It's the last weekend of November. How's yours coming along?
The Pocket-Lint team are itching and scratching their way through the last few days, but the parade of facial hair is really something to behold.

But now it's time to get creative for that final flourish.

Choose your style gentlemen.

www.lovethemo.co.uk
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Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY - love the mo originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 27 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

This isn't just video of the day. This could be video of the week, month or even year.

It's not just the time put into it (440hours!) but the attention to detail, the production values and the total dedication.

We absolutely love this and if they ever make a full-length Lego Matrix movie, we'll be there on opening night.

If you've seen a video online that you want to tell us about email us? via the feed back form.

Tags: Video Websites Software Online

VIDEO OF THE DAY - Lego Matrix originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 27 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Mininova, one of the bigger Bittorrent filesharing sites on the Web, has shut down every single "infringing" torrent in its index and pledged to go legitimate. All torrents have been removed, except the ones that were uploaded through its content distribution service which allows artists to put their own content up.

The decision follows a court ruling after legal action from Dutch anti-piracy brigade BREIN. Mininova has always removed torrents pointing to copyrighted material on request, but the sheer weight of new torrents being uploaded made that difficult. The court ruled that Mininova wasn't liable for the infringement of its members, but that the site needed to implement a content filter.

A number of systems were trialled, but none proved 100% effective, so Mininova took the decision to remove almost every torrent in its index to avoid the threat of fines imposed by the court - 5 million euros.?It’s very unfortunate that we’re forced to take this action, but we saw no other option", Mininova co-founder Niek told TorrentFreak.

That leaves few major torrent sites still standing, but thanks to the increasingly decentralised infrastructure pioneered by the Pirate Bay after its own lawsuit, the filesharing community is still alive and well, and more difficult to tackle than ever.

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Tags: Software Websites Filesharing P2P Peter Mandelson Mininova

Mininova shuts down all illegal torrents originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 27 Nov 2009 09:58:13 +0000

We all love a driving game, don't we? But no matter how much you spend on a gaming seat and steering wheel set up (and you can spend a lot of money if you want to), there's always that feeling that you're still sitting in your living room in front of your telly.

This simulator from Toyota is nothing like that.

Yes, I know it's not a game, but in the not too distant future it just might be. For now it's where Toyota test the next generation of car safety features.

But just imagine Need for Speed Shift in this little beauty.

If you've seen a video online that you want to tell us about email us? via the feed back form.

Tags: Video Websites Software Online

VIDEO OF THE DAY - Toyota simulator originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Google's doing a bit of testing on a new Google.com homepage that is possible to access and take a poke around. If you're feeling adventurous, then head over to Google.com (not .co.uk or any other regional site), log out of your Google account if you have one and paste the following into the address bar:

javascript:void(document.cookie="PREF=ID=20b6e4c2f44943bb:U=4bf292d46faad806:TM=1249677602:LM=1257919388:S=odm0Ys-53ZueXfZG;path=/; domain=.google.com");

If all goes well, you can then reload the page and you'll get an image a bit like the one at the top of the page. It has a new logo, with much less shadowing, as well as the option to skip the results page if it includes a result that the vast majority of people click on.

There's also a permanent sidebar on the left that allows you to pick what kind of content you're searching for, some related searches, and other search options to help narrow down exactly what it is you're looking for.

What do you think?

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Tags: Software Online Websites Google Search engines

Test out Google's prototype homepage originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 09:50:45 +0000

What we love about this site is that we've all had ideas just like these. We've all sat round many a pub table and sketched winning ideas onto a beer mat and then spent the rest of the evening dreaming of how to spend the untold millions that are sure to pour in when we get our glow-in-the-dark rollerskates for cats onto the market. (No joy yet, but we're working on it...)

Anyway, Hamburger Blender lists all those amazing products that have been dreamt up and never quite put into production.

Shame really, this lot would seriously sort out the Christmas shopping round these parts.

www.hamburgerblender.com
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Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY - Hamburger Blender originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Some people are said to be born lucky. Others make their own luck.

This lot are certainly in the first group. You'd like to think that they all went on to savour every moment and live long, productive lives. But we reckon at least some of them will have been removed from the gene pool by now.

An astonishing collection of lucky escapes that will leave you marvelling at the fickle finger of fate.

You'll want to watch this one a few times. We have.

If you've seen a video online that you want to tell us about email us via the feed back form.

Tags: Video Websites Software Online

VIDEO OF THE DAY - one chance in life originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:00:00 +0000

LogMeIn has launched a new product in beta called LogMeIn Express. The idea is to create a quick, simple to use, screen sharing solution that you can use to demonstrate something to a remote colleague or use for troubleshooting purposes.

To share a screen, you'll need to download a small application which installs very quietly on your PC. It'll pop up a window with a twelve-digit code that you give to the person, or people, that you want to view your screen. They put that code in on the website and get a flash window with access to your desktop on it.

In our testing we found it to be a little on the slow side, but definitely usable and handy for fixing little software problems for your technophobic parents and relatives. Or to broadcast a presentation for up to 100 people across your company.

What other handy uses can you think of for this tool? Let us know in the comments.

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Tags: Software Online Websites LogMeIn LogMeIn Express

LogMeIn offers beta of express version originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:31:32 +0000

So, have you upgraded to Windows 7 yet?

No? What’s putting you off? It’s not like it was for Vista, we can assure you of that, if nothing else.

Maybe it’s all the hassle of reinstalling all your favourite apps that’s putting you off.

Stop right there if it is, ‘cos Ninite is the one-stop-shop for a whole smorgasbord of favourite software and widgets for PC users.

Select what you want, click on the installer and Ninite does the rest for you.

It’s what the PC world has been waiting for.

www.ninite.com

If you have a website that you want to tell us about email us via the feedback form.

Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY - Ninite originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Twitter co-founder Biz Stone has re-iterated the wish to keep hold of the micro-blogging site, rather than sell out wholesale, but has said an initial public offering could be on the cards for the future.

"We are definitely not interested in selling the company", Reuters quotes Stone as saying at an Oxford University event.

"If an IPO's the only thing, then sure. But if there is some other way then that would be great too. Maybe some other new way will emerge".

With Twitter funding from investors said to have hit the $100 million mark, valuing the company at $1 billion, the pressure will soon be on for the site to turn a profit, plans for which were recently revealed as advanced, paid-for accounts for businesses.

"2010 is really going to be the revenue year. I don't know if we're going to be profitable, but we have plenty of time", Stone said.

In addition, Twitter could introduce advertising in 2010, but Stone hinted it would take a different tack from traditional display ads, stating: "Everyone's going to love it. It's going to be amazing".

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Tags: Software Twitter Websites Online Biz Biz Stone

Twitter's Biz Stone talks IPO, advertising originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:00:09 +0000

It warms the cockles of this journalist's heart to see that there are still people out there who just want to go faster and faster, just because they can. I'm not talking about boy racers in their Citroen Saxos making a nuisance of themselves on British roads though.

Meet Bloodhound. This latest British effort to break the land speed record is all about the numbers:

135,000 horsepower.

3 engines.

3G - the forces experienced by its driver, Wing Commander Andy Green.

Oh and 1000mph.

Crikey.

But what's best about this project is that there is a point to it, beyond just saying that it's the fastest car that's ever been made. The Bloodhound project will share its technical research with over 25,000 UK schools already enrolled in its education programme. That means those numbers will have a real relevance and might just inspire the next generation of engineers.

www.bloodhoundssc.com

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Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY - Bloodhound SSC originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Every child's dream has finally come true. Now you can have your very own magic wand, courtesy of Kymera.

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Not surprisingly, this gadget is selling like crazy as kids big and small fall over themselves to be able to wave a wand and control everything in their homes. I say everything, but it's only a replacement for your bog standard infrared remotes. You won't be changing your irritating little brother into a ferret just yet, or levitating the neighbour's cat out of your prized flower beds.

Fingers crossed for an upgrade soon though, eh?

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Tags: Video Websites Software Online

VIDEO OF THE DAY - Magic Wand originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

It was with a certain amount of trepidation that I went searching for this one. It's not normally the sort of thing I'd type into Google.

I'd like to believe that the people behind this site didn't think about the sniggers and smirks that their URL might generate, but I reckon in this day and age there was a knowing smile from all concerned when they set it up.

Anyway, if you've ventured into a pet shop in recent years you'll have seen that accessories and clothing for dogs has become big business.

My dog is never happier than when she's wearing a head to paw covering of mud (or sometimes worse) so I find it hard to believe that there's much of a market for this stuff.

But there is and this site caters for the most discerning of canine tastes.

www.doggiestylestore.com

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If you have a website that you want to tell us about email us via the feedback form.

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Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY - Doggie Style Store originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Twitter boss Biz Stone has unveiled more about the micro-blogging service's plans to make money revealing that paid-for commercial accounts will roll-out this year, in an interview with the BBC.

Stone insists Twitter will stay free for individuals, and for businesses too, stating "Twitter will always be free to everyone whether it's commercial or personal", but that paid-for commercial accounts will offer a "special layer of access" that will include analytics and feedback.

There's also the possibility of revenue from licensing and syndication possibilities, said Stone, such as the deals recently done with Google and Bing in order to see Twitter content show up in search results.

The interview comes as Twitter has changed its "what are you doing?" tagline above the box where users enter their tweets to "what's happening?"

In a blog post, Twitter explains the change is to reflect the changing way in which the service is used, with more companies tweeting rather than just individuals:

"People, organizations, and businesses quickly began leveraging the open nature of the network to share anything they wanted, completely ignoring the original question, seemingly on a quest to both ask and answer a different, more immediate question, 'What's happening?'"

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Tags: Software Websites Twitter Biz

Twitter talks up commercial services originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:02:06 +0000

The music business ain’t no joke. Getting by is tough and getting started on the road to stardom isn’t all plain sailing. Even if you do get noticed and start to get your music out there for people to enjoy, the chances are that anybody selling it for you will be taking the lion’s share of the proceeds.

Textatrack is a little different. It’s aimed at independent artists and fans can download tracks and pay using their mobiles. Most of the cash then goes to the artist.

It’s a great new way of getting emerging talent’s stuff out there and we’ve already found quite a few acts we really like.

www.textatrack.co.uk

If you have a website that you want to tell us about email us via the feedback form.

Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY - Textatrack originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

The BBC and commercial radio companies have unveiled the new online radio player we brought you news of recently, that "aims to offer the output of every licensed UK radio station and to let users search this content by subject, musical style, or even song title".

The UK Radioplayer, due for launch early next year, is described as a pop-up console which will be open to stream more than 400 licensed national, local, community and student radio stations.

