The Internet Wayback Machine gives you an awesome place to go not only to find webpages that would otherwise be lost to the ether of cyberspace after they are no longer hosted, but it also allows you to observe how some of the larger and more popular websites today have evolved over time.

When you’re just starting out with your own website or blog, seeing that evolution can offer wonderful clues as to what proved successful and what didn’t. Karl wrote a review of the Wayback Machine back in 2008, and offered a cool glimpse of what the Wayback Machine can do for you.

The Wayback Machine Beta

Recently, I went over to the Wayback Machine to do some more research, and discovered that it had a different look, and the word “BETA” was posted just under the logo. Beta?

It seems that since the Wayback Machine launch in 2001, the site owners have decided to toss out the Alexa-based back-end and redesign it with their own open source code. After conducting tests with the code on smaller collections, the owners have now transferred the entire archive over to the new software. Hence – Wayback Machine Beta. Here’s what the front page now looks like.

Nothing very spectacular, but sometimes simplicity hides a lot of functionality. That’s certainly the case here. The owners claim that the redesigned site is now much faster than the classic Internet Wayback Machine, and I actually did find that to be true. Searching for MakeUseOf and clicking the “Latest” button almost immediately turns up the latest snapshot of the site. In this case it’s MUO from December 24, 2010.

The coolest aspect of this Beta version, in my opinion, is how easily you can watch the progression of a website over time. The new toolbar at the top shows the volume of “crawls” that Wayback did for the site on a particular day. This is displayed in a timeline on the toolbar. You can see the current date that you’re viewing on the right side of the toolbar, and it’s also highlighted in the timeline.

Click on that older date in the timeline, and the display below will change the the version of the website to when the site was crawled on that date. Here’s MakeUseOf on July 16, 2006.

Just click once a little bit later in the timeline, and almost immediately the newer version of the same site pops up. Here’s MUO the next year, in 2007.

Don’t forget that each crawl-date offers a fully-functioning version of the website on that particular date, because just about every page was crawled. So, go ahead and click on the links to see those old pages. Sometimes it’s fun to go back and look at some of the comments from many years ago, or to see how individual pages of the site have changed over time.

There have been mixed reviews about the new calendar view that Wayback now offers. You can get there by clicking the “Show All” button rather than the “Latest” button on the main page. This will show you a calendar view of the exact dates when the Wayback Machine crawled the website. The larger the circle, the more times the machine crawled the site.

Click on one of the dates to see the exact time of day that the snapshots of the website were completed. Finally, you can click on the exact time to view that archived snapshot.

Some people really liked the previous layout, where you could see a list of snapshots for the site on one page, but others (myself included) like the more graphical layout, and the ease with which you can quickly switch from one view of the website to another just by tapping on the timeline.

So explore the new and improved Internet Wayback Machine. Do you like or hate the new look and functionality? What would you have done to improve it even more? Share your point of view in the comments section below.

Free news based online games are also important educational tools. We have seen how history can be spiced up with interactivity. The same holds true for teaching kids about current affairs and world events through a fun tool like news games.

The games may not reflect news as it is happening right now, but they are still fun to play. You can relive an alternate reality and again understand a bit of why an event became newsworthy in the first place. Here are seven news games for you to try out right now.

Breaking News Games

The name of this online Flash based game site reveals the purpose. We know that Hillary didn’t make it to the grand throne of the Presidency, but you can still help her along her campaign by collecting points as she marks her campaign trail. This game is really simple and in the genre of what we call ‘time-wasters’. All games are arranged under heads like – Politics, Business, Sports & Entertainment, and World. You can turn to a shooter game like Celebrity Hitman: Terrorist Alert and win brownie points for world peace.

NewsGaming

The news gaming site has only two games on its roster but they are worth a few clicks of the mouse. Play MADRID reflects the attacks in Madrid on March 11th, 2004. September 12^th. It’s a simple game that pays homage to the victims. September 12^th is the other game – a game without a result – that is simply a simulation on urban terror and the civilian casualties that it inflicts. You have to pick out and shoot the terrorists who are moving around a crowded city sprawl.

