Internet: May 2008 Archives

Hi all, my name's Beth Jones and I'm the newest addition to the Wolfstar team and this is my first blog post for EFH Broadband.

With the summer approaching and many parents wondering how they are going to keep the kids entertained over the six week break, I've been searching for the top ten websites for children. Whether you're after educational activities, places to promote the growth of social skills or just pure entertainment there is a website to cater for your wants and needs.

With over 42% of homes in the EU now using broadband, a 12% increase on last year, child safety has become a big issue. But software such as Net Nanny and Cyber Patrol has made it much easier to control what your children can view, ensuring that the internet is a safe environment. There are also many other ways to filter material such as specifically designed search engines including Ask Jeeves for Kids and Yahooligans. For more useful tips take a look at this blog. 

Research by Moneysupermarket.com  has shown children aged from seven to nine spend, on average, one and three quarter hours per week online outside school, compared to four and a quarter hours spent online by those aged between 13 and 15. The internet has become an invaluable tool particularly when considering the educational facilities for children. So there's no need to fret about the summer holiday, keep your kids entertained with my top ten sites for children. 

1. FunBrain.com - http://www.funbrain.com
Educational games, maths problems, word games, and historical trivia.

2. Disney.com - http://www.disney.go.com
Mickey, Donald, and other characters host a number of activities.

3. Funology.com - http://funology.com
Wacky facts, simple craft projects, and magic tricks.

4. The Yuckiest Site on the Internet - http://www.yucky.com
A science education resource covering all things that are gross, including trivia questions such as "What is snot made of?"

5. Nick.com - http://www.nick.com
Over 40 different games.

6. PBS Kids - http://pbskids.org
This site has games, stories, music, contests and colouring for toddlers to preteens.

7. McGruff.org - http://www.mcgruff.org
Interactive games, comics, activities, and advice from McGruff the Crime Dog, mcgruff.org teaches kids how to be safe and protect themselves from crime. It shows kids what they can do to stay safe online, stop bullies from picking on them and their friends, deal with strangers, and more.

8. Yahoo Kids - http://kids.yahoo.com/
Yahoo Kids! is the ultimate web guide for kids! Features fun and educational resources for kids with games, animals, music, jokes, movies, news, astrology...

 9. Kids Domain - http://www.kidsdomain.com/
Kaboose.com is a trusted, family friendly, interactive, entertaining, kid safe, helpful site with hundreds of reviews, message boards, crafts, games...

10. Kids Health - http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/
KidsHealth has doctor-approved articles, animations, games, and resources to help kids learn more about their bodies and stay healthy.

I particularly enjoyed yucky.com, did you know tarantulas inject digestive juices into their prey to break down soft tissue so they can suck out their insides? Maybe it's not just the kids who could learn a thing or two!

Whenever I’m browsing the internet during the ad break in friends or whilst I’m waiting for my unlimited downloads in iTunes, I like to have a look at the wonderful world of wacky websites that there are out there in the World Wide Web for us lucky internet users. Now don’t get me wrong, I mean good, clean fun. For example I recently came across a blog which was entirely dedicated to tracks of people singing Disney songs.

So I thought I would put together a list of my top five weird websites to fill your ad breaks or if you need something to do on a lonely week night:

1. Wild recipes – I came across this site after a conversation about the weird foods that I love but other people are disgusted by (for example by love for beans and tuna mayonnaise mixed together in a bowl). This site is dedicated to the weirdest food people actually eat. If you have a dish you love eating but your family and friends think it's repulsive, this is your chance to share it with the world...

2. Who’ dating who – For all those in need of pointless celebrity love gossip. This site is a rundown of who has dated who in the world of the famous with some great then and now shots to make us believe that we will one day turn into the next Angelina Jolie. There’s also a who’s wearing what section to help us get our daily fashion fix too.

3. The Institute of silly and meaningless sayings - I never realised just how stupid some of our sayings were until I had a look at the database that these guys have created. A weird website but I great way to kill a spare hour when you feel like doing something pointless.

