Wednesday, 9 December 2009
Geeks
www.geeks.co.uk is the website address you need for this site which provides news, reviews and in-depth articles covering everything from gadgets and games to guitars and grub. Thanks to a large team of switched-on contributors, the content is impressively varied and incisive, making effective use of video and Web 2.0 tools. We particularly like the Pleasant Conversations section of the forum, the ‘week in geek’ round-up and the RSS feed of user comments. With its friendly feel and functional design, the site is sure to prove popular with the geekerati - people who are cooler than nerds and cleverer than dorks.
Tuesday, 8 December 2009
Compare Download
www.comparedownload.com compares the cost of music across the main digital download stores.
It's such a fantastic idea it’s a wonder that nobody thought of it before.
Simply search for artist, song or album, hit ‘compare prices’ to find the best deal and then click through to make your purchase.
An embedded music player provides a preview of each track, and you can also watch related videos, read customer reviews and get details of upcoming concerts.
CompareDownload.com has a clean, user-friendly interface, organised by genre, and scours big-name music merchants including iTunes, Amazon and 7digital to save you time and money. And if you need to listen something to your cheap tunes on, you can compare the prices of MP3 players, hi-fis and audio docks.
It's such a fantastic idea it’s a wonder that nobody thought of it before.
Simply search for artist, song or album, hit ‘compare prices’ to find the best deal and then click through to make your purchase.
An embedded music player provides a preview of each track, and you can also watch related videos, read customer reviews and get details of upcoming concerts.
CompareDownload.com has a clean, user-friendly interface, organised by genre, and scours big-name music merchants including iTunes, Amazon and 7digital to save you time and money. And if you need to listen something to your cheap tunes on, you can compare the prices of MP3 players, hi-fis and audio docks.
Monday, 7 December 2009
Kiss My Bingo
Get your eyes down and pucker up for Kiss My Bingo, which lets you play bingo for money online.
The site has relaunched with a fresh look and further ways to win and waste cash.
The boring brown design of old has been replaced by a bright blue and pink colour scheme, which gives the site a fun, modern feel.
The site now offers a broad choice of bingo games across its chat rooms, with some cards available for as little as 5p each and ‘free’ sessions open to players who have at least £30 in their accounts. Kiss My Bingo offers various incentives to sign up, including a £10 bonus when you deposit your first £10, but it lacks the community feel of some of its rivals.
The website can be found at http://www.kissmybingo.com
The site has relaunched with a fresh look and further ways to win and waste cash.
The boring brown design of old has been replaced by a bright blue and pink colour scheme, which gives the site a fun, modern feel.
The site now offers a broad choice of bingo games across its chat rooms, with some cards available for as little as 5p each and ‘free’ sessions open to players who have at least £30 in their accounts. Kiss My Bingo offers various incentives to sign up, including a £10 bonus when you deposit your first £10, but it lacks the community feel of some of its rivals.
The website can be found at http://www.kissmybingo.com
Sunday, 6 December 2009
Download Buyer
As its name suggests, www.downloadbuyer.com is an online software store with a difference.
Instead of products being sent out by post, everything this site sells is delivered directly to your Desktop. A wide range of programs are available for both PC and Mac, including titles from Avanquest, Magix and ZoneAlarm. Because there are no boxes, postal costs or overheads involved, you can buy most software for around 10 per cent less than the recommended retail price, although Amazon is slightly cheaper. Products are helpfully accompanied by screen shots, reviews and detailed specifications.
Instead of products being sent out by post, everything this site sells is delivered directly to your Desktop. A wide range of programs are available for both PC and Mac, including titles from Avanquest, Magix and ZoneAlarm. Because there are no boxes, postal costs or overheads involved, you can buy most software for around 10 per cent less than the recommended retail price, although Amazon is slightly cheaper. Products are helpfully accompanied by screen shots, reviews and detailed specifications.
Saturday, 5 December 2009
Review Centre
Find out what people think of thousands of different products at this consumer-review website.
Take a look at www.reviewcentre.com
After 10 years of amassing consumer opinions, Review Centre was starting to look a bit creaky. Now the popular site has been spruced up and is slicker, quicker and easier to use.
Draped in regal purple and blue, the revamped layout makes finding product and service reviews a doddle, be it through browsing the tidied-up category menus, clicking keyword tags or using the search box. The community aspect of the site is more prominent, with the best member opinions flagged on the homepage, and the presentation of reviews has also been significantly improved. With further features to be added soon, including video reviews, Review Centre deserves a five-star rating.