The BBC says it will offer "a unique, constantly-updated live and on-demand audio service" and users will be able to store their favourite stations on pre-set buttons.

Official terms for the project have now been signed by the BBC, RadioCentre, Global Radio and Guardian Media Group but the service will be made available to all Ofcom-licensed networks.

Initially due to be available through computers, the Beeb says later versions are planned for smartphones and other internet-connected devices. We will keep you posted.

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Tags: Audio Radio BBC Internet radio Websites Online RadioCentre Global Radio Guardian Media Group Biz UK Radioplayer

Online UK Radioplayer plans revealed originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:20:50 +0000

Ever wondered what it would be like to be a dog? Let’s face it, your average pampered pooch doesn’t have too much to worry about. Fed, watered and entertained by their loving owners and all they have to do is occasionally wag their tail and pretend they’re glad to see you.

Now we can sample a little bit of what that might be like thanks to this innovative (and clearly very bored) gamer.

Makes moving Mario and Sonic around their new winter wonderland seem positively mundane.

Want one. Just for a day, mind you.

If you've seen a video online that you want to tell us about email us? via the feed back form.

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Tags: Video Websites Software Online

VIDEO OF THE DAY ? Mood tail originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Seen the news lately? There’s a little bit of everything going on at the moment, don’t you think?

Political skulduggery, celebrity gossip, industrial intrigue. Keeping track is an epic undertaking.

If only there was somewhere you could go to get just the news you want, from the sources you trust.

Voila! Fingertips puts the news you want at your, er fingertips, by collating stories from the myriad news sources out there.

It makes reading the morning papers seem quite laborious once you’ve set this up.

The only thing I miss is the Sudoku,

www.fingertips.net?

If you have a website that you want to tell us about email us via the feedback form.

Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY - Fingertips originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

You might be familiar, if you're a hardcore Spotify user, with @Spotibot - a Twitter bot that recommends bands that are similar to other bands, as well as the Better Spotify Links project. Well, the coder behind it - Andy Smith - has just completed his latest app - an automatic playlist generator for Spotify.

To make it work, all you have to do is put in a band or artist name, and pick how long you want the playlist to be. It'll generate the list, which you can then edit and extend, and once you're set you just click a button and paste the whole list into your Spotify play queue. Very simple, very easy, and very powerful.

The data comes mainly from Last.fm - a service that can establish links between bands by seeing which songs are often played next to each other. Last.fm does provide a discovery system like this one, but gives no way of skipping around within a track, pausing, or going back to a previous song. It only lets you skip forward to the next song.

It's a little bit like iTunes' Genius playlists too - however those will only play songs that you've purchased or otherwise acquired in MP3 format - and you're not very likely to have paid for content that you don't yet know, so its usefulness as a music discovery tool is limited.

Instead, Spotibot's automatic playlist generation is most like Pandora - a US-based music streaming service that also generates playlists from bands. However, Pandora no longer allows UK users to access its site, citing prohibitively high licensing costs as the reason for ceasing the service in Britain.

Spotibot brings an important music discovery feature to Spotify that has been missing since the app launched. It's still a beta - so you might get the occasional odd result, but give it a try, and let us know what you think in the comments box below.

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Tags: Software Audio Music Online Websites Spotify Pandora

Spotify gets Pandora-style recommendations originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:38:15 +0000

The government has said that it will "explore ways" of making the Ordnance Survey's maps of the UK freely available on the web from April 2010.?Gordon Brown?announced the change at an event also attended by web pioneer Tim Berners-Lee who is now the UK's?information tsar, advising on the handing over of private government data to the public.

The government has apparently been impressed by the successes of handing over crime data to the public, which has led to various user-created maps that?help citizens assess the safety of particular areas.

In the new year, Brown has promised to fully publish?2000 sets of data. That could include all legislation, as well as road-traffic data over the past 8 years, property prices yield, and motoring offences with types of offence and the numbers, by county, for the top six offences.

Previously mapping data was available, but only to companies who wanted to pay a fee of ?5000 per usage. When that price is combined with the ease-of-access of the Web, it makes any internet application employing the maps prohibitively expensive.

However, Ordnance Survey staff aren't happy. They said, earlier in the year,?that moving to a free model would cost the UK between ?500m and ?1bn over the next 5 years. A treasury study put the price at more like ?12m, with a net gain of ?156m to the UK economy. The staff said that Brown's move was in "complete contradiction with the OS's own plans to explore commercial opportunities and find new ways of raising revenue".

Still, given that many believe that Brown will be exiting Downing Street at the next election, what does he have to lose? Especially as the Conservatives support the data-sharing initiative, too.

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Tags: Software Websites Mapping Software Ordnance Survey Politics

Ordnance Survey maps to be issued free originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:43:59 +0000

What happens when you take several grands’ worth of state-of-the-art gaming gear, including three Xbox consoles wired together, put it in the hands of a self-confessed uber geek and pit the whole kaboodle against one the best drivers in the world behind the wheel of a ?130,000 supercar?

Channel Five’s The Gadget Show set out to find out.

One lap of the Grand Prix circuit of Silverstone with the game version of the Porsche 911 RS2 going head to head with the real thing.

You might be surprised at the outcome…

If you've seen a video online that you want to tell us about email us? via the feed back form.

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Tags: Video Websites Software Online

VIDEO OF THE DAY ? Forza v Porsche originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

So. You want to see what the latest trends are on Twitter. And you want to know what they are in a particular location. And you want to see the related tweets arrive in real time. But you don’t want to see tweets from, let’s say people called Derek. But you do want to see them arrive in a waterfall style animation and you do want to be able to change the searches you’re doing at any time. And as long as they refer to Lady Gaga and spaghetti, you’ll be happy.

Does this sound like you?

If you've answered 'yes' then Twitterfall is for you. Who ever you are.

Enjoy.

www.twitterfall.com

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Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY - Twitterfall originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Gift and gadget etailer iwantoneofthose has announced the launch of new site -? iwantoneofthosephotogifts.com - or IWOOTPG.com as it will henceforth be referred to on this site, because life is too short and RSI all too close.

In a nutshell, iwootpg.com can photo-ify pretty much any objet you might care to stick a cute photo of your girlfriend/child/puppy/stick insect on.

There's classic photobooks from ?6.00, canvases from ?27, make-your-own calendars from ?5, a set of ten greetings cards from ?4 and a ton of other bits and bobs that you can plaster with your photos such as playing cards, mousemats, mugs, clothing, hats, bags, etc, etc.

To see the full list of photo gifts hit up IWOOTPG.com now.

Tags: Gadgets IWOOT Cameras shopping Online Websites

IWOOT launches IWOOTPG.com originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:08:01 +0000

The Pirate Bay has shut down its tracker in an unprecedented move that will see the filesharing network take a more decentralised stance. Despite the tracker closing, the site itself will stay online and active - using both trackerless solutions and the unaffiliated OpenBitTorrent tracker.

The site said in a blog post: "TPB has decided that there is no need to run a tracker anymore, so it will remain down! It's the end of an era, but the era is no longer up2date. We have put a server in a museum already, and now the tracking can be put there as well".

Magnet links have also popped up all over the site, which is a way of downloading torrents without having to download a .torrent file first. Most modern clients support these links. Modern clients should also support DHT and PEX protocols that can be used to find peers to download from without a central tracker pointing the way.

It's not clear yet what this means for the legal departments of content companies who've spent the last few years trying to get these trackers shut down. Now that the sites are shutting down their own trackers with no adverse affect on filesharers, will the assault against individuals begin once more?

Or will it all be rendered obsolete by an improved licensing regime and more legitimate services? Let us know what you think will happen in the comments.

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Tags: Software Online Websites P2P Pirate Bay Filesharing

Pirate Bay tracker shuts down originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:24:25 +0000

Smartphones really are something aren’t they? You can leave the house with just one gadget that does it all now. And it does it all well.

But one thing that has been known to take the shine off many a smartphone's performance is the fact that opening up too many apps can just cripple them.

Nokia claims to have cracked that problem with the N900 and this little exploration seems to show it off nicely. Just how well it will work in the real world we’ll have to wait and see what the masses make of it.

And, as anybody who lives in a glass house will tell you: windows aren’t everything.

If you've seen a video online that you want to tell us about email us via the feedback form.

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Tags: Video Websites Software Online

VIDEO OF THE DAY ? N900 multi-tasking originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Google has given its much-loved Translate service a lick of paint and a bucket of useful new features. The service can translate between 51 different languages - meaning 2550 language pairs - which Google claims represents over 98% of internet users in the world today.

There's a new layout, but the real stars of the show are the instant translation, phonetic input and text-to-speech engine, all of which are shown in the video above. The first allows you to see a translation of your text as you type it - in the same way as Google can display results before you finish typing a query.

The third means that you can hear translations spoken by clicking a little speaker icon. But the second one is the biggy - for Arabic, Persian and Hindi you can type words as they sound to convert them to native script in that language. That could be pretty useful if you're not packing a native keyboard.

Google says "We hope these improvements will make reading, learning and communicating in foreign languages easier and more fun". Do you agree? Tell us in the comments.

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Tags: Software Websites Online Google translate

VIDEO: Google Translate gets substantial update originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:58:16 +0000

This is Pocket-lint talking to you on behalf of the better part of yourself. Do your Christmas shopping now. Do it now and do it online. You know you/we are right. If you do it now, you can do it all from the comfort of your own home with not a single bit of car park stress, shopping centre hell and no festive argy-bargy whatsoever.

To help out, please find 101 of the best Christmas shopping sites on the Internet and, with 28 days still to get your deliveries in, you'll be laughing all the way to the Queen's Speech. Good luck, and remember that if the shop won't ship worldwide, there are plenty of mail forwarding services that will help you out.

