The Click - Times Online - WBLG

England, Ireland, Scotland... Wales?

The Union Jack should better symbolise the Welsh flag, says one MP. It sounds reasonable — where, indeed, is Cymru’s red dragon among the national crosses of England, Ireland and Scotland? But how much does a flag ever truly embody the histories of a nation, or the priorities of the individual? Create your very own flag (as a composite of your favourite real ones) and add it to the online “Superflag” at We Are Multicoloured.

The beginner's guide to high-definition online video

If you're used to blurry, fuzzy YouTube clips, then vimeo.com will blow your mind. It's the high-definiton YouTube. With a fast-ish computer and a big-ish monitor, you can watch videos which are far sharper than normal TV. The site has short films, music videos and a lot of creepy ultra close up clips of insects.
NB: Vimeo don't allow full-resolution streaming, so the clip above isn't High Definition. To see it in all it's glory (assuming you're OK with watching ultra high resolution footage of a spider with four eyes) click here.

There's nothing special in an HD television that isn't in a large monitor, so if you're getting into HD, there are a few places to watch it:

Nasa HD Gallery Space Shuttle launches and footage of astronauts messing about in orbit.

Quicktime HD Gallery Lots of sunsets, motorbike adverts and more Shuttle launches, but if your monitor is big enough (some of these clips are 1920 pixels across) - it's very impressive.

Sigur Rós: Heima The trailer for Sigur Rós's amazing-looking film about playing a series of gigs across Iceland is spectacular in HD.

Thou shalt not talk on thy mobile phone

There are certain places where everyone knows you are supposed to turn off your mobile phone: the cinema, aeroplanes, your wedding. A judge in the US has been removed from the bench after jailing an entire courtroom audience when nobody would take responsibility for a ringing phone. He’s not the first to bemoan inappropriate phone noise. Watch a church minister get very cross indeed at a member of his congregation below.

The 12 most influential online videos of all time

Find out how much of a geek you are by trying to guess which videos have made the 'official' list of Most Influential Online Videos Of All Time. Lose ten points if you didn't mention 'All Your Base are Belong To Us', a baffling Internet catchphrase from 2001. Gain ten points if you remember JenniCam, the first always-on webcam from 1996.

The world by numbers

Sometimes it feels that time is passing us by too quickly. But just how quickly? If you can handle the rather overwhelming sight of 1,000 barrels of oil being pumped, more than three people being born, and almost one incidence of cancer being diagnosed around the world every second, the Earth clock is a fascinating glimpse at just how fast the world is growing.

Man can clap really really fast. 721 times a minute.

Sometimes the Internet is one big end-of-the-pier talent show. Kent French is the world's fastest clapper. After a warm up, he can clap his hands together (in a kind of flappy sea lion way) 721 times a minute. Sure, it's not much of a skill, but it's got him in the Guinness Book of Records and onto a couple of US chat shows.

Rent a cell

Prison wardens must now address inmates by their first names and knock on cell doors before entering, in an attempt to improve the quality of life for convicted criminals. But everything is relative. At San Pedro prison in Bolivia, convicts must pay rent for their cells; at Adx Supermax in Colorado, prisoners spend 22 hours a day in solitary confinement. See the most valuable prison in the world, the smallest and more, here.

Gerald Wiley's finest hour

With the news of the the sketch which was first broadcast on the Two Ronnies in 1976 being expected to fetch up to £80,000 when it is sold at auction, we present for your entertainment the original broadcast version.

Punch in your PIN code.. if you can remember...

If you are one of the thousands of people who changed their PINs this week after 25 million personal details were lost by Revenue & Customs, then you may be one of the many who promptly forget what they change their PINs to. Writing them down or using birthdays or phone numbers negates the whole point of the exercise. So what can you do to remember? The phonetic alphabet may be the answer.

How to charge an iPod with an onion

We're not sure if it's economical, sensible or even hygenic, but this incredible video will teach you how to charge an iPod by plugging the USB port directly into the side of a normal white onion. Beforehand, you need to poke holes in the onion and soak it in one of those sports drink with electrolytes (in the US: Gatorade, in the UK: Lucozade Sport). The video is made by the Household Hacker website, which can also teach you how to build a loudspeaker from silver foil and use a normal AAA battery to power a television.

November 22nd.

November the 22nd is a day remembered, especially in the USA, for the assassination of John F Kennedy. More happily though it’s the birthday of Steve Van Zandt, perennial sidekick to legendary New Jersey Boss Bruce Springsteen and unwisely bewigged consigliere to New Jersey Boss Tony Soprano. Here Miami Steve joins with Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello and Dave Grohl in a tribute to Joe Strummer:

And, as an additional curiosity, an archived radio broadcast from Steve's 13th birthday. The day when, for many Americans, everything changed forever.

