Gadget Blog

www.gadgetblog.co.uk

With the holiday season fast approaching you might want to know precisely what gift to get a gadget-mad relative. Then again, you might just be interested in know what not to get them. Either way, this site will provide the answers you seek.

According to the site's introduction, this is the 143rd best gadget site in the world - but who's counting? I'm not quite sure where they got that statistic, but it surely is a great read, stuffed full of fun and funky gadgets for you to feast your eyes on.

The in-your-face banner at the top of the page leads you to the top ten gadgets you don't want for Christmas. Featuring such wonders as the electronic snore stopper, which shocks the poor sleeper every time it hears a noise at night; and the bathroom ready ‘potty putter’, which offers keen golfers an interesting way to pass the time as they do their business?

On the plus side there are many great gadgets featured too. Take a look at the 'previously on gadget blog' panel on the opening page to jump to the features.

This site is well written, although the layout could do with a little more thought. Definitely one to bookmark if you like to keep up with what's hot in the gadget world.

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The Transplant Trust's Social Network

www.thetxspace.com

This social networking site could make a real difference to people all over the world. The National Transplant Trust is a UK organisation set up to support those who have had, or are waiting for a transplant.

Whether you're a patient, supporter or carer, or you know someone who has become a donor, or even if you work in the transplant sector, there is something for everyone here as like-minded people discuss their experiences and offer support and advice to those going through a tough time.

Once you sign up you'll get an invitation email to join the network. Check your spam folder, as this is where the mail ended up for me. Accepting the invitation and filling out your personal details gives you access to the groups and forums, or you can start your own network.

You get 20mb of free storage space for photos or anything you want to share.

The site itself is simply presented and very functional and provides a very valuable resource to anyone who is affected by transplants.

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The 80s Movies Rewind

The 80s Movies Rewind

www.fast-rewind.com

Time for a little bit of retro chic now with an 80's movies tribute site. Although thinking about it - can anything from the 1980's really be considered chic?

There is loads of really neat stuff on this site. Despite the slightly unsophisticated look of it, the information goes really in depth and the site's creator has obviously put a lot of time into compiling it.

There's a featured movie trailer on the opening page, with the sections easily accessible in a navigation panel on the left. Once you've selected a movie, use the new nav panel on the left to switch between reviews (complete with trailer), music and soundtrack, behind the scenes, trivia, locations, and even bloopers and goofs.

If you're inspired to start watching some of these old classics there's impartial information on where to get them, and even a guide to which releases have been given the hi-def and blu-ray treatment.

A brilliant resource for all of us that can't get enough of big hair and even bigger shoulder pads.

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Myebook

Myebook

www.myebook.com

They say that everyone has a book in them, and if that's true of you, then you need to think about publishing online. This site lets you do it for free.

Actually this site is about much more than just publishing words - it's a fantastic way to share photos with your friends and family too. Just have a look at some of the publications made public on the website to see what other people are doing.

Once you've signed up and launched the application you can choose how many pages there will be in your book and whether you want to use a template or put a little more work in by starting with a blank canvas. You can easily add more pages at any time if you didn't select enough first time round.

The application tools work much like standard art packages, so it shouldn't take too long to get the hang of it. I love the way this application works and the finished product looks very slick. And if you choose the template option it couldn't be easier to come up with something that's really impressive to send on to your friends or embed in a website or blog.

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Teachers TV

Teachers TVhttp://www.teachers.tv/
Whether you're a teacher, student, or just someone who wants to learn more about the world we live in, you'll find it here.
Based on content from the free-to-air digital channel called Teachers TV, here you can find hundreds of great educational features that will help your children learn what they need to be successful in school.
The opening page highlights featured films and articles, but as soon as you enter any section you'll find a handy navigation panel on the left which splits the films up into key stages or subject categories.
There's a short description below each film when you select it, which tells you what the content and target audience is. There's something here for everyone at every stage, including documentaries about how some schools are overcoming education hurdles. Whilst the channel is aimed at a UK audience the content is relevant the world over and really genuinely interesting. I strongly advise you take a look.

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Evernote

Evernotehttp://www.evernote.com/
I'm always coming across useful little bits of information as I surf the web. The trouble with that is I spend a good deal of time trying to remember where I saw them later on. Where was that great site with cheap flights to Scotland? Where did I see that amazing face cream on sale so cheaply? Well not any more, thanks to this site.
This useful little tool will really help you keep on top of things, and it’s available for Windows, Macs and mobiles.
You'll need to register first, then just head to the download page for instructions on what to do next. Once installed you can save up to 40 megabytes of new clips each month using the free account, which should be plenty if you're not storing lots of high resolution images.
When you see something you want to make a note of just highlight it and click the green elephant-head icon Evernote has embedded in your browser. Clicking this icon with nothing selected will place the whole page in there. There's a nice little movie explaining more of the features on the website's homepage.
Now when you go to check your notes in the software you'll find it all there - text, pics and even links - making following up on that information as easy as can be.

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New Scientist

New Scientisthttp://www.newscientist.com/
Ever wondered how Spider-Man sticks to the buildings he scales? Scientists in America believe they have found a way to make a super hero suit that will let humans to the same.
Science is no longer the preserve of stuffy old men in white lab coats. This site, based on the popular magazine, proves that with a broad range of topics covered under the section headings Space, Technology and Environment.
Like many of the stories here, the super hero suit article includes a movie as well as the print article. Laid out magazine style, it's very easy to find your way around this site, or you can just keep following links deeper and deeper into the site on a journey or remarkable discovery.
There are some people in white lab coats here, but check out this funky little video explaining the large hadron collider experiment at CERN, which once again proves that science is more than hip and trendy these days.

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Wigadoo

http://www.wigadoo.com/
Big nights out with friends and family can be great fun, but organising them is often not. If your friends are anything like mine, getting anything settled is a bit like trying to herd cats.
Whether it's a night out at the theatre, or a stag weekend abroad, this website is like having your own personal social secretary. This site is simplicity itself. Just sign up and log in and you can make an event straight away. Add maps, pictures, comments and an estimated price per head. It states that your friends will have to give their credit card details, but don't worry. Click to proceed and on the next page you can choose whether you want Wigadoo to collect the money or not.
If you choose to have the website collect the money, they will create a virtual credit card for you to spend the cash collected and take a small fee. See the Terms and Conditions for more details.
Once you choose to invite friends to the event they can log on and sign up, so you know exactly who's coming.
Stuck for ideas? Why not start with a vote? There's also a find ideas section which has a nice ideas board tool you can play with. But the actual suggestions are based on a UK audience, so you'll have to hunt around a little for a similar activity local to you live in a different country.

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