Webscape

By Kate Russell Click Webscape-r

Kate Russell gives us her latest selection of the best sites on the World Wide Web.

FRETS ON FIRE (http://fretsonfire.sourceforge.net)

Frets on Fire

If you want to have a go at being a rock star, try out the open source project Frets on Fire which turns your keyboard into a guitar.

Download the full and free version from the site, where you can also watch a tutorial first to get the hang of it.

Use the F1 to F5 keyboard keys as your frets, and remember to hit the enter key for strumming action.

There are lots of tunes to entertain, at varying levels of difficulty, plus you can make your own compositions.

SHELFARI (www.shelfari.com)

Shelfari

Shelfari.com hosts a global community of book lovers who are more than happy to share their reviews of good and bad reads with others.

Once signed up, you can start adding the books you have already read, are currently reading, or plan to read in the future.

The site offers a graphical representation of a bookshelf and organises your titles into helpful categories.

Like other networking sites, you can join groups, start your own, and gradually expand your web of contacts.

USTREAM (www.ustream.tv)

Ustream

On Ustream.tv anyone can broadcast themselves for free.

But you will need to give the site permission to access your webcam and microphone, and you can even broadcast from a mobile device.

There is the option to interact with other viewers and embed your video into a website or blog.

The usual caveats about user-generated and unmoderated content apply - if you find something you do not like, just move along or report it.

TINY ART DIRECTOR (http://tinyartdirector.blogspot.com)

Tiny Art Director

Tinyartdirector.blogspot.com is home to a young lady's musings, which are compiled by her father, about his art work.

The artist attempts to fulfil the regular briefs given to him by his tiny director, and then posts his daughter's comments on this blog.

The drawings and paintings are lovely in their own right, but this precocious four-year-old has some hilarious things to say about the works.