Mashups

According to en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_application a Web Application is an application that is accessed via Web browser over a network such as the Internet or an intranet. It is also a computer software application that is coded in a browser-supported language (such as HTML, JavaScript, Java, etc.) and reliant on a common web browser to render the application executable. Also according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashup_(web_application_hybrid) a Mashup is a web application that combines data from more than one source into a single integrated tool, thereby creating a new and distinct web service that was not originally provided by either source.

So the way I interpret these two definitions is that a Mashup is a web application that contains data from multiple sources and allows the viewer to acces all there data from source. I found three Mashups from the site mashupawards.com. This web site lists all sorts of Mashups that people have voted the best. From this site I choose the following three Mashups to explore in more depth, play.typeracer.com, triptouch.com, and kids.quintura.com.

Type Racer is a Mashup that allows individuals to practice their typing skills. It allows people to compete against themselves or others. The typing tests are timed and the game uses movie quotes generated from Amazon. I was only able to add this site to my social bookmarking tool, but there were no widgets to embed in my blog. Users do not need to sign up for an account, and to use this tool is free. This is a Mashup I will use again in the future, as I still look at the keys sometimes when I type, and really need to break myself of that habit.

Trip Touch is a travel Mashup, and has many of the same components as the other travel sites I've looked over. One added plus on this Mashup was the currency counter. As a traveler, it is always nice to know how the U.S. dollar is being converted to other countries. That could make or break a trip for me. If one wants to use this Mashup, you must register. I have so many new passwords and usernames, I'm not that interested in starting another, but heck, why stop now. I was able to add this Mashup widget to to my iGoogle Travel tab. I'm not sure how often I will refer to this, as I am pretty happy with some of the other travel applications I've found so far.

Quintura is a Mashup search engine for children. This Mashup would best be used in an Early Childhood classroom, as the graphics and cartoon look may not be appealing to intermediate or older children. I did notice though that when I searched for Polar Bears, the resources where basic and complex in definition and description. So if older children are able to look past the home page, it could be a success with them as well. I was able to embed this Mashup into my blog, and add it to my social bookmark delicious. I think it would be interesting to do a poll and evaluation with students to see which search engine they would enjoy the best, this or the Zoeybot web application I found previously.