SELECTION OF GREAT WEBSITES AND BLOGS:
NEWS: Ezra Klein set up his Vox website in 2014, but this year looks set to be the most exciting phase for the site, which aims at explaining the news. Vox uses explanatory articles, videos, maps and card stacks to make complex world events understandable.
It should be particularly useful during the upcoming US presidential election. Klein is part of a trend among American journalists to eschew newspaper careers in favour of internet start-ups - another is Nate Silver and his acclaimed blog FiveThirtyEight.
HACKERS: The virtual battle against malicious hackers seems unending.
Often the victim finds out too late or not at all that they've suffered an attack. That's where the website Have I been Pwned? comes in useful.
On it users can check whether their email address or username have been compromised in a data breach.
OFFICE: For many employees, the words "lovable" and "office" are mutually exclusive.
But start-ups and companies such as Google and Facebook don't see it that way. Check out the website OfficeLovin' which features photos of the chic, modern offices of such companies, including exclusive photos of the offices of review portal Yelp and music service Spotify.
TRAVEL: Even though the "hipster" label is likely to aggravate many travellers, the blog of a self-styled hipster seems to have hit the mark. "Travels of Adam" records the trips of a Berlin-based graphic designer from Boston to the beautiful, exciting and hip places that are off the beaten tourist track.
Whether in Europe, Israel, Haiti or the US, the blog looks at the "coolest things to do and see around the world".
DRAWING: The internet has made it possible for people around the world to bring their comics, sketches and illustrated stories to a wide audience. On the Sketchbook Project website the work of almost 34,000 artists from more than 135 countries is available for viewing.
FITNESS: Cardio, Core, Pilates, HIIT - anyone entering the fitness world for the first time or after a long break will be confronted by a plethora of confusing terms and acronyms. Booya Fitness works under the motto "Every type of fitness class you can imagine". It offers home training via digital videos. The first 30 days are free and after that you have to pay around $US10 ($A15) a month.
ANIMALS: "When I'm around toilet paper I lose control," the caption says on the picture of a three-month-old puppy looking sheepishly at the camera. Another shows a young husky sitting amid broken plastic with the caption "I bathed and then destroyed the tub!" These pictures can be found on Dog Shaming, where owners post pictures of their mischievous, destructive canines alongside admissions of guilt.
DINING: The New York Times, the newspaper known for its news-gathering skills, in-depth analysis and liberal attitude, is now also known for its cooking recipes. Since the paper launched its Cooking platform in 2014 it has gathered more than 17,000 tasty recipes.
DIY: A pair of boxer shorts made out of old pillowcases or a chair made out of crutches and bike parts? Or a wheelchair for a dog with injured back legs? There are no barriers to the do-it-yourself projects posted by tinkerers and hobbyists on Instructables.
Step by step they explain how, for example, to build an igloo from powdery snow or furniture parts from old cardboard.
