Web Watch

http://shipoffools.com

Ship of Fools’ quirky ideas, layout and features should keep you amused for quite some time. As Simon, the site’s editor and designer, says, “We’re here for people who prefer their religion disorganised.” Ship of Fools aims to “help Christians be selfcritical and honest about the failings of Christianity.” Honesty and humility can only strengthen one’s faith. The site features a number of sections including “The Mystery Worshipper’,” online forums, caption competitions and the intriguinglynamed “Fruitcake Zone.”

www.filemail.com

Computers are getting faster, the internet is gaining speed, file sizes are getting larger and so, too, are most people’s email inboxes; however, not all! I am often frustrated when trying to send (what I’d consider) a small file and it bounces back at me! Save the frustration and use File Mail. This free service allows you to upload files (up to 2gb) to their server and emails the recipient a download link.  

www.piclens.com

Piclens is an impressive plug-in that transforms your web browser into a virtual 3D photo gallery. Visualise online photos in 3D as if you were walking through an endless hallway. Flick your finger on your mouse trackpad to have photos rapidly fly past you. Walking up to take a closer look at a photo is just a click away. Piclens works with Google Image Search, Flicker, Photobucket and most other online photo-gallery sites. Piclense is available for all major web browsers. I had a lot of fun with it and I think you will too!

http://webs.lanset.com/akajones

Like to see the lighter side of life? Len Jones’ website is based on Job 8:21: “He will fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.” It features a large library of cartoons based on Christian concepts, which bring to light relevant ideas for us today.

http://fotoflexer.com

Although Photoshop is a lot of fun, I often have people asking me how to do really basic stuff , such as cropping, resizing, rotating and modifying image colour settings. Did you know you can do all this online? Best of all, it’s free! PhotoFlexer is a powerful online image editor, capable of many day-to-day photo-editing tasks at the click of a button, as well as some fancy gear, like distorting images and removing red eye. This site is very user-friendly and integrates well with social networking sites.  

www.commoncraft.com

RSS, wikis, social bookmarking and blogs. Not sure what they are or how they work? CommonCraft are the creators of simple, clear explanations of new technologies. Grasping the meaning of some of these words while understanding what the technologies are and how they work is fascinating but discovering how they can help you personally is even better!

www.adventistconnect.org

Do you prefer to watch the news rather than having to read it? Adventist Connect provides a convenient way to keep up with the latest Adventist news from around the South Pacific, making a five-minute news broadcast available every Friday on its website.
The news broadcasts are also available on YouTube (just search for “Adventist News”), meaning you can easily subscribe to the channel and keep up-to-date. The Adventist Connect website also provides a considerable number of handy links to media, news, information and other resources.  

www.youlicit.com

Decision making is an essential part of life on earth, so why not make the most of it!? Youlicit is an innovative tool that allows you to discover new sites that are similar to sites you are already familiar with. For example, if you are looking for online news and enter in <www.smh.com.au>, Youlicit will return results such as Google News, The Australian, The Courier Mail and so forth. “Ilikeit!”  

www.goodsearch.com

Every year, more than $US6 billion is generated by search engines—such as Google and Yahoo—through advertising included in search results. Wouldn’t it be great if even a fraction of this amount could be put into the hands of charities? Goodsearch—a new, innovate search engine—allows everyday web-users to assist charities through the simple act of conducting a search. The company shares 50 per cent of revenue generated from your search with your designated charity. The search engine itself is powered by Yahoo, so I’ve found the results to be quite good. Changing the world has never been this easy!

http://moon.google.com

Is the novelty of Google Earth and Google Maps wearing off? If so, here’s one just for you. Sure, it’s convenient and exciting to fly over the surface of the earth from the safety of your web browser but how about taking it a few steps further? Or maybe a giant leap? Browse the surface of the moon and various Apollo landing sites thanks to Google Moon! This takes things to a whole new level.

