FunTastic Links - Cool, Fun and Useful WebSite Links Showcase

Showing posts with label cool. Show all posts

What about an online library? I mean, a real library with virtual books... Scribd

Imagine youtube, but for books... Scribd works just like that, users upload books, which stay available for other users to read. Just like that. Thing is, only original writings should be submited, truth is (and this is a small secret) pretty much everything is available for online reading there, from a recipe book to the latest "something for dummies", or the hottest novel of the moment. Registered users can download the books in pdf or plain text, and documents can be uploaded using almost any printable format like Word docs, PDF files or powerpoints. My guess is that if and when this website becomes publicly noticed, there will be some kind of censorship, like it happened with youtube, but for now is free and up for everyone. Have fun putting your readings up to date...

No registration required
Registered users can upload and download documents

[Go on and read a book]

From the beggining to the end. Build your timeline or map...

This is an awesome tool, you can build timelines, embeding images, videos, links, a description, etc, and then show it up as a timeline, a list, a flipbook, or even a map, if you provide locations within the events. I can see a huge list of probable uses for this tool, including to use as a navigation aid in websites. Check my exemple bellow, I created a funtastic timeline, and I'm presenting it as a flipbook, then you can navigate by all the posts, and click on a link to go directly to the post. You can create a private timeline with the growth of your son, with fotos and videos, and show it to your family, or your wedding, or your career in some sport... Imagination is the limit. Enjoy.

Registration required
Aditional features available uppon a subscription

[build up your timelines]

Here's the funtastic timeline

Hernani C. on Dipity.

Do you know your meme?

First of all, if you don't know what an internet meme is, check out this article about internet memes. Now the question, have you ever wondered where that video or picture that is always popping on your mail box, or that everyone seems to know and wants to show you come from? Knowyourmeme.com is here to answer you that. Remember the Numa Numa guy or the dancing baby, or the more recent 2nd runner on 2009 edition of America's Next Top Model, Allison Harvard, more known as Creepy Chan, they are all famous internet memes. This website reveals everything about the origin of such memes and uncover the hoaxes, like the cellphone popcorns, and the best of all is that is not just plain text and pictures, they produce really elaborated and funny episodes, some with interviews with the the sudden internet celebrities explaining the all deal. A must see...

No registration required
Register and you can send your own meme stories (that have to be confirmed and approved)

[Know your memes?]

Or check my favorite

[Numa Numa guy]

Put your ideias in map. In a MindMeister mind map.

Are you aware of the concept of a mind map? wasn't until I've found MindMeister. Here's the wikipedia definition for a mind map:

"A mind map is a diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks, or other items linked to and arranged around a central key word or idea. Mind maps are used to generate, visualize, structure, and classify ideas, and as an aid in study, organization, problem solving, decision making, and writing."

I won't argue with whoever wrote the definition, and it even looks logical, but I guess it takes some practice to use mind maps, and maybe a motive, something I don't have right now. Either way, it's pretty cool to play with it for a while, and will reside on my favorites because I may need it someday, who knows?

Registration required
Paid extras
Collaborative, multiple users can work in the same mind map

[Go map your mind]

Here's a funtastic map:

Be generous and make part of the generosity game - Generosity.org

The generosity game is an idea of a solo individual (Jhon Stoner) who've founded a small non profit organization to run what he calls the generosity game. I'll wont enter in to many details, since all is explained in the website. I loved the idea, and even contributed with a translation of the cards, go check the website and you'll know what I'm talking about.

No registration required

[be generous]

A search engine or a Geek portal? Wolfram Alpha

Have you ever wished your favorite search engine would directly answer your question? This appears to be the idea of WolfRam. You make a question in plain English, just don't use slang, and possibilities are that you get an answer. As an example, I tried asking What was the weather in New York when Michael Jackson born?, and true is that I didn't got what I was looking for, but just because there is no weather records for that particular date, August 29 of 1958... But the question was clearly understood by Wolfram, and it provided me with some related information, like the birth date of MJ and a graphic with historical temperatures for August 29. Cool uh?

No registration
Plugins available for major browsers

[Go make a question]

or

[check the answer to my other ultra difficult question]

A new desktop to go. Take a look at g.ho.st

This one is for everyone that occasionally, or even on a daily basis, use public computers. Have you ever dreamed on having the same environment, the same files, the same bookmarks or even the same software everywhere you go? You could do that with a pen drive and portable software, but you become dependant on the pen and on the security policies of the cybercafe or school or wherever the computer is. I present you g.ho.st, total freedom for the public computer surfer. G.ho.st is a web based desktop, with free file storage, free email (yourname@g.ho.st), lots of software like a browser, an email client, a productivity suite or even games, all of this accessible from any flash enabled browser, which is almost 100% of browsers. Use it on firefox and press F11 to go full screen, and you wont even notice that you're running flash application inside a browser. It also offers a lite version for quick access, such as if you are only looking for some bookmark to show to some friend. As a final note, I must say that it looks like that g.ho.st developers are very active and adding new functionalities almost daily, and they also did a very good job on integreting third party web applications, like facebook or myspace, or even googledocs and many others.

