The internet has become incredibly sophisticated compared to what it was even 10 years ago; in the 1990s, we would never envisaged that online streaming services would largely replace TV, or that AI would revolutionize the way we use the net to learn and create.
But for every YouTube and Reddit, there are unsung heroes that serve to make our lives easier in a small but profound way, and that’s what we’re going to talk about today. Whether it’s an app or site you just can’t live without to do your work or something that adds a bit of spice to your life, there’s something for everyone. Here are some of the internet’s most useful small-scale tools you might not have heard of before (or at least haven’t used).
For Writing and Editing
Just in the last five years or so, tools to help writers and editors have been appearing at an exponential increase. Tools like Grammarly have proved invaluable in their ability to replace the classic spell-checker with AI-driven grammar suggestions, whereas apps like Quill Bot offer a suite featuring an AI checker, translator, summariser, and more. You also have plagiarism checkers like Quetext that make it super simple to check text. There’s never been an easier time to be a writer!
Google Search Features
Google has been far more than just a search engine for years: many people are unaware that if you type and search for basic tools – such as ‘timer’, ‘calculator’, ‘unit conversions’, and many more, you can perform the task quickly and easily with inbuilt apps directly in the browser. At this point, it’s one of the best things about Google.
Research Tools
One of the biggest unsung advancements in the internet is the features available to researchers. Gone are the days when you have to head to the university library to physically search through a journal – nearly all academic journals and articles can be searched for and read with tools like Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus. You can even cite directly from them, and sites like myBib enable you to neatly organise all your references.
For Legal Knowledge
Before the internet, you’d need a degree in legalese just to understand the basics of law. Nowadays, services like JusticeDirect decode useful legal terms and practices into easily-understandable resources, helping people from all walks of life secure access to justice with just a click of their mouse.
For Fun
Last but not least, there’s the fun stuff! Need help with word games like Scrabble or Crosswords? Word Unscrambler and Wordzon make it easy to find all possible letter combinations and solutions, so you can level up your gameplay. Are you a big reader? Check out Goodreads to not only keep track of your growing library, but also discover new books and join discussions with fellow readers.
Perhaps you’re looking for your next fun DIY project or hobby, in which case, Instructables is always a good bet. The internet is unique in that it’s a place to work andhave fun, so make sure you don’t skimp on the latter!
There are far more amazing websites and small-scale web apps than we can possibly discuss, but hopefully, this list has given you some inspiration. Big or small, there will always be amazing new ideas to talk about, so here’s to what the future brings!
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