Real men wear pink

If you need proof that real men wear pink, look at “Iron Mike” Tyson. As pictures circulated showing the former heavyweight champ mixing pink handcuffs, undies and socks with prison stripes while in the slammer, mixing pink handcuffs, undies and socks with prison stripes while in the slammer, many wondered if the self-styled “baddest man on the planet” had lost his one-two touch. Or does it signal a transformation? According to Men’s Flair, a hint of bright colour in an outfit “is the sine qua non for the elegant gentleman of today”. Be sure to scroll down to "Using Colour in an Outfit".

Ugly Rumours

Presidential hopeful Steven Colbert visited our shores recently to investigate a story which – in his words - ‘is the type of story a reporter waits his entire career not to be able to report on’. If you like Royal scandal, sloppy reporting and grown men giggling, this is the clip for you.

Afraid of the number 13? Unlucky...

Triskaidekaphobics — people with an irrational fear of the number 13 — have been vindicated. Apparently, it really is an unlucky number, at least if you play the National Lottery, where it comes up fewer times than any other number. But if you are one of those people who spend the thirteenth of every month at home cowering under the duvet, you might find the history of your “condition” and ways to combat it useful.

If only all industrial actions had an amusing YouTube video

The Hollywood writers strike has begun to bite, with the first high profile movie (Tom Hanks’ Da Vinci Code sequel) put on ice. So what’s it all about? As top Hollywood writers the strikers must surely have a well-written summary of their demands. Well yes they do…

Is it a bird? Is it a plane?

Who among us hasn't seen a Superman movie and wondered - at least briefly - how it might feel to really fly like that. Today's video stars know exactly how it feels. We would of course remind readers that jumping off a cliff may be harmful to one's health.

Global intelligence

How intelligent do you think you are? At Ask500people you can post all manner of questions and see international responses with their sources indicated on a map. It seems that we Europeans have a high opinion of our own intellect, whereas Kazakhstan’s only entry awards himself just one point out of five on the intelligence scale.

Dirty Dog

Just when you thought that everything had been invented and it was simply a matter of making smaller, shinier versions of the things we already have when out of the muddy left field comes this (literally) barking mad washing machine for dogs. With the rolling in dirt season just starting, it’s ideal.

(commentary is in French, but it's not necessary to understand it to enjoy the clip)

A whatosaurus?

A PhD student examining the Natural History Museum’s dinosaur fossils has discovered a new species. The bone had lain unnoticed in the vaults for years because it was labelled incorrectly. This website has links to all the best educational dinosaur games that teach you how to fish, fight and track, as well as a dinosaur directory so that you’ll never mistake a telmatosaurus for a saltasaurus again.

There were these space ships, and they were like..on fire and stuff

The TV screenwriters’ strike in Hollywood is starting to bite as the result of rush production schedules begins to show in the quality of long-running series. Imagine what would happen if the executives started to take over the writing of the shows? Today’s immensely droll clip, re-drafting iconic movie moments as if scripted without the aid of a writer, offers an idea.

Mullet Me Beautiful

Now that winter is finally here it’s probably time to get your summer roots redone and your split ends chopped off. If you’re feeling particularly gloomy about the dark nights you might even go in for a completely new hairstyle. However impulsive you feel though, there are some new do’s you should always avoid. A daffodil Mohawk just doesn’t suit anyone, regardless of their face shape. Check out manes to avoid.

Ticket to...what?

It’s been suggested that there are no new pop songs, only new ways to sing old ones. Certainly, from the evidence provided in today’s clip, there’s a way to sing ‘Ticket to Ride’ that the composers never even dreamed of. Not if they wanted a decent night’s sleep, anyway.

Earthrise and earthset

A blue Earth sets over the Moon’s horizon in pictures released yesterday by the Japanese space agency JAXA.
The images were taken by the Kaguya probe as it orbited the Moon at a distance of about 100 kilometres (62 miles). Kaguya, which is named after a girl carried into space by angels in a Japanese fairy tale, is part of the most detailed lunar mapping project since the American Apollo missions that began in the Sixties.
The first image of the Earth from space was taken in 1959 by the US Explorer VI while it passed over the Pacific.

Sing for your supper.. or your life

The next reality-show-cum-talent contest to hit our screens will be the BBC’s Choir Wars, and it’s set to make choral singing the new ballroom dancing. For the unititiated, though, knowing your masses from your madrigals presents something of a challenge. Online you can listen to singers from around the world - from Milan's Amici Cantores to the Turtle Creek Chorale of Dallas, Texas - and enjoy a crash course in choirs.

Bourtros Boutros Ghali

Today sees the 85th birthday of former UN Secretary General Boutros-Boutros Ghali. Better known than perhaps any other Secretary General of recent years, he is the only major UN figure to have an Icelandic football team named after him as well as having cropped up in myriad comedy routines from QI to Seinfeld and David Letterman. There’s only one piece of video that is a fitting tribute to this titan of diplomacy:Chanel 9 Neus.

Get safe online

This week is Get Safe Online Awareness Week. If you have been posting private information about yourself on social networking sites such as Facebook or MySpace, this might be the moment to think about who’s reading it. At the government-backed Get Safe Online website you can learn how to avoid “phishing” (fake “official” e-mails that ask for personal details), identity fraud and internet stalkers.

