MakeUseOf.com: “Cool Websites and Tools [January 12th]” plus 8 more |  |
- Cool Websites and Tools [January 12th]
- Manage Your Budget & Expenses Using Google Budgeting Tools
- 6 MORE Ways To Set Up Dual Monitors To Be More Productive
- 8 Steps To Regain Control Of Your Facebook Privacy
- AnyClip – Search and Watch Favorite Movie Scenes
- Calibre – eBook Management & Synchronization Software (Multi-OS)
- Two Easy Ways To Synchronize Zotero Data
- The Best Free Online International Travel Guides
- Blosics – A Physics Game That Happens To Be FUN!
| Cool Websites and Tools [January 12th] Posted: 12 Jan 2010 07:31 PM PST Check out some of the latest MakeUseOf discoveries. All listed websites are FREE (or come with a decent free account option). No trials or buy-to-use craplets. For more cool websites and web app reviews subscribe to MakeUseOf Directory.
These are just half of the websites that we discovered in the last couple of days. If you want us to send you daily round-ups of all cool websites we come across, leave your email here. Or follow us via RSS feed. Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section! New on Twitter ? Now you can follow MakeUseOf on Twitter too. Related posts
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| Manage Your Budget & Expenses Using Google Budgeting Tools Posted: 12 Jan 2010 05:31 PM PST
I’ve tried out a whole slew of web and phone apps with the sole purpose of managing my expenses, but nothing seemed to suit my personal needs. Each application was either too complex, or left out factors that were essential to me. So I decided an Excel sheet, saved on Google Documents, would be the best way to keep track of both the balance in my bank account, and my spending habits. When it comes to tracking my spending, there have always been two essential factors I need to consider. First, my modes of spending money are varied, whether I’m using one of my credit cards, my debit card, or cash. When I withdraw money from the ATM, I want that to be reflected in my expenses and bank balance, but I also want to keep track of what that money is being spent on. My solution to this using Google budgeting tools was simple. Using Google Documents Checkbook Register template, I duplicated the first sheet, listing my bank balance and transactions taking place directly from my bank account – deposits, ATM withdrawals and credit card payments.
I used the second sheet to list the amount of cash I withdraw each month, and keep a record of transactions each time I spend money. That way I know what is being spent, where and how.
The template is very simple to use – enter your bank balance at the top of the balance column, and each time you add a new entry to the withdrawal or deposit columns, it will automatically calculate your new balance. The second factor to consider was that some payments I make don't clear until the end of the month. I decided to keep those transactions at the bottom of the spreadsheet, and to highlight them until the transaction cleared. That way, just by glancing at the balance above the highlighted transactions – I can see what my current balance is, and at the bottom, what it will be at the end of the month. Spreadsheet formulas can be finicky, so there are a few things you need to keep in mind. You cannot leave a blank row in the spreadsheet, otherwise the formula will no longer work. Sometimes, when inserting a new transaction above the payments that have yet to clear, it can ruin the sequence of calculations. Don’t panic – simple copy the cell with the bank balance that is accurate, and paste it into all of the cells below it, and that will automatically repopulate the cells using the formula. A word of warning when it comes to using Google Document templates. When you save a Google template to your documents, sharing is automatically set to public. Your personal budget is obviously not something you want to share with the rest of the world, so to remedy this, click on the share button in the top right hand corner. Under 'See who has access,' click on 'People can view this item without signing in,' and choose 'Always require sign in.'
Next, click on the 'Advanced Permissions' tab and make sure all options are unchecked. Save your changes, and the document will now be private.
Now that I knew which Google budgeting tools I would be using to keep track of my monthly spending, I needed a way to keep track of my daily spending, so that at the end of each day, or week, I could enter the transactions into my spreadsheet. Keeping it in the family, I decided to use Google Calendar. I wanted something I could easily access at my computer or on the go, which would also keep track of the exact dates these transactions were made. I created a new calendar called 'Expenses' and each time I spend money, I immediately make an entry to that Google Calendar with a note of the amount, and what the money is being spent on.
I personally have my iPhone calendar synced to my Google Calendar. Google Sync works with the iPhone, Windows Mobile, Blackberry and Nokia S60 phones.