4. Something Store – This is one of my favourites. I came across this on the Shiny Shiny blog. This site lets you spend $10 on… well something. That’s right, users don’t know what they’re actually going to get. All you do is pay the $10 and you will be sent a mystery item in the post. It could range from an Amazon giftcard to a pair of jeans.

5. Man Babies – Another gem from Shiny Shiny. This site is absolutely hilarious. It isn’t rocket science but it sure will make you laugh. The site is basically made up of photos where man and baby heads have been switched to create the silliest photos ever. I know what you’re thinking… simple minds… but I challenge you to look without laughing!

The BBC has reported on some new research which apparently shows that internet users are becoming much more selfish and ruthless when they go online. To be honest, I think I could have told you that without doing any research, but some of the findings are quite interesting.

I think we all know the days of 'build it (a website) and we (users) will come' are now long gone.

The research examined internet habits in the UK and highlighted that we are all now much less patient when we go online. Instead of surfing on certain sites for hours, as many of used to, (all you eBayer's will know what I am talking about) it seems we just want to reach a website as quick as possible, do what we have to do, and just get out of there.

The report also states that most people try to ignore efforts by companies attempting to make them linger and some can become very suspicious of promotions.

Dr Jakob Nielsen who headed the new research comments: "The (website) designs have become better but also users have become accustomed to that interactive environment".

He adds: "Web users have always been ruthless and now are even more so. People want sites to get to the point, they have very little patience."

Now here I agree with Dr Nielsen, but then he goes on to say that internet users are also becoming very frustrated with all the extras, such as widgets and applications, which can make some sites more user friendly. Apparently the reason we are becoming 'frustrated' is because they can make websites take much longer to load. I don't know about you, but I think some widgets and applications are worth their weight in gold. I suppose it depends on whether he is referring to useful blogging/Web 2.0 tools or just the irritating 'Pirate' applications on social networks like Facebook. If it is the latter then I admit I do have to agree with him.

Key findings from the research were:

1. There has been a huge change in the way users get to sites
2. In 2004, about 40% of people visited a homepage and then drilled down to where they wanted to go and 60% used a deep link that took them directly to a page or destination inside a site
3. In 2008 only 25% of people arrive via a websites homepage. The rest use a search and get straight there.
4. Search engines, such as Google, now apparently rule the web
5. However, search engines still need to improve their services to create stronger and more relevant results

Personally, I must admit I am much more ruthless these days when I am online, as there is so much more quality content out there to be looking at or listening to. I can't be bothered anymore to wade through reams and reams of websites - I want the information now.

I was browsing through one of my favourite blogs, shiny shiny, when I came across this hilarious list of 10 signs that you might be addicted to the internet. It is written by Susi Weaser and details her internet addiction symptoms. With many of us spending all day glued to the internet both at work and at home, I thought this list was very fitting and am slightly embarrassed to admit that I am also guilty of doing some of these things…

1. Getting Beta invites for things you don't remember signing up for
"Congratulations! You've been let in early for this Beta Beta First Stage Feedback Trial!" The chances are, if I didn't get accepted within 20 minutes of signing up I've forgotten about why I wanted to try it out so bad. I am that fickle.

2. Dreaming about blogging
Last night, I dreamt about repeatedly trying to change to code for an image. This ranks right up there with dreaming about hoovering and dreaming about waiting for a bus in interest stakes.

3. 3am phone checks
I now routinely wake up at 3am, and it seems as good a time as any to check what people have emailed, twittered and facebooked whilst I've been asleep. Conducive to a good night's sleep? No. Ensures I don't miss anything? Yes.

4. 7am phone checks
The same process gets repeated at 7am, just after I hit snooze for the last time. This time, I also check the weather to ensure I'm not caught in a flip flops/torrential downpour situation.

5. Twittering whilst in a queue
Queues now seem like the ideal opportunity to twitter, which often leads to me getting to the front of the queue too quickly. The good news is, I've yet to invite the person behind me to skip ahead so I can finish my terribly witty 145 character twit. But that day is inevitable.