Darfur is Dying

Darfur is Dying is a viral video game that was released in 2006. The very popular game promotes change and action for the benefit of the 2.5 million refugees in the Darfur region of Sudan. Players role-play a Darfurian refugee who must survive and keep the refugee camp functioning in the face of attacks by Janjaweed militias. Players also can understand the genocide in Darfur that had taken more than five million lives before the cease fire was signed. The Darfur genocide may have slackened off, but there are similar conflicts brewing around the world. The game gives a glimpse into history and encourages critical thinking.

Spent

This game on American unemployment remains topical, because joblessness continues under Obama’s presidency. Get a peek into what it really means and how prepared are you for the daily costs of living when you get the pink slip through this excellently designed game. I won’t go into the details of it because Angela did a great review as recently as three months back. Read up on – SPENT – An Online Game Designed To See If You Can Avoid Homelessness. As she recommends – I’d personally love to see high school students playing this before they leave home, go to college, get jobs and try to manage their own financial lives. It could prevent a few bad decisions along the way.

You Shall Know The Truth

If you are for free journalism then you will like this darkly satirical game about the attacks on Wikileaks. It’s a role-playing game and you play the spy tasked with the mission of retrieving leaked documents and biometric data among other things from a Wikileaks employee’s apartment. The game is like a treasure hunt where you have to click on every object and find clues. You are also up against a clock (timed at 999 seconds).

Leaky World

Let’s continue with Wikileaks and its socio-political impact with this slightly offbeat game that is an interactive version of the essay “Conspiracy as Governance” by Julian Assange. It’s difficult to understand at first, but gradually you can make out that the red dots on the world map are cities and your goal is to create a network interconnecting all these cities in a limited amount of time. Basically, you are connecting the dots and rendering the idea of conspiratorial interactions among the political elite on the map. The backdrop of the game is the essay by Assange and it is also interspersed with Wikileaks news items which you can pause to read.

Cutthroat Capitalism

This game is embedded on Wired.com’s site which is traditionally not a gaming site. The theme of the game is on high sea piracy around the Gulf of Aden which continues to this day. You play for the ‘other side’ as a pirate commander who has to capture a ship and successfully negotiate a ransom. The game is nicely designed and very addictive.

As online games go, news games are definitely not news reporting but they can fall under edutainment for children which is an ever growing genre these days. For us adults it is just entertainment because we can turn to regular news channels to get the scoop. What do you think of free online news games? Do you know any more cool ones that are newsworthy?

Image Credit: Shutterstock

There was recorded music before the 1950′s, but you wouldn’t think it based on what’s reflected in popular culture. Sure, the occasional movie will take place in the 1930′s and feature a brass band, but for the most part any music made before the early days of rock and roll is rarely heard.

Interested in what early popular music sounded like? You’re in luck. America’s National Jukebox is a great place to browse for music from the early 1900′s all the way to the late 1920′s. Whether you’re into classical recordings or ragtime, you’ll find something to listen to here. The quality is, as should be expected, not exactly Dolby surround. Recording technology at the turn of the century was primitive to put it best. Still, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing of value here.

What It Is

Every recording found on this site was, previously, not found anywhere online. Employees at the Library of Congress spent a great deal of time taking old records and digitizing them. You can see a slideshow outlining the undertaking, if you’re interested.

It seems that none of the recordings can be downloaded, but they can all be streamed for free.

Finding Recordings

Head on over to the National Jukebox and you can start browsing. There’s a search bar of course, and a browsing feature that allows you to look for music by category.

Find music you want to listen to and you can do so. Playing an individual track is simple:

Or if you prefer, you can add tracks to a playlist and have them play in any succession you prefer. All you need to do is click the “Add To Playlist” button seen beside every track listing; a new window will pop up, and every track you add will be queued here.

