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Zahid H Javali From the helpful to the unique, the big hitters to the unknown, here is a road map to the best of the Web

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he world has, indeed, become a global village, thanks to the ubiquitous Internet. And the myriad products, services and technologies doing the rounds on the World Wide Web have impacted our life and work as never before. But large volumes do not necessarily indicate impeccable quality or utility. In fact, it is hard to sift through the clutter and find the real gems that are rocking the cyberspace. A few renowned organisations run litmus tests of their own and come up with lists of best websites. Only recently, TIME has released a list of 50 best websites of 2010. This glorified Web roster tradition is now in its sixth year and sites are listed under 10 specific categories. But for many, the list is anti-climactic and for others, it looks like an eyeopener, urging them to explore the Web even more. At Live IT, too, we have been fascinated by the concept of talent hunt on the World Wide Web and have decided to showcase the top 20 websites worth their salt. Of course, not all the sites discussed here feature in the TIME list. Our experts have highlighted a few home-grown performers as well, to be in sync with our life and style. So, here come the winners two in each category to make the 20 most comprehensive and useful sites. Without further ado, pillage forth and make the most of them. Happy surfing!
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MUSIC & VIDEO

Vimeo (www.vimeo.com)
If you want to watch high definition videos on just about anything under the sun, you should straightaway head for Vimeo a community of creative people who are passionate about sharing the videos they make. The videos are well shot, to say the least. But the content is also insightful, experimental and entertaining totally different from run of the mill video sites. And the best part of it? You can upload your own videos and let the Vimeo community comment on it to make your product even more impactful. However, you need to have super fast bandwidth, the likes of 3G, to make the most of this site and enjoy the visuals on show. The other day, we have watched an exploration in nostalgia. Aptly titled World of Motion, it is a tribute to mans various achievements in transportation and technology. But the video that has grabbed our eyeballs is Classroom. It is a 3D computer generated scene that takes a closer look at a typical classroom and tells you a different story. Yet another visual delight is The Ugly Square. With the premise declaring that in a square world, something isnt right, this six minute stop motion animation in colour paper has taken our breath away. So what does Vimeo offer besides shorts? You can explore their staff blog. You can sift through the categories to examine the ever changing catalogue of Vimeos content and active communities. You can also be a member of various groups and share your videos with people who have similar

interests. Make the most of the Channels section its a simple way for anyone to showcase and watch videos. And you can be a part of Projects a platform where you can participate in fun Vimeo projects initiated by other members; otherwise, start your own. If you are too keen to explore Vimeo more, just upgrade to Vimeo Plus (you need to pay an annual fee of $59.95). The advantages are many get 5 GB of storage space; upload unlimited videos in high resolution and watch them without the frustrating commercial breaks.

Grooveshark (http://listen.grooveshark.com/)
Happiness, discovery and freedom. Thats what Grooveshark offers. Pray how? By helping you find any song and ensuring that you can listen to it instantly. By introducing you to new music and new friends. By giving you the freedom to add your tunes to Grooveshark and access them from anywhere in the world. In fact, it becomes your very own and totally customised online music player. As a result, your iPod may soon turn into a stylish but useless paper weight. When you can carry your music wherever

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you go, thanks to the Internet, you dont need to lug an iPod around. Whats more, theres reimbursement for sharing if somebody buys a song that you have just uploaded. Finally, this is a site that doesnt get into the choppy waters of copyright laws and it is not a P2P (peer to peer) sharing network. So you can access millions of songs, without a tinge of guilt. Grooveshark tracks the best users, so you know who can be trusted for delivering quality music. If you want privileged access, become a Grooveshark VIP by paying $3 per month or $30 a year to listen to the music, minus the ads. You will be informed as soon as new features come up and also get Priority Support which means your queries are answered double quick by the site staff. Any track or playlist on Grooveshark whether uploaded by a user, discovered via radio or simply searched for can be easily shared across the most popular social networks. Users can post songs on Twitter, Facebook and StumbleUpon; export them as widgets to be featured on blogs, MySpace and other sites; or simply e mail them as links. Whats more, you can take Grooveshark with you everywhere. Access your favourites, playlists and Groovesharks entire catalogue right from your smartphone. Otherwise, you can have everything on your desktop. The site is really convenient if you are looking for groovy music.

