Academic Computing

Brain Candy

Google Summer of Code 2007

Google will once again be offering Summer of Code. Students receive a stipend to work on open source software development. Better than a lot of summer jobs we can think of!

Free course podcasts

Many colleges and universities are posting recorded lectures. We particularly like Apple's iTunes U product. Both Berkeley and Stanford offer entire courses free online!

Send files too big for email

MailBigFile.com lets you send a file up to 512 MB. The recipient is emailed a web address to download the file. There are many services out there (try a google search); this one is free and doesn't ask for your email address.

Web design tools

Maybe you don't know HTML or just don't feel like writing code… but you need to design a web site. We recommend Nvu, a free, open-source application.

But what if you want to do it without installing an application? Weebly was made for you, crazy person! And it's free! No more excuses, get designing!

Version Tracker

VersionTracker.com is an up-to-date searchable database of software for OS X, Windows, and Palm. User reviews, updated versions, and license type (freeware vs. commercial) are all listed. Highly recommended!

Archive.org

Public domain and otherwise free-to-download movies, books, audio, and software! Check it out!

OldVersion.com

Have you ever updated an application, only to find that the old version worked better? But how do you get back the old version when the application's web site only lists the latest version? OldVersion.com to the rescue!

Free PDF-format books from google

If you like your free books in attractive, searchable PDF format, look no further than google book search. Now, books that are out of copyright protection are available to download as one big PDF file!

You will need a (free) google ID, such as a gmail account, to access google book search.

Free Books - Project Gutenberg

Project Gutenberg is a collection of 18,000 + public domain ebooks, transcribed by volunteers and freely available for personal and educational use. Save money and backpack weight! Distribute a book along with your thesis on it!

qunu.com

qunu.com Everybody knows Google. Qunu is like Google, but rather than showing you a list of links to relevant websites, Qunu shows you a list of relevant people who are online at the same time as you are. Instead of being left with more questions than answers after trawling through search engine results, Qunu provides a direct line to those who not only know their stuff, but who are also passionate about sharing it - with you!

How to get songs off your iPod w/ iTunes

How to get songs off your iPod w/ iTunes Part - Part 2 A common question asked about the iPod is “How do I get music from my iPod onto my computer?” mp3buzz.net has posted two articles explaining various methods to achieve the desired result. I recommend reading through both articles before attempting anything. One false move and your music may be deleted from your iPod.

Big Religion Chart

Big Religion Chart The ReligionFacts Big Religion Chart is an attempt to summarize all the complexities of religions and belief systems into tiny little boxes on a single, quick-reference comparison chart.

Unraveling Poincare Conjecture

Unraveling Poincare Conjecture Two Chinese mathematicians, Zhu Xiping and Cao Huaidong, have put the final pieces together in the solution to the puzzle that has perplexed scientists around the globe for more than a century.

History of Humanoids

History of Humanoids Honda's ASIMO: Following in the steps of Honda motorcycles, cars and power products, Honda has taken up a new challenge in mobility — the development of a two-legged humanoid robot that can walk.

USSR posters - a photoset on Flickr

USSR posters - a photoset on Flickr An extensive collection (25 pages) of Soviet Union propaganda and advertisement posters from 1917 to 1991.

World Oil Production 1859-2050

World Oil Production 1859-2050 (poster) Have you ever wondered what the use of oil has been since 1859? No? Well, now you can see how things have been and what the precistions are through 2050. “Colorful and authoritative, this poster traces the history of the Oil Age from its beginnings in the hills of western Pennsylvania in 1859 to its rise as the engine of global industrial economies.”

Official Google Blog: Avoiding RSI

Official Google Blog: Avoiding RSI Take a look at these suggestions from Dr. Taraneh Razavi, M.D., Google.com Staff Doctor on avoiding repetitive stress injury (RSI). Page after page after page… Your wrists start to hurt, your fingers get tired, and your eyes need a break from the white screen with black text.

PBS Documentary - The Tank Man

PBS documentary - The Tank Man After all others had been silenced, his lonely act of defiance against the Chinese regime catalyzed the world. What became of him? And 17 years later, has China succeeded in erasing this event from its history?

Ten things every Microsoft Word user should know

Ten things every Microsoft Word user should know You've read all the material you need for your conference paper. All the quotes, notes, and outlines are sitting in front of you. Now it's time to write the last paper of the semester. Instead of using word like a typewriter use Word to its fullest. generaldisarray has written about 10 things that will make your Word experience easier.

del.icio.us

del.icio.us is a collection of favorites - yours and everyone else's.

• Keep links to your favorite articles, blogs, music, restaurant reviews, and more on del.icio.us and access them from any computer on the web.
• Share favorites with friends, family, and colleagues.
• Discover new things. Everything on del.icio.us is someone's favorite - they've already done the work of finding it. Explore and enjoy.

popurls.com

popurls.com is a fetcher for the latest web-buzz and combines headlines from sites like digg.com, del.icio.us, newsvine.com, flickr.com, youtube.com etc.