If you've already set up your iPhone to sync with Google Calendar, be sure to go back into your iPhone sync settings and add your 'Expenses' calendar to the list of calendars that are in sync. You could also put Google’s mobile apps to good use for this purpose. There are lots of little tips and tricks for entering transactions to your Google Calendar easier. You can use Twitter to add entries to Google Calendar. The downside to using Twitter to add your expenses is that it will add any entries to your primary Google Calendar, and of course you're sending your spending habits to a third party. For those of you living in the US, you can also send in your entries from your phone via SMS, but again, this option only works with your primary calendar. There are various ways you can then access the information on Google Calendar to later input into your spreadsheet. I find the Agenda tab the most convenient to use in this instance, as it displays it all in one continuous list.
Do you have any tips on how to use Google budgeting tools to manage your expenses? Let us know in the comments. Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!
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| 6 MORE Ways To Set Up Dual Monitors To Be More Productive Posted: 12 Jan 2010 01:31 PM PST
I have now gotten rid of my old CRT monitor and replaced it with a 19″ wide-screen flat panel which I have set on a wall-mounted shelf directly above my laptop. Before I had the monitor next to my laptop but I figured I’d try it above and I am so glad I did! This way I have my laptop at a very comfortable distance to do my work and reading on. With my larger flat panel above and set back from my laptop, I can use it for more glancing up at. If I had a third monitor, I’d probably try it beside my current setup but have it adjusted vertically as Kamakazi suggested in the comments section of the last post on this topic.
This here is my home office workspace. As you can see, I now have my second monitor above and set back from my laptop. You can also see that I keep my coffee on a lower level than my computer stuff to keep from damaging too much in the case of a spill. Since working for a while with a dual monitor setup, I have found several more ways to set up dual monitors to be more productive. NOTE: many of the suggestions came from readers’ comments in previous posts so I have given credit to those readers (thanks for the tips and keep ‘em coming!). 1. Referencing
I LOVE using my second monitor for referencing stuff! For instance, when I am working on a Bible message (whether it’s a devotional for dinner at the local Rescue Mission or teen Sunday school at my local church), it really saves time if I can type on my laptop (monitor 1) and glance up to my 19″ Dell wide-screen (monitor 2) where I keep e-sword open. This way I can have the passage I am working on open for referencing and copying/pasting from without switching back and forth. I also use my second monitor for referencing when I am blogging. I type on my laptop while having a browser open on my widescreen for researching/referencing, taking screenshots and finding photography to use in posts. Any way you look at it, having something to reference without your work leaving your view really does help keep you on track. Also works good when writing for MakeUseOf to have the writing guidelines open in my second monitor so I can reference them. This would apply to any writing assignment you might have. 2. Picture (Or Any Multi-Media) Opening & Viewing
In Windows, at least, if you open a picture in Windows Photo Gallery (or similar) in the second monitor, it should do the same the next time you open a picture in the same program. This is cool because while you are searching and browsing for a picture, and it pops open in the second monitor instead of in your way, the whole experience is a lot more productive. It also helps when others are looking over your shoulder. You can browse and double-click and everyone else can see all of your pretty pictures. 3. Reminders
If you have a to-do list or something, just keep it open on your second monitor so you won’t forget about all of your tasks. You can then mark them “done” as you go through them. You can also use an RSS reader, like Netvibes Wasabi, and that way you can keep track of articles coming up that you need to remember to read later (just mark them as “read later”). I’m sure you can find more ways to use your second monitor to help your memory! 4. Remote Desktop(thanks etescartz and Jeremy)
If you use a service such as LogMeIn or do any kind of remote desktop work, a second monitor is a life saver. Keep one monitor as your remote desktop and use the other for support notes, ticketing programs, or even troubleshooting. I’m not really sure how ANY remote support staff can get along without dual monitors. 5. Desktop Gadgets(thanks Matt Dana)
I doesn’t matter if you are running Windows or a Mac, but if your OS supports desktop gadgets/widgets, a second monitor could keep those gadgets/widgets front and center. You can even run a web-top application like Schmedley in a browser window in the second monitor and achieve a similar effect. So, whether you want to keep an eye on weather, some RSS feed, the time, a to-do list, or whatever, desktop gadgets/widgets can help you get things done and if a second monitor can help you not have to search for the desktop, even more power to you! 6. Troubleshooting(thanks youthworker)
I mentioned troubleshooting under number 4 when talking about remote desktop work, but I think it deserves a mention all of its own. If you are trying to figure out how to do something, and you are needing help files or some other kind of support (like a Google search or some type of support forum), having the issue open in one monitor and having the help files, web-search, or support forums open in the second will save a LOT of time and a LOT of frustration! Think about it, troubleshooting is frustrating enough, right? There you have it! There are even MORE productive ways to set up dual monitors than I could have come up with on my own (thanks readers!). And like I said earlier, if you can come up even more ways to be productive with dual monitors OR you have more suggestions as to how to orient monitors to be more productive, let us know! Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section! New on Twitter ? Now you can follow MakeUseOf on Twitter too. Related posts
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| 8 Steps To Regain Control Of Your Facebook Privacy Posted: 12 Jan 2010 11:53 AM PST
However, Facebook has updated their privacy settings and philosophy since then, which brings us to this updated guide to Facebook privacy. In this Part 1, we will cover 8 steps to reset Facebook privacy settings – covering privacy in the context of search visibility, photos and videos, relationships and contact information.