SPORTS
Sports-Reference (www.sports-reference.com)
This handy web resource delivers sports statistics quickly, easily and accurately. If you are looking for the most comprehensive sports statistics in cyberspace, your frantic search stops here. In fact, this is the mother site under which many sports reference sites are nurtured. The Sports Reference site came into being with the launch of Pro Football Reference.com (December, 2000), Baseball Reference.com (April, 2000) and Basketball Reference.com (April, 2004). As business grew, Sean Forman founded Sports Reference Inc. in October, 2004. And in December, 2007, the three groups joined forces with Jay Virshbo to create Sports Reference LLC (based in Pennsylvania). With just two full time employees, they are doing a world of good and helping sports buffs with latest statistics and resources. Take, for instance, Baseball Reference.com. It features baseball statistics from 1871 till date. Complete post season and managerial data are included while Minor League stats date back to 1900, and box scores, game logs and splits are featured since 1954. The site is updated daily to keep you in the know. Similarly, you have Pro Football Reference.com that is home to football statistics and game results. The site includes player,
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coach and team stats; games scores for each team; Pro Bowl selections for each season; extensive leader boards and every draft pick ever selected. However, this site is updated on a weekly basis. If you are a basketball buff, Basketball Reference.com must be your destination for a daily update of professional basketball statistics for every season. The site also includes sections for coaches, awards, leaders and the playoffs. If you are not too keen about those typical American games and want to be closer home, follow our national game instead (er its hockey and not cricket). You will find daily updates and latest statistics about your favourite player, team or league on Hockey Reference.com. You can even analyse players using Power Play. If you are fascinated by all things Olympics, find more than 1.5 lakh pages of data on Sports reference.com/Olympics. It has dedicated pages for every Olympic year, every athlete, every sport, every

country, every event and many more. Quite massive, we must say, but that is the USP of this site and makes it a runaway winner!

Cricinfo (www.cricinfo.com)
After its acquisition by ESPN in 2007, Cricinfo has become the worlds leading cricket website and ranks among the top five single sport sites across the globe. Founded in 1993, the site has always focused on news, features, statistics, as well as ball by ball live coverage of all Tests and one day international matches. The articles published here are often penned by some of the worlds best cricketers and cricket writers. Take, for instance, the latest quotable quote by the sites editor Sambit Bal on the raging match fixing controversy: Sportspersons can sometimes be forgiven for taking adulation for granted, but they must never test, much less abuse, faith. Once shaken, faith is the hardest to restore. And Peter Roebuck sums it up well on the site by saying, Only cricketers can save cricket. Cricinfo also features extensive statistics on 3000 international and 50,000 first class cricketers. Today, it is not only available online, but also resides on a host of mobile platforms and hand held devices. Cricinfo has a thriving user community and reaches out to more than 10 million people every month. The online coverage of the game has become immensely popular for some time now and for good reasons. One rarely has the time to sit through a Test or a one dayer. People even skip 20 20 matches and come back to live sites only to check scores. Plus, the statistics rich nature of the game compels one to visit interfaces where he/she gets the whole story at a glance. For instance, live TV coverage may not always repeat if Tendulkar has achieved yet another milestone. But it will be always up there on the site. That kind of instant data on a platter has helped drive high global usage and built loyalty. And thats how Cricinfo has scored so high. After beginning with scorecards and live scores, the portal pioneered audio and video streaming of cricket matches. Cricinfo did operate independently for a few years before receiving its first major investment from Sify, an Indian IT company, which acquired a major stake in the sports portal. It changed hands four years later when the Wisden Group, which then ran its own cricket website www.wisden.com, bought it. Since then, Cricinfo has built on its reputation for providing

accurate, live scores whenever there is a match on. The site acquired further depth by tapping into Wisdens traditional strengths in terms of comments, analyses and coverage by the worlds leading cricket writers. Now ESPN has joined hands to make Cricinfo a formidable force. So much so, that it is now ranked No. 1 in all major markets.

FAMILY & KIDS

Design Mom (www.designmom.com)
From designing murals on the walls to tips on having another child, this blog excels at keeping the family together with creative ideas for life, style and living. Started by Gabrielle Blair in 2006, Design Mom has acquired a cult following, including the likes of Time magazine that has named it as one of the finest Family & Kids websites of 2010. Gabrielle is a Denver based designer and mother of six. And her site posts all relevant things on where design and motherhood meet. One look at her blog will tell you that she really likes good ideas, pear jelly bellies and cities, and dislikes pain, cilantro and poorly executed pedicures. Since her first child was born, she has gone back and forth between full time and freelance work in advertising and design, depending on what her family needed. And then, she started Design Mom two months after her fifth baby was born. Today, the site has become so popular that she has found herself with an accidental new career. She

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enjoys blogging so much that she is always trying hard to think of ways to keep it fresh. Some things havent worked. But other things have caught on. For example, she is credited with inventing blog giveaways, blog button exchanges and blog fund raising auctions. If you are a first timer to her blog, here are some posts that are a must read: What to Wear To Middle School, Napoleon Dynamite, Our Birth Announcements, Potato Print Clothing, Having Another Child, Young Einstein Birthday Party, Little Red LightHouse Outing, Porch Makeover, Waving Goodbye To The Atlantic Ocean, Build Two Toddler Beds for $75 and Pimp My Ride: Family Edition. These are her favourites, too! aunt column) and regular features about products, fashion, entertainment, travel, trends and health. Babble saves the conscientious parent hours of fruitless research by providing wise, thorough and succinct answers to all important questions. And yes, the site builds a community of like minded parents.

