1. imo.im supports below 7 IM services:

MSN

Yahoo

AIM/ICQ

Google Talk

MySpace

Skype

Facebook

You can launch Voice/Video chat, or send files with Go to imo.im

2. Nimbuzz

Besides itself, Nimbuzz web manager supports below 12 IM services:

Windows Live Messenger

Yahoo!

Facebook

Google Talk

AIM/MobileMe

MySpace

ICQ

studiVZ/meinVZ

schulerVZ

Gadu-Gadu

Hyves

Skype

Only text chat is available on Nimbuzz. Go to Nimbuzz

3. Meebo

Meebo nearly supports all the existed IM services, besides itself, it also includes below IM services:

AIM

Yahoo

Facebook

Windows Live

MySpace

Google Talk

ICQ

Jabber

Are You Interested

Aujourdhui.com

Basilmarket

Batanga

CafeMom

Chess.com

DailyStrength

DanceTrippin

Decayenne

Dhingana

eBaum’s World

Fabulously40

Fanpop

Flirtbox

Flixster

foopets

Footytube

FunnelBrain

Fupa

GamerNook

Gamevance

GGL

GirlsAskGuys

ibeatyou

ImageChef

Indianelement

JacketFlap

JamLegend

Justin.tv

Klikot

MingleVille

MixPod

MuchGames

MyWorkster

myYearbook

Operation

Sports

OrangeShark

Packed

PlayedOnline

Playfire

Playlist

Quepasa

SharedReviews

SocialSplash

Sonico

Sparkpeople

Sparkteens

Tehkseven

Threadsy

Ultimate Guitar

Wadja

Wixi

Yonja

Zinch

Zorpia

As you can see, there are total 64 IM services on the above list, but there is no Skype. Meebo supports Video/Audio call, sending files, Group chat and Playing games. Go to Meebo

4. eBuddy

eBuddy supports below 7 IM services:

eBuddy supports video/voice chat, Go to eBuddy

5. KoolIM

KoolIM supports below 7 IM services:

AIM

MSN

Yahoo

Google Talk

ICQ

Gadu-Gadu

Xfire

You can send text and emotions with KoolIM. Go to KoolIM

6. Trillian

Trillian supports below 9 IM services:

Astra

Windows Live Messenger

Yahoo

Facebook

AIM

Google Talk

iCQ

MySpaceIM

Jabber/XMPP

Trillian only supports text chat, no webcam chat or sending files. Go to Trillian

7. ILoveIM

ILoveIM supports below 5 IM services:

ILoveIM supports video/audio chat. Go to ILoveIM

8. MastaMessenger

I think MastaMessenger is a copy of ILoveIM, but with more Google AdSense Ads in the front page. Go to MastaMessenger

9. Instan-t

Instant-t Express Web IM supports below 4 IM services:

MSN

Google Talk

ICQ/AOL

Yahoo

Instant-t Express only supports text chat. Go to Instan-t

10. Communication Tube

Communication Tube supports below 4 IM services:

ICQ

MSN

Google Talk

IRC

You can only send text chat Communication Tube. Go to Communication Tube

Among the above 10 websites, my favorite is imo.im, since it is the only one that supports Skype. How about you? Which one is your favorite? Or do you have any other similar websites to manage multiple IM services? Share with us by adding a comment.

1. Camomile

Most commonly drunk before bedtime to promote restful sleep, camomile can also be used to relieve digestive symptoms such as morning sickness or nausea. It has calming properties as well as a mildly relaxing effect on the muscles.

2. Dandelion

A natural diuretic, dandelion is thought to have a cleansing effect on the body, particularly on the liver and kidneys. It is therefore recommended for combating water retention.

3. Fennel

Recommended for women suffering from painful menstrual cramps, or those seeking relief from symptoms such as constipation, bloating and abdominal cramping. It also has diuretic and expectorant properties.

4. Ginger

A powerful anti-inflammatory spice, ginger can be peeled and grated to make a hot infusion. A warming digestive aid, it is believed to treat various kinds of nausea, motion sickness, constipation, indigestion and flatulence.

5. Ginseng

A Chinese powerhouse believed to have energising and rejuvenating properties, ginseng is used to enhance concentration and memory, while also calming the nervous system and slowing cell degeneration. It is often recommended for fatigue and stress relief.

6. Green

With less caffeine in it than black tea (as it is made from the unfermented leaves of the camellia sinensis plant), green tea has recently soared in popularity thanks to its antioxidant properties and wide range of health benefits. Research suggests that regular consumption may help protect against various cancers, control blood sugar levels, destroy free radicals (which contribute to the aging process), lower high blood pressure and cholesterol and aid weight loss.

7. Nettle

A useful detoxifying agent for the liver and kidneys, nettle works well in combination with dandelion. It is thought to purify the blood and work as a general booster for a sluggish system, and is reputedly helpful for treating inflammation within the urinary system.

8. Peppermint

Soothing on the stomach, this refreshing herb is reputedly beneficial to the digestive system by relaxing the intestinal tract, acting as an anti-spasmodic, and therefore easing indigestion and nausea. The minty flavour may also improve bad breath.

9. Raspberry leaf

The expectant mother’s favourite, raspberry leaf is thought to tone and relax the womb muscles in preparation for labour. It accumulates in the body, so it’s best to take it some weeks in advance.

10. Rooibos

Also known as red bush tea, this is a popular beverage in Africa and comes from an entirely different plant to the camellia sinensis – from which we get black, green or white tea. It is caffeine-free and low in tannins (the astringent agent also found in wine), as well as a source of vitamins and minerals.

With the advent of Web 2.0 and higher bandwidth and better online application development, we have quite a few services that can convert Text into Speech on the fly. Here we look at a few cool online web services that let us convert text to speech quickly and easily. They are not arranged in any particular order.

1. SpokenText.Net

With SpokenText the possibilities are endless. You can record text content and then easily listen to it using the playback system of your choice. For example you could record your notes and then listen to them while on the way to an exam. Or you could record a classic novel and listen to it on your iPod while you take a walk or ride a bike at the gym. You could also download the recording and burn it to a CD for listening to on your home stereo system as you sit comfortably on the couch.

SpokenText.net Features:

• Supports English, French, Spanish or German languages.
• You can record PDF, Word, plain text, PowerPoint files, RSS news feeds, emails and web pages and convert them to speech automatically.
• You can share your recordings via: Podcasts or  your blog using SpokenText badges. You can even share the recording on your website using individual recording players
• A simple, intuitive interface.
• Trial account is free and has permanent one week validity.

Visit SpokenText.Net

2. iSpeech.Org

Simply cut and paste the text you wish to convert to speech into the text box and click convert text. Or, upload any supported document, website, blog, etc. and click convert file or the listen button.All you have to do is sit back and listen. iSpeech does all of the work for you. If you upload a file and once your file is converted, it will auto-play. You can download it, podcast it or even embed it as an object on any webpage that supports html including: MySpace, Blogger, EBay, etc.

iSpeech Features: For Personal Use:

• Supported file types and websites include: Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat, Rich Text File, Blogs, RSS news feeds, hypertext markup language (DOC, DOCX, PPT, PPTX, XLS, XLSX, PDF, RTF, HTML).
• Options for the converted file: download it, podcast it or even embed it as an object on any webpage that supports html including: MySpace, Blogger, eBay, etc.

For Bloggers:

• Convert to Podcasts
• Free Service for Bloggers
• Instant TTS Blog Podcast
• Quick and Simple Integration
• Best Quality, Natural Sounding Voices
• Increase your Distribution

Visit iSpeech.org

3. ImTranslator

ImTranslator might not be the best looking TTS Service you would come across, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t good. In fact it is one of the most versatile TTS websites in this list. It beats others sites in one feature. It can translate text for you in any language and then read it out to you in the desired language. Other services support limited languages but Imtranslator covers more than 10 languages for Text To Speech Service.

ImTranslator Features:

• Has an online translator that translates text in real time and then converts it into speech for reading out to you.
• TTS Service presented by animated speaking characters will read the text in the most realistic, human-sounding way in a variety of languages: English U.S., Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian and European Spanish.
• Has a Spell Checker which delivers full-featured high-quality spell-checking tool for accurate input of information in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Ukrainian languages.
• Has a Virtual Keyboard which supports multilingual text input in Arabic, Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Farsi, Finish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Irish, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Urdu languages.
• Free Registration required for using the service.

Visit ImTranslator

4. ReadTheWords.com

ReadTheWords.com is a free, web based service that assists people with written material. They do this by using the Text To Speech Technology. Users of their service can generate a clear sounding audio file from almost any written material.

ReadTheWords Features:

• Convert Text, word, PDF, HTML, web pages and RSS to speech.
• 15 readers in various languages. Adjust the speed of the readers.
• Use available Avatars or create one for your profile.
• Individual library of Saved MP3s.
• Created files can be downloaded, podcasted, embedded, or e-mailed.
• Browser toolbar available.
• Need to create an account for usage.

Visit ReadTheWord.com

5. Vozme

Vozme keeps things simple. On the homepage you would see a text box where you can paste the text to be converted to speech. You can either select Male or Female voice option and create the MP3 file.

The best part about Vozme is it doesn’t require any registration and you can start using it right away. The conversion is fast, but the voice is a more robotic than other services, and doesn’t sound very natural.

Vozme Features:

• Extremely simple interface.
• One male and one female voice option available.
• Can read text in these Languages: English, Hindi, Español, Italiano, Português, Català.
• Lets you easily add speech to your WordPress, Joomla or Blogger website.
• Provides a Facebook Widget as well as a iGoogle Gadget.
• Provides a speech synthesis bookmarklet to your browser – using which you can convert any webpage to speech.

Visit Vozme.

6. Odiogo

Odiogo’s approach towards Text To Speech is different than many other sites we have seen. Its  media-shifting technology expands your reach – It transforms news sites and blog posts into high fidelity, near human quality audio files ready to download and play anywhere, anytime, on any device. It also lets Blog Publishers Monetize their Content by the way of embedded ads in Podcasts.

Odiogo Features:

• It can create automatic podcast from your favorite blogs and websites.
• “Near-human” quality text-to-speech
• Detailed download statistics
• Blog Publishers can monetize their content via Embedded Ads.

Visit Odiogo

7. Text2Speech.Org

Text2Speech.org is a complete free service. It converts a large amount of text quickly, but cannot listen to it online and need to download the MP3 file on your computer to listen to it. This service is free and you are allowed to use the speech files for any purpose, including commercial uses.

Text2Speech.org Features:

• Completely Free of cost and No Registration required for use.
• No Limit on Number of Characters to be converted.
• Provides 4 choices in Male and Female Voices.
• You can set the volume scale from 1 to 10. 1 being silent, 10 being loudest.

Visit Text2Speech.org

8. HearWho.com

HearWho.com is an online web application that will work with any Internet Browser.  There is no software to download. you simply type or paste your text into the text area, then click “Make MP3 File” and that’s it. Download Your MP3 file for listening.

HearWho Features:

• Free scheme offers 500 characters per conversion.
• Three Paid schemes are available offering limits of 6k, 20k and 60k characters.
• Features of selecting quality, rate and male/female voice are available.
• TTS Conversation is fast even if a lot of text is to be converted.

