Bonus certainty: that you’ve got a jam.

And now you can share it with This Is My Jam, a refreshingly simple site with a refreshingly simple purpose – to let everyone know what song you can’t get out of your head right now.

Log in using Facebook or Twitter then search for your tune. The site pulls content from HypeMachine and Youtube; you can also connect a SoundCloud account or upload your own files.

This is My Jam will add the cover art and post your jam to Facebook or Twitter. Your song will be available for everyone to enjoy for exactly one week; after that, send out your latest favorite to keep your friends’ headphones fresher than Georgia peach preserves in May.

Another jam we highly recommend.

Who are these people and where are they finding these videos?

Nowhere is this query more pressing than at Shelby.tv, where every video your friends are currently sharing on Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook is queued up for your viewing pleasure. (Netted’s current feed includes Shit New Yorkers Say, movie characters singing Lionel Richie’s “Hello”, and the trailer for FDR: American Badass, which is surprisingly NSFW.)

If you agree with a friend’s choice, repost it right from Shelby or click the heart button to save it to your favorites list. When browsing videos elsewhere, Shelby’s bookmarklet can add that video right to your favorites, making for a perpetually up-to-date playlist of sheer excellence.

After all, it’s an art, not a science.

Unless you’re playing Buy the Best Tickets at the Lowest Price, in which case winning isn’t everything – it’s the only thing.

Consider SeatGeek your secret weapon for victory. Dubbed a “ticket decision engine” by co-founders Jack Groetzinger and Russ D’Souza, the site aggregates listings for concerts and sporting events from sites like StubHub, RazorGator, TicketsNow, even eBay.

The results are plotted on a floor plan of the venue using a color-coding system that ranks entries on a scale of “ok deal” to “best deal.” Scroll over each dot and up pops a photo showing the view from that seat.

On top of that, there’s a forecast tool that uses loads of data (historical sales, teams’ records, popularity of venue, etc.) plus a fancy algorithm to suggest whether you should pull the trigger now or hold out for a lower price.

Because in the end, it’s not whether they win or lose: It’s how much you paid for the game.

Our doctor also tells us we’ve been shaking too many sticks.

With Matcha, we get recommendations tailored to our taste culled directly from our Hulu and Netflix playlists as well as our friends’ Facebook likes. So instead of just following the generic ratings board (Two and a Half Men, really?), we can stream bespoke entertainment without wasting precious couch time.

You can sort content by the what’s newest, most popular, highly recommended (based on what programs you mark with a thumbs-up), or what your friends are watching. Once you’ve found what you’d like to stream, Matcha provides links to begin watching immediately.

So you can stick a fork in watching lame movies and TV: It’s done.

Oh, and enter to win a new bike, too.

Give up? Clearly you’re not subscribed to Blood, Sweat & Cheers. Designed specifically for people who think their couch is just a place for friends to crash, the free daily email covers physical competitions, new workouts, crazy events (zombie obstacle course, anyone?), and myriad ways to celebrate your triumphs.

The national edition includes events across the country (co-ed, of course), along with online games and innovative workout gear. New Yorkers can sign up to receive info on city-specific competitions (of the drinking and non-drinking variety).

Signup is free for everyone, with only one hard and fast rule: No quitters allowed.

We eventually realized it was because we hadn’t signed up for MiMedia yet.  It’s a service for Windows users that uploads, stores and updates all your files, pictures and music wherever you have Internet access.

MiMedia sets themselves apart from other cloud storage services with their Shuttle Drive. If you request it, they’ll ship a 250GB hard drive to you to back up all your files much faster than your broadband connection can. Just plug it in, load your files and ship it back—it’s included free with registration.

The program always runs in the background so you don’t even have to schedule backup times. And with the matching app for iOS devices, you can view or modify your digital goods on the go. Though the apps work without a hitch, MiMedia’s desktop program for Mac is still in the works.

The simplicity of two plans means you can upload 7GB of files for free or up to 250GB for $9/month. But since we love you, Netted subscribers can take 50% off memberships by entering the promo code “netted” at checkout. Score!

