Use your computer to find a hobby

Robot.org.uk (website)
A guide for robot builders detailing how to build robots for Techno Games, Robot Wars, Micromouse, the Robot Olympics, Robotix, the Great Egg Race, Robo Festa, Waste Watch and student projects.

Stellarium (Windows/Mac/Linux)
Stellarium shows a realistic sky in 3D, just as if you were looking at it with the naked eye, binoculars or a telescope. It displays stars, constellations, planets, nebulas and others things such as the ground, landscape and atmosphere.

PETS & ANIMALS

Bird Watcher Professional (Windows)
A great bird-watching companion program featuring date and time of sightings, bird names, numbers, location, sighting rank and field notes. This used to be a commercial program, but is now entirely free.

Country Smallholding (website)
The website for Country Smallholding magazine is packed with information about looking after cattle, horse, goats, pigs, sheep and other animals, as well as advice on organic farming, cooking and living.

Lao Tzu’s Animal Register (Windows)
If you breed pedigree pets for fun or commercially, here’s a program that keeps track of all your animals and prints pedigrees and cage labels for them. It supports up to 100 animals free, or more if you register.

Pet Web Site (website)
This site has everything you could want to know about small pets such as cats, dogs, hamsters, fish and reptiles. The forums are frequented by experienced pet owners happy to answer your toughest questions about pets and pet care.

ARTS & CRAFTS

Artrage Starter (Windows)
By providing realistic tools, such as oil paints and pencils, and simulating the
real-world dynamics of those media, Artrage enables any user to play around with paint, without the expense and mess.

British Origami Society (website)
With everything from tips and techniques to diagrams and data, this is the web site to bookmark if you enjoy origami. The site includes an online gallery, as well as fun models and puzzles. It also keeps you up to date with the latest origami events.

Get Woodworking (website)
This website features an ever-growing number of articles, as well as product reviews, late-breaking news and lots of user-generated content. There are also how-to features, construction guides, competitions and a host of other features.