Treat yourself to a taste of the weird web of yesteryear

The web wasn’t always like it is now. It used to be weirder—in a good way. And it still can be.

After all, we all occasionally need a tranquil break amidst a hectic day—be it a beautiful sunset, the sight of a cat falling asleep on a windowsill, or even just the landscape rolling by as you stare out the window.

That’s what the tool we’re about to go over is all about. It’s a way to look out a window—but not your window. Another person’s window. Right from your workday screen.

On the surface, it may not appear practical—but arguably, it’s the most practical thing in the world. Even just a few moments of staring into a virtual window can inject something invaluable into your day. Sometimes, there’s nothing more practical than simply taking care of yourself.

In that sense, it’s good for productivity, too. Place the window on a secondary monitor—or keep it in one corner of your computer screen—and it just might put you in the right mood to tackle the rest of your to-do list without any doomscrolling or other distractions.

So, ready to find your favorite magical window?

Unearth all sorts of little-known tech treasures with my free Cool Tools newsletter from The Intelligence. A spiffy new discovery in your inbox every Wednesday!

Watch windows around the world

This simple-as-can-be website lets you peer out someone’s window via video captured somewhere else in the world—and there’s no telling where, exactly, you’ll end up. It’s random.

➜ The site is called ​WindowSwap​, and it’s a brilliant brain-resetting resource you can use for free.

And it couldn’t be much easier to get started with, either: Just open up the WindowSwap website​ and click (or tap) on “Open a window somewhere in the world.”

You can keep clicking “Open a window somewhere in the world” as much as you want to randomly flip through different streams.

The location of the video—and the time it was captured, likely in the last few months—will appear at the top of the screen.

Here’s what the experience actually feels like in action:

• *click* 🌅 It’s the golden hour near sunset. You’re looking out a window from a high-up apartment at the soft glow of the sky, cars slowly cruising by on the calm street below.
• *click* ❄️ It’s night time in winter. Snow falls peacefully in a backyard somewhere. All is still.
• *click* ✈️ You’re watching out an airplane window as an airplane makes a gradual descent through a clear blue sky, snowy mountains on the horizon.
• *click* 🌴 Tropical foliage fills your view. A cockatoo flies toward the camera.
• *click* 🐈 A cat faces away from you, staring out the window along with you.

You get the idea. It goes on and on like that from there. You can stop wherever you like and take in the view—or maybe even leave it open while you work.

WindowSwap is free, but the service will sometimes ask for your support. You can close any pop-ups requesting you subscribe if you aren’t interested in contributing.

If you do end up contributing, the WindowSwap All Access subscription offers a handful of extra features—like the ability to search for specific cameras rather than flipping through them randomly—but you really don’t need any of that to enjoy the service.

• WindowSwap is ​available as a website​ for phones, PCs, Chromebooks, Macs, and any other device you may be using.
• This core service is completely free.
• And you don’t have to create an account or provide any personal information to use it.

Ready for more week-enhancing tech treats? Check out my free Cool Tools newsletter for an instant introduction to an incredible audio app—and another off-the-beaten-path gem every Wednesday!

View the full article