#1: Understand The Basics: Facebook Terminology and Privacy SettingsIt is important to understand the concepts used by Facebook before we proceed. Facebook uses 4 levels of privacy:
Everyone means everyone on the Internet, including search engines, including any user not on Facebook. Friends of Friends means all friends of everyone you have confirmed as a Friend. Only Friends means only those people you have confirmed as a Friend. The Custom setting is used to tweak privacy by including or excluding specific friends or set of friends using Friend Lists. The new Privacy Settings Page (Settings > Privacy Settings from top menu) has the following sections:
Each section is quite self-explanatory, and it is a good idea to review your privacy level settings for each item in these sections. Key settings affecting privacy are discussed in the rest of this guide. #2: Using the new Privacy Transition ToolIf you have not yet logged into Facebook after the privacy changes in December 2009, you will be shown a "Privacy Transition Tool" as shown below. If you have already logged in and used the tool, skip this and proceed to the next step.
On the second screen of the tool, do not accept the default suggestions provided by Facebook. For all options, to reset Facebook privacy settings just select the Old Settings option on the right as shown above, select Save Settings, and finish the Wizard. Be aware that even if you do this, several privacy settings are changed by default, so read on! #3: Create/Review Your Friend ListsFriend Lists continue to be the bedrock of your Facebook privacy. Creating and using Friend Lists wisely will make a huge difference in how easily you can control your privacy on Facebook. If you are not yet using them, create them right away, as explained earlier. If you have already created them, this is a good time to review them. I find it most convenient to create buckets of Friend Lists such as Family, School/College friends, Colleagues, and Online Acquaintances but you are free to use whatever model you choose. #4: Control Search Visibility in Facebook, Google & Other Search EnginesThere are two separate settings for controlling your visibility when someone searches from within Facebook and from other search engines like Google. Access these settings from Privacy Settings > Search. The first setting is for searches within Facebook. Change the default Everyone to Only Friends if you want only your Friends to get your information via searches in Facebook.
Facebook now considers your name, profile picture, gender, city, friend list, and fan pages as "publicly available information". This means by default when someone searches Google with your name, they can see this information. Uncheck the Allow box for Public Search Results to prevent Googlers from seeing this information. #5: Control Who Sees Your Photo Albums & Profile PicturesThere are no changes to Photo Album privacy settings except for the Profile Pictures Album. To set privacy for each of your Photo Albums, go to Privacy Settings > Profile Information, and click Edit Settings for Photo Albums. You will be able to choose a privacy level for each of your photo albums as before.
Earlier, all your profile pictures were visible to all your friends. Now, after the privacy changes, you can also set a privacy level for the Profile Pictures album. Note that your current profile picture remains visible to all your friends. #6: Control Who Sees Photos & Videos You Are Tagged InPeople are often embarrassed when their friends tag them in compromising photos or videos and these become visible to other folks. To control who gets to see photos and videos in which you are tagged by someone else, go to the Privacy Settings > Profile Information section, and choose the privacy setting you wish.