Thank goodness we never took our tax information and business folders out into the street to try to get them up into The Cloud. That would’ve been pretty disastrous.

At least we can relive the Webby experience with the Webby Awards Pandora® Mixtape. Created to honor Webby Artist of the Year LCD Soundsystem, the station combines the irresistible urge to dance brought on by the Webby celebration with the double awesomeness of Pandora® internet radio and the Music Genome Project®.

If you’re anything like us, finding and listening to music on Pandora continues to be one of the few things we couldn’t live without.  It doesn’t matter if you’re more into Black Flag or Rebecca Black: their stockpile of music is always growing, so your personalized music experience stays fresh.

Besides, anyone that allows us to dance along to the Webby Awards year-round is a friend of ours.  It also doesn’t hurt that Pandora has helped us perfect our desk dancing moves.

We’ve been using VHX to unwind with some of the best curated videos on the web. Simply put, they’ve created one of the most successful “Internet as TV” experiences we’ve ever seen.

The site works like a Twitter stream of videos that the people you follow have shared. By installing their bookmarklet to your browser, suppling content for your own “online TV channel” becomes as easy as a mouse click. Creating your own personal video experience has never been so easy.

VHX uses a brilliant, large display of high quality videos, and you can easily “channel surf” videos with your keyboard. According to them, “VHX is the way you’re supposed to watch and share videos with friends. It brings online videos together into one streamlined watching experience and equips the community with the best possible curation tools.”

If your friends aren’t great with sharing videos, we suggest checking out the superb feed VHX maintains. There’s also dedicated channels created by websites like Webby winners Laughing Squid, Buzzfeed and Boing Boing–and of course, the house-curated feed is superb.

Just be warned: this email took three times longer to write than usual because the amazing videos kept sucking us in.

Netted invites you to watch the 15th Annual Webby Awards LIVE on Facebook tonight starting at 8 PM EST.  You’ll get all of the awesomeness that is the Webby Awards ceremony complete with commentary from the Netted Team.

We’ll be reporting to you live from the ceremony, bringing hard hitting interviews, witty remarks and the best 5-Word Speeches right to your living room. You can even join the discussion on our Facebook wall. Can you say Internet party?

All you have to do is like us on Facebook if you haven’t already. RSVPing to our Facebook event is a good way to make sure you’ll be ready to go when the first spiral trophies are handed out.

Host Lisa Kudrow has an awesome show to emcee, featuring appearance by LCD Soundsystem, Daniel Radcliffe, Angry Birds, IBM’S Watson, Founder of the “It Gets Better” Project Dan Savage, and special performances from Norah Jones and the Gregory Brothers. And in keeping true to the Internet, you can count on plenty of surprise appearances.

Grab some popcorn, prepare your Rebecca Black shrine, and we’ll see you tonight!

That brings us to Squrl, a super-useful video collection tool that lets you save up videos to watch later, like the proverbial “squrl” gathering nuts for the winter.

The site builds on the idea of the “universal queue,” letting you pick and choose videos from across Netflix, Hulu, Vimeo, YouTube and more. All of your “must-watch-but-maybe-not-right-now-at-the-office” videos are available in one convenient list anytime from your iPhone, iPad, PC and web-enabled TV.

It’s also easy to remind yourself to remember to watch: just bookmark, email or tweet the videos to add them to your queue. And friends can email their recommended videos too, so you can be confident your queue’s viral videos are current.

Perhaps our favorite feature is the ability to organize videos into themed collections to be shared with the public. Choice collections include GrownUp Cartoons, MIT’s OpenCourseWare VIdeos, and our favorite: Police Procedurals.

However, we do not advise you trust actual squirrels you meet outdoors, because rabies is scary.

When the moment strikes to shoot the perfect short film, you’ll be prepared with either Viddy for iPhone or Socialcam for Android. Both make sharing videos directly to social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr convenient and simple.

