Beyond the syllabus: 10 websites you must visit daily

Ok, here's the big news. Internet is not limited to Google, Facebook and Twitter. And no, we don't mean Times of India, NDTV or your friends' blogs either. These websites give you news, some humour, maybe lots of gossip and dope on your friend's travails. Not wisdom.  

So, what really are the websites that students (and everyone else) should be looking at? We decided to talk to Deepak Karambelkar, former head of audiences and product at Yahoo India and AOL India. He currently writes extensively on all things technology for Gulf News, Coolage and Fotoflock.

Deepak gave us a list of 10 uber cool websites that every college-going student must visit on a daily basis:

1. The Verge
   Watch it for in-depth reviews and insights. From offbeat stories such as ‘why octopus arms don’t stick to one another’ (do you know why?) to a deep dive into the latest smartphone, you get it all on The Verge.
2. Mashable
   Targeted at the “Connected Generation”, Mashable is a highly souped-up blog that covers a wide range of social media news. And a bit of technology news thrown in for good measures.
3. Slate
   News and current affairs is a tricky subject. You want to have depth, but without sounding boring. Slate manages to solve this issue with great writing on topics that are not always the easiest to read.
4. Reddit
   Your link, our votes! Reddit is a great place to capture the pulse of what people are interested in. For only the interesting stories, posted by its huge community, 'bubble up' to the top.
5. Quora
   Got a question? Does not matter how crazy, offbeat or challenging it might be. Chances are, you will get an insightful answer on Quora. And thanks to the voting system, the riff-raff answers end up getting pushed down.
6. Upworthy
   Where being “awesome” and meaningful are the stated goals. The topic does not matter - if the story is something to get emotional about, you will most probably find it on Upworthy! The site is the master of making ‘human interest’ stories go viral through catchy headlines. Though some would call them ‘click-baits’.
7. Lifehacker
   The name fits it perfectly. It is about life, and about hacking it. With everyday things. From what to do with leftover food to fixing that creaking floor with a bit of starch, there is no shortage of tips for turning mundane things into something unexpected.
8. Wolfram Alpha
   It may not be able to tell what Justin Bieber is up to, but chances are, it will tell you what the Egyptian Pharaohs were up to centuries ago! Wolfram Alpha is the Google equivalent for “world’s facts and data”.
9. Kickstarter
   Expand your horizons. Sure, this is a site for crowdfunded projects, and you don't have to pull out your wallet. Simply soak in the huge collection of innovative - and often strange - ideas. You will be amazed at how creative inventors can be. And we bet you too will start to 'think different'.
10. Vimeo
    For videos, there exists a vibrant world beyond YouTube. And Vimeo is where the creative types go to upload and share videos - indie filmmakers, artists, singers... while YouTube has got the quantity, Vimeo has got a choice collection of video gems.

And oh yes... We almost added Amazon – the perfect place to spend your money.