The Custom setting allows you to use your Friend Lists, so you can either include specific Friends or exclude Colleagues/Online Acquaintances from seeing these tagged photos/videos. Note that this does not stop announcements with a preview thumbnail photo from appearing on your wall. To prevent these, read on. #7: Stop Wall Notifications When A Friend Tags You In A Photo or VideoGo to Settings > Application Settings from the top menu and click Edit Settings for the Photos application. In the dialog box, select Additional Permissions.
Under Photos has permission to:, uncheck the Publish to streams box. Do the same for the Videos application. This will stop those wall announcements showing preview pictures/videos in which you are tagged from appearing on your wall. #8: Control Relationship Status & Contact Information VisibilityMany people don't want their relationship status and breakups visible to others. To control who sees your Family Members, Relationship Status, Interested In, and Looking For information, go to Privacy Settings > Profile Information and choose the desired privacy level for Family and Relationship.
If you want to set it to Only Me, choose Custom and then select Only Me from the dialog box.
Similarly, you should share your contact information cautiously, especially phone numbers and email addresses. Go to Privacy Settings > Contact Information and select privacy levels for each item. You can restrict phone number and email address visibility conveniently using Friend Lists. In the upcoming Part 2 of this guide, we will cover steps you can take to reset Facebook privacy settings in the context of applications, friends, news feed, wall posts, groups, ads, and quitting Facebook. Have questions or other tips to share? Shout out in the comments! Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section! New on Twitter ? Now you can follow MakeUseOf on Twitter too. Related posts
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| AnyClip – Search and Watch Favorite Movie Scenes Posted: 12 Jan 2010 11:31 AM PST
And that's why we go back for re-runs on a DVD or on HBO. Or these days, we also hop onto the World Wide Web and scour some of our favorite video sites. to search movie scenes. A new startup website, AnyClip hopes to meet that need with the service it promises.
This is where AnyClip comes in. The new startup (the developers call it a prototype) is designed to give movie lovers quick access to those unforgettable cinematic moments. You can rewind and reprise the exact scene without having to press the fast forward button on your DVD player or any streaming web player. AnyClip brings to the viewer not the entire film but only those talked about scenes that we continue to cherish.
This is the heart of the reason for starting up AnyClip. Aaron Cohen, the CEO also talks of other very real commercial reasons at Why the World (Including Hollywood) Needs AnyClip. As a member of the movie loving public, I am interested more in the 'heart' so I signed up to see if I could get any clip I want. The sign up process is simple without any “verify your mail” links landing up in my inbox. And I went straight through to the site. The web service has the Audience Award at TechCrunch50 on its shelf and at first glance it's easy to see why. Apart from the usability and adding to it, the second reason has to be the easy-on-the-eyes design. The menus and sections are not crowded and it makes for a leisurely stroll through the site. I can put in my search in the large search bar on top and select some choices (Movie, Actor, Director or Quote) from a dropdown. For wider browsing, I can click on any of the sections on top. For instance, I can even browse by type of scene – Laugh, Sing, Kill, Fear and Oh God!
Clicking on any from the sections – Movies, Actors or Directors…takes us to the page where you can further browse to the video by its alphabetical title. If you can't find the movie (quite possible now as the site is spanking new), put in a request using the Suggest a Movie text box.
What about the video itself? You can click on Go to clip page and choose to watch the selected clip using the site's web player. But if you are interested to watch the entire movie, the site connects to premium sites which are the legal distributors for the film like Netflix or the iTunes store. You can also order the DVD of the film from Amazon.
But as it might be only the clip we are interested in watching, it's the clip page we go to. The clip page is similar to any social media platform with sharing buttons and comments.
The Promise Of Things To Come?YouTube is still the favorite haunt for many movie lovers who search for movie scenes. But sites like AnyClip are starting to offer something different by focusing on quality rather than quantity. You might also have come across MovieClips in an earlier review. Both sites are similar on the surface, offering myriad ways to search for the right scene. MovieClips is a much older site and therefore has a larger database. That's where you might be disappointed with AnyClip right now. The selection of movies is…let's say, quite selective with only a few early classics. These are very early days for the startup but unlike MovieClips, AnyClip is open to those outside the US and Canada. With AnyClip it's not what is but what will be, that's the part to look forward too. If you like to go back to those cinema moments, do you think that AnyClip is a candidate as a standout web destination? Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!
