My Top 25 Useful Websites

Useful Websites

Home Entertainment:

Internet Movie Database www.imdb.com.au

The place to go when you want to know “the name of that guy in the movie” a database of movies and television programs, actors, directors, all the other movie related things you need to know about.
When you are looking for something to watch all of the main Australian television broadcasters now provide snippets and sometimes full episodes of many of their programs online. Here are a few of my favourites:

iView www.abc.net.au/iview
Plus7 http://au.tv.yahoo.com/plus7/
Channel 10 www.ten.com.au

(note you will need a broadband connection to watch videos online and they can be quite large files so please be mindful if you have set data limits with your provider)

Applications:

Firefox www.mozilla.com/firefox

One of the world’s leading browsers that isn’t made by Microsoft! Firefox is easy to use and relatively fast at browsing online.

Chrome www.google.com/chrome

Another alternative internet browser this one is made by Google. Chrome is very fast at browsing and has the added benefit of doing Google searches from the address bar.

Open Office www.openoffice.org

If you are reluctant to pay for the hefty price tag of Microsoft Office here is a FREE alternative. Open Office also has an extensions repository (extensions.services.openoffice.org/) so you can set up Open Office to save documents in a format that others with Microsoft Office can read.

Windows Live explore.live.com/windows-live-essentials

Microsoft have a great range of software and online services that are completely FREE! Do more with Windows on your PC with free programs from Microsoft for photos, movies, instant messaging, email, social networking, and more, including basic versions of Word and Excel for online use.

Gimp www.gimp.org

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a FREE picture editing program. It is great for touch ups of photos.

Dropbox www.dropbox.com

Have you ever lost or forgot to bring your USB stick somewhere? Dropbox is an online storage program that allows you to access your files from any computer with an internet connection! It’s very handy features have even been extended to allow use on devices like iPhones, iPads, Android, and Blackberry.

Shopping:

Scam Watch www.scamwatch.gov.au

Ever wondered if that offer was just too good to be true? Generally it is, but if you are unsure check out the Government’s Scam Watch website. It not only covers internet scams but other mail, phone and door to door scams. So be vigilant and play a part in your own safety!

Credit card Compare www.creditcardcompare.com.au

Find the best credit card for you – compare credit cards between the banks and credit unions. You could end up saving lots of money finding a card that may be better suited to you.

eBay www.ebay.com.au

Australia’s online market! A place to buy and sell items online. Be sure to read eBay’s rules and guides to help protect you from online scams.

Catch of the Day www.catchoftheday.com.au

A different deal everyday. Catch of the Day offers fantastic discounts on a huge range of products.

Deals Direct www.dealsdirect.com.au

One of Australia’s online department stores, shop from home and have items delivered to your door.

Travel:

Web Jet www.webjet.com.au

A quick and easy way to compare flights around Australia. You put in the where you are starting from, where you want to go and the dates and web jet will compile a list of flights and carriers offering you an easy solution to picking the best deals.

Wot If www.wotif.com.au

Wot If is another great travel sight you can use for booking accommodation (in Australia and around the world). You put in the destination and the date and Wot If will provide you with a list of accommodation venues to suit all budgets. If you are looking to treat yourself on a budget take a look at Wot If’s Mystery Deals top class hotels at budget prices – the catch is you won’t know what hotel it is until you book!

One Bag www.onebag.com

Want to travel light but don’t want to forget something important? Check out One bag a site dedicated to travellers that need that little bit of help to pack. They provide itineraries on what to pack and how to pack.

Security

Cyber Smart www.cybersmart.gov.au

The government have created this website to help individuals and families understand the risks of the online world. It has lots of information for adults and children of all ages.

Free Antivirus Programs

Now there is no reason not to have an antivirus program on your computer as there are many free options available. Antivirus programs protect your computer from nasty software known as viruses, Trojans or worms (just to name a few). Here are my recommended free programs:

Avira AntiVir Personal www.avira.com/en/avira-free-antivirus

AVG free.avg.com

General

News www.news.com.au

Keep on top of news online from around Australia and around the World. With links to many of the top Australian newspapers this site should be one of your first places to go for news.

Wikipedia www.wikipedia.org

The online free encyclopaedia on all you want to know (and probably a lot that you don’t!). Wikipedia is an online collaborative that anyone can add or edit.

Whirlpool www.whirlpool.net.au

Whirlpool started as an online forum to compare internet providers and while it does still do that it has now grown to a vast community of members that discuss almost any topic you can think of. If you have a question that hasn’t been asked on the forum before submit it and see what replies you get. Forums can be a fantastic source of information but be prepared that some people can be hostile when they are hidden behind their online profile.

ACCC www.accc.gov.au

Know your rights when it comes to consumer products warranties. The ACCC website has lots of information to help consumers.