Viddy makes any video look professional by offering filters like Black & White and Vintage. (Yes, it’s been called “The Instagram of Video.”) All clips are limited to 15 seconds, so scrolling through your newsfeed is like attending your own mini film festival.

Socialcam doesn’t boast the same filtering capability but does offer unlimited recording length and the ability to tag your friends in videos as if it were already on Facebook. iPhone users who need more than 15 seconds to express their artistic vision may want to consider Socialcam as well.

We doubt Stanley Kubrick would have put so much trust in the hands of technology, but we’re sure he would think the films look great.

We’ve been relying on Thwipster for nerdy inspiration ever since. Simply put, it’s the first daily deal site created with your inner geek in mind.

By their own admission, they’re “striving to make Thwipster a destination that will make your quest to score the world’s finest graphic novels, toys, games and assorted geek culture items a more rewarding experience.” They offer up a great deal each day and run one special weeklong sale as a bonus.

We’re sure the self-professed nerds are already salivating. But even if comic books aren’t your thing, the site is the perfect way to surprise that geek in your life with your next gift.

When it comes time to present Mr. Nolan with our rewrite featuring James Franco as Catwoman, we’ll be prepared.

ShelfLuv is here to help you get the most out of your reading experience. It allows you to manage a virtual reading list of your favorite titles and to connect with friends and other like-minded readers.

Put simply, Shelf Luv helps you organize what you’re reading, have read or want to read in the future. Every title you add is displayed in a gorgeous virtual bookshelf, making it easy to share what you’re reading with friends. This also means you can recommend books to one another or openly mock your friend’s decision to read Snooki’s novel.

ShelfLuv makes recommendations for your next read based on the ratings you’ve given past books. They also make purchasing titles easy, so getting started on your next page turner is a breeze.

The site is still in closed beta, but we’ve scored some special invites for Netted subscribers. Just enter the invite code “netted” and you’ll be on your way to dethroning Oprah the Almighty and her oppressive book club regime.

You might not get a degree or grades, but Open Culture has compiled the finest free online courses the Internet has to offer.  Real classes taught at top universities, from Berkeley to Yale, are organized by subject and ready to help you get back in touch with your inner nerd.

Whether you’re looking to learn a new language or to delve into the depths of metaphysics, it’s all there. And when you’re done with Global Geopolitics (Stanford) and Intro to Solid State Chemistry (MIT), Open Culture’s ready to suggest some lighter material too. We’ve been taking study breaks to watch the library of Hitchcock, John Wayne and other classic movies that are available to stream for free.

Before you all dash off to reap the Internet’s greatest fruits, consider this: Free stuff is on the Internet. You have to pay for Internet access. Then is anything on the Internet really free? You’re welcome; today’s lesson was free.

This mysterious civilization lives on in Webby Honoree Travelstormer, which takes all the pain out of organizing group vacations.

The site streamlines group decision-making by keeping your conversation and itinerary in one place. It’s far more organized than our usual assortment of random Facebook threads, convoluted email chains and emergency phone trees.

Members can vote on your plans, ensuring that at least the majority of travelers will be happy with the outcome. Plus, you can track and split expenses fairly, meaning that travelers stay happy.

After all, it’s one thing to take a trip with friends or family. It’s another thing to still be on speaking terms once it’s all over.

According to “the Internet,” a Grommet is a smart, undiscovered product from a new generation of socially responsible manufacturers.

We were still confused, so we took a tour through Daily Grommet’s offerings. Whatever you want to call it, they’re selling some of the coolest and most interesting gifts and products we’ve seen in awhile.

Every product has a backstory, with information about the manufacturer, materials, and more. It’s the personalized shopping experience that the Internet provides — and that the megastores make impossible.

We especially love the thoughtful and interesting green items for the home and garden, like reusable produce bags and eco-friendly sponges. And their gift suggestions, like tiny terrariums and wine kits, are awfully clever.

So we think we have it figured out: grommets are unique, awesome things you can buy on Internet. Or kids who are really into extreme icetubing.

