THOMAS PODVIN’S FREELANCE WORK
Freelance writer - translator - Editor

http://www.zefrank.com

This entertaining site is ranked among the 2005 Top 50 coolest entertainment websites by Time.com. Why? Because online performer, humorist and freelance designer Frank found that with a digital camera – his birthday gift – and Internet access, the possibilities are infinite. Possibilities to play around and goof off. If you’ve time on your hands at the office, during a dull holiday, or at home while your bitter half cleans the floor; well, Frank’s site offers 101 ways to kill time. Divided into eight sections, zefrank.com has some hilarious educational videos (try the cult favorite: “Dance Properly”), idiotic interactive toys (draw your mother a face), photo contests on any given subject (“Participate”) and games (check out the Buddhist one). All this on a wonderfully designed, interactive, multimedia (video, music, flash, etc.) wacky website. Oh, Frank posts his peculiar art and poetry, too. Totally useless, and thus indispensable.

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
March 2006 issue

http://www.answers.com

Internet search engines are cool tools but hardly specific: type in a query and you get a seemingly endless list of hyperlinks in an all but unfiltered and unstructured form. Answers.com, however, provides a far tidier reply. This site delivers multi-faceted definitions and explanations from credible, attributable reference sources (Houghton Mifflin, Columbia University Press and Merriam Webster, to name but a few) on over one million topics – all in a snapshot. Answers’ database collects information form more than 100 encyclopedias, dictionaries, glossaries and atlases; indeed, the site operates much like an online encyclopedia, offering standard definitions, biographies, alternative meanings, essential links and translations. Users can download a variety of free and safe tools (no viruses, no spywares) such as a search engine field to add to your tool bar. Another optional download, ’1-Click Answers’ allows users to search any word in any program on your screen for instant, accurate definitions and facts. Getting answers has never been so easy.

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
March 2006 issue