NEWS & INFO

WikiLeaks (www.wikileaks.com)
Before we tell you what this site is all about, first things first. This site is NOT related to Wikipedia. But it may very well become as important a journalistic tool as the Freedom of

Babble (www.babble.com)
Welcome to the site where the length and breadth of information for new generation parents is simply overwhelming. Just sample some of the pieces we have seen the other day: Should leaving kids alone in the car be considered a crime; How to shop for groceries during food safety scares; Can starting school later in the morning help curb childhood obesity rates; How washing raw chicken increases risk of food poisoning; Should elementary school biology classes cover breastfeeding and breast milk nutrition; The real damage in dealing with a crying baby; 19 Healthy Recipes for Kids; Thirty YouTube videos that will amaze you and How to Write a Birth Plan. Whew! Thats a handful. Babble was created because founder Rufus Griscom (who co founded the popular Nerve.com, read his parenting blog momentsinsuccession.com) could not find a magazine or community that helped a new parent. Every publication he encountered presented procreation as a cute and cuddly experience, all pink and powder blue at best an interior decoration opportunity, at worst a housekeeping challenge. None of it was true to the experience he was having and what he saw around him. So what is parenting, really? Well, according to Griscom, its rapturous, backbreaking and hysterically funny. So Babble tells the truth about parenting, bypasses the clichs and digs into the magical and maddening reality. The site explores the world of parenting on a daily basis with ruthless honesty, and with the humour and lyricism natural to the subject. The goal is quite evident: Parents are to raise happy, curious children without fully surrendering their adult lives. With fathers spending twice as much time with their children and more mothers working or finding other ways to stay socially and culturally engaged, this site is manna from heaven for the new generation of dads and moms. The sites primary bestsellers are Strollerderby (the most comprehensive parenting blog on the planet), Parental Advisory (the agony
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Information Act. Well, thats not what we say; the Time magazine is saying it. And we second that. No wonder this site is fast gaining ground for its information leaks that can topple people and positions. Thats why China has banned it (but encrypted connections bypass this blockade). Thanks to the Pentagon Papers leaked by an insider, the Vietnam War came to an end much before it was supposed to. Or take the Kenyan case history. Before the 2007 national elections in December, WikiLeaks exposed $3,000,000,000 of Kenyan corruption and swung the votes by 10 per cent. This led to enormous changes in the constitution and the establishment of a more open government. You can call WikiLeaks as the first intelligence agency of the people. Take the February, 2010, leak

that talks about the CIA Red Cell Memorandum on the United States about exporting terrorism. Or the final UK NL offer to the government of Iceland dated February 19, 2010. Or better still, the document that talks about a plan by the US Intelligence to destroy WikiLeaks, dated March 18, 2008. So what is WikiLeaks? It is a multi jurisdictional public service designed to protect whistleblowers, journalists and activists who have sensitive materials to communicate to the public. Since July, 2007, the site has worked across the globe to obtain, publish and defend such materials, and fight in the legal and political spheres for the broader principles on which their work is based. Their belief is that transparency in government activities leads to reduced corruption, better government and stronger democracies. All governments can benefit from increased scrutiny by the world community, as well as their own people. However, this scrutiny requires information. And historically, that information has been costly in terms of human life and human rights. But with technological advances the Internet and cryptography the risks of conveying important information can be much lower. Here is where WikiLeaks comes into the scenario. The promoters also believe that it is not only the people of one country that keep their government honest, but also the people of other countries who are watching the governments acts. That is why they believe the time has come for an anonymous global avenue for disseminating documents the public should see. So are you the reader or the whistle blower?

Elections shouldnt be about sifting out the hypocrites among candidates. We should simply decide what sort of hypocrite we prefer.

