Protopage is just one of the online applications developed using Ajax.
Ajax and Web 2.0 are the new buzz words in the Internet world these days.

Ajax, shorthand for Asynchronous JavaScript and XML, is a web development technique for creating interactive web applications… This is meant to increase the webpages interactivity, speed, and usability. There are some really practical projects going on using Ajax techniques to create online applications and this is just one.

What that translates to, is the existance of more and more web-based interactive tools, some of which are reviewed in this blog.But back to what protopage is all about. It allows you to create your own custom dynamic webpage full of fresh content, your own pictures, notes, links, RSS newsfeeds, etc. All of which can be moved around on the page and resized as you see fit. It’s fun and extremely easy. What makes it even better is that you can access this page (pages actually) from any computer and everything is exactly how you left it. You can even create public pages with stuff you want other’s to see while protecting pages that you don’t want people to see.

It’s very time saving to have all your bookmarks, newsfeeds,weather, notes, widgets etc easily available on one highly customizable and easy to use page or pages. That’s one of the best things i like about it when compared to other similar services, you never run out of space because you can use more than one page.

You can check it out here to get your own free page!

Google Pack is a suite of software, some original software and some bundled third party software, all of it designed to enhance your productivity. Google Desktop is billed as a desktop companion, but basically what it is a search facility for all your “stuff”, emails, files on your computer, your web history etc. Oh and by far the best gadget, if you’ll pardon the pun, you also get the facility to add Google Gadgets to customize your desktop and the Google Sidebar. Gadgets are a bit like Widgets on the Mac, and are little programs which do one job that are easy to access from the desktop.

Also as part of the package you get Picasa, Google’s Photo organiser and editor, Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer (for those of us who don’t have Firefox), plus you get the Google pack photo screensaver. For your fix of Google Gadgets, go here for all the details.

Writer’s block is the syndrome whereby writers are “blocked“, they can’t write. (Tell me about it) Either they can’t think of something to write, OR and this is a more common cause they have too much to write about. It’s all about information and moving it around, either to stimulate your creativity or to make the job more manageable.

Writer’s Blocks is a unique program; a word processor which also has functionality like a spreadsheet. It manages information in a group of re-sizable blocks that can be arranged in columns or topics. It’s like an Outline processor, but with big blocks of text instead of lines tabbed at different depths. It’s a cool way to organize your text. The next generation of writers software? Well not sure about that, but it’s certainly makes putting all your thoughts in a row as easy as adding up your groceries.

Go to Writers Blocks for more details.

HotRecorder for VoIP is a way to record your Skype or other internet phone conversations. This simple program installs easily and works with almost any VOIP or Voice Over IP software on the PC. You can use it with Skype (of course) even the new 3.0 Beta, also Google Talk, AIM, Net2Phone, Yahoo! Messenger, FireFly and many others. Best thing to do is try the download and see if it works before you buy it to run it with some other software.

The demo version allows 2 minutes of recording, and saves audio in the ELP format which isn’t readable by anything else. If you pay the fee the included Audio Converter Tool converts the ELP format into MP3, WAV or OGG files for storage or editing.

Other extras include what they call Emotisounds, a way to to add humorous sounds to your online conversations. Listen I make enough humorous sounds when I’m on Skype as it is. For more info and a download go to the HotRecorder web site.

Yes it’s true you can get Skype on a mobile phone. In the UK, on the 3 network, you can run a copy of Skype for mobile on your phone and make free calls to other Skype users. You can’t as yet do SkypeIn or SkypeOut calls, but then what phone network in its right mind would let you do that?

As I say it works through the 3 network in the UK, but while the Skype software and calls are free, the network and the phone are not. You have to be on a pay monthly scheme, and paying probably up to £30 a month. Oh yeah and the only phone it works on at the moment is the Nokia N73. But still, be happy; it’s real Skype on a mobile phone and that has got to be a good thing. More phones, more networks and more Skype facilities are obviously going to be rolling out in 2007 so watch this space. For more details and downloads of the software, see the Skype web site.

Mozy is an online remote backup service that gives you up to 2 GB online storage space to store your backups. This is very useful in case something happens that makes your beloved computer die for a while. There’s nothing worse than that happening and losing irreplaceable data such as photos you’ve taken,emails, or your work, or just data that takes a long time to replace such as your mp3 collection or games you have to start all over again, etc.

You simply create a user account and then download the small setup program, which should take less than 30 seconds, then you’re good to go! Then you just select the filetypes you want Mozy to take care of, you can also choose whatever directories you want backed up.

You get a full 2 GB for free but you can upgrade to more by paying or through the referal program. It supports block level differential backup so that it only backs up new data.Its fully encrypted so its gonna be safe, it has 128 bit ssl encryption during transfer of data and 448 bit encryption during storage! You can even schedule backups to make things even easier!

That’s all pretty impressive to me anyway for a free service. Like the sound of it too? Go check it out here!

I think you’d be hard pressed to find a better online backup service for free, but if you do, tell me about it : )

Podcasts are a good source of information and entertainment. While most take the form of talk radio or music shows, the audiobook is on the rise, although these are mostly amateur affairs. But slowly there are professional writers creeping into the market.

Hugo award winner James Patrick Kelly is podcasting his “On the Net” columns from the popular Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazines. In these columns, Kelly talks about time travel, faster than light engines etc, all the usual fare of popular science fiction.

The most recent episode was about copyright, science fiction, DRM, and the future of the Internet. Fascinating stuff. Subscribe to the show by following this LINK.

Despite the serious sounding name, Democracy Player is actually a very good video player. But it’s so much more too. Aside from the fact it claims to play virtually all video formats (Quicktime, WMV, MPEG, AVI, XVID, and more), you can also search for videos from inside it!

Your chosen video or videos then downloads to your computer where they are kept for a default of 5 days before being deleted, but you can choose to save them forever too. It even allows you to search YouTube, Yahoo Video, Google Video, and more, right from inside it!

I was a little confused by the interface at first until i realised how simple it was, the “My Collection” link to the left is everything you downloaded, “New Videos” is downloaded videos you haven’t watched yet, and “Downloading” is videos currently being downloaded. So it’s all pretty easy to use!

It has lots of channels built in and feeds from video sites, so you’ll never be lost for something to watch!

I have a feeling we’ll be hearing a lot more about this cool program! You can download it for free and find out more info by checking out the homepage here.

Feed validation doesn’t sound very sexy, does it? I bet you keep yourself awake at night, don’t you, worrying if your RSS feed is perfectly formed? No okay you probably don’t, but if you are podcaster or a blogger then you will at least be interested to know there IS an online resource which can totally debug your RSS feed code.

Just type the address for your feed into the Feed Validator and it will go off, load your XML file and debug it for any obvious code bloopers. Usually if it gets through Feed Validator it will pass muster with browsers, feed collectors, iTunes, you name it. Also a good thing to check if your code is not working for some reason. FV will usually get to the bottom of the problem.

No that’s guitar TUNER. And having one of these online is a total boon. If you play guitar there is one thing that’s the bane of your life. Staying in tune. Say you went to someone’s house and he hasn’t got a guitar tuner and you forgot yours? Or worse still you go to play a concert and your tuner gets mislaid on the way, or falls out in the van, the guy can’t remember where he parked it and… okay, you get the idea.

This online guitar tuner at Guitar For Beginners plays you the right notes in the right order. The recordings of the guitar notes are beautiful, and ring on for long enough for you to sound your own note and tune it in with the recording. Genius. Really lovely site, really well done. Lots of open tunings too, so you can sound really good and pose a lot without having to concentrate so much on being able to play.