Visit HearWho.com

9. YakiToMe.com

YAKiToMe! gives you free access to AT&T Natural Voices(R) TTS technology licensed from Wizzard Software Corp and Windows voices from the Microsoft Corp. Its your Free text reader. You can listen to work documents, homework, PowerPoint presentations, emails, RSS feeds, blogs, books … while you relax, commute or exercise. Great for elearning, learning a new language, proofreading documents, multi-tasking and entertainment.

YakiToMe Features:

• Speaks English, Spanish, French, German with male and female voices
• Needs Registration for use.
• Doesn’t work on Flash – Requires QuickTime to function.
• Maintains a podcast library – so that you can listen to what others are converting. Only public podcasts are added to the library.

Visit YakiToMe.com

10. Paralink TTS Convertor

This website might not look like much but it certainly has one of the most Natural Sounding Voice Conversions among all these services. The other great thing about this service is its simple user interface. Just paste the text and it quickly converts it into Speech and starts playing.

Paralink TTS Features:

• English, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish languages offered.
• Translator services available at hand.
• Speed of speech can be varied.
• 1000 character Limit

Visit Paralink TTS Converter.

Duplicate File Detectors works with a wide range of file formats and can detect duplicates based on a large variety of criteria. In fact, there are so many configuration settings that it may feel a bit irresistible at the starting. If you store hundreds or even thousands of documents, pictures, photos, music and video files, you often feel in doubt: “…it seems that I already have these file, but where?…”.

Duplicate File Detector software is here to help you. These program is a powerful yet easy-to-use tool for searching for file duplicates. Don’t waste your time browsing through directories to find duplicates, leave this to the smart program. You should only decide what to do with the found duplicates (copy, delete etc …). Let Duplicate File Detector evaluate the contents of your hard drive and you will be impressed seeing how many identical files you have! You can free disk space by deleting duplicates, but be careful: do not delete files if you are not sure about them! Here is some best free duplicate file detector software.

1. Duplicate Cleaner

Duplicate Cleaner is my No.1 program. Duplicate Cleaner has a very streamlined user interface divided into tabs. The scanning job sequentially progresses to the next tab. It also scans for files matching their CRC checksums. Scanning is very fast in comparison to Clone Spy.

2. Auslogics Duplicate File Finder

Auslogics Duplicate File Finder has the MD5 search engine which allows the program to search for duplicate files by content, regardless of other match criteria. It would be helpful, for example, when two identical mp3 tracks or video files have different names. It is another alternative. It is fast and simple to use.uslogics Duplicate File Finder

3. Anti-Twin

It is very great tool to perform well and adds the ability to search identical files. Definitely it will be the No. 1 choice of many users. It has many great features and has many helpful hints. It is quick, efficient and the Unicode capabilities are an exact plus.

4. CloneSpy

It is the one of the older program CloneSpy provides users with an incredibly fast way of checking their computers for duplicate files that may be taking up valuable space. With speed, ease, and results, this is a fantastic choice for users.

You can specifically select what is to be scanned and this can include multiple drives, multiple folders, or just individual folders. It has the ability to detect duplicates by CRC, by file name, by CRC and file name, and by file name and size. It will also detect zero length files. The program does not need to be installed but can be run from the executable so it’s a good candidate for your USB Flash drive toolkit. It also throws up duplicates in a way that at least makes you think about what you are deleting.

5. Fast Duplicate File Finder

Fast Duplicate File Finder is a powerful utility for finding duplicate files in a folder and all its sub folders. It is fast and easy to use. It also features two specialty searches:  Graphics and music. However, these functions are now limited in the free version.

6. Exact Duplicate Finder

It is fast and simple to use, does a probable job and it has enough options to satisfy most users.

7. Double Killer

DoubleKiller is a fast and easy to use application for finding and removing duplicate files. It has one more options to satisfy users.

8. AllDup

It is a freeware tool for searching and removing file duplicates on your Windows computer. It is up till now another good option. The fast search algorithm find duplicates of any file type, e.g., text, pictures, music or movies.

1. Toilet paper

   Nothing is more awkward for a guest than using the facilities and, after it’s too late, discovering that there is no toilet paper. And no, the Kleenex box, assuming you have one, is not an option in this situation. So double up, even triple up when you buy rolls of toilet paper. You save money anyway when you buy in bulk. Stay away from the thin, barely tangible stuff as well as the overpriced pillow-y quilt-y brands. And hang the roll so that it dispenses over the top. Add a toilet paper dispenser to your list if necessary.

2. A bathroom rug

   You’ve heard that expression (perhaps thanks to The Big Lebowski), “It really tied the room together”? That’s what a rug does, especially a bathroom rug. What’s more, a bathroom rug will prevent you from slipping on a wet floor when you get out of the shower and cracking your skull on the edge of the tub or sink. Buy a thick one with a rubber bottom so it clings to the floor. Dark colors are always good. And remember to wash it once a week.

3. Cotton balls

   When men suffer injuries, like for instance cutting their thumb on a beer can tab, they grunt, squeeze the venom out from the wound, maybe pour a little beer over it, and move on with their day. However your guests, be they male or female, may want to take care of small cuts in a more civilized and hygienic manner. Cotton balls and hydrogen peroxide are just what the doctor ordered if your cute kitty decides she doesn’t like your date and gives her a nice scratch on her arm. Add a box of band-aids to your bathroom stock and you can start collecting co-pays from your guests.

4. Air freshener

   But for crying out loud, don’t buy Lysol. Instead, try to find something eco-friendly, not hazardous if breathed by humans, and packaged in a cool-looking bottle that’s identifies itself for what it is without screaming its purpose. Place on top of the toilet for easy access.

5. A small trash can

   Because not everything can nor should be flushed down the toilet. A trash can with a lid will cut down on smells, mess, and expensive visits from the plumber to unclog your toilet. A metal can will get wet and possibly rust, so don’t spend and arm and a leg it. Just buy something simple that gets the job done. Bonus points if you take time to either buy small trash bags or recycle your plastic grocery bags to line the can. Don’t forget to empty your little trash can regularly to prevent it from overflowing onto your new bathroom rug.

6. Hand soap

   You’ve seen the sign that reads, “Employees must wash their hands before returning to work.” Well, you should too, as should anyone who ends up using your bathroom. But blasting water on your hands and then wiping them off your pants is not sufficient or classy. And a bar of soap slowly disintegrating into a pool of scummy residue is not only gross, it will probably slip out of your hands onto your new bathroom rug (Don’t forget to buy that bathroom rug!). Hand soap, either a bar in its own dish or liquid in a dispenser, is another must-buy for your bathroom. A small hand towel hanging on its own rack, no on the inside doorknob of the bathroom door, will be much appreciated by your guests.

7. Bathtub mat

   Not to be confused with the bathroom rug. A bathtub mat is not only hygienic, it should prevent you and your guests from slipping and breaking a bone or two in the shower. You can go with a boring, but functional self-adhesive bathmat, or something fancier from your neighborhood Bed, Bath, & Beyond. Make sure to clean it occasionally to prevent the build up of mildew.

8. Candle

   This is where personal taste, messaging, and your propensity to accidentally set your house on fire comes in. A candle in some area of the bathroom where it can be lit without scorching your towels sends the message that you consider bathing to be a relaxing, sensuous experience. If you yourself install the shelving in your bathroom for the candle, you’ll get bonus points from guests for being handy as well as sensitive. It’s your call, guys.

9. Shower liner

   A shower liner correctly sized for the tub will go a long way toward keeping the bathroom dry and clean. If your bathroom is tiny, buy a clear plastic liner so you and your guests won’t feel so claustrophobic. Most liners can be cleaned in the washing machine safely, so there’s no excuse for letting one hang there until green and black mold and mildew transforms it into a bio-health hazard. To keep water off the floor, the liner needs to hang inside the tub. Buy a shower curtain if you want to get fancy.

10. At least one piece of art

    In such a functional environment, it’s nice to include an object or image that might, in some mysterious way, compliment the task at hand and break up the relative monotony of single-life in the bathroom. Here is a purchase that will require you exercise some style and creativity. Whether your artistic choice is edgy or conservative, remember — whoever else goes in your bathroom is more than likely to comment on it.

source: zencollegelife

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1. Muted lighting

Show how lovesick you are with an innovative lighting arrangement. To set the mood, dim out all the lights. Oil lamps and candles are really mushy, especially the long candles on brass stands. Go for candles with a chocolate, cinnamon, jasmine or vanilla scent.

2. Flowers for the starry eyed mates

Blooms of roses, daisies, tulips and orchids are for die-hard romantics. You can place bouquets or long stemmed flowers in glass vases filled with water. If fresh blooms are not your thing, then go for dry or silk flowers.

3. Aphrodisiac foods

Lay the table with foods that get you into the mood like radish, celery, clams, mussels, asparagus, oily fish, almonds, dates, creamy dishes, chocolaty desserts and garlic infused fare. Fruity delights for this occasion are raspberries, strawberries, pineapples, etc. Bubbly like wines and champagnes are a must.

4. Mushy melodies

Some great numbers for this special day are I’ve been thinking about you – Mariah Carey, The way you look tonight – Frank Sinatra, My heart will go on – Celine Dion, Nobody loves me like you do – Whitney Houston and Jermaine Jackson, etc. Record a mixed tape of your favorite songs to show how sweet you are on him or her.

5. Sentimental flicks

Pick classics like Casablanca, Breakfast at Tiffany’s or Gone with the Wind and go back to the good old eighties with Say Anything or Dirty Dancing. Get soppy with Titanic, Love Story or Pride and Prejudice. If you do not want to get too serious then watch new-age romantic comedies like Notting Hill, Pretty Woman or Two Weeks Notice.

6. Spa at home

Fill up a bubbly scented bath and bedeck the space with candles, wines bottles and flowers. Set out velvety towels, perfumes, body sprays and aroma oils. Place easy to eat foods that you can pop in your mouth like champagne and chocolates, berries and whipped cream or strawberries smothered in chocolate sauce.

7. Cozy by a fireplace

A blazing fire is quite a passionate, especially if there is a hearth and chimney nearby. Curl up together in blankets and sheets placed on the ground. Fork out cheese fondue bubbling away in a pot. End with a rich creamy dessert flavored with chocolate and coffee.

8. Spice up the bedroom

The really lovey-dovey couples can do up the bedroom using lights, candles and fragrances. Beddings like silky satiny sheets, faux fur and fluffy pillows are a great choice. Place some victuals near the bed like a bottle of wine, champagne, chocolates, strawberries or whipped cream.

9. Dinner for two

Woo your partner with a formal dinner invitation for which both should get dressed up. Set out silver ware and crystal champagne flutes on the table. Heart shaped pizza, cake or bread cut-outs with cheesy toppings will be great. Serve classy foods like caviar, oysters in shells and truffles.

10. Pink or red

If your partner is a star-gazer then revamp the whole house with pinks and reds. Go for satiny sheets, gauzy drapes and silky bed covers in these shades. Place mirrors, perfumes, candles and flowers around the house in the same colors.

Valentine’s day is closing in and if you want to party at home in style, then you need to get started right away. With little touch ups, you can easily transform your home into a dreamy set up for two.

source: hometone

1. Yoda Plush Backpack [amazon]

Need to tote your treasures around? Let Yoda give you a hand. This Star Wars-themed pack features a large zippered pouch so you can stash your coolest Star Wars gear – or anything else. The straps are adjustable, so it’s sure to be the right fit. Measures 24″ x 12″ x 4″.

