Like most people, my life is now full of images. Yes, I’ve got kids and that generally means we take a picture at every possible conceivable milestone ("OMG! He twitched his mouth and looked a bit like Elvis – where’s the camera!"), but like most people I also like to take pictures when I’m out and about.

There’s no shortage of ways to share these day-to-day moments that I capture, but easily one of the most noticeable at the moment, and one of our favourites, is Instagram. If you’re on Twitter, you probably see people linking to their Instagram pictures all the time. Its retro, one-touch effects make drab images look super stylish and sharing is a doddle.

But at photopile.me they’ve taken the idea one step further and devised a way for you to see all your images in a kind of online album.

Type in your Instagram details and within seconds you’ll see all your efforts laid out in front of you.

We like.

Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY: Photopile originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:00:00 +0000

The days when most people would willingly let a total stranger into their home are long gone.

Isn’t that a sad statement? Absolutely. Is it true? Almost certainly.

But not completely. Because if you take a look at www.airbnb.com you’ll find a whole network of people who are prepared to share their homes with strangers. For a fee admittedly, but it’s still quite a gesture.

Some do it to help pay the bills. Others do it to meet new people from all over the world. Some just want to share their homes with others.

Regardless of the hosts’ reasons, if you’re travelling somewhere on a budget, this is one way to find a comfortable, safe and affordable place to stay.

It’s a simple, almost utopian idea that could only really ever be brought to life online and it’s left us with a slightly warm fuzzy feeling and an itch to pack our bags and go and see some more of the world in a slightly different way.

Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY: Air BNB originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:00:00 +0000

For some people, looking beautiful is an effortless affair. A quick flick of a hairbrush, a smidgeon of something that smells nice and then they get on with their day.

But, for most people (and I absolutely, wholeheartedly include myself in this) it takes a little bit of work and a lot of experimentation when it comes to the right lotions, potions and miracle products.

At www.glossybox.com some of that experimentation might have just got a little bit easier.

For a tenner a month, they’ll send you a box of new stuff to try – all of it tailored to the profile that you give them when you register.

They’ve recently started their range for men, so this is really is a great way for all of us to try out some new stuff and spoil ourselves a little bit.

If your regime needs a refresher, this is a good place to start.

Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY: Glossy Box originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 01:00:00 +0000

In these times of financial uncertainty, I for one have been tightening my belt. At least I have in a metaphorical sense. You see, I love my food. So, in our house, rather than cut out all the good stuff, we’re just being a lot more selective about what we buy and where we buy it.

We’ve gradually reduced our dependence on supermarkets: fruit and veg from the farm shop, meat from the butcher, etc.

If you’ve done something similar, this might be for you, simply because www.loveyourlarder.com is about the best site we’ve seen for finding all those artisan foodie treats, without having to spend all your spare time trawling the farmers' markets and organic shops.

It might all sound a bit middle class and chunky sweaters, but we’ve found that by buying better, less often, we’re eating more healthily and enjoying our food even more.

We even manage to save money because we no longer waste any food.

This is a great place to stock up on some romantic treats too...

Tags: Online WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software

WEBSITE OF THE DAY: Love Your Larder originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 07 Feb 2012 01:00:00 +0000

Here’s one to gratuitously leave on screen when the other half stumbles across your laptop (not something most people will be in the habit of doing, so we hear…)

What with Valentine’s Day around the corner and all that, they might be looking for gift ideas.

If they really love you, they might wonder why you were looking at www.red5.co.uk and take note.

They might actually click on the handy “Gifts for Him” or “Gifts for Her” links to find that special something for their special someone.

Or, they could just get lost in a site full of all kinds of brilliantly weird and wonderful gadgets, gizmos and techie works of art, just like we did.

UK readers might recognise the name from the small chain of shops now spanning the country, but no matter where you live, you can stock up on some (not so) romantic gifts regardless.

Go on treat yourself, just in case they don’t take the hint…

Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY: Red5 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:00:00 +0000

To anybody living in the UK at the moment, the notion of “a single Government” anything is a fanciful one.

We have a collation where the right hand doesn’t seem to know what the one in the middle is doing, if you get my tortured, politically anatomical metaphor.

These days, ask Downing Street a question and you’re likely to get an opinion, a printable comment and a strategy, only to receive a diametrically opposed set of all three an hour later.

