want to test how good your phychic powers are try visiting www.espgame.org This is a two player game where you are paired with somebody you don’t know. You can’t communicate with your partner and the only thing you have in common is that you both see the same image. You both have to pick the words to describe the picture you are seeing while trying to second guess what the other person has written. This can be a surprisingly eerie game.

Trolley Dash

Price comparison websites are a great way to save money but www.mysupermarket.co.uk allows you to shop online at one store, calculate what the costs would be at rival supermarkets and then order your goods at the cheapest checkout

Buddy Mapping

With the growing popularity of social networking sites and online gaming communities, people's circles of friends can often extend across the continents.

www.buddymapping.com helps you keep tabs on your virtual contacts.

Using the architecture of Google maps this site allows you to create your own personalised maps and then invite friends and contacts to pin themselves to their location, adding a picture, e-mail or web address and even a link to their MySpace or Facebook pages.

Just register using your e-mail address and password to begin, then give your map a title and description and a dedicated URL extension that makes sense.

Once done you can e-mail this URL to others in your community, or link to it from a forum or website.

Participants only need to click the orange button to add themselves to the map, no registration is needed, and you will begin to build up a picture of where you all sit in the world.

File Storage

Wednesdays website review of the day was all about storing those important files for safety as computers have become an essential part of our daily lives. The information we keep on them is valuable, sentimental and often vital.

So what happens if you lose your computer in a fire or theft?

As scary as it is to think about, disasters do happen and you have two choices in life. Bury your head in the sand and hope it does not happen to you, or back-up, buddy.

The safest option is to store your data off-site, and http://mozy.com offers that very service all wrapped in a user-friendly interface.

Now, Mozy does provide a paid for service for both home and professional users and if you have a lot to back-up it is worth considering the fairly inexpensive monthly fee.

But you can store up to 2GB completely free if you are a home user. Click the MozyHome tab at the top to find the free sign-up button.

There are a few personal details to fill in and the final registration page offers you more free space for referrals, which is a nice touch.

After confirming your e-mail address you get a link to download the back-up software.

Next step, install and then go through the configuration wizard, which will bring you to a page where you can select the back-up sets you want, such as e-mail and contacts, financial information and photos and images and even your browser bookmarks.

If you are on the free account the capacity bar at the bottom will tell you when you are over the limit.

The next dialogue tests the speed of your connection and then you are told how long the back-up will take to complete. Be warned it will likely be a long time for the first back-up, but will be a lot quicker after that.

Finally, make your choice about when you want the back-up to start then click Finish to finish.

Food Tube

The internet is a fantastic resource for recipes but sometimes it can be difficult to follow the instructions.

www.foodtube.net with its wide variety of well organised cooking videos provides a solution. There is also a forum so there is a chance to ask questions of the regular contributors

Star Wars

Hmmm....

Couldnt resist it......

Today is National Star Wars Day...... May the 4th be with you..

Recipe Matcher

Do you ever come home after a long day of work, look in the fridge but cannot think of anything to cook with the stuff that is in there.

If the answer is yes, you might find this site very useful. www.recipematcher.com

Recipe Matcher is pretty easy to use. You type in what is in your pantry in the green box, then choose from the drop-down menu what kind of cuisine you want to cook.

Click "Show Me What I Can Make", it will then generate recipes you can cook with the ingredients that are in your fridge.

On the right-hand side it indicates the amount of ingredients you have - and on the left what you will still need to buy.

You can do the same with drinks and impress your guests with a cocktail.

If you choose to register and log in, the site gives you the option of saving your pantry and creating an electronic grocery list.

You can also save your favourite recipes as well as submitting your own.

Map24

It might be the least known of the mapping services but www.uk.map24.com is accurate and packed with impressive features. You'll find functions & symbols that you won't recognise from other map services, so prepare to spend some time getting used to it. Once you're up and running, it's straightforward to get a location or a route. The site recognises addresses and/or postcodes. If you type in part of an address it will bring up a list of possibles from which you can select the one you want. The service also automatically zeros into your location on the map. website.