6. Trying to recruit friends and family
I get terribly frustrated with people who don't spend all their time on the internet. It was the Best. Thing. Ever when the world and his dog got obsessed with Facebook - finally, everyone was on the same (web) page. I just don't understand why my mother has no interest in an RSS reader. Surely her life would benefit from it?

7. Drunk emailing
I used to just have to worry about the drink and dialling. Now? Now I have to check back over the emails I sent after I've been out drinking. In my alcohol haze I've justified it by the fact that emails are free, and I can keep in contact with those in different time zones. On the flip side of that, I'm emailing nonsensical and badly spelt messages to people who are only midway through their day, and inevitably, sober. Bad news.

8. Photo sharing overload
It used to be a case of taking photos, leaving the film to languish in a drawer for 2 years, printing and finally stuffing in an album. Now, I take photos and baulk at the prospect of having to name them all, upload them to three of four different places and then tag them. It's the kind of thing that makes me wish I still had siblings who would perform mind-numbingly boring tasks for £2 a throw.

9. Laptop TV time
I watched The Apprentice three times last week. Why? Well, because each time I sat down I turned on my laptop and got to the end of the programme I realised I'd spent so much time going through my RSS feeds I'd completely missed everything up until 'You're Fired'.

10. Holidaying on the internet
I'm off on holiday in no less than 67 hours, and the world, as it were, is my oyster. So, where am I off to? A tropical beach? An adventure packed trek? Nope, I'm off to San Francisco, the mecca for those with an internet addiction. The highlight of my trip will clearly be blogerati spotting. L-O-S-E-R

Don’t worry Susi, you’re not alone. I think it’s time we started up an internet users anonymous before it all gets too much…

My colleague Beth Jones recently wrote a post on Miro, a new and slick video application for internet users. Miro is a free application that allows you to store your favourite internet videos for example podcasts and video RSS feeds, all you need is a fast, reliable internet connection.

Miro, developed by the Participatory Culture Foundation, is totally free to download and unlike the small screen size found on its competitor’s sites, Miro allows videos to be viewed in high quality, full screen mode. The way Miro stores and manages videos is a highlight of the application, creating a library (similar to itunes) which holds your videos for five days unless you specify for it to be held for longer. This automatic flushing of the videos stops the library from clogging up - this is particularly useful when using the automatic grab function which saves all of the videos from your favourite channels.

Some of the features available on Miro include: access to the Miro guide (a directory of channels which you can subscribe to); online video search; your local video library; new content which has completed downloading but which you haven’t yet watched; and a view of what’s currently being downloaded. You can also subscribe to your favourite ‘channels’ (Channels are Miro’s name for RSS feeds) allowing new videos to automatically be downloaded into your account and you can also make playlists of your favourite clips.

Steve O'Hear, editor of last100 has some useful tips on using Miro and a review of the application on his blog, which any new Miro user should check out.

Here is a broadband story which caught my eye in this morning's Metro. An Ofcom report released today has announced that rural households are more likely to have broadband than inner city residents. In fact, almost two thirds (59% )of rural households have broadband compared to a just 57% of urban homes. It's the first time ever that people living in the countryside have had a higher rate than those who live in our cities. Only four years ago city slickers were twice as likely to have a broadband connection.

A blog on the Hermes Project website has made a suggestion that this is because of the rapid expansion of LLU (local loop unbundling) networks into less highly populated areas. The BBC website has quoted Ed Richards, the chief executive of Ofcom as saying: "Our report highlights a closing of the geographical digital divide in the UK. Rural households are today as well connected to broadband as their urban neighbours".

According to the report the English spend more time on the internet than in any of the UK’s other nations, spending an average of 12.4 hours on the internet, and 77 per cent of their time online is used to send email, instant messages and network. The report also included many other interesting technology trends which are developing in the UK.

