xenmaster's favorite web-services

this is a list of all my favourite websites. Fire up your bookmarkers, because you will want to visit these sites again and again!

Note: I am planning on adding sigalert.com to this as soon as I create an entry for the application. Great tool for keeping track of traffic alerts in big cities and 100% free to use!

Alex Ruiz
Alex RuizList by Alex Ruiz, last updated 
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  1. social-media

  2. MeWe icon
     Like

    I use this as my primary social network. It allows people to form private groups for their friends and family. It is pretty reminiscent of Google Plus for folks that used to use that service and many users are refugees from that service. It has some pretty significant backing as well, including from Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web!

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    MeWe screenshot 1
  3. LinkedIn icon
     Like

    I use this site exclusively for professional networking. Has a lot of spam, but a great way to keep in touch with old colleagues and to make new connections professionally. Use with care and always refuse invites from third-party headhunters!

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Google Chrome
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    LinkedIn screenshot 1
    LinkedIn screenshot 1
    LinkedIn screenshot 2
    +7
    LinkedIn screenshot 3
  4. education

  5. I use Duolingo for most of my language learning, but they aren't as good as HelloChinese for learning Chinese. My only complaint is that while HelloChinese is very good, it will get you only to the basic level of learning the language - there are more specialized solutions that can take you to the advanced level, although I recommend having a tutor for that part of the process.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    HelloChinese screenshot 1
    HelloChinese screenshot 1
    HelloChinese screenshot 2
    +7
    HelloChinese screenshot 3
  6. Duolingo icon
     Like

    Useful for learning Spanish, I use Duolingo also for learning Thai and Vietnamese, which is pretty acceptable so far.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Duolingo screenshot 1
    Duolingo screenshot 2
    Duolingo screenshot 3
  7. Udemy icon
     Like

    There are so many courses here - I primarily use it to self-teach on Design and Website Engineering. Some courses are better than others (Their Django course is extremely outdated) so proceed with caution.

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Udemy screenshot 1
    Udemy screenshot 1
    Udemy screenshot 2
    +4
    Udemy screenshot 3
  8. SitePoint icon
     Like

    A site specifically about web-design, it includes great articles, eBooks, and tutorial courses.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Online
  9. entertainment

  10. Hulu icon
     Like

    Hulu is my go-to for old school TV shows I know and love from my youth in the 80s and 90s. Holds awesome movies too. It has pretty good original series too, especially compared to Netflix, which has more flops than gems in the catalog.

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Apple Watch
    • Apple TV
    • Playstation VR
    • Daydream
    • Kindle Fire
    • Playstation
    • Fire TV
    • Gear VR
    • Xbox
    • Meta Quest
    App
    TV
    Web
    +1
    Apple watch
  11. Another great place to get awesome videos - it has some offerings that Hulu does not have. Also, you get bundled discounts, free shipping, and bonuses at Whole Foods, you cannot beat this deal!

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Apple TV
    • Fire TV
    • Android TV
    Prime Video screenshot 1
    Prime Video screenshot 1
    Prime Video screenshot 2
    +2
    Prime Video screenshot 3
  12. YouTube icon
     Like

    Has great original series, although the platform is starting to turn its back on original creators in favor of corporate content. My favorite items here include the wide selection of independent music creators and online series like Freddie Wong's old videos and the WongFu selections.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Apple TV
    • KaiOS
    • Fire TV
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Xbox
    YouTube screenshot 1
    YouTube on Light Mode
    YouTube on Dark Mode
    +10
    YouTube screenshot 3
  13. Kodi icon
     Like

    Great entertainment center for free content. I use it specifically for South Park and the Simpsons (during the golden years).

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • BSD
    • iPad
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    • Raspberry Pi
    • Fire TV
    Kodi screenshot 1
    Kodi screenshot 1
    Kodi screenshot 2
    +5
    Kodi screenshot 3
  14. news-services

    Missing items include good tech blogs like Make Tech Easier, and Hacker News. Coming up soon so stay tuned!

  15. A great resource for technology and business news.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
    TechCrunch screenshot 1
    TechCrunch screenshot 1
  16. MakeUseOf icon
     Like

    Lots of cool websites, computer tips, and how-tos are featured here!