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| Calibre – eBook Management & Synchronization Software (Multi-OS) Posted: 12 Jan 2010 10:31 AM PST
Where normal displays use liquid crystal-filled pixels, and beam the image on your retina with what is in fact a big flashlight, e-ink technology uses no additional light-source. In fact, they really use an ink-like set-up. The result? No eyestrain at all! Earlier this week, my own eReader finally arrived; the Sony PRS-300. Five inches of pure bliss. No, not a Kindle. They’re not only more expensive, but are less crisp and have added glare thanks to their touchscreen-layer. But don’t mind that, of course touchscreen is necessary to read an eBook!
The application is available on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. CalibreCalibre is open source eBook management software. Despite some of its flaws, it’s quite possibly the best free eBook solution, even beating most paid applications. You can use it to import and manage your collection, convert between formats, synchronize devices, download RSS news and even retrieve book covers, ISBN information and ratings from the internet.
Even though I’ve written this article in the spirit of eReaders, Calibre is also compatible with the iPhone Stanza application, and can be used as a local eBook management solution. Building Your Own LibraryYou can import single files or entire directories to Calibre. The application will try to determine the book’s title and author from the filename. Note the emphasis on ‘try’, mistakes are often made. As I recall, Silmarillion never wrote J.R.R. Tolkien.
Unless all your books are stored as Title – Author.file, be sure to double-check the imports. If you’re uploading a lot of books, you can also adapt the recognition filter in settings.
Once you’ve got your titles right, you can retrieve additional meta data, like ratings and summaries, as well as a cover. This can be done manually, searching Google Books and isbndb.com for a match (as depicted above), or automatically, for a number of eBooks at once. Uploading eBooks can take a long time – even more than looking for meta-data. If you’ve got a big directory to import, best do so overnight. This, together with repeating misclassification, make up the flaws of Calibre. ConversionEven if you don’t plan on keeping an eBook collection, Calibre is an excellent tool for file conversion. EPUB, FB2, LIT, LRF, MOBI, PDB, PDF, PMLZ, RB, RTF, TCR and TXT are all available formats.
The Calibre eBook management software will try to retain the (now correct) eBook information, as well as the book cover. Depending on the output format, you can tweak the appearance (font size, text justification), auto-detect chapters, and generate a Table of Contents. For use in conjunction with eReaders, there are over a dozen default output formats. This, of course, does not conclude all there is to Calibre. More advanced users are only getting started. After tweaking the application to match your eReader, you can set up several RSS feeds to be automatically converted to eBooks, as well as setting up a content server to access your books from afar. What eBook management application do you use? Let us know in the comments! Related posts
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| Two Easy Ways To Synchronize Zotero Data Posted: 12 Jan 2010 09:31 AM PST
But research is more than just collecting data. It’s also about compiling and presenting the results. So far, I’m happy with my data collecting method, but many MakeUseOf readers have pointed out that for formal writing like academic writing, the Zotero research tool IS the unquestionable ultimate tool. More Stable Versus More FeaturesZotero research is a Firefox plugin designed to help people with their web research. It’s been mentioned several times before.
Currently, there are two versions of Zotero available. There’s the latest stable version 1.0.10 and there’s beta version 2.0b7.6 with more features. If you consider yourself a play-it-safe kind of person, you should stick with the stable. Otherwise, choose the beta.
There’s a slight possibility of data loss in the beta version due to the still ongoing development of the synchronization feature. But with a good backup routine, this minor flaw should pose no threat at all. Those who are willing to take the risk will be rewarded with many new features such as synchronization ability, compatibility with more word processors, and more collaboration options. The complete features list can be found here along with plugins to make the Zotero word processor friendly. Synchronizing Zotero’s Research DataAs mentioned above, if you are one of the Zotero v. 2 beta testers, you can enjoy the synchronization feature. But to use the feature, you need to register for a new Zotero account.
After the usual process of registering, you can start using the feature by attaching your Zotero installation to the account. Open Zotero by clicking the logo at the bottom right of your browser, or by using the default shortcut: Command + Shift + Z.
Then open Zotero Preferences and click Sync > Settings. Put down your account information there.