2. Hi-Fun backpack [link]

hi-Fun incredibly incorporates four products in one: a backpack, a beach towel, an inflatable pillow and speakers! Compatible with: iPhone family, iPod family and every music source through universal jack 3,5 mm.

Specs:

Dimension: 180 cm x 80 cm

Material: 100% cotton

Speaker power: 2W/4ohm X 2

Frequency response: 100HZ—20KHZ

Output:4.2V/250MA

Li-ion battery

Colors: red, black, blue, pink

3. SEIL Backpack [link]

SEIL backpack by Lee Myung Su uses LED lights to display traffic signals. Simply by controlling the detachable wireless controller, the user can show directional and emergency signals on the back of the backpack.

4. Comic Images Chewbacca Backpack [amazon]

Need a backpack? Chewbacca’s got your back! Well, actually in this case, he really does have your back. Behold, the Chewbacca Backpack Buddy. Have a wonderful wookie protecting you each day.

Chewie Height: approx 30′ (from foot to top of head)

Main Pocket Depth: approx. 12′

Chewie’s Pocket Depth: approx. 4′

5. Pratesi Guitar Backpack [amazon]

Ideal for music lovers everywhere this unique guitar bag by Pratesi in vegetable-dyed calf leather features a built in a mini speaker and outlet for your MP3 player. Inner slit and zip pockets along with adjustable shoulder strap complete the look. Two AA batteries and signature dust bag included, Made in Italy.

6. BUILT Laptop Backpack [amazon]

This BUILT Laptop Backpack let you close your laptop, looks like a bulletproof jacket.

Slim design stretches to fit a range of laptops

Fits up to a 17 Mac

Made of protective, lightweight neoprene and breathable air mes

3 compartments- laptop, accessories and convenient shoulder strap pocket

Water resistant exterior

7. KATA Backpack for Photographers [amazon]

In sling position, the bag easily swings around from back to front providing quick draw access to your main camera amp; accessories via a quick release clip with single pull opening of the camera compartment door. All 3N1 models provide superior camera protection with features such as TST RIB structural protection, ample padding and reinforced corners to ensure that your camera does not fall from the bag when in sling mode. Arrange your equipment in the bottom main compartment of the pack taking full advantage of the modular dividers to custom fit the bag to your exact equipment.

Large top compartment will hold personal gear or additional gear, and the internal pockets and MP3 player pouch will allow you to organize your personal effects as efficiently as your photographic gear. The divider between the top and camera compartments can also be unzipped to create a larger camera compartment that allows larger camera lenses to remain attached to the camera when in sling mode.

8. Backpack Umbrella [link]

This is the umbrella that is worn on the back, providing rain and sun protection while keeping the hands free. Unzipping the pack, removing the umbrella and attaching it to the pack’s built-in, adjustable support rod takes seconds; the pack slips over the shoulders and secures around the waist with a plastic buckle. When deployed, it covers its wearer with a 39 1/4″-diameter polyester canopy. The umbrella’s canopy collapses easily against its pole and slips back into the pack’s pouch when the weather clears. Black. Closed: 36″ L x 2 1/4″ W. (1 lb.)

9. QuickSmart Backpack Stroller [amazon]

Incredibly light and easy to travel with

Light Weight Aluminum Frame

Compact fold fits in included backpack

Smallest fold on the market

Fully assembled out of the box

10. Pangoline Backpack [link]

Designers of Cuclus were inspired by one of the most unusual mammals on the planet – Pangolin. And the same name was given to this backpack. Backpack consist of several segments, which, shifting relative to each other, open access to the inside of it. Backpack closes on magnetic clasps. As were noticed by developers the backpack automatically adjusts to the different physical characteristics and posture of the owner, which makes its use as comfortable as possible.

Jeremy Kool

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1. Sex Appeal

If you can’t make it to the gym, try fooling around. Your heart might thank you. A study of 2,500 men aged 49 to 54 found that having an orgasm at least three times a week cut in half the likelihood of death from coronary heart disease. And barring underlying health issues and the possibility of contracting a sexually transmitted disease, sex can give you a workout. By some estimates, a vigorous sex session can double a person’s heart rate and burn up about 200 calories, or the equivalent of a brisk 15-minute run. So staying in bed might be just what the doctor orders.

2. Female Hearts

Girls rule in some matters of the heart, but when it comes to research into cardiovascular disease it’s the guys who come into the spotlight. For decades, heart disease and heart attacks have been viewed as a man’s illness. But this is far from the truth. Heart disease kills 500,000 American women each year, topping male numbers by 50,000. Another gender gap: Women don’t tend to experience the Hollywood-standard heart attack in which gripping chest pain sends you keeling over. Instead, women have reported tightness, aching or pressure in the heart, plus other symptoms like nausea, back and jaw pain.

3. Heart Mend

A love-torn heart can be painful enough to make you wish you could get a new heart or at least a cardio repair kit. Both of the latter options could some day be realities. Scientists are studying the red-spotted newt to help them develop cell therapies for humans with physically damaged hearts. This amphibian can turn its cells back in time, as if they were stem cells, in order to build up new heart muscle. In another study, scientists engineered a beating heart from embryonic stem cells in the lab.

4. Heart-to-Heart

A seemingly sheepish look from Fido or that endearing brush-by from your cat can make you wonder if your pet could possibly communicate with you. A recent study adds equine friends to the list of emotionally-responsive animals. A scientist found that horse’s heart rates mirror those of human subjects touching them. The horse emotion-detector could someday replace procedures used to measure a patient’s stress hormones. Next, the researcher will study service dogs to better match them with humans.

5. Big Hearts

Some people really do have bigger hearts than others. Rather than a sign of affection, an enlarged heart can signal underlying heart disease. The most common type, called dilated cardiomyopathy, occurs when the heart’s chambers stretch out and enlarge. The bulging saps the heart’s pump power, depriving the body’s organs of enough blood. If left untreated, a big heart can lead to heart failure.

6. LOL: It’s Good for You

A hearty laugh e the kind that sends a stream of tears from your eyes e does more than warm the soul. Research has shown the guffaw can cause the lining of blood vessel walls called endothelium to relax, increasing blood flow for up to 45 minutes after the laugh attack. Damage to the endothelium can lead to the narrowing of blood vessels and eventually cardio-vascular diseases. That’s no laughing matter…or maybe it is…

7. Drink to Your Heart

A glass of Merlot can go straight to the heart, and recent research shows that so too can the white variety. Scientists have attributed the heart benefits of reds to grape skins, which are chock full of certain antioxidants. Since the purple-hued skins get removed to make Chardonnays, many scientists had assumed white wine likely wouldn’t do the heart any good. A lab experiment on rats showed that a grape’s pulp conceals cardio-protective compounds that rival those found in reds. Red or white? Just follow your heart.

8. Powerful Pump

In under a minute, your heart can pump blood to every cell in your body. And over the course of a day, about 100,000 heart beats shuttle 2,000 gallons of oxygen-rich blood many times through about 60,000 miles of branching blood vessels that link together the cells of our organs and body parts. That’s a hefty job for a fist-sized muscle.

9. Broken Heart

Alas, a broken heart can cause one to swoon. A breakup with a loved one or news of a family death literally can lead to broken hearts in the form of heightened risk for heart attack, studies have shown. Such trauma can also trigger the release of stress hormones into the bloodstream that temporarily “stun” the heart. The resulting symptoms mimic those of a heart attack – chest pain and shortness of breath – but this type of achy heart can bounce back in days with some TLC and rest.

10. Love Sign

Weighing in at 10 ounces, the blood-filled muscle called the heart has become the universal symbol of love. The Greeks believed the heart was the seat of the spirit, the Chinese associated it with the center for happiness and the Egyptians thought the emotions and intellect arose from the heart. No one is sure the exact origin of the love association, however. One idea is that the heart got its “love mark” in the ancient Greek city of Cyrene, now in modern-day Libya. The colony was known for a plant called Silphium, with heart-shaped seed pods. Silphium had medicinal properties, and possibly also was used as an herbal contraceptive.

Marketers are becoming more and more interested in measuring the ROI of social media.  According to eMarketer four out of five US businesses with at least 100 employees will be using social media for their marketing efforts this year.  This makes measuring the effects of these marketing efforts even more important. Up to this point the top metric for social marketing success was site traffic, but more and more focus has been given to other values such as fans / followers and positive buzz.

Although only 15.4% of respondents to an eMarketer survey felt that Facebook had a significant ROI, this number is growing.  Now is the perfect opportunity for your business to take advantage of the opportunities that social media offers for getting found by prospects and interacting with prospective customers.  While other companies struggle with whether or not to participate you can be out in the trenches gathering fans and gaining evangelists. One great way to do this is through a Facebook Page.  These pages offer a venue for your fans to interact, participate in discussions regarding your business, and stay informed about the going ons at your company.  Creating a Facebook Page is easy, but before you do, take a look 20 companies I’ve compiled that have gotten a head start and find out how they are doing it right!

1. Skittles

Skittles launched a “Win the Rainbow” contest asking its fans “what they would do for a Skittles vending machine,” which garnered entries that racked up hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube.

2. Zappos

The Zappos Fan Page has a great call to action that tells visitors exactly what they should be doing the first time they come to the site. They also have a “Fan of the Week” section where they ask fans to send in pictures of themselves posing with a Zappos box in the photo.

3. McDonalds

McDonald’s Fan Page includes a number of short quick mental games that are not only addicting but also allow fans to share their scores with their friends promoting viral sharing.

4. Harley Davidson

Harley Davidson’s page includes a number of informational resources that educate their fans on interesting topics ranging from how to ride to the history of Harley Davidson.

5. iTunes

The iTunes Fan Page brings much of the functionality of the iTunes Store right to their Facebook page. Search for artists or check out the most popular hits of the week right from Facebook!

6. Jones Soda

The Jones Soda page has a number of engaging opportunities for fans. From the fan page you can order personalized Jones Soda, get the iPhone App, or take the weekly poll.

7. VitaminWater

VitaminWater is using its Fan Page as its main online presence. Learn about upcoming product releases such as their newest flavor Stur-D right from Facebook.

8. Doritos

Doritos uses their Fan Page to share all of their recent commercials including many of the ones submitted by fans. The quality and hilarity of many of the video shorts is sure to keep fans coming back.

9. Best Buy

Best Buy’s Fan Page lets you shop and read reviews from products right on Facebook. Not sure which flat screen tv you want to buy? Get feedback from their over 2.5 million fans so you don’t make a bad decision.

10. Porsche

Porche has built its popularity on the style and elegance of its cars. Its Facebook Page capitalizes on this allowing you to flip through a number of their models and includes the ability to “start a web special” if one catches your eye. If their cars are a little out of your price range you can use the color styler to create a custom make and model and send it to a friend who, if you’re lucky, might let you sit shot gun.

11. Kaplan SAT

Kaplan’s Facebook Fan Page makes studying for the SAT fun. Join the SAT Quizbank Daily Challenge to compete against other fan’s answering realistic SAT question.

12. Redbull

Redbull’s page is another great example of an incredible CTA. Upon first visiting you only have one option “Like” their page. After that you can watch a number of their extreme sport videos from all over the world.

13. Dell

Dell was one of the first big companies to embrace social media. They continue to build their customer engagement by allowing fans to ask for advice, get reviews, or get personlized recommendations right from their fan page.

