The web is filled with so many things that it is hard to separate what is useful from what is just Rated X. Boosh scoured the internet (the entire thing) to find some of the best sites you should be wasting your time on to help you do everything from find new music, to watch free movies, to passing that 7am Poli Sci class you never go to with flying colors.
1. Pandora.com
What is it?
It’s Online Radio with a twist. We recently sat down with Pandora’s founder, Tim Westergren, who shared some of the secrets behind the Pandora’s Music Genome Project. In short, you upload a playlist of your favorite songs and the Pandora software breaks down your playlist through a complicated algorithm of musical preferences (such as tone of voice, beats per measure and any other characteristics of a song that would make you like it over another). Then, based on that algorithm, Pandora shows you new music that will most likely fit your tastes. Simply put, it’s a way of using math to determine new music that you’d enjoy.
What’s the catch?
Pandora is one of those too-good-to-be-true sort of things where some hater will try to shut them down. In this case, that hater is the RIAA. Pandora has one last push in Congress this summer to lower the ridiculously-expensive royalty rates imposed by the RIAA that would cripple Pandora. Solution? Firebomb the RIAA.
2. Hulu.com
What is it?
It’s NBC and Fox’s competitor to Google’s giant, YouTube. You can stream free episodes of any show from the two networks as well as stuff from MGM, Sony, and a handful of others… for free. Arguably, this website is the greatest timewaster in the history of timewasters.
What's the Catch?
Commercials like woah. And because it's only NBC and FOX, those are the only things you can check out… and until Keenan drops SNL and goes back to Good Burger, those skits from last Saturday aren't going to be funny.
3. Movie6.net
What is it?
A collection of pirated movies, some of which are still in theaters. You can enjoy any new release from the comfort of your own home and keep a packed wallet.
What's the Catch?
The quality isn't always amazing since it's John Smith with a handicam and a bucket of popcorn and seeing a movie on a giant screen over your laptop monitor is always going to look better. We're not sure how they haven't gotten busted yet, main theory we're running is that it is hosted in some third world country where piracy of Hollywood films take a back seat to more important things like food.
4. LibraryOfCongress.gov
What is it?
While the words "library" and "Congress" don't usually constitute awesomeness, to your Sociology professor it is the coolest thing since they invented Powerpoint. Plus, the Library of Congress just redid their website making your research of "scholarly journals" easier than a Wikipedia search. Hello easy A.
What's the Catch?
Depending on your subject, the amount of info you get back may be ridiculous meaning you'll have to do some actual reading to get the citations you need. And while the website is easier to maneuver now, it won't write your paper for you – which makes us think they just aren't trying hard enough.
5. Hackcollege.com
What is it?
It’s a blog run by a bunch of college students on how to hack the college life. If you’re underage and want to know how to sneak into a bar or you need to know how to pirate movies and cover your tracks, Hack College has the answer.
What's the Catch?
While there is some good info in there, a lot of the articles are either lame or product placements. And don't waste your time with the podcasts... unless you're into watching the awkward kid who lived on your floor freshman year for 10+ minutes in a non-entertaining manner.
6. SteepandCheap.com
What is it?
Perfect site for the outdoor enthusiast looking to beef up their gear collection. The site takes an item, puts it online for super cheap, and that item stays up until the allotted units have been sold. Then a new item comes up. So one minute it might be a brand new tent from Mountain Hardware for under $100 and the next it's a $2 backcountry cooking set.
What's the Catch?
Featuring one item at a time is not conducive if you're searching for a specific piece of gear and with the short time limit of something being available is worse than those infomercials where the deal is only good if you call within the next 20 minutes. Once you pop, it's hard to stop.
7. TodaysBigThing.com
What is it?
A one stop shop for today's biggest viral video so you can link it to your away message before your friends even have a chance. You can be like the go-to guy for procrastinators everywhere. People will know you by (screen) name, and cheer it from the rafters.
What's the Catch?
You should probably be doing something else and this will quickly keep you from doing anything but watching videos. Perhaps even to the point where you will shut off completely from the outside world, your friends wondering what happened to you - you used to be so cool...
8. CouchSurfing.com
What is it?
It’s a place where you can find people around the country (and the world) that will open up their couches for you to sleep on. While it may seem a little odd to couch-crash with strangers, "Host Couches" are usually pretty safe and are reviewed by all of the vagabonds who have stayed there in the past. Any unsafe practice reported gets the couch dropped.
What's the Catch?
The catches with the service are the obvious. Friends of Boosh who have crashed on couches said it was fine, but "fine" just means it was better than a bench in Central Park. If you're up for the challenge, it's a great way to see America on the cheap.
9. CourseHero.com
What is it?
It's like that filing cabinet in the basement of your frat house with old study guides on every subject you could ever want – only it's online and they weren't written by the same super-senior in your house who drank an entire bottle of Bombay last Tuesday night. With tons of users at almost every school across the country, it is a great way to get some open source study info for that lecture(s) you missed because 8am is a terrible time to do anything.
What's the Catch?
While the stuff can be extremely useful come crunch time before finals, it is an open source site which means the material isn't regulated. So that quiz you learned backwards and forwards may not be what your Professor hands out at all on Monday morning.
