50 THINGS YOU NEVER KNEW THE NET COULD DO Plus some map sites, in no particular order
1) Create CD covers
To create you own CD covers for your favourite bands, simply type in the name of a music CD you only have a 'back-up' of, and it will print out a CD-case shaped PDF with all the track and artist information on it. Of course, I know you'll only do this if you already have the legit version. From Eminem to Jethro Tull, there are thousands of artists and CDs listed. (Dec 02)
2) Do a photofit
If you've ever seen one of those photofits on the television that usually do the rounds following a nasty crime, you'll be right at home at Flash Face. This site enables you to build your own face using a photo-fit kit that includes hundreds of different facial components. As well as building a head, you can save and send your creations via email, too. (Dec 02)
3) Trace IPs
Emails carry all kinds of hidden information that can help you track down their origin and Samspade.org can help you to make sense of these little nuggets. If you use Outlook Express select an email, right-click the email, scroll down to properties and paste the IP number (217.206.206.174, for example) into the Do Stuff box at Samspade. (Dec 02)
4) Get your own bots
There is a theory around that one day the Internet will solely be made up of bots. Email autoresponders will inform one another of their owners' whereabouts, chat bots will debate with each other into the early hours and game bots will fight to the death. We will be obsolete. You can speed up this process by finding all the AI bots you need at this fine site. (Dec 02)
5) Play arcade games
http://projectx.cyberfuturism.com
Im not entirely sure about the legal implications of using Marvel comic heroes in your Shockwave creations but this arcade-style game is certainly addictive. X-Men Vs Street Fighter enables you to play alone or you can take on others via the excellent multi-player option. Good, clean fighting fun. (Dec 02)
6) Learn Kung Fu
http://www.evolver.co.uk/wayofthestick.html
Beating people up is fun as long as you're doing it online and not outside your local Spar. The Way of the Stick puts you in control of the ass-kicking action when previously, we were happy to simply watch stick men battling to the death. You'll be playing this for hours (well, a good few minutes, at least) and your friends will thank you for forwarding the link. (Dec 02)
7) Join a virtual world
Avatar-based chat rooms (that's when you control a little graphical representation of you) used to be hopeless. You'd wait minutes for each room to download and if you got more than four or five characters on screen things could quickly go awry. Habbo Hotel is much better than these initial offerings, though, and well worth a visit. (Dec 02)
8) Google by phone
http://labs.google.com/gvs.html
Google is currently testing new software that enables you to call a number, (shame its an American one ...) say your keywords and then have your results instantly appear on screen. FREAKY! Real world uses aren't obvious (it could possibly be a useful tool for those with disabilities) but it's a beta product and you have to commend Google for pushing the envelope in developing this service. (Dec 02)
9) Compile your news
http://www.disobey.com/amphetadesk
Trawling the Net for the latest news and information can be a bit of a nightmare. You spend so long looking for the current affairs that will interest you that by the time you think you're up to date with world events you have to start all over again! That's where AmphetaDesk can help. It downloads the news you want and displays it in a Web page on your desktop. (Dec 02)
10) Name that tune
There's a song that you don't know the name of and it's been irritating you for weeks. So, you dial Shazam 2580 on your mobile, hold your mobile towards the music and you are almost instantly sent a text message with the name of the song. If you sign up at the site the song will be stored and you can then buy the music from a Shazam partner. Genius. (Dec 02)
11) Create a fart
You're right, of course you are. It's puerile and immature, and lots other words that basically mean the same thing, but there are thousands of people out there who will be sending a fart before you finish reading this paragraph. One tries to cater to all sorts, even those who still laugh at the passing of wind. (Dec 02)
12) Find a phrase
Phrase Finder is the perfect remedy to writer's block. You have ten minutes to come up with a snappy headline or witty euphemism and your brain has gone the way of the dodo, what do you do? Well, you enter your keywords into Phrase Finder and it returns phrases that include or relate to your words of choice. It's not free, though, so check out the dictionary first. (Dec 02)
13) Flick nuts at squirrels
The bare bones of the game are standard online fodder but the beauty of Peanut!! is in the surreal premise of the game (It's in the Action/Adventure section... I cannot imagine why). You basically have to flick nuts past three squirrels named Goolie, Scratch and Sniff, you're drunk and the action takes place on a pub table. (Dec 02)