14. Starbucks

Starbucks recognizes that one of the best recommendations is going to be one from a friend. That’s why it has made the main offer on their Facebook Fan Page the ability to give a Starbucks card as gift.

15. REI

REI’s page is another great example of CTA usage and customer education. They’re being very clear about what they have to offer and what they want you to do.

16. Burt’s Bees

Burt’s Bees gets cute with their Fan Page playing on the emotions of their fans. We like you don’t you like us? Well then click the “Like” button =)

17. Victoria Secret

A picture is worth 1,000 words, and on the Victoria Secret Fan Page you get access to their iPad and iPhone apps. Now you can “get sexy, anywhere, anytime.”

18. Sony

Another example of fan engagement, on the Sony Fan Page you can vote to help decide how their game LittleBigPlanet 2 is designed.

19. NFL

The call-to-action at the top of the page pretty much says it all. “Like the NFL to receive breaking news updates, exclusive offers, and the best content and information from around the league.”

20. Coca Cola

Cocal Cola has a wide variety of resources on the Fan Page. They do a very good job of promoting their presence on the wide variety of social networks such as Twitter, MySpace, YouTube, and Flickr with their fans.

1. Pandora

It’s a kind of music engine with initial level on artificial intelligence. It tracks the music records you follow, and after a particular time-span it starts recommending music to you. The recommendation technique used in Pandora is not so precise but and has a very traditional scope of accuracy. But, even then the Pandora is very popular among users. Especially, if you are an American you should try this at least once. Sorry, Non-American users will be blocked. User agreements are very tough.

2. Spotify

This is undoubtedly the best music service available for the citizens of the countries like, USA, Spain, the UK, and parts of Europe at this time. Sorry, the users other then these countries are not allowed to use this service. Soon, this service is supposed to be expanded in other part of the world. As for the service itself: Spotify is a fast and reliable radio system that outstrips the competition. The best part of Spotify is that it plays the songs as your personal saved music tracks. It also provides a facility of music recommending tool. It analyzes your music player, your play lists and then suggests you new tracks, top-10 lists, and your friends’ music lists. The search box is very easy to use. It is free for first six months to be used unlimited. After six months you may subscribe this service for 5$ per month.

3. Grooveshark: Self-Directed Radio

It’s a kind of self-directed radio. In Grooveshark, you are the one who creates your own playlist without being directed by any suggestion of this site. It is not a conventional Internet radio station where a DJ or database designs the playlists. But best of all, thousands of songs are available for you to chose from at Grooveshark. If you give your precious ten-minutes to this site in designing your play list, I am sure you won’t be disappointed. Best of luck.

4. AcousticAlternative.com

Not only Acoustic, but alternative along with, Charlestown, Ska, punk, and other genres are available on this site. This station is not so popular as others, but the listeners of this radio station are extremely satisfied with this station.

5. Canadian Web Radio

This is not a radio station itself, in fact it’s a collection of different radio stations of Canada. All those radio stations of Canada that streams their shows on the internet also are listed here. If you are interested in Canada’s radio industry, i.e. what they listen or discuss over radio you may visit here. Check out the music collection of Canadian radio stations here at this site.

6. Maestro.FM

Just like, Last.FM, Maestro.FM is a music social networking site. You may discuss music here, exchange playlists, comments over songs, follow user discussions on music genres, and discover new artists through discussions. You may even store some of your music at their remote storage sites. If you are social networking addict, give this site a try.

7. Nu-Perception Radio

If you like, drum, bass and very hardcore music then you should visit this site for sure. Rave and Trans fans throughout the world gives this site the best attention as their destination for mad beats and hard-driving rhythms.

8. ‘The Inferno’ Radio

This radio station provides a platform to list different genres in just a single playlist. David Bowie, Elvis Presley, Lady Gaga, Kid Rock, Led Zeppelin, Cyndi Lauper… playlists that are compiled by both DJ’s and user music requests. If you have got a wide varied taste of music, it’s probably the place you should spend your time.

9. Real Radio

It’s a mixed station for paid and free music. Yeah it’s not so typical to find free music and some of them require you to download and install RealPlayer software, but real does offer some solid music choices .The interface is very easy to use. Most of the tracks will be played through your windows media player. Thousands of users bookmark this site for their music passion. At least, pay 30 minutes to try this site.

10. Pirate Radio Network

This radio station offers two different means to stream their music tracks: via web tuner or via a downloadable special player. There are thousands of tracks which can be streamed over this site. If you use a PC, you can even broadcast yourself as a beginner DJ, simply by installing a software package. It’s definitely worth trying if you’ve ever wanted to DJ.

The Background Send Feature allows you to continue working while it sends email in the background, similar to the way an email client works.

2. Smart Labels

This Lab feature automatically detects messages sent to groups, such as forum messages, and labels them accordingly. This feature allows you to keep those mass messages separate while still identifying them as non-spam.

3. Google Voice Player

Google Voice sends a transcript of your voicemail to your Gmail inbox, so you can read it right there even as you’re typing something. This makes sure that you get your message immediately.

4. Hide Read Labels

When a new message that is tagged to a Gmail Filter arrives, it is displayed on your inbox’s left. Once you read it, it will be shelved away along with the other messages tagged with the same label.

5. Unread Message Icon

When you enable this Lab, your Gmail favicon will display exactly how many unread messages there are in any of your Gmail tabs.

6. Auto-Advance

Gmail always takes the user back to the inbox after reading, deleting or archiving an email. The Auto-Advance Lab lets you decide where Gmail goes after you finish your task, such as going to the previous or next message.

7. Google Docs Previews

The Google Docs Preview is great Gmail Lab Feature for Google Doc users. On enabling this feature you can see previews of Google docs shared with you right in your inbox.

8. Nested Labels

The Nested Labels lab allows you to create labels in a hierarchy, which means no more confusion because of too many labels. You can create main labels based on category and nest all sub-labels underneath.

9. The Apps Search

The App Search lab extends Gmail’s search ability to search within other Google apps that you’re using, such as Google Docs or Google Sites.

10. Refresh POP Accounts

You can consolidate multiple email addresses into your Gmail inbox at present, but not all of them are refreshed immediately. Use the Refresh POP Accounts Lab to refresh your other email accounts when required.

11. Sender Time Zone

This lab lets you know what your email sender’s time is at present, which helps you decide when to respond depending on the hour. There’s also a small phone icon that goes red when it’s too late to call someone.

12. Video Chat Enhancements

If you use Google Chat, you need to enable the Video Chat Enhancements Lab to enjoy better resolution, bigger windows and much more.

13. Undo Send

If you tend to hit the Send button in a hurry, you need the Undo Send lab. The Undo option appears just above the inbox for a few seconds after you hit the Send button; these few seconds are enough for you to rectify potential damage.

14. Inbox Preview

If you have a slow internet connection, use this lab to get a quick preview of your Inbox even as your Gmail loads. You will be able to preview your inbox each time you open Gmail.

15. Message Sneak Peek Gmail

If you have a long list of messages, use the Message Sneak Peek lab to instantly preview a message and decide whether to open it or not. This lab also allows you to archive or delete the message without opening it.

16. The Canned Responses

This lab allows you to create and save custom message templates and select something suitable while responding to someone.

17. Google Calendar Widget

This cool calendar widget app will help you check your schedule and stay on top of your appointments. It comes with great reminders as well.

18. Inserting Images

Tired of hitting the Attachments key to attach something in your Gmail? This lab feature allows you to just drop an attachment into the text body, just as you would do in a desktop client.

19. Send & Archive

This Feature allows you to archive a message in a single action, through a Send & Archive button in the Compose window.

20. Pictures In Chat

This lab feature displays your contacts’ pictures when you chat with them using the Gmail Chat feature.

1. National Geographic

A leader in many things, they also have top notch nature photography. You can get images from foreign terrains to exotic animals all on one site. They also have a Photo of the Day, galleries, and even photo tips.

2. Nature Photo Magazine

Want to check out a professional nature photographer but don’t know where to start? Then click here for a gallery of eleven different pro’s. They not only share amazing images but practical tips as well.

3. Outdoor Photographer

Similar to the above, you can find top notch photo galleries on nature here. There are over 20 to choose from.

4. Nature Magazine

This site is dedicated to all things nature. Check out the special section with items such as protecting nature, the Continental Divide, and even wildlife in Mexico, and much more.

5. Nature Photographers

Get an amazing database of online photo galleries of nature with a visit here. They have expert entries on everything from flora to animals. Blue Palo Verde and Tangled Color are of special interest. There are even other resources such as a how-to section, tips for gear, and even a blog.

6. Discover Wildlife

Just as the title promises, this site helps everyone get a better look at nature from their desktops. They have many galleries to choose from, as well as tips and techniques, a masterclass, and photo contest.

7. Bill Atkinson

Sick of looking at all these mainstream photos? Then check out the site of a private nature photographer like Bill Atkinson. He has loads of galleries that look more like art work than real life nature photos. The flower portraits are especially not to be missed.

8. Joe Decker

His site may be titled Rock Slide Photography, but there is much more to it. In addition to amazing images of rock formations, you can see much more of the great outdoors here. Joe also has his own blog with more.

9. John E. Marriott

He specializes in nature photography in Canada. Get impressive images on everything from the native wildlife to the Northern lights.

10. Stephen Kirkpatrick

If interested in photography that features wildlife only, stop here. Stephen has many galleries to choose from including deers, exotic birds, wild animals, and amazing panoramas. We hope you enjoyed this collection and will find it useful. We would love to hear your opinion and feedback, so please don’t hesitate to comment below. For more great articles please don’t forget to subscribe to the RSS-feed and follow Inspirationfeed on Twitter + Facebook! If you enjoyed the following article we humbly ask you to comment, and help us spread the word!

1. Fingers. Aside from its seamless manipulation, this work is so great that it makes me actually think that having 30 fingers look really cool! Well I have to confess that as a developer, I will like to have a hand like this.

2. Multi Hands. Another really cool one with awesome manipulation applied.

3. A Handful. “I would be so much better at piano…”

4. Again, I Say… For everything you do, there might be an eye watching you.

5. Arms Break Vases Don’t. Sometimes if you are too careless, your hand will go wrong on you!

6. Being M.C. Escher. So which one is the real hand? A nice one!

7. Candlehand. Looks great, and what’s greater with this photo: it’s completely real!

8. Chase Your Love. Killer metallic effect.

9. Cyborg Hand. The day you know you’re not your father’s son.

10. Don’t Preach. Which one is the real hand? Or which one is the photo?

11. FingBods. “Hey man, what’s weird about me?”

12. Finger Killer. It’s a magnum, for sure.

13. Flaming Fingertips. This actually makes you think about it, wonderful piece.

14. Give Me A Hand. Don’t try this at home!

15. Give Me A Hand. It’s like these hands got some personalities!

16. Gold Fish In My Hand. Very sleek manipulation with amazing uses of colors!

17. Handed. How many fingers in total? You will never get it right.

18. Hands. I have to say, the 3rd hand is epic. Amusing and unique one!

19. Hands. Could be what you’ll see when you did too much Photoshop stuff!

20. I Love Chocolate!! The expressions are priceless, and I believe it will be troublesome to live with these kinda annoying fingers.

