Peeping Toms

If you’ve ever wondered how much your friends’ homes are worth, or are thinking of buying or selling a house, check out www.zoopla.com.

This voyeuristic new property site lets you search for value estimates on more than 26 million UK homes. Figures are based on factors like recent sale prices and property characteristics, and are accompanied by useful local details like crime and council tax rates.

You can submit and request further information about specific properties and areas, and even sell your home through the site for free.

Let It Shine

Is green tea the solution to all your problems? What hilarious mistake will Britney Spears make next? Find the answers to these questions and more at http://shine.yahoo.com, a new site for women that addresses the shocking lack of celebrity gossip and diet tips on the web!

On The Radio

Just an update to let you know that I`m not doing much radio work on the air at the moment but I am still doing bits behind the scenes in the way of production and some other stuff that I don`t want to go into as its a very competitive market out there.

If you want to download any of my audio clips, wind up phone calls, interviews and airchecks then you will find thewm all by clicking on the AUDIO link above or by clicking here

Only Two Clicks

With millions of websites available online, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. So if there’s only a few pages you visit each day, you need www.only2clicks.com.

Only2Clicks lets you create a home page that links to all your favourite websites so you don’t have to waste time typing in long addresses.

Other Inbox

www.otherinbox.com looks at e-mails coming into your inbox, and creates rules to filter the useful from the trash.

This means e-mails do not need to be sorted manually, which makes the whole process of getting to relevant messages quicker and cleaner.

The service currently only works with Gmail accounts, but the site states other popular mail clients such as Outlook and Outlook Express, will be included in the future.

The free service is in beta and currently looks back 30 days - you can upgrade to the premium version for around $20 (£13) a year.

GOMlab

GOM is a Windows only player, but it works like a treat on that operating system without the need to find and install codecs for most file formats.

Download it from here www.gomlab.com/eng/

It can often play incomplete or damaged AVI files by using special algorithms that skip the damaged frames.

The software gives you one-click access to the control panel to tweak your playback settings - I especially like the Easy Browser option for searching your PC for files to play.

Walk It

The summer is finally here, so there’s no better time to strap on your walking shoes and take a stroll in the fresh air.

But if you don’t know where to start, take a look at walkit.com. This excellent online route-planning site for pedestrians lets you type in any two points in a British city and you’ll get a walking route map.

Each route also includes an estimate of the number of calories the walker will burn, a journey time and the amount of carbon saved by not travelling by taxi, car or bus.

Dress To Impress

You might not be a celebrity, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t dress like one. www.designersales.co.uk holds five fashion sales each year with more than 100 different labels offering discounts.

Heatwave

With the current temperatures in the UK reaching an all time high this year, the Department of Health has advised people to keep their homes as cool as possible and remembering the needs of friends, relatives and neighbours who could be at risk is essential.

"Windows should be kept shaded and closed when the temperature is hotter outside than inside.

"People with respiratory problems should stay inside during the hottest part of the day," a DoH spokesman said.

Other advice in the government's heatwave plan includes to drink cold drinks like water or fruit juice regularly and avoid tea, coffee and alcohol.

Help the Aged and Age Concern welcomed the advice.

A spokesman said: "Older people, especially those on medication, can often find coping with the heat particularly difficult."

More info here www.dh.gov.uk/en/News/Recentstories/DH_101575

and also here

www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_099015

Kidzui

www.kidzui.com limits the web to a little under a million pages that have been pre-screened for suitable use by children.

There are web sites, images, videos, games and a whole lot more - all dressed up in a colourful and child-friendly interface.

The software contains certain reporting tools so parents can see what their children have been up to - more tools are available in a paid-for account version.

RuckU

Rugby fans now have their very own social network in the form of the cheekily-named Rucku at www.rucku.com

This ‘virtual clubhouse’ gives you several ways to interact with other members, who include such famous names as Will Carling and Austin Healey.

As well as commenting on people’s profiles, you can create and join groups, upload photos and videos, chat in the forums and post short Twitter-like updates called ‘sledges’.

Happily, all these features fit together seamlessly and the site has a fun and friendly feel, with lots of content and discussions to browse.

Highlights range from a compilation of Welsh tries to a thread about man-bags.

Essential Fatty Acids

If you’ve been desperately trawling the net in search of Essential Fatty Acid EFA information, you’ll be relieved to hear that www.omega4.co.uk is where you’ll find them.

The site aims to remove the ‘mystique of Omega’ while explaining its many health benefits. There are also case studies to support its claims and a team of experts is on hand to answer your queries by email or phone.

Anyone for Bingo

www.bingohideout.co.uk is a social networking site for online bingo fans. Create a profile, connect with friends, and enjoy a host of great features to keep bingo buffs occupied between games.

You can browse and submit reviews of bingo websites, chat about bingo-related topics in the forums, and read all the latest bingo news stories. Bingo Hideout gives you £100 worth of free bingo bonuses when you sign up, as well as access to competitions and special offers.

I Kid You Not

If you are sucked in by random prank emails or urban legends you can now log onto www.snopes.com and see how much truth there is in the story.

The site gives you the origins of the stories and confirms once and for all if they are true or false.

Pet Club UK

Animal lovers will adore this regroomed pet site as www.petclubuk.com features a wealth of advice and information about our furry, feathery and scaly friends – from dealing with overweight dogs to caring for fish.

