Why didn't I think of that? 20 Useful Websites that Inspire

Thursday, August 02, 2007

As a multimedia journalist I often find inspiration in websites outside of the journalism realm. Here are some of favorite sites that whose functions could be incorporated into news sites.

1. Digg Labs' bigspy
Popular or recently updated stories being dugg flash across the screen in an awesome visual display. Stories with more diggs and are assigned a larger font weight.
2. Farecast
Farecast predicts whether flight prices are going up or down and aggregates some of the cheapest air fare available on the net.
3. HealthMap
Ready for a good scare? This Google Maps mashup charts infectious disease outbreaks around the world.

4. Yahoo! Answers
Yahoo! Answers is a community of users that ask and answer questions that typically can't be answered simply by a search engine.
5. Flagxo
Flagxo lets users rate airports around the world on such things as wi-fi and outlet availability, lounges and transportation. Very useful information to know before traveling.
6. Half.com
Half.com is the place to find used books, music, movies and video games and a much lower price than retail.
7. Facebook
Facebook is quickly taking over Myspace as one of the premier social networking sites. With the addition of Facebook applications the service will continue to grow.
8. Pandora
Pandora suggests music that you may like based on the music that you do like and lets you listen to it for free.
9. Stylehive
This social shopping community makes bookmarking chic clothes and decor a group effort.
10. Internet Movie Database
The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about movies, actors, television shows, production crew personnel, and video games. My last search: Anna Sophia Robb.
11. Mailbox Finder
Have you ever spent minutes searching for a mailbox? This handy Google Map points out exactly where to find one.
12. allmusic
Allmusic is like an encyclopedia of music. Find track listings for virtually any album, reviews and music clips.
13. TVGuide Listings
TVGuide's listing are presented in an easily scannable online format.
14. Weather.com
Weather.com is the most easy to use meteorological site and has more weather-related information than one will ever need.
15. Yelp.com/ CitySearch
Both Yelp and CitySearch offer editor and user generated reviews for restaurants, clubs, spas and more.
16. Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a repository for movie reviews and showtimes. Films are rated "fresh" or "rotten" which makes its simple to determine instantly whether a movie will be good or bad.
17. WebMD
WebMD provides valuable health information, tools for managing your health, and support for medical issues. I've had a couple of ailments (strep throat, cold sores, etc.) which I have self-diagnosed through WebMD. I'm no doctor, but the site makes me think I am.
18. Auto Trader
Buying a new car is tough. Auto Trader makes it a lot easier by allowing users to search for cars by ZIP, make, model, price, etc. and compare prices.
19. So You Wanna
This site answers life's most important questions like how to cure a hangover, lie persuasively or convert to Buddhism.
20. SignalMap
Want to know if your new place has good cell phone service or if you can make a call from the local park? SignalMap displays cell phone signals across the country.
21. Double Feature Finder
Use this tool to find two movies that are playing back to back.
22. National Center for Educational Statistics
Enter some information and find out statistics about a school, library or college near you. Great for people young ones or students. Simple, yet very informative.
23. Mpire
There are a lot of compare & shop sites out there, but I find Mpire to be the most streamlined and easy to use.
24. NPA-NXX Geolocator
When you get a call you don't recognize, input the first six digits of a telephone number and this geolocator spits out an approximation of where the call is coming from.
25. Fast Food Maps
When you absolutely must know where the nearest KFC is, Fast Food Maps will tell you within seconds.