Doom for flash

http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/470460

Wed Jan 07 19:55:38 +0000 2009

by Ralph Averbuch

Sticking with entertainment this week, some may have had great fun when the first round of first person shooters turned up on the PC in the mid 90s. Well, if you were part of that first wave, you can now experience the nostalgia by playing the rather well executed flash version of Doom right through your browser. And for those of you who never had the chance to see a seminal piece of time-wasting the first time around, you too can wonder at what people once lauded as the pinnacle of computer game-play.

Rockbox.org

http://www.rockbox.org

Mon Dec 29 13:50:58 +0000 2008

by Ralph Averbuch

Some seven years since the first iPod, you may be the proud owners of aging players just gathering dust. Well maybe there's life in the old pod (or loads of other MP3 players) yet! Go over to rockbox.org and you'll discover a community of people developing open source software which replaces the original player's OS. In turn, this then opens up loads of new possibilities for your device.

Holiday email designer

http://www.mailchimp.com/holiday/

Wed Dec 17 19:26:49 +0000 2008

by Ralph Averbuch

What with it being a festive time of year, we thought that this week's web pick ought to follow the trend. So, given that anyone reading this is probably spending rather too much time attached to the web and email, we've selected Mail Chimp's free 'Holiday email designer'. Just pick a festive theme, add your message and download the results to send to friends, business associates or family from the comfort of your own email client... and pretend that they won't think you're a cheapskate!

Picasa 3

http://picasa.google.com/

Wed Dec 10 21:44:10 +0000 2008

by Ralph Averbuch

OK, so strictly speaking not so much a web pick this week. But Picasa 3, the picture and video management and editing tool from Google, is so tightly integrated with your email (Gmail), Maps (Google Earth), Video (YouTube) and pictures (Web albums) that you'll be hard pushed to find such a comprehensive tool that lets you to do simple edits to video clips, create engaging picture collages and all for the price of free. The recently upgraded Picasa 3 is full of simple improvements. If you love your digital pictures, you'll love what this can do for them.

Gmail Themes

http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2008/11/spice-up-your-inbox-with-colors-and.html

Wed Dec 03 22:51:34 +0000 2008

by Ralph Averbuch

Gmail has been around a while, yet in typical Google style remains a 'beta' product. However, its recent addition of thirty new themes will be very welcome to people who admired the service but hated the 'ugly' interface. Of course, others argue that the original interface is function over style. But now both camps can enjoy the best that Gmail offers in web-based e-mail, whether you liked the old unadorned look or the many new faces now on offer.

Wordspy

http://www.wordspy.com

Wed Nov 26 19:14:34 +0000 2008

by Ralph Averbuch

Whether you feel the web has spawned the lowest common denominator in language use, or created a digital renaissance for those who love all things to do with literature, Wordspy will appeal to all. The site is an ideal bookmark for those of us who happen upon word usage that's either unknown or novel. Wordspy will help you discover a phrase's beginnings and original meaning. Take the current selection. 'mug me earphones'. Wordspy not only explains its meaning to the uninformed, but also gives citations for earliest known usage. You can also search the archive for all manner of wordy distractions. How about 'recession chic'?

Blurb

http://www.blurb.com/

Thu Nov 20 10:45:48 +0000 2008

by Ralph Averbuch

We've mentioned build-you-own-book sites before in ENN's web picks, but Blurb stands out, not only for its very easy to follow website, with excellent examples of what you can produce, but also for its free downloadable software which runs on Mac or PC and lets you design your own personalised books, using any number of third party sources -- such as your Flickr photos for example. Printing is then done locally, starting with just one copy. If you're struggling for gift ideas, this may be the ideal solution.

Irrepressible.info

http://irrepressible.info/

Wed Nov 12 10:38:38 +0000 2008

by Ralph Averbuch

Given recent efforts by Ireland's very own Garda to have full access to all its citizens' internet activities, perhaps this site is particularly apt at the moment. Irrepressible.info is an Amnesty International website aimed at combating the efforts of both governments and IT companies assisting in stifling free speech on the internet. As the site sums up, "The web is a great tool for sharing ideas and freedom of expression. However, efforts to try and control the Internet are growing. Internet repression is reported in countries like China, Vietnam, Tunisia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Syria. People are persecuted and imprisoned simply for criticising their government, calling for democracy and greater press freedom, or exposing human rights abuses, online." It's very easy for all of us to assume that our own freedoms are somehow safe from government interference. But to make sure those freedoms remain you should also make sure you visit this site and do your little bit to help keep hi-tech tyranny at bay.

The New Adventures of Mr Stephen Fry

http://www.stephenfry.com/

Thu Nov 06 09:54:21 +0000 2008

by Ralph Averbuch

You could hardly think of someone who seems less tech aware than actor, writer and TV presenter Stephen Fry. Yet you’d be wrong. He’s right up there with the most avid of geeks and even writes a regular column in the press all about his latest experiences with the digital flotsam that floats past his gaze. So it’s little surprise that he has his very own website and blog where he updates us on his various toys, travels and travails. He’s also partial to twittering. You get frequent one-liners updating you on his latest thing. And for those who just can’t get enough, there’s always Club Fry.

Finetuna

http://www.finetuna.com/

Wed Oct 29 19:10:45 +0000 2008

by Ralph Averbuch

Finetuna follows in the footsteps of some other simple-to-use site based solutions that do one thing and do it really well. Either upload an image or take a screen grab using the Firefox add-on and you can immediately start adding notes or highlights which can then be shared with anyone else via email. It's like a one page instant PDF where you can add comment flags, but specifically for images rather than documents. This free service ought to be loved by graphic designers everywhere, but time will tell if it finds mainstream zeitgeist.