There’s also an online store, which sells a wide range of pet products and offers free delivery on orders over £29.99. But it’s the community aspect that justifies Pet Club UK’s name – register for free to share photos of their pets, chat in the many forums and get discounts on every purchase.

I particularly like the site’s simple, colourful design, whose background changes to show a different animal every time you click a tab.

Breathing Earth

At www.breathingearth.net you will find a lovely simulation of the aspects of the life-cycle on Earth, including global birth and death rates, as well as CO2 emissions.

I love the organic sound effect that accompanies the visuals. And having the birth and death rates pointed out in such an obvious way really was quite shocking to me.

It indicates an exploding population, with the continuous counter on the site showing births going up at twice the rate of deaths. Given global concerns about CO2 emissions, the figure underneath those is somewhat worrying too.

You can find out the details for individual countries by hovering the mouse over them.

The aim of this site is to raise awareness of environmental issues. You can find out at the bottom of the site about the data's origin and how you can make a difference to the planet.

Summer Solstice

Tomorrow is the summer solstice, which means it’s the longest day of the year. And if you want to celebrate the day in style, visit www.new-age.co.uk.

This site tells you the exact time the sun rises and falls today and where to go to see it in all its glory. There’s also a gallery of stunning photographs taken at the summer solstice at Stonehenge over the past five years.

Grumble Text

Take a look at www.grumbletext.co.uk if you have a problem with premium rate calls, maybe or anything else to do with telecoms mobiles, texts etc. Have a grumble about it here and see what others say

Restyle Me

Inviting people to rate your fashion sense sounds like asking for trouble, but www.restyleme.com provides an effective means of doing so. Simply upload a photo of yourself for other users to judge, while you do likewise to their pictures.

The fun part comes from the ability to highlight specific elements that you like or dislike in a person’s style - from hair, clothes and makeup to teeth and tattoos - and post comments on his or her page.

Online Office

It’s impossible to take your office with you everywhere you go, but when you need the basics visit www.zoho.com. This is an online suite of free business programmes, with everything from word processing and presentation software to tools for creating databases. This helpful site will mean that you’ll never miss a deadline again.

Test Your Breath

If you’re about to go on a hot date, you’ll want to make sure your breath is minty fresh. So all you need to do is go to www.testyourbreath.ca and type in the last meal you ate. The online breathalyser will tell you how offensive your breath is before you leave the house

Money Exchange

If you’re just about to head off for your summer holidays, take a look at moneyfacts.co.uk. This site will check the exchange rate of your chosen destination and help you get the best available deal. It will also make sure you don’t get stung by massive commission rates.

Burger Tycoon

If you think flipping burgers is easy, try running the fast food company that makes them at addictinggames.com/burgertycoon.html.

In this simulation game you run the company from growing fodder to the boardroom with the aim of making the company a success.

Guess The Age

If you’ve ever embarrassed yourself by wildly over or underestimating someone’s age, then train your skills at www.ageproject.specialsnowflake.com. People upload their photos and you guess their age. It all goes to prove that age really is just a number.

Wildlife On Film

www.wildfilmhistory.org is an indispensable website that brings together 100 years of capturing nature’s great and small creatures on film in one handy location.

With a mountain of films, photos and oral histories, it could take almost another 100 years to trawl through all the content on this website. Delve into the oral histories to learn more about the lives of the filmmakers, but most of all make sure you watch some of the brilliant wildlife footage from yesteryear.

Lookin’ Italian

For lovers of Italian cuisine and wine, www.italyabroad.com is a worth a visit. Set up by two food and wine loving Italians living in the UK the site sources Italian favourites like olive oil, artichokes and wine from Italian artisans. The attractive design makes it easy to navigate, with a clear menu system offering instant access to areas like Events, Restaurants and Recipes.

Raffle Tickets

If you’ve bought more raffle tickets that you care to remember over the years, but you still haven’t won anything, then check out www.raffle.it.


Unlike a traditional raffle, where a random number is drawn, here the lowest unique number is declared the winner. Every time you play you are rewarded with a voucher, which could be for a discount on your next purchase at certain high street retailers, or even a product itself.

The results of each raffle are posted on the site as soon as the winner has been confirmed.

Park Life

National Parks are large areas of land in England, Wales and Scotland, that since 1949 have been protected as beautiful areas for the benefit of the nation.

They contain many of the UK’s most breathtaking landscapes. There are 14 to chose from and www.nationalparks.gov.uk could help you decide which is your favourite.

Game On

Got a spare half hour to kill while the boss is out? Log on to www.bestarcade.com and choose from over 3000 video games. Choose from a range of categories including ‘platform’, ‘shoot ‘em up’, ‘brainteasers’ and ‘racing’.

Keep Calm

If you’re off on your summer hols soon, the last thing you want is to be feeling stressed before you go. So do something that helps you relax, be it mediation, reading or walking. Visit www.relaxationforliving.co.uk for some ideas on how to keep calm.

Going Dotty

www.games1.org/games/worms.swf is an odd little game that will remind you of a simpler time. The aim of the game is to make sure that two black dots don’t crash into each other. And if you think that sounds easy, give it a try.

Easy As ABC

Even young children now are finding it difficult to resist the lure of the computer, but it need not be a bad thing. Encourage your kids to read more by visiting www.lovereading4kids.co.uk. The site allows you to download and print off opening extracts of hundreds of children’s books, and encourages kids to discover new authors through their recommendation service.

