Does it seem like everything you buy is over-packaged creating a lot of garbage?  Would you like to reduce the amount of garbage you produce and handle the remaining waste more responsibly, but aren’t sure where to start?  NatureBridge.org/Garbology is a website with a fun interactive game and more, that can help you learn all about garbage, how to handle it, and how to reduce it.  According to MyGarbology:

Garbology is the study of what we do with our waste.  All the things we throw away each day—where do they end up?  Many of us know that we can reuse, recycle, and compost to help keep waste out of landfills, but how do you know what goes where?  Why is it important to reduce the waste we put in landfills?  All of this and more is Garbology…  At MyGarbology, you’ll find an interactive online game that teaches about Garbology and answers the question, “Where should my waste go?”

In addition to the interactive game, MyGarbology also has lessons and activities to help you learn more about garbology, such as how to pack a waste-less lunch, composting, and more.  There is also a Trash Talk blog.

http://www.naturebridge.org/garbology

Would you like to do something to make the world a better place?  Could you spare fifteen minutes a week to do a simple task?  ItStartsWith.Us is a website where you can sign up for a weekly email with an assignment you can do to help change the world in about fifteen minutes.  According to ItStartsWith.Us:

The goal of ItStartsWith.Us is to build a global community of individuals focused on making a positive impact in the lives of the people around them.  Each and every one of us has the ability to change the world by touching lives in this way.  And when we hear stories about the positive things others are doing, we become more aware of the opportunities we have to make a difference for the people around us.

ItStartsWith.Us also has a blog.

http://itstartswith.us/

Does it seem like there is nothing but junk on most online classified and auction websites?  Do you wish there was an online marketplace that was a bit more upscale?  Or perhaps you can’t afford more luxurious goods but you’d still like to browse and dream a little?  JamesList.com is a upscale online marketplace where you can buy, charter, rent, and sell extravagant and luxurious items.  According to JamesList:

JamesList is the world’s first marketplace to span across product categories and offer high-end items from dealers across the world.  Our cutting edge technology lets you find and compare listings, ensuring that you get the best possible deal on whatever it is you are looking for, from Submariners to submarines…  JamesList focuses on only the high-end of each category to ensure that amazing listings are showcased in the way they deserve and that buyers find exactly what they are looking for.  We screen each dealer and listing to ensure they are “James” enough.

Categories include: Cars, Motorcycles, Watches, Yachts, Jets, Helicopters, Classic, Collectables, and Rentals.  If you can’t afford the items on JamesList you can still create and share lists featuring your favorite luxury goods.  JamesList also has a blog.

http://www.jameslist.com/

Is you email inbox full of clutter from bulk emails?  Would you like clean up your email without missing offers and sales from your favorite brands?  TheSwizzle.com is a website where you can browse email offers from top brands with out having to subscribe to their email lists, and an online tool that helps you unsubscribe from email lists you’re already on.  According to Swizzle:

The Swizzle Sweeper helps clean up your inbox by easily and safely unsubscribing from emails you no longer wish to receive…  Want to see email deals from just the brands you like?  Easy!  Search for the brand or store from Swizzle’s robust list, and you will see their most recent product news and deals in one place.  Follow brands to create your own custom homepage with updates from the brands you prefer.

Email offers can be browsed by brand or category.

Programing note:  There will not be a Website of the Day posted on July 4 or 5.  We would like to wish our readers from the United States a happy and safe Independents Day!

http://theswizzle.com/

Are you always looking for Wifi hotspots when you travel?  Would you like to find a new WiFi cafe in your city to hang out at?  Hotspotr.com is an online community edited listing of over 18,000 WiFi hotspots in over 3,700 cities around the world.  According to Hotspotr:

This is a community-driven listing of Wifi cafes and hotspots…  Hotspotr grew out of a simple need: find out which cafes were laptop-friendly and had free WiFi…  The guiding principles are 1) keep it focused (no need to be all things to all people) and 2) make it by and for the community.  It’s Simple… no account is needed; anyone can add a listing, or edit a listing that’s already there.