www.vuvox.com

VUVOX is an easy-to-use, online media-creation service that enables you to capture, produce and instantly share your life experiences with your friends and family. There are loads of creative templates and styles available, ranging from branching photo trees to flying postcards. All these designs are accessible with the simple click of a button. Just select your media, choose and customise a design template and VUVOX creates an interactive presentation that can be easily integrated into MySpace, Facebook, email messages and most other places online. For those of us who enjoy sharing photos and those people who wish they knew how, VUVOX is definitely worth a look!

http://godtube.com

GodTube is a take off of Google’s popular YouTube service but with a Christian bite. You can browse through and view thousands of Christian video clips online, right in your web browser. There is a significant amount of content to choose from (or you can always contribute by uploading your own), including Bible studies, Christian music and much more.

www.adra.org.au

The new Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Australia website not only allows you to donate money and assist in fighting global poverty but to also see what projects ADRA’s involved in and how donations are helping people. You can also listen to ADRA’s World Radio, which features stories from the “front lines” of the fight against poverty, keep up to date with the latest ADRA news, read about and contribute to the “Need of the month,” sign up for free ADRA e-updates and much more. Fighting world poverty begins with you and me. Let’s help ADRA help others!

www.onemission.org.au

The OneMission website cleverly connects volunteers with exciting development projects in Australia and around the world. OneMission projects enormously benefit not only those receiving the assistance but also the volunteers who are reaching out. Helping others can provide life-changing and fulfilling experiences. The OneMission website provides information on the purpose of OneMission, access to news, staff and donations; and allows volunteers to register their interest.

www.globalrichlist.com

So often we gaze enviously at lists of the richest people in the world. We fill ourselves with self-pity, desiring to just have a few extra dollars for that new iPhone, decked-out car, hot pair of pants, the latest piece of software or some other material object or possession. What we fail to recognise a great deal of the time is just how fortunate we already are! The Global Rich List really puts things into perspective by ranking you against the rest of the world in terms of wealth. Instead of attempting to gratify our incessant desires for material wealth, perhaps we should spend more time thinking of others and what we can do to assist them? (“Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” Matthew 6:20, NIV). How do you rank?

www.coolopticalillusions.com

It’s always nice to take a break from strenuous, tedious or boring tasks and do something totally different. This website has all kinds of perplexing shapes and patterns that trick your eyes. Try it out for yourself and share it with your mates next time you need a little something to do.

www.pagebull.com

Do you ever find yourself judging a book by its cover? Pagebull.

com behaves like a regular search engine, but it allows you to search the web visually by showing large thumbnails of websites rather than just text.

Definitely worth a look—especially if you have a high-speed internet connection and a large LCD.

www.biblequizzes.com

Have you ever needed bible quizzes, random questions or crosswords for church, Sabbath school, youth group or perhaps even just for fun? Bible Quizzes has all this and more and is updated regularly. Quizitup!

docs.google.com

Docs and Spreadsheets is a clever online service offered by Google that allows your web browser to become an advanced word processor and gives you the ability to create and edit spreadsheets. Google Docs really shines when it comes to online collaboration, allowing groups of people to easily work together on a single project. The best part is that the Google service is offered free of charge, like many of Google’s other products such as GMail, Maps, Earth and Calendar.

Google Docs opens and saves Microsoft Office format documents. Enjoy.

www.bibleuniverse.com

Bible Universe has a library of truth-filled resources featuring the Bible as the core resource, comprehensive references, study notes and the most trusted Bible-based tools to help people grow in Christ. The site has a large amount of material examining topics such as creationism and evolution, finance, family, health, family, prophecy and more.

www.signsofthetimes.org.au/podcast

The Signs mag podcast is up and running and is both interesting and convenient, especially for those of us who like to listen while on “the run.” A new audio file is added every week ranging from round-the-table discussions about the contents of Signs mag (with the editors), to interviews, reports, full articles, Bible studies and plenty more. “Poditup!”

youtube.com

Recently purchased by Google, YouTube is a consumer media site enabling visitors to effortlessly watch and share videos worldwide through a web experience. After 18 months of operation the site has become extremely popular. There is great diversity in video content, from guitar tutorials to TV bloopers to the Amazing Facts Final Events series. Check it out.