There are a few pre-set playlists, of course. The Victor Book Of The Opera is a good one for opera buffs to check out and is supplemented with an interactive book. There’s also a collection of other playlists to browse. Highlights include:

• The Fox Trot
• Black Broadway and the Tin Pin Alley
• National Jukebox Sampler

Conclusion

Blogger and columnist Chris Weigant argued that the national jukebox is a good example of tax dollars spent well. I’m inclined to agree; sharing our cultural legacy with the world is a good idea all around.

What do you think? Is this endeavor a cool one, or a waste of resources? Let us know in the comments below, or just complain about how modern music is better than century-old stuff. Whatever you think is constructive.

Looking for music that’s a touch more contemporary? You can always listen to music on Grooveshark, or check out our many Sound Sunday posts to download lots of free music.

Image Credit : williamcho

A lot of us left history back in the classrooms. For some it made for ponderous reading. Thanks to the many history podcasts available for free on the web, listening to it is both entertaining and educational. We have seen how podcasts can add value to our idle time. We have also noticed that the web and the many history related web apps have made the study of the past a more engaging one.

Now, with the help of these ten history podcasts we try to combine the best of both worlds.

History on Air

This is a podcast blog that’s all about historical figures, events and places. The About page says that since 2005, the site has seen 3.2 million downloads of its more than 100 episodes. The site features podcasts which you can listen to first, and then go through the blog post which includes external links for more study. The study aids are helpful if you want to do more research on the event. There are videos too that are collected from around the web.

Hardcore History

The well known podcast site by the American political commentator Dan Carlin takes an unconventional look at history with his own take on events past. Yes, you have to be in tune with his sense of humor as he rips into today’s society and relates it to historical churns. He covers topics on Roman history, the World Wars, and the Cold War to mention a few. The tag says it best – history like you have never heard before.

BBC: In Our Time

The BBC Radio 4 feature is hosted by Melvyn Bragg, the British broadcaster. Many podcasts have guests and follow a discussion format. Podcasts cover culture, religion, science, philosophy, along with history. You can listen to the podcast online via BBC’s iPlayer. Each podcast explores the ‘history of ideas’ and is usually broadcast live and unedited.

History According To Bob

Professor Bob Packett takes his history class and his considerable teaching experience online in the form of free history podcasts. He explains historic events from the perspective of those people who were caught up in it. He has a light style as he goes from explaining Caesar to more close events like The Korean War.

Matt’s Today In History

We had gone back in history and taken a look at websites that tell us what happened in history on this day (or on a particular date). Matt’s website is an audio version of that. Each podcast is 5-10 minutes long and is narrated in a pleasant voice and casual story style by Matt Dattilo. The site seems to be dormant so it’s not actually ‘today in history’. But you can still listen to the podcasts because history is hardly current.

Binge Thinking History Podcast

I loved the podcasts on The Battle of Britain on this blog which has a much smaller selection of podcasts. The only thing about Tony Cocks’ small site is that the history podcasts are infrequent and spaced out over months.

BackStory with the American History Guys

Subscribe free to this radio program which uses the trio of U.S. historians Ed Ayers, Peter Onuf, and Brian Balogh to look at events that shaped our world. The podcasts are professionally produced and fun to listen to. For students of history, the links provided for further reading are a treasure trove of knowledge.

A History of The World In Hundred Objects

Another cool program from BBC which takes a look at the world with the help of 100 objects from the British Museum and hundreds more from museums and people across the UK. Use the beautifully designed timeline to explore the objects in the list and take a look at the history around it. The program has ended, but the MP3 are a ‘historical’ treasure.

How Stuff Works

This top notch website does a great job explaining how our world functions. They have a dedicated podcast page sub-divided into a few more “official” pages like the one on – Official Stuff of Genius Podcast Page which looks at inventions past and present. But the one history buffs should fall for is the page on –  Official Stuff You Missed in History Class Podcast Page. The page is well supported by entertaining quizzes and puzzles.

Laughing Historically

Okay, we have had enough of serious history. Take a lighter look at it with these five podcasts on The Modern Day Pirates,  a geek lifestyle magazine with a well developed funny bone.

These ten websites show that podcasts aren’t only about easy listening pleasures. When it comes to things like educating on history, they are a very important tool. Do contribute any other cool history podcasts that I might have missed here.