Registration required

[Go g.ho.st]

Toondo. Want to make some comic strips?

When I was a child I used to dream about becoming a comic strips artist, and I really mean it. My life took other paths but I still like to make some drawings. Toondo allows you to create and publish your own comic strips. You can also take a look at other people strips, and vote them and all that usual stuff. It's a really cool online application, you can mix and match some premade drawings, or create your own. There's even a very easy way to create really cool characters. I've now found a new addiction....

Registration required

[Go make your strips]

Here's my very own comic strips book, I'm so happy:-D

a day in the life of a geek by hrcerqueira | Make Your Own At www.toondoo.com

Want to transform yourself? We are autobots, become a transformer

Augmented reality is one of the coolest technologies around. For the ones unaware of the concept, augmented reality is, by the definition on Wikipedia, a field of computer research which deals with the combination of real-world and computer-generated data (virtual reality), where computer graphics objects are blended into real footage in real time. Currently, the main application for this technology are simulations with testing purposes, like airplane or car simulations, but in the future some more exciting stuff is about to happen. It's a very good subject to read about... In weareautobots.com, augmented reality is used in advertising, specifically in a movie promotion. Using your webcam you transform yourself in Optimus Prime, the leader of Autobots. Click on the symbol over the webcam image and try some even coolest stuff, like having Bumblebee on the palm of your hand...

No registration required
IE and Firefox only
Need to install a plugin

[WeAreAutoBots]

Wanna listen to some music? Accuradio, the next generation radio

This is a must for all the music fans. It's a must for me at least. Accuradio offers thousands of musical genres and subgenres to choose from, from simply rock or jazz, to "Alternative 90s" or "Hiptronica". We can simply select one and start listening, or build our own chanel. Musics play randomly, but always with some logic. You have great control over the station your listening. You can pause and resume, skip musics or ban that band that pisses you off from playing. All the info about the musics playing is available to, what makes accuradio great to meet new stuff.

No registration needed

[Go listen to music]

Or try one of my favorite chanels

[All I want to do is rock]

Let's Cuil for the funtastic links - Cuil.com latest "future google killer"

Hum, a fresh new search engine... They claim to be better than Google, and I must admit that all the searches I've tried gave-me satisfactory results. I won't say better, but different... The latest "future google killer" is here with a ultra sophisticated web search concept. They have the looks, so give them a try, they worthy of it.

No registration required

[go Cuil]

I've written an article about Cuil on Helium (Which ranked N. 1 :-D ) under the discussion Does Cuil.com poses a real threat to Google. I voted for the NO side, click to read.

PS. Cuil is an Irish word pronounced "cool", which is undoubtedly favorite word...

SimpsonizeMe - Become a Simpsons Character

Ever wanted to be a Simpsons character? Now you have the opportunity to see how you'd look as a Springfield inhabitant. Very fun and addictive, try it with all your family members and build your own crazy neurotic family ;-)

No registration required

[SimpsonizeMe]

I tried with a Bill Gates photography and here's the result:

Become a song writter - JamStudio

Ever wanted to write your own music? This is website is coolness at the top, here you can create and save your musics for free, and it's really easy to make music that sounds good. I've created a music with ultra fancy sounds, and I don't even know what those musical symbols mean...

Registration required
Paid options

[Jam Studio]

[Jam Studio starting with my super fancy crazy mix music]

Urban Dictionary

Having trouble understanding your neighbour or your nephew? Check the urban dictionary, and maybe they have an explanation for you...

This is a collaborative dictionary of common slang.

No registration required
Registered users can add their own definitions

[Urban Dictionary]

This one is easy, but I love the definition:

air quote

In conversation, the dual flexing of the index and middle finger of both hands, to signify the presence of scare quotes. Used ad nauseam by 'pretentious' and ostensibly 'intelligent' university students, to advertise their 'superior morals' and 'erudition'.

Using air quotes in this example is, like, so 'post-modern'.

by user omaxc at UrbanDictionary

Internet Archive Wayback Machine - How's this for a start?

You'll have to take a look for yourselves, type in a domain name of any website and browse it exactly how it was at any given date since it's existence. One of my personal favorites...

No registration required

[Wayback Machine]

Someone made a google photo biography using this tool (it was me in fact), check it here.

By the way, did you know facebook looked like the screenshot below somewhere in year 2000?