Bright Spark

You can’t move on the internet for sites about the supernatural, but if you don’t subscribe to that world view, there’s now a home for you too.

If the prospect of ghosts and gods sounds like hogwash, head for www.the-brights.net. There you’ll find a movement of like-minded people who believe in nothing but science and evolution. So if you’re an atheist, humanist, or just a skeptic, check it out.

Baking Mad

If you like cake you are going to love this site www.bakingmad.com

From the very opening page the design is delicious. There are plenty of mouth-watering illustrations, and with a menubar across the top it is a real dream to navigate.

Check out the recipes drop-down menu first for the staples, then why not sift for ideas under baking ideas. Here you will find suggestions for particular occasions, such as morning coffee treats and winter warmers.

All the recipes are really easy to follow, with step-by-step instructions and plenty of pictures to illustrate.

And because cakes are not traditionally considered a healthy food, if you want to know all about nutrition then browse through the sections under health.

Think U Know

Any parent whose child goes online will no doubt have worried about who they might meet and talk to in cyberspace. Think you know who you are talking to online? Think U Know is a site set up by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre in the UK, but its advice is relevant wherever you are. Find it at www.thinkuknow.co.uk

First of all, I love the design of the site. It has impact without being over-dramatic and it loads really quickly, especially the video on the opening page, which is well worth a look for any teenager who is new to online communities.

Parents should be aware that it is very frank and open about the potential dangers, so make sure you are around to offer support if they are disturbed by it. But perhaps better they be disturbed by the potential than fall into any traps.

Laid out in easily accessible chunks, covering all sorts of subjects like mobiles, podcasting, chatting and the like, the site teaches that the internet can be great fun, but also teaches children to recognise the signs of grooming and abuse. And if they should come across trouble, there is an easy way to seek support and report an abuser to the UK police - just use the Report Abuse tab at the top. Here you will also find sections aimed at parents and teachers.

All in all, a very good website.

Skoool

Education is important the world over but it can also be very different the world over. What I particularly like about www.skoool.com is that it recognises and caters for these differences with dedicated sections accessible from the opening page.

Regions covered at the moment are Ireland, the UK, Thailand, Sweden and Turkey. Just click on the relevant button to enter the country-specific site.

Once inside the site, everything is very self-explanatory and nicely designed. There are games, study tools and plenty for the teacher and parent too. Scan the tabs across the top with your mouse pointer to reveal dropdown menus, and explore in your own time.

HowJsay.com

www.howjsay.com is a must visit for anyone travelling to an English speaking country who wants a hand getting to grips with the lingo.

HowJsay.com is a simple concept, presented simply. It is an English pronunciation dictionary with audio guide to make sure you get your "P's and Q's" spot on.

You will need sound, unsurprisingly, then just type the word you need help with in the box provided and type submit.

The closest match the website has will be presented below, and an audio file triggered automatically showing you how it is pronounced. To repeat the audio simply click the word again.

Club Penguin

www.clubpenguin.com is something for our younger surfers - Club Penguin, a cool online club where you can chat and play games safely.

The first step is to create a penguin identity for yourself. Click Play Now to begin the registration process, then just follow the steps.

Because there is chat involved in this site it is heavily moderated. Parents can choose to moderate their child's online contact even more by limiting their chat capabilities to the preset dictionary of words and phrases.

Once registered you will need to activate your account from the email you are sent. The next thing to do is watch the tutorial as it will explain everything you need to know to enjoy your time at Club Penguin.

Here you can wander around, play games, explore the online world, and even chat to other penguins you happen to bump into. Great fun.

StatCounter

Once you have created a space for people to visit you online, you will be wanting a good free stat counter so you can see how many people have been there.

At www.statcounter.com you can download a free and invisible stat counter which embeds into your webspace and provides you with detailed information about how people are using your site.

Click the live demo link underneath the registration button to get an idea of the kinds of stats you can collect.

When you are ready to sign up then you need to register, and the following page asks you to create a new project.

Follow the steps through, adding details of your web address where prompted. The final step is to configure and install your code.

Easy menus allow you to choose how the counter will look on your site - even down to choosing the colours of the button.

After making all the technical selections you are presented with a few lines of html code to place in your website.

From this moment on, StatCounter will be collecting data about your traffic, and displaying the results in your My Projects section of their website.

The Big Picture Library

How many of you have photo collections online? The web has opened up many doors for sharing and showing off your digital photography collection, and our first website takes the concept of an online album to whole new levels of professionalism.

www.thebigpicturelibrary.com is the brainchild of two chaps called Jack and Matt, whose one burning desire is to give you a decent way to display your albums online.
On loading up the page, one cannot help but notice the fluid and professional design of the site.
After the introduction you can click any of the photos to access its menu area. Click the red picture with the pencil first to have a look at the templates you can choose from.

They look pretty professional, and loading your images up and using that template could not be simpler.

You will need an account, which is free for personal use, then go to the library manager to begin uploading your pics. You can display up to 250 images.

You can do this a number of ways, including using an FTP client, or with Internet Explorer you can simply drag and drop them into the browser window.

All you have to do now is hit the publish button and your pics will be displayed online using your user name as an extension after www.bigpicturelibrary.com

Instructables

http://instructables.com is a brilliant website for those with a hands-on approach, and you'll find it at instructables.