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Studying the history of flight makes us appreciate the events that made it all possible. The history of aircrafts and flight is also the success story of human adventure. It is not only educational but also inspirational. Thanks to the web we can today easily take a peek into the past and learn about the turn of events that shaped aviation. Then there are the interactive ‘simulators’ like the Wright Brothers 1903 plane which gives us a ‘virtual’ feel of the first flight.

Fly out to the five websites listed below.

Century of Flight

You can start off with the Aviation Timeline. The site records the complete history of aviation from early flight myths to today’s cutting edge space exploration. The site is very simply organized with the menu on the left. Some sections of special interest could be the one on the early aviation pathfinders and the collection of classic aviation posters.

The Aerodrome

Probably nothing captured the popular imagination than the flying aces from the First World War. This website documents those wonderful flying men and their flying machines. Through articles, photographs, medals awarded, books, and timelines explore aviation history of that eventful period. For instance, the World War I aircraft timeline is a well illustrated look at how the development of the fighter aircraft really took off because of the war. The information is well categorized and there are multiple ways by which you can narrow down on a specific item. The site also has an online discussion board where you can talk shop with other aviation buffs. Go through the Links section and the one on Today in History.

Air Force Historical Research Agency

The agency and the site documents the development of the U.S Air Force since the days of the Second World War. Today, it consists of over 70,000,000 pages devoted to the history of the service, and is the world’s largest and most valuable organized collection of documents on US military aviation. You can dive into the site or target specific documents using AFHRA’s search engine. Many information records are provided as downloadable PDF guides. The site also has a superb collection of photographs like the ones on the early Wright Brothers flying machines. There’s also an Art Archive with an interesting section by Disney.

Chasing The Sun

This cool website is courtesy the PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) program that chronicles the history of commercial aviation. The website directly offers or links to interactive sources which explore planes through the years and the innovators behind them. You can peek into aviation history with the help of old newsreels on plane flights and launches. Check out the Aviation Timeline and the Resources section for other informative links. For instance, you come across NOVA (PBS’ science program) website which has a really cool animated interactive Wright Brother’s Flying Machine from 1903. You can ‘pilot’ the plane thanks to the Flash player.

To Fly Is Everything

This is a virtual museum that’s all about the invention and development of the airplane. Aviation history buffs will love the movies & photos database while more serious students of aviation history would dive into the text intensive library. Me…I am busy downloading and playing the 1903 Wright Brother’s Shockwave simulator and notching up some airtime.

Just five websites on the more than a century’s worth of the history of flight! Not at all; there are lots more out there. For instance, you can go to the History channel website and try out a search on aviation related content. So, let us know if you are an aviation buff and your favorite site for reading up on the stuff that takes us up into the air.

Image Credit: Wikipedia

But it’s not only history. It can be used to plot a fictional course of events too. Just take a look at the Lord of The Rings timelines which prove that these graphic tools can hack away at complexity. Or, if you are an Android user check out this cool video timeline.

Along with infographics, I think timelines are great educational aids. So, let’s take a look at a few cool timelines and understand events as they unfolded.

HyperHistory

The continuing scientific project covers 3000 years of world history with the help of interactive timelines, lifelines, and maps. A menu panel on the left enables you to navigate through people, history, events, and maps. The timeline is synchronoptic ­– it displays the interconnectedness between historical events and gives you a perspective on the events that shaped the world. The graphics may not be rich by current Web 2.0 standards, but the information certainly is.

Conflict History

This really cool timeline takes a darker look at world events: a look at war and conflicts around the world from the past to this day. The timeline is in beta, but it shows the potential of a Google Maps mashup to teach us about history. You can use the slider below or search for a conflict from the search bar. The relevant ones for that period get loaded in the grey box. Text information is sourced from Wikipedia.