Podcasts are like radio broadcasts for your iPod or computer where you can listen to a regularly produced program on a specific subject. Podcasts are highly convenient because they can be listened to any time, any place, and can even be paused in the middle. There are thousands of individuals and organisations creating a gigantic variety of podcasts. Podcast.net is a massive directory that organises all these podcasts and allows you to find the content you’re after. To catch up on the latest world church news, search for Adventist (download “Ground 7 News”). To hear the Signs of the Times podcast, click here.

www.www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals

It’s so easy for us to be swamped out with the kefuffle of human construction, technology, work and education and lose sight of the intricacy of the things God has created for us. I’m intrigued by the huge diversity in God’s creation and think it’s great for us to take our minds off the human construct. The BBC Animals site features tonnes of interesting information on animals including photos, animations, videos, facts, wallpaper and more.

www.egadideas.com

“EGAD Ideas” is a nifty little site featuring hundreds of fresh ideas and resources for anyone involved in planning or organising youth events. It includes ideas for youth group games, Bible study and prayer, fundraising, sermons, illustrations, activities, resources, outreach and tons more. “EGAD Ideas” is a community site meaning that you can submit your ideas and comments to help improve the resource. These contributions assist in enhancing the effectiveness and capabilities of this tool.

There are numerous paths that one can pursue in order to improve the aesthetic appeal of computer-created content. One of the easiest ways to spice something up is to utilise some non-standard, interesting, expressive fonts. “dafont” makes this easy with thousands of fonts available for free download for both PC and Mac. The process is quite simple. Locate and download the desired font, then unzip the font file and place it into your fonts folder.

www.sparknotes.com

This web site is great for students. Although aimed at American students, the tools available know no international boundary. It features subject study guides, an atlas, dictionary, thesaurus and much more. Membership is free and gives you access to their resources and the web-site message board. All the best to everyone for the new year.

www.youthpages.org

Still haven't gotten your lesson pamphlet? Youthpages not only links you to the weekly lessons, but it has a host of other interesting stuff too. Get yourself a penpal across the globe. Lots of drama material, Bible-study guides and other resources. Check out the daily inspirational Bible text.

In recent years, we have witnessed some phenomenal advances in technology. WhereiS is quite similar to Google Earth (which I reviewed in Edge #52) but differs in that it is an intelligent mapping and navigational system rather than a provider of easily accessible satellite imagery. Forget looking up street directories or figuring out maps, ask WhereiS! Input a starting and destination address and have WhereiS show you a scalable map of the fastest route to take. It gives specific navigational instructions (telling you where to turn off and how far to go) and even estimates your trip time.

www.thedavincidecode.net

The Da Vinci Decode website presents a large amount of valuable material (including ordering and accessing the book) that assists one on this eternal quest for truth, and provides the evidence needed to support debate. This allows one to logically examine and evaluate claims made and questions raised through means of historical facts and evidence, as well as further biblical support. If you have any doubts, check out this website to uncover the truth.

www.ADRAlendahand.org.au

When you become involved in community projects, you will not only greatly benefit the community, but will also receive satisfaction and fulfilment in your own life from helping others.
The ADRA Lend a Hand website provides volunteering ideas, stories, links and plenty of other resources and info to get you started. The in-depth Volunteer Ideas Profile (VIP) tool asks a series of questions to produce a personalised assessment of your passions, skills, interests, availability and motivation for volunteering.

www.makepovertyhistory.org.au

World leaders have made a commitment to halve global poverty by 2015 through meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The Make Poverty History campaign aims to keep our leaders faithful to their promise.
The website provides information about poverty and development issues. It also has great resources for getting involved to help government meet the MDGs. You can download kits, presentations and pdf reports, play games, or find links to other youth sites about world issues.

www.truthorfiction.net

With many stories making the rounds through our inbox, here's a way to find out just how much truth there is to that inspiring story. The web site also has an updated list of the latest email viruses to look out for. If you don't already have an up-to-date anti-virus software, it's a good time to invest in getting one.