EDUCATION
Livemocha (www.livemocha.com)
Want to learn Arabic or Mandarin for free, and at your own leisure and pace? This site will get you going the moment you sign up. Yes, it is that focused and helpful. Learning foreign language is made easy here you can start with nouns and move on to pronouns or vice versa and progress gradually. Opt for the beginner or the intermediate course and converse with native speakers to get a real world hang of the language. Something that you cannot do if you are using CD ROMs or going to language schools in India. No wonder, Livemocha is

Arts & Letters Daily (www.aldaily.com)

Robert Ludlum died in 2001, but has published five thrillers since. Literary fingernails grow even as the writers corpse rots in its coffin. Thats how stories begin in this part of cyberspace. It is the Arts & Letters Daily, a website that has links to the finest magazines, newspapers and book reviews on the World Wide Web. It is a reservoir of all things important and all things cool (19 newspapers, 84 magazines, 70 columnists and 36 book reviews at last count). Once you get hooked to it, you will not associate the Internet without it. From analysing things like why parents are more likely to give an uncommon name to a girl rather than to a boy or considering actor Gwyneth Paltrows little Apple (her daughter, in case you are not aware) to discussing about the real Pinocchio who was an aggressive rebel, an anarchist like Huck Finn, ALDaily brings us the best of the Web. If you are looking for some vignettes on life, here are some bizarre facts gleaned from the site: G Bobby Fischer called chess psychic murder. No wonder he left the game. Staying would have meant waiting for someone to rise from the ranks and kill him. G John Le Carres prose is now cartoonishly slack with its flowery clichs. He never met an adverb or adjective he didnt like. G Love and sex with robots. If advances in artificial intelligence continue, your next lover may have an on/off switch.
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the worlds largest online language learning community, offering free and paid online courses (from Pearson Education and Harper Collins) in 35 languages. Till date, more than six million members from over 200 countries have benefited from this venture. In a world hungry for new language skills, and empowered by increasing broadband Internet access and VOIP (voice over Internet protocol) adoption, Livemochas mission is to provide a more accessible, affordable and engaging way to help you learn a foreign tongue. Of course, you get the skills you require at a price that you can afford. But the site is more than just a great deal. When you enter Livemochas community, it is like travelling around the world without the costs involved. With unlimited practice opportunities and helpful reminders to keep up your progress, you can study at your own pace, repeat lessons as you wish and access more languages, learning partners and cultural tips that you would never get from a CD ROM or a text book. However, if you are looking to translate a 1,000 page dissertation or write text in an ancient language, this project is not for you. But for learning practical, real life language skills, Livemocha is your ticket. It helps you build the confidence you need to speak a new language. So, become a linguist. Now! there is a Help section for that. No wonder, the site registers over one million visitors every month. And the best way to get started is to sign up for their newsletter that will update you on whats new and most sought after course at MIT. Explore. Enjoy. And empower yourself !

HEALTH & FITNESS

MIT OpenCourseWare (www.ocw.mit.edu)

It puts a previously untouchable subject within reach for anyone who is interested, says Wendy Ermold, a self learner in the USA. And he is right the website of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has decided to unlock its knowledge repository and empower minds. Pray how? By offering free lecture notes, exams and videos from MIT. No registration is required here. In fact, it is as convenient as it can get. From separate sections on Most Visited Courses to Editors Picks, the site is also helpful in content presentation. With audio/video courses, translated courses and new courses, it completes the picture of all round learning in the best possible way. Admission to MIT is tough, as the best brains across the globe vie with each other to gain an entry there. People who want to become scientists or technocrats will almost inevitably go to MIT. If you belong to that category or simply want to upgrade your skill sets with the best of what is taught in the world, this is the right opportunity. Getting started is easy on this site. Glance through various departments and choose the category before you get to the actual specialty. You will find courses which used to be taught 10 years ago but seem to be extremely relevant even today (for example, Classical Mechanics). You also get to look up the latest in the learning sphere like how to repair a Hubble telescope. So it is a complementary mix of the old and the new that keeps you going back for more. From Aeronautics and Astronautics to Athletics and Recreation to Brain, from Cognitive Sciences to Experimental Study Group to Music and Theater Arts to the Sloan School of Management, the choices are many. There are exams and solutions, so you can practise what you learn. Also, 50 new courses are added every year and 100 old courses are updated at the same time. If you have questions,
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Exercise TV (www.exercisetv.tv/)
This site is your virtual fitness trainer and effectively meets all your fitness requirements. Exercise TV should be your online destination for all things fitness and we will tell you what all it offers. You get hundreds of free online workout videos led by the worlds top trainers, weight loss advice through online blogs and an online health and fitness community where your queries on health, nutrition, weight loss and exercise are promptly answered. Check out the site for fitness solutions, workouts and plans you need, and begin your weight loss journey today. More than 36 million customers have been here in less than four years. So, it is quite obvious that the site has become the premiere destination for todays health and budget conscious consumers. Its digital reach includes on demand television, the Web and the mobile. Each month, the site offers over 150 free workouts on demand and 100 plus free full length workouts online. If you are serious about fitness and would not mind paying for it, there is a Premium Pass the sites home fitness training programme that starts at $9.99. It combines workout video downloads and commercial free access to more than 200 top workout and fitness videos. You just cant beat it you will have 24x7 access to all those workouts from some of the best trainers in the world. People who have been injured while working out,