If you are working with several computers, you have to insert your account information to each Zotero installation in every computer. Enhancing Zotero With DropboxThe above method only works for v.2 users. There’s another way to synchronize your Zotero data between computers that can be used by both v.1 and v.2 users: using help from Dropbox. Zotero puts its data in a folder. By default, this folder is inside the Firefox Profile directory and is accessible only by Firefox. Dropbox users can utilize this free service to sync and backup Zotero data using the method similar to the one described in this article. Basically, all you need to do is move the data folder to a location inside Dropbox folder and set Zotero installations in another computers to use that specific Dropbox folder to store the data. Pointing Zotero data storage to a different location can be done from the Preference window. Go to the Advanced pane and click “Choose” under the “Data Directory Location“. Browse and open the new location (the folder inside Dropbox folder).
Aside from the compatibility with v.1 and the automatic synchronizations and backups, using independent location to store Zotero data has another benefit. The data is also available to be used by another browser: Flock. Flock is compatible with all of Firefox extensions. Meaning: you can also install Zotero under Flock. Independent location means that the data can be accessed simultaneously by Firefox and Flock. This is good news for all of you Flock lovers out there. I’ve just started using the Zotero research tool, so there are still many things to learn. Veteran Zotero users, share your tips, comments and opinions in the comments below. Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!
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| The Best Free Online International Travel Guides Posted: 12 Jan 2010 08:31 AM PST
No matter where you want to travel in 2010, preparation is key. You should know what is expecting you, pack the right gear, and bring enough funds to spend an enjoyable vacation. On Amazon or your local book store, you’ll find a huge selection of international travel guides. To save some money for your trip, skip the expensive guides and begin to research online, where most material is available for free. I have compiled the best free online international travel guides that will provide inspiration and comprehensive information to prepare your trip.
Lonely PlanetLonely Planet is the biggest commercial online travel websites. Pick a region from the Destinations tab and dive into the introduction. The sidebar on the left provides a menu, the top picks, eventually fast facts, related groups, and possibly blogs. The menu leads to in-depth information about places in the area, its history, the climate, getting around, and much more. The map opens from the top and all other destinations are marked with a little flag.
If you have found an interesting place that you would like to keep in mind, you can save the destination, provided you are logged in. Lonely Planet makes it to the top of the list because not only does it cover a vast amount of destinations with comprehensive articles, it’s also easy to navigate, contains stunning pictures, lets users save their personal highlights and they can contribute to the site through participating in various groups, blogs, and more. Lonely Planet was also mentioned in my article Cool Online Resources to Plan Your Next Vacation, along with Spotted by Locals, InfoHub, and World Travel Guide. NileGuideIf you enjoy interactive websites that let you compile information your way, and play with the content, don’t miss out on NileGuide! To “Get Started”, search for your desired destination. The first thing you’ll see is a “Snapshot“. You’ll notice that the “Overview” provides guides to download. All available guides are listed under the respective tab.
To start customizing your own guide, head over to “Things To Do”, “Restaurants“, or “Bars, Clubs & Nightlife” and play with the filters for the types of things you want to see or do. For example you could set your personal preferences, such as outdoors, off the beaten path, or must-see. You can also select neighborhoods and types of activities. If there is something you must do or see, click “Add To List” and it will appear in a little list in the sidebar on the left.
You can organize your trip and produce your own custom guide. Create a schedule, attach items from your list to each day, and share the result with your friends or other users. The most popular guides appear in the Snapshot Overview. However, the best is, you can print your personalized Guide-to-Go or create a PDF from it. Simply click the “Print My Guide To Go” button on the top right, while in the customize section. A major draw of the site is its speed. It’s rather laggy and thus requires a bit of patience. Also, at this point the destination archive isn’t very big compared to other free online guides. Nevertheless, the flexibility and interactivity it offers is a killer argument in its favor. Arrival GuidesThese free travel guides are maintained by professional journalists. All information is available online, but each guide can be downloaded as a PDF for free. Some guides are available in several different languages, which is a huge plus of this site. This page lists the continents and the countries featured on the site. When you click on “View destinations >>” next to a country, you will reach a page that lists its destinations and the available guide languages.
Curiously, there are three different download buttons: one for girls, one for boys traveling with girls, and one for boys. I compared a few of them and wasn’t able to spot a difference. Maybe it depends on the destination or it’s for statistical purposes. WikitravelWikitravel is a user-driven project. At this point the site comprises over 22,000 destination guides and articles maintained by Wikitravellers from all over the world. If you feel inspired, you yourself can update articles and help keep Wikitravel the most complete and reliable worldwide travel guide.