WiFi hotspots can be searched for by zip code, address, and intersection, or you can find them on the interactive Google map.  Hotspotr also includes a page of WiFi etiquette tips and an app for iPhone.

http://hotspotr.com/

Are you tired of having to search for products and services?  Do you wish businesses would come to you instead when you need something?  Tanzio.com is a website where you can post requests for products and services and let businesses reply to you.  According to The Tanzio:

Tanzio is the exact opposite of the way you’re used to finding things…  Lists…  You’ve seen these before on: Google, Yahoo, Yelp, Yellow Pages, etc.  Any time you search for something, you get a list.  Frankly, we’re sick and tired of lists.  Let’s say you need a Dentist.  How do you find one?  Google it?  Sure, and they’ll give you a list of Dentists that you’ll have to call.  Wouldn’t it be easier if you could just post a request, and have the Dentists call you.  That’s exactly what Tanzio does.  Tanzio gets results for anything you need: Plumbers, Massage Therapists, Tow Trucks – Anything you can think of.  You post a request for it, and Tanzio will get you a response.  And we’ll get it fast!  That is our mission.

Communication between you and businesses goes through Tanzio so your personal contact information remains private.  You can also post by phone if you’re away from the internet.  If you run a business you can sign up with Tanzio and get contacted immediately whenever some requests your service near you.

http://tanzio.com/

When you buy products do you usually research them online by looking up reviews and customer comments?  Or perhaps you’re concerned about the social responsibility of the companies behind the products you buy?  When you’re out shopping do wish you could quickly get this information at your fingertips?  TheOpenLabel.com is a smart phone app that pulls up customer comments, reviews, and other reasons to buy or avoid a product when you scan its barcode.  According to OpenLabel:

OpenLabel is a free mobile app that puts a public label on all products: Anyone with a mobile phone can scan any barcode, and instantly exchange all the reasons to buy or avoid that item.  In a world where information is easily accessed, consumers are demanding to know more than just prices and coupons from their phone.  With OpenLabel, we can all keep each other informed about the things that really matter to us: from environmental issues, allergies, animal rights, and political and social justice issues, to just what your friends recommend.  It’s like Wikipedia and Twitter for products, which means together, we can use it to spread information easily, increase transparency and corporate accountability, and make smarter choices for ourselves and the planet.

You can sign up to join OpenLabel’s private beta for iPhone by sending your email address.  A public roll out and an app for Android are coming soon.

http://theopenlabel.com

Have you had the same wallpaper on your computer’s desktop for far too long?  Could you use a wallpaper that is fresh, new, and professionally photographed?  Could your Twitter page use some sprucing up as well?  Kuvva.com is a website where you can subscribe to a rotating set of beautifully photographed desktop wallpapers and Twitter backgrounds from a different featured artist each week.  According to Kuvva:

Our goal is to turn dead space into creative space…  Kuvva is your source for beautiful wallpapers.  Specially curated for your desktop from some of the world’s leading photographers, designers and illustrators…  You can also connect Kuvva to your Twitter account.  It’s literally a few clicks and you’ll get a fresh new Twitter background, as often as you change your socks.

You can choose between three streams of images: featured artists, trending, and your favorites.  Apps for other services and devices including a Facebook app to get Kuvva on your timeline are coming soon.  Kuvva also has a blog.

http://kuvva.com/

Do you ever get frustrated when using a new website or online application?  Do you wish you could get someone to explain it to you clearly at moments notice?  Grovo.com is a website which produces video tutorials that explain how to use most popular websites and mobile apps.  According to Grovo:

Grovo is an online education and training platform that helps people find and use sites, and helps sites reach and educate users.  Before Grovo, there was no single, centralized location for Internet education and training.  Grovo produces… video tutorials that cover the Web’s most popular and useful sites as well as essential cloud services in social media, productivity, and online marketing…  Currently, our library contains over 2,000 video tutorials, and we produce 60 more every week.  The videos are delivered through our proprietary education and training platform, which includes the lesson, pre-written notes, quizzes, and glossary terms…  Lessons are between 1-2 minutes long and progress from simple to advanced use cases.

Some of the many sites covered include: Facebook, Google, Twitter, Yelp, Basecamp, and LinkedIn.  You can request a site if it is not already covered.  Grovo also has a blog.

http://www.grovo.com/

Are you annoyed with all the sites on the web that require you to register and sign in with a username and password?  Would you rather not give every site on the web sensitive personal information like your email address?  BugMeNot.com is a website where users share log-in information for websites (436,741 and counting) that require registration.  According to BugMeNot:

You’re browsing the web and you click a link to an article on a site (let’s say nytimes.com) but instead of getting the article you get a screen asking you to login or register.  Infuriated at the idea of pointlessly registering for yet another site you turn to your good buddy bugmenot.com…  BugMeNot.com was created as a mechanism to quickly bypass the login of web sites that require compulsory registration and/or the collection of personal/demographic information.

If you would like to help out you can do so by submitting a username and password for a popular website that requires one.  BugMeNot has an extension for Firefox, a search engine plugin and a bookmarklet.

http://www.bugmenot.com/