Voting in the Webbys means picking your web favorites, from Justin Bieber to the BBC. We’re especially proud that some of our past Netted picks have turned up on the ballot, including Soundcloud, Historypin, and AirBnB.

Mostly into social media commentary? Want to make sure the Arcade Fire finally gets the real recognition they deserve? Concerned whether there is in fact an app for that? No problem: Webby voting is customized for your interests, and it gets smarter as you vote.

If we’re lucky, we might even be able to take back #winning from Charlie Sheen.

The aptly-named Hidden Heroes exhibition offers a virtual museum experience exploring the design story of some of the most common (and as it turns out, interesting) everyday objects.

Perks of the online exhibition format include the ability to customize your experience around the objects that pique your interest, as well as the interactive galleries of related art and design curated by the Vitra. There are also fun (short) videos offering interesting trivia tidbits. Who knew early tin cans were opened by chisel?

After taking the full tour, we now officially have three heroes: Sam Waterston, Earl S. Tupper, and Earl S. Tupper’s 1949 patent for a an airtight plastic lid. We’d give you a hint about what he invented, but it doesn’t exactly take one of the NYPD’s finest to figure it out.

We’ve been using Glass to be more specific when ushering our friends around the web. It allows you to make notes to web pages and discuss them directly on top of the site you’re viewing.

When you share a site using Glass, your friends are immediately notified and taken directly to the notes you’ve added without having to scan an entire page searching for content. Even better? Instead of having to email or IM you their thoughts, they can reply directly to the notes on the page themselves.

As a browser add-on, Glass makes it as though you’re an on-site tour guide for the entire Internet. Whether it’s questions about a long news article, modifying and sharing recipes, or pointing out your favorite pictures in a photostream, it’s surprising how useful being able to “write” on the Internet can be.

Note to self: notes are AWESOME.

iConcertCal makes missing a concert (Bieber or otherwise) almost impossible by monitoring your iTunes library and alerting you when the artists you listen to schedule shows in your town.

Not only is personal convenience at an all-time high, but your newly minted schedule of musical excellence can also be exported to your personal iCal or to your friends’. The newest version even tracks album releases, so sharing hot new tracks is almost too easy.

Apps are available for your iPhone or Android device to keep you up-to-date when you’re on the go.

Though J.Biebs only has two albums out right now, the chances that he could either drop his next “Baby” or perform nearby are rapidly increasing. We’ve got a fever, and the only cure is more Bieber.

The Oscars are this Sunday, and the buzz about us potentially winning for Exit Through The Gift Shop has us pretty excited (but seriously, don’t tell anyone we’re Banksy). Even when they’re not about us, watching movies is one of our favorite activities.

That’s why we’ve been spending a lot of time using MUBI, an online film archive where you can stream some of the most interesting, hard-to-find films spanning every genre and time period.

The site operates under the simple idea that people around the world should have access to films that would never play at their local multiplex. As they put it, “MUBI is your own little cinema, anytime, anywhere.”

The streaming quality may be the best we’ve ever come across online. And since great cinema always requires discussion, their active forums can be used to debate everything from directors’ cuts to whatever those frogs in Magnolia meant.

There’s still time to see us with spray paint stains on our hands before Sunday, so log on before you get relegated to watching Justin Bieber’s Never Say Never 3D for eternity.

In accordance with the moon cycles ascribed to charting all things hip, scrapbooking is quickly becoming cooler than tight jeans and the band that was the Grammys’ dark horse, The Suburbans.

Get out there, grab the Internet by the mustache and check out Memolane, a site that gathers information from all of your favorite social media sites and presents it in a neat time line.

It syncs up with Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, your favorite Fire in the Arcade blog’s RSS feed and more. Memolane lets you take a look back on it all, all at once.

Posts can also be earmarked and strung together to craft a miniature narrative within your time line. It’s a digital scrapbook!

So boot up your Apple Lisa, rub your lucky chest tat and start ‘booking!

Special deal for Netted Subscribers:

Memolane is still in beta, but enter the “netted” invite code when registering here and get started before everyone thinks it’s cool.