Here are a few highlights:

1. There has been a rapid growth in mobile technology - you only have to glance around on trains these days to see most people tapping away on their laptops using the free wireless connection which is now readily available.
2. A fifth of our households now rely solely on a mobile phone, and in Greater Manchester almost a third (28%) of homes use a mobile and have no fixed line telephone.
3. 3G phones are now becoming the most popular types of mobiles.
4. Dundee is the city with the highest levels of 3G phone use, with almost a third of people using one.
5. One in five UK adults have surfed the web on the move, with the highest use occurring in London and Birmingham. In Devon and Cornwall, where 3G phone coverage is pretty sparse, just 7% of people have used the mobile internet.
6. 30% of the nation are using the internet to catch up on missed television with services like BBC iplayer

What with social media websites enabling us to tell the world about ourselves umpteen different ways, it came as no surprise to find that there are dozens of websites offering downloadable software to create your very own radio station. And why not? It's simple to set up, and everyone loves their 15 minutes of fame!

In the very basic sense, all you need to make a live broadcast or a podcast is an audio file and an Internet connection (fast broadband is also a major plus) - but downloading additional software offers more flexibility and sound quality. I came across some very good websites offering radio and podcast services, and once you choose which software to use there is also an abundance of information on the web about the process of setting up an online radio station, and it really does seem quite simple.

Live365.com offers free, high-capacity streaming and MP3 netcasting, alongside a great help and information package if you purchase the software. That’s the catch – it’s not free. However, if you are serious about your station/Podcasting , it is a worthwhile investment as it the worlds largest online radio network and you get a lot for your money.

However, if it’s free software you’re looking for, Gcast.com offers simple downloadable software that doesn’t overcomplicate things and confuse the user with audio jargon. Gcast automatically generates an RSS feed for your broadcast, offers a useful playlist facility and allows your audio to be embedded your (or anyone else’s if they wish!) website. Other free websites worth looking into are Peercast.org and Shoutcast.com, both offering similar services. And if you’re really serious about your sound, download the free editing package ‘Audacity’ to tweak your recording before going live.

Happy Broadcasting!

When it comes to social networks on the internet, Facebook, MySpace and Bebo automatically spring to mind. But whilst I was doing some research on social networking sites for my top ten social networks, I came across a new site that I thought was rather cool.

imeem, is the name of this find and it definitely features in my pick of the bunch and should be a big hit amongst most music lovers. The site is based around sharing music and video playlists, alongside the usual community functions such as messaging facilities, groups, photo sharing that can be found on most social networks.

What makes this site stand out from the others is the fact that you can create playlists on your profile and share them with your friends. So if you are interested in Rock or Jazz music, you can click on the relevant button and see what songs people have got on their profiles. imeem lets you listen to the track (most of the time the whole song but on occasions it’s just a preview) and download it if you like it and add it to your imeem playlist. You can also share videos in the same manner. You can interact with others with similar music tastes and find out about the latest tunes that are taking the music industry by storm.

Another great application that imeem offers is the events section, where upcoming tours by artists and bands are featured, allowing users to see who is touring, when and where so you never miss a good gig. It even updates you with events happening in your area and at local venues. You can search by artist, venue or show.

I think it’s great, particularly for finding music that is less mainstream or discovering new artists but almost everything on this site is music related so if you’re not a music fan then I don’t really think this one is for you. However if you are I strongly advise you to check it out.

I've just had a brilliant link Skype'd my way. Give away of the day is a relatively new initiative in the software world that offers up a new piece of kit to internet users everyday, but it's only ever available for download for 24 hours (sometimes longer, but it's obviously at the discretion of the developers). Pretty cool really... the 'word of mouth' race against the clock..

Anywhooo, with only 15 hours left, I highly recommend getting your paws on YouTubeGet. It's developers say: "YouTubeGet is an all-in-one software designed to make quick and easy work to download YouTube videos and convert them. Offering a multitude of methods to acquire the video, this application has all the power you need while still remaining small and easy to use." I'm sure something in there doesn't make sense, but I've just downloaded it a few minutes ago and this is a great help! Another plus - it's going for $29.95, so if you miss the deadline it's not like it's going to break the bank.

You literally just drag the YouTube url into the add box, and choose what file you'd like to convert it into... then 'Voila' you have your video. I've just taken my current top five video's and transferred them into realplayer format - now they're sat on my ipod ready to be watched whenever I next need to kill ten minutes.