So, to see www.gov.uk opening its virtual doors is a breath of (hopefully) fresh air.

This is the proposed replacement for the Direct.gov website, which is where you go to find out anything you need to know about how this country is run. Or at least that’s the theory.

The difference with this beta trial site is that it’s massive simplified, with a single search box that will hopefully get you straight to what you’re looking for.

Most refreshing though is an overt request for feedback and help to shape what this site might become.

So have a look and let them know what you think. You could see this as a form if democracy in action, which has to be a good thing.

Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY: Gov.uk originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 03 Feb 2012 01:00:00 +0000

We like to think we’re men of the world here at Pocket-lint. We’ve been there, done that, bought the T-shirt and taken the pictures on the latest umpteen-megapixel digital camera.

So when the boss sent us all a link to  www.zooborns.com, there were few raised eyebrows. Had he lost the plot? Was this some kind of test?

But then it happened. It was slow at first, and then it ravaged the office like the most virulent of infections.

We’d got a nasty does of the exotic cutes.

Can’t speak for everybody, but it was definitely the wolf cubs that got me (I’ll now be rooting for the other side when I go to see The Grey).

It’s a gratuitous “ahh” moment all round this one, but it does have a serious educational role to play too.

If you want to get kids interested in nature, show them some pictures of cute furry things online and they’re sure to learn fast.

And yes, I know that works for other, more common areas of online biology too, but this is a family site…

Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY: Zoo Borns originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 02 Feb 2012 01:00:00 +0000

I think it was Boxing Day, or maybe even late on Christmas Day, when it was first mentioned.

“Where are we going on holiday next year…?”

There was a moment’s silence, then an involuntary shudder, then I made some excuses about waiting to see how work pans out, checking the best deals, waiting and seeing, etc, etc.

But now it’s looming larger on the horizon and Mrs H is taking no more excuses. I need to get something booked.

Travelling with kids can be fraught with myriad perils as you navigate your way through supplementary charges, seating arrangements on planes, hire cars that will fit all your luggage and of course there’s all your luggage in its own right (just how much stuff do these little people really need?)

It’s a mission. And it used to be a lonely one.

But now there’s  www.takethefamily.com, a site for somebody like me who needs a bit of guidance when trying to get the whole Hughes clan to somewhere nice for a week or two.

Clear, no-nonsense advice and a search engine that won’t spit out any nasty surprises, and naturally, kids of all ages are catered for.

This will take some of the sting out of the summer holiday, that’s for sure.

Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY: Take the Family originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 01 Feb 2012 01:00:00 +0000

Much like yesterday’s Website of the Day, this is one of those brilliantly simple ideas, brilliantly executed.

Meet the Wonderbag, an eco-cooking idea that is changing lives and could help to change the planet.

It’s staggeringly simple, and based on a seemingly long-lost traditional method of cooking. You heat up your pot of food on the stove, but as soon as it’s boiled, you take it off the stove, drop into a Wonderbag and then leave it to finish cooking. It’s all done through the residual heat of the pot and its contents.

The bottom line is that you don't need any more energy, and that’s a life changing saving, especially in the developing world where this clever idea has really taken off.

They reckon that using one of these can reduce the average family’s energy consumption by 30 per cent. That’s quite something, and although it’s not really aimed at your average household in the developed world, with energy costs soaring, it might prove an appetising addition to your kitchen.

We love this idea and will be ordering ours from nb-wonderbag.com.

Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY: Wonderbag originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 31 Jan 2012 01:00:00 +0000

If the statement “one size fits all” has ever seemed a little ridiculous, you’d be right. It’s not true for hats, it’s not true for T-shirts, and when it comes to the humble condom it couldn’t be less true, or potentially more dangerous.

It’s impossible to know exactly how many unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections are due to condoms splitting, falling off, or being ripped off in the heat of the moment because they "just don’t feel right".

All that’s a thing of the past now, with www.theyfit.com, a new site which sells custom fit condoms.

Don’t panic chaps, you won’t have to slap your old fella out for somebody to measure, you do everything in the privacy of your own home with the patented, printable FitKit. Simply print and cut out the template then follow the simple instructions to work out your size.

At £6.99 for six, they’re good value and if you don’t get the size quite right first time, your next order is half price.