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Home & Design

Art Lebedev - Russian deisgn studio store
gnr8 - Highly original cutting edge deisgns
Charles and Marie - "Quintessential lifestyle navigator"
Labour and Wait - Hyperchic kitchenware with Victorian inspiration
Jamie Oliver - Good quality kitchen and homewares from the TV chef
Present & Correct - Incredibly sylish modern stationary specialist
Conran Shop - Exclusive designer furniture and lighting
Scandinavian Design Centre - Swedish housewares emporium
Dutch by Design - Contemporary lighting and accessories
Where Did You Buy That - Vast repository of stylish, original housewares

Clothing & accessories

Fredflare - Retro-inspired, very stylish, very good value boutique clothing
Urban Outfitters - Well-known trendy high street store - check the US pages too
Etsy - Ludicrously good umbrella store for handmade and crafted items
Asos - Long standing online fashion store
Village Hats - Any kind of hat you could possibly be looking for
Saville Rogue - The only stylish football scarves on the planet
Threadless - Quirky printed t-shirts
Figleaves - Enormous hub of all things undergarment
Busted Tees - Even more t-shirts
Nordic Kids - Funky kids' clothes from 0-10

Cards & Printing

Moonpig - Irritating advert and personalised printing specialist
Kodak Gallery - Printing and gifts from household favourite
Oxfam - Card shopping with charitable heart
Save the Children - More cards, accessories and wrapping paper for charity
istockphoto - Stock prints and images and some equipment too
Photobox - Giant online printing, albums and photographic service
Cafe Press - T-shirt and gift printing specialist
Paperchase - Tasteful stationary and cards superstore
Photo-canvas - Straight to canvas photo printing
Snapfish - Excellent value worldwise photo printing service

Gifts

Spoonsister - Uncommon gifts and care packages US store
Firebox - Top internet emporium of assorted gifts and quirk
IWOOT - Other top internet emporium of assorted gifts and quirk
Prezzybox - As above but slightly fluffier
Cute Bitz - Slightly smaller and slightly quirkier
No More Sox - Online gift shop aggregator
Voucher Express - Haven of gift vouchers for DIY take on presents
Red Letter Days - Shop for gift experiences - motor racing, sky diving, etc
Framed Share - For a wall-hung sense of financial support and belonging
Lazybone - Weird, unusual and freaky gifts
Hammacher Schlemmer - US treasure trove of the unexpected

Food & Drink

The Causeway Deli - Gourmet shop of hard to get items; don't miss the Raspberry shortbread
First4Fruit - Next day fruit and assorted hamper deliveries
The Thrifty Shopper - Wine and beer home brewing kits
Cybercandy/Retro tuck shop - Sweets and chocolate of the word and time gone by
Beers of Europe - Terrible site, wonderful selection of beer and cider
English Cheesecake - Cheesecake of all sizes, flavours and for all ocassions
The Cheese Shed - Mail order, West Country, Artisan, homemade cheese
Leaf/TeaWorld/Rare Tea Company - three specialist tea shops for all your hot brew needs
Bean - As above but for gourmet coffee lovers
Fudge Kitchen - Simply the best tasting fudge ever

Bargains

Quidco - Cashback membership and shopping site
Cdiscount - Discount electronics, wine and furniture
MyVoucherCodes - Assorted discount code offers
Mad About Bargains - Community-based bargain news flashes
FindsYou.com - Post Office window style notice board online
Invisible hand - Silent running, always on Firefox plug-in works alongside all 100 of the others
Gumtree - Pot-based second hand online market
AbeBooks - Bargain books, second hand paperbacks, out of print editions
7dayshop - Low rent, low price tech store
eBay - Auctions, resale shops and lots of them

General

Amazon - Etailer giant
Ethical Superstore - Fair trade, eco-friendly and organic shopping
John Lewis - Dependable quality, good service, high street department store
M&S - This isn't just any online shopping site, etc
Tesco - Wide range, high value superstore online
Not on the high street - Unique online only products under one roof
Harrods - World's most famous department store with gifts to impress; hampers a must
Argos - Seriously good value but seriously check them when they arrive
Woolworths.co.uk - Still going but now under Littlewoods group; same ethos as ever
Debenhams - Mid-level UK department store

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Gadgets

Oregon Scientific - Action cams, weather gadgets and all sorts more
Gadget4all - Funny gifts and surprises for and from people all over the world
Think Geek - US hub of all gifts, gadgets and novelty
Gadget Shop - Alternative home of gizmos and assorted nonsense
Brando -? US site for USB stocking fillers, peripherals and accessories
USB Fever - As above plus easy worldwide shipping
Otherland - RC toys, gadgets, games and collectables
Science Museum - Robots, toys and science kits from a family favourite
Gizoo - UK site with gadgets for the desktop and home
Gadgets.co.uk - More gadgets and novelty with fast UK delivery

Electricals

Play.com - Big name online consumer tech retailer; plenty of stock and plenty of deals
Pixmania - Good value online electrical store good for imaging and AV
Maplin - Superb home for all your components, cables and electrical needs
MyMemory - SD cards, flash drives and all small storage devices
Battery Force - Batteries. Lots and lot of batteries.
YoYo Tech - Leading etailer in PC componenets and custom builds
Novatech - More components and budget PC systems too
Richer Sounds - Hi-Fi specialist store with bags of deals and cut price offers
Ebuyer - Cheap PCs, laptops and computing accessories
Mac Warehouse - Specialist online Mac retailer and Apple accessory store

Specialist

The Glow House/The Glow Company - If it glows, they sell it; something for the cheesy quaver
We are Fish - Home for biorb and fishkeeping
Hello Kitty World - Gifts, bags, clothing and more all from the House of Kitty
The Future Perfect Company - Gifts for the elderly
Cherly Cole Style - For the wannabe obssessive and the too young to know better
Gifts4Fishing - Ideas for the angler in your life
LEGO - Anything you like, so long as it's made of Lego
Wiggle - Hude discount cycle shop
BananaFingers - UK based rock climbing shop with gear, clothing and DVDs too
Store - Unique storage soultions from shoe boxes to cake tins and much, much more

That lot should be enough inspiration for you but if you've got any red hot tips of your own, then please let us know in the comments. Happy hunting.

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Tags: Gadgets Christmas Hardware Home And Kitchen Audio Gifts Online Websites shopping Features

101 life-saving Christmas shopping websites originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:38:55 +0000

Facebook's European director of public policy, Richard Allan, has written a blog post to address the slowly growing problem of cyberbullying on the service. It coincides with National Anti-Bullying Week in the UK, and?BBC Radio 1, BBC 1Xtra, and websites like Bebo, Habbo, MSN, MySpace and YouTube have teamed up to try and deal with the issue.

For its part, Allan has offered five tips to users to prevent them from being a victim of aggressive wall posts and chats. Firstly, only accept friend requests from people who are your friends. Secondly, use the Block feature to deal with people who you don't want seeing your profile.

Thirdly, Allan recommends that you report any abusive behaviour to administrators, and also says that you should customise your privacy settings so that you're in control of your info, and just delete posts you don't like - because bullies often just want a reaction.

Oh, and if there's someone posting messages to you that you don't like, Allan says that "you should consider removing the sender from your friends list". Seems simple enough, but could easily be forgotten in the heat of the moment.

Have you had a cyberbullying issue that you've successfully resolved? Share your tips for combating online bullies in the comments below.

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Tags: Software Online Websites Facebook Social Networks

Facebook offers cyberbullying prevention advice originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:37:07 +0000

Orange has announced a new service for Twitter users that'll allow them to send images to the microblogging service by attaching them to MMS messages. It's called "Snapshot" and is apparently the first service in the world to offer that functionality.

Oh, and Orange UK has turned on Twitter too. That means that Orange users can send either texts or picture messages to 86444 and have them appear on Twitter, as well as on the Snapshot website, where you can snoop on the messages that people have been sending.

There's no charge beyond a regular SMS or MMS fee, and the shortcode is the same as the one used by O2 and Vodafone to avoid confusion. Orange is the third UK operator to enable Twitter messages, leaving T-Mobile and 3 in the not-enabled-yet camp.

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Tags: Mobile phones Twitter Orange MMS Websites

Orange debuts MMS Twitter updates originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:42:59 +0000

We may not know much about art (it’s been said before, after all), but we do know we like this site.

Vetika sells limited edition art, prints and photography from some of the best emerging talent around. And at prices that won’t break the bank.

The perfect Christmas present awaits here and there’s nothing quite as special as being given a piece of art – it shows that somebody has spent time and effort choosing something just for you.

The site itself looks gorgeous too.

www.vetika.com

If you have a website that you want to tell us about email us via the feedback form.

Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY - Vetika originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

A survey of 2000 internet users in the UK from GfK NOP has found that iTunes still remains by far the most popular music service, but that new entrant Spotify is shooting rapidly up the charts, despite having only just celebrated its 1st birthday.

The survey asked participants which music services they used, and 11% said Spotify. That puts it in fourth place behind Real Player (13%), Amazon (24%) and iTunes sitting at the top with 50% approval rating. Spotify sits ahead of the slightly older Last.fm (7%), MP3.com (5%) and Napster (4%). 60% of users stream music direct from the Web.

In the navigation arena, Google Maps dominates with 72% of those surveyed saying they used it. The AA came in second place with 40% and Multimap was third with 35%. Behind that came Mapquest (7%), MSN Maps (4%), Yahoo Maps (4%) and Streetmap (3%).

When it comes to social networking, new boy Twitter draws for second place with MySpace - but both only have 4% of people who use them as their main social network. Bebo is even lower with 2%, but Facebook romps home with over 74% of users picking it as their favourite.

IM is similarly dominated by one provider - Windows Live Messenger. 50% picked it as their main provider, with 16% going for Facebook chat, Yahoo IM coming in third with 8%, Skype at 6%, AIM at 5% and Google Talk coming in at just 2%.

Webmail is closer - 33% opt for Hotmail, but Yahoo Mail was chosen by 14%, 10% picked their own ISP's service, and only 6% have "Gone Google" and picked up a Gmail account. Interestingly, a further 6% said they used email provided by a social network - is this MySpace mail?

Lastly, Skype wins out when it comes to VoIP - 60% of respondents picked it as their favourite online voice-calling app. Google Talk was second with 13%, and VoIP.com and Gizmo came in third with 3% each.

Of course, while the best provider is winning the day in some categories, others are dominated by bloated former giants commanding the attention of people who are too lazy to make a change. Which would you pick as your favourite in each category? Let us know in the comments below.

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Tags: Software Online Websites Music IM Mapping Software Social Networks Email iTunes Spotify MySpace Twitter Facebook Amazon Lastfm Gmail Hotmail Skype Yahoo Microsoft Google Statistics

iTunes still most popular music service by far originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:41:43 +0000

Get out your bunting - Get Safe Online week 2009 has officially begun. Get Safe Online is an initiative between the government, the Serious Organised Crime Agency and various private sector partners which aims to educate individuals and small businesses on how to keep safe online.

The scheme has been running for 5 years or so and is headquartered at GetSafeOnline.org. In the past, the focus has been on topics like identity theft and phishing, but this year the main thrust has been to educate people about the dangers of becoming a "mule".

As explained in the video above, a "mule" is a person whose bank account is used to launder money. You sign up (usually through a job ad) with your bank details, you receive cash, and then forward it on to other people via wire transfer. They want you because your account has been clean for years, you have good credit history, and as a result you're less likely to get caught.

If you are caught, though, you're implicated in a web of crime, liable for all those transfers, likely in lots of debt (because the cash that appeared in your account is confiscated) and your credit history will be ruined. Not a good idea.

