Top 5 Most Innovative and Useful Websites of 2008
by Omar AlBadri on 12/8/2008 4:51:00 PM
Read the about the Top 5 most Innovative and Useful website of 2008...
Once again at the end the year I look back and determine the Top 5 Sites that I found useful in the year. When I say Useful, I look for sites that have lasting value. Sites that do something so well that you will re-visit them time and time again. When I say Innovative, I look for sites that are ahead of the curve and that try and do something that hasn't been done well or not at all. Here are the Top 5 most Innovative and Useful Websites of 2008:
5. BestCovery.com
Why it made the List: We all want the best, we just don't want to spend a lot of money, or if we do spend a lot of money we want the best of the best. BestCovery.com looks to fill that gap. BestCovery.com simply states the best (mostly electronic) items of a certain class. Looking for the best budget flat screen? Go to BestCovery.com. Or maybe you want to know what the best overall flat screen is, go to BestCovery.com. Its a god send to those looking for the best product in a certain price range or if they want the best period.
What it can improve on: They could go a little more in depth on how they came up with the best of anything. Also I would love to the site be a little more community driven and see how BestCovery.com picks stack up with the online community.
4(tie).LogmeIn.com / GetDropBox.com
Why it Made the List: Gentlemen, and women we have a tie. I though about rating LogMeIn.com and DropBox separately but they are so useful when used in conjunction that I could not separate the two. DropBox(GetDropBox.com) is essentially a 2 gb "folder" that almost doubles as a portable flash drive on your computer. LogMeIn.com is a free ( although you have to pay for premium features) remote access website where you can remotely access your various computers through a web interface. The reason why they are coupled together is the fact that you can use LogMeIn.com free web interface and install DropBox on each of your computers to easily share and upload files to each computer. These services are invaluable when you need to transfer data between machines.
What it can improve on: I wish DropBox allowed more space then GB and I wish LogMeIn.com would scale the resolution a little better.
3. Open Source Web Design(Owsd.org)
Why it made the List: Web design is becoming an art in itself. Now both design and functionality go hand in hand. Usually you can not get away with a great idea that looks ugly, but as a web programmer where can one get high end designs without paying a premium price? Along comes Open Source Web Design(oswd.org) that in my opinion revolutionizes the element of design. We are use to open source code and projects, Oswd.org gives us the design element of a web page as open source content that you are free to use on your website. As a developer who is generally clueless to the design elements of a web page Oswd.org is a invaluable resource. Currently Oswd.org has over 2000+ free designs.
What it can improve on: Some of the Web designs are a little amateurish, and the search functionality could you some improvement.
2. Etherpad.com
Why it made the List: I am big advocate of both innovative code and intuitive design, in other words I believe functionality and design go hand in hand, you usually cannot have a great idea with out having a equally great design to go with it. Etherpad.com is the exception that proves the rule. Collaboration is a ever increasing paradigm, Etherpad.com makes collaborating on any project as simple as possible. Imagine two student whom have collaborate on a paper, Etherpad.com allows them to edit and write in real time at the comfort of there own home. Now coders can write code in collaboration, papers can be written, edited and corrected in real time by multiple authors. No longer will we need to send a word document via email and get it back. Etherpad.com allows everything to be done in real time by multiple authors.
What it can improve on: The interface is butt fugly and it is desperate need of different templates based on the task that you are trying to preform, such as a template for writing code, a template for writing papers etc. etc.
1. Hulu.com
Why it made the List: You(2 years ago): Damn I missed the Simpsons last night, I will have to wait for them to repeat the episode or wait until this episode reaches syndication. You(today): Damn I missed the Simpsons last night, no worries I will see it on Hulu.com tomorrow. Hulu.com is content done right. I almost included it on last years list but it really did not have enough content to justify. Well those days are gone cause Hulu.com is bursting with content, exclusive shows, movies and shorts. Gone are the days where you have to wait to see an episode, now log into Hulu.com and see everything that you want. We don't even mind the 2 commercials per 30 minutes of viewing time. Sites like Hulu.com are the future and the reason why Television is scared.
What it can improve on: Please Apple and Adobe work out your flash issues, or Hulu.com create a iPhone app, I need Hulu.com on my iPhone. I want to watch The Office while my girlfriend shops.
Any comment of feedback (be nice) is encouraged.