Timeline of Art History

We go from war to art with the help of Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. It is definitely a well compiled look at the development of art forms by The Metropolitan Museum of Art. You can browse the timeline by period or by geographical region. From the pre-historic to the present, the timeline is a great educational aid if you are interested in exploration of the history of art from around the world. There are 300 timelines in total, supported by works of art from the Museum’s collection, a chart of time periods, a historical overview, a list of key events, and other content.

Life

One of the world’s best magazines has a rich collection of timelines all in photo slideshows. Thanks to the photographs by some of the world’s top photographers, you get a close look at history through the photo stories. Pictures do speak a thousand words. 810 pages worth of timelines on diverse topics should keep you busy till the next year. Tell us about your pick.

Google News Timeline

News becomes history one day. Google captures it all in its news timeline, a Google Labs project. The controls on the top enable you to sift through all the major happenings. The default view is on the current date. You can use the slider to go back and forth. News relates to scanned newspapers and magazines, blog posts, sports scores, and information about various types of media, like music albums and movies. But aptly, the timeline allows you to put in your own queries and view the results chronologically on the timeline. You can specify as many different queries as you’d like. Wikipedia and Time Magazine are there by default. The screen shows the result of a query on the tsunami disaster in Japan.

There are quite a few historical events timelines out there. All of them let us go back in time and take another look at history. Which ones are your favorites? Let us know if you like the concept of timelines.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Searching through old newspapers is not only about history but also has practical applications for genealogists. Old newspaper records lead to names of places, individuals and obituaries.

That aside, a casual student of history can check back and see how the world perceived a momentous event. Say, how did the depression happen and how does it relate to the recent recession?

Thanks to digitization of data, we no longer have to search haphazardly through reams of newsprint. All we need is a search engine and of course, a site that lets you read old newspapers. Here are six:

Trove (Australia)

You can think of it as Open Source to a wealth of information. It might be Australia centric, but that takes very little away from the information that The National Library of Australia site supplies for free. The portal has a long lineup of newspaper ‘titles’ which you can select individually or even refine by state. Further filtering by year and date gives you access to a digitized format of the paper. You can also download it as a PDF.

Times Machine – The New York Times

The “Times Machine” is a browser that can take you from the very first issue of the newspaper (September 18, 1851) to The New York Times of December 30, 1922. It is limited if you consider the number of years it covers, but it still covers a significant piece of history when you see that the time period covers something like the First World War.

Chronicling America

With the help of this huge archive of historical newspapers held by the Library of Congress, you can view pages from newspapers belonging to 23 states. The aim of this project (The National Digital Newspaper Program) is to chronicle the newspapers published between 1836 and 1922 by all states in America. There is also a directory that lists information on newspapers published in the United States from 1690 to the present. You can use the very flexible filters to view newspaper pages from a place and time, using keywords to locate specific places, people, and events. The archive can presently serve up 3308613 pages.

HistoryBuff

This is a site that does not store a continuous archive of old newspapers, but rather a more selective collection that presented important events in American history in the last 400 years. The site is meant for students and educators who want to look at how news has been published since the early days of newspapers. The selection of old newspapers covers the periods from 1700 to 2004. Remember, these are selected news items and not complete newspapers.

The Newspaper Genealogy Archives

The coverage of news items remains selective but the countries covered broadens with newspapers from the U. S., England, Scotland, Ireland & Australia. The site is meant to be a free resource for genealogical & historical research. The archives cover news items from the 18th- through early 20th-century newspapers. The news items are less about globally significant events but of personal announcements (births, deaths, company formations etc) that can be used to trace genealogical clues amongst the citizens of five related countries.

Google Archive Search

By default we head to Google for our entire search. Try out Google News Archive Search to search for that bit of news in the whole historical haystack. The News archive search can also automatically create timelines which show selected results from relevant time periods that’s really useful for spotting news trends.

Thanks to these online digital archives, news can be preserved for posterity and made available with a click. There’s a lot more trawling you can do on the web…like, check out this Wikipedia page for a complete lists of online news archives from around the world. A lot of these publications have searchable indexes. If you are a history buff, then old newspapers are a valuable tool to trace the footfalls of history.

Would you agree that no news is old news when it comes to history?

Image Credit: Wikipedia