Start a comic book nest egg with Comic Master, a free online comic creation tool that you can use from any browser.

The site is as much fun for imaginative kids as it is for adults who can’t draw whatsoever and would like to make their coworkers laugh. The entire process is simple and uses a selection of pre-drawn backgrounds, characters, and props that are dragged and dropped into the cells in whatever order you want.

Not worrying about drawing will leave you plenty of time to work on what is arguably the most important part—the dialogue and captions. Once you’re satisfied, you can print your comic or email it directly to Universal Studios.

We’ll settle for a producer’s credit when Jerry Bruckheimer decides to pick up your film.

These days it seems like the only time a new book gets a ton of attention is when it’s penned by a Jersey Shore cast member, which can obscure excellent new releases focused on subjects other than poufs, tanscaping, and fist pumps.

For hand-selected book recommendations, try Any New Books?, a free way to stay informed about new releases in the genres that interest you.

Signing up is as simple as providing your email address and selecting topics that interest you, including fiction, non-fiction and audiobooks on a variety of subjects.

Book notifications come in the form of a weekly email that includes all of the pertinent publishing information and a link to purchase the book on Amazon (including a dedicated Kindle section).

You can also share your suggestions via Facebook and Twitter, allowing your network to know how literary you are.

Welcome to the Netted Lifestyle: Gym, Tanning, Literature.

The armchair quarterback has long been a part of football fandom, but until now the only way to cash in on your deep knowledge of play calling was with illegal bets.

As we’ll soon be entering the NFL playoff season, allow us to recommend Pre Play Sports, a new and legal way to turn your love of predicting plays into sweet, sweet competition with your friends.

After you’ve downloaded the app and created an account, pick which game you’re watching (right now, the app is decked out for football season, but baseball is also covered).

Throughout the game, you’ll guess which play will come next. Will BenJarvus Green-Ellis run for a 10 yard gain? Will Mark Sanchez will throw another interception?

Predicting the correct plays will earn you points and catapult you to victory over your friends and other members of your betting pool.

You can compete in a league with friends or in a public league (many bars host parties, and the site makes it easy for you to organize your own).

You’ll know you’re emulating Bill Belichik too much when you start wearing sweatshirts with awkwardly short sleeves.

To take advantage of these glorious circumstances, consider Mixologist, a $.99 iPhone app that allows you to search for specific drinks or conveniently find what cocktails you can make with what you have in your liquor cabinet and fridge.

If you’re going to be brave and attempt to venture out into the masses of partygoers, the app can also locate nearby liquor stores and bars.

If you’re an Android user, we recommend 10001 Cocktails. The app is free and is loaded with enough cocktail recipes to make Don Draper weak in the knees. You can also add your own recipes or save your favorites for easy access.

Remember to use this newfound technology for the power of good, not evil, and a very happy and healthy New Year to you from all of us at Netted!

For years, Santa has been used as a tool to coerce children into behaving well, sell untold millions of gallons of Coke and provide a bright spot in Billy Bob Thornton’s film career. You might say that harnessing the power of St. Nick is the key to inspiring holiday bliss.

Thanks to Google Voice, you can easily do this by Sending A Personalized Call From Santa to your friends and family for free.

Setting up the call takes less than 5 minutes and allows you to pick from a very long list of variables (if you’ve been waiting all year to tell your friend how good of a dragon slayer they’ve been, congratulations! Now is the opportunity to do it in a very creative way.)

Since your phone number will appear on their caller ID when the call goes through, your recipient will have no idea of their surprise until they’re greeted by a bellowing, yet jolly voice saying their name.

It’s a very cute way to make a friend or family member’s day (even if you don’t celebrate Christmas), not to mention the easiest way to get any young ones in your life to absolutely freak out with joy.

We would use it to call each and everyone one of you, but we are seriously behind on our shopping. Happy holidays to you and your family from all of us at Netted!

To get back in touch with your inner child, try SCVNGR, a new social network that combines location sharing and rewards for challenges you undertake.

