Link Clearance

I’m online a lot. Probably too much for my own good. But that means I discover many things. And a lot of times, they’re the coolest things.

Notice: There may be overlap between categories. I place them based on my opinion.

Online Services

  • Google RSS Reader: Google’s RSS Feed reader is my PRIMARY method of keeping up to date on news and information from a wide variety of sources. I’ve tried several downloadable RSS/Atom feed readers, and none of them had the ease of use that Google’s web-based service provides. (http://reader.google.com).
  • Google Docs (Online Word Processing): Need to create a Word Document, but you don’t have Word? Or heck, it’s not even your personal computer? Then fear no more. Google Docs is an online suite of Powerpoint, Excel, and Word replacements. They tremendously lack the advanced features that the Microsoft products have, but for a web-based suite, they do a helluva job. (http://docs.google.com).
  • Google Maps is by far the best online map software available. Used in many portable devices, the original web version provides street-level images, street maps, satellite maps, directions, walking guides, and bus schedules. (http://maps.google.com).

Information Security

Socially-Driven Networking & Media

  • Facebook is a leftover from my college days. Anyone who doesn’t know what Facebook is should really use Wikipedia to learn about it. (http://www.facebook.com).
  • Wikipedia, it’s my favorite source of possibly misleading information on the web. It’s a great starting point to begin real research. (http://en.wikipedia.org).
  • Digg is one of the first “socially driven” news article sites. Essentially, users submit stories & links from other sources, and these links get voted up (dugg) or voted down (buried) by the user base. The most popular links make the front page. (http://www.digg.com).
  • Reddit is a Digg look-a-like. I don’t know who came first, and I don’t really care. It provides content in a nearly exact style to Digg. (http://www.reddit.com).
  • YouTube. Do I need to explain this? User videos. Lots of them. (http://www.youtube.com).

Photography

  • B&H Photo Video is the photographer’s Amazon. Anyone who’s serious in photography knows that B&H is the go-to place for camera and photography equipment and supplies. They’re known as one of the MOST REPUTABLE camera store in NYC (and the world). Beware buying from smaller outfits that might give a slight discount over B&H — camera stores have the same reputation as snaky used car dealerships. Their return policy is top notch. (http://www.bhphoto.com).
  • Digital Photographer Review: Looking for the latest photography reviews and previews? Need to ask a question to a forum of real-world experts? Digital Photography Review is my number one stop when I need specs on a camera. (http://www.dpreview.com).
  • Google Picasa Online Photo Albums: Want to share photos online? I prefer Google’s Picasa Web Albums. They’re easy to use, clean interface, and have few silly restrictions. (http://picasaweb.google.com).
  • Flickr: Looking for a photography community to share photos? Flickr beats out Google in that regard. HUGE community to share and comment on other’s photos. (http://www.flickr.com).
  • Deviant Art: Looking for an art community, like Flicker, but for your drawings and more “artistic” photographs? Deviant Art is the place to go. There’s some overlap of content with Flickr, but the focus is greatly more on the artistic side. (http://www.deviantart.com).

Shopping & E-commerce

  • Craigslist Classifieds: Need to sell something? Sure, you have your usual auction sites. But if you want to sell locally, nothing beats Craigslist. It’s free for buyers, free for sellers, and it’s socially moderated. That means, no corporate force is looking out for you – not like eBay ever did much though. You will need to specify the nearest metropolitan area to where you live. (http://www.craigslist.org).
  • eBay. Online auction site. The largest. (http://www.ebay.com).
  • Half.com. Sister company to eBay. Sells used media (books, cds, movies) in a non-auction format. (http://www.half.com).
  • Amazon: Need to buy something new or used? Want to get the average prices for items? Need customer reviews? Amazon.com does that. They may not be the cheapest. They may not have the biggest selection. Their customer reviews might be biased. But I go there first to research almost any retail product, just to get background information that’s reasonably accurate. (http://www.amazon.com).
  • Newegg is the computer geek’s Amazon. Sure, Amazon has tech stuff, but Newegg specializes in it. They sell everything from hard drives to routers to laptops to blenders. What, blenders? Their RMA (return) policy is top notch. (http://www.newegg.com).
  • SlickDeals.net is a hot deal forum website. Users submit current “hot deals” — the most popular of which hit the front page. These deals may be a new low price, a short time only sale, or a price mistake. Results for each deal may vary, and timing is everything. (http://www.slickdeals.net).
  • Techbargains.com is a very similar site to SlickDeals, mainly focusing on consumer electronics and consumer-level IT hardware. (http://www.techbargains.com).
  • Woot! is the first “deal of the day” website. Instead of selling a store of products, they sell one item per day, at a significantly discounted price. They often have promotions such as “two for tuesday” and “woot-offs”, which are a rapid-fire selling of products one after another for a day or two. (http://www.woot.com).
  • Steep and Cheap is a clone of Woot!, but they specialize in outdoor accessories. They sell an item until it’s sold out, then a new one appears. (http://www.steepandcheap.com).
  • Kayak Airline Deal Finder: Need to buy an airline ticket? Kayak allows you to find great deals by specifying a number of factors other than the usual, such as layover duration and number of stops. They search many of the major airlines as well as other airline deal sites. (http://www.kayak.com).

Online Media & Entertainment

  • Hulu Online TV: Watch TV and movies online. For free. Legally. No, seriously, almost every major broadcaster supports Hulu. It’s ad-supported, but a 30 second commercial is far better than 5 minute ads any day. (http://www.hulu.com).

Miscellaneous Interesting Things

Articles

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