Wikitravel resembles the structure of the well-known Wikipedia, as it is also powered by MediaWiki. From the Main Page you can search for your travel destination, select a region, discover one of the featured destinations, or load a random page from the navigation menu on the lefthand side. In the toolbox, found at the bottom of the sidebar, you can open a printable version for each page. The basic organization of the articles is similar to what you will find in commercial guide books. Wikitravel’s edge is the wealth of information, the amount of small places covered, and of course the chance to add your own experience and instantly correct mistakes. All for free! Wikitravel was featured together with Dopplr in an article by Anthony on 3 Must-Check Traveller Websites Before Your Next Trip. In Your PocketIn Your Pocket focuses on destinations throughout Europe. Besides providing free online city guides, the site features articles that highlight various topics of interest to travelers, for example where to ski in Eastern Europe, what souvenirs to bring from Slovenia, or a guide to the new Acropolis Museum in Athens, Greece.
While all of the information is available online, buttons in the upper right corner of a destination indicate other means of access. Over 50 comprehensive city guides can be downloaded as PDF’s for free. Many of them can also be viewed as iPaper or you can download an Instant (brief overview) PDF. MakeUseOf has previously published travel information and advice. If you’re planning a lengthy trip, check out my article on How To Stay Digitally Charged and Connected On The Road. Before you go, also be sure the Create A Free Travel Packing Checklist With Packwhiz. My post about Hello Backpacker introduces a website with travel information tailored to backpackers and Dean wrote A Quick Road Trip Planning Guide For Techno Geeks. Aibek’s post on 10 Travel Websites That Should Be Bookmarked includes a travel itinerary planner, a global ATM locator, a guide for camping at an airport, and a website concerned with clean bathrooms. Guy wrote about TripSay, a social travel guide that connects you to people that share your interests, in order to find travel recommendations that match your taste. Are you searching for great deals? James explained on How To Find The Best Hotel Deals Online. David introduced 6 Useful Last-Minute Booking Sites, and John covered Top 5 Sites To Search For Cheap Online Car Rentals. Are you going to use public transport? Karl wrote about MetrO, the ultimate public transport guide for your phone. Ellie compiled 6 Subway Map Tools To Navigate Your Way Through NYC. What did we miss? Image Credits: rolve Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section! New on Twitter ? Now you can follow MakeUseOf on Twitter too. Related posts
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| Blosics – A Physics Game That Happens To Be FUN! Posted: 12 Jan 2010 07:31 AM PST
So my diversion today was a little game called Blosics. It is billed as a fun Physics game or, as they put it, where blocks meet physics. But do not let that fool you – it is fun and maybe you can learn a little physics while you are at it – but probably not! Let's take a look at this awesome game. Navigate on over here and let's get ready to play!
You have a structure on your left side and you use the big green ball to fire projectiles at it to knock it down. Think about it as a reverse game of Jenga. You click on the green ball and drag the mouse in any direction. It acts like a rubber band, the longer you hold it or pull it the harder it will snap back. You will see the numbers incrementing as you hold it to show you the power behind it. You can hit the spacebar to cancel the shot. Shooting costs points. You can go into the negative numbers on points.
Your goal of this fun physics game is to throw blocks off of the stage. Hitting green blocks will get you points and hitting red blocks takes points away. So the easiest solution may not be the best points-wise. Are you feeling me?
There are three different types of platforms and they react differently to your hits. They are stone, rubber and ice. You can guess how they will react. (For example rubber bounces and ice slips and slides…
In the shot below you can see me clicking and dragging the mouse to the right and up. I have held it for the count of 30. When I release it – it will knock down the blocks it comes in contact with. Strictly adhering to the laws of physics.
Blocks can knock into each other and off the board as well as falling as a result of direct impact.
Your target score is in the upper right hand corner of your screen. It is the second number and shown as 100 in the screen shot below. After you hit the mark you can click next in the lower right hand corner.
And to drive home how much fun this physics game is I have included a video from YouTube that will show you exactly how much time of yours this will waste! Do you have a favorite online free game? We would love to hear from you in the comments! Share your favorites with us! Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!
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