40 Unusual Websites you should Bookmark

           40 Unusual Websites you should Bookmark

 If you’re a long time makeuseof reader, at one point or another you may have seen several of these websites before. We have covered lots of lists and round-ups and plenty of cool websites, but this one is quite different: it lists undiscovered webservices that are original, rather unique, unusual, useful, free, and must-be bookmarked type. You won’t find any collaboration, storage or ToDo service here. Enjoy!

1. BugMeNot – instantly get disposable login details for any popular website that forces you to register.
2. DailyLit – read your favorite books by email (on your PC, mobile, etc.).
3. FranceRadio – neat MP3 Search Engine that lets you Find, Play and Download favorite MP3s for FREE.
4. Google SMS – provides mobile users with a quick access (via SMS) to a wide range of practical information and tools (i.e. business listings (pizzerias, shops, etc.), weather, movie listings, driving directions, currency converter and lots more.
5. Podlinez – listen to your favorite podcasts from any phone. Just enter the RSS feed URL for the desired podcast and get a free-toll number to access it from a phone.
6. RetailMeNot – locate fresh discount coupons for thousands of web merchants and services right from your browser toolbar. 
7. SoLow – on a daily basis SoLow auctions 4 different items (iPhones, HD Screens, etc.). Anyone with a mobile/PC can participate in the auctions by placing their bids via text-messaging. The user with thelowest unique bid wins the auction.
8. TeleFlip – auto-forward your emails to your cellphone as text messages.
9. UrbanDictionary – hilarious (and practical) 100% user-maintained dictionary where users provide and vote on definitions for urban words (slangs).
10. Yak4Ever – make free international calls from US, UK and Ireland to 50+ countries.

=== Mobile – related === 

11. Bitbom – schedule free text message reminders to your phone. Schedule online or using mobile. (Similar PingMe.)
12. Flurry – follow up on your emails (send, receive) and receive latest articles from favorite blogs/websites on your mobile.
13. Foonz – place group calls and send messages to multiple people for free (from your mobile or any other phone).
14. GameJump – lots of free games for mobile phones.
15. GrandCentral – single phone number for all your phones and a web-based centralized voicemail system. 
16. IQzone – post your classified ad to a number of online and print classified networks directly from your mobile.
17. Jott – simple and convenient service for leaving yourself notes and ToDo reminders using your mobile.
18. Mosio – text any question from your mobile phone and shortly receive up-to 4 answers.
19. mShopper – instantly check up on the bargain deals for any product (or even order) right from your mobile phone.
20. NoPhoneTrees – simple phone directory that lists direct human access numbers to support employees in hundreds of companies.
21. Nutsie – takes a copy of your iTunes library file and creates an online copy of your library. Access this library from PC or mobile phone.
22. Google SendToPhone – forward anything you find on the web (maps, address, text, etc.) to any mobile phone for free (US only).
23. Qipit – take quick document pictures and turn them into properly formatted PDFs. Save online, email, or fax documents right from mobile.
24. Soonr – handy application that lets you access your PC remotely using your mobile or any other PC (work, school, etc.).
25. TelePixie – quickly schedule and receive daily (or one time) wake up phone calls, reminders, weather forecast calls, jokes, and more.
26. TellMe – free local directory service for business listings (Car Repair Shops, Pizzerias, Restaurants, etc.), maps, and directions.
27. PhoneZoo – convert your MP3s to custom-length ringtones and forward them to your phone. Plus 1000s of free ringtones from other users.
=== Other ===
28. BossBitching – fun and active community where people can bit*h about their bosses anonymously.
29. eSnailer – send free postal mail letters (to anywhere in the US) right from the desktop. From Canada? 
30. Yapta – get a refund (or credit) from the airlines on a purchased ticket in case its price drops.
31. ListenToaMovie – lets you ‘listen to a movie’, i.e. stream the audio part of various movies and some TV-shows.
32. OpenDNS – provides a safer, faster, smarter and more reliable way to navigate the Internet. 
33. PodioBooks – search, subscribe and browse through a variety of totally free audio books (100% legal).
34. PriceProtectr – tracks the price of items you bought online and notifies in case of price-drops, so you can request a refund.
35. RateMyDrawings – excellent place to draw, share your drawing creations, learn to draw, and watch other people drawing.
36. SwitchPlanet – cool and active marketplace where you can switch (or trade) used DVDs, CDs, Video Games and Books. 
37. Scribd- search, browse, rate, share various types of documents (jokes, facts, stories etc.). It’s like Youtube for text documents.
38. ViaTalk – make up-to 10 minutes long free phone calls to anywhere in the US and Canada. You don’t even need to sign-up.
39. VideoSift – popular Digg-like voting community for user-submitted videos.
40. Wordie – make lists of words (words you love, words you hate, or whatever) and share them with others.

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Write Your Name in Different Styles & Languages

                    Modern options for writing braille Check out the latest tools! 