Challenges include everything from taking photos and bumping phones with another user to creating tinfoil origami. For each one you successfully complete, you earn points that can win you real world rewards where applicable (such as a free coffee or discounted lunch).

Almost every place you visit is fair game, from cafes and restaurants to movie theaters and gyms. You can also create challenges for other users to complete.

Another great feature is “treks,” which are themed lists of places (think “New York’s Best Pizza” or “San Francisco’s Most Beautiful Views”). You can partake in lists created by other users, or make your own.

Think of it as foursquare meets Double Dare.

To bypass those giants and make the world a better place, try Better World Books, a bookseller that raises funds for Global Literacy.

The site boasts more than six million new and used titles, so finding selections you like is as easy as searching.

And their prices beat almost any other source around, with used books starting at $3.97 (and shipping is always free).

You’ll need to register to join the site, but it’s well worth it, especially when you consider that they’ve raised nearly $9 million to fund literacy initiatives (and kept 26,000 tons books out of landfills).

Remember, reading is fundamental.

To keep your musical street cred, we suggest Track In The Box, a daily email that brings a song recommendation to your inbox every morning.

Signing up for the email will help you discover (and sometimes rediscover) great bands. Each day, you’ll be sent a recommended song to listen to (which sometimes includes a free download)

Each song is hand picked by respected musicians and music journalists. All genres are represented, and old music is as prevalent as new (as they put it, “anything goes”).

You’ll thank us when you don’t play that Taylor Swift album at your next dinner party.

To get under the skin of your favorite sports fanatic, try RivalGrams, a service that allows you have a professional berate your friends’ sports team via phone and email.

Start by filling in all the necessary information, including your friend’s name, phone number, email, their favorite team and your favorite team (you can pick any team and any sport, including college, NFL, NBA, MLB and even NASCAR).

From there, you can choose to schedule a recorded fight song to your friend (it costs $1.25), an email blast, or you can go all out with a live taunt session in which your friend’s team will be berated mercilessly (starting at $2.25).

For $10, you can even schedule a live call every day for 20 days leading up to the big game.

And when it comes time to apologize try Flatter Me, a service that offers praiseworthy phone calls to your coworkers, friends and loved ones.

Flatter Me offers everything from simple employee motivation, get well and apology calls to a kid friendly call from “Santa.” (For the shy there’s even an “I have a crush on you” option).

Let the crank calling begin.

Technology has brought us many marvels.  But that doesn’t mean its not nice to receive an analog form of communication every now and again.

For those moments when you want to send it like it’s 1899, try Telegram Stop, a service that lets you send a telegram the easy way (by using the Internet).

Just visit the site and follow the instructions. To wit: enter you message in the “type here” box.  Once you’re done you’ll see a preview of the telegram (they look suitably old-timey and even feature the word “-(STOP)-“ where the periods would be).

Once you’re ready you pay and send it off (it’s $6.95 per telegram or $3.85 if you decide to send two or more).  The service mails the telegram (and sends you a copy).

They work well for invites, save the dates and those messages to the local citizens of Deadwood.

Enter YouTube Time Machine, a nifty little mash-up that allows you to view YouTube videos by year, endlessly indulging the deep need for nostalgia.

Simply visit the landing page and pick a year along the horizontal timeline.  A randomly selected video will display, and you’ll be given a chance to play more videos from that same year.

They have videos dating back to 1878 (though obviously the early stuff pre-dates the talkies) and the timeline extends out through the present.

You can select from a series of filters, which allow you to narrow your search to commercials, sports, music videos or movies.

The site is a wonder in simplicity and randomness, but we challenge you not to get lost in your favorite year.

Consider your morning less productive.

For a last second save, try Playlistnow.fm, a free music streaming service that plays tunes based on what you’re doing.

To start, simply type in what you’re doing in site’s search bar (you’re prompted with an “I am…” line). Playlistnow.fm returns a list of playlists created by other users to suit the situation.

Whether you’re looking for quite background music for paying bills or something to start your Saturday night, Playlistnow.fm has you covered.

