Web Feature: Neopets

BACKGROUND

     Neopets.com is a virtual pet site where you can own virtual pets. Feed them, clothe them, create a house for them, give a pet to them (called petpet) and many other activities. This site also features plots and site events that you can participate and earn trophies to display on your user lookup. This site's virtual currency is in NP or neopoints. You can earn neopoints by simply playing the onsite flash or html games and submitting your score. You can then use your NP to buy items for your pets from the shops of neopets or the other user's site. You can also put up your own shop, gallery, coin collection, avatar collection or stamp collection.

     As of the date of this posting, neopets.com has 184,201,091 users, 270,191,491 neopets (the virtual pets), an average of 1.467 neopets per owner.

USER REVIEW

     I have been playing neopets for eight and a half years now. So far I have three painted neopets, one christmas shoyru, one sponge acara and one disco elephante that I always bring to daily trips to the lab ray in hopes of getting a much rare color. I have also collected 234 avatars, 40 stamps, 3 keyquest tokens, 206 neodeck cards, 11 site themes, 23 site event trophies, 3 site feature trophies, and 8 game trophies. I have also garnered 465 out of 531 battledome wins. I have put up a size 24 shop, size 10 gallery and a neohome. I am currently a member of nothingbutneopets guild. So that will give you a rough idea of the many things that you can do on neopets.

     What I love on this site is that users of all ages are welcome to use their service. The user environment is also very very child friendly. The site policy is concrete about children's safety. Swear words are blocked on the site's forum (neoboards) boards. And best of all, the site's service is free of charge. Their income come from advertisements but the site's ads are unobtrusive. They also have a very clever sponsored games, wherein the games are featuring the product that they are advertising.



Baby Shoyru Neopet

Snow Acara

Baby Elephante

Note: NEOPETS, characters, logos, names and all related indicia are trademarks of Neopets, Inc., © 1999-2011. ® denotes Reg. US Pat. & TM Office. All rights reserved.

Web Feature: How Secure Is My Password

BACKGROUND

     If you want to know if your password is secure enough, this website will give you a rough idea. HowSecureIsMyPassword will calculate your password strength and present it in terms of time it will take a desktop PC to hack your password using the brute force method.

USER REVIEW

     HowSecureIsMyPassword uses JavaScript to calculate the password strength. Because javascript is a client side script (calculation/operation are done on your local PC and not on the website's server), it is safe to use since the password string will not be transmitted. But if you are very cautious, you can also disconect your internet connection after loading the page. Then do your calculations on their page while offline. After you are done, clear your browser's cache and cookies before reconnecting to the internet.

     The calculations' result is accurate although in real brute force attack of your password, many factors will affect the time it will take. This involves the computing power of the PC used for the attack and the type of account the password is used for. Many online accounts has maximum attempt limits and will lockout the account for the day after such number of failed attempts.



Screen capture: Calculation of my password strength.




Screen Capture: Fooling around with the calculator. Trying to get the maximum strength password.



Web Feature: Make Me Babies

BACKGROUND

     Ever wondered how will your baby look like? Then this site is for you. MakeMeBabies is using advanced face detection technology to create a simulation of what your baby will look like. But do have in mind that MakeMeBabies is rendering a unique baby face based on you and your partners facial features, but real life genetics is far more complicated than that. Use this site for your entertainment only.

USER REVIEW

     The site is very easy to use and very entertaining. You just have to upload your photo then choose whether to upload your partners photo or select from their list of celebrities. The photo of the baby is also framed with the design that you choose.

     I love the website's sense of humor by putting a custom message while processing the photos. Instead of putting the usual "loading.." or "rendering..", they stated that "please hold on while we make your baby... it shouldn't take more than 9 months ;)..". The best part of all is that this baby generator service is free. See samples below of baby photos I have rendered using this site's service.

My baby with Bea Alonzo	My baby with Andi Eigenmann
My baby with Drew Barrymore	My baby with Kim Kardashian
My baby with Shakira	My baby with Jennifer Aniston
My baby with Angelina Jolie	My baby with Myles Cyrus