                  Looking to write your name in different styles? Here’re some online tools to help you do just that:
1. Google Transliterate – India is a land of many languages and this online tool from Google will help you write your name in almost all prominent languages of the country including Hindi, Urdu, Tamil and Bengali. 
2. Google Translate – If you want to write your name in a language like Chinese, Japanese or even Greek, you really need to get hold of a person who can speak that language. If you can’t find one, Google Translate is the next best option. 
3. Elvish Language – This is something for Lord of the Rings fans. The page describes how you can easily represent your English name using the Tengwar script. The writing looks mysterious and it’s not very hard.
4. Braille Generator – The tool will convert your name into Braille, a popular writing system that enables blind people to read and write through touch. They just run their fingers across these tiny dots to read them.

replaced by the Latin alphabet. The tool will help you write you name using the ancient runic alphabets.
6. Babylon Tablets – Use this tool to write your name in the cuneiform script, the earliest known writing system in the world of the Babylonian era. The script was written on clay tablets and was then baked hard in a kiln.
7. Morse Code – Write your name in 5. Hobbit Runes - The runes were in use during the 1st century AD and were 

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Google Launches Auto-Traffic Routing With Google Maps

Google Launches Auto-Traffic Routing With Google Maps

Google Maps for Android seems to get update at a breakneck pace, you have no sooner downloaded the latest update than another is availabe! The latest is a very handy addition indeed, automatic traffic re-routing.

                             

                          From today Google Maps will utilise real time traffic updates, as well as calling upon past traffic trend data, to advise you on the best route to take. The idea being to avoid traffic jams and cut journey times. Pretty sweet right?

Unfortunately this feature isn't available everywhere to begin with, just North America and a few European countries to start off with, basically those palces where free navigation already exists.

 

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New Microsoft Windows 8 screenshots!

At the beginning of this month we were able to see the first screenshots of the future Windows operating system from Microsoft, Windows 8.

But the leaks did not stop here, so today we are going to show you a new series of images, to see the development level of the new Windows 8 operating system.
The image below shows us the Windows 8 installation process. The user interface is excessively dispersed, or it is unfinished. We all know that the Windows 8 development process is not very advanced, Windows 8 not being even close to the RC version, so we should definitely not think about a RTM build.

  


    According to WinRumors, the screenshot confirms the speculations according to which the “Metro” user interface, the popular design currently used on WP7, is also going to be present in Windows 8.

We expect to see more rumors and leaks about the Windows 8 OS in the near future, especially since, according to rumors, a built of the Windows 8 operating system is being distributed to testers.

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Find & Participate In YouTube Contests

we have seen that there’s no better place to hold a contest than the social web.
Like a lot of things on the web, contests too are viral. If they catch on, they spread like wildfire. Now, could there be a more viral medium than YouTube? So it is, that YouTube and contests come together to give participating viewers a chance to walk away with some cool prizes.
How do you find the YouTube contests to play in and which ones are the coolest? The first is rather easy; the second is your pick. But here’s the first step.

Search For YouTube Contests

To participate in any contest, you have to log in with your username. Although you can land on a channel’s page and search for a contest announcement, the direct way would be to go to the page which lists most of the contests on YouTube. The Contests holding page lists some of the running ones and also the ones you have missed. Though, they don’t seem to list all contests that are on YouTube.

   For instance, YouTube is showcasing a new contest called MyYouTube. I went into it from YouTube’s homepage where it was mentioned under What’s New. On this particular contest, you have to sign up and subscribe to the channels of your favorite celebrities. Those who score high will receive autographed merchandise like CDs, T-Shirts, photographs, and so on from the celebrity.
 

    

  

        This contest though seems to be open for a few selected countries like India and is a clever push to promote         

celebrity channels through viral social networking.

  The other way to sweep YouTube for ongoing contests seems to be from the search bar. Type in a keyword like “contests 2011” and then use the Search Options to filter through the results.

Which Are The Cool Ones?

Here’s a sampling of five YouTube contests I found to be quite cool.

 The Innocent Mini Movies Competition

 

       The hero is a super smoothie bottle. You have to make a follow-up to this TV ad and hope the audience finds it funny enough to vote you to the top prize. That’s £5,000 ($8,000) and lots of other windfalls. Contest closes 17th April.

Steal The Spotlight

  

   Submit a music video that’s less than 6 minutes showcasing a solo or a group performance. MTV will judge the videos and select the winner. Winner gets an all expenses paid trip to open a VMA weekend event plus other goodies. Submissions start from April 4th.

Musical Shorts

  

      Hyundai and YouTube partner together on this skill based contest. Create an original music video that represents the soul and spirit of “Mothership Remix”, composed by modern-day classical music artist Mason Bates, composer-in-residence of YouTube Symphony Orchestra. The contest started on March 14th and will end on June 7th.

Ecomagination Line Dance Contest

 

     

        This contest started in February and will close on April 8^th. By the time you read this, you will have just a few days left to send in your ‘line dance’ video. The combined goal is to help GE do its bit for clean drinking water in developing countries. You stand to gain $10,000 worth of eco-friendly appliances.

Create or Else

 

   Ogilvy’s channel is not about a contest actually…it is about inspiring ideas. The channel asks for video submissions from the creative types in the world who have found solutions that can somehow benefit the larger world. As the site says, your rewards are – worldwide glory, a feeling of supreme personal satisfaction and maybe even a dose of inspiration for yourself.

In the short time, I couldn’t of course participate in all of them and see how they ultimately pan out. I am hoping that you find YouTube contests fun enough to let us know which are the ones you liked.

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