If you want to broaden your horizons, the Adventist Volunteer Service aims to match your talents, skills, resources and professional expertise with local and global ministry roles. Opportunities are a click away.

www.justsmile.org

Created by Canadian Adventist Josué, this place is more than just a web site, it's a web community. Young people have the opportunity to confront and discuss real-life issues: relationships, addictions, spirituality, just to name a few. Join any one of their three forums and meet the JustSmile Ministry team. There are 700 forum members and counting. Take a look.

www.webwombat.com.au

The first dedicated Australian search engine. Interesting travel ideas, shop online links, movie, DVD and game reviews, an extensive career section and much more. Catered specifically to all Aussie online needs, this web site has it all.

You may have heard the colloquial term—“just Google it.” I normally find this quite successful for finding info, but “googling” is not necessarily the fastest or most effective method of finding info on any given topic on the Net. Especially with websites like “Answers” around, which have been set up for the very purpose of finding clear, concise and in-depth content on over 2.5 million topics, drawn from dozens of syndicated titles. Give it a go next time you want to know something.

It’s always rather easy to somehow lose or miss out on a lesson pamphlet. The answer for those of us who face this dilemma is quite simple. It also won’t cost you anything to
access and is quite convenient, because you
can download the lesson wherever you have
internet access.

www.sanitarium.com.au

Eat healthy and support Sanitarium. Weet-Bix, just Australia’s favourite breakfast cereal? Think again. Apple and Raspberry Crumble, yum! The web site
is regularly updated with articles on nutrition and company news, covering new products and community events. With a huge recipe database for every meal or occasion, you'll never have an excuse for takeaway again.

www.habbohotel.com

Here’s a chat forum with twist—it’s a virtual hotel. This UK-based web site has become a global hang-out. Check-in and make your own Habbo. Let your imagination take flight. Tell your friends and catch up in the lounge, cafe or skylight lobby. Use of the hotel is free.

An interesting site which allows you to access the Bible in SMS language. The way verses are written (they’re only up to 150 characters in length) makes them perfect for emailing or texting to friends
The service allows users to save time by creating an account and sending text messages directly from the service.
Examples of SMS texts include: “God alone is da mighty rock dat keeps me safe, & da 4tress where I am secure” (Ps 62:2).

A website designed to make life easier for Year 11 and 12 students. The site provides students with all the resources and support needed to succeed during the two years that form the most important part of a person’s education and, subsequently, their future. The site includes plenty of advice, guides, subject resources, tips and more. There is also a forum in which students can interact and help each other.

This web site is filled with a monstrous amount of valuable information on a wide range of subjects. Its purpose is to help readers understand how various devices/objects function. Topics explained vary from what causes allergies, to how new military super “e-bombs” work, to how lock-picking works. Fields covered include: automotive, electronics, home, science health, entertainment, travel and much, much more. Definitely worth a look!

The Amazing Facts web site contains Christian information including catalogues of radio broadcasts and live feeds, online television programs, online Bible studies, e-books and more. A broadband connection is recommended for optimal experience of multimedia content.

Every year some of us volunteer our time to help fundraise for ADRA. Get to know a little more about what projects they have under way, locally and overseas. Read the stories of communities ADRA has helped. Find out how you can get involved. You'll be blown away by just how big this organisation is. Guess who’s behind the RECON community project in Australia? In New Zealand, they have a charity run scheduled for November. Check out the kiwi site www.adra.org.nz for details.

This global organisation aims to protect our environment and wildlife. Some local projects include: preserving the Great Barrier Reef, working toward clean energy solutions, and conserving natural resources. There are lots of ways to help out. It could be as simple as making changes in the way you treat the environment. An interesting and informative web site.