I wish I could tell you that mine wouldn’t fit through the letterbox, but they actually arrived in a very discreet package. Hey ho...

Stay safe people.

Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY: They Fit originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 01:00:00 +0000

A truly astonishing statistic surfaced this week: every second of every day, an hour of video footage is uploaded to YouTube.

Just think about that for a few seconds. It’s almost impossible to imagine, or visualise just how much is being committed to film every single day.

The world has gone crazy for collecting every aspect of daily life, from cats pulling funny faces to the latest civil unrest in some war-torn corner of the globe.

Thankfully, www.onehourpersecond.com is now here to help us all out by animating what that statistic actually equates to.

As you travel through the timeline, the examples get more and more bizarre, and at one point, a bit like the ever-expanding universe we live in, I was actually sure whether it was going to end.

This is perfect for a Friday, and perfect too for arming yourself with all kinds of brilliant pub-time facts ands figures to impress your mates.

Tags: Online WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software

WEBSITE OF THE DAY: One Hour Per Second originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 01:00:00 +0000

A bit of added value today as we bring you not one, but two websites of the day. The first, rosskempfolds.tumblr.com was trending on Twitter this week, and seemingly within minutes we also had kempfolds.blogspot.com.

Now isn’t that just exactly why we all love the internet? Two sites, doing exactly the same utterly pointless, yet brilliantly juvenile thing. And isn’t that just why we love social media? Without it, we might never have known about them. There was some tweeting about who was doing it first, but that soon settled when credit was given where it was due.

And all these two sites do is present a stream of pictures of TV “hard man” Ross Kemp, folded into weird and wonderful gurning portraits.

You wouldn’t think one face could be folded so many entertaining ways, but Kemp seems to have the features to carry it off.

Like I said: pointless, but very, very funny.

Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY: Fold Ross Kemp originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:00:00 +0000

There’s a song in your head right now, isn’t there? You know there is. It’s been there a few days. No matter what else you listen to, it keeps creeping back into your consciousness, quietly at first then with increasing enthusiasm.

I’m not talking about that “last thing I heard before I left the house this morning” annoying track that’s stuck in your brain for no good reason (usually the theme tune to Postman Pat in my case). You can get rid of that as soon as you plug in your headphones for the morning commute.

No, this is that song that you’ve heard somewhere that’s become your new internal anthem. Your current favourite. Your new "jam".

Up until now, the only way to share it was by grabbing anybody you know and trying to sing it to them. But the lovely people at thisismyjam.com have found a better way.

Sign in with your Twitter or Facebook details and they’ll immediately find anybody you know who’s a member, which at the moment is the only way to get into this invite-only beta version.

If you’re in luck, you’ll soon be sharing your jams and seeing what everybody else's are too.

It’s a great new way to find new music, and old forgotten favourites, and we reckon this could be huge when it comes out of testing.

One to watch. Or listen to. Oh, you know what I mean...

Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY: This Is My Jam originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 01:00:00 +0000

Once upon a time, I would have done just about anything for a fiver. Don’t panic, I’m not hinting at a past full of vice and petty crime, but when I was growing up, £5 was considered a sizeable amount of money.

It’s not any more, obviously. In fact, these days, you’re doing well in city centre bars if you can get a single drink for that price, let alone a whole round.

So, at www.fivesquids.co.uk it’s quite surprising to see what people will still do for a fiver.

Many of these people are small businesses, trying to make a name and offering their services at knockdown prices to get a good reputation.

Other people are just chancing their arm and having a bit of a laugh, and possibly even making a few quid.

We love this idea. It’s a great way to make your mark in a crowded market and it’s fun seeing just what some people will actually offer.

Still no movement on my “clean and iron all my shirts” request, but fingers crossed…

Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY: Five Squids originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 01:00:00 +0000

Your average smartphone is a clever little gadget (hence the name). They've become our music players, our cameras, our organisers. They even make phone calls!

It doesn't matter which brand you go for, they all make our lives more fun, faster and generally just a bit easier to manage. But they all have one common enemy – the elements.

Yes, you can clad your prize possession in a chunky rubber case to keep the worst of it at bay, but it does tend to alter the aesthetics a little bit, doesn’t it?