14) Get viral
Some people feel the need to forward every link of any worth they receive to their entire address book and although we often curse them, without these serial forward merchants, we'd never get to see half of the cool stuff we do. If you don't have a lot of friends, however, Viral Bank archives the emails doing the rounds so you won't miss out. (Dec 02)
15) Translate
http://babelfish.altavista.com
Babelfish is a great way to translate that Russian porn spam you've just received or impress your friends by sending rambling emails in Korean. It also offers more practical purposes, such as doing your French homework for you. Be warned, though, Babelfish doesn't always translate correctly. (Dec 02)
16) Stalk someone
The reason for 192.com's reputation as an Internet bad boy is down to the fact that, with a standard membership costing a few pounds, you can track down pretty much anyone you like. There are some positive benefits, though, such as finding old friends and tracking down people that owe you money. (Dec 02)
17) Build with Lego
http://www.lego.com/build/games
Lego holds a special place in most of our hearts and there's something comforting about those little knobbly blocks. Thanks to the designers at the Lego Web site, we can now build Lego to our heart's content and never have to worry about losing another piece. Remember, on the Internet, you never have to worry about virtual Lego getting stuck up your nose. (By the way, you don't have to register.) (Dec 02)
18) Watch movies
Major studios are now moving quickly to wrestle back some of the money they are losing to Net pirates. A recent deal by Warner Bros With Microsoft owned CinemaNow means you can download the latest movie releases for the price of a rental DVD or Video. About time, too, we say. (Dec 02)
19) Cut up a frog
I had to cut up many frogs as part of my education sometimes with very funny asides as did millions of other people, but one may not think it's very fair on the frog. Froguts features a virtual dissection of one of our little green buddies and if you're faint hearted we'd suggest you don't go anywhere near this site. If you can't contain your curiosity, however, get your scalpel ready! (Dec 02)
20) Learn Blackjack
Gambling can be fun if you do it in moderation and only risk what you can afford to lose, but any edge you can get has to be worth a shot. Hit or Stand is a Web site that enables you to hone your card-playing skills - beware, though, Blackjack is far from simple. (Dec 02)
21) Play golf
Electrotank has a host of cool games you can play online but the one that could get you hooked is Mini Golf. Playing by yourself can help you while away a few minutes but it's when you discover the multi-player online option that you may as well kiss goodbye to the next few hours. The chat option also enables you to taunt the victims of your mighty putter. (Dec 02)
22) Time travel
The Internet evolves at such at rate that it's often hard to keep up. Just think of the amount of redesigns the BBC's various Web sites have had since launching, or even .net magazines home page (the mag these links came from), and you'll discover a expeditious rate of change. Thankfully, the Internet Archive has been set up to store past incarnations of your favourite Web pages of the past. (Dec 02)
23) Be a judge
it's not the most mentally stimulating site on the Net by any stretch of the imagination, but if programs like Judge Judy and Jerry Springer rank among your favourites then this site, where you judge on a variety of offences, will be right up your street. (Dec 02)
24) Order a pizza
Not everywhere has its own Domino's pizza place but if you're one of the lucky ones, then there's a whole world of Internet action at your fingertips. Simply log on to Dominos.co.uk and enter your postcode. God willing, you will be in reach of pizza heaven and you can continue with your order online. (One in Edinburgh, I think). You can either go down the basic route or create your own masterpiece. (Dec 02)
25) Psychological evaluations
We shouldn't be so quick to discount all the new theories we encounter online because some may have grounding in fact - take colorgenics, for example. Thousands of people are jumping on the colorgenics bandwagon and via this site, you can get a free psychoanalysis via some coloured cubes. (Dec 02)
26) Find the cream
Stumbleupon integrates into your browser and connects you to a network of critics that rate the best sites. When you want to go to a quality site you select the topic and then click the Stumble! Button. Alternatively, you can just randomly Stumble! for hours on end not knowing where the wind will take you. (Dec 02)
27) Learn Spanish
http://www.studyspanish.com/index.htm
Penelope Cruz is coming to town and she's just told a local newspaper that there's nothing she loves more in a man than a mastery of the Spanish tongue - which you don't speak. What do you do? Learn it online, that's what. This jam-packed resource has everything you'll need to get started with the language. (Dec 02)
28) Get free comics
