Zeus of the ‘NetReviews of the Coolest Sites on the Net

If you’ve ever wondered which roads and highways are the most dangerous in and around your neighborhood there is a site that can help out.  I came across SafeRoadMaps.org thanks to a recommendation by my girlfriend and was immediately impressed with not only the idea and the information given, but how it was presented.  The website is a mashup that integrates data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System and uses Google Maps to present the information visually.  Some people might think this site is a bit morbid, however I think it can be very useful in helping to save lives.

According to SafeRoadMaps there are over 42,000 crash related fatalities each year in the U.S., which is why this site (a joint effort between the University of Minnesota and the Center for Transportation Studies) was created.  After selecting the Maps tab, and then Safe Street Maps, users can do a simple address search to see how many fatalities have occurred in their neighborhood.  After entering in an address, results can be filtered further by selecting a distance, anywhere from half a mile to ten miles away.  A Google Maps satellite view is then displayed, showing an icon where each fatality has occurred.  For further information, users can click on the icon and can find out the date, time of day, age, and sex of the driver and passengers, as well as if speeding or alcohol was involved, or if seatbelts were worn at the time of the accident.

Websites like SafeRoadMaps.org offer valuable information to help keep yourself and your loved ones safe.  With the holiday travel season coming up, hopefully the information given can help make it a safe trip for everyone.

With so many websites out there on the ‘net today sometimes it’s difficult to find cool websites that cover topics and fall into categories that you’re interested in (which is probably why your reading this blog!).  That’s where StumbleUpon can help out.  Users fill out a quick info page, selecting which categories they are interested in, i.e. music and movies, art and history, sports, etc., and then download a toolbar where they can then ‘Stumble’ through the internet.

Using the toolbar, users can randomly surf the internet by clicking on the Stumble icon.  Websites are chosen at random using the categories previously selected, (filled out in the initial info page) which are then pulled from the pool of sites given a thumbs up by fellow Stumble users (a thumbs up is given to websites that users think are interesting, and that other Stumblers would like).

From the toolbar users also have the ability to share a website with friends, read reviews of the website that were left by fellow Stumblers, along with other advanced options, including the ability to Stumble only certain categories like music or sports for example.  With so many cool features, StumbleUpon’s toolbar is one of the few that’s definitely worth downloading!

Imagine combining all of your photo albums, scrapbooks, home videos, and correspondence all in one easy to access spot.  Well imagine no longer.  Lifesnapz.com is a free to use site that lets its users chronicle the events of their lives, and share those events with the people closest to them.  Users of the site fall into one of three categories: Group Founder, Full Member, or Read-Only Member.  The difference between them being Group Founder’s and Full Member’s have full editing and invitation privileges, while Read-Only Members can only view events and add comments.

Members, who have the privileges to, can add photos which can be uploaded from photo sharing websites flickr.com or picasa.com, and videos which can be uploaded either from youtube.com or vimeo.com.  This site has many cool features, but the coolest is probably the timeline (see example below).  This feature is an excellent way of visually looking at events in chronological order, which makes finding specific events much easier.  There is also a zoom filter option which let’s group members search for events by a certain increment of time (i.e. 1 month, 6 months, 10 years, etc.), to be able to narrow down their searches even further.

With the ability to have a virtual history of your life’s events available to view and share with family, and friends, LifeSnapz.com has hit upon something unique that could someday propel them to become a very popular social website.

The holiday season is quickly approaching, and that usually means two things: shopping and traveling. With shopping covered in the last post (Looking for a Good Deal…) that just leaves traveling. And that’s where Kayak.com steps in. Pulling from over 140 travel websites, and covering flights, hotels, cruises, car rentals, and more, Kayak is the place to start if you’re planning on traveling and are searching for cheap travel deals.

There are quite a few features that make this site stand out from the crowd. The first is the ability to filter the results of your initial search. Users can filter by price, star rating, hotel brand (i.e. Hilton, Marriott), amenities, or by miles away from certain landmarks or neighborhoods. The second is the different views in which the results can be displayed. There are three options, List View, Map View, and Photo View. The Map View can be particularly useful if you used the landmarks or neighborhoods filter, and are looking to stay in a very specific region of a city; and the Photo View helps to give you an idea of what the hotel and the rooms look like.

With so many websites out there selling or offering the same or similar services, it can be difficult to cut through the clutter to find a good deal. Traveling is no exception, but Kayak.com helps users to navigate through all the clutter to find the best deals.

