July Web Roundup

A web links roundup is long overdue, so let's get right at it:

• Foxit Reader : Are you as tired as I am with the bloated Acrobat Reader from Adobe? Well, fear no more, as a the free Foxit Reader comes to your rescue.  A lightweight, easy to use program that does just what it is supposed to do - accurately display the ubiquitous PDF files.
• WeatherMole : A great mashup which combines a Google Map with NOAA forecasts.
• Snap : As they say, "The other way to Search.". Using lots of fancy Web 2.0 technology, you get prompts, samples and snapshots of what you are searching for.
• Computer Languages History : A genealogy chart of computer languages
• Horsename-O-Matic : Exactly what the name promises - an easy way to generate horse names like "Hustling Overblood" and "Minimalistic Moonlight Kentucky". Other suggested uses include Boybands, Cruiseships and Snowboarding Tricks.
• The Lotus Esprit Fact File : If you're looking to buy me the car of my dreams, here's a hint - make it a Lotus Esprit Turbo. I'll accept any color.  I've been in love with this wedge-shaped car ever since I first saw it, and it starred in many James Bond movies (Roger Moore era).  When they blew up the beautiful white one in Spy Who Loved Me, it broke my heart.
• Paper Crafts | YAMAHA MOTOR : Way neat paper models that you can print out and fold at home.  Not for the faint of heart, though.
• Thanks. No. : A simple page with a simple purpose - reply with this link when you get the "boy needs a postcard" hoax for the umpteenth time.  I get these forwarded messages all the time.  One hint - if it has more than one level of forwarding, I almost certainly don't want it.
• Motivator: Inspire! Motivate! Mock! : Using your own picture and text, you too can create one of the motivational posters. Or you could mock instead. Up to you!
• TheOpenCD : A simgle, burnable ISO file to let you enjoy a full range of Open Source software on on CD.
• Sphere : Although I sincerely doubt the hyperbole on the first page ("Add this to your browser and change your life!"), this is another one of the community surfing things, where you can share interesting blog tidbits.  I have a bunch of these on my toolbar, but I never use them. This also includes Stumble and Furl. Maybe some day I'll figure out how to best utilize these.
• In search of the One True Layout: This one is for you CSS geeks out there, where she talks about how to best use CSS to get a flexible, portable layout.  Nice tutorial on CSS too.
• Guess Which Movie : Shows you a still from a movie and, yup, you have to guess which movie it is from.  A whole series of games.
• Why Bush Won the Election : A whole series of side by side images which show Bush vs. Kerry.  Pretty funny stuff, like these:
  
  
  
• Relate-a-zon: The Related Products on Amazon Game : Another mashup but this time as a game - try to work your way through the "Related Products" on Amazon.com from the starting item to the destination item. Pretty fun!
• REAL TIME SATELLITE TRACKING : One of the coolest mashups I've found, this shows, in real time, the location of satellites drawn over a Google Map.  Pick your satellite and see where it is.  This includes the International Space Station too.
• wikiHow - The How-To Manual That Anyone Can Write or Edit : A bunch of user contributions on how to do a whole range of interesting things, from useful ("Save Money on Auto Insurance") to the arcane ("How To Squeeze An Egg Without Breaking It").

Well, I guess that will have to do for now.  I have a bunch more that I will try to throw out there in the next couple of weeks.