This collaborative project aims to be a place for people to post step-by-step instructions on their latest cool DIY project.

Whether it is making a bird nest box with a webcam inside, or a battery-powered portable charger for your MP3 player, you will find dozens and dozens of step-by-step guides here, and if you register an account you can even add your own.

Search the topics by keyword or just click one of the thumbnails on the opening page. I love the Tupperware iPod boombox.

Each guide is accompanied by photos and explanations, and even if you never get round to building anything yourself, it is incredible to see what other people have thought of doing with a few bits and pieces they found lying around the house

Ideal Present

Have you ever been at a loss when buying presents for your own children or for that matter anybody else's?

How do you keep up with all the latest youth fads and buy the right thing? You bookmark www.idealpresent.co.uk

After free registration the first job is to add a child. You will be asked some questions about the kinds of activities they enjoy, and the next page lets you add more details about their age, the occasion, and how much you want to spend.

This is a UK based website so the values are in pounds, but the ideas returned are good the whole world over. Continue filling in as many of the sections as you want, then click submit to return a list of suggestions from the huge database of presents that have been listed.

In some cases there are links to buy the product, but you do not have to go through this website.

Jumpcut

Video blogging is all the rage, and with modern camera phones capable of capturing better quality footage it will not be long before we are all making our own online TV shows.

Enter http://jumpcut.com, a fantastically simple and totally free video editing tool that will have editing like a pro in no time.

You will need to register to start using the features, but why not take a look at the video tutorial first by clicking Try A Demo on the opening page.

The tutorial should sort you out with the basics, so I will just add a few tips. Uploaded clips can only be 50MB, so make sure you break them down before starting.

Do not forget you can add music too, but be wary of copyright issues if you are going to publish to the web.

Once finished you can choose to publish your work to the rest of the vibrant Jumpcut community, or save it to work on later.

Just click REMIX from the movie play screen to re-open the project at a later date

Holidays Uncovered

Have you ever booked a low cost package holiday thinking you had got a great deal, only to arrive at the resort and discover there was a very good reason the deal was so cheap?
www.holidaysuncovered.co.uk is a holiday site with a difference.

There is information here about resorts all over the world and anyone who visits the site can add their own comments on any resort.

What this does is provide a very frank and varied set of opinions on a resort from a first hand perspective, allowing you to steer well clear of those that come up short.

Just use the drop-down menu in the top search box to choose the location you are thinking about, then scroll down to find the reviews.

To add your own review use the link in the bottom right-hand corner of the main frame. All the instructions on what to do follow.

You can also click the Search link at the bottom of the frame to create a more detailed search for reviews that are relevant to you.

This website is very simple in concept, but really demonstrates the power that the web can give us as consumers.

Brilliant stuff.

Skyscanner

Using Skyscanner www.skyscanner.net could not be simpler, just fill in the details of your trip on the opening page and then click search. A nice touch here is that you can leave some of the details, such as day, blank, allowing you to take advantage of the best possible deals if you are flexible on dates, which is ideal for students!

The next page shows the result of your search, laid out in a bar chart allowing you to quickly see what days you can get the best prices.

Make your selection on the bar chart for outbound and return flights, and the next page lists the flights in more details.

When you are happy with your choice, the final page offers you a button to click through to the airlines website to purchase your flight. Easy.

Rememory.com

Now this site is for your precious memories. Yes literally.

www.rememory.com is all about remembering stuff - an online repository for all your favourite memories: a funny incident, a proud moment perhaps, or simply a commentary of a great game that your football team has won.

Here you can simply post them to the site, either to be viewed by you or your friends, or for all and sundry to enjoy.

And if you really are passionate about your memories you can turn them in to a good read, decorate it with few pictures and enter it to the competition to win some rememory bucks.
Do not expect them to worth too much in the outside world - though if you make enough of them you can at least console yourself with a prize.

Overall a nice website to take a trip down memory lane, socialise and learn a few things from people around the world along the way.

Off The Map

They call them Visionary Artists - creatives who have never been to an art school or been taught how to create art but who have still made incredible works, either whilst redecorating their houses or maybe painting their back yards.

At www.pbs.org/independentlens/offthemap you can either start surfing by clicking Tour Backyard Paradises which will open up a separate flash page where you can look at different artists' works from around the world. This is quite fun as it is interactive but a bit more bandwidth-hungry.

The other option is to click See The Travelogue which goes to a list-style page with the same information on and will load quicker if you do not have a fast connection.

One of my personal favourites is Bottle Village by Tressa Prisbey. She started building it in 1956 when it began life as a single structure to house her collection of 17,000 pencils.

Since then it has grown to 13 structures which she has connected with mosaic flooring, simply using coloured disposed-of bottles. What is particularly cool about this section is the zoom-in feature, as it reveals the intricate details she went into in order to create her village.

And if you really feel inspired by these artists, well you are in luck, because the site creators have given you the opportunity to create your very own backyard paradise with the items they have selected for you. A really nice touch.

LibriVox

LibriVox provides free audio books and files of literary classics which are in the public domain. Take a look at http://www.librivox.org

Rather than famous actors lending their vocal talents to the readings, the audio books here are read out by volunteers.

All of the audio books are literary classics and are out of copyright so they can be downloaded and listened to free of charge.

