Online Exclusive
Useful websites
Websites annotated with a (D) can be used effectively with a dial-up connection,; otherwise broadband is needed.
Utility – free searching, browsing, email and software
· Google www.google.com – the world’s biggest search engine for a reason – fast and extremely comprehensive. (D)
· Quintura www.quintura.com – an alternative to Google; results are displayed in a “cloud” that breaks down search results by category. (D)
· Gmail www.gmail.com– Google’s free web-based email service. (D)
· Yahoo! Mail mail.yahoo.com – Yahoo!'s free web-based email service. (D)
· Blogspot www.blogspot.com – free and easy-to-use blogging site that is recommended for beginners. (D)
· WordPress www.wordpress.com – another free blogging site, but allows more customisation for the more ambitious writer. (D)
· Mozilla Firefox www.getfirefox.com – actor Stephen Fry says Microsoft’s internet Explorer “pants, pure and simple”. He prefers the superior, and free, alternative web browser Firefox. (D)
· Firefox modifications addons.mozilla.org – Firefox has a lot of optional modifications to improve your internet experience. The ad blocker, which prevents advertisements from loading, is very popular. (D)
· Open Office www.openoffice.org – a free package of software to manage and create documents and spreadsheets. Can read and create Microsoft Office files.
· Skype www.skype.com – free software that allows voice communication with other users.
General and Historical Information
· Wikipedia www.wikipedia.org – enormous, occasionally inaccurate online encyclopedia written and vetted by readers. (D)
· Project Gutenberg www.gutenberg.org – a collection of written works now out of copyright. Includes books of the Bible, the plays of Shakespeare and poems by many long-dead poets. (D)
· Art Renewal Center www.artrenewal.org/asp/database/contents.asp – a searchable collection of paintings by old masters, including Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. (D)
· Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand www.teara.govt.nz – a reliable, government-funded online encyclopedia covering all things Aotearoa. (D)
New Zealand News
· New Zealand Herald www.nzherald.co.nz – the country’s most popular on-line news site. Searchable and free archives stretch back 10 years. (D)
· Stuff www.stuff.co.nz – a combined site for Fairfax’s New Zealand newspapers, including the Dominion Post, the Christchurch Press, the Sunday-Star Times and others. (D)
· Scoopwww.scoop.co.nz – an independent media site collating press releases and alternative commentary on local and international affairs. (D)
· Radio New Zealand National www.radionz.co.nz/national/home – shows and segments can be downloaded as podcasts, or listened to for up to a month after broadcast.
International news
· New York Times www.nytimes.com – the world’s most popular news site, with free access to archived stories from 1851 to 1992 and from 1987 to the present.
· Guardian www.guardian.co.uk – the second-most-popular news site internationally. Stories printed in the last decade are freely available, and archives stretching back to 1810 can be viewed with payment.
· Time www.time.com – the magazine has free searchable archives dating back to 1923. (D)
· British Broadcasting Corporation news.bbc.co.uk – the Beeb offers radio as a comprehensive news site. (D)
· Newseum www.newseum.org – the “Today’s Front Page” feature displays newspaper front pages from around the world. (D)
· Arts & Letters Daily www.artsandlettersdaily.com – a daily collection of highbrow stories culled from world media. (D)
· Bookslut www.bookslut.com – reviews, author interviews, gossip and comment from the world of literature. (D)
Blogs
· Read/WriteWeb www.readwriteweb.com – internationally popular analysis and commentary on internet developments by Wellington’s Richard MacManus. (D)
· Public Address www.publicaddress.net – a collection of weblogs including Hard News, by Listener new media columnist Russell Brown. (D)
· Kiwiblog www.kiwiblog.co.nz – popular, mostly political, National Party-leaning blog run by David Farrar. (D)
· No Right Turn www.norightturn.blogpost.com – left-leaning political analysis and news, with a parliamentary focus, from the respected-but-anonymous Idiot/Savant. (D)
· Cactus Kate www.asianinvasion2006.blogspot.com – a bitchy and bitingly funny take on New Zealand politics and society from an expat lawyer based in Hong Kong. (D)
· Geekzone www.geekzone.co.nz – technology and internet news and discussions with a New Zealand perspective. (D)
· Stephen Fry www.stephenfry.com/blog/ – the British actor regularly writes about his love of technology and gadgets. (D)
Entertainment
· Throng www.throng.co.nz – New Zealand-based news and discussion on all things television. (D)
· YouTube www.youtube.com – a large collection of all kinds of video clips.
· Rotten Tomatoes www.rottentomatoes.com – a meta-film-critic site that collates movie reviews and awards overall ratings. (D)
· The Onion www.theonion.com – biting and funny satirical news. (D)
· Last FM www.last.fm – a music-only (no ads!) radio station that uses your listening history and preferences to build personalised music playlists.
· Joost www.joost.com – hosts professionally made and free-to-view television shows, music videos and feature films.
Commerce
· Trade Me www.trademe.co.nz – New Zealand-based online auction and discussion site. (D)
· iTunes www.itunes.co.nz – a site to purchase music from; it also offers a huge range of free podcasts.
· Amazon www.amazon.com – an enormous online retailer. Prices are in US dollars, and you’ll have to pay shipping, but the high Kiwi dollar works in our favour. (D)