This morning BBC News has reported that the musical social networking site MySpace has announced it's about to start allowing its users to make their information available to other social networks. Information to be shared includes photos, videos, public profile information, friends' lists and text.

When this new service is launched its members will be able to share their information with Yahoo, Twitter, eBay and Photobucket.

Up until now social networks like Facebook, MySpace and Bebo have locked us all into their own specific site and made sure the content we created and saved was properly guarded and unreachable by the other sites to stop us all from hopping from one site to another which is why Facebook has got such a massive user base. It's also the reason we have to keep completing form after form for each different site inputting the same information which can be very tedious. This new service will hopefully remove a lot of that.

Interestingly, MySpace's Boss Chris DeWolfe has confirmed he is happy to work with Facebook - which would be a huge leap forward. MySpace has stressed that users will have the control over what information they share and who they share it with.  

I see this as an ongoing trend with the other sites quickly following suit because quite frankly they will have to or they will be quickly ditched by us (the users) for newer, cooler sites and tools.

It's no coincidence that this has been announced quite soon after Myspace's user figures appeared to be waning. So if these social networks genuinely want to survive they must bring down their guarding walls and share our information.

One thing is for sure, if this information is safe and secure this will be great news for all of us as we should be able to say goodbye to the wasted hours spent on the internet filling out pointless forms answering the same boring questions.

The new changes are reported to be rolled out on the site across the coming weeks.

Surfing the internet has never looked so good... again. Following on from my post on the most chic and funky laptops around, the time has come to see what accessories are out there to jazz up your computer for internet surfing fun, with a little help from the girls at Shiny Shiny.

1. Happy Alien mini speakers – If you are ever having a bad day, these speakers will cheer you right up. They’re perfect for watching your favourite YouTube videos or listening to the latest music downloads.

2. Rolling Laptop Bag – Is walking to work and back with your laptop on your arm becoming a real pain in the shoulder? Well fear no more, Clark and Mayfield have come up with this stylish laptop bag with wheels for your convenience which can cart around a 17-inch laptop with accessories.

3. Now this one is not strictly for your broadband needs but it makes your fingers  look oh so cool when typing on your keypad and searching on the internet. This solid silver keyboard key ring from Manuel Bozzi is the perfect accessory for you tech-loving girls out there.

4 Bendy Keyboard in neon pink – Desks at work can be so boring! So why not swap your regular keyboard for this neon pink flexible key board? It’s also waterproof for those who eat and drink at their desks and are partial to the occasional spillage.

5. The MSN i-buddy is great for MSN messenger users who spend a lot of time on the internet. The little USB MSN fairy will react in its own unique little way each time there is some kind of activity for example when a contact comes online or you receive an instant message and its under £15.00!

This month sees the long awaited launch of Grand Theft Auto IV, a game unlike any other that has defied the laws of controversy. This time players will assume the role of illegal immigrant Niko Bellic - who's only known trade is assassination. The word on the street is that in single player mode this game can be completed in 30 hours. However, with a plethora of added features and hidden missions, that time can easily be doubled.

gameTM magazine says: "The world will never be the same once GTA goes online".

The game's developers at Rockstar Games think: "We've pushed ourselves to make something incredible and hope the game sets a new benchmark for interactive entertainment."

Well, based on the reviews so far,  it seems Rockstar has achieved its goal. Whilst the single-player story mode has gone down a storm, the online multi-player function is stealing all the headlines. Going interactive allows up to sixteen players to engage 12 different modes of game play. From gang turf wars to modern day cops vs robbers, this has it all.

In terms of scores we looked at Gamespot UK for advice:

GameSpot score                                    10/10

Critic score (based on 24 reviews)     9.9/10

User score (based on 8,159 voters)   9.3/10

Here's the last Trailer Rockstar Games has released:

I personally love the in-game radio station 'Electrochoc' - track list was created by DJ Francois K and includes beats from Justice, Deadmou5 and Simian Mobile Disco. A full list of tunes can be found here.