So next time you spot one of those appealing-looking job ads, or someone contacts you out-of-the-blue with a job offer for a vague-looking company, it's probably best to ignore it. Be safe out there.

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Tags: Software Online Websites Security Viruses And Malware Viruses And Malware Get Safe Online Video

VIDEO: Get Safe Online Week 2009 begins originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:06:19 +0000

So, here it is. The much talked about Space Chair ad from Toshiba.?

It's really quite something when you see what they had to go through to make this work and the results are sure to receive some kind of awards.

Toshiba have been running various competitions to win stuff by asking how high you think the chair has gone and where it will land. Check out their Twitter feeds to see what's what and if you're quick you might be in with a shot of taking away some new Toshiba gadgets.

If you've seen a video online that you want to tell us about email us via the feed back form.

Tags: Video Websites Software Online

VIDEO OF THE DAY - Space Chair originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

The world is changing at an alarming rate. Technology is making our lives faster, better and easier to manage and most of us can’t imagine where we’d be without a mobile phone and an internet connection.

But, as always, there’s a price to pay.

Bullying isn’t about the bigger kids grabbing the little kids by the scruff of the neck and shaking them until their dinner money falls out of their pockets any more.

These days, cowards who use any means necessary to inflict anguish on their victims can subject people to prolonged campaigns of intimidation and humiliation. SMS, email, social networking, YouTube – they’re all used to devastating effect by bullies, and it’s time to do something about it.

This week is Anti-Bullying Week and this is one site that every parent should bookmark. It gives loads of great advice on spotting signs of bullying and what to do about it.

www.besomeonetotell.org.uk?

If you have a website that you want to tell us about email us via the feedback form.

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Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY ? Parentline Plus originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

An interesting tech deal for you today, which should suit gamers, as SwapGame.com has announced its new online trade-in service, giving you credit - not cash - for unwanted games, thereby reducing the price of your next purchase.

The launch comes on the back of a SwapGame poll that suggests that, here in the UK, people have around ?1.8 billion of unused video games with a third of those having "over ?100". Thankfully, SwapGame is coming to the rescue with its timely service.

Despite some reports suggesting the average game trade-in value at SwapGame.com is around the ?25 mark, on typing in a few game titles, it turns out the site will give you ?5.18 for Grand Theft Auto IV on PS3 with the Xbox 360 version getting a little more at ?5.44, whereas Modern Warfare 2 will end up banking you around ?20 on both formats.

Postage is free, the site has plenty of titles to choose from and there's no traipsing around the shops - so you'll have to weigh up the pros and cons yourself if you feel trade-in prices might be on the low side.

There's a link here so you can make a full investigation - please leave your thoughts below - and we'll have another tech deal for you on Monday.

Tags: Gaming Online Websites SwapGame Daily Tech Deal

Daily Tech Deal: SwapGame launches game trade-in service originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Ever since the Data.gov.uk repository was launched, there's been a bunch of enterprising coders who are trying to create interesting mashups of the information it provides about the UK. One startup - Newspaper Club - put the data into a dead-tree publication instead, creating the "Postcode Paper".

It's a newspaper which contains a bunch of statistics that might be useful for people moving into a new area. It has info on local services, environmental data, crime statistics, as well as local transport info, travel times and education and healthcare stats.

At the moment it's just a design exercise, but could easily be automated and customised for your individual postcode. Newspaper Club has printed up 50 and distributed them to civil servants who "seemed very excited [by] its possibilities". Perhaps the next time you move house, you'll get one with your first council tax bill...

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Tags: Home And Kitchen Websites postcodes Statistics

Postcode Paper created from government data originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:52:46 +0000

Did you know that water floats? In water? Serious question.?

It might seem daft to say that, but it's true.

In fact, water goes beyond floating - it actually bounces, as these amazing super slo-mo pictures prove.

I can't wrap my head around the maths of it all, but it's the effect that makes rain drops drop-shaped and allows insects to walk on the surface of ponds.

Regardless of the science, it's amazing to watch.

If you've seen a video online that you want to tell us about email us via the feed back form.

Tags: Video Websites Software Online

VIDEO OF THE DAY - water bouncing originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Google has a bit of a thing about speed. After releasing Chrome - probably the fastest browser around, if a little bare-bones - and minimizing page load times for its search engine, Google has now announced a research project called SPDY (and pronounced "speedy") that it hopes will further double the speed of getting around the Web.

SPDY is, in layman's terms, a way of getting browsers and the servers that deliver websites to talk to each other faster. Or, as Google says in less simple terms: "SPDY is at its core an application-layer protocol for transporting content over the web. It is designed specifically for minimizing latency through features such as multiplexed streams, request prioritization and HTTP header compression".

At the moment, browsers and web servers use HTTP to chat. HTTP arrived in 1996 as a standard, and since then has served as the foundation of the Internet. But Google's now looking at new, faster, ways of that chat occurring, and has built a web server and Chrome client that supports the SPDY protocol.

A pair of Google's software engineers, Mike Belshe and Roberto Peon, say that in lab conditions the top 25 websites loaded up to 55% faster when accessed over simulated home network conditions. However, performance in real-world conditions hasn't yet been investigated.

If you want to take a peek at what the team's been up? to, then you can check out the documentation and code for the project. If you're not feeling up to sifting through browser protocols, then sit back and await what Google reckons could become a significant turbo boost for the Web.

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Tags: Software Websites Online Google SPDY Chrome

Google announces SPDY project originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:16:05 +0000

Google has announced that its YouTube video-sharing site is going 1080p. It's available to test right now on some videos, but will be going live for all users at some point next week. Until then, you can see some 1080p content by appending "&fmt=37" to the end of the URL.

Google says: "As resolution of consumer cameras increases, we want to make sure YouTube is the best home on the web to showcase your content. For viewers with big monitors and a fast computer, try switching to 1080p to get the most out of the fullscreen experience".

YouTube has accepted 1080p uploads for some time, but downscales them to 720p in the processing phase of the upload. Luckily, however, the originals are stored, so YouTube will be re-encoding and converting any existing 1080p videos in its database.

When the feature goes live for all users, we'll update this post.

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Tags: Software Websites Online YouTube Google HD Video streaming Video

VIDEO: YouTube gets 1080p HD functionality originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:31:15 +0000

It’s official – the Eighties are back.

For those of us who had to endure them the first time, it’s something of an ordeal. Legwarmers, a perm, hoop earrings and no socks was never a good look. Especially on blokes.

But, a new generation is embracing the decade that taste forgot and Russell Athletic are fuelling the fire with this great 80s-izer.

You can make you own 80s style movies. Upload a photo and watch your new onscreen persona breakdance or jazzercise.

Hours of fun reminding your thirtysomething mates of what we all lived though the first time or educating the younger generation about just how bad it really was.

The 80s-inspired gear that Russell Athletic are selling is actually pretty cool though and does make me a bit nostalgic.

80s-izer.russellathletic.eu

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If you have a website that you want to tell us about email us via the feedback form.

Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY ? 80s-izer originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

It's all too easy to go to YouTube as a knee jerk reaction whenever you want to find a video on the internet. In fact, the term has passed into common parlance to refer to any user-generated internet film footage much the same as Google has come to refer to search. But if you take the time to have a look around, you'll notice some perfectly good video services in their own right, such as the very popular Vimeo. Some of them, in fact may even be better. So, how does our alternative example compare with the big kid in the playground??

Ownership

Like all good internet phenomena both Vimeo and Youtube were started by some budding entrepreneurs but have both since been bought up by corporate giants. However Google chooses to present its offices and ethos, its power and influence are second to none online making the company officially The Man as far as the world wide web goes. So, as a user and contributor to YouTube you are supporting the big G machine and all it stands for whether you like it or not. As it happens, it may not stand for anything that bad at all but it's worth bearing in mind.

Comparatively speaking, Vimeo is the little guy, but not by much. Owners IAC have over 50 consumer brands including notably Bloglines, Ask, CollegeHumour and Urbanspoon. You're certainly not saving the manatees by choosing Vimeo over YouTube but it might be a factor for the more corporate conscious.

Content Allowed

Vimeo will not host any commercial videos, gaming videos, pornography or anything else not created by users. YouTube is a little more stringent in its demands, if perhaps only subtly. Google's requirements are the uploads should not be defamatory, contain pornography, copyright violations and material that might encourage criminal behaviour. Much of this, of course, is very reasonable and very necessary given the size of the audience. However, as a smaller player, Vimeo does not have to include such overt holds on subjects with such grey areas like whether a video may or may not spark illegal activities. There have also been issues with other subjects including religion and incidents like the Hillsborough football disaster. Vimeo may well have problems in the same areas but there's no particular hard and fast rules on the matter.

Both sites will delete certain videos they deem unacceptable. YouTube relies on its community to flag videos in breach of the terms rather than vetting each on individually. The system works well but it does mean there's more of a chance of catching something inappropriate before its taken down. Whether you view that as an advantage or disadvantage is up to you.

Copyright issues

Being more much more in the spotlight, YouTube has famously had many more issues with copyright than any other video service. Both Viacom and, more recently, PRS in the UK have sought damages and pulled their content from the pages. Doubtless Vimeo would face the same problems but its smaller size means that these larger companies aren't bothering to look for their material there with quite the same fervor. Consequently, you're more likely to Premier League football, Saturday Night Live sketches, music videos or whatever else you might be looking for without finding that the content has disappeared.

The other issues over copyright to note is that YouTube ?gave over IP addresses and the details of millions of its users to Viacom in the landmark court case. Doubtless the same precedent would apply to such an injunction against Vimeo but with less legal action likely, there's less of a chance of having your data involuntarily shared with a third party.

Library

On the other hand of course, Vimeo's catalogue represents a drop in the ocean compared to the force of nature that is YouTube. YouTube has 20 hours of footage uploaded every single minute. That's nearly 2 million minutes of new video each 24 hours. Vimeo's 13,000 daily uploads is impressive especially given that 10% of those are in HD but it's just a different league. If you want to find a clip or you just want choice, YouTube is the place to be.

Video Quality

Vimeo's greatest boast is that it hosts the highest quality user video on the internet. While the site was quick to adopt 720p HD, YouTube has done the same as of this year. What's more, sometimes a lower quality is preferable. YouTube differentiates with both YouTube Mobile and YouTube TV which are optimised depending on where it is you're looking at the films. That's a handy data saver that Vimeo doesn't offer.