But now, courtesy of  www.liquipel.com you can get your phone waterproofed and nobody will notice the difference.

Liquipel works by coating the entire phone, inside and out, with a water repellant “nano” coating. Once coated, they claim your phone will even work when fully submerged (although I won’t be trying that just yet…).

You have to send your phone to them, and it currently costs $59 US, but that’s surely a small price to pay when you consider the alternative.

Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY: Liquipel originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 23 Jan 2012 01:00:00 +0000

Is it just me, or is January 2012 the longest month in recorded existence? Christmas seems like aeons ago, the weather has turned Baltic and just about everybody seems to have kicked the booze, stubbed out the smokes and is now eating salad, muesli and lentils with a self-righteous grimace on their face (probably due to their mild inward panic about where the nearest serviceable toilet is). What’s happened to the world?

We need a laugh. Something that will remind us that we need to lighten up a bit.

Thank goodness then for www.thepoke.co.uk a “news” site with an eye for sabotaging the headlines and a tongue firmly in its cheek. This should help us all through these difficult early weeks of the new year.

It’s cut from similar cloth to the Daily Mash and with apps, YouTube channels, Twitter feeds and Facebook pages to keep you updated, you’ll never have to stray too far without a timely reminder that life’s too short to take all that seriously.

Tags: Online WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software

WEBSITE OF THE DAY: The Poke originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 19 Jan 2012 01:00:00 +0000

“A thing of beauty is a joy forever.” It’s as true now as it was when Keats first wrote that in the 19th Century. But these days we all want more. Our attention spans are shorter and we find inspiration in different things. Lots of different, beautiful things.

If you’re somebody who needs to surround yourself with beautiful things, kuvva.com can help.

They’ve signed up some of the word’s best artists and illustrators to create, as they say themselves, “visual awesomeness” for us to brighten up our digital lives.

With Kuvva, you can have a gorgeous new wallpaper delivered to you every day of the week, for your desktop and Twitter homepage.

Create an account and you can set up favourites for your own personal stream of visual loveliness.

And if you’re a designer, artist or illustrator looking for a new outlet with a truly global reach, they’re always on the lookout for new talent too.

Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY: Kuvva originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 18 Jan 2012 01:00:00 +0000

Sending high-res photos, home video, or any other data-hungry bits and pieces isn't really practical over email, so if you routinely have to send large files, there are probably a few names you might be familiar with when it comes to free, online solutions.

If you haven’t already, add www.wetransfer.com to the list.

This is one of the simplest ways to send large volumes of stuff we’ve come across and you don’t even need to register with them. Just upload your stuff, tell it where to go and the job’s done.

With a size limit of 2GB, and no restriction when it comes to the number of files, this service makes some of its competitors look positively miserly.

They’re upfront about how they can offer this service for free too: those fancy wallpapers you see while you’re uploading your files are all paid-for advertising and you can even download them if you see something you really like.

There are other ways to do this kind of thing, but this one could be our new favourite.

Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY: We Transfer originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 17 Jan 2012 01:00:00 +0000

If the internet has done one thing above all others, it’s made things so much faster. Getting your fix of just about anything is now just a few clicks away, and news is no exception to that. Far from it.

And if the events of 2011 taught us one thing above all others, it’s that the truth cannot be contained any more. People found ever more inventive ways to circumvent authoritarian regimes to get their stories heard through social networking, so all of a sudden every newsroom on the planet was keeping one eye on the wires and the other on social media. The speed with which local events became global stories was unprecedented.

At www.newswhip.com you can keep track of what news is trending on the web, so you won’t have to go cross-eyed trying to keep up.

This is a quick, clean and efficient way to see what’s being shared worldwide, and we’re all firm fans already.

Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY: News Whip originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 16 Jan 2012 01:00:00 +0000

Things might be looking a bit bleak on the high street for HMV, but that’s not denting their enthusiasm for supporting new music one bit, if The Next Big Thing is anything to go by.

It’s a short season of gigs at HMV venues up and down the UK, showcasing the best new acts. These are the names and faces that will be adorning the glossy covers of music media in the near future and this is a chance to see them up close and personal before they start filling stadiums all over the world. It could be the only chance you get to see them for a tenner too.

We hope it’s initiatives like this that will keep HMV going long after the season ends, but with the recession biting and online competition stiffening, it’s not going to be easy. We wish them luck.