You will not find any Dan Brown or John Grisham but classics like Jane Austen's Emma and Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland are all here.

At present there are nearly 650 audio titles to choose from.

Selecting Listen on the homepage leads to the catalogue. Titles can be searched by author or title or you can simply browse through the whole catalogue.

Once a title has been selected, there is a brief description of the work along with links to further information about the author. Scrolling down the page reveals the file format available for download; right click to save to your hard drive and you are away.

The list of titles is not as long as I would like, but it is growing all the time and the quality of the recordings is generally very good.

The Star Trek Archive

Right then, now that we have been doing this full on techie geek stuff - I think that puts us in just the right position to relax but still stay with the geek - this time Star Trek geek. The link you need is http://starchive.cs.umanitoba.ca/?stardates/

Have you ever wondered when the captain of the enterprise said "stardate 47622.1" what that meant? Well here is a site that explains Star Trek stardates - and who said the web was pointless.

So if you want to know why the Star Trek original series had dates that were four characters long and the next generation five - this is the place to go. Oh and there are other resources for the interested reader - not least "A history of ships named Enterprise". Surely a must for everyone

MailFreezr.com

Now, we usually think of e-mail as a way to instantly communicate, but what happens if you want to freeze e-mail to send at some point way down the line?

www.MailFreezr.com is a website which stores your mail for - wait for it - up to a century - and then finally pings it into cyberspace. All you do is fill out a few details on a basic form and voila, a missive ready to send in the future, so you never have to miss that cousin's anniversary ever again.

MailFreezr's creator says messages are secure and confidential and will be sent on time, though filling in e-mail addresses on the web does make you prey to spam harvesters.
Aside from the obvious problem that e-mail may well not be around in 50 or 100 years, the biggest drawback of Mailfreezr is that you can only freeze an e-mail in yearly increments.

DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid can be a beautiful thing. You know what I am talking about right? It is of course the full scientific name for DNA, which is not only useful for forensic science, but can also be turned into some pretty funky art.

Take a look at http://www.dna11.com Each person's DNA is completely unique, and the people behind this website are offering to make you an equally unique work of art from a sample of your own DNA.

Now, of course this comes with a price tag, but I think the website is quite interesting in its own right.

Click About Us and Overview to learn the basics. There is a nice report from CBC News streaming here that tells you all about it.

This is a really cool idea and was even featured in an episode of CSI: New York. Art meets science meets the building blocks of life - how very next century.

Reading Test

Have you heard about the theory that the brain can make sense of a passage of text with the letters all jumbled up? This works as long as the first and last letters are in place.

At http://readingtest.sytes.org you can read the classic bit of text that describes the theory. You have probably seen it as a viral, as I think this one did the rounds a year or so ago.

Well, now some clever spark has created an engine where you can test out the theory on any site you like. Just plug the URL in the box provided and see how it works.

Will It Blend?

I have no idea what inspired the makers of Will It Blend? But one thing I do know for sure is that you should definitely not try this at home.

The basis of this website is will stuff blend? By that, we mean what will happen if you put something in a blender and hit the on button. We are not talking oranges and whipped cream here - we know they blend - but how about a Rubik's cube, a sports ball or even an iPhone? Take a look at www.willitblend.com

Crazy but true, these guys have blended them all and I watched the videos with nail-biting suspense. I particularly like the glow sticks blend for a bit of in-the-dark drama.
There is actually a Try This at Home section too for safe blends, like making chicken soup and grinding your own coffee beans. It is a bizarre collection of videos that I find strangely appealing. Amazing what you can find on the internet.

A big break for your band

UNITY in the Park, now in its eighth year, is looking for bands and street entertainers to play at any of its free open-air, live music bandstand events this summer.

Dates are all Sundays and include May 17, June 21, July 5, and August 2.

Unity would like up to seven bands at each event and the earlier you contact the greater your chances of being booked.

Just phone 07811 837821 or email Unityismusic@aol.com

Families and music lovers are invited to come along to the Barrow Park bandstand on any of the dates – and bring a picnic with them – for a range of high quality acts to bop along to.

COLOURlovers

Colours have a big influence on people. You might not realise it, but colours can affect your appetite, mood and energy levels. Advertisers, marketers and designers spend a lot of time and money devising new palettes to appeal.

www.colourlovers.com is an online resource where you can find inspiration and talk openly about your love of colours with like-minded people.

Whether you are designing your website, considering re-decorating your home, or are a professional in need of a little inspiration - there are literally hundreds of colour palettes and patterns for you to view and download.

The trends tab at the top of the site is interesting, as it picks up on current trends in magazine and website design, which could help you keep up to date and have your design work looking 100% in style.

And if you are the creative type you can even add your own colours and palettes to the database.

NHS (UK only)

The NHS has been present on the internet for some time - but they have recently merged and revamped their main websites to create a single portal to all things involving the health service.
The NHS's new site brings the organisation bang up to date with a fresh new look that is easy to navigate and interesting to browse around.

At http://www.nhs.uk you can find information about services, general advice on living well and staying healthy, or seek quick answers to your health concerns with a symptom checker, which offers alternative ways to get in touch with NHS Direct.

The Health A to Z covers everything from Arthritis to Yellow Fever, with information about the symptoms and advice about various treatments.

I particularly like the way many of the sections integrate blogs, patient comments & online guides & videos.

