Well – As with most of the NYTimes.com blogs, this one about health & wellness is also a superb source of content. Well offers engaging posts on a number of relevant topics including food, pets, exercise and personal achievement, the science of fitness, and “Patient Voices.” Well has a commendable size of active, responsive readership that likes to comment on the blog’s interesting posts and further elaborate the discussion.
One particular post I found intriguing on Well is Tara Parker-Pope’s A Dual Portrait of American Fatherhood, discussing the radical changes in the paternal role of today’s America, compared to pops’ levels of engagement a few decades ago (just in time for Father’s Day). Well is a last week’s Weekly Blog winner and a personal favorite for both my mind and soul. Enjoy.
Newspaper Map – In today’s age of influx of people, communities and nationalities to and from every location, physical borders are now becoming more obsolete than ever before. The result, as NY Times columnist and best-selling author Thomas Friedman so eloquently explained, is that “The World is Flat.” Newspaper Map brings a whole new meaning to this very concept through the World Wide Web by offering an online reading room for every possible newspaper from virtually every possible country.
Using pinned locations on Google Maps, Newspaper Map offers a visual interactive interface by which you can search, browse and select newspapers from different locations worldwide in different languages. Each newspaper’s language can be translated (using Google Translate of course). This means you can virtually read any newspaper the world has to offer. Once you pick a pinned location, the site will offer a list of translation options so you can read the newspaper regardless of its language of origin. See an example below.
Friedman had it right. The world is flat alright, and we might as well benefit from its ever-increasing connectivity and flow of information. Newspaper Map is a great productive concept we should use to learn better what’s going on in different parts of the world, places and communities hidden to us until now.
The Next Web – With over 100 thousand Facebook fans and millions of unique visitors each month, The Next Web is undeniably one of the most prominent technology resource out there. The site started out as a spin-off to The Next Web Conference, and soon became an authority on startups, Internet and culture in and of itself, with the added value of offering an international perspective.
The Next Web provides insightful news stories on a number of topics including gadgets, the World Wide Web and its cultural by-products, design and development, entrepreneurship and many others. The posts are well-written and to the point, which I can’t say about other leading tech blogs. My personal favorite section is The Next Web’s Lifehacks category, which is filled with productive tips and tools for startups and entrepreneurs. That’s where I found the post Getting Started with LinkedIn by Alex Wilhelm.
MSNBC Powerwall – The media giant MSN has come up with a refreshing, upbeat approach to present and talk about the day’s news figures, whether related to politics, culture, entertainment or business -the ‘power players’ of the day’s events. With a strong emphasis on visually pleasing interface, the Powerwall offers dynamic pages which create an orderly image dance once a particular story is chosen, allowing for the desired news story to catch the page’s central space.
What Powerwall essentially offers is a sexy one-stop place that gathers the hottest stories from the entire network’s news programs and channels. The end result is impressive, and as previously mentioned, nice on the eyes as well. Looks promising for now. Here’s what TODAY’s story (on video) about William and Kate coming to America looks like.
Patch – This cool website seeks to keep you informed with what’s happening in your very own town. This extremely local news provider includes photos and videos of events taking place near you, keeps you updated on local businesses, it invites you to join discussions and even encourages you to submit your own announcements, photos and reviews. In this era of massive information consumption the local community often gets lost. Thanks to Patch, your own neighborhood becomes the center of attention.
Here’s what the Patch coverage looks like for Apple Valley, MN:
TIME LightBox – Great photos in newspapers have long been a prerequisite. The professional teams of photographers working in major newspapers produce compelling pictures that help to tell an important news story. But the TIME’s LightBox tops even that by offering a one-stop place for the absolute best photos the newspaper has to offer. All photos are hand-picked by the TIME’s photo editors to create a regularly updated collection of grade A pictures.
Terribly Beautiful: J Henry Fair’s Aerial Photographs of Industrial Pollution
This Thursday the Top 10 focus is on cool technology sites that provide up-to-the-minute updates on the latest in tech, but without all the complicated jargon that comes along with it. In other words, these are the top mobile, computer and gadget sites (plus one oddball you’ll thank me for sharing) in plain English anyone can understand and enjoy.
1. Mashable – This comprehensive tech source offers the latest news on social media, technology and what is known as ‘Web culture.’ Mashable is the top A-list site for many tech professionals, but the beautiful part about it is you don’t necessarily have to be one to understand and enjoy the content here. Read about the latest Web & tech news, trends and website reviews in addition to tons of other related topics, all covered by Mashable.
2. Wired.com – The Website of the biggest tech magazine in the US (and other countries) is by far one of the best resources on technology in virtually every industry you can think of. From gadgets and mobile to cars, entertainment and even politics, Wired.com has a top-notch team of writers that offers well-written engaging content for both professionals and laypersons.
3. CNET Blogs – CNET.com is the technology mecca of millions of users worldwide, mostly thanks to the site’s reputation of being a reliable consumer electronics reviewer. But many users who frequent this site are oblivious to the blogs collection CNET offers. Written by the CNET staff, the tech blogs (over 40 of them!) offer a great resource on an almost exhaustive array of fields, including new and upcoming products, Apple, Android, robotics, gaming, digital media. health and many other issues. If you’re looking to explore more fields of interesting technology, the CNET Blogs are for you.
4. NY Times’ Bits Blog – This plain-English tech blog by the NY Times covers “start-ups, tech leaders like Google and Apple, enterprise technology,government policies and the way the Internet is changing how we live and work.” Although the New York Times will soon adopt a paywall (meaning paid subscriptions), The Bits blog is a rare find because it discusses sophisticated tech ideas and concepts in the form of engaging, easily understandable content form.
To listen to the Tech Talk Podcast shown above click here.
