Top 14 websites of 2008

Aug 12, 2008 by Dan Taylor    30 Comments    Posted under: Technology

Are you the über cool one who bogarts other’s lighters, had the iPod before Steve Jobs, and knows just about every cool site on the internets?  Yeah me neither.  But what I do have is an excellent list of the Top 100 undiscovered sites of 2008 recently round up at PC Mag on my hands.

Not just a simple directory, editors really dug deep for some of these gems, and the results are outstanding.  I decided to give each one of these sites a fair go, and devoted a minimum of 20 minutes/site and then select a category winner.  Categories include: Apps and Services, Fun, Health and Science, Info, Search and Reference, Lifestyle, Money and Real Estate, Music, News, Photography, Shopping, Social Networking, Technology, and Travel and Maps.

Without further dieu….the winners please!

Apps and Services

pageonce.com

Here’s a really nice, all in one (er).  To sum it all up, pageonce will wrap an enigma inside a riddle inside a….no wait…that’s for another topic altogether.  Pageonce is a one stop shop to manage all your online profiles.  Feed it your info, and this baby will present you with your stock portfolio results, myspace updates, facebook pokes, and youtube subscription updates.  Oh, and it looks mighty slick on an iPhone as well.  Finally…I just saved at least 17.6 minutes of wasted office time with this baby.  Be that good or bad.

Fun

someecards.com

I’ve personally used this one before finding this collection, and it validated my cool factor (ok, I haven’t yet obtained über level, but I do get points for have the two dot umlaut over the u, no?).  We’ve all received the ecard from someone, or better yet, forgot her birthday with that “oh crap…i know…send an ecard,” moment.  Well now someecards will let you send just the right card for just the right occassion.

Health and Science

zocdoc.com

From a pure practical point of view, this might be the winner of the collection.  In NYC for business and need a doc asap?  Maybe you’ve moved out to the island and need to do the necessaries, including finding a new doctor.  Zocdoc to the rescue.  Using a mashup of google maps, zocdoc lets you search for doctors and dentists by insurance plan, location, or even available appointments.  Zocdoc also features user reviews of doctors.  While zocdoc only works in the greater New York metro area for now, here’s to hoping this brilliant idea spreads like the plague (Oh wait….plagues are bad….mmmmmkay?)

Info, Search and Reference

howtocleanstuff.net

If you know me, you know I like it clean (have I said too much?).  As George Carlin says said, “A house is nothing more than a place to keep your stuff,” and chances are, you’ve got stuff.  So why not keep it clean?  In addition to the standards of LCD screens, White wall tires, and golf balls, howtocleanstuff also has methods of de-skunking, both human and animal, and features perhaps the best post on the internets ever: How to Polish a Turd

Lifestyle

inhabitat.com

Ok, score another one on my cool chart, as I knew about this one as well.  To be fair, I can’t take credit on this one, as Brian has sent me a few links from here that truly boggled my mind.  Not only is inhabitat an outstanding example of what web design could and should look like, they stay true to the golden rule, and deliver fresh, relevant, and in depth coverage of all things ‘OMFG, r u srus?’.  I’m not even sure if you’re cool enough to read about what they write about here.  Go visit them.  Now.  Do it!

Money and Real Estate

stockhouse.com

First off, great URL (I can only wonder what they paid for it).  Stockhouse is for the pro investor AND the plain ol’ Joe that’s workin’ on gettin’ that boat when he retires.  It’s also an information source for the financial world.  The site functions as a quasi investment portal/social networking tool.  Users can track stock prices, swap trading tips and advice, and make connections with other investors for possible joint ventures.  Ah…the power of social networking…monetized (of sorts).

Music

songza.com

You can get music on the internets?  Ok, all kidding aside, music and video are two of the highest ranking search terms on the net today.  When wading through the mp3 sea, there are bound to be a few choppy waves, and certainly a tropical island unto it self.  Enter songza.com.  While last.fm will let you select an artist and then generate a related playlist, songza lets you narrow that search down one further and stream the actual song you want to hear (by that artist).  Legal?  Pssssshh….who knows, let’s not ask, eh?

News

orato.com

Ok…citizen journalism, nothing new to see here people, move along.  Unless of course, YOU wrote an artilce that got published on orato.com.  One of the better of it’s brand out there, orato covers a wide range of topics, and get outta town, some of them are actually f#&*ing awesome!

Photo

squareamerica.com

A rather difficult choice for me as my love of all things damn good lookin’ runs deep, but squareamerica struck a particualr chord.  Perhaps it’s my current fascination with Madmen, and the behind the scenes look at 1960 America, but squareamerica is the web/photographic equivalent.  Featuring mostly black and white photos of yesteryear, viewers are presented with an interesting cross section of times gone by.  Uncle George and Aunt Minnie on the boat, Clara opening that big present on christmas morning, and every so often, the Kodachrome splendor of Uncle Don’s shiny new car.  Squareamerica.com, go over to songza.com, pull up ‘Moon River’ and start flipping.