This is nothing like a long boring sit in the Accident & Emergency room and should be the very first place you head to if you're worried about your health.

Village of Joy

The world is full of wonderful, amazing, funny and right weird stuff and at Village of Joy you can find out all about it at http://villageofjoy.com

From the sublime to the ridiculous, there are all sorts of subjects covered here.
There are unusual churches, crazy cars, and the world's most poisonous creatures. All posts are rich with pictures - a visual feast of all the oddities around the globe.

My personal favourite is the 50 strange buildings section. There is not actually a lot of descriptive text in these posts - but all the pictures are labelled up so if you want to know more about them you can always revert to your favourite search engine.

And if you see something out on your travels that you think would fit in, the website creators invite you to submit your own story using the link at the top of the page.

Prevent it

The internet is an amazing source of information that can even help save lives.

www.prevent-it.ca is a website created by the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board in Canada, and it is all about following proper safety procedures at work.

The instructions here are relevant the whole world over - and it is nicely produced.
From the opening page, clicking 'Find Out How' will load up the first interactive spot.

They do take a while to load up, but the spots themselves are stunning, each story outlining a particular area of danger in the workplace.

At the end you can move onto the next story, or click the links for further reading material including what you should expect from an employer.

Once you are into the website proper you can watch the TV spots they have been running.

These ads were designed to shock and scare people into taking the right precautions at work. Those with a nervous disposition should probably look the other way.

Stock Market

Ever fancied your chances on the stock market? I have often thumbed through the Financial Times thinking to myself - if only I had £100,000 to play with, I could make a fortune. Or could I?

Luckily I didn't need to sell my house to find out that it is not as easy as it looks!

At www.inspectd.com you can play the real market with imaginary moolah as you are presented with a series of historical stock graphs and asked if you would buy, sell or pass.

Each trade assumes a one month period, unless you click the link to Advanced Trading where you can control your portfolio day by day.

I have managed to lose more than half my money in just 60 trades.

I don't really know what the graphs mean - some form of explanation would have really helped make this site complete. But none the less it's an entertaining way to pass the lunch hour.

Be Wise

Do you ever wonder what your purpose is? If you’re struggling to answer some of life’s biggest questions, visit wisdomology.com. This is a place where users can come together and have meaningful conversations about their mind, body and souls.

You might not agree with what some people have to say but at least you’ll get a chance to express your own opinions

Easy Pics

When you need to source photos for a project or website, don’t take the copyright-infringing approach and visit snapvillage.com instead.

This new site features more than 160,000 high-quality images which you can license for about 50p per shot.

Other users can tag and comment on pictures to make the best ones easy to find, while search results can be sorted by date, relevance and price.

You can also earn money through the site by posting your own pictures and earning royalties each time one is purchased.

Prepare For A Fright

Halloween might be months away, but if you can’t wait for a scary fix visit www.everythingscary.com. This site will keep you up-to-date with all the latest horror movie releases as well as a league of the best scary films of all time. And if you want a fright before bedtime, just take a look at the haunted folklore section.

Women Repoublic

womenrepublic.co.uk is dedicated to everything a woman needs to know. This site holds information on a huge range of topics including travel, health, relationships and dieting. Their aim is to provide honest help and advice for women of all ages and positions in life.

Beyond Baked Beans

Eating healthily and on a budget might not seem possible but that’s why www.beyondbakedbeans.com is here to help. This handy site is full of recipes suitable for students, singletons or anyone with limited funds. There’s also plenty of tips to help you become the next Delia or Gordon.

Star Wars Day

Today is National Star Wars Day. May the 4th be With you…. Geddit.

Insanity Test

Have you ever worried that you might be going a bit mad? Well you can find out once and for all at www.penddraig.co.uk/pen. Simply click on the ‘online tests’ link and take the ‘insanity test’. With 176 questions in all, you’ve got to be pretty crazy to even attempt it in the first place. But at least you’ll know for sure.

Wot Artist

www.wotartist.com is an easy-to-use, non-profit online gallery that showcases work by artists from across the globe.

There are a variety of styles featured, from abstract art to illustrations and photography. Each piece of work is displayed with links to the artists’ own websites so interested visitors and buyers can contact them directly.

The permanent collection is constantly refreshed with new work as new artists are actively sought out and added to the site daily.

Greenfingers

www.doctorgreenfingers.co.uk is an infectiously enthusiastic site that insists that gardening is ‘sensual, fun and trendy!

The site’s medically-inspired sections include the Accident & Emergency Department for expert queries and the Record Department for interesting facts.

The Family Planning section and Maternity Ward are useful for new gardeners but the most informative section is Operating Theatre, where you can find gardening calendars and advice on many elements of indoor and outdoor plant care.

Round The Piano

www.pianoworld.com. This site holds lots of information on where to get piano lessons, how to tune a piano and all the latest piano news. There’s also a links section to sites where you can download free sheet music.
Doctor Green Fingers

Mistakes And Errors

Bob Monkhouse famously said ‘We all make mistakes. That’s why they put rubbers at the end of pencils’. But if you like to laugh at other people’s mistakes, visit www.regrettheerror.com. This site holds hundreds of mistakes that broadsheets have made and the retractions they’ve had to make.

Taxi Route and fare checks

Have you ever wondered how much a taxi fare should cost you? Now you can easily find out. No matter where you are in the UK you can go from point A to B using your own local licencing authorities rates and find out how much the fare should costs you.