5. Motherboard – Although the Motherboard’s Video Room is what makes it special in my view, this beautifully designed tech resource is a top site in and of itself, and it’s the oddball I talked about in the beginning of the post. Motherboard focuses on technology, but from a different perspective; it’s a “celebration of the diversity and eclecticism of the culture that surrounds technology.” You will find here unique, well-written tech stories and posts you wouldn’t have expected to come across on a conventional tech site.
6. Techi – The fun site of the bunch, Techi is all about the groovy side of technology in addition to the standard tech news coverage it offers. This serious-but-laid-back website is a cool resource to visit regularly, and if you’d like to dive right in, I suggest starting with the Offbeat section. See the video below, Lego Ship in a Bottle. You see? Technology is FUNtastic!
7. All Facebook – Although it might seem a bit pretentious to list a Facebook-specific blog here on the Top 10 Tech sites list, All Facebook most certainly delivers. Get all the latest news on the world’s most famous social network ever -both good and bad- from this unofficial Facebook resource. Learn what new apps are available, what people are Liking the most and where this social giant is heading.
8. CNN.com Tech – CNN is great at delivering breaking news and covering current affairs, but their Tech section online is just as admirable and informative. Excluding too geeky tech terms, CNN Technology delivers the hottest news in computers, Internet and technological innovation for everyone to consume and understand.
9. Digital Trends – Delivering large doses of Tech news with a hint of entertainment and design, Digital Trends is an aesthetic Tech news provider that aims to help readers make the most out of their “hi-tech lifestyles” by offering updates, reviews and editorial concerning “trendsetting consumer technology products and services.” This site is a sort of a trend chaser, bringing you the hottest tech news of the day.
10. All My Faves Tech – To explore additional top technology sites and blogs, why not visit All My Faves’ Tech MiniFaves page and have it all in one place?
All My Faves, the chosen visual homepage of over 5 million users worldwide just got better! We have completed our transition to the new design to create an even better All My Faves experience, on our homepage, the site’s various content pages and on your personalized MyFaves pages. This is hot news, and we’ve even published a press release letting the world know. Here’s a quick peep of the homepage’s new look:
So what does the new design mean to you? Well, first and foremost, the revamped website and the new menus give you quick and easy access to all the content available on AllMyFaves. In addition, we’ve made the entire collection of our designated Mini Faves pages available to you in one easy menu click. Whatever area you are interested in, simply hover over ‘Mini Faves’ and the entire list will appear (ordered alphabetically) – see it below.
Looking for some of the pages you loved visiting in the previous design version of All My Faves? You can find them all, simply hover your mouse over ‘Categories’ and you will get to your favorite games, blogs, education, business, entertainment pages in no time.
Go ahead and play with the newly designed allmyfaves.com site, and see how it feels. For any sort of feedback, please do drop us a line and tell us what’s on you mind – we’d love to hear it: info@allmyfaves.com
Reason – With the underlining principles of “liberty and individual choice in all areas of human activity,” the online site of printed magazine Reason offers an unconventional approach to politics and culture coverage. Moreover, Reason presents itself as a voice positioned outside the left and right-wing arenas.
Reason is not part of any giant content conglomerate, but is rather funded by a non-profit organization, the Reason Foundation pushing forward “free minds and free markets.” So what sort of articles will you find on Reason Online? An array of well-written posts that entice your analytical sense and make you think about current affairs in an active, rather than passive way. The first example I would like to share is The Unschooled Life, an interview with bOING bOING’s Mark Frauenfelder. Our Leaky World by Jesse Walker is another example of Reason Online’s blissful content. Time to make your own mind about what’s going on in America and beyond.
Brisbane Floods Before and After – The recent floods in Australia have hit the Brisbane area the hardest, leaving entire residential and commercial neighborhoods in a wet mess. See the before and after photos for yourself, courtesy of ABC News, Australia. Simply hover your mouse courser over each photo to see the difference. Any additional commentary would be superfluous. Here’s an example of before and after the flood at Rocklea, Brisbane.
Audioboo – This UK based company offers a terrific service allowing users to “record audio while on the move and add as much useful data to it as possible, such as photos, tags and location.” Although the Audioboo service’s full fledged benefits are ideal for mobile (currently offering an app for iPhone and Android), a PC interface is also available which allows you to both listen to and upload ‘boos’ as they call it.
What I found particularly interesting is the sharing aspect of Audioboo; you can follow or be followed via RSS subscriptions and iTunes’ podcast option. Sharing and following has become a must in practically every content producing website these days, and Audioboo has made great use of it. I recommend exploring Audioboo’s Channels selection (most are radio stations) as these offer intriguing discussions in various areas of interest. My current favorite ‘boo’ is the BBC London Channel. To learn more about Audioboo see the introduction video below.
Intro to Audioboo from Mark Rock on Vimeo.
Totally Cool Pix – The Weekly Blog winner from earlier this month made it to last week’s Weekly Faves collection, and for an evidently good reason. Totally Cool Pix is an amazing resource of phenomenal photography, capturing compelling, surprising and inspiring photos from around the world showing current affairs and news in image form. The anonymous creators of Totally Cool Pix select only the absolute best photographs out there, offering semi-professionals to submit their work in exchange for $100-$150, and proper credit on the site.
To explore the visual wonders of Totally Cool Pix, I suggest starting with the two photo galleries, Top Pictures of 2010 Part 1 and Part 2. Please note that some photos show graphic images of real people, but then again, the true power of story telling often entails such depictions. Below I have included a beautiful photo* by Adam Hunger I found on Totally Cool Pix which he had taken for Reuters, showing what Black Friday was like for many of Americans last month.
*The photo has been re-sized to fit the dimensions of this blog. To see its original size and annotation, please click here.