authoritative information resource which makes it beneficial to the rest of the world. Just type in the name of the medical condition and you get to read everything about it right from the definition and symptoms to causes, risk factors, complications and how should you approach your family doctor. Plus, you will get details on the tests you may have to undergo, diagnosis process, treatments, medicines and supplements, over the counter drugs, alternative medicine and preventive measures, if you dont have the condition yet. In brief, you can manage health issues most effectively with the sites useful and up to date information on hundreds of medical conditions, listed under more than 35 categories. Thats your web doctor, ready to help you 24x7.

FINANCIAL & PRODUCTIVITY

Springpad (www.springpadit.com)
How do you capture all the stuff that you want to remember? Just spring it. Springpad is a free personal organiser that can save anything from recipes and products to restaurants, ideas, notes, articles and more. Whether you use it on your computer or mobile phone, Springpad is a free app that helps you remember all the important stuff today, so that you can make better decisions tomorrow. The app automatically organises and enhances what you have saved and thus enables you to be more productive. Whats more, you can even tweet or put your activity on Facebook and share it with your friends. When you start planning your next trip, use it to keep things in order. Bookmark articles, create packing lists, save restaurant info, make task lists and organise confirmation numbers. Now, you can put all that crucial data in one place and access it from anywhere. Then there is the automated data integration. Products display prices from the Web with quick links to purchase. Movies include show times, links to rentals and provide a summary of reviews. Restaurants, businesses and contacts now include maps. Whats more, you can search for other people in Springpad by user name, real name or shared interests. Imagine a scrapbook powered by the Internet in which you can save every bit of information you use every day, on as many pages as you need all stored on the cell phone in your pocket and on the Internet. Thats Springpad for you nifty and handy. Its no longer a mere note taking app; its more like a digital assistant. The concept behind the innovation that we no longer surf the Web idly or without purpose has led to a highly effective product. Springpad has matured to the point where it is definitely worth another look, especially when it is available natively on two smartphone platforms the iPhone and the Android. Other platforms will follow soon. And the best part of this app? You can type in what you are thinking and it will come up with relevant suggestions key information that you may save. Use the web clipper to save online or just e mail a note. Use your mobile to snap a photo, scan a bar code or save by location. Springpad helps you stay
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often join Premium Pass to get back into shape again. Training can include abs exercise, body sculpting, cardio, dance, kick boxing, pilates, quick workout, stretch, walking or yoga. Right now, the in things are bikini body makeovers and celebrity fitness camps. With beginner, intermediate and advanced levels, there is room for everyone. If you are still feeling a bit doubtful about doing it online, sample trainer Cindys bums and thighs body sculpting exercises. Or better still, join Holly Perkins for a quick cardio workout. In case you are a yoga buff, make the most of trainer Maura Barclays intermediate to advanced 30 minute yoga workout. It is a mix of flow and static asanas designed to create positive inner energy while sculpting and stretching your entire body. In brief, work out with Exercise TV and make it a part of your lifestyle. One statutory warning, though: Please consult your physician before you begin any exercise.

Mayo Clinic (www.mayoclinic.com)

If you are looking for information and tools for a healthy lifestyle, this is your destination on the WWW. Want us to tell you some recent topics? Some examples include menopause weight gain, coping with psoriasis, breast cancer, genetic testing, handling cancer stigma, flu shot during pregnancy, diabetes treatment and much more. Mayo Clinic is a not for profit medical practice, dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of all complex medical conditions. And Mayo Clinic staff members work together to serve you better. There you will always find as many doctors, specialists and other healthcare professionals as required to provide comprehensive diagnosis, understandable answers and effective treatment. Although Mayo provides clinic and hospital services at various locations in the USA, it is the latest and most

Cover Story

organised by automatically categorising your tasks, notes, recipes, restaurants and books. Customise as you please organise with tags or group into lists. You can also sort, search and filter to find things later. It is called springing. Are you game to try it out?