Where Vimeo still can shout though is in terms of video bit rate. The service offers up to 5,000 kbits whereas YouTube delivers around 2,000. Naturally, you're not always going to get that magic 5,000 with Vimeo but the footage does look noticeably smoother. That said, YouTube offers better audio bit rates with anywhere up to 256kbps but you'll only get up 128 with Vimeo although it is at least in stereo.

Uploading

Both services can cope with just about any video file you care to throw at them but they have different rules as to the quantities of data that you're allowed to add. YouTube has set a maximum length of 10 minutes to any one video unless you happen to have a partner account. No file can be larger than 2GB in size either. With Vimeo there is no maximum length of footage but the maximum file size is only half the size at 1GB and with a basic account you're only actually allowed to upload 500MB per week which might not get you that far.

The limit on Vimeo never used to exist until Plus accounts were introduced which offer multiple channels per user, no advertising, priority encoding and 2-pass re-enocding which gives better quality results. So, to some degree, the original users' accounts were downgraded with the introduction which did not go down to well, leaving one wondering whether it's something Vimeo might be happy to do again.

Promotion/Humiliation

With well over 1 billion views each day, YouTube is a far more powerful promotional tool than Vimeo will ever be. If you're big on YouTube, you're famous whether you like it or not. For filmmakers, photographers, musicians and creatives in all sorts of fields, YouTube can be and has been a platform where people have hit the big time. It's still very possible on other services but it's a simpe case of numbers. If you want your work to be seen by as many people as possible, then YouTube is the way to go.

Community

YouTube is for the masses while Vimeo has an air of refinement about it. As a result, there's not only a better quality of video content but also a more friendly comments stream to say the very least. If you want some fair appreciation of your creation, then upload to Vimeo. YouTube is strictly for the thick-skinned.

Downloadable

One very nice touch with Vimeo is that you can download just about all of the videos. So, long as you're a signed up member you can get the footage as the original file that it was uploaded as to keep and enjoy at your leisure. Although there are plug-ins and add-ons and ways that you can do this on YouTube, it's far more convoluted and often doesn't reap particularly good results.

Support

At CES at the beginning of the year, just about every TV manufacturer released a range of internet connected, widget-based products for the living room. Almost all of them had a YouTube widget. Nobody, was that fussed about a small service like Vimeo. Things will change as time goes on but, just as with the iPhone in the mobile phone field, other companies look to support the big player and it's YouTube that we'll find easiest to access wherever we happen to be.

Purpose

With the recent deal to bring ad supported film and TV content onto YouTube, it might not be a case of which of the two services is better than the other but more a case of which is appropriate for your needs at that moment. The commercial route takes Google's video service more towards the likes of Hulu and iPlayer with a shift of focus away from its user generated roots that Vimeo still holds on to. It just depends what you feel like watching. So long as it all stays free, then everybody's happy.?

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Related links:

• News - YouTube intros skippable pre-roll adverts

Tags: Software Websites Online YouTube Home Cinema Video on demand Vimeo IPTV Features

Vimeo vs YouTube - which is the better video service? originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:58:02 +0000

If you don't fancy shelling out the best part of ?6000 for a pair of Pioneer DVJ-X1s and a decent crossfader, here's a cheaper alternative for budding VJs. It's called "Two You Tube Videos And A Motherfucking Crossfader", and it does exactly what it says on the tin.

Just search for a couple of tracks - we recommend Always Blow On The Pie and Chocolate Rain - hit play on both of them and then crossfade between the two to your heart's content. You can then save your mixes using an open source audio editor like Audacity.

Alternatively, you could use a screencasting application to broadcast your skillz over the Web to a doting audience. Try it out.?www.twoyoutubevideosandamotherfuckingcrossfader.com.

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Tags: Software Websites Online Music DJ

Add a crossfader to YouTube originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:25:38 +0000

YouTube has begun a "small test" of a new kind of advertising on the site, in an attempt to finally meaningfully monetise the billion videos it serves on a daily basis.

While initial testing for pre-roll adverts on the world's most popular video site did not go well with "abandonment" rates said to be as high as 70%, the site is now going at it again with skippable pre-roll advertising.

"We are constantly working to find the right ads for the right content on YouTube, so as to create an experience that works for our users, partners, and advertisers", says YouTube in a blog post.

YouTube has tried various ways to make big money from advertising. InVideo "overlay" adverts have been live on the site since 2007, much to the disgust of many users when they were introduced, while last year YouTube began a click-to-buy scheme.

"We know what you're thinking", says YouTube, "Who would choose to watch an ad when they can skip it?"

The answer, it seems, might not inspire confidence: "Well, that's what we're trying to find out".

YouTube suggests short (say, 15 second) pre-rolls have seen success as have particularly creative efforts - the "quality and relevance" of an ad making users want to see it play out.

"Skippable pre-rolls [can] create a win-win-win for everyone on YouTube. For users, this format gives them more control over their experience. For advertisers, we're working toward a solution where they pay for ads that users actually watch and engage with".

What are your thoughts on pre-roll ads? Does a "your video will start in 10 seconds" message drive you mad? Have your say in the comments box below.

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Tags: Software Websites Online YouTube Home Cinema Video on demand Advertising Biz

YouTube intros skippable pre-roll adverts originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:06:03 +0000

A newly global online dating site is angling for publicity by stating that Brits are among the ugliest people in the world.

The site, which asks "do you want to guarantee your dates will be beautiful?", works on the premise that those who want to join have to submit an image which its approved users then vote on to democratically decide whether or not you are good-looking enough to join their elite ranks.

Apparently fewer than one in eight British men and only three in 20 British women who have applied to BeautifulPeople.com have been accepted, reports Reuters from a BeautifulPeople.com statement.

In the last month the site has rejected nearly 1.8 million people from 190 countries, admitting just 360,000 "beautiful" new members.

"I would say Britain is stumbling because they don't spend as much time polishing up their appearance and they are letting themselves down on physical fitness", BeautifulPeople.com's MD said. "British people just aren't as toned or glamorous".

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Tags: Software Online Websites BeautifulPeople

Dating site stats reveal Brits are ugliest people originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:28:22 +0000

For consistency, Funny or Die have been difficult to surpass in recent times when it comes to bringing new comedy to the masses online.

They’ve just started their own YouTube channel, which is well worth bookmarking, and this is one of our favourites.

Almost Twins head to Hollywood to show Tinseltown the meaning of a true high five. Check out Bit and Chew from these guys too.

Silly, but we like it.

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If you've seen a video online that you want to tell us about email us via the feedback form.

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Tags: Video Websites Software Online

VIDEO OF THE DAY ? High Five Hollywood originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

This is an argument that has raged since Adam and Eve first clapped their eyes on that apple.

Who is smarter - men or women?

I know the answer in my house: Mrs H knows everything.

I just think I do.

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www.trivialpursuitexperiment.com

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If you have a website that you want to tell us about email us via the feedback form.

Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY ? Trivial Pursuit ? Battle of the Sexes originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Google has "dramatically" reduced the cost of its online storage linked to its Picasa Web Albums service and Gmail accounts.

The online giant is now offering twice as much storage for a quarter of the old price of its 20GB plan, on top of the free allowances available to everyone.

Picasa and Gmail users can now buy 20GB for $5 per year, apparently a result of not just hard drive storage prices dropping, but because Google has been "working hard to improve our infrastructure to reduce your costs even further".

Google says 20GB is enough space for more than 10,000 full resolution pictures taken with a 5-megapixel camera.

Price plans also include 80GB for $20 per year, 200GB for $50 per year, 400GB for $100 per year and 1TB for $256 per year.

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Tags: Software Online Websites Storage Google Picasa Cameras Gmail

Google "dramatically" cuts Gmail and Picasa online storage costs originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:32:04 +0000

So, have any of you been drawn into conversations about the Large Hadron Collider in recent months? Is it the most ambitious and exciting scientific experiment ever? Or is it potentially the end of the world as we know it?

Those crazy eggheads in Geneva seem to be quite enthusiastic about both options, but that’s scientists for you.

But how does it all work? In this clip, one of said eggheads explains what happens using a pop-up book to help. You can buy this book soon and then ‘make your own’ hadron collider at home.

I’m guessing it’s not to scale.

If you've seen a video online that you want to tell us about email us via the feedback form.

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Tags: Video Websites Software Online

VIDEO OF THE DAY ? Hadron explained originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Apps make life worth living don’t they? There’s 85,000 of the things available just for the iPhone and in the past few months everybody’s been jumping on the appy bandwagon.

Flickr are no exception as they launch their App Garden.

I say ‘launch’, but it’s more of a rebranding. They used to call this bit ‘services’, which, let’s face it, does tend to conjure up images of a Little Chef somewhere on the A14.

Anyway, this is the place to come for all the little bits and pieces to make your Flickr your own. There’s all kinds of tools for photographers and artists to make your images stand out from the masses.

www.flickr.com/services

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WEBSITE OF THE DAY ? The App Garden originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Google has announced that its secret "Caffeine" project will be soon rolling out to the search engine's datacentres. We originally heard about the project back in August, when Google said that you might not notice it because it won't affect the front-end of the site.

Instead it's an "under the hood" update which Google reckons should "push the envelope on size, indexing speed, accuracy, comprehensiveness and other dimensions". It's been in testing for some time, but a message on the test site now says: "Based on the success we've seen, we believe Caffeine is ready for a larger audience. Soon we will activate Caffeine more widely, beginning with one data center".

Matt Cutts, one of Google's SEO team, has promised webmasters that the updates won't be rolled out widely until the new year - only one datacentre will be getting the improvements for now. Given how many businesses rely on high placement in Google for their business, any change in how the search giant calculates results could be catastrophic, so the big G is taking this one slowly.

When the update rolls out more widely, we'll let you know.

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Tags: Software Websites Google

Caffeine rolls out to Google Search originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:03:00 +0000

Sesame Street is 40 years old.

That's a lot of songs and lot of of silly voices, but that's also a lot of very happy kids who learnt to spell and count thanks to the furry fuzzballs and their infectious personalities.

Happy Birthday all of you.

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VIDEO OF THE DAY - Sesame Street originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

LinkedIn has announced it is testing a new "site navigation experience" that will show up for certain users.

The new design sees a "global navigation bar" at the top of the page that provides what's said to be convenient access to all LinkedIn services while overall there's said to be a cleaner, less-cluttered look.

The revamp also intros more simplified local navigation within each of the LinkedIn areas (Profile, Contacts, Groups, etc.) meaning more room available for page content.

"One of the key features of the new design is that it allows much more space for page content - information about you and your professional network", says LinkedIn.

The site is currently asking for feedback about the new design for those that can see it, as well as from those using the older format.