Click on any list to see what songs it contains and to preview, share, or add individual tunes, to create your own playlist. (The site even lets you add songs to other users playlists to improve them).

Like other streaming sites, Playlistnow.fm also allows users to search for tunes by artist, song, or looking at other user’s song lists.

Consider it a chance to give new life to the lost are of making a mix tape.

In the days of yore, cooking was a social endeavor and the hearth was the center of the home.

Applying that logic to the online world is BakeSpace, a grassroots social network for people who love cooking, baking and hanging out in the kitchen.

While the site allows anyone to browse recipes, creating an account allows you to get the most out of the site by building a “virtual kitchen.” You can find and add foodie friends and store their recipes in your “recipe box,” or add and share your own dishes.

From there, you can use BakeSpace to socialize however you’d like: uploading cooking videos, creating blog posts or raiding the “virtual pantry” (an online discussion).

If you’re looking to expand your culinary horizons, you can take advantage of the site’s new mentor program. Want to try your hand at Indian food? Canning? Bread making? Your mentor can help get you started.

Apparently there can never be too many cooks in the kitchen.

To help change up your inner-playlist, there’s Unhear it, a website that aims to dislodge any song that may be stuck on replay in your head.

Simply visit the site and click play. An extremely catchy tune will begin playing in the hopes of finally getting that other less good song out of your head.

At first blush, you may question the site’s effectiveness. But when you’ve got Def Leppard stuck in your head and you pit “Pour Some Sugar On Me” against “Spanish Flea,” the latter will usually win.

Consider it a spa break for your head.

To expand your musical horizons without the hassle, there’s Thesixtyone, a website that promotes lesser-known and unsigned artists by offering streaming music and cheap downloads.

To get the most out of the service, create an account and begin “liking” the tracks that suit your tastes (this allows for tailored recommendations based on what you’re into).

You can also let site DJ for you, picking songs at random. Or you can opt for playlists of songs sorted by most popular, the hottest tracks, by mood, or based on recommendations derived from the songs you’ve “liked.”

Thesixtyone allows musicians to make some money by offering direct downloads of many of the songs without label middleman (some are even free).

Consider it your daily dose of sticking it to the Man.

Checking items off your “to do” list is good. Being able to swing a (virtual) sword while you do so is great.

To spice up your daily routine, there’s EpicWin, an app that turns your to-do list into an exciting role-playing game full of adventure and treasure.

Download the iPhone app ($2.99), enter your name and pick an avatar (your alter ego can be anything from a warrior princess to a talking tree). Then add the tasks you have to accomplish for the day or week and designate them as a feat of strength, stamina, social, spirit or intellect.

If it’s an ongoing task like walking your dog or doing laundry, you can set it to repeat on your list. You can set a specific date as a task’s deadline or simply set it as “someday.”

As you check things off of your to-do list your character gains points, wins rewards and develops. Each completed task will move you further along the game-map, which is littered with special loot.

Now, go and slay dragons (and make dental appointment reminders).

To stay on top of your viewing there’s RadBox, a service that allows you to store a queue of online videos to watch whenever you want to (e.g. when you’re off duty).

Start by signing up for a free account and dragging the “Add to RadBox” button to your browser’s bookmark bar. Then go about surfing the web for video entertainment as you usually do.

Whenever you come across an item you want to watch, just click the button and the video will be added to a bookmark queue so you can watch it when you have the time.

You can save video from all the sources you normally browse–YouTube, Hulu, Vimeo, College Humor, etc. There’s even a mobile app in the works.

Think of it as TiVo for your browser

Social media has added a new layer of rejection that we didn’t face in the analog days.

To help figure out where you stand there’s Qwitter, a notification service that alerts you whenever someone has stopped following you on Twitter.

Just sign up for a free account and add your Twitter account information. From then on, you’ll receive a daily email informing you of any followers who’ve jumped ship.

Really worried?  Their premium service offers more immediate notification and shows which of your Tweets led them to unfollow you.