21. M&M’s Chocolate Candy. Cute or haunting? Different people will have different thought about this piece.

22. Mutant Cell Pearl. Yikes!

23. My Kind Of Angel. “As an artist, I soar high to the limitless boundaries of my imagination through art and I enable myself to fly with my bare hands.”

24. Orchestra. More hands are surely cooler.

25. Pyro. Great manipulation and lighting, gave me a feel that the photo is expressing something.

26. Save the Earth. Unique manipulation work with great details inside it.

27. Screaming Hand. You can’t have quiet environment with this kind of hand.

28. Self Disassembly. “I have a robotic left arm. It malfunctions once in a while from too much computer work, so I have to take it off and service it. The hardest part is trying to reconnect all these wires with one hand.”

29. Some Skills. I doubt its usability, great concept though!

30. Spander. Never thought the evolution of the spider could be that similar with human hands.

31. The Hand That Feeds. The Hand That Feeds!

32. Today I Got My Guitar Fixed. Love the slightly transparent effect on one of the hand, guess which!

33. Working Fingers. I always imagine if I could just lie on bed and type on the keyboard like this. Beautiful hand by the way.

34. You Are What You Eat. Amusing idea with classic quote, well done!

35. You Will Never Be Alone. There’s always a helping hand for you.. Reflection, So now you see, hands and fingers could not only make interesting stuff, they could also be interesting by themselves! In fact I was quite doubtful that what would be the manipulation works of hands and fingers look like when I just started to search for them here and there, and I didn’t regret to compile them into a showcase, just like they didn’t fail to inspire and/or amuse me!

1. Free Web Directories

Ahh, our best friend. You know what you are going to get when you submit to web directories, they are as predictable as it gets (well, the better ones at least). You spend a few minutes filling out the submission form, and in turn get a link on the site. Before you even ponder about paying for a directory listing, make sure you get as many free listings as possible. Here’s a few free directories worth spending time at: Dmoz.org (ODP) – Obviously the best (if you didn’t already know) one out there, but unfortunately time caught up them and getting a listing is as probable as the Royals winning the World Series (hopefully I don’t eat my words in a few years), but nonetheless worth looking into. See my blog post on Dmoz and how you should handle this SEO gold mine.

SoMuch.com

Jayde.com

Pegasusdirectory.com (lately been very slow in accepting new submissions)

Boingboing.net

Freeprwebdirectory.com

Hotfrog.com

Directory-free.com

The-big-brain.com

Geniusfind.com

Searchsight.com

Lutonengineering.com

Currently I’m undergoing a project to get a full, complete list of all free & paid directories (you would be surprised of how many there are out there), so bear with me until then. Obviously, don’t stop at that short list I just provided, those are mostly just the ones most proven and I wouldn’t be surprised if I left one out of the short list that should be in it.

2. Reciprocal Web Directories

Some web directories ask for a reciprocal link in exchange for a listing (or a payment, but let’s just imagine the only way you can get a listing is through a reciprocal), but I haven’t really come across one worth linking back to that I feel is worth it. An easy way to get a large amount of reciprocal links is through making a resource/links page. If you can, don’t link it from your home page, as you don’t want the precious link juice you’ve built up going out through these low quality links. Personally I don’t choose to do this, but if you need that extra edge, you might want to look into this.

3. Paid Web Directories

Ok, ok, it’s not free, but it’s definitely worth the money (if you know where to look). There are 3 main paid directories to get into, the big dogs if you will. These directories go way above and beyond to provide some serious link juice in exchange for a few bucks: Yahoo! Directory – Coming in at a whopping $299/year, don’t be turned off by the cost. It’s worth the money, as it will not only drive a bit of traffic but it’s one of the most trusted links you can get.

BOTW (Best of the Web) – This one a bit less, at $150/year or a one-time $400 payment. This directory obviously provides not as much traffic than Yahoo! Directory, but it’s just as trusted because of how old the domain is.

Business.com – Another $299/year listing, but again a well trusted link, and has been proven to provide a moderate amount of traffic. I find this directory outstanding because it provides a lot more link juice than the other two because they build links to their specific directory pages! I have found many specific category pages with Page Rank 3 or 4.

No one will criticize you from stopping there, because those costs will pile up over time. Know that there are other options in the paid directories on the Web, but proceed with caution! Half of these directories ask for $40 or $50 but provide little to no value. A couple of the few I think worth considering outside of the Big 3 are joeant.com and ezilon.com, as they both provide a bit of worth for the price (joeant.com costs $40, and ezilon.com costs $70, both one time payments). As I said, be warned because most if not almost all are not worth the money they are asking, but if you have a surplus of a few hundred dollars one month, it wouldn’t be a bad move to do some research.

4. Create a Blog if you already haven’t

I shouldn’t have to say this, but many sites still don’t have blogs. You don’t have to post every day, but 1 or 2 posts a week on any niche news or topic with 4 or 5 links a post can add up after a while.

5. Create an RSS Feed

There are many helpful articles on creating an RSS Feed for your website for your articles or blog, and this creates a stream of your articles and posts with their links intact. You can then claim your Feed on feedburner.com.

6. Article Syndication (Submission)

Copy your article/posts into notepad, and then find article directories to submit your articles. Different article directories accept different amounts of links (X amount in article, X amount in About the Author Box), so create different versions of your articles in Notepad so it’s easiest for copying & pasting. Here are a few article directories to get you started:

Ezinearticles.com

Articlesbase.com

Goarticles.com

Ideamarketers.com

Isnare.com

Sooperarticles.com

Thefreelibrary.com

Articlesnatch.com

Articlecity.com

Articletrader.com

You will find that there are many out there (I’ve seen lists up to 1,000), but in my opinion you should narrow down which ones provide the most value, and at most submit to 50. There is software to submit your articles for you, but proceed with caution, as I have seen shady results from them, some good some bad. Be safe and do it yourself, personalize your profile pages, and gain authority at each site.

7. Write & Distribute Press Releases

Press Releases can get you some very high quality links, so this is a well-known technique that has always worked. Cost can become an issue if you do it right through PR sites such as PRWeb.com, but if your website/company has the budget, it can be very easy and can gain you a solid amount of links (you can submit them like articles to press release sites and even article directories).

8. Reciprocal Linking with RELEVANT websites

I can’t emphasize RELEVANT enough. This isn’t the search engines of the early 2000’s, so reciprocal linking doesn’t offer much link value, but if you reciprocal link with other websites in your industry (obviously not competitors, but I think you get the idea), it can offer some link value but more importantly a fair amount of traffic both ways.

9. Trade articles

Trading articles with relevant websites can get you both some quality links and some fresh content for both your websites. Make sure the articles you are trading are original to your websites to keep the quality in your links.

10. Social Bookmarking/News sites

An easy way to get your pages noticed by the search engines, social bookmarking is a simplistic way to build some links. Bookmarking your pages, articles, and posts can add up to some decent exposure. Here are a few notable social bookmarking sites:

Reddit.com

Digg.com

Delicious.com

Diigo.com

Dropjack.com

Folkd.com

This is a very easy task that is almost manual labor, but very much worth it. Again, there are numerous bookmarking sites, but only 20 or so really worth adding your bookmarks to. If you want to, get involved in a Social SEO Wheel to dramatically increase your posts and pages’ exposure.

11. Social Media

A very big one, and yes you can build links from it (not from all of these sites, but some of them, and most are nofollow links). Twitter links have been known to get indexed, so this can be considered a link building technique, but it’s mostly a way to get communities excited about your website and its content. Here are a few social media sites to take advantage of:

Facebook – create a group or fan page

Twitter – gain followers, submit short URLs of new articles/posts

Technorati – Blog community (getting your blog or posts featured means serious exposure)

LinkedIn – A professional version of Facebook (but that’s my opinion)

MySpace – the social network giant of old; still maybe worth looking into, but no one would blame you if you didn’t

There are many other social media sites you can take advantage of, but some fall under other link building techniques (i.e. video sites like YouTube). Most of these sites are very unique, so you can always gain links in their own specific way, so this area is harder to explain as one simplistic idea.

12. Blog Commenting

Find blogs in your niche and join the conversation. You can always build links from commenting on blogs (even though they are nofollow), and they can help build trust for your website. Proceed with caution when trying for anchor text links, as this can cause your comments to get deleted as spam. Now, there are a few blogs that have dofollow comments. Try and Google a list of them in your niche and do what you can to get your comments accepted on their blogs, because they will provide link juice. With these blogs you have to make sure you contribute to the conversation, and provide at least 3 or 4 sentences. Writing something like “great post!” will never get your comment accepted.

13. Forum Posting/Commenting

Same ideas as blog commenting – join the conversation. Help answer questions of people in your niche, and gain authority in the forums. You will also come across nofollow links, but in the end trustworthy links are just as important. Also, with both blog & forum commenting, if you become a Top Commenter (or something along those lines) on some of these community sites, you can get some serious link volume to your profile page, and in turn a juicier profile page link (some websites feature the Top Commenters on every page of their website). Now you will realize that from all of these social news/bookmarking sites & forums you are creating quite a few accounts. Almost all new accounts have very little power in their separate communities, so keep one thing in mind: create an account and stick with it, with all intention to creating power accounts. Power accounts are accounts that have age (at least a year or two), frequently participate in their online communities, and in the end have greater power when submitting stories and when commenting. Almost all of the stuff that goes viral from these sites are from power accounts.

14. Submit your RSS Feed

Make sure you have a link the footer of your RSS Feed, links in the posts/articles, and then submit to numerous RSS Feed directories. Most of the time it’s as simple as typing in a URL (http://www.yoursite.com/feed or http://feeds.feedburner.com/yoursite).

15. Submit to Blog Directories

If you have a blog, this is another easy to way to rack up a 100 links. Have your info ready in Notepad and start submitting to blog directories (I’ve come across up to 500, but again only a couple 100 have value). Here are a few blog directories to get you started: Blogs.botw.org – the highest quality blog directory link you can get, but also the toughest to get

Bloggeries.com – 50$

Blogcatalog.com – Free

Blogged.com – Free

Ontoplist.com – Reciprocal link or $30

Portal.eatonweb.com – $35/year

Bloggingfusion.com – $2

Bloguniverse.com – $5

Some of them aren’t free, and I’d say beware paying any site outside of these. If you find one you think is worth paying, do a 5 minute research and check out their Page Rank, Alexa Rank, Yahoo Page Links, and anything else worth looking at.

16. Video Sites

This can be a great technique to not only build links but also gain exposure. Taking advantage of video sites like YouTube and MetaCafe by submitting interesting videos, gaining subscribers, and adding links to your profile pages and video descriptions. You can use TubeMogul.com to help distribute your videos (I’ve heard many great reviews about this site).

17. Images

You can use sites like Flickr (Flickr is the most notable) to post images and link to your site from them. You can require people to use your pictures in exchange for a link (I’ve heard of people using a contact form to do this). You can ask niche related websites to feature your pictures on their site with a simple link back. Obviously the picture has to be relevant link worthy.

18. Develop Relationships with niche related websites and people in REAL life.

Although this isn’t a direct link building technique, some of your highest quality links will come from these relationships if you put in enough effort and are willing to help each other out.

19. Local Gov’t sites: Better Business Bureau, Chamber of Commerce, local Board of Trade

I’ve been able to get a few links from these local sites. Make sure you contact the right people, as this isn’t a defined submission process like web directories.