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Tags: Software Online Websites LinkedIn Social networking Biz

LinkedIn testing a new site design originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:04:44 +0000

If you’re a footy fan, then it’s fair to say you might have spent a fair amount of time this weekend shouting at a TV screen somewhere, am I right?

Let’s face it: the refs don’t know what they’re doing, the players are overpaid and pampered, so there’s a lot to shout about.

Now though, you can make your shouting count. This site is all about voice controlled football.

No, I didn’t believe it either…?

www.speechsoccer.com

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WEBSITE OF THE DAY ? Speech Soccer originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

The Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal has called for the annual 2-minute silence to extend online this year.

The organisation has asked Twitter users to observe the 2-minutes' silence on Remembrance Day by sending no tweets during this period via its Twitter account.

The tweet "2 minute silence on Twitter 11:00am GMT on 11 November #2minutesilence RT plz" has been retweeted widely, suggesting the Twitterverse is happy to get behind the idea.

The 2009 Poppy Appeal - that helps fund the Royal British Legion's charity work with servicemen and their families - currently stands at ?1,266,920.

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Tags: Software Websites Online Twitter Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal

Poppy Appeal calls for Twitter silence on Remembrance Day originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:54:07 +0000

As The Flickr Collection by Getty Images has hit over 60,000 images, the site has announced a "formal Call for Artists".

This means that any of the 40 million-plus Flickr members can submit their work to be considered for the collection through the Call for Artists group on Flickr, rather than wait to have their image spotted by the Flickr team.
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There's detailed guidelines over on the group page, but basically all Flickr users can now submit 10 images "that represent what you consider to be the best of your work".

The Getty Images creative team will then evaluate submissions based on style, subject matter and technical skill and let sucessful members know if their images will get into the group for possible licensing.

Tags: Software Online Websites Flickr Getty Cameras

"Call for Artists" from The Flickr Collection by Getty Images originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:31:16 +0000

It’s Friday (thank goodness) and the end of another hard week.

Here’s a little musical treat for those of you who really appreciate that middle of the day feeling, which, on a Friday, always seems that little bit better.

We love lunch too. Dinner’s not too bad either….

If you've seen a video online that you want to tell us about email us via the feedback form.

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Tags: Video Websites Software Online

VIDEO OF THE DAY ? I Love Lunch originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

There is, apparently, a whole bunch of people out there who've never heard of eBay.

At least that’s what eBay themselves think, so they’ve set up this fashion trend spotting site in an attempt to attract style-conscious shoppers with money to burn.

Admittedly not the best timing, credit crunch and all that, but it’s a good place to pick up tips on what’s hot for the season, if nothing else.

www.theinsidesource.com

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WEBSITE OF THE DAY ? Inside Source originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Yesterday we showed you the epic new ad from Guinness, but they're not the only people who know how to shoot spectacular ads.

We love this.

The Lying, the Witch and the Wardrobe maybe...?

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Tags: Video Websites Software Online

VIDEO OF THE DAY - Wardrobe originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

There are some rare things in this world.

Giant pandas for one.

A single decent TV programme on a Saturday night is another. But right now, one of the rarest things is a plain old-fashioned mail delivery. The postal worker's strike action is being felt all over the UK and so this new site couldn't be better timed.

Not only does it give you access to couriers for those all-important letters and parcels, but it will also tell you whether that bargain you've found on eBay is all it's cracked up to be.

Boxby can tell you exactly what your purchases should cost. Bookmark it now and it'll prove to be indispensible.

www.boxby.com

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WEBSITE OF THE DAY - Boxby originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Google has put up another "Doodle" on its homepage above the iconic search box, depicting both Cookie Monster and Big Bird - depending on where in the world you're located.

Clicking the image links through to a search for Sesame Street, marking the 40th anniversary of the popular kids TV show. It follows another doodle recently celebrating Wallace and Gromit's 20th birthday.

Sesame Street debuted in November 1969 and still continues to this day, now in its 41st season. Celebrities regularly appear on the show, and Michelle Obama, the first lady of the United States, will be appearing at some point in the next year.

Tags: Software Websites Online Search engines Google Sesame Street

Google honours Sesame Street with doodle originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:41:06 +0000

Google has posted another of its infamous homepage "doodles" today celebrating the birthday of Wallace and Gromit.

Created by Nick Park, it seems the plasticine pair debuted on this day back in 1989 at an animation festival in Bristol.

20 years on and the pair are as popular as ever - and clearly popular in the Google offices too.

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Tags: Software Websites Online Search engines Google Wallace and Gromit

Google doodle celebrates Wallace & Gromit's birthday originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:01:17 +0000

Guinness ads are, quite simply, iconic.
They have created some of the most memorable, innovative and entertaining commercials, year after year for as long as this reporter has been able to legally enjoy their product.

This new ad, is described, by Guinness, as the most challenging they've ever done.

I think we can all see why.

It's breathtaking.

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VIDEO OF THE DAY - Guinness ad originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Ever fancied a peek behind the scenes at Intel?

Sky have pulled it off and sent a roving reporter to San Fran to see what he can find out. These webisodes take a look at the next generation of Intel products.

And if this is what they’re happy to show us, imagine what the secret stuff is like…

intel.sky.com

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WEBSITE OF THE DAY ? Intel Sky originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

What do you make of this?

If you're dodging UK taxes by squireling away untold millions in offshore slush finds, are you really going to worry too much about the tax man posting clips on YouTube in an effort to scare you into paying?

What next?

Tweets from the DVLA when you're caught speeding: "Ian's a naughty boy doing 31 in a 30 zone…"?

Pokes from the town hall when your council tax is due: "Yoo-hoo! Forgotten something?! LOL".

As for my untold millions, I'm still checking those Lotto numbers every week...

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Tags: Video Websites Software Online

VIDEO OF THE DAY - Tax man originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

You’d like to think that the CWU and Royal Mail workers who are currently on strike might have a sense of humour about things.

Apparently not. They’re not too keen on this spoof game, according to some reports we’ve read. To them it's about as funny as, let's say, not getting your important mail, or your poor old Granny not getting her birthday card on time. Not funny at all, then.

But as they’re making our lives, and those of millions of other disgruntled (and post-less) Brits, a misery, we though we’d share it.

TNT and DHL will enjoy at least.

www.theroyalfail.com

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WEBSITE OF THE DAY ? Royal Fail originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Putting the words "Lego" and "Rock Band" was always sure to grab our attention.

Here's the Final Countdown trailer in glorious HD.

Little plastic people really know how to rock out.

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Tags: Video Websites Software Online

VIDEO OF THE DAY - Lego Rock Band originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

If there’s a worse job than having to iron a shirt on a Sunday night, I don’t know what it is. It’s that awful realisation that the weekend is over and you’re back to the daily grind.

The task is made more bearable if the shirt you’re ironing is a good one. Good shirts look, wear and, most importantly, press better than cheap ones.

If a good shirt is what you’re after, this is where you can look. You can make the shirt just as you like it and the materials and tailoring are top notch. Worth every penny.

Still a bugger to get the sleeves just right though…

www.shirtsmyway.com

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WEBSITE OF THE DAY ? Shirts My Way originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

YouTube is littered with ghostly clips and some of them really are scary. Once you've trawled through the hoaxes and clearly doctored clips, there a few that stand out as being genuinely creepy.

I don't know what this shows, but it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

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Tags: Video Websites Software Online

VIDEO OF THE DAY - Ghosts originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0000

The identities of the four dead celebrities a tabloid pyschic will try and contact in the world's first Twitter seance have been revealed.

The "Tweance", a paranormal publicity stunt for Hallowe'en, will see Jayne Wallace attempt to get in touch with pop star Michael Jackson, former Nirvana front man Kurt Cobain, playwright William Shakespeare and actor River Phoenix.

As voted for by over four thousand Twitter users, the dead celebs will be asked questions posed in tweets by the public, asked in a seance session by Wallace, who will then tweet the "answers".

Twitter users can follow the Tweance in real time today, Friday 30 October, until midnight.

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Tags: Software Websites Twitter Online Tweance

Hallowe'en Twitter Tweance celebs named originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:16:25 +0000

There are people who like movies and then there are movie fans.

This site is definitely aimed at the latter.

It's an interactive map of where the spectres and apparitions were seen in the classic ghoulish comedy Ghostbusters.

Go figure.

www.ironicsans.com/2006/04/the_ultimate_interactive_googl_1.html

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WEBSITE OF THE DAY - Ghostbusters map originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:45:00 +0000

Maybe it's not something to be proud of, but we love these Periodic Table of Videos clips.

This Halloween special shows you how to do something a little different - if you're that way inclined.
But, we wouldn't recommend trying any of these at home.

Our favourite line has to be: "liquid nitrogen is quite cold".

Quite cold?

Thanks for the tip!

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Tags: Video Websites Software Online

VIDEO OF THE DAY - Hallowe'en science originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0000

I had a horrible experience the other day. I was at a mate's house and enough, ahem, "refreshment" had been consumed that we thought it would be good idea to get the Wii Fit out of the cupboard.

On I stepped and it went through the measurement process before I could start. I won't share the numbers, but when a video game tells you you're not as light as you used to be, it's time to do something about it.

That's why this is great for me. I can download fitness videos and sweat, wheeze, grunt and groan my way through them in the privacy of my own home. It's not a pretty sight - even the dog leaves the room…

But no pain, no gain, right?

www.thinqfitness.com

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WEBSITE OF THE DAY - ThinQ Fitness originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Blinkx has launched a dedicated music area to its video search service. The section, called Blinkx Music, allows users to search through a 33,000 hours-strong catalogue of digital music from 10,000 artists.

Some of the content (about 20-25%, says the company) is hosted on Blinkx itself, through deals with SonyBMG, Universal, MTV and the Ministry of Sound. If the song you're after isn't there, though, then it'll redirect you to other sites like Yahoo Music.

Users who regularly publish video content can submit it to Blinkx via an rss feed, but there's no option to download the videos to your portable devices.?CEO and founder of Blinkx, Suranga Candratillake, said: "There are hundreds of thousands of music videos available on the Web today which makes it nearly impossible to navigate and find what you are looking for".

"Based on the success of blinkx Remote, our online TV guide, we recognized there was a need to help organize music videos and make them easily searchable on the Web. By leveraging our award-winning video search index, we built blinkx Music to help our users find their favourite music videos quickly, easily and in one place".

The service is live now at music.blinkx.com.

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Tags: Software Online Websites Blinkx Music

Blinkx launches music video jukebox originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:36:16 +0000

Eyemags has announced that it's launching new functionality that'll allow users to "install" its pages onto their iPhones and iPod touches. The app will let users save pages from the Eyemags mobile website onto their homescreens, like they were applications, and then access that content even when offline.