Wikinvest (www.wikinvest.com)
Praised by renowned media houses like the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times, this is an investment website that is home to the worlds first real time portfolio tracker that syncs with your brokerage. Thanks to this site, you can easily import your data from other sources. Setting up a portfolio on other financial sites is often a pain in the neck because it requires you to manually enter all your transactions, cost basis and other information. And the data will be outdated the minute you make your next trade. However, this site allows you to seamlessly import your data from your brokerage and other investment accounts. Because you can import your data into your Wikinvest portfolio account, you can easily see all your investments from your brokerage account to your bank account to the accounts managed by your financial advisor in one place. The site pushes live, real time market data and news on the stock you own directly to your browser, with no page refresh required. It also tells you what fees you are paying to your brokerage so that you know in case they are ripping you off. Plus, the site calculates your true performance (or the performance of your financial advisor) and compares that to market benchmarks. In other words, you never get a solid wall of data that you fail to comprehend you actually get market insights which are extremely helpful. While the site data have been displayed visually with interactive charts, you also get rich portfolio analytics for free.
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The articles on companies are the best one stop place for a concise overview of an organisation, including its business model, key risks and opportunities, market share and anything else you should know before you decide to buy or sell the stocks. Articles are listed under sections called neutral, bulls and bears so that you can easily decipher the arguments for and against buying. With this site, you can invest innovatively instead of just going by ticker symbols. Because, it offers concept articles that explain which companies are impacted and why. For example, did you know Uranium prices are up 1000 per cent in the last three years? The Uranium article explains who mines, refines and uses this precious commodity. And finally, do not worry about online security. This site is tested and verified by McAfee, Truste and VeriSign. So go ahead and start minting money.

SHOPPING & TRAVEL

SnapDeal (www.snapdeal.com)
Great deals, easy access, quality vendors and a simple procedure thats SnapDeal for you. Just press the Buy button and fill in the payment details; the deal will be clinched in seconds. The site charges a nominal advance, so you pay the remaining amount to the merchant directly. Well, we are talking about the lucrative deals showcased on the site and not the physical products that you gain in the bargain. Once you pay the advance, you will receive a voucher in your e mail and an SMS with a unique SnapDeal code. Take a printout of the voucher and use it within the validity period that lasts anywhere between two and three months. However, before you sign up for any deal, its important to read the fine print below the offer price. For example, when we looked at a deal from Whispering Pines, the rules stipulated that more than 15 vouchers from the same company/party cannot be combined on a single trip. And the booking would have to be done at least a week before the discounted trip. Moreover, the voucher needs to be shown before availing the offer. Most of the sites deals offer 50 60 per cent discounts on the best stuff to do, see, eat and buy in multiple cities. To help you decide on which daily deal or side deal is better, look at the Reviews section at the bottom of the merchants page. That should give you an idea of what you can expect from the product and the website. Here are some hot deals of the day when we checked it: You can pay Rs 95 for spa services worth Rs 800, Rs 200 for music lessons worth Rs 1000, Rs 500 for a tattoo worth Rs 2500 and so on. The deals start from 12 noon and ends at 11:59 a.m. And all vouchers are sold on a first come first served basis.

celebrity havens where your favourite stars have been spotted, this site is brimming with tips, news and deals. Launched in early 2004, HolidayIQ has helped create Indias first travel community that contributed feedback on holiday accommodations across the country. The success of this effort prompted the site owners to widen the scope and include a traveller community led holiday information site for Indians. The site also offers its services on the mobile platform so that you can access travel information on the go. Whether you are on the road, waiting at the airport or already at your destination, you can always get the HolidayIQ mobile link through SMS (http://www.holidayiq.com/send wap link.html). But thats not all. HolidayIQ now provides an option to print travel photos on products like T shirts, mugs, key chains and mouse pads. A user can select photos from the destination pages and specify the product on which he/she wants to print the image. There is also XChange, a new question and answer forum. It is a platform for Indian travellers who want to exchange information on vacations, travel and planning. The site will soon feature international destinations but right now, that utility is in the beta stage.