20. Sponsorships

By sponsoring local events, charities, and organizations you will always get very high quality links, but it will cost you. A lot. Small websites and businesses will most likely not have the luxury of this option.

21. Guest Blog

This can get you not only links but also exposure. This is where those relationships with niche related websites you have built come in handy.

22. Build Widgets

I’ve heard a few people say building a helpful widget can get you some serious links, but you have to make it unique & pretty to make it worth putting on your website.

23. Build tools like toolbars

This is a great way to get links if your tool is worthy enough. I’m starting to link to tools I really appreciate, and you will notice most pages of the tool/toolbar you are downloading has a decent Page Rank.

24. Write Product Reviews

Amazon is a good place to start (review relevant products). You will almost always get a link for each review. You can build authority by reviewing products & services on shopping search engines like ePinions. Write reviews on anything and everything you use, such as software and smaller niche sites, and obviously asked to get it put on their site and get the link.

25. Create a Contest

You’d be surprised how many links contests can get. A friend of mine held a contest for Top HR Article and got links from HR related websites, blogs, and social media sites. Make sure you give a decent reward for the winner, as this is what makes it link worthy.

26. Build links to profile

Pages on community sites that have your personal links on them.

27. Offer samples of products to bloggers.

Ask them to write about it (ask for a link of course)

28. Contact relevant newsletters/journalists

Talk about your website

Join HARO (helpareporter.com), a free mailing list that gets you connected to reporters and major publications.

29. Be the first to write about new things (i.e. Google+)

This obviously is not easy, but if you can write content that explains something new in a way some of the top Social News sites have explained it, you will get people linking to your content (It’s not easy, but it has been done).

30. Put links in Job Postings

These get distributed throughout the web like wildfire, and by putting in a few links you can get some serious link volume. A lot of the job postings will disappear in a few months or when the job is filled, but nonetheless very effective.

31. Donate to a school or charity

Very similar to sponsorships, but you don’t have to pay nearly as much. Your links aren’t as high quality, but still it’s still worth looking into.

32. Make a certain % of revenue from product go to a Charity

Sorry with all the charity-related link building techniques, but I’ve heard of people giving something like 10% of revenue from an App, e-book, or even an EBay item go to charity, and in exchange got some high quality links from the charity’s website.

33. Write curriculum for colleges, educational websites

Obviously not easy to get yourself into the position, but again I’ve heard a few people getting links from doing this.

34. Contribute to a college/university’s website

Contact any college websites that offer info on your specific niche, and ask to contribute. This is definitely worth looking into, as there are numerous college websites with juicy .edu links just begging for you to claim.

35. College Resource/Links Pages

Almost all college websites offer resource or link pages that have quite a few of outbound links on, so ask the webmaster for a link. The success rate isn’t great, but make your website worth linking to (i.e. One of my clients wrote about jobs out of college in their industry, and they’ve had success). Just a few can prove this task worth the time.

36. Speak at colleges

37. Speak at Relevant Events (i.e. for SEOs, an SEO convention/seminar)

38. Win an online award

Award websites link to your website if you win an award (i.e. bloggerschoiceawards.com has awards for best blogs in specific niches).

39. PayPerPost

This is a website that you can pay bloggers to write articles on specific topics and link keywords to your site.

40. Contribute to Wikipedia pages, get link in references tab

One of my clients got 50+ visitors in a week just from one Wikipedia link that was actually quite difficult to find, so traffic is not a question. These links are more for trust and traffic as they are nofollow. Check out my post on this subject.

41. Text Link Ads

I don’t recommend this technique, but I’ve heard of some decent results. If you’re considering them, consider textlinkbrokers.com and textlinkads.com.

42. Buy a domain with links to it, 301 redirect it to your site

Depending on the cost you can get some decent link juice from this technique. It’s cheapest to find expired domains, as some of these still have a few hundred links worth paying the few bucks for.

43. Buy relevant domains

Get links, then link back to your site or 301 it if you want. You can get free templates, make a very generic website with at least ten pages of content, then go after some easy links like web directories, then you can either link every page to your site or even 301 redirect it.

44. If you own multiple related websites

Interlink them.

45. Advertise your most link worthy content.

Even though this is not a direct link building technique, I’ve heard good reviews of people advertising their best content and getting a higher link volume.

46. Offer discounts

For people who retweet, blog about you, use your widgets, or give links in general. Although this could be considered grey hat, I haven’t heard of any penalties from it.

47. Sue a big industry or someone that everyone hates.

Yes, this is quite outrageous and mostly funny, but it sounds like a great idea. I got this from SEObook’s list.

48. Use QUIT or SQUIRT

Get Googlebots to index pages you linked or that aren’t indexed. I included this because some of your links might not be known to Google, so by using these tools you can get them indexed (idea from Blue Hat SEO).

49. Contact webmasters

Who link to you but use “noindex, nofollow” and change to “noindex, follow”. This technique makes these links have value.

50. Get links from Q&A sites

Such as Yahoo Answers, Answers.com, or Google Groups

51. Use Link Checker

To find broken links, then contact the webmaster regarding them, and ask if they can replace the broken link with a link to you (this will take time, and if you have content related to the broken link you will get a very high success rate, as webmasters are always happy to be alerted of broken links). Darren from 19prince.com helped me find one on this post!

52. Write a review of a company/website

Ask if they can put it on their site with a link.

53. Find niche related websites

That allow site submissions (i.e. niche directories) by opening Google and typing in: Niche “add site” (or) Niche “add URL”. Put quotes around Add Site or Add URL, and replace. Niche with your website’s niche.

54. Create a Web Template and post it

To sites offering free web templates, include a link in the footer.

55. Create a WordPress or Blogger template

Make it public, include link in footer (also for other CMS’s).

56. Submit your created widgets to widget directories

57. Find people mentioning you or your site

without a link, and ask if a link can be included.

58. If you, your website, or your company is notable enough, consider creating a Wikipedia page of it.

Make sure to make it as non-biased and noncommercial as possible (and of course, include a link).

59. Find competitors links

By using Yahoo! Site Explorer or other site explorers. You can find web or article directories you missed, and you can contact webmasters of the sites to ask if your link can be included too (great idea for competitive link building research).

60. Join online groups

leagues, or anything that offers exclusive link pages to its members.

61. Interview someone

That people want to know about. SEOBook did this with Blue Hat SEO’s Eli.

62. Offline marketing.

Again, not a direct link building technique, but I’ve heard of this working effectively in boosting links.

63. Get interviewed by news sites/niche sites.

Use your relationships, expertise, and assertiveness to nail down an interview or two with niche news sites (you can get a few links and this content usually gets linked to).

64. Make your own podcast

Submit to podcast directories.

65. Create multimedia presentations

On SlideShare, iTunes podcasts, etc.

66. Write an eBook, link to your site on product page.

Not a bad way to get a few quality links and a little bit of cash as well. If you want to get some serious links from it, make it free, and make it downloadable only on your site, and ask if people would link to it out of appreciation.

67. Make an App

Get a high quality nofollow link on Apple’s site.

68. Send out a weekly newsletter (include a few links).

69. Contact local news sites with relevant news on your industry.

Obviously has to be newsworthy, but worth keeping in mind. This can also work with local radio & television stations; you can get links from their sites.

70. Make it easy for your readers/followers to link to you.

You would be surprised how many times I’ve heard this. If you offer a widget, banner, or any type of link worthy content, make sure your readers know exactly the way you want them to link to you.

71. Create giveaways

That encourage commenting, retweets, and sharing in general. These result in a fair amount of links if you can get a hold of the right people.

72. Submit to a CSS style directory.

If your CSS is updated, you can submit to CSS directories such as cssadvanced.com and cssish.com (there are well over 60).

73. Ask a friend

family member, colleague, business partner, or client for a link. It doesn’t hurt to ask, as these are the people most willing to give you quality links.

74. Get listed in local business sites & company sites

Such as SmartGuy and Manta, and of course Yellow Pages, Dex Knows, and Yahoo local. Also submit to local directories.

75. Try some relevant link exchange

With local businesses; make sure the links don’t look spammy.

76. Ask local libraries for a link

See if they have an online directory. My local library has a Page Rank of 5, and it’s a pretty small library. Definitely worth looking into, as this is yet another source for a high quality link.

77. Complete a business profile on Google Hotpot

Yelp, and other review sites (they provide a personal link).

78. Ask for links

From alumni associations in an alumni directory, newsletter, or other online materials.

79. Write content

For your old high schools website or college website on certain topics (articles or “Where he is today” or something along those lines).

80. Create an industry related community site

With links back to you. You can use BuddyPress to make this (WordPress’s social network). You can even get it registered in web directories to gain some link value for those links back to your page.

81. Try for a social coupon deal (Groupon, living social, etc.).

82. Sponsor a page on a local charity site.

I haven’t looked into this too much, but I heard of a guy who did this and got a few quality links.

83. Link to content that offers dofollow trackbacks.

84. Create rankings of sites in your industry

Colleges & universities, and if they haven’t already linked to it, contact the ones in the top 10 or so and see if they will mention on their site with a link (people like linking to things that say how great they are).

85. Create an industry niche directory.

You can get a decent amount of links to it, you can link to your site in the footer, and you can even make a few bucks on featured or paid links. There are a few web directory software packages that you can buy that make it really easy to manage (some as low as $35).

86. Hold a blog carnival on a related topic.

87. Ask customers that are very satisfied with your products for links.

Most of them don’t have websites, but it’s at least worth asking.

88. Hunt for dying BlogSpot sites

Registered through Hotmail addresses, then see about getting the Hotmail addresses and taking over the blogs.

89. Create a Squidoo lens with a few links (you can also use HubPages)

90. Sponsor events

Create podcasts of it, make it the go-to place for keeping track of a convention, concert, or general event (get lots of links in turn). It’s a combination of a few of the things above, but if you make sure you cover the event and make your coverage exclusive, you can gain some links depending on the importance of the event.

91. Try for a few links in Craigslist

They are nofollow, but still worth looking into.

92. Put a link in your email signature.

93. Start an affiliate program

Obviously only the bigger websites have this luxury, but worth thinking about and at least looking into.

94. Find pages or sites

Which used to offer a service and no longer do, then create that same content they used to offer, and find the people that have linked to that page, and offer yours as a replacement (Use Site Explorer’s on the pages that no longer offer the service to find those people).

95. Create product lists on Amazon.

96. Leave believable testimonials.

I’ve definitely heard of testimonials featured on home pages that include a link back to the writer.

97. If your website is standards compliant, submit to directories

Such as xhtmlvalid.com and other related directories. You can switch to html5 and submit to html5 galleries (html5gallery.com).

98. Offer your expertise

In any way possible and make yourself as accessible to your readers as possible. More people who had direct contact with you are more willing to link back.

99. Create mini blogs and link to your main blog

Get links from blog directories from these & RSS feed directories (if you want, make them through Blogger or WordPress.com for free).

100. Find you or your competitors high authority links

If they are related, see who is linking to those pages (you can get a lot of good link building ideas from doing this; you can always go a bit further with Site Explorers).

101. Track who picks up your articles or press releases.

Offer them exclusive news and articles.

102. Write a blog review

Ask for a link in exchange (this also gets a high success rate).

103. Create a certification program for sites

In your field that they can display on some of their pages (i.e. a banner).

104. Get your content translated and republished

In multiple languages & countries.