Own an iPod? Considering four million were sold last quarter, it’s quite likely. BiblePlayer allows iPod users to read and listen to the entire Bible on the go. The software, in addition, features daily devotionals and the Bible-in-a-year reading plan. A freeware version is available for download featuring the Bible for reading. The deluxe version adds the ability to listen to passages and Bible stories such as: the Creation, the Fall of man, David and Goliath, the birth and life of Jesus and many more.

Have you ever wanted to ask God a really important question? 10 Questions is a Bible study designed to answer the most commonly asked questions from youth, for God. 10 Questions deals with: “Why don’t you stop pain and evil?” “Can love really work?” “Sex: Do you approve?” “Is the occult real?” “Will the world end?” “Who was Jesus?” and “Does prayer work?” Curious? Jump on the Net and find out for yourself!

A new technology called voice over internet protocol (VOIP) allows you to make telephone calls where your voice is turned into digital data that can be transmitted over the Internet. This may sound whacky, but when you can chat (long distance) for less than one-fifteenth of the cost of standard telephone rates while experiencing equal quality, you may think twice! The Whirlpool VOIP WIKI includes info explaining how VOIP works, the processes involved and some providers worth looking at.

A web site for the inquisitive. Wings on birds that do not fly? Vestigial organs? Ever pondered the wonders of celery? Amazing discoveries is packed with info grouped into four sections: beginnings, abundant life, Bible insight, total onslaught and sound revelation. There is also some extremely interesting and relevant information regarding a “new world order,” “hidden agendas,” eating intelligently and much more.

Signs mag has gone virtual. Place orders online, subscribe to their newsletter which includes web site updates, magazine news, special offers and more. Get a glimpse of what’s inside the current magazine and a sneak peek at the next issue or search the article archives. An easy way to introduce quality reading material to your friends. Feel free to send them feedback on the website.

A reference for the informed individual. Even though this site is aimed at Australians, its content is invaluable to any health conscious person. They tackle issues such as health awareness, disease prevention and more. The search tools allow you to find just about any health related topic.

It might sound simple enough, but you'll be surprised to find how extensive this web site is. It is translated in almost every language. There are so many topics to view, it’s a good thing they have a Google-powered search engine on their homepage. Some topics include: personal issues, creation, world history, when does life begin and lots more. There are game reviews, articles addressing current social issues and columns that cater to audiences of all ages.

This site is not just about quizzes. There's jokes, loads of trivia, silly surveys, entertainment articles and heaps of other interesting bits and pieces. There's a quiz for every subject imaginable and you can even create your own. Subscribe to their newsletter; it's full of trivia, puzzle links,
and other interesting facts.

Over the past few months I have reviewed a number of Bible and literary referencing web sites. I was notified of yet another option, which I thought was worthwhile! e-Sword is a free-to-download, full-featured referencing program. At time of writing, there were more than 70 Bible translations available including a number of versions in other languages. There are also a number of other add-ins including numerous commentaries, dictionaries, maps, devotionals and more. Very helpful!

Ever had an email bounce back because it’s too big or because the user’s inbox is full? Email was never designed for transferring large files, so an easy solution for those of us wanting to send large files is to use an online file transfer service. These free services allow you to quickly enter the recipients email address, upload the file (100mb-1gb), and the recipient is sent a notification that a new file is ready for them to collect (download). The file can be downloaded only once by the recipient. Very handy!

Following the 2004 catastrophic Asian tsunami there has been increased public interest in aid agencies; who they are; what they do; how they do what they do and the subsequent impact. ADRA, who has significantly contributed to the relief effort, has a great web site that’s definitely worth a look. It includes info on exactly who ADRA is, what they do, facts and current news and projects that ADRA is involved in. What are you—or at least what are others—doing?

If you don’t have the time or money to go out and buy a decent Bible reference program, there is quite a feasible, free, online solution that may be just what you you’re looking for. Bible Gateway makes available an online Bible passage search feature, allowing you to speedily display the part of the Bible you want. There are also topical indexes and online audio books.