Take a look at www.reviewcentre.com
After 10 years of amassing consumer opinions, Review Centre was starting to look a bit creaky. Now the popular site has been spruced up and is slicker, quicker and easier to use.
Draped in regal purple and blue, the revamped layout makes finding product and service reviews a doddle, be it through browsing the tidied-up category menus, clicking keyword tags or using the search box. The community aspect of the site is more prominent, with the best member opinions flagged on the homepage, and the presentation of reviews has also been significantly improved. With further features to be added soon, including video reviews, Review Centre deserves a five-star rating.
Friday, 4 December 2009
Find a Babysitter
www.findababysitter.com is a site for parents looking for a babysitter, nanny or au pair will find plenty to choose from at this relaunched site.
Findababysitter.com features a ‘geo-coded’ search facility that shows you at a glance how far away each candidate lives from your home.
This is handy for when you need to hire a suitable person in a hurry, while you can also search by qualifications, experience and language.
Findababysitter.com couldn’t be simpler to use and lets you save your searches, as well as providing helpful articles and advice.
The site charges parents £10 per month for unlimited access, but child carers seeking employment can post their details for free.
Findababysitter.com features a ‘geo-coded’ search facility that shows you at a glance how far away each candidate lives from your home.
This is handy for when you need to hire a suitable person in a hurry, while you can also search by qualifications, experience and language.
Findababysitter.com couldn’t be simpler to use and lets you save your searches, as well as providing helpful articles and advice.
The site charges parents £10 per month for unlimited access, but child carers seeking employment can post their details for free.
Thursday, 3 December 2009
OMGPOP
www.omgpop.com is flash game site where you can play on your own, wait for other users of the site to join in, or you can click the "invite a friend" link to copy a URL which you can then paste into a forum, twitter, or blog where your friends can jump directly into the game you are hosting.
If you prefer you can join a game in progress rather than hosting one yourself. Registering with the site will give you a little more functionality.
If you prefer you can join a game in progress rather than hosting one yourself. Registering with the site will give you a little more functionality.
Wednesday, 2 December 2009
Kids' Click
The web is a wonderful place for children to explore and learn - but as any net-savvy parent will tell you, there is plenty to be worried about out there as well.
www.kidsclick.org is a site created by librarians that aims to allay our concerns by providing a search engine of content that is suitable for younger surfers.
The site covers more than 600 subjects, from health to sports & the arts.
Instead of using spiders and search bots to sniff out the content like regular search engines, this content is all human-filtered - so you can be sure that the results you get back will be age-appropriate.
www.kidsclick.org is a site created by librarians that aims to allay our concerns by providing a search engine of content that is suitable for younger surfers.
The site covers more than 600 subjects, from health to sports & the arts.
Instead of using spiders and search bots to sniff out the content like regular search engines, this content is all human-filtered - so you can be sure that the results you get back will be age-appropriate.
Tuesday, 1 December 2009
Emoze
www.emoze.com is an amazingly easy to use mobile application which allows you to receive and send e-mails and other communication tools on your mobile phone.
Lots of popular email clients are supported, including Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook and Hotmail - but you will have to pay a small premium subscription fee if you want it to work across multiple accounts.
You can add Facebook messages, calendars, tasks and contacts. Once you have all your options set up it is incredibly fast and easy to use.
This is the kind of application that once you start using it, you will wonder how you ever managed without it.
Lots of popular email clients are supported, including Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook and Hotmail - but you will have to pay a small premium subscription fee if you want it to work across multiple accounts.
You can add Facebook messages, calendars, tasks and contacts. Once you have all your options set up it is incredibly fast and easy to use.
This is the kind of application that once you start using it, you will wonder how you ever managed without it.
Monday, 30 November 2009
World Digital Library
www.wdl.org has a virtual museum of cultural treasures such as manuscripts, maps, rare books, musical scores, recordings, films, prints, photographs, and architectural drawings.
It can be viewed in a variety of languages including Russian, Arabic and Chinese - click on the thumbnails to find details about each piece, videos and articles.
My only gripe is that there is no forward and back button on the details page itself, so use the browser back button to navigate the site.
It can be viewed in a variety of languages including Russian, Arabic and Chinese - click on the thumbnails to find details about each piece, videos and articles.
My only gripe is that there is no forward and back button on the details page itself, so use the browser back button to navigate the site.
Sunday, 29 November 2009
Big Earth
From the producers of travel show Long Way Down, www.bigearth.co.uk aims to serve as a stop-off point for adventurers.