Those applications can be built by a web developer and can include HTML5 standards. Eyemags is saying that this allows developers to bypass Apple's lengthy approvals process if they're just building simple applications, billing it as "the peoples' app store".

It's free to create apps at the time of writing, but from 16 November a charge will be levied on publishers. A larger charge can also be applied if you want your app to be built into a more traditional "native" iPhone application. To see Eyemags pages in action, try going to?http://eyemags.com/23 on your iPhone browser, or hit play on the video above.

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Tags: Phones Online Websites EyeMags iPhone apps Video

VIDEO: EyeMags launches iPhone functionality originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:13:57 +0000

We like the new PS3 ads. They're short, to the point, slightly irreverent and a great showcase for the product itself.

We particularly like this one. It's a bit edgier and we like edgy.

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Tags: Video Websites Software Online

VIDEO OF THE DAY - PS3 ad originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Free movies? Whole, completely free movies? Movies you've actually heard of, too?

Seems so, and if you like your flicks to be vintage, this is definitely for you. Classic movies streamed for nothing.

They don’t make ‘em like this any more?

www.classiccinemaonline.com

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WEBSITE OF THE DAY ? Classic Cinema originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

When Spotify launched its API back in April with a great song and dance, much was made of the possibilities it could bring. Except that when it finally emerged, it turns out that you couldn't do very much with it. Many were disappointed, and Spotify's attentions turned to its mobile clients instead.

Now that the iPhone and Android apps are out in the wild, Spotify seems to have begun work on its APIs again. It's just released a Metadata API that'll allow programmers to query Spotify's vast library of music - just like searching in the client - but returning XML data that can then be output into a program or website.

It could be used for all kinds of applications, including a web interface for playing Spotify like the one run by We7, where you could search for artists or songs on a site and then get a Spotify link back. You could also build a script that automatically turns Spotify links on websites into artist and track titles.

There's a couple of limits, though - you can't query the API more than ten times per second, per IP address. And the terms and conditions have some pretty harsh language about what you call the tool you develop - it can't have the word "Spotify" in it, for starters.

You can grab the Metadata API from Spotify and start tinkering today. Let us know what you come up with.

Tags: Audio Spotify API Music Software Websites

Spotify launches Metadata API originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:55:06 +0000

Last.fm is reportedly preparing a push into video content, and the site is expanding into television, according to a report in Music Week. The online radio service, which was bought by US media giant CBS in 2007, is attempting to expand its brand globally.

The report claims that the initial offering is expected to launch in January and will be based around European music festival content. That could include partnering with existing festivals, or building bespoke events. We'd presume music videos would likely be involved somewhere along the line too, but it's not clear where.

Adding video to Last.fm's offering will both elevate it above its music-focused contemporaries, but also place it in competition with giants like YouTube and MySpace. However, whereas YouTube has often endured a rocky ride with the major labels, Last.fm has kept them onside so it remains to be seen whether the company can keep that special relationship intact once video content is in place too.

This is a breaking story, and we've asked Last.fm for comment and more detail. We'll update this post when we hear back.

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Tags: Home Cinema Audio Software Websites Online Lastfm Lasttv

Last.fm launches Last.tv originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:53:43 +0000

Imagine the Kinkaku-ji temple in Kyoto made out of Lego. Imagine the time and patience it would take.

Now imagine the Kinkaku-ji as a folding book. Made out of Lego.

My head throbs just thinking about it.

Awesome brickwork.

If you've seen a video online that you want to tell us about email us via the feed back form.

Tags: Video Websites Software Online Lego

VIDEO OF THE DAY - Lego Kinkaku-ji originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0000

The world is full of talented people and the Internet has made it much easier for you to show the world what you've got. But, these days, that means there's a lot more competition for anything creative that people might want done.

That's what makes Talenthouse so special. It's a new place where you can browse through various projects and chip in with your particular creative input.

Whether it's film, fashion, photography, music, whatever, there's an outlet here if you've got what it takes.


www.talenthouse.com

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WEBSITE OF THE DAY - Talenthouse originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Facebook is a funny old creature and it does like to throw changes at its users faster than most. Well, good on Zuckerberg Inc for doing its best to keep up with the times - it's just a shame that for many it can cause a little confusion as to where to find all the bits and pieces that we've only just got used to. So, with today's little switch-aroo on the world's favourite social network, here's the Pocket-lint guide to News Feed and Live Feed, which to use and just where everything else has gone anyway.

News Feed

When you log in to Facebook and navigate to the home page, you'll find the real-time feed - the central column - looking a little different. It now comes in two different formats according to which words are highlighted at the top of the feed. The default setting will be News Feed and what company has done here is to bring back a couple of features that were lost last time around and make this into more of an overview of the activity in your social network

Instead of offering a chronological view of what's been going on, it presents users with what it thinks are the most interesting updates at the top of the list moving down to the least important ones at the bottom - if you really want to go back through that many years worth of notifications that is. That idea is that it offers a better overview of what's been going on and it works it all out with an algorithm which factors in how recent the update has been made, how many friends have liked it, how many have commented on it and how likely you are personally to interact with the news at all.

What's it best for?
Don't use the news feed option if you're the kind of person who sits on Facebook 24 hours a day. This isn't a blow-by-blow account of what's going on. The News Feed works best as a quick catch up tool. If you've either been away from the internet for a few days - heaven forbid - or perhaps for your first check of the day, or if you're not someone who uses Facebook on a daily basis, then this is the one for you. It's an excellent way of catching up on the important stuff quickly.

The downside is that the algorithm used to work out what should be at the top of the list is only as good as you are. If you never comment on other people's updates, then the system won't have a very good idea of what and who you like most, so the updates will pretty much come in the order of the time they came anyway. Otherwise, it works well.

Live Feed

Your other option is the Live Feed which is much more like the real-time stream used to be. Without ever having to manually refresh the page, the Live Feed offers all the updates of everyone in your network - no matter how large or small - with the latest appearing at the top of the list as it happens.

If you hit the options next to the updates on either feed, you can customise your streams to edit out and block anyone who you don't want to listen to. They won't be notified of the fact and you can always reinstate them in the Edit Options section any time you like.

What's it best for?
The Live Feed is the much more Twitter-like approach from Facebook. All the really big notifications will get lost of the pages just as quickly as the small stuff, so this is the option that's more for people who monitor their stream on a regular basis. If you just dip in and out once a day, then stick to the News Feed, but if you want a real-time chat-type minute-by-minute interaction, then the Live Feed is the one to use.

Are there any other changes?

Apart from these major shifts, the birthday notifications box is more in-depth than before and in a better place - not lost quite so far down the screen. Then other change is that the highlights box has been axed with the idea that its function is mostly served by the News Feed option. Coincidentally, it also frees up a nice bit of real estate above the fold in the top right corner where the company can render the sponsored ads.

Related links:

• News - Facebook makes more homepage changes
• News - Facebook touchscreen homepage launches
• News - Facebook has added music to its gift store
• Link - Pocket-lint Facebook page

Tags: Software Facebook Social networking Websites Online Features

The new Facebook feeds and which to use originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:07:11 +0000

Today marks a sad and entirely sentimental moment for the internet as the DIY website builder GeoCities disappears from the severs of the world. In the early days of the web they were an excellent way to make a corner of the virtual world your very own - no matter how bizarre and niche your passions were - in the mid days they became a frustration when searching with Google results bringing them up as largely useless sources of hard fact and now, they're just quite funny to look at because they're so very basic and remind us all how far we've come.

While you may not like GeoCities any more, while it may no longer have any purpose whatsoever, its removal from our screens is somewhat of a tragedy because were it a building or something of the real world rather than the virtual, it would be taken up and looked after by the National Trust or put in a museum where its cultural significance could be preserved. So, on the one hand this day is a mark of how far the internet has come and on the other of how far it has yet to go, and while we lack an international online body to look after this kind of virtual heritage, at least there are a few good, honest heavy geek fans out there and their tribute pages to this trailblazer that's beaten its last path. All tributes are, of course, under construction.

Homestar Runner Tribute

A little on the merciless side with the "You're the 16th biggest moron ever" visitor counter is this tribute page from those of the Flash animated cartoon persuasion that are Homestar Runner and their GeoCities-style take on a tribute to The Cheat. (A tribute within a tribute; see what they did there?). There's an excellent use of poor quality photos; really bad, pointless and highly teen copy and the odd spelling mistake for good measure too. Very strong overuse of meaningless GIFs and a good few graphical errors for good measure. Also heart-warming to see the use of the "edgey" black background although points have to be deducted for the lack of a pattern on top. Overall, very good though. 4/5

xkcd tribute

The most publicised and, sadly, short-lived on the web is the reskin of the xkcd website probably just for the day. It may not have quite as much content as the other tributes but some very good work here with pretty much all of the bases covered. Fantastic black starred background with some nicely ill chosen areas of black text on top of it; really good scolling and blinking text and lots of visible html tags. What's most impressive here is the ease of which the GeoCities style has been incorporated with the day to day functional running of the xkcd site. Not sure what that says about their site normall then. 4/5

Andy's virtual GeoCities eTribute

The others were ace but the real heavyweight GeoCities tribute champion of the day has to be this one from FlashPoint Social Media. It represents just about everything that's wonderful and terrible with the 90s web builder in one go while representing just about every single internet meme from the era too. Some of the highlights include the Gangster's Paradise midi track on autoplay, the really big button that doesn't do anything and the fact that the "most awesome site in the world is best viewed with IE 4 at a minimum of 800 x 600 resolution set". Perhaps a slight loss of points for the whole thing being too perfect without any exposed code at all but it's still a seriously impressive piece of work. 5/5

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Related links:

• News - GeoCities to shut down on 26 October
• Link - The Cheat web page
• Link - xkcd
• Link - Andy's virtual GeoCities tribute

Tags: Software Online Websites GeoCities Yahoo Features

The best of the GeoCities tributes originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:53:49 +0000

11 years is a long time for any business. But this little clip from Google shows just how far they've come.

From small-time, self-confessed internet pattern obsessives to multi-billion dollar media empire.

Not bad, eh?

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Tags: Video Websites Software Online

VIDEO OF THE DAY - Google story originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Facebook has made more changes to its homepage that go some way to undo recent tweaks by offering a more tailored version of the stream of info that users see.

The social networking site is now offering two views of News Feed: a summary view of the "most interesting" activity that's happened in the last day and a real-time view that shows what is happening right now.

"You will be able to catch up on what you may have missed while you were away from Facebook and then easily switch to the real-time stream when you want to see posts as soon as they're shared", says Facebook.

