And you don’t need to download any software — it’s all done online.

Once you’ve registered on the site (it’s free), you can upload your photos and edit them, drag and drop them into your preferred order on the timeline, add music and special effects, then either burn them to DVD, store (up to 1G) and share them online, or email them to friends and relatives.

You can also convert your slideshow to a video.

Here’s a video showcasing its features. I think you’ll be impressed.

Kizoa.com

In those days, we never dreamed that we would ever really see what Mars really looked like up close, and anyway, we were in no hurry to meet up with those little green men!

Now, courtesy of exploratory missions to Mars and advanced image transmissions from space, we can now view detailed images from the mysterious red planet — and so far there’s not a little green man in sight.

If you’re a bit of an astronomy buff, you’ll definitely want to check out the awesome images of Mars on the University of Arizona’s HiRISE (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) site.

The rest of the site will be way over most people’s head, but the images alone make it well worth a visit.

HiRISE

It’s kind of like Skype with a gaming and educational bent — using video and audio, you interact with the grandkids (or your kids if you are a dad or mum who needs to spend time away from home) while playing learning games.

Both parties don’t need to have a Webcam — it’s obviously preferable, but not essential — but will need a microphone (although you can talk over the phone while you play at a pinch if you don’t have a microphone).

You will also need to set up a free account to use the service. Kids don’t need a separate account; you just need one set up in your name and they enter your email address to connect with you.

The site has maths, reading games and more for all ages, from toddlers to primary-aged kids, and the idea if for those games to stimulate dialogue between adult and child as they play them together.

There’s also an iPhone and iPod touch app so you can stay in touch with the grandkids through play when you’re on the go.

Grandparent Games

Another of my interests, which is also reflected in this blog, is digital photography and image editing.

Well, this week my planets aligned with MakeUseOf.com’s release of a  new ebook free download: The Essential Guide to Digital Photography.

While I just love digital photography, I don’t pretend to be any kind of expert — far from it! So, I’m always on the lookout for any resource to improve my image outcomes, both with the camera and in manipulating the images afterwards.

One of the best ways to improve your photography is to keep revisiting the basics — get those right and it’s onward and upward from there.

This ebook takes you through all the basics, from choosing a camera to taking photos to editing and sharing them and is perfect for digital photography beginners or anyone wanting to go back to basics.

You can download the ebook to your PC from the link below or read it online here.

The Essential Guide to Digital Photography from MakeUseOf.com

So, with a federal election expected to be announced any tick, I’m really in my element.

I understand that most people don’t share my passion for politics, but I think it’s important that as citizens, we all participate in elections in as informed a manner as possible. That means knowing how the political system works and being fully aware of all your rights and responsibilities as a voter.

Reading the Lifehacker site today, I was reminded about the excellent resources that the ABC site has when it comes to elections. The ABC will launch its election site later this week, but you can its  election analyst Antony Green’s terrific how-to guide on election basics on his blog in the meantime.

It has all you need to know for election day and what you need to do beforehand. You’ll find useful links for checking that you are on the electoral roll and where your nearest polling booth is. You’ll also find out how to cast a valid vote so you can be sure that it counts.

It’s quite concise and written in accessible language, so reading it won’t be too much of a chore, even for the apolitical. And for political tragics like me, Antony’s blog is packed with loads of other interesting information that will set the pulses racing.

Antony Green’s How to Vote Guide

Of course, you don’t need to be a non-driver to embrace public transport and the promise of free transport is an attractive proposition for anyone.

So, if the prospect of getting around your capital city of choice in Australia for free is appealing to you, you should check out Angu Kidman’s Road Worrier column today. You’ll find information on all the free public transport services on offer.

You should also check in regularly with the Road Worrier column if you have an interest in travel. You’ll get many invaluable tips courtesy of Angus’s own travel experiences.

Lifehacker’s Free Public Transport Guide, 2010 Edition

That’s when I start trawling the stock photography sites for something interesting to illustrate my story. And if I don’t have to pay for an image, all the better!

One of my very favourite sources of free stock images was the Sprixi site, but after being successful beyond its wildest dreams, it is in a hiatus while it rejigs its site to handle the volume — hopefully, it sorts all that out soon, as it’s a great loss to this space.

Fortunately, in my search for a site to replace Sprixi in my affections, I came across the morgueFile site. All the images on the site are free for personal and commercial use.

You can search for images by keyword and just double click on the photo of your choice to download it and save it to your computer. You’ll also find links to a number of other free stock image sites.

If you fancy yourself as a photographer, you can also submit your work for use on the site — it’s a great way to get your work noticed.

morgueFile

Now there’s another reason to visit: TripWOW! . This new feature lets even the least tech-savvy person create impressive slideshows of their travel photos in minutes, complete with special transitions, music, maps and titles.

You can source photos from your Facebook, Flickr, Picasa or TravelPod account, or you can upload images from your hard drive. You then give your slideshow a name, upload a profile picture, drag and drop your photos into the desired order, add captions, and nominate where you started your journey and the city your photos are from.

Next up, you can choose from the music on offer or upload your own, pick one of the two themes (‘passport’ and ‘space’), then preview your slideshow.

Once completed, click on Done and choose whether or not you want to edit it in the future or not — best to choose the future edit option, because you never know what you might want to do down the track. You can then share a link to your slideshow with friends and family — and they’re sure to be impressed! Unfortunately, you can’t download your slideshow until 20 people have viewed it, but you get a link so you can view it yourself until you reach that mark.

This Web-based service is totally free and there’s no need to register to use it.

I quickly whipped up a slideshow with pics from my recent holiday to Greece and Turkey. It uses the ‘space’ theme. Check it out by clicking here.

TripWOW!

One such site is MeeGenius, which has a collection of classic kids’ stories that are retold and illustrated to bring them up to date for  a new generation of young readers. The site’s 22 titles include perennial favourites such as Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk and a selection of Beatrix Potter stories.

Each story has accompanying audio and each word is highlighted as it’s spoken to aid beginning readers with word recognition. The stories can be read as written, but as a nice touch, you can also individualise them for your child just by entering a few personal details — if you register on the site (it’s free), you can save your customised books and share them with friends and family.

MeeGenius stories are also available as apps for the iPhone and iPad.

MeeGenius

So, you can imagine my delight when told by a friend of a new Australian site specialising in ‘all things wedding’. The Knot site, which launched late last year in Australia, is a must-visit for anyone involved in the organisation of an engagement or wedding.

The Knot is the local version of a well-established site dedicated to the US wedding scene and covers everything you need to know to plan your engagement, wedding, honeymoon and more — in fact, if there’s anything  to do with weddings that you can’t find on The Knot, chances are you don’t need to know it!

The site covers everything from practical advice on organising the big event, to the accepted etiquette for just about every situation you’re likely to encounter in the process.

If you register on the site (it’s free), you get your own online planning space and access to tools  for keeping track of all your arrangements including your budget, guest list, gift registry and a checklist of things you need to do.

Membership also gets you access to additional features: pictures of thousands of wedding gown for inspiration, a directory of wedding suppliers tailored to your location, monthly reminders from your to-do list, and you can chat with other brides in the forums. You can also enter the site’s competitions and take advantage of special member-only offers.

OK boys, I’m good to go now whenever you’re ready!