HolidayIQ (www.holidayiq.com)
Holidays are incomplete until you tell others about it. This is the premise of HolidayIQ where you will find travellers feedback on hotels, real life travel journals and photos on tourism hotspots, as well as holiday deals from travel agents, downloadable e guides, deal alerts and much more. In fact, one can find over 10,000 hotels and resorts, and more than 850 tourist destinations with detailed reviews, ratings and photos all from thousands of real travellers. The site is an uncensored compen dium of hotel/homestay/resort reviews from all over India. And the good, the bad and the disgusting get equal importance. From dismal stories to details of most exotic destinations and
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Cover Story SOCIAL MEDIA

Tumblr (www.tumblr.com)
Are you one of the SNS frequenters hunting for new thing to do? Weblogs? Been there, done that. Facebooking? Its full of kids or promotional ads. Twitter? Thats so 2006, darling. These days, the smart thing to do online is tumble logging which is as different from weblog as SMS is from e mail. It is short, direct and to the point; it is blogging, the way blogging is meant to be. We are talking about Tumblr where micro blogging is done right. This communication format is adored by its users for its clean interface, ease of use and community reach out. Browsing through various tumble logs is like sifting through the lost and found department of the entire Internet. It is a beautiful mix of anything and everything from the shocking to the spectacular. Tumblr will let you share things effortlessly. Post text, photos, quotes, links, music and videos from your browser, phone, desktop, e mail or wherever you happen to be. You can customise everything, from colours to your theme. You can even have your own custom domain and find a Meetup in your area. Or better still, organise one yourself. Inform Tumblr about it and the folks out there will send you a free Meetup kit, complete with buttons, stickers, nametags and table tents. You can even e mail your posts directly to your tumblr blog. Whether its a thought, photo, song, quote, video or overheard conversation, Tumblr senses what you are sharing and presents it beautifully. Plus, there are hundreds of gorgeous themes to choose from and you can create private posts and even private blogs where you invite only a select few, be they friends, family or co workers, to view or contribute. Whats more, you can invite an unlimited number of people to contribute to your blog and even allow your audience to submit posts for your approval. Can it get more collaborative and richer than this?

Foursquare (www.foursquare.com)
Its a social friend finder. Its a social city guide. Its a nightlife game thing. Well, it is all of these and much more it is social networking 2.0. And it features everything that a travel geek or city dweller would love to have. Foursquare is a mobile application that makes city exploration easier and interesting. It is a game that challenges users to experience new things and rewards them for doing so. Foursquare lets its users check in to a place when they are there, record their activities and tell friends, so that they may follow suit. Foursquare co founders Dennis Crowley and Naveen Selvadurai met in 2007 while working in the same office space (at different companies) in New York City. Working from Dennis kitchen table in New Yorks East Village, they began building the first version of Foursquare in the fall of
liveit.in 40 October 2010

2008 and launched it at South by Southwest Interactive in Austin, Texas, in March, 2009. Till August, 2010, Foursquare has close to three million users worldwide. And there are more than 15,000 venues experimenting with Special Offers on Foursquare. The site encourages people to explore their neighbourhoods and then reward them for doing so. The promoters do this by combining the friend finder and social city guide elements with game mechanics. Users can earn points, win Mayorship and unlock badges for trying new places and revisiting old favourites. As a business owner, you can use Foursquare to engage mobile customers with Foursquare Specials. These are nothing but discounts and prizes for loyal customers when they check in while at your venue. Additionally, if a business owner offers Foursquare Specials to customers, he/she will be able to track how his venue is performing, thanks to the sites robust set of venue analytics that come for free. If you want to dive right in, get started by claiming your venue right from the Foursquare venue page.

GAMES
Zapak.com (www.zapak.com)
For the last three years, Zapak has been entertaining Indian netizens like no other. No wonder, it is the No. 1 site in the online gaming space. This website allows you to play almost any game under the sun from sports, action, cricket, puzzles and Flash games to massive multiplayer options. Whats more, players can enter tournaments, create challenges and even make friends on their social networks. You can log in to your Facebook account and find out what your friends are playing, thus contributing to the community feel. With clear cut sections on the homepage for Popular and Featured games, it becomes easier for newbies and regulars to get started right away. Be it content publishing for online games, shared access through gaming cafes, retail distribution of gaming CDs and mobile games & applications, the site accomplishes more than you can assume. Zapak.com, a part of Reliance ADAG, is not only Indias largest casual gaming site, but also ranks among the top five gaming sites of the world in terms of traffic and registered users. With more than seven million unique registered users, it is claimed to be much bigger in India than Yahoo! Games or MiniClip.com. No wonder, it has been named the stickiest site ahead of Yahoo! and Google by Comscore, a research consulting firm. So log on, earn points and also win prizes. If you have a slow connection, theres Zapak Lite to help you. And if you are addicted to Facebook games, this site has them, too. Right now, the most popular games on the site include Lightning Pool, Bubble Shooter, Pro Cricket Challenge and Homerun in Berzerkland. The best part of Zapak is its additional fun features. You can listen to songs on the sites online radio even while you play games. When that isnt enough, you can even buy discounted stuff at the Zapak Shop... computers, accessories, electronics, game CDs, gaming devices, mobiles, watches, software and perfumes. Thats quite a lot, under one digital roof.