The site is neatly divided along three fronts: Plan, Share and Discover. Each category is intended to aid travellers on their journeys, offering maps and information about vaccinations, vehicle maintenance and taking photos on the go.
There are also tips and advice from seasoned explorers and a growing community of travellers’ blogs from all corners of the world. If you’re planning something a bit more adventurous than lying on a beach, Big Earth is worth dropping by.
The site is neatly divided along three fronts: Plan, Share and Discover. Each category is intended to aid travellers on their journeys, offering maps and information about vaccinations, vehicle maintenance and taking photos on the go.
There are also tips and advice from seasoned explorers and a growing community of travellers’ blogs from all corners of the world. If you’re planning something a bit more adventurous than lying on a beach, Big Earth is worth dropping by.
Saturday, 28 November 2009
This Is My Joystick
Some gaming websites are too elitist to be enjoyable, but www.thisismyjoystick.com pushes all the right buttons.
It delivers daily news, reviews and in-depth editorials, which are written in an authoritative but friendly manner that conveys real enthusiasm for all things game-related. Particularly good are the podcasts, in which the team discuss the latest releases, reveal what they’re playing and gossip among themselves.
We also like the fact that the Twitter feed and user comments are integral to the site’s sense of community, rather than seeming like an afterthought. With a mobile version to boot, This Is My Joystick has plenty of potential
It delivers daily news, reviews and in-depth editorials, which are written in an authoritative but friendly manner that conveys real enthusiasm for all things game-related. Particularly good are the podcasts, in which the team discuss the latest releases, reveal what they’re playing and gossip among themselves.
We also like the fact that the Twitter feed and user comments are integral to the site’s sense of community, rather than seeming like an afterthought. With a mobile version to boot, This Is My Joystick has plenty of potential
Friday, 27 November 2009
Speedfan
Speedfan is a useful little application that helps you monitor the temperature, voltage and fan speeds inside your PC. Find it at www.almico.com/speedfan.php
This app allows you to manually control the speed of the fans, so you can speed them up or slow them down depending on what you are doing.
Also, you can set your machine to look for events, such as CPU or GPU overheating, and to warn you with a beep or pop-up message.
Take a look at the Articles section for an in-depth overview of the features
This app allows you to manually control the speed of the fans, so you can speed them up or slow them down depending on what you are doing.
Also, you can set your machine to look for events, such as CPU or GPU overheating, and to warn you with a beep or pop-up message.
Take a look at the Articles section for an in-depth overview of the features
Thursday, 26 November 2009
Craftbits
www.craftbits.com is a hobbyist's dream, crammed full of great projects, ideas and instructions. Project categories are listed on the left - or you can perform a search if you know what you are looking for.
They all use commonly available materials, and in many cases help you to recycle your old stuff into glorious gifts.
There are plenty of videos to watch if you prefer to be guided, and if you sign up for free membership you can save the projects you like and even submit your own ideas to help contribute to the site's content. It is a pretty popular place to visit with around 13,000 people clicking on these pages every day.
They all use commonly available materials, and in many cases help you to recycle your old stuff into glorious gifts.
There are plenty of videos to watch if you prefer to be guided, and if you sign up for free membership you can save the projects you like and even submit your own ideas to help contribute to the site's content. It is a pretty popular place to visit with around 13,000 people clicking on these pages every day.
Wednesday, 25 November 2009
NetDoctor
This is a site we touched on briefly a while ago but since then it has become a wealth of informastion.
Take a look at www.netdoctor.co.uk and see for yourself that this leading health website has relaunched with a wealth of new information and advice, and an easier to navigate layout.
In addition to the existing content, NetDoctor has introduced a range of helpful features including informative videos, virtual health and wellbeing centres where you can quickly diagnose symptoms, and enhanced chat forums that give you a better chance of finding help with your condition.
The site continues to provide trusted advice from doctors and health practitioners across Europe and its fresh-looking, user-friendly redesign makes all the information more readily accessible. NetDoctor is an invaluable resource for everyone.
Take a look at www.netdoctor.co.uk and see for yourself that this leading health website has relaunched with a wealth of new information and advice, and an easier to navigate layout.
In addition to the existing content, NetDoctor has introduced a range of helpful features including informative videos, virtual health and wellbeing centres where you can quickly diagnose symptoms, and enhanced chat forums that give you a better chance of finding help with your condition.
