IdiomDictionary – This fun and handy tool offers the identification, explanation and etymological description of over 5000 idioms found in the English language. Simply type in any word and you’ll be presented with a list of related idioms. Clicking on any of these will propmt a clean page giving a short definition of the idiom, its use in a sentence and a brief etymological explanation (origin history of the word or phrase).
Look at the screen shot below of my search for an idiom many of us can identify with at this time of year: Dog Days.
Expedition Titanic – The world’s most famous sunken ship is known to most of us, and I think it’s safe to say 95% of all women in the Western world (including me) have seen the Hollywood movie Titanic. The tragic story of this grand ship thought to be unsinkable, has reemerged in 1985 when the wreck was discovered by a joint American-French expedition, led by Jean-Louis Michel (Ifremer) and Dr. Robert Ballard (WHOI).
Expedition Titanic is brought to us by Christopher J. Davino, President of RMS Titanic Inc. Having some of the world’s leading experts and scientists on the team and using the forefront of technology, Davino and his team wish to “create a portrait of the Ship unlike any that has been created before…” Navigate through the depths of the Titanic’s wreck site, explore the ship’s parts, the wreck’s environment, and learn more of the Titanic’s grandness prior to its fatal end. Expedition Titianic is a masterful commemoration and educational site, remembering and celebrating the Ship that will be forever cherished.
The 99 Percent – This amazing blog was part of our Weekly Blogs lineup last week, and it scored the most visits. That is why it was promoted to a Weekly Fave position. Presented as Behance’s ‘think tank,’ 99% is an implementation source for ideas in the creative world. According to 99% here’s what they offer: “Our profiles of proven idea makers, action-oriented tips, best-practices sessions, and annual conference are all designed to help you transform ideas from vision to reality.”
A mere visit to 99% will tickle your creativity nerve ends and overwhelm you with inspiration. The site is fabulously designed, the posts cover a range of topics and effective idea how to’s. After reading a couple of posts you’ll see for yourself that the 99% team screams professionalism, great taste and creative know-how. Explore 99% articles, tips, videos, conference and speakers, sessions (by Behance) and check out their book, Making Ideas Happen. I’ve RSS-ed to 99% and even if you’re not working in the creative world you have much to gain from visiting this site on a regular basis. The inspiration is simply pouring out. I especially enjoyed reading The Cure for Creative Block? Leave Your Desk and seeing Ji Lee’s lecture on The Transformative Power of Personal Projects. The video is below.
Startup Quotes – Aphoristic quotes go a long way. Startup Quotes is an ingenious, inspiring and fun site where each post is a short tip, insight or concept, quoted from founders and co-founders of today’s major companies (mostly of the tech and communication fields). Learn what Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos’ tip for startups is (“Build yourself a great story”), and take Dropbox Co-founder Drew Houston’s advice on learning (“Learn early, learn often”). Each post is a beautifully presented startup tip non-entrepreneurs will benefit from just as much. For the finish, in light of the Apple iPhone 4 hitch that’s been buzzing around in recent weeks, see Steve Jobs’ tip for startups below. If you feel like sharing your tip, submit it here.
Historypin – A cool collaboration between the social movement We Are What We Do and Google has produced this amazing project focused on an innovative documentation of our collective history. Combining Google Maps (both standard and street views) with your grandparents’ historic photograph and personal story, Historypin brings the young and old generations closer. According to their About page, “Historypin virtually requires you to spend time with someone from a different generation: young people need older people for the photos, and older people need young people to explain when to click and when to double click.”
The Historypin scene as the meeting point of generations is spectacular. The superb interface, the ease of the documentation process and the existing database of other users’ documented photos (over 10,000 entries!) make Historypin a first of its kind in terms of both concept and execution. See the photo of Sydney’s Queen Victoria Markets (posted by Rebekah), dated 1885-1915, with the site’s current appearance in the background. Absolutely amazing. Add your photos and tell your story so the young generation in your family will learn your family’s history. You will need a Google account to sign up and contribute to Historypin.
FunAdvice – Another cool question-and-answer site in the neighborhood, FunAdvice is here to help you get the information you’re looking for (covering more than 20 categories), and you’re invited to answer others’ questions and make friends along the way. The latter is a nice added value other Q & A sites currently lack, and this is refreshing.
Navigating through FunAdvice is easy and interesting; you can choose between Questions, How-To’s, Updates, Interests, People and more. Although you must be a registered user to be an active FunAdvice member, it’s free, easy to do and totally worth it. I just love it when a site offers a good service and throws in some cool extras for the user community. See this important question many mothers all over will identify with (it includes all the answers users provided).
Insects.org – I’m not a big fan of insects myself. In fact, until I brought a cat home, whenever I spotted a cockroach on the floor I would climb up to the highest possible point and scream like a 3 year old. No matter how you see insects, they are as beautiful and essential to the circle of life as any other organism group on Earth is. Insects.org is here to shed some light on the amazing world of insects, offering intriguing facts and information on major insect types, and providing remarkable photos of each.
Dive into the world of the Order Insecta, the most diverse Order of all organisms on Earth, and meet some local friends (meaning cool butterflies, cicadas, crickets and other winged buddies you can find in your neck of the woods). I remember this little fella in the picture below. It’s famous for the clicking sound it makes when it lands on its back.
You Are Not So Smart – A winning Weekly Blog on All My Faves, You Are Not So Smart, simply put, is “a blog devoted to self delusion and irrational thinking.” Each post is made up of an an introductory Misconception, a common wisdom fact that isn’t factual at all, then followed by the truth (based on empirical studies and scholarly publications). Creator David McRaney, a professional journalist, proves he is indeed in the right profession; the posts in his blog are beautifully written. Without even noticing it, I spent a long session of insightful reads here. I relished in every single one I’ve read and I appreciated the diversity of the topics covered in the blog. One interesting post I thought you should read as well is Opposites. Enjoy.
Quora – Yahoo! Answers is a really cool questions platform I use every now and then, and no matter what field my question concerns, I’m always happy with the answers I receive by the Yahoo! community. So when it was time for me to try out another Q & A service, I was delighted. Quora is a “collection of questions and answers created, edited, and organized by everyone who uses it.” I just love it when the user community pitches in and helps those in need of information, but it’s important to note Quora’s aim is bigger than that. They stress the importance of accumulated information, as each question & answers page is archived and will be accessible ‘forever.’
The Quora interface is clean and simple, and the question topics are diverse and unique. It’s great to see such a big steadfast participation by the user community. Although the site’s concept isn’t a new one, I seriously think Yahoo! Answers should watch out.
Quizlet – Created by the especially charismatic and talented college student Andrew Sutherland, Quizlet is your best online flashcards resource currently available. Quizlet offers a wide range of topics where you will find ready-made flashcards, or you can create your own. The visual layout of the flashcards themselves is what you’d expect (description and/or image on one side, the answer on the other), only it’s wonderfully done. Users can choose whether to have the question and the answer on the same side of the flashcard or, for realistic testing, having them on separate sides (‘click to flip” to see the answer).
Very soon you will see why this site stands out from other similar study sites. Hint: it has to do with the cool features of Web 2.0. To see Quizlet in action, here’s a screen shot of a series of flashcards testing your knowledge in birds (north American). This is how I got to know what is the name of this beautiful bird with a crunchy tail from the falconiformes order. To learn it’s name, visit Quizlet.
