No more Yahoo! Picks

January 01, 2008: Yahoo! announced that it has stopped updating its directory's Yahoo! Picks section. The picks archives will remain though.

For diversions or new and cool finds, try the following:

http://green.yahoo.com/blog/greenpicks/
http://answers.yahoo.com/my/profile?show=w772ouQkaa
http://buzz.yahoo.com/

eBuddy

This tool/service's instant-messaging-on-the-mobile-platform capability is what makes it outstanding.

eBuddy is a web and mobile messenger which supports various instant messaging services including MSN Messenger, Yahoo! , AIM, Google Talk and MySpace IM. A competitor to Meebo and Koolim, eBuddy offers tab mode setting to differentiate chat windows - a feature similar to tabbed browsing. It supports multiple IM networks in one interface but loses to Meebo in its inability to log into multiple accounts at once.

The absence of file transfer, webcam interface, QQ protocol, and skinning features are banes to eBuddy since other similar tools offer them. Meebo, for example, supports file transfers. It even stores chat logs.

It's still great though given its speed, user-friendly interface, and outstanding performance on the mobile web platform.

Adios Netscape Navigator

The world's first commercial Web browser and arguably the launch pad of the Internet boom, will be leaving the web after a 13-year long run.

Time Warner Inc.'s AOL, Netscape's current keeper, said it decided to kill further development and technical support to focus on growing the company as an advertising business.

Here's how an MSNBC.com report writes: AOL pulls plug on Netscape Web browser.

Netscape faded away from the competition as Microsoft's Internet Explorer and the freeware Mozilla Firefox dominated the web browser market. I'm sure MSNBC's sounding like a victor learning about and reporting this. MSNBC.com is a joint Microsoft - NBC Universal venture.;)

Build a FREE website and have it hosted for free with Webnode

Webnode is a free tool that enables you to take complete control of an entire web project. It offers real-time interactive editing, gadgets and widgets, online document editing, free web hosting, bookmark and tagging, and multiple file uploads. Similar to Weebly, Webnode also makes use of web 2.0 and drag and drop technologies. Over 40 templates are available but custom templates may also be uploaded. What's more, Weebly also allows you to assign your page to a domain of choice. The automatic SEO feature is also a great bonus.

Here's an additional list of features:

* Articles
* Polls
* Discussion forums
* FAQ
* Dynamic lists
* E-commerce
* Site map
* Photo galleries
* Full-text searching
* Website statistics
* Webmail
* RSS

Webnode is compatible with virtually every major web browser. I haven't tried the tool with all of the browsers but so far, it works with Opera, IE, Firefox, and Seamonkey.

Try a demo to begin conceptualizing or designing a personal web page, blog, or small business website. Since the tool is browser and web based, you can create your very own page from anywhere as long as you have Internet access and a browser.

Webnode also offers a free email account that features an intelligent spam detection system and anti-virus. The account also allows you to use the IMAP protocol for mailbox access.

Similar to Weebly, Webnode also provides a site statistics tool. Thing is, it's a better site stats tool. It offers detailed analysis including information on page hits, unique visitors, data transferred, browser types, search engines, and keywords.

Webnode claims to be a better tool and I think this has references to Weebly and Freewebs. The claim for me is valid. It's easy. It features active content. It's free and ad-free. Webnode can offer benefits to plain users, web designers, and developers alike.

Overall, Webnode can be thought of as an improved Weebly. The dynamic lists feature is great. I like the editing capability associated with the photo gallery feature. There are more templates and widgets. Webnode also claims faster file uploading (I haven't tried this feature though).

Users can easily integrate third party services with Webnode. Webnode has Google and Yahoo Maps, Windows Virtual Earth, Flickr, Paypal, Google Checkout, Zoho, and Worldpay as integration partners.

I was wondering where information about Webnode was when I was looking for a tool that could match or beat Weebly. This section in Webnode's page provided me some answers:

About webnode.com

Started in January 2008, webnode (webnode.com) is a free revolutionary interactive real-time drag-and-drop website builder. Webnode allows visitors to create, design, develop and run powerful websites and web apps from start to end. Engineered for ease of use and extreme speed, effortlessly produce high-caliber professional web pages within minutes.
Webnode offers the broadest range of functions for any on-line website builder. There is no need to download or install anything. Webnode can be used with any domain (e.g. as www.userdomain.com). It implements plenty of website components (polls, articles, forums, lists, FAQ forms, etc.). Users can use it with any popular browser.

So Webnode is new... It was STARTED IN JANUARY 2008? Is time travel already possible? .... Okay, never mind the "predictive" about us description. Whether or not time travel is possible, the cool thing is anyone can now create interesting, feature-rich, and professionally-looking websites with free tools and services like Weebly and Webnode.

Get a Webnode account and start developing your real estate on the web. I'm gonna be building a website with Webnode not so soon and I'll be providing updates here on how the experience went.

Webnode adticle here.

Weebly: a great website building tool

The thought of building a website or even just a web page always fascinates me. Thanks to Weebly, even without html or website building knowhow, I can create a decent looking site.

Weebly is a free cross-platform (OS) and online web creation site created with financial assistance from the Y Combinator. It was originally created by David Rusenko, Dan Veltri, and Chris Fanini.

A competitor to Freewebs, Weebly allows you to create professional looking websites at a few drags and clicks. It is web-based so basically all it takes to get started is Internet access and a web browser.

The highlights:

• It's FREE
• Drag and drop interface
• Instant website design switching
• Blog platform
• Custom HTML
• Video and photo widgets
• Adbrite
• Multiple websites for a single account
• Free site stats tool
• Free hosting
• Option to buy domain name through Weebly or assign created website to a new domain (that may have been registered with other registrars)
• Free website promotion tools

Yes, you get all these features at no cost. Don't ask how the creators of the site intend to earn from it--they definitely know what they're doing.

Blog with Weebly. Create a business page. Build a directory. Host a classified ads page. Virtually everything is possible. You can even make your online store. There are a number of designs to choose from and it's as easy as clicking buttons to switch designs at will.

Weebly smacks of an effort to take employment off from web developers. It gives any non-techie the power to create a decent looking website. Add to that the promotional tools, income-generating ads, and free hosting.