105. Submit your translated site/blog to non-English directories.

106. If you have technical papers

White papers, webcasts, case studies, submit them to bitpipe.com and other related online libraries.

107. Find broken pages

On your competitor’s sites that people are linking to, recreate the content that use to be on that page, and ask those linking to link to you instead.

108. Reclaim your 404 referrers to link to an existing URL instead.

You can repair broken inbound links (404) using Google Webmaster Tools.

109. Offer discounts to the disabled

Other minorities, university staff, faculty, & students, and pursue links on special promotion pages or association pages for these groups.

110. Set up a webcam

At your place of business and submit the cam feed to camcentral.com and other related sites.

111. Sign in guest books

If they give links and do follow; sign them, but don’t spam.

112. Use tynt.com

To automatically insert a link to your content when someone is doing copy & paste.

113. Create a quiz

That gives a badge at the end so people can share on their blog or profile page on any number of sites (i.e. how much SEO knowledge do you have?).

114. Run a discount promotion and get listed in deal websites (i.e. redflagdeals.com in Canada).

115. Find dead links inside eBooks references

Highly trusted pages, use the WayBack machine to find original content they were linking to, publish it in a “lost and valuable articles” section of your own site, then ask the linked from site to link to you instead (might need permission from original content creator).

116. Writing unique content for Suite101

Demand Media, Associated Content, Buzzle, etc. will get you links in the content (not recommended, the content is best for your own site, but if you need a more diverse set of links, writing a few articles for each isn’t a bad idea).

117. If you have an intern at your company,

Ask their university for a link.

118. Take advantage of companies going out of business. Either acquire their website & 301 it, or contact websites linking to them and suggest to now link to you.

119. Contact niche related blogs

See what you can do to get added to their blog roll (if you have a relationship with them, then this is obviously much easier of a task). If you can pull this off, you can gain some serious links, as most blog rolls are featured on every page of their blog.

120. Set up Free blogs for others

Make sure you put your link in the footer.

121. Create e-zines and submit them to ezine directories like new-list.com.

122. Start a green initiative and get listed in green directories.

123. Make a highly exclusive group

Of specific bloggers in your niche, and give them a banner (with link) to put on their blog saying they are part of this highly exclusive group. This section will be composed of link worthy material, or linkbait. Creating linkbait is a great link building technique because it means creating content that people want to link to. I list these as link building techniques because you will build links if you create this rich content correctly.

124. Create a List

(101 this, Top 10 that, or a general resource list). Good examples.

125. Create in depth research papers.

This page you are reading is my version of an in depth research paper. Clarify everything, make sure you answer any possible question, and post something not yet on the Web.

126. Here’s a funny one

Tell a group of SEO’s that SEO is dying (got this from Search Engine People). Even though it is funny, it’s actually a great idea. In general if you post something controversial in a niche, you will get people to link to it. A perfect example of this is when this post was written; notice who responded to it.

127. Write How To’s or Tutorials.

128. Create a few case studies.

129. Create surveys & studies, and people will link to the end result.

130. Make a printable PDF file of your linkbait (i.e. a March Madness bracket).

131. Create freebie products

Maybe the EBook or App listed above, and make them downloadable from your site. If it’s good enough, you will get some serious links.

132. Create fun

Niche related content, such as Jokes in your niche. For this you will need to use your imagination. The more creative you get, the more link worthy the content is.

133. Write original content to get listed as a source on a meme tracker site.

134. Write beginners guides.

135. Debunk myths.

136. Launch a petition that people really care about, such as high gas prices.

137. Get pictures of celebrities on a section of your site.

I know it sounds outrageous, but there are some unfortunate people out there that obsess over celebrities that are willing to link.

138. Create charts, graphs, easily interpreted information that is easy to link to.

SEOmoz did a great job of this; here’s what I mean.

139. If you ever come across a problem

You run into that takes you a few hours or in general a long time, write an article on what it was and how you solved it, because chances are someone has also run into the same problem.

140. Create pages that offer value

To the environment protection agency or other environmental directories to get links from these sites (i.e. a 5 article series on helping the environment). You’d be surprised on the quality of links from these sites. Create anything that can extend your niche to as wide a variety as possible to get links from as wide a variety of places.

141. Create glossary/definitions/list of abbreviations of terms in your niche.

142. Coin a new term in your niche

Make a descriptive post on it and inform those in your niche (i.e. Rand Fishkin coined Linkerati).

143. Transcribe video interviews to text as separate posts.

If you don’t get a lot of links, you at least get a new 1,000 word post.

144. Create a wiki

Ask others to contribute. Make it as non-biased as possible in your niche (but link in footer or at the top, your choice). This final section will consist of Grey/Black Hat ideas that I have heard of working, yet I do not recommend them. Some are basic, some are more in depth, but nonetheless they’re all an interesting read.

145. Create a community site

Sponsored by you where people can post industry related info, with a link to your site on each page. Use automation to create hundreds and almost thousands of members (each with their own profile page). Each page means a link to your site. I’ve had a competitor do this and get away with it.

146. Create a review site for your competitor (i.e. www.yourcompetitor-reviews.com)

Give lots of positive reviews and links to their site. Then ask for a link to the review site (maybe from their home page?). Then in a few months or however long you want to wait, 301 redirect the review site to your site. You now have a link from your competitor.

147. Create forum profiles called “~!”

They show up on first page of vBulletin’s member lists, which are indexed, and you can get your profile (with link to your site) indexed (this isn’t as grey/black hat as it is more of a hit or miss; if it goes wrong, all that happens is your profile being deleted).

148. Create geocities

Ttripod and AOL member accounts so you can give yourself guestbook links.

149. Purchase misspellings of competitors

Domains and redirect your site (be careful of trademark infringement).

150. Create ten or twenty domains with same template

organize niche industry by location, and create pages of each State, City, and Niche vendor in area. If you have ten or twenty vendors in your niche, that could mean around 150,000 or more pages on each site, then use QUIT or SQUIRT to index the pages, have a few key links on each page, turns into hundreds of thousands of valuable links. (Eli from Blue Hat SEO).

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The end of the year invites reflection, a look back to the mistakes we’ve made and the successes we’ve achieved. There is no question that a high IQ brings plenty of both. The following list has more than its share of tortured geniuses along with some ordinary folk doing their best to get along in the world. Measuring IQ is an inexact science, and the following list is sometimes based on rumors and hearsay, but that’s the only way to measure the smartest people in the world.

2. Paul Allen is alleged to have an IQ of 160

Paul Allen, Alleged to have nabbed a perfect 1600 on the pre-1995 SAT, Allen beat out his Microsoft partner Bill Gates by 10 points, and according to the Megafoundation is reputed to have an IQ of 160. Allen must be smart to have convinced IBM, in 1980, that five year old Microsoft had a Disk Operating System which would work on Intel chips when it didn’t. It was the pivotal move leading to the IBM contract, which has defined personal computing ever since. Age: 58, Nationality: American, Job: Chairman, Vulcan Inc.

3. Stephen W. Hawking is alleged to have an IQ of 160.

Stephen W. Hawking is alleged to have an IQ of 160, In an interview with MSNBC Hawking said: “People who boast about their IQ are losers.” However, his IQ is widely rumored to be 160. By his own account Hawking didn’t learn to read until he was eight and went to University College, Oxford, where his two lackluster final exam scores required a third, oral exam. After being diagnosed with ALS, he declined taking a doctorate as he didn’t expect to live long enough to make it worthwhile. Though his life expectancy exceeded his expectations, concerns that the disease would diminish his genius prompted Hawking to take the Mensa test to confirm his intellect remained unaffected. Age: 69, Nationality: English, Job: Theoretical physicist and cosmologist

4. Robert Byrne is alleged to have an IQ of 170

Robert Byrne, Byrne first showed his genius on the chess board in New York City and was one of the “Collins Kids,” along with Bobby Fisher, taught by 20th century chess great John W. Collins. According to Career and Test Byrne is reported to have an IQ of 170. He was the chess columnist for the New York Times from 1972 until his retirement in 2006, at 78. Age: 83, Nationality: American, Job: Professor, writer Chess Grandmaster.

5. Judit Polgar is alleged to have an IQ of 170

Judit Polgar, The strongest female chess player in history, Polgar beat Bobby Fisher to become the youngest Grandmaster ever at 15 years, 5 months — chess.com asserts she has an IQ of 170. Polgar’s father educated his three daughters at home with chess as the central subject. Judit is an International Master and her two sisters are Grandmasters. The experiment belied the assumption that women were naturally weaker players, and strengthened the nurture over nature argument. Age: 35, Nationality: Hungarian, Job: Chess Grandmaster, mother.

6. Sir Andrew Wiles is alleged to have an IQ of 170

Sir Andrew Wiles, In 1995, Wiles proved a 358 year old mathematical theory called Fermat’s Last Theorem, which until then was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the “most difficult math problem” in the world — according to Browse Biography he has an IQ of 170. Proving the theorem also granted Wiles a small measure of popular celebrity. He was mentioned in an episode of Star Trek and in the second and third books of Stieg Larsson’s popular trilogy. He was knighted in 2000. Age: 58, Nationality: English, Job: Mathematics professor: Princeton

7. Jacob Barnett has a verified IQ of 170

Jacob Barnett, Image: Jake didn’t talk until he was almost three years old, when he started reciting the alphabet forward and backward. According to the Indianapolis Star he has an IQ of 170*. At three, his parents took him to a planetarium where he responded correctly to a question about the gravitational pull of Mar’s upon its moons, stunning the audience. He is currently a student at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. His YouTube video, talking about Einstein’s Theory of Relativity is worth watching. Calculus on the window in the bedroom isn’t bad either. Age: 12, Nationality: American, Job: Student, *Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children

8. Benjamin Netanyahu is alleged to have an IQ of 180

Benjamin Netanyahu, Benjamin Netanyahu was listed as number 11 on The World’s 50 Most Influential Figures 2010, by The New Statesman and according to townhall.com, has an IQ of 180. Netanyahu left MIT in 1973 to fight in the Yom Kippur War, when hostilities concluded he returned and earned a B.S.in Architecture. Age: 62, Nationality: Israeli, Job: Politician.