The site continues to provide trusted advice from doctors and health practitioners across Europe and its fresh-looking, user-friendly redesign makes all the information more readily accessible. NetDoctor is an invaluable resource for everyone.
Tuesday, 24 November 2009
Coffee Cavern
www.coffeecavern.co.uk is where connoisseurs will appreciate the distinct aroma of this site, which sells a variety of specialty coffees and loose-leaf teas.
These include blends from Africa and the Caribbean, as well as English favourites such as Earl Grey and Darjeeling. The tasteful brown design is complemented by a simple ordering process that lets you select the grind and weight of your coffee and request a free sample of most teas.
Join the Coffee Club for £9.95 per month to get coffee samples too, along with access to a members’ discussion forum and discounts. And if you want to get more from your beverages, the site also sells a range of syrups.
These include blends from Africa and the Caribbean, as well as English favourites such as Earl Grey and Darjeeling. The tasteful brown design is complemented by a simple ordering process that lets you select the grind and weight of your coffee and request a free sample of most teas.
Join the Coffee Club for £9.95 per month to get coffee samples too, along with access to a members’ discussion forum and discounts. And if you want to get more from your beverages, the site also sells a range of syrups.
Monday, 23 November 2009
Simonseeks
www.simonseeks.com is a holiday community where travellers share information and advice about their favourite destinations.
This travel-recommendation service provides both expert and user-submitted advice about places all over the world.
Its star attractions are the guides penned by celebrities, such as Cliff Richard waxing about Barbados, and pieces from professional travel writers.
The style and tone of the site is friendly and accessible, and it’s a great source of tips and inspiration, although we’d like to see more photo and video content. Also, Simonseeks pays for the reviews it publishes to give you some cash towards your next holiday.
This travel-recommendation service provides both expert and user-submitted advice about places all over the world.
Its star attractions are the guides penned by celebrities, such as Cliff Richard waxing about Barbados, and pieces from professional travel writers.
The style and tone of the site is friendly and accessible, and it’s a great source of tips and inspiration, although we’d like to see more photo and video content. Also, Simonseeks pays for the reviews it publishes to give you some cash towards your next holiday.
Sunday, 22 November 2009
RUNPEE
Is there ever a good time to run to the bathroom in the middle of a movie?
According to www.runpee.com , there is.
With the latest releases listed on the homepage, if you are heading out to the cinema tonight you can log on here first and check when is a good time to "go".
There is a helpful graphic timeline with pee-spots marked and triggers supplied. There is even an explanation of what you will be missing in the box below, though you need to click "unscramble" to read it as there are obviously spoilers included.
Print out the timeline, or if you want to get really serious about your bathroom habits and you have an iPhone, you can download the app from iTunes for 59p in the UK, though I am not sure that having a pee calculator on your handset is the smartest thing to tell your mates about.
According to www.runpee.com , there is.
With the latest releases listed on the homepage, if you are heading out to the cinema tonight you can log on here first and check when is a good time to "go".
There is a helpful graphic timeline with pee-spots marked and triggers supplied. There is even an explanation of what you will be missing in the box below, though you need to click "unscramble" to read it as there are obviously spoilers included.
Print out the timeline, or if you want to get really serious about your bathroom habits and you have an iPhone, you can download the app from iTunes for 59p in the UK, though I am not sure that having a pee calculator on your handset is the smartest thing to tell your mates about.
Saturday, 21 November 2009
Moillusions
Things are not always what they seem. If that is true of life then it is especially true of the internet and at www.moillusions.com you will find oodles of examples, both classic and contemporary.
The way our brains process information can occasionally be misleading. Mighty Optical Illusions is a blog that lays bare those cunning cognitive confusions that have you blinking at the screen.
There is a breadth and variety of content on the site. We are not just talking about traditional illusions which fool the brain with spirals and squiggles and intersecting lines, there is also a good selection of pictures, images, animations and even audio files from all over the web which will make you go - eh?
There is a links panel with categories for ease of navigation, or you can just cycle through the illusions randomly. There is also a good explanation with all the illusions.
The way our brains process information can occasionally be misleading. Mighty Optical Illusions is a blog that lays bare those cunning cognitive confusions that have you blinking at the screen.
There is a breadth and variety of content on the site. We are not just talking about traditional illusions which fool the brain with spirals and squiggles and intersecting lines, there is also a good selection of pictures, images, animations and even audio files from all over the web which will make you go - eh?
There is a links panel with categories for ease of navigation, or you can just cycle through the illusions randomly. There is also a good explanation with all the illusions.
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