Backstreet Browser

http://www.spadixbd.com/backstreet/

Wed Jan 06 23:27:26 +0000 2010

by Ralph Averbuch

If you're of a certain age you'll remember that off-line browsers were all the rage when metered, dial-up Internet access was all we had. But even in today's wired world you can't always be online, which is when this handy utility becomes a lifesaver. Just point Backstreet Browser at the site you want to copy, tell it how deep you want it to go, and it will make a complete offline version, along with all the graphics on your local PC. It's completely free to use, and you can even save the files onto your phone or other device with a browser to view on the go. A great way to back up or just keep a handy recent snapshot of important websites. Just don't try downloading all of Wikipedia!

Fotopedia

http://www.fotopedia.com/

Wed Dec 16 17:31:12 +0000 2009

by Ralph Averbuch

First there was Wikipedia and now we have... Fotopedia. Its lofty aim is nothing less than creating a collaborative photographic encyclopedia of images for everyone and on any topic. You're only limited by your own imagination when it comes to creating new photo categories. Just be warned... this site is extremely high on the distraction scale. Once you start browsing through images from all over the place, on all sorts of topics, you'll quickly find the time passing you by. Warnings aside, it's a fantastic resource and, if you're already an enthusiastic amateur or professional snapper, you'll love the way it can be used as a stand alone service or in conjunction with other sites such as Flickr or Facebook.

Tinychat

http://www.tinychat.com

Wed Dec 09 17:55:32 +0000 2009

by Ralph Averbuch

Remember phone conversations? How everyone could speak to anyone else, anywhere? Now we have instant messaging clients where we can do the same sort of thing from our PCs. Problem is, unlike a phone, you can't just talk to anyone else online unless they are using the same IM client as you. Tinychat believes its service gets around this, offering a simple and quick chatroom service you can set up and invite people to in moments. Twitter and Facebook users can login using their own details or you can set up one time usernames. It certainly gets around the hassle of trying to make sure everyone is using the same IM client. Then again, you could pick up the phone...

WriteExpress Online Rhyming Dictionary

http://www.writeexpress.com/online2.html

Wed Dec 02 17:15:18 +0000 2009

by Ralph Averbuch

If you ever picked up a guitar with illusions of musical fame then WriteExpress's Online Rhyming Dictionary is for you. This is the kind of service which will help even the tardiest of musicians overcome any writer's block on the rocky road to some rip-roaring verses. Of course, like all such services, just because it makes it easy to rhyme 'cat' with 'mat' it doesn't mean it'll make you into a great song-writer. That's the human element which no machine's likely to replace any time soon... we hope!

Gmote

http://www.gmote.org/

Wed Nov 25 17:28:29 +0000 2009

by Ralph Averbuch

Like a child in a sweet shop, there's something irresistible about the Android Market or iPhone App Store. Having acquired a new Android-powered phone we've discovered a world of new (mostly free) software which can run on your Google-dusted device. Perhaps one of the best for audiophiles is a tool which runs on both your phone and PC. Called Gmote, you install the client on your phone and the server on your PC (or Mac/Linux). You can then stream all your music or video on the PC to your phone over your Wi Fi connection. Best of all, it actually works too! Not bad for free. Though, if you really like it, you can opt to make a donation.

Losingyourjob.ie

http://www.losingyourjob.ie/

Thu Nov 19 07:59:45 +0000 2009

by Ralph Averbuch

Times are tough. With a global economic meltdown there are few guarantees for anyone currently in employment. That's why losingyourjob.ie from the Citizens Information Board is such a useful resource for those somewhat rusty about their rights, rates, reliefs and other issues which suddenly come to the fore when the next paycheque is looking uncertain. It has a wealth of useful information, whether you're new to the jobs market or have been gainfully employed for years. A definite bookmark candidate... just in case.

Photoshop.com

http://photoshop.com

Wed Nov 11 14:41:49 +0000 2009

by Ralph Averbuch

There are only so many copies of high-end shrink-wrapped graphics software that Adobe can sell and each update seems to offer less than the last in terms of notable improvements. Recognising this dilemma Adobe is aiming to widen its appeal by going social, adding graphics editing and sharing functions to its photoshop.com website. Sign up and you can upload or even pull images you already have on Flickr or Picasa into the Photoshop site to edit, crop or add effects to them. There are also versions for both the iPhone and Android smartphones making it easy to edit on the go and upload pictures for posterity.

Trendsmap.com

http://trendsmap.com/

Wed Nov 04 22:51:30 +0000 2009

by Ralph Averbuch

No wonder the media loves Twitter -- it delivers immediate reportage on breaking news events all over the planet. Yet, one of the frustrating aspects is not being able to easily visualise trends as they begin to emerge. That's where the very new Trendsmap comes in. It sets out to map real-time Twitter chat so that you can easily follow emergent activity. A good example is current protests in Iran (pictured) which reflects on-the-ground activity as it occurs. It's unmediated and instantaneous news like never before.

Topsy

http://topsy.com/

Wed Oct 28 18:04:11 +0000 2009

by Ralph Averbuch

You may have heard that the established search engines are going to integrate Twitter content into search results. This is no doubt a good thing, especially for topics which are up-to-the-minute. However, it doesn't have to be left to the big boys like Google and Bing. The lesser-known Topsy calls itself a search engine powered by tweets and that's about as much as anyone needs to know. Pop in your favourite celeb or issue of the moment and see what bubbles up from the twitterati.

Twibble Mobile

http://www.twibble.de/twibble-mobile/

Wed Oct 21 21:38:40 +0000 2009

by Ralph Averbuch

@Everyone. It seems hard to get away from discussion of Twitter at the moment what with it being lauded as the saviour of civil rights and any number of other superpowers. If you can only tweet from your desktop and you're desperate to find a half-decent way to stay up-to-the-moment with the twitterati when you're mobile, check out Twibble. Produced by Hamburg based Spider Labs, Twibble is yet another admirable effort at producing a phone application for Twitter that doesn't require a smarty-pants mobile and contract which will bankrupt you. Twibble will happily run on any number of Java enabled handsets including Nokia and Sony Ericsson with a basic data plan. The free version gives you the ten most recent contact's tweets. A small fee drops the limitation.