For a site to hold your attention and have you hang on every word that flashes on the screen, it has to be something special and Broken Saints is one of very few sites that make you forget you're online. In essence, it's an online comic, but the team have realised the Net's strengths and weaknesses, created the comic accordingly and come up with a winning formula. (Dec 02)
29) Print your photos
So you now have a shiny digital camera and some great images stored on your PC but you want to get some prints made up. You could burn your images on to a CD, take a trip into town and have your local developer sort you out. Or, you could go online, upload your pics, buy an assortment of prints and have them delivered the next day. We know the option we'd go for. (Dec 02)
30) Get a pet
Do you ever feel like your boss is just pushing all the wrong buttons? Or maybe they do everything right and make your working life a breeze. Now you can be your own boss and control your own futuristic employee (Metapet). You can stimulate them (with drugs!), reward them (with stress balls and plaques) and if they're happy and productive, the share price will rocket. (Dec 02)
31) Fight spam
The majority of us now receive spam on a daily basis. Spam, the term for bulk mailing that originates from the Monty Python 'spam, spam, spam' sketch, is one of the biggest annoyances on the Net and once one company has your email, you get inundated with the stuff. Spamcop enables you to report spammers and it will then report them to their ISP. (Dec 02)
32) Be a DJ
Technology has made music accessible to more people than ever before and the majority of PCs are now capable of producing music that wouldn't sound out of place in the top ten. The Net is pushing mixing and music to the next level, though, and you can now mix your own music via Web sites such as Looplabs. (Dec 02)
33) Buy geek goodies
'You're just a big kid!' It's an accusation that's been levelled at the majority of computer users at one time or other and Web sites like Think Geek don't help matters. Here, you can buy the latest geek goodies, such as dayglow neon strips to attach to your PC or the latest MP3 jukebox and basically any product with caffeine in it - except coffee, strangely enough. (Dec 02)
34) Save the forest
Continued destruction of the world's rainforests cannot continue at the current rate. In our lifetimes, we will see the extinction (in the wild) of great apes like the orang-utan and gorilla unless we combat deforestation and you can make a difference. Tell Tony Blair what you think via Greenpeace's SaveOrDelete Web site. (Dec 02)
35) Find a gun
Thankfully, this is a US-based Web site that enables you to search quickly and easily for the gun of your choice will never make it to our shores - but it's still a pretty scary place. You'd think recent events might quell the fascination many people in the US seem to have with violence and guns - doesn't look like it though. (Dec 02)
36) Play with Otto and Iris
This site is one of the best on the Net for kids. Not only are there fantastic games for them to play in this virtual world but the unique 3D environment in which Otto and Iris live is an entire town of games and puzzles that will keep little ones (and bigger ones) happy for hours. (Dec 02)
37) Find people
I agree that many of you already know about the great site that Is Yell.co.uk but for those who don't, this is one of the best resources on the Net. Whether you're looking for a restaurant, hairdresser or bricklayer, Yell will be able to help you out and provide details such as addresses, phone numbers and maps. (Dec 02)
38) Graffiti online
We don't want you to get arrested but if you're into graffiti we don't want you to stop that either, so why not go online and paint on a virtual wall ensuring you stay out of prison and don't suffer from aerosol inhalation. You can try your hand at graffiti or view other people's work. (Dec 02)
39) Pay your bills
None of us like paying bills but anything that can make the red tape of council payments any easier can't be a bad thing. BillPay is a Web-based system that enables you to pay the plethora of council, utility and tax bills and whether you're a business user or just trying to simplify your life, the site is well worth a visit. (Dec 02)
40) Do a jigsaw
You have to be of a certain disposition to enjoy doing jigsaw puzzles and if you like them, you'll love this Web site. There are enough jigsaws here to keep you going for weeks on end. Completing the six-piece budgerigar classic was about as good as we got but we're sure you can do better. (Dec 02)
41) Fridge magnet
http://www.savetz.com/fridge/fridge.cgi
If you're the person that writes the rude messages with fridge magnets when you go round to a friend's house then you'll love this Web site. Leave your most ingenious fridge magnet message for everyone on the Internet to comment on. (Dec 02)
42) Automatic Talking Machine
Type anything you like into the text field on this Web site and it will convert it into speech for you. You can select a male or a female voice and you can also view an archive of what people have requested the Talking Machine to say in the last few months, but be prepared for some profanity. (Dec 02)