9. Bobby Fischer was alleged to have an IQ of 180

Bobby Fischer, Fischer is credited with having an incredible memory and took the Stanford-Binet IQ test at his high school, in Brooklyn where, according to chess.com, he scored 180. Fischer was absolutely a troubled genius with renowned mental health problems, and he may also have been the world’s most intelligent outlaw. Against a U.S.Department of State 1992 order, Fischer played a rematch against Boris Spassky in Yugoslavia, then under economic sanctions, and remained a wanted man the rest of his life. Born: March 9, 1943 — Died January 17, 2008 at 64, Nationality: American, Job: Chess Grandmaster, writer

10. John H. Sununu is alleged to have an IQ of 180

John H Sununu, is a member of the Mega Society — whose membership is composed of those with IQ’s in the 99.9999th percentile — one in a million, and is rumored by NNDB to have an IQ of 180. Sununu became famous for his abuses of government travel while George H.W. Bush’s Chief of Staff from 1989-1991, and was mentioned as recently as 2009 in the Family Guy episode: A Picture is Worth a 1,000 Bucks. Age: 72, Nationality: Cuban, Job: Mechanical engineer, politician

11. James Woods is alleged to have an IQ of 180

James Woods, was a brilliant student who achieved a perfect 800 on the verbal and 779 on the math portions of the pre-1995 SAT. He attended MIT on scholarship and was described by IMDb as having an IQ of 180. Woods enrolled in a linear algebra course at UCLA while still in high school before accepting the full scholarship to MIT. Age: 64, Nationality: American, Job: Actor

12. Marilyn vos Savant has a verified IQ of 186

Marilyn vos Savant, In 1985, The Guinness Book of World Records accepted vos Savant’s IQ score of 190, and according to marilynvossavant.com, crowned her the woman with the highest IQ for five consecutive years — she has tested as high as 228 on various IQ tests. vos Savant was an outspoken critic of fellow genius, Andrew Wiles’ Fermat Theorem, and wrote a book in 1993 asserting his methodology in the proof was flawed. In 1995, following accusations that she did not fully understand various mathematical theories, she retracted her assertions and allowed for Wiles’ methods. Age: 64, Nationality: American, Job: Author

13. Garry Kasparov is alleged to have an IQ of 190

Garry Kasparov, In 2003 Kasparov played to a draw against a chess computer that could calculate three million positions per second. According to chess.nuvvo.com a German study found Kasparov to have an IQ of 135, other sources put the number as high as 190. Kasparov contends that IBM cheated during the computerized match where he was defeated by Deep Blue in 1997. He said he saw, “deep intelligence and creativity” in the computers moves that could only have come from human assistance. IBM denied the allegation, refused to provide Kasparov with log files from the game, and retired the machine — proof to Kasparov of “evidence tampering.” Age: 47, Nationality: Azerbaijanian, Job: Chess Grandmaster, writer, political activist

14. Philip Emeagwali is alleged to have an IQ of 190

Philip Emeagwali, Emeagwali left school in 1967, at 13, to fight in the Nigerian-Biafran war, completed a self-study high school equivalency, got a B.S. in Math from Oregon State and three Master’s Degrees in Math, Environmental and Marine Engineering from various schools. He was reported by Sahara Reporters as having an IQ of 190. Emeagwali sat for his Ph.D at the University of Michigan from 1987-1991, but when he was denied the degree he sued UM school for racial discrimination. The case made it to the Michigan Court of Appeals where it was finally dismissed. Age: 56, Nationality: Nigerian, Job: Writer, speaker

15. Christopher Michael Langan has a verified IQ of 195

Christopher Michael Langan, achieved a perfect score on the SAT, but dropped out of Montana State University after concluding his professors weren’t qualified to teach him anything — ABC’s 20/20 measured his IQ between 195 and 210. Langan began talking at six months, and taught himself to read when he was three. He says he lived a double life for years, manual labor during the day and complex equations in his head at night. Age: 59, Nationality: American, Job: Construction worker, cowboy, forest service firefighter, farmhand, bouncer and writer

16. Kim Ung-Yong has a verified IQ of 210

Kim Ung-Yong, could speak fluently at six months old and was a guest student in physics at Hanyang University by the time he was three. He was described by Oddee as having the Guinness Book of World Records set his IQ at 210. After leaving NASA at 16, he was offered enrollment at Korea’s most prestigious universities, instead Yong chose a provincial college to earn his PhD in Civil Engineering. As of 2007 he also serves on the adjunct faculty at Chungbuk National University. Age: 49, Nationality: Korean, Job: Civil engineer

17. Christopher Hirata has a verified IQ of 225

Christopher Hirata, Hirata skipped middle school and at 16 was working with NASA on project exploring the possibility of colonizing Mars. The Daily Princetonian, Princeton’s student paper, where Hirata began attending for his PhD in Astrophysics at 18, reported that his IQ is around 225. Age: 29, Nationality: American, Job: Assistant Professor, Astrophysics, Cal Tech

18. Terrence Tao has a verified IQ of 230

Terrence Tao, At eight years old, Tao achieved a score of 760 on the pre-1995 SAT, received a Ph.D from Princeton at 20 and at 24 became the youngest ever full professor at UCLA. His IQ is pegged at between 220 and 230 by the Davidson Institute. Tao says he learned to read by watching Sesame Street in Western Australia. Age: 35, Nationality: Australian, Job: Mathematician,

19. William James Sidis is alleged to have had an IQ of 275

William James Sidis, With an IQ between 250 and 300, Sidis has one of the highest intelligence quotients ever recorded. Entering Harvard at the ago of 11, he was fluent in more than 40 languages by the time he graduated and worked his way into adulthood. Embittered over a 1918 arrest under the Sedition Act, Sidis spent the years from 1921 till his death at 46 in 1944 running adding machines and doing only menial tasks. Nationality: Ukrainian American, Job: Psychiatrist

20. Sharon Stone is alleged to have an IQ of 154

Sharon Stone, is widely reputed to have an IQ of 154. She also said she was a Mensa member, but retracted this claim in 2002. At the age of 15 she accepted a scholarship to Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, where she studied creative writing and fine arts. She described herself as “a nerdy, ugly duckling,” according to her online biography at Penn State University Library. Age: 53, Nationality: American, Job: Actress, model

1. Hanford, USA

The Hanford Site, in Washington, was an integral part of the US atomic bomb project, manufacturing plutonium for the first nuclear bomb and “Fat Man,” used at Nagasaki. As the Cold War waged on, it ramped up production, supplying plutonium for most of America’s 60,000 nuclear weapons. Although decommissioned, it still holds two thirds of the volume of the country’s high-level radioactive waste — about 53 million gallons of liquid waste, 25 million cubic feet of solid waste and 200 square miles of contaminated groundwater underneath the area, making it the most contaminated site in the US. The environmental devastation of this area makes it clear that the threat of radioactivity is not simply something that will arrive in a missile attack, but could be lurking in the heart of your own country.

2. The Mediterranean

For years, there have been allegations that the ‘Ndrangheta syndicate of the Italian mafia has been using the seas as a convenient location in which to dump hazardous waste — including radioactive waste — charging for the service and pocketing the profits. An Italian NGO, Legambiente, suspects that about 40 ships loaded with toxic and radioactive waste have disappeared in Mediterranean waters since 1994. If true, these allegations paint a worrying picture of an unknown amount of nuclear waste in the Mediterranean whose true danger will only become clear when the hundreds of barrels degrade or somehow otherwise break open. The beauty of the Mediterranean Sea may well be concealing an environmental catastrophe in the making.

3. The Somalian Coast

The Italian mafia organization just mentioned has not just stayed in its own region when it comes to this sinister business. There are also allegations that Somalian waters and soil, unprotected by government, have been used for the sinking or burial of nuclear waste and toxic metals — including 600 barrels of toxic and nuclear waste, as well as radioactive hospital waste. Indeed, the United Nations’ Environment Program believes that the rusting barrels of waste washed up on the Somalian coastline during the 2004 Tsunami were dumped as far back as the 1990s. The country is already an anarchic wasteland, and the effects of this waste on the impoverished population could be as bad if not worse than what they have already experienced.

4. Mayak, Russia

The industrial complex of Mayak, in Russia’s north-east, has had a nuclear plant for decades, and in 1957 was the site of one of the world’s worst nuclear accidents. Up to 100 tons of radioactive waste were released by an explosion, contaminating a massive area. The explosion was kept under wraps until the 1980s. Starting in the 1950s, waste from the plant was dumped in the surrounding area and into Lake Karachay. This has led to contamination of the water supply that thousands rely on daily. Experts believe that Karachay may be the most radioactive place in the world, and over 400,000 people have been exposed to radiation from the plant as a result of the various serious incidents that have occurred — including fires and deadly dust storms. The natural beauty of Lake Karachay belies its deadly pollutants, with the radiation levels where radioactive waste flows into its waters enough to give a man a fatal dose within an hour.

5. Sellafield, UK

Located on the west coast of England, Sellafield was originally a plutonium production facility for nuclear bombs, but then moved into commercial territory. Since the start of its operation, hundreds of accidents have occurred at the plant, and around two thirds of the buildings themselves are now classified as nuclear waste. The plant releases some 8 million liters of contaminated waste into the sea on a daily basis, making the Irish Sea the most radioactive sea in the world. England is known for its green fields and rolling landscapes, but nestled in the heart of this industrialized nation is a toxic, accident-prone facility, spewing dangerous waste into the oceans of the world.

6. Siberian Chemical Combine, Russia

Mayak is not the only contaminated site in Russia; Siberia is home to a chemical facility that contains over four decades’ worth of nuclear waste. Liquid waste is stored in uncovered pools and poorly maintained containers hold over 125,000 tons of solid waste, while underground storage has the potential to leak to groundwater. Wind and rain have spread the contamination to wildlife and the surrounding area. And various minor accidents have led to plutonium going missing and explosions spreading radiation. While the snowy landscape may look pristine and immaculate, the facts make clear the true level of pollution to be found here.

7. The Polygon, Kazakhstan

Once the location for the Soviet Union’s nuclear weapons testing, this area is now part of modern-day Kazakhstan. The site was earmarked for the Soviet atomic bomb project due to its “uninhabited” status — despite the fact that 700,000 people lived in the area. The facility was where the USSR detonated its first nuclear bomb and is the record-holder for the place with the largest concentration of nuclear explosions in the world: 456 tests over 40 years from 1949 to 1989. While the testing carried out at the facility — and its impact in terms of radiation exposure — were kept under wraps by the Soviets until the facility closed in 1991, scientists estimate that 200,000 people have had their health directly affected by the radiation. The desire to destroy foreign nations has led to the specter of nuclear contamination hanging over the heads of those who were once citizens of the USSR.

8. Mailuu-Suu, Kyrgyzstan

Considered one of the top ten most polluted sites on Earth by the 2006 Blacksmith Institute report, the radiation at Mailuu-Suu comes not from nuclear bombs or power plants, but from mining for the materials needed in the processes they entail. The area was home to a uranium mining and processing facility and is now left with 36 dumps of uranium waste — over 1.96 million cubic meters. The region is also prone to seismic activity, and any disruption of the containment could expose the material or cause some of the waste to fall into rivers, contaminating water used by hundreds of thousands of people. These people may not ever suffer the perils of nuclear attack, but nonetheless they have good reason to live in fear of radioactive fallout every time the earth shakes.

9. Chernobyl, Ukraine

Home to one of the world’s worst and most infamous nuclear accidents, Chernobyl is still heavily contaminated, despite the fact that a small number of people are now allowed into the area for a limited amount of time. The notorious accident caused over 6 million people to be exposed to radiation, and estimates as to the number of deaths that will eventually occur due to the Chernobyl accident range from 4,000 to as high as 93,000. The accident released 100 times more radiation than the Nagasaki and Hiroshima bombs. Belarus absorbed 70 percent of the radiation, and its citizens have been dealing with increased cancer incidence ever since. Even today, the word Chernobyl conjures up horrifying images of human suffering.

10. Fukushima, Japan

The 2011 earthquake and tsunami was a tragedy that destroyed homes and lives, but the effects of the Fukushima nuclear power plant may be the most long-lasting danger. The worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl, the incident caused meltdown of three of the six reactors, leaking radiation into the surrounding area and the sea, such that radiative material has been detected as far as 200 miles from the plant. As the incident and its ramifications are still unfolding, the true scale of the environmental impact is still unknown. The world may still be feeling the effects of this disaster for generations to come.

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