However, as much as I love reading, I can’t always find as much time for it as I’d like.

That’s where audio books have come to my rescue. They are the perfect compromise for busy people with a love of reading and they let you indulge in your favourite pastime even when you’ve literally got your hands full.

Opening yourself up to audio books means you actually get to do a lot more reading, because you can immerse yourself in a story at times when that would normally be impossible, such as driving the car, going on your daily walk, or doing the gardening — and in the dead of winter, you won’t need to take your arms from under the cosy covers to hold up a physical book.

Fortunately, one of my favourite freeware sites, Gizmo’s Freeware, recently put together a list of 64 sites where you can find audio books to listen to, some online and others to download — and best of all, they’re free. The folks at Gizmo’s have also very thoughtfully included a listing by genre, so you can cut straight to your favourite book type.

So, if you haven’t tried audio books yet, give them a go

Free audio books online

http://www.techsupportalert.com/free-books-audio?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+gizmosbest+(Gizmo’s+Best-ever+Freeware)&utm_content=Google+International

Whether you’re a rank amateur after some inspiration to take your photography to the next level and beyond, or you’re already an accomplished photographer who wants to get feedback on your work by others and see what other photographers are doing with their cameras, levelous.com has something for you.

The idea behind this site is for members to critique each other’s work by awarding a heart to photos they like — similar to the ‘like’ feature in Facebook.  To enhance your reputation on the site and get on its leaderboard, there are a number of quests you can take that are based on the site’s heart system.

As well as earning hearts from uploading your photos and having people award you hearts because they like them, you can also earn hearts  by giving hearts to others, logging in to the site three days in a row, and getting other members to ‘follow’ (like on Twitter).

levelous.com

However, yesterday I was blown away by  just how long ago the ideas behind many of the technologies we now take for granted were first conceived.

I had this epiphany while strolling with a friend and her kids through the current exhibition at the Sydney Town Hall: Da Vinci Secrets: Anatomy to Robots.

While most people are aware of Da Vinci’s brillance as an artist, this exhibition also pays homage to his genius as an anatomist and inventor, featuring working models of intricate mechanical devices constructed from his original drawings and based on his observations of human anatomy. The automaton he conceived is believed  to be the world’s first robot — an amazing feat when you consider that he created it in 1495!

Experiencing the genius of Da Vinci was a truly humbling experience. If you get the chance, check out the Da Vinci Secrets: Anatomy to Robots exhibition for yourself. The exhibition runs until August 2.

You can buy tickets at the door or pre-purchase them online.

A holiday happy snap of the Acropolis.

If you’ve been missing my posts the last few weeks and wondering whether I’d left the blogosphere, worry not. I’ve just returned from a much-needed holiday and am now back on deck.

Where to, you ask? Well, I’m not one to gloat, but I’ve been savouring the delights of Greece and Turkey. And I mean savouring — the food was amazing, the people fabulous and the sites unbelievable.

However, all good things must come to an end, so it’s back to the old keyboard. Stay tuned for new posts.

To celebrate its Windows 7 operating system, Microsoft is offering to pay for seven months’ rent in the house of your choice to share with your favourite room mates and will deck it out with Dell laptops loaded with Microsoft software, games consoles, HTC mobile phones and more.

To win this dream package, all you need to do is demonstrate your love of sharing to Microsoft.

How you express this love is entirely up to you, as long what you come up with is safe and breaks no laws — a video, a blog, photos, whatever — so start thinking outside the square if you want to impress.

You can find out more and sign up for the challenge on its Facebook page.

Apart from freelancing for PC User magazine, this blog has been my professional focus.

It’s certainly been a very interesting and rewarding six months or so getting this blog up and running — it’s been a steep learning curve, but I’ve had lots of fun learning new Web skills.

However, getting this blog together hasn’t been a solo effort and it would never have happened but for the support of family, friends and IT colleagues.

First up, I’d like to say a big thanks to my son, Mark, who provided the encouragement and technical expertise to get this site off the ground and has displayed endless patience and provided helpful suggestions that have helped keep me on track.

Thanks also to the IT vendors and PR reps who have given their generous support to my new venture and the growing number of people now following the site, many of whom were NetGuide readers during my five years there as Editor.

So, where to for Gail On Tech in 2010? Well, I will be adding some new features over the coming months, which I am really excited about, so stay tuned for announcements.

As always, I value your feedback, so don’t be a stranger!

A merry Christmas to you all.

Just enter the title and author of the last book you read and the site searches the favourites lists of other site members who have read the same book.

It will then let you know what other books these readers are curled up with to give you some suggestions based on shared reading tastes.

You’ll also find a link here to a sister site that provides the same recommendation service for films and music.

What Should I Read Next?

The Lefty’s site has lots of interesting information on left-handedness in its Resource Centre including why people are left-handed, famous Australian lefties, and left-handed history and cullture.

Head to the Products section of the site to find everyday products designed to make the life of left-handers a little easier including lkeft-handed scissor, knife, computer mice, tools and more.

And if you’re not a lefty yourself, but you’ve got a lefty on your Christmas list, you’re sure to find something here that will really be appreciated when the wrappings come off on Christmas Day.

Lefty’s

That’s where sites like The Bargain Avenue can be a huge help. It’s a social networking site for bargain hunters where the site’s community members post bargains they’ve unearthed to share with others.

The home page showcases the day’s featured deals and you can search for specific deals by type (24 hour, free shipping and so on) or you can add a keyword into the search box if you’re looking for something in particular.

You can sign up for free email notification of newly listed deals so you don’t miss a bargain.

The site is a bit of a visual assault, but if you can brave all the flashing elements, you’ll definitely uncover some great buys.

The Bargain Avenue

While we all have great fun perfecting our photos and adding fun special effects, there are instances where this stops being fun and can actually cause harm. I’m referring to the issue of body image and how people, regardless of age or gender, are made to feel inadequate by the unreal images we are bombarded with daily in the media.

But hey, we all know that beautiful people help sell magazines and products of all types from the obvious beauty products to motor vehicles to breakfast cereal, right? But what lengths should advertisers and publishers be able to go to to sell their products. While most people are well aware that these models are transformed by makeup and a professional hairdo, do they really understand that the images that surround them owe more to technology than  natural beauty and a bit of war paint?

If you’re someone who feels less than satisfied about how you measure up in the looks department, the video below from YouTube is a must-watch. And as the video suggests, it should be compulsory viewing for young girls.

Pass this video on to others to help expose this dishonest practice — people need to know that they”re being manipulated just as much as these unreal images.