43) Get bad news
http://www.inboxrobot.com/news/weird
Bad news sells. Take a look at any major newspaper or news broadcaster and the news they're covering will, more often than not, be bad. This isn't because those setting the news agenda are evil, rather that people are more interested in bad than good. This site caters for lovers of bad news all over the world. A bit grim, really. (Dec 02)
44) Send a fax
People have never liked really faxes. You stuff a bit of paper in a machine and then it gets sent to another machine that spurts out a bit more paper - way too much paper for our liking. Then there's the obligatory phone calls to check the fax has actually arrived. If you still like faxes, though, you can send and receive them online which makes them a little better, one supposes. There is a trial bit, but eventually one has to pay. (Dec 02)
45) Use a light saber
http://www.guerrestellari.it/slas.html
For children of the Star Wars generation, the light saber holds a special place in our hearts. The majority of us have, at some point, mimicked the famous saber tones and now you can try out a whole host of light sabers online (complete with sound effects). (Dec 02)
46) Make cocktails
You've got friends coming round for a bit of a do and you want to impress. You can't cook for toffee and the last time you performed your favourite party trick the neighbours called the police. What you need is a cocktail to spice things up. This huge database of cocktails should throw up some interesting results. (Dec 02)
47) Find a route
http://www.theaa.com/travelwatch/planner_main.jsp
Getting from A to B on the nation's roads has never been so simple thanks to the AA's Route Planner service online. You just enter where you're starting from, where you're going and anywhere you'd like to visit along the way and AA Route Planner will supply you with instructions on the fastest way to get there. (Dec 02)
48) Buy a star
According to the resident love doctor, there's nothing more romantic, when accompanied by a glass of chilled wine and Belgium chocolates, than the purchase of a star for your loved one. Quite what owning your own star entails, Im not entirely sure, but you can do it online now anyway. (Dec 02)
49) Search newsgroups
Newsgroups are one of the most useful areas on the Internet. Whatever your area of interest it's likely that there's a newsgroup to cater for it but did you know that, unless you have taken steps to prevent it, everything you ever post on a newsgroup has been stored? Just type your name into groups.google.com and see what it returns. (Dec 02)
50) Watch Alex
Alex is a crazy Dutch dude who has put his entire life online. When the doorbell is pushed a picture is taken and posted on his Web site. A graph is plotted of his toilet usage. The bar codes of everything he throws in the bin are scanned. The cat flap is rigged. Why? Your guess is as good as mine. This guy is a blogger (from weBlog) its a Japanese thing that one is now seeing more in the west. (Dec 02)
Map 1) The AA
Once you have cut through the advertising there is a good route planner lurking beneath. (Jan 03)
Map 2) Green Flag
This is one of the best general motoring sites since it started. Options in the mapping section for fastest and shortest routes always help ones selection, as well as viewing options for directions. (Jan 03)
Map 3) StreetMap
A good street mapping service, though no great route planning side to it. Good zoom and detail, taken from the OS maps of the areas. (Jan 03)
Map 4) Shell Geostar
Not surprisingly these maps have all the Shell petrol stations shown on them now there is a thing But the site is excellent in many ways. You can search for hotels, holiday homes, resturants and places of interst among other things. (Jan 03)
Map 5) MSN MapPoint
What a shame Microsoft impresses again at least this service is free. The basic maps etc. are taken from the MapPoint software and works very well. Things available is turn-by-turn directions as well the reverse directions ofr the journey home, all via a mouse click. (Jan 03)
Map 6) MultiMap
Since its launch in 1996 it became the No. 1 directory online, and remains in the top 10 of visited sites. Not really surprising, as it has a lot of the things you want from a mapping service, as well as lots of local information if and when you need it. Oh, yes you can also buy hi res aerial photos of where you live, if they have the photo. Europe and the States are also available for mapping, if you so desire.(Jan 03)
Map 7) RAC
Interactive maps offer an alternative to static ones (you can zoom in and out and measure things & more besides), and the directions are supremely easy to follow. (Jan 03)
Map 8) Michelin
A good set of maps, information and local info all reasonably accessable, as well as the inevitable online store. Map quality is pretty spot on as well. (Jan 03)
(first 50 links gleaned from .net magazine, December 2002. The maps mostly from PCPlus March 2003 both from Future Publishing,)