The "most interesting" things that happened in the last day are chosen on a variety of factors including how many friends have liked and commented on it and how likely you are to interact with that story.

As it suggests "Live Feed" lets users see what's happening right now, offering a more Twitter-esque view of happenings.

"Some of you may ask why we are changing the home page again. Like you, we know it can be disruptive when things are moved around, but we hope that these changes make Facebook a more valuable experience for you", says Facebook.

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Tags: Software Facebook Social networking Websites Online

Facebook makes more homepage changes originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:17:05 +0000

Most Monday mornings are a bit tough. You’ve had a couple of days to unwind and let your hair down when all of a sudden, it's over and you’re back to the grindstone.

How on earth are you supposed to be able to remember who has what in their morning brew?

Skinny decaff soya with a twist?

Long white Americano?

Earl Grey?

Builders' tea?

Just in time, this site pops up to help us all out.

Make mine a mocha. Large. No cream.

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www.officecuppa.co.uk

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Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY ? Office Cuppa originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Netflix's CEO Reed Hastings has told journalists in a conference call that his company will be launching a streaming-only service, which will let users watch movies online without having to subscribe to the DVDs-by-mail part of the service that the company offers.

Most interestingly, the streaming-only option won't be available to US customers, where the service is based. Instead it'll be in an undisclosed international market. Hastings wouldn't say which one "for competitive reasons" - indicating that it could be a market with a similar service already on offer.

The service is slated to launch in late 2010 and start in just one location before opening up into more territories slowly. The movie industry is still very focused on physical products like DVDs, and Netflix may find it tricky to license its catalogue in other countries for that reason.

When we hear more about this project, and where it's going to be based, we'll be sure to let you know.

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Tags: Home Cinema Online Websites Netflix Movie downloads Media streaming

Netflix launching streaming service outside of US originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:59:46 +0100

Mozilla has announced an interesting project called Raindrop, which appears massively complicated on the surface but is actually quite a simple idea when you strip it free of buzzwords.

Mozilla (like Google, with its Wave platform) says that "email isn't fun any more". Instead, conversations are taking place all across the Web - in IM, Twitter, blog comment threads, Facebook, and other locations. Raindrop wants to aggregate all that in one place, and sort it so that the useful stuff comes straight to you.

Unimportant messages, like mailing lists, will be relegated to the background whereas the email from your mother telling you she's booked a family holiday to Barbados or the IM conversation from your girlfriend telling you that she's pregnant pops up front and central.

At the moment the project is at version 0.1, so it's only open to developers. You won't be able to download a client just yet, and the team's first task is to create an installer for the application. Still, it sounds like an interesting idea, and we'll keep an eye on it and we'll let you know when it's available to try.

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Tags: Software Online Websites Mozilla Email IM Twitter Video

Mozilla announces Raindrop communcations project originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:47:52 +0100

Yesterday it was the EOS 7D.

Today it’s the daddy. The new EOS 1D Mark IV is the jewel in the Canon crown and in the hands of Vincent Laforet it’s a truly spectacular piece of kit.

You may remember Laforet from when he shot the first HD with the 5D Mark II.

Well, things have moved on and in nocturne he’s showing off the 1D’s awesome HD video capabilities at ridiculously high ISO speeds.

Prepare to be dazzled.

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Tags: Video Websites Software Online

VIDEO OF THE DAY ? nocturne originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Online business cards supplier Moo.com has upgraded its cheapest option - the Minicards - so that they're now more flexible in design.

Previously, cards could only have an image on the front and text on the back, but now you can also add images to the back of the card, and there's far more choice when it comes to templates, colours, and fonts.

Moo will make you 100 minicards, each with a different picture on, for ?12, and they come in a Moo presentation case. You can also buy in bulk - if you buy 400 then you get a ?6 discount on your order.

They're available now from Moo.com.

Tags: Software Online Websites Moo

Moo launches new Minicard options originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:51:48 +0100

It’s a good time for Canon at the moment. Their cameras are reaching new heights of technical excellence, critical acclaim and above all usability. This gorgeous time-lapse film proves that second point perfectly.

San Fran-based snapper Philip Bloom set up an EOS 7D to take a shot every 20 seconds – on full auto.

The results are spectacular.

Nice work Mr Bloom – we look forward to seeing more.

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Tags: Video Websites Software Online

VIDEO OF THE DAY ? 7D time lapse originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Remember those Facebook "gifts" that the social networking site used to push on you? They quietly disappeared in one of the various redesigns that have taken place on the site over the last year or so, but it looks like they're coming back.

The New York Times is reporting that companies will soon be able to add their own virtual items to the gift shop. Companies like American Greetings, SomeeCards and JibJab are already signed up, and LaLa will apparently be joining them according to a source quoted by the paper.

Once you buy a song you'll be able to embed it on a person's Facebook profile and then play it forever. For a dollar, the recipient gets the ability to download a track too - though it's not clear yet what format or audio quality the downloaded file will be in.

It's also not clear whether this will be limited to the United States or rolled out across the whole world. We'd guess the former for now, but if we hear anything different we'll update this post.

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Tags: Software Online Websites Facebook

Facebook has added music to its gift store originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:43:14 +0100

Flickr has launched "People in Photos", describing it as "a new feature that will help put a face to the Flickrverse enabling you to highlight people that you've photographed in a whole new way".

While the photo sharing site already offers the option to allow users to identify people in pics with text tags, this new feature takes a step towards Facebook functionality by tagging people with their Flickr username and adding a "people in this photo" info box.

This means that users will be able to search, or click through, for more photos of a certain person as well as see tagging action in the "Recent Activity" area in their account.

Along with the new features, Flickr has added privacy and notification settings that means users can choose who can add them in photos, which photos they are added to, or opt out of the feature completely.

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Tags: Software Websites Flickr Social networking

Flickr goes Facebook with "People in Photos" originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:32:18 +0100

MySpace has announced what it says is "the next phase" of its music offering with a wave of new products and tools now available to artists and fans.

As well as allowing users to buy music on iTunes in addition to Amazon MP3, the global rollout of a new "MySpace Music Video" experience has begun, while the "MySpace Artist Dashboard" - a free data and analytics tool for artists - has hit beta.

MySpace Music Videos launches with the boast of being one of the most comprehensive online collections of music videos available anywhere.

The MySpace Artist Dashboard offers detailed analytics about artist's content within the MySpace community offering trending data and info on song plays, profile views, friend count, and profile visitors.

Tags: Software Online Websites MySpace Social networking Audio Video on demand iTunes Amazon MP3

MySpace hits next phase of music offering originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:38:35 +0100

The party season fast approaches and we thought we'd give you the heads-up if you fancy turning your hand to the old cocktail shaker.

There’s nothing like mixing the perfect Margarita to show your social credentials and the Cocktail Internet databases is the place to brush up those skills.

Cheers.

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www.cocktaildb.com

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Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY ? Cocktail DB originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Philips wants to help consumers get fit with the launch of Philips DirectLife, a new customised, interactive fitness program that is said to offer "a fun and simple solution to people eager to adopt a more active lifestyle".

DirectLife records daily movements via a wearable "Activity Monitor", info from which is then transferred to a PC via USB. Once uploaded to a personal web page, a record is kept of activity, and compared to targets. The program also offers an online "personal coach" to give advice, as well as stats, tips and activity ideas provided on the web page.

Philips DirectLife says this "monitoring, measuring and motivating... will lead to healthier everyday decisions and longer lasting, more active lifestyle changes".

DirectLife is now available for consumers in the States at www.philips.com/directlife for an initial fee of $99 plus shipping. After 4 month's free, the monthly cost is $12.50.

Related links:

• Link - DirectLife

Tags: Sports Fitness Philips Pedometers Online Websites Philips DirectLife

Philips DirectLife launches originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:14:58 +0100

Maybe it's just me, but I reckon these shots of the new Nasa spacecraft leaving the vehicle assembly plant are some of the most exciting I've seen in a while.

Bear with me.

I know nothing really happens, but this harks back to the heady days of Apollo and Sputnik: those tense moments when the space race was headline news across the globe. This is new, uncharted, dangerous stuff and I can't wait for lift-off.

Like I said: maybe it's just me...

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Tags: Video Websites Software Online

VIDEO OF THE DAY - Ares 1-X originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0100

Disney have done it again with a fantastic family movie.

Love those Mickey Mouse ears or hate them, there's no denying they can make a movie that appeals to all. Kids love them and there's usually enough near-the-knuckle jokes to keep the mums and dads from dozing off into their popcorn.

This little online game from Cineworld ties in nicely to Up. Sign up and get your friends and family to attach 'balloons' to your house. The house with the most balloons on 20 November wins.

www.cineworld.com/up

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Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY - Cineworld Up originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

You may think this isn't the best time of year to be telling you about a holiday site.

You'd be wrong - this is the perfect time of year to be thinking about some time off and this new site can help. Prices are always great at this time of year, so there's really no excuse.

It searches for the best deals on flights and hotels and offers travellers' reviews - some of them on video.

Getting away from it all just got easier

www.hotelly.com

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Tags: WebsiteOfTheDay Websites Software Online

WEBSITE OF THE DAY - Hotelly originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

What will soon be the only wine to serve to the tech savvy at San Fran dinner parties? Twitter wine!

As part of a charity initiative the micro-blogging site has revealed it is to team up with Crushpad and Fledgling Wine to raise money for Room to Read, an organisation that helps to educate kids in "resource deprived" regions.

The wine - both a pinot noir and a chardonnay - will be sold for $20 a bottle, with $5 per bottle sold going to the charity, and will be served at various Tweetups.

Hit play on the video above to see Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, and others involved in the scheme, give you the low-down on the new plans.

Tags: Software Twitter Websites Wine Room to Read

VIDEO: Twitter to offer own-brand pinot noir originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:17:03 +0100

Computational knowledge engine Wolfram Alpha has announced the launch of the Wolfram Alpha Webservice API.

The paid-for release will mean that developers can now stick Wolfram Alpha results and data into websites and online publishing, desktop applications, on mobiles and in cloud computing applications.

Wolfram Alpha says such uses may include "researching cancer through computational biology, augmenting web and meta-web search with computed knowledge, enriching online journalism with interactive content, building artificial intelligence systems on our domain expertise, leveraging our data analysis for decision support, optimizing renewable-energy efficiency, and even determining the optimal temperature for draft beer based on the current weather conditions".

Developers can register now for an API account at a dedicated site, while the API is said to be the basis for a forthcoming Wolfram Alpha iPhone app - we will keep you posted.

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Tags: Software Websites Wolfram Alpha Search engines APIs Biz iPhone apps

Wolfram Alpha announces Webservice API originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:06:17 +0100