Shopping

gazelle.com

*cough* early adopters regret *cough*  Did you hear something?  For those people, unlike myself of course, that may be a bit trigger happy with the credit card when it comes to all things gadgety, I give you…gazelle.com.  Not that I would have any experience in the realm of bought it last month, and two months later they came out with the magnesium bodied one that has the remote lens feature, gazelle is a selling point for all your previous silicon wafer goodness.  Plunk in the make and model of said gadget, and you’ll bet a price quote on the spot (or rather almost instantly, as there is no real physical ‘spot’).  You’ll get a return box sent to you in the mail, pack it, ship it, call it sold.  Gazelle accepts cameras, laptops, mp3 players, mobile phone and much more.

Social Networking

sosauce.com

Is this thing on?  Social networking has been the largest growth sector of the….bla bla bla.  I know what you’re thinking, christ, another social networking site?  I’m ripping my hair out already.  I know, I know.  Calm down, and have some dip.  While sosauce IS a definate niche site, the concept and interactivity are outstanding.  Sosauce is a travel and photo enthusiasts dream come true.  If this had been around during my ‘tour’ days this would have been…then again, perhaps it’s better some of those pictures never see the light of day.  While most social networks are built on a profle-based mechanism, sosauce is clearly about showing off sharing your photos and travel experiences.  Users can interact with others, create travel plans together, schedule meet ups, and even play multiplayer games online together during ‘down time’ (read: flight delay)

Technology

ohgizmo.com

Technology and humor?  Get out.  No really, such a thing exists.  Technology is a huge field, and yeah, you’re probably thinking, Gizmodo v Techcrunch v Mashable v who gives a f#*(&?  Fair enough, with an overly saturated market of ‘gizmo’ blogs, just another entry wouldn’t break more wind than a fart in church.  But what about frontpage coverage about mp3 players devoted to Journey?  Or Louis Vuitton trash bags?  The KOR ONE hydration module (sounds alot like water bottle to me) is a must see!

Travel and Maps

everyscape.com

Google maps and Earth are hot shit.  No joke, they’re the industry standard in online mapping.  But what if you’re cool with where your hotel is, the street view looks nice, you’ve cross checked your room and counted floors in the pic, and pretty much know where your room will be?  You still have no idea what the hotel looks like on the inside (hotel website photos don’t count).  everyscape takes you right inside the building.  As with the Google project, lots of photogs are snapping shutters everywhere as the database begins to grow.  Let’s just hope they catch some of the silliness that Mountain View’s boys caught.

So there we have it.  Creme de la creme.  A great collection of 2008 up and comers.  Now stop reading this and get clicking above!

Drink Beer – Save Honey Bees!

Aug 1, 2008 by Dan Taylor    17 Comments    Posted under: News

I went to college in Rochester, NY. We lovingly referred to it at times as Crotchester, Rottenchester, or Crotchfester. There are only a handful of things that come to mind when one mentions the word Rochester. Eastman Kodak, Xerox, Bausch and Lomb, and maybe, just maybe Genesee Beer (I can almost remember the taste of drinking Genny Cream Ales with Bobby Linehan at age 16, but let’s not mention that to mom, ok?).

I’d all but forgotten about the OTHER beer coming out of Rochester, JW Dundee’s Honey Brown.

Now let’s be clear, I like beer. I like beer a lot. I’ve drank my fair share of beers and I can honestly say that I can not recall a single beer that tastes quite like Honey Brown. It wouldn’t rank in my top 10, but it might make it into the top 25. It has a unique taste that comes in part from the natural honey that is used in the brew list.

What’s that you say? Honey in the beer? Why yes! They mix a small dash of natural honey into every batch to give it a crisp bite, and a smooth/sweet finish. But isn’t there something going on with honey bees? Like they’re all keeling over and dying and shit? Why yes my dear Mr. Watson, you are correct sir!

Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) was first reported in America in late 2006. Since then a number of countries around the world have reported similar findings. The root of the cause is still unknown, but the fact remains that one third of everything we eat, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, BEER, all require pollination via honey bees. Therefor, the JW Dundee brewery has instituted the “Save the Honey Bee” Program. For the 2008 year, a portion of all Dundee beers sold will be donated to the Foundation for the Preservation of Honey Bees.

Dundee’s VP of marketing Patrick Magallanes states, “The issue of CCD extends beyond the honey supply. Local farmers throughout the country are faced with the possibility of losing crops, which ultimately affects the livelihood of local economies. That’s why Dundee Brewing Company is committed to raising awareness and supporting this issue through the sale of its Dundee brands.”

Dundee has also planned a full marketing blitz to accompany the program with swag including t-shirts, temporary tattoos, coasters, posters, and table tents. They’ve also launched an accompanying site at http://www.dundeeforthebees.com

This announcement comes on the heels of a recent release from Dundee announcing that they’ll be refreshing the look of all its Dundee Ales and Lagers this summer to more closely reflect the brand’s craft heritage, as well as the individuality, personality, and flavor of each craft beer.

So remember folks, it’s summer time. It’s hot out. You’re thristy. You head to the local convenience store or supermarket for some cold brews. Why not help save a honey bee or two, and nab a refreshingly tasty ‘Brewed in Rochester’ product?