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
    HOMEPAGE
    MakeUseOf screenshot 1
    MakeUseOf screenshot 2
    +3
    MakeUseOf screenshot 3
  17. Reuters icon
     Like

    A good departure from clickbait news - Reuters generally tends to give you just the facts compared to hype machines like FOX, CNN, and MSNBC as well as the less reputable blogs like Vox, Vice, Slate, and Buzzfeed, which really only masquerade as legitimate news.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Kindle Fire
    Reuters screenshot 1
    Reuters screenshot 2
    Reuters screenshot 3
  18. Ars Technica was founded in 1998 when Founder & Editor-in-Chief Ken Fisher announced his plans for starting a publication devoted to technology that would cater to what he called "alpha geeks": technologists and IT professionals.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
  19. online-games

  20. Sorcery! icon
     Like

    Sorcery! is an epic four-part adventure through a land of monsters, traps, and magic an interactive story with the appeal of a classic, tabletop gamebook. With tens of thousands of choices, the story rewrites itself around your actions.

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Steam
    Sorcery! screenshot 1
    Sorcery! screenshot 1
    Sorcery! screenshot 2
    +5
    Sorcery! screenshot 3
  21. 2048 icon
     Like

    2048 is a popular sliding puzzle game written by 19 year old Italian designer Gabriele Chirulli based on 1024 icon 1024 which in turn was based on Threes! icon Threes! .

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • PortableApps.com
    2048 screenshot 1
    2048 screenshot 2
    2048 screenshot 3
  22. Plants vs. Zombies is a tower defense video game by PopCap. A mob of fun-loving zombies is about to invade your home, and your only defense is an arsenal of zombie-zapping plants. Use peashooters, wall-nuts, cherry bombs and more to mulchify zombies before they reach your front...

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Kindle Fire
    • Steam
    • Playstation
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Xbox
    iPhone
    iPad
    Mac
    +1
    Plants vs. Zombies screenshot 3
  23. In Monument Valley you will manipulate impossible architecture and guide a silent princess through a stunningly beautiful world.

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • Windows Phone
    • iPad
    • Kindle Fire
    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Nintendo Switch
    Monument Valley screenshot 1
    Monument Valley screenshot 2
    Monument Valley screenshot 3
  24. Bejeweled icon
     Like

    Bejeweled: match sparkling gems three at a time to make them burst in showers of color and points. Match four or more to create flashy power gems that boost your score and your mood with brilliant cascades and combos.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Symbian S60
    • Blackberry
    • Windows Phone
    • Kindle Fire
    iPhone
    Classic Mode on the PC
    Bejeweled screenshot 2
    +4
    Bejeweled screenshot 3
  25. Dynomite! icon
     Like

    Download & play Dynomite Deluxe. Blast eggs of the same color for prehistoric fun!

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Online
    Gameplay
  26. messengers

  27. Signal icon
     Like

    I use this almost exclusively in place of my messenger service. It's a fantastic app that everyone should use!

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Flathub
    • Ubuntu
    • Debian
    Signal screenshot 1
    Signal screenshot 1
    Signal screenshot 2
    +4
    Signal screenshot 3
  28. LINE icon
     Like

    Useful for my people in Taiwan, The Philippines, Japan, Korea, and Thailand.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Apple Watch
    • Google Chrome
    LINE screenshot 1
    LINE screenshot 2
    LINE screenshot 3
  29. webservices

  30. Domainr icon
     Like

    If you want to look up a domain name you are thinking of buying up, you can't beat DomainR! It will autopopulate similar names, possible domain hacks, and show you if they are available or not.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Online
    Domainr screenshot 1
  31. DuckDuckGo is the best search engine I've ever used. I proudly say I've only used Google a handful of times on purpose - DDG has always been good and is getting better and they don't track or bubble your search results!

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Microsoft Edge
    • Vivaldi
    • Google Chrome
    • Safari
    • F-Droid
    • Yandex Browser
    • Tor
    • Opera
    • Mozilla Firefox
    DuckDuckGo Homepage
    DuckDuckGo screenshot 1
    DuckDuckGo screenshot 2
    +16
    DuckDuckGo screenshot 3
  32. Useful for sharing text notes between computers. Uses javascript based encryption to protect your stuff.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    Protectedtext (Safe Notes) screenshot 1
    Protectedtext (Safe Notes) screenshot 2
  33. I use this as often as I can for getting around town. There are also mobile clients for this service, like OSMand.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
    Main website interface
    OpenStreetMap screenshot 1
    OpenStreetMap screenshot 2
  34. software management

  35. A good catalog for relatively safe software and a good place to start for people looking for a way to host their own webservices.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Online
    PRISM Break screenshot 1
  36. Similar to above, but also includes basic tutorials about VPNs, E-Mail service providers, and gives information about how to configure Firefox to make it safer to use.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
    Front page captured 2024-03-25T10:05:20.587Z
    PrivacyTools.io screenshot 1
    PrivacyTools.io screenshot 2
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