Get your tickets at  hmv.com/hmvweb/navigate.do?pPageID=4771.

Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY: Next Big Thing originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 13 Jan 2012 01:00:00 +0000

Most people will by now have heard that there’s a bit of a do happening in London in 2012.

The legendary cynicism of the locals is slowly turning to pride and even, dare I say it, excitement, as the games approach and one by one the facilities are opened on time (not something we’re used to over here, that bit…).

And our beloved Boris (Jim Henson is alive and well and running the Mayor of London) has set up this handy website to let the world know just what’s in store for 2012, because the Olympics are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what’s happening in our nation’s capital.

At www.molpresents.com you can sign up for alerts that will keep you in the loop on what’s happening in London over the course of the next 12 months and it’s already got plenty to whet the appetite if you’re heading to our fair city in this Olympic year.

Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY: MoL Presents originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 12 Jan 2012 01:00:00 +0000

It's a good blog that stands above the crowd and catches our attention, but when we caught wind of thatsnerdalicious.com we made tracks straight for it.

A blog that celebrates the geekier side of gastronomy, this is where a love of tech and a love of food are deliciously combined, with postings revealing some of the weirder and more wonderful culinary delights from around the world.

It was the Darth Vader burger that first drew us in (soon trumped by the Chewbacca burger) but on further inspection we saw the monkey banana peeler for the hopelessly lazy and realised we’d found some kindred spirits. Not surprising when you discover that these are the people behind fashionablygeek.com and cubiclebot.com too.

So that’s actually three Websites of the Day for the price of one today. Think of it as our January sale...

Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY: That’s Nerdalicious! originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 11 Jan 2012 01:00:00 +0000

In the developed world, there are certain things many of us take for granted. Running water, wireless broadband and a Starbucks very fifty feet are just a few examples, and 24-hour rolling news is yet another. But do we ever think twice about what all those news channel tell us while we're sipping our skinny soya lattes?

Around the globe, most state broadcasters are influenced, to a greater or lesser degree, by the ruling parties. Private news organisations famously have their own agendas and so figuring out what’s actually happening can prove a bit tricky.

A potential antidote to this can be found at therealnews.com, a US-based news site which aims to be completely independent and to represent the little people.

It makes interesting reading, particularly when you compare it to some of the other US networks' coverage, and whether you like the approach or not, it’s certainly one way of getting a bit of balance into the rolling news coverage that we’re bombarded with.

Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY: The Real News originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:59:00 +0000

Over the past couple of years, science has seemingly become the new rock ‘n’ roll, with superstars like Brian Cox and Richard Dawkins commanding huge audiences and high-profile headlines. We’ve even had comedy embracing the inner geek in all of us, with the likes of Dara O’Briain and Robin Ince celebrating their scientific roots and getting big laughs while doing it.

So, we reckon the Royal Institute’s new online channel at richannel.org could be attracting a wider audience than it might have once upon a time.

It’s a collection of scientific videos, including the famous RI Christmas Lectures, which this year took a long hard and surprisingly entertaining look at the human brain.

If you’ve had your interest in science piqued by its headlong march into the mainstream, this is a good place to bone up on some basics or explore some more in-depth areas.

Lab coats are not required, just a curious nature and a few minutes of surfing time.

Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY: The RI Channel originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 09 Jan 2012 01:00:00 +0000

As we’ve said before here at Pocket-Lint, the comic strip has had something of a revival in recent times, with big screen adaptations dominating the summer blockbuster release schedule and graphic novels becoming the new bestsellers. Prices for rare old comics are going crazy too, so it’s encouraging to see the art form coming of age at soul-reaper.com.

This is a “scroll book” coded in HTML5 and we think it looks stunning. As you scroll down, the story moves with you and the illustrations are top notch. Or, you can switch the “couch mode” on and watch the action unfold automatically.

Sign up to follow the story as it develops and you can keep up to date with the dark, post-apocalyptic tale of Alex, the eponymous hero and mankind’s last hope, on Facebook too.

We can’t wait to see where this one goes, and we reckon it could be the start of a new chapter for the comic strip.

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WEBSITE OF THE DAY: Soul Reaper originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Jan 2012 01:00:00 +0000