opt for the Platinum Pack consisting of 21 games that will cost only ` 899. From match making mayhem to arcade action to word wizardry, some of the most popular PopCap titles come to you at a great bargain, including four of the newest hits Bejeweled Twist, Bookworm Adventures, Peggle and Peggle Nights. And if you join PopCap Passport, you can save up to 20 per cent on all the games you purchase. The latest and the greatest games on the site include Zumas Revenge and Plants vs. Zombies. The Editors Picks right now are Peggle, Dynomite, Big Money, Chuzzle and Insaniquarium. And some of the award winning games include Bejeweled 2, Bookworm Adventures and Chuzzle. If you are done with arcade and action games, its time to take a relaxing break with some brain boosting fun puzzles, to be precise. These brain teasers and word games are some of best hits at PopCap and they will make you smart as well. These are easy to learn, tough to master and utterly addictive. Best of all, they are available for free. You can play web games right in your browser or download free Deluxe games in just a few minutes. If you like the one hour trial version, you can always buy the full version with special features, new characters and unlimited play. They wont cost you more than $30 and you are bound to have endless fun. I

PopCap Games (www.popcap.com)

This site is, indeed, your first class ticket to fun. Be it PC, Mac, online or mobile games, you have an entire suite here to download and play. Otherwise, you can simply play them online for free. However, if you want more levels, more game modes, better graphics and greater effects or want to save your progress and play any time without any Internet connection, you will have to buy the game. You can
October 2010 41 liveit.in

Star Diary

Divya Jagdale

er latest film That Girl in Yellow Boots by acclaimed film maker Anurag Kashyap has been screened in the 67th Venice Film Festival. And her spirited performance in Bollywood hits like Hum Dil Chuke Sanam, Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar, Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Maara and Mumbai Meri Jaan has enthralled many. Meet Divya Jagdale, one of those versatile artists who made it big on stage, TV and the big screen. Payal Shah Karwa tells you more about Divyas tryst with technology and reveals her tech quotient. Are you tech savvy? Although I am gadget friendly, I am not a gadget buff. As an actress, mother and homemaker, I need to balance all the elements of life. So, whatever technology I may use, it is always meant to make my life easier. If there is any gadget that will ease my workload or get things done faster, I will be too happy to get it. For example, I have got a Wi Fi connection at home that helps me keep in touch with my network of friends. Its extremely useful, to say the least, and I am happy to use it. What is your dream gadget? Since I am not a techno buff, simple stuff makes me happy. Currently, I am using an HP laptop whose battery life isnt too good. So I want to buy a nice MacBook (unfortunately, it is way too expensive for me) or an advanced netbook which is lightweight, easy to carry around and has a decent battery life. Are you active on Facebook and Twitter? I am not on Twitter yet, but quite active on Facebook. I usually chat or connect with my old friends with whom I have studied. When I was a child, I had never lived in one city for more than four years. So every time, I had to leave my circle of friends behind and move on. Facebook is a fantastic way to stay in touch with those long lost buddies. Once again, I am back in those precious childhood days, in that world of friendship and emotions. Besides facebooking with my friends, I also post links

related to my work or about my latest plays like the one I am doing with Makrand Deshpande. It is titled Miss Beautiful. If you forget your cell phone somewhere... Oh, I would be completely lost without it! In fact, I have had a very spiritual experience with my phone. My Nokia E63 accidentally fell into water and stopped working. Although the service centre guy tried his best to repair it, I thought my damaged phone would not work again. So I went to pick up a new one the same model but a different colour. Surprisingly, the shop didnt have an E63 in stock but I was determined not to buy anything else. The next day, I got a call from the service centre and came to know that my old phone had started working. I call it divine intervention; otherwise, I would have bought a new phone quite unnecessarily. And your most favourite website? I am not a regular surfer; so I dont really have a favourite website. But I do visit the Mumbai Theatre Guide (www.mumbaithe atreguide.com) to catch up with the latest happenings. Or if someone recommends a nice video on YouTube or some interesting content, I will go online and take a look. Is technology relevant for celebs? I think so. Since technology ensures that communication is instant, it saves the time and trouble of meeting producers personally. One can just connect online for initial discussions. We only need to meet personally if people are really interested to work together. But theres more. Earlier, we had to leave our photographs with the secretaries and other people. But now, we can just e mail the portfolio and be sure that it is there in the inbox. Whats your tech mantra? Thanks to the overuse of technology, we have created a somewhat false world around us. Use technology to make your life easy, but do not be a slave to technology. Use it only sparingly, as and when required, to simplify life, not complicate it. I