How to save your iPod

There is a conspiracy theory that iPods collapse the moment that they run out of warranty. A nasty rumour it may be, but wouldn’t it be great if you could fix yours yourself anyway, whenever it decides to snuff it? A blog on CrunchGear claims a 70 per cent success rate in resuscitating dead iPods — with a tool no more complicated than a piece of paper.

Blog your way to internet obscurity

There are numerous guides explaining how to get rich quick on the internet. Websites, blogs and podcasts are all apparently potential goldmines and the secrets of how to exploit them are everywhere. So why aren’t we all millionaires? The Reason Why Blogs (Like Mine) Will Never Succeed explains it all. Isn’t it ironic that this blogger’s admission of failure is probably his first taste of success?

Easy Rider: Green Edition

Today’s video is a US news story featuring Jack Nicholson extolling the virtues of his emission-free car, powered by solar generated Hydrogen. ‘Everyone will be driving one of these in 30 years’ avers the ebullient star. Only one problem, the clip is 29 years old. Still, a lot can happen in a year.

I'll be back, says the bat

Meat Loaf would do anything for love, but he won’t do “that”. But what? Finally, we may have an answer — his European tour. The singer has cancelled forthcoming shows after being struck down with the inter-vocal cord cyst that forced him to abandon his Newcastle gig. He has now declared “I will be back”, but in the meantime you can catch the bat out of hell in previous live efforts and an original music video below.

The Safety Dance

In the UK, public service advertisements about the benefits of condoms are sober, circumspect affairs involving a good deal of soft focus and metaphor. Not so in India, where droll costumes, exuberant dancing and a catchy if not entirely comprehensible song are the order of the day.

Really Weird Indian Condom Commercial - Watch more free videos

Helps children and dances like a Geisha

Scientists report that a specially adapted robot may improve children’s social skills. The QRIO (Quest for cuRIOsity) robot was originally developed by Sony but never sold. It is adept at dancing (watch the rather alarming video on YouTube below) and boasts a sturdy, if niche, fanbase including Luana, whose poem SDR-4X begins: “A metallic sparkling, shines on your tender little head.”

Joni Mitchell

Today sees the birthday of Joni Mitchell, one of the most enduring talents in popular music and, now at 64 still influencing younger artists in an industry which has never forgiven the aging process, especially for women. Here, from three decades ago, is an early (perhaps her first) TV appearance which also features a young Harry Chapin. People of a certain age will know who he is.

DIY domestics

Is there anything more disheartening than the sight of a stack of T-shirts waiting to be folded? If you are one of those unfortunate people who regularly rediscover long-lost garments stuffed into cupboards, then look no farther. In just half an hour, armed with some cardboard and scissors, you could be the proud owner (and creator) of your very own T-shirt folding machine.

History of the LOLCat

LOLCats are the biggest Internet phenomenon of 2007, with examples spreading from the online world into magazines, TV shows and even (it appears) Egyptian tombs. This keenly-observed parody of those elegiac Ken Burns documentaries at last puts the ungrammatical felines in a wider historical perspective.

Don't stop us now

It can be hard to work up a sweat without the familiar sound of Freddie Mercury warbling “Don’t stop me now”. In the US, running officials have banned iPods and other music players from marathons, but many runners say they will defy the ban. Websites such as fitPod, Pandora and Jogtunes allow you to craft playlists specifically for running, tailoring them to your chosen BPM (beats per minute).

When psychics attack

If this were just another clip of a self-professed ‘psychic’ doing a conjuring trick on live TV we wouldn’t be recommending you squandered 9 minutes of your busy life watching it. The USP is ‘Medium’ Jim Callahan’s reaction when faced with an unequivocally sceptical response.

One big step out of line

In Damian Whitworth's interview with Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the Moon, (in today's times2) the former astronaut talks about the loonies who are convinced the Moon landings were an elaborate hoax. "I try not to add to their notoriety," says Aldrin. "They don't want to listen to reason." See how he dealt with one particular irksome conspiracy theorist...

Press 1 to be overcharged

New research says that 60 million hours a year are wasted on helplines, with anxious customers being subjected to 1.2 billion nauseating tunes. You can avoid paying an extortionate amount for the pleasure by using saynoto0870, a free service which finds you good alternatives to the dreaded 0870 number and its equivalents. You can also add your own newly discovered numbers.

If you really want to know, listen to the bears

There seems to be an almost limitless variety of explanations for Climate Change, but nobody can say for certain which one is correct. Perhaps we should consult those most affected: Surely they must have a theory worth listening to. And besides, who knew Polar Bears had such unusual accents?

Bankable youth

Making money can be child’s play, but keeping it is harder. Reuben Singh, whose fortune once stood at £27.5 million after he opened a fashion chain as a schoolboy, is now bankrupt. In Delhi more than 1,000 street children have joined together to create the Children’s Development Bank. You can donate money to help to pay interest on their deposits, stopping them from wasting their slim earnings on cigarettes or sweets.