If you happen to visit Woot.com and wonder where the rest of the products they sell are, you’re probably not alone.  Woot’s unique approach to offering great deals is what sets them apart.  You see, they only sell one product a day.  Yup that’s right just ONE.  So if you happen to be shopping for the particular product they are selling that day, then you’re in luck!  If not, then better luck tomorrow…

wine.woot.com

But there’s good news, if you absolutely can’t wait ‘til tomorrow there are two sub domains which can help to curb that shopping withdrawal: wine.woot.com and shirt.woot.com (incase you’re wondering, the same one product a day rule goes for them too).  This unique business model insures two things, number one: great deals on a wide variety of products, including 42” LCD TV’s, MP3 players, notebook computers, digital cameras, and more.  Number two: the anticipation of a new product, which entices visitors like you and me to pay a visit at least once every day.  Cause after all who knows, today might be your lucky day!

My apologies for the pun, but if you are in the market for a new job, and with the way this economy is going many of you probably are, then pay a visit and immediately bookmark Indeed.com.  This job search aggregator site pulls listing from dozens and dozens of other high profile job sites such as: Monster, CareerBuilder, and HotJobs; as well as dozens of smaller and lesser known jobs sites.  It also pulls listings from the careers or jobs section from companies websites themselves.

The site is very easy to use, all a visitor to the site has to do is type in the job title or keywords they are searching for, the location, and hit ‘Find Jobs’.  Indeed.com is essentially a customized search engine, but one that is done right.  The query results page looks exactly like a Google results page (I’m sure no coincidence), including Adsense on the top, bottom, and right hand side.

With less and less time to get things done these days, everybody is strapped for time.  This site is the perfect timesaver for those who don’t have the time or patience to search each job site one by one.

Using a wiki platform (same as Wikipedia and Uncyclopedia) this particular website has taken niche wiki’s to another level.  Chickipedia.com is the self proclaimed “Wiki of Hot Women”, listing the most beautiful women from all across the world.  The site boasts all of those you would expect: Beyonce, Kim Kardashian, and Salma Hayek, just to name a few.  With over 5,600 women and counting on the site, Wikipedia is growing, and growing fast.

So for all the guys out there, and the ladies too, who’ve been waiting for a site where you can check out pics, videos, and bio’s of some of the most beautiful women of the world, be sure to check out Chickipedia.

Uncyclopedia.org is a satirical spoof of the now hugely popular and often referenced site, Wikipedia.org.  Capitalizing on Wikipedia’s success, this site took a unique approach to what exactly an encyclopedia should offer.  Staying true to their tagline that reads, “the content-free encyclopedia that anyone can edit”, Uncyclopedia.org offers “information” on all kinds of topics ranging from McDonald’s to plastic surgery, and everything in between.

Don’t be confused by the layout, which looks exactly like Wikipedia, this site trumps the popular site in useless facts and information (as well as completely made up information).  Complete with an UnNews section as well as such categories as: Coherent, Incoherent, Beans, Great Australian Animators, and of course Everything, Uncyclopedia is sure not to disappoint.

So if you find yourself at work, or at home, in front of a computer with some free time on your hands, I recommend checking out Uncyclopedia.org.

Let’s face it the quality of traditional radio is on the decline, and has been for quite some time.  Consumers who are starved for decent music that’s free, don’t have many options these days.  But one website has emerged that offers a wide range of artist and songs, get this, for FREE.  Crazy idea, I know.  Pandora.com lets users create their own stations based on preferences and previous song selections.  The layout takes some getting used to, but after using it a few times becomes fairly easy to navigate.

Users can listen to music without creating an account, but in order to create a new station, an account must first be created.  Creating a station is as simple as typing in a favorite artist and letting Pandora do the rest.  Songs from the selected favorite artist as well as songs from that artist’s genre are then played via a traditional radio format (minus the annoying commercials).

Due to their licensing agreements, songs cannot be replayed or re-winded (just like the radio), but they can be paused or skipped.  However, only 6 “skips” are allowed per hour, per station.  With all these features offered completely free to users, Pandora.com has a unique business model that stands head and shoulders above the competition.  Say bye bye to FM and hello to personalized, commercial free internet radio.

French Maid Costume

With a little over a month to go, the rush will soon be on to find that perfect Halloween costume.  For all the ladies out there who are looking for a sexy or provocative costume, 3wishes.com is the perfect site (there is also a small men’s section, for fellas looking to get dressed up this year as well).  With hundreds and hundreds of costumes to choose from, there is certainly something for everyone.

Costumes are conveniently divided up into categories such as: cheerleaders, french maid, nurse, and school girl, among many others.  Within each category there is a picture of a model wearing the costume, along with the name and description, the price, sizes available, and if it is currently in stock.

3wishes.com however is not just a Halloween costume website; they offer a wide selection of products for women, including various styles of stockings, shoes & boots, lingerie, as well as bras and panties.  With free shipping included on all orders, and excellent customer service, 3wishes.com offers many choices to bring the ladies back time and again, as well as those fellas who want to surprise their significant other with something special.