DIY Fix It

www.diyfixit.co.uk is a delightfully designed site offering clear, concise advice. that gets the balance between information and entertainment just right. The advice is extensive without being overwhelming and their Fun section is to this site what a well-earned cuppa is after several hours of hard, back-breaking work. Plus, it has more links than B&Q have claw hammers. Put down that wallpaper steamer and visit this site now

Irfanview

I’ve not mentioned free photo editing software on the show before but I want to draw your attention to one in particular - and it is thanks to a guy called Irfan from Austria.

IrfanView is one of the most popular graphic and photo editing suites on the web and it has just had an upgrade. Check out www.irfanview.com

At 1MB it is a tiny download which is both powerful and efficient so it runs smoothly on older or slower machines too.

As well as the usual cropping, rotation and colour correction - IrfanView sorts out red eye and offers a variety of creative effects. A couple of features caught my eye. Load an image and press enter - the programme's screen furniture disappears to offer a full screen display. Now left click to go back and right click to go forward - an easy way to show off your photos at your own pace. There is a slideshow option too.

Another great feature is the ability to create a panoramic photo by stitching your snaps together. Many cameras are now sold with this sort of software but if you do not have it yet this is an easy way to make great vistas quickly.

Although IrfanView only works on PCs and not Macs at the moment, it does support a wide range of file formats. And this is where it performs another great trick! If you want to change a whole folder of pictures - say from Tiff to Jpeg - you can batch convert them all in one go.

Pet Friendly Hotels

Whilst spending some time in the Isle of Man last weekend I couldnt help but notice the amount of "Dog Friendly Hotels" This is ideal is you want a short break in the Isle of Man but don`t want to leave your dog behind.

If the idea of leaving your pampered pooch behind while you swan off on holiday brings you out in a cold sweat, perhaps this new website could be the answer to all your prayers. www.pet-friendly-hotels.co.uk is a guide to all UK hotels, Bed and Breakfasts and guesthouses that not only welcome dogs but also offer an online room booking facility. The simple site, created by a group of Somerset pet owners, also gives brief details of a hotel's facilities, ratings and room availability. We were rather impressed to get results for all our random searches - There's not much more to say about the site, its easy to use, its helpful and original.

Word On The Street

Wednesdays website review was about the word on the street. If you like to hear the news, rather than read it visit www.pimpmynews.com as it turns all the latest news and event stories into audio for you to listen to. You can also share clips with friends if there’s something you know they’d enjoy

Pocket Rocket

If you’ve got an important website to remember, but no pen and paper, visit www.netrocket.com . This site stores all your important web addresses so you can view them anytime and from anywhere. You can also set reminders if there’s an important email to send or file to download.

Isle of Man - A different way of life.

Spent time in the Isle of Man this weekend and whilst there took the oppertunity to have a drive round and see their way of life and how it differs from here in the UK.

They have their own laws and parliament as well as currency. People of the Isle of Man will accept English bank notes but people in England are reluctant to accept Isle of Man money. Why not. Its value is the same.



Saw some interesting places and talked to lots of the local yokels about the island. Its a great place. I`ve been before and either work or play, whatever the reason, I would go again.

These folk even have their own customs and whilst driving across the southern tip of the island heading west I came across Fairy Bridge which has its own folklore. It is considered bad luck to pass over the bridge without acknowledging the fairies known to be there. Some people write little messages and wishes on paper and tie them to the trees next to the bridge. Perhaps they are hoping for a little fairy magic!



Tynwald, is the Island's parliament, The annual ceremonial meeting in July on Tynwald Day, the Island's national day, continues to be held at Tynwald Hill, where titles are announced and a brief description of the new laws enacted by Tynwald during the previous year is given.

You learn something every day.

All in all a great weekend and now I`m back then things will get back to normal with my radio work.

Up My Sleeve

The next time you want to impress someone with your magical skills, you might want to steal some tips from www.magictricks.com . There are tricks for adults, children, beginners and experts so everyone will be a practising Paul Daniels by the end of the day. You can even watch video clips of the stunts to make sure you’re getting them just right

Top of Trivia

Wednesdays website review is about trivia.