A quick chat with the author of the website and he says this...

Basically, I have written and launched a Taxi Fare Calculator site for the UK. The idea was borne out of the confusion I had over consistently getting different taxi prices when using the same route. I never understood why they were so different so sat down to do some calculations myself... and so www.taxiroute.co.uk was born!

It took a long time to write the code, build the databases, build the website and compile the fare tariffs from the various Licensing Authorities in the UK but it's almost there now! Feedback is good from the people who use it both from a usability and an accuracy point of view, so I intend to keep going with it!

Hopefully, when some of my other ideas get built into the website it will be a sort of "compare-the-taxi.com" type of site. It will have both a web front end as well as a Pocket PC and an iPhone version.

Both taxi users AND taxi companies seem to be using the site a lot. The taxi companies love it because not all of them have the money to pay their software suppliers for a quotation system. Some companies have told me they have been quoted as much as £8,000 for a system that does nothing more than mine!

Anyway, just wondered if you might like a look and possibly feedback any thoughts you might have on it?

Thanks

Trev
Taxiroute.co.uk

Tiny Pocket People

When you’re a long way away from your loved ones sometimes a phone call just doesn’t suffice. That’s why www.tinypocketpeople.com have decided to print the faces of the one you miss onto a tiny doll for you to carry around. Take a look at the site and decide for yourself whether it’s cute or creepy.

Useless Old Phones

When you buy a new mobile phone it’s always hard to know what to do with the old one. But the people at www.whatgoodisyouroldphone.com have come up with ingenious ways to dispose of their broken mobiles. There are tens of videos of people barbequing, running over and shooting their old phones. If you’ve got rid of your mobile in an usual way make sure you upload your footage onto the site.

That’s Entertainment

www.blinkbox.com is an entertainment hub that combines the best elements of YouTube, Facebook and LoveFilm. It lets you watch and share video clips from a wide variety of films and TV shows. As it’s all legal and above board, the quality is fantastic and each clip is accompanied by an option to buy or rent the whole movie or programme.

Blinks can be shared via email, web link or your profile, and customised with tag, comments and ratings. The site also offers fun quizzes, contacts lists and many other interactive tools.

Spot The Difference

As the name suggests, www.spotthedifference.com is home to hundreds of those ’spot the difference’ games you used to love playing as a child. So spot away to your heart’s content, although you may give yourself a bit of a headache as some of them are very tricky

Comparing Phones

There are lots of sites that let you compare the latest mobile phone deals, but few are as quick and easy to use as phoneslimited.co.uk. Simply select the handset you’re interested in from a drop-down menu for an instant list of current offers. Results include contract, pay-as-you-go and SIM-free options, and are accompanied by images and product descriptions that help confirm you’ve picked the right phone.

Fuel For Thought

If you love your car but want to do your bit for the environment, visit ecomodder.com. This energy-saving community is more concerned with fuel economy than power and speed, but it doesn’t mean you can’t still love your motor. The site is packed with driving techniques and common sense to help you squeeze every penny out of the pumps.

So Embarrassing

Have you ever done something so embarrassing that when you think about it you cringe and turn bright red? If you have visit www.embarrassing.us and share your shameful story online. There are hundreds of people’s excruciating moments already on the site, which are sure to make you feel better about your own embarrassing incident.

St Georges Day

PATRIOTISM will be promoted across Furness on Thursday as a whole host of events are planned to mark St George’s Day.

An afternoon of celebrations will take place in Barrow town centre, focusing around Forum 28.

England flags will be handed out and Barrow Tourist Information Centre will promote holidaying in this country.

Staff at Forum 28 will be offering people a traditional English lunch menu of roast beef and Yorkshire pudding followed by apple pie.

Magician Joel Dickinson will entertain crowds while pianist Noel Kennetts plays a variety of patriotic tunes. Ann Taylforth, town centre and festivals manager for Barrow Borough Council, said: “We have over many years celebrated St George’s Day in Barrow. This year we arefeaturing traditional English holidays, food and entertainment.

“The patron saint of England is honoured in our town and the St George’s walk explores the area around St George’s Square.

“I am sure everyone will enjoy this celebration of St George’s Day and the opportunity to celebrate England’s national day.”

A number of events will take place at St George’s Church, St George’s Square, Barrow, throughout this week. Reverend Jane Nattrass, vicar for the South Barrow Ministry, said: “On St George’s Day the church bell will be rung and the flag will be flying.”

There will be a concert from Barrow Male Voice Choir at St George’s Church tomorrow and a lunch club on Thursday.

There will be a service for people from St George’s, St Luke’s, St Perran’s and St Aidan’s on Sunday, followed by a parade.

(Taken from North West Evening Mail. Click to find out more)

Am I Right ??

If you’re a fan of strange jingles and misheard lyrics take a look at www.amiright.com. This online music forum holds a large collection of funny albums and song parodies for you to laugh out loud and sing along to. To put it simply: any silly song is welcome here.

Dear Anyone

If you think you would make a great agony aunt you can share your opinions at www.dearanyone.com. This site will keep you a real-life problem to solve and give your advice on. And if you’ve got a question that you need answering you can even leave your own dilemma.