To continue on your path of social network domination, there’s also Be the Mayor, which aids you in earning the coveted “mayor” title for your favorite places on foursquare.

Input your foursquare account information and begin searching for the places where you’d like to reign supreme. Be the Mayor will tell you how many check-ins it will take for you to become mayor.

Who says you can’t be master of your own domain?

Enter Zozi, a new national service that offers deeply discounted deals on activities and events taking place in your locality.

Start by selecting your city–as of today’s national launch they serve New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, and 11 other major U.S. metros–to find out what deal is currently available.

They offer everything from sailing excursions to fire eating lessons to racecar driving.  And, in celebration of their national launch, they’re giving away $500,000 in free excursions
in the next 48 hours.
Zozi is able to offer discounts of up to 90% off by ensuring that a specified minimum number of people sign up to get the deal.

Once you sign up for a deal you can share it with your friends to make sure the minimum is met. (If not enough people sign up, you are not charged and a new deal is offered).

If you’re planning a trip be sure to check out their equally exciting vacation packages (like a 7-day kayaking trip in Baja).

Now go climb a mountain (or something like that).

Thankfully, there’s Bookswim, an online book rental service that lets you compile a Netflix-style queue of books to be delivered to your door.

Simply set up an account and choose the pricing plan that best suits your reading speed (they start as low as $23.95 a month for 3 books at a time, which includes shipping and handling).

After that, begin selecting books to add to your “Rental Pool.” Bookswim offers everything from best sellers to classic literature to textbooks

There are no due dates or time limits on the books you borrow (unlike a library, you’ll never pay a late fee). When you’ve finished a book, simply pack it in the provided return envelope and send it back to receive the next title on your list.

It’s like having your own personal Dewey Decimal System.

American Au Naturel: Since there’s a very good chance that you’ll be spending a lot of time outdoors this weekend, we recommend Abe’s Market, an online marketplace for natural products from independent sellers around the country. Each seller has a profile that outlines their business practices and the products they sell, from coffee to cleaning products. Consider your barbeque sauce and bug spray needs covered.

Hitting the Beach: If you’re spending your weekend near a body of water, avoid the embarrassment of wearing the same bathing suit as your friend with Shortomatic, a service that allows you to make your own custom board shorts (cost: $99). You can upload your own photos and artwork or choose from a gallery of submitted one-off shorts.

Modern Pyrotechnics: If you’re stuck inside this weekend for some reason, or if your local weather isn’t cooperating, you can still enjoy the quintessential 4th of July experience with some Virtual Fireworks. A tad cheesy? Sure. But so is the real thing, often. And, at least Roman candles are finally safe for work.

We’ll be back next week with more non-nationalistic ways to make your life easier through the Internet.

Happy Fourth of July,

The Netted Team

But what to do with all that spare time?  One suggestion: video games, via the gaming mecca known as Kongregate.

The site offers thousands of user-developed games, all available for free.

Those of you who are worried that today’s offerings are too complicated (we stopped playing during the Galaga era as well) will be pleased to learn that the site specializes in “casual” games that can easily be played using a computer keyboard.

Kongregate has a points system, awarded for rating games, referring friends, and winning challenges.  There are plans to make these points redeemable for prizes, but it hasn’t been implemented yet.

If you do well, you earn badges and gain the respect of fellow players.

And, yes, you can add your initials if you get a high score.

Good thing you can now download Knocking Live Video, a free application that allows you to live-stream video to another phone using your cell phone’s camera.

Just download the application—it’s currently available for iPhone, Android, and Blackberry—and sign up for a free account.

Then just open the app and begin sharing by sending a “knocking” request to any of your friends (they also have to be using the app).

Once another user has accepted your invitation, you’ll be able to share live video or pictures from your phone as you shoot it, giving your friends access to your memories as they’re being created.

The current version only allows for a video stream between two users, but there are plans for “Knockcast,” which will allow users to broadcast to multiple friends simultaneously.

Now you just have to find a key grip to hold your boom mike.