(c)advice & information
33 Newsmap marumushi.com/apps/newsmap
A wonderfully graphical - and customisable - display of news stories from around the world. Click on an item to see the full story.
34 The Eggcorn Database eggcorns.lascribe.net
Continually updated guide to modern-day Malapropisms, misunderstandings and other manglings of language. From 'high dungeon' to 'wreckless driving', Eggcorn names the culprits and nudges them in the right direction.
35 Arts and Letters Daily http://www.aldaily.com/
World-class articles from intellectual and influential journals around the world. Browse the day's selections. Like The Week for eggheads.
36 Ask Philosophers http://www.askphilosophers.org/
The academy comes to cyberspace. A panel of mainly American and British philosophy scholars answers questions sent in by the public. Search the database, from Abortion to War, or send in a question of your own.
Muslims on a pilgrimage to Mecca, but when is the Hajj?
37 When Is http://www.when-is.com/
Shows you the dates of Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu and American holidays from now to 2010.
38 Rhyme Zone http://www.rhymezone.com/
For when the muse has gone, a rhyme and synonym generator to help you towards the perfect mot. You can also search for Shakespeare quotations, biblical references and other literary inspirations.
39 Nationmaster http://www.nationmaster.com/
Giant but easily searchable database of statistics, maps and profiles for every country in the world.
40 Digg http://digg.com/
The people's approach to news and features, Digg brings together items from across the net, ranked according to how many people have felt them worth recommending. Sometimes a little techie-heavy, but excellent for discovering what the cyberworld is getting worked up about.
41 They Work For You http://www.theyworkforyou.com/
A powerful way of keeping tabs on MPs and peers: attendance records, voting patterns, recent statements and more.
42 Time Bank http://www.timebank.org.uk/
Volunteering opportunities for young people, sorted by region, interest, skills and need.
43 Wikipedia http://www.wikipedia.org/
Controversial, democractic and sometimes error-strewn encyclopaedia that has brought Darwinism to the world of knowledge. Make it your first port of call for looking something up. Just be sure to check somewhere else that what you find makes sense.
44 Wiktionary http://www.wiktionary.org/
Wikipedia's online multilingual dictionary. Immensely powerful and far less controversial than its encyclopaedic forebear.
45 Motley Fool http://www.fool.co.uk/
The original - and still the best - personal finance site on the web (the American version is at http://main.jhtml/?xml=/www.fool.com). For savers, borrowers, stock spotters and day traders, sound, independent advice that cuts through the jargon.
46 Martindale's 'The Reference Desk' http://www.martindalecenter.com/
From the arts, business, science and technology, a dry but authoritative conglomeration of data from around the world.
47 PubMed
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed
Free and authoritative database of more than 17 million medical research papers. Not always easy to understand if you are not a medic, but a far better place to look for information than the random sites that come up on Google.
48 About.com http://www.about.com/
The internet's version of that clever uncle who always seems to know the answer to your questions. There are few subjects the site doesn't tackle, though the coverage can be superficial. A good starting point for idle research.
49 NHS Direct http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/
Online information and advice about health and illness, run by Britain's National Health Service. The site includes a useful self-diagnosis tool that can reassure you that your hangover is not in fact meningitis.
50 Legal Services Shop http://www.freelawyer.co.uk/
General legal advice relating to housing, family law, employment, motoring, consumer issues and personal injury, plus wills, conveyancing and divorce. Good starting point to see where you stand. Will also, for a fixed fee, answer questions and put you in touch with a solicitor.
51 How Stuff Works http://www.howstuffworks.com/
Engaging encyclopaedia of the modern (and not so modern) world, with good illustrations and clear text. Can suffer sometimes from an 'it's amazing!' tone of voice..
52 XE http://www.xe.com/
Currency converter covering every world currency. Azerbaijan new manats to Cayman Island dollars? Just a click away.
53 Advice Guide http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/
Find where you stand legally with the Citizens Advice Bureau's online information resource.
54 Need2Know http://www.need2know.co.uk/
Need to know? Find out how to stay fit online
Advice and information for young people, including health and fitness, drugs, problems with bullying, how to study and applying for jobs.
55 Royal Horticultural Society http://www.rhs.org.uk/
Advice and suggestions from the world's leading gardening organisation. A good 'how-to' section and seasonal tips for the time of year.
56 Babelfish babelfish.altavista.com
Automatic translation to and from most European languages and Chinese. The results are sometimes a little strange, but you will usually get your message across.
57 eHow http://www.ehow.com/
How to do just about everything, from getting stains off curtains to buying a second-hand car.
58 Eat the Seasons http://www.eattheseasons.co.uk/
Updated weekly, information, tips and recipe ideas on British seasonal food.
59 Age Concern http://www.ageconcern.org.uk/
Website of Britain's leading charity for the elderly, packed with advice about maintaining an active life.
60 Weather.com http://www.weather.com/
The queen of weather sites, with more information than you would possibly imagine you might need, from pollen counts to surf forecasts.
61 Uncyclopedia uncyclopedia.org
Spoof Wikipedia-style encyclopaedia where nothing is true, but a good deal is very funny indeed. Idle away an afternoon or, even better, hone your comedy skills by making a contribution yourself.
62 Kiva http://www.kiva.org/
An easy way to lend small sums (from $25) to business projects in the developing world. Kiva keeps track of your investment, updates you on progress and repays your loan as the business grows.
63 Embarrassing problems http://www.embarrassingproblems.co.uk/
From bad breath and piles to cold sores and beyond, Dr Margaret Stearn dispenses invaluable advice.
(D)House & Home
64 Noise Mapping England http://www.noisemapping.org/
Click on an area of the map to find out how noisy a street, or even a section of the street, is - handy for light sleepers planning a move. At the moment only London is mapped, but the rest of England will follow.
65 Prime Location http://www.primelocation.com/
One of the best sites for finding property. It is UK-based but has a good international presence.
66 Rated People http://www.ratedpeople.com/
User reviews on local tradesmen. You describe the job you need done and how quickly and suppliers contact you with quotes - with previous customers rating them.
67 Zoopla http://www.zoopla.co.uk/
Possibly the most dangerous site on this list, Zoopla gives sale prices of recently sold homes and - the tricky bit - estimates the value of the rest. We dare you not to look.
68 Money Saving Expert http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/
Subtitled 'Consumer Revenge', this is where you find the discounts, tricks and tips to save money. The weekly email is essential reading for canny consumers. It caters only for Britain, but every country should have one.
69 MetaEfficient http://www.metaefficient.com/
Practical guide to making your home more environmentally friendly, from low-flow showerheads to 12V lighting. US-based, but many of the products are available elsewhere.
70 Design My Room http://www.designmyroom.com/
For budding Laurence Llewellyn-Bowens everywhere, it provides the ability to redecorate your home in cyberspace. Choose colours, furniture, accessories and finishes and then publish the results online.
71 Up My Street http://www.upmystreet.com/
Neighbourhood information based on postcode: schools, shopping and, juciest of all, how much the house down the road sold for recently.
72 Home For Exchange http://www.homeforexchange.com/
One of many sites where you can swap homes with someone else for a period. This is less cluttered than some of the others and has a good geographical spread.
73 SimplySwitch http://www.simplyswitch.com/
The fast way to compare utility suppliers and other services, from broadband to home insurance. Enter your postcode and the site comes back with the best deals.
74 101 Cookbooks http://www.101cookbooks.com/
Enchanting recipe and foodie blog from a Californian cook who believes in good food. Subscribe to the email alert service and transform your cooking repertoire.
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