Easy As ABC

Even young children now are finding it difficult to resist the lure of the computer, but it need not be a bad thing. Encourage your kids to read more by visiting www.lovereading4kids.co.uk. The site allows you to download and print off opening extracts of hundreds of children’s books, and encourages kids to discover new authors through their recommendation service.

Bright Spark

You can’t move on the internet for sites about the supernatural, but if you don’t subscribe to that world view, there’s now a home for you too. If the prospect of ghosts and gods sounds like hogwash, head for www.the-brights.net. There you’ll find a movement of like-minded people who believe in nothing but science and evolution. So if you’re an atheist, humanist, or just a skeptic, check it out.

The Young Ones

Being a student can be one of the best times of your life when you stay out all night with your friends and don’t have to get up for work in the morning. And if you’re just about to leave for university you need www.thestudentroom.co.uk. This site is a great place to help you decide which university to go to, how to survive a long-distance relationship and money saving advice. There’s also a message board where you can chat to other freshers.

A Million Stories

There are a million untold stories in the world and one of them is yours. www.amillionstories.co.uk is a collection of personal true stories from people all over the world. These pieces range from heart-warming love stories to hilarious anecdotes, so you’re bound to find something no matter what mood you’re in.

Sweet Dreams

We’ve all had strange dreams, but if you want to know what yours mean, visit www.askfreud.org. Just type in a brief description of your dream into the Freud machine to see what the psychologist makes of your unconscious thoughts.

Bored To Death

The internet can be a powerful tool for finding information and communicating with your friends. But sometimes you can find yourself bored of searching through unexciting web pages. That’s why www.boredtodeath.co.uk is packed with pictures, videos, jokes, puzzles and games to keep you amused for hours.

My Pet Peeves

Sometimes its good to get things off your chest. And if you need a platform to shout from visit www.mypetpeeves.com. Just write a post on your biggest pet peeve and leave it online for other people to agree or disagree with. You can also leave your own comments on other people’s biggest irritations.

Library Of Sounds

www.soungle.com is what you get when you combine sound with Google. It’s a free and fun sound search engine that helps you root out all manner of noises and effects. It looks and works very much like Google, except that it searches its own database of sounds rather than the whole web. Soungle is a fantastic time-waster, letting you listen to short audio clips from, for example, nature and around the home. You can preview all the sounds, download them or upload noises you’ve recorded yourself.

Work Hard, Relax Hard

Paperwork strewn all over your desk and the constant demand of attention from the computer screen can fry your brain. But www.mandolux.com offers a digital deluge of harmonious images that will soothe your mind in between tasks. The site features computerised graphics, abstract photographs and stylised images that will help calm you while keeping you at your screen and productive.

Invention Inspiration

If you’re full of good ideas and want to get one of them off the ground, then www.nesta.org.uk is the site for you. This site helps would-be inventors launch their ideas by giving them support and guidance. What’s more, if you’re struggling to think up a good idea for your next innovation the site also offers creativity inspiration and encouragement.

Overheard In The UK

The funniest conversations can sometimes be the ones you overhear. That’s why www.overheardintheuk.com have put together a collection of quotes overheard on buses, trains and streets from across the UK. Old ladies talking in the hairdressers make some of the funniest lines on
the site.

Game Of The Day

If you’re a computer game addict you’ll love www.gameoftheday.net. This easy to use site uploads a different game every day, from retro puzzles to state of the art graphic games. It’s a great way to unwind and spend a couple of hours.

The Nappy Lady

When you have your first baby you might be left feeling like you don’t know what you’re doing. But don’t panic - just visit www.thenappylady.com. This handy site tells you everything you need to know about how to change your baby and all the products you need. You can even leave questions for the Nappy Lady to answer.

Pen To Paper

Getting your big break as a writer isn’t always easy, but if you want to share your talents with the world, go to www.yousaid.com. This online writing competition will give you a list of topics to choose from, you write a short piece and then enter it for the judges to read. You can enter as many times as you like and you could end up winning some great prizes.

Keep Calm

If you’re off on your summer hols soon, the last thing you want is to be feeling stressed before you go. So do something that helps you relax, be it mediation, reading or walking.

Visit www.relaxationforliving.co.uk for some ideas on how to keep calm

Find Your Friend A Job

What could be better than finding a job for a friend and getting paid for the privilege? www.zubka.com has hit upon the novel idea of rewarding people who find the best candidates for job vacancies. If your recommendation is successful you are entitled to between 6 and 8% of the salary. So if a job pays £50k, the successful referrer will be entitled to a whopping £3,600.

To start referring you have to sign up, which is free and easy to do, and then download the Zubka widget to keep you informed of new jobs.

Access From Anywhere

www.jooce.com is a must-see for anyone who can only access the web from internet cafés and miss the customisability of a home PC. The site bundles all your chat and email accounts into one easy-to-use virtual desktop. You can upload files, videos, photos, music and access it all from any computer, whether you’re trekking through South America or sat in a cyber café in Warsaw.

The Whole Truth

Politicians aren’t known for being the most reliable individuals, which is why www.crooksandliars.com is such a popular website. The site is updated daily with political news from around the globe and is packed with video and audio clips of politicians on radio and TV. You can also leave a comment on the news of the day or share your own conspiracy theory.

A New Venture

Take a look at www.taxistorys.blogspot.com. Think its self explanatory. full details at http://taxistorys.blogspot.com/2009/03/guest-blogger.html