If you’ve got a big pub quiz coming up or just want to sharpen your general knowledge then visit www.funtrivia.com . The site has thousands of facts ranging from the extremely interesting to the completely pointless. Either way, it’s a fun way to spend some surfing time.

Website reviews

I am being inundated with emails from people asking me if I can review their website on the radio and give it a free plug. As much as I dont mind doing this I must point out that there are certain limitations and restrictions.

Your website or any other website you would like to review must be either for fun, be educational or non-profit making. Basically providing its not a business website then it should be ok.

If you would like me to take a look at your website or you would like to get it promoted on the radio then email me with the website details and a few lines saying what its about and listen out to the show to hear it reviewed.

Pie and Mushies

Tuesday night I was joined by local blogger Rosie Mitchell to promote her new web blog all about Barrow. Its not just pictures but meaningful words as well.

Check out her website at www.pieandmushies.wordpress.com

Rosie chatted about her mission to take at least one photo a day and publish it together with the meaning behind it.

Click Here to download the interview.

Photos will be posted soon.

Brain Box

Sometimes its good to give your mind a bit of a mental workout. That’s why www.brainbashers.com is full of mind puzzling games and illusions for you to get your brain around. And don’t worry if you’re not the biggest brianiac around, there are puzzles for beginners as well.

On The Box

If you’re settling down for a night in front of the TV but don’ fancy whats on the box, there’s a website that can help. www.joost.com is a free TV site where you can select from a whole library of TV shows and make up your own evenings entertainment

Pump Up The Volume

If you’re always on the lookout for new bands and artists then visit www.urbanamplified.com . Their tem of specialists recommends unsigned bands whose songs and videos you can download. You can also browse albums to buy, read music blogs and enter competitions. And if you’re in a band looking for promotion then upload your music and keep your fingers crossed

Crime Fighter

If you consider yourself to be a bit of a detective, take a look at www.mysterynet.com . This website is great for anyone who enjoys putting clues together and solving conundrums. The site is a combination of online mysteries and games and there’s also a community games section so you can join forces with others.

Wine Buff

If you enjoy the odd glass of wine but don’t know your Chardonnay then why not try www.lovethatwine.co.uk . With honest reviews from everyday wine drinkers you’re bound to find the perfect drink for you. The site currently holds information on more than 10,000 wines, which are all available in the UK.

On The Road Again

Thursday Nights website review

When you’ve got a long journey ahead then being prepared is vital. www.5minutesaway.co.uk is a directory of services and facilities available to motorists within 5 minutes of each motorway junction. This handy website means you will never find yourself stuck for a petrol station, hotel or toilet ever again.

Bi-Lingual

If you fancy learning a new language and making friends at the same time then visit www.friendsabroad.com . This free site will give you the chance to test your new skills with millions of people from 250 countries speaking 80 different languages. It’s a great opportunity to speak to natives and learn local phrases

Going Green

If you’re finding it hard to stay green this year then help is at hand at www.dothegreenthing.com this site will give you just one thing to do a month to change about your lifestyle and help the environment. Keeping green will be easier than flicking off a light switch

Children’s Entertainer Wanted

Looking after the kids can sometimes feel like tiring work, so if you’re looking for new ways to keep them busy visit www.playgroundfun.org.uk . Full of simple safe and fun games, parents and teachers can feel safe in the knowledge that their tiny tots will be entertained for hours.

Full of Flavour

If you consider yourself to be a bit of a Nigella or Jamie in the kitchen, visit www.eattheseasons.co.uk . This simple but effective website does exactly what it says on the tim, and tells you what foods are in season this month. In February try eating bananas, oranges, parsnips and Rhubarb

United Together

Climate change can seem like a daunting problem, but now there’s a website which is packed full of handy tips to help you make a difference. www.together.com proves that even small changes to your daily routine can help you do your part for the environment.

Step by Step

Website reviews return tonight and our first is this.

If you’re not the sharpest tool in the box, www.basicinstructions.net is the website for you. These funny comic strips provide handy tips on how to handle various social situations. There’s helpful advice to help you solve all of lifes conundrums

Quick Definitions

www.definr.com can help if you don’t want a long definition of a word and just simply want to know what it means.

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.