Take a Drive on Route 66 With Google Arts and Culture

Take a Drive on Route 66 With Google Arts and Culture

Explore Route 66 in a new way with Google Arts and Culture. This interactive experience lets you tour landmarks, browse history, and plan a future trip across America’s Mother Road without leaving your screen.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor

November 14, 2025

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Route 66 has inspired travelers for nearly a century, yet most people have only seen fragments of it. 

What if you could explore the entire road with vivid detail from your phone or laptop? 

Here's a Cool Tip:  Drive on Route 66 With Google Arts and Culture.

Google Arts and Culture gives you that chance with a curated, interactive project that pulls together stories, photos, and locations along the historic highway.

This digital experience turns an iconic American drive into something anyone can explore at home, at school, or on the road.

Create a Coloring Book Page from Text

Create a Coloring Book Page from Text

Turn your words into artistic line drawings with a simple online tool.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor

November 7, 2025

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Imagine typing a phrase like “a playful kitten chasing a butterfly” and instantly seeing it appear as a black-and-white line drawing ready to color. 

That's the new twist in AI creativity tools. 

Tools like ZColoring now generate line-art illustrations directly from text prompts, merging the simplicity of coloring books with the power of generative AI.

Master Pixel Art

Master Pixel Art

Learn why pixel art remains a powerful medium for creators and businesses, how to get started with the free online tool Pixilart, and how this low-fidelity art form can boost your productivity or creative workflows.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor

October 24, 2025

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When you hear “pixel art”, you might picture an 8-bit video game from the 1980s or the retro look of indie games today. 

But pixel art is more than nostalgia. 

For many, it offers a surprisingly efficient, flexible way to communicate ideas, mock up screens or game assets, create simple icons, or even build engaging social-media visuals. 

Here's a Cool Tip:  Try PixilArt!

Let’s unpack what pixel art is, why it still matters, how to use Pixilart and where you might apply it in your day job.

Be Creative with Fluid Paint

Be Creative with Fluid Paint

Turn your mouse or fingertip into a digital paintbrush that flows like liquid color. Fluid Paint by David Li lets you create mesmerizing art right in your browser with no downloads, no cost, just pure creativity.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor

October 17, 2025

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Remember the joy of swirling paint in water as a kid? 

Here's a Cool Tip:  Paint with Fluid Paint.

Fluid Paint captures that same sense of wonder but with code. 

It’s a browser-based art tool that transforms simple brush strokes into hypnotic motion, letting you experiment with color, form, and flow.

Whether you’re an artist seeking inspiration or just need a creative break after a long workweek, this is digital art therapy powered by physics and fluid dynamics.

Watch Digital Water Flow

Watch Digital Water Flow

Turn your screen into a living work of art with this interactive fluid simulation. Move your mouse or finger to create ripples, colors, and mesmerizing swirls that react in real time.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor 

October 10, 2025

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There’s something oddly calming about watching water move. 

The gentle swirl, the rhythm, the chaos contained within motion. 

Imagine controlling that feeling right from your browser—no downloads, no plugins, just your cursor guiding digital paint across a living canvas. 

Here's a Cool Tip:  Play with Fluid Simulation.

Fluid Simulation offers: pure interactive art that reacts instantly to your touch.

Koalas to the Max: The Internet’s Most Addictive Pixel Puzzle

Koalas to the Max: The Internet’s Most Addictive Pixel Puzzle

A simple interactive site transforms circles into hidden pictures with just your mouse. Koalas to the Max is more than play. It’s a fascinating exercise in patience, discovery, and focus.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor

October 3, 2025

Have you ever clicked one circle online and suddenly lost 15 minutes of your life? 

Here's a Cool Tip:  Try Koalas to the Max.

On the surface, the site looks like nothing more than a page of colored dots. 

As you drag your mouse across the screen, the circles divide and refine until a hidden picture appears. 

It is strangely satisfying, a little meditative, and just challenging enough to keep you hooked.

Google’s AI Tool That Turns Text Into Visual Ideas

Google’s AI Tool That Turns Text Into Visual Ideas

Google Mixboard is a new experiment from Google Labs that lets you spin out visual ideas by mixing text prompts and images. For product designers, teachers, creators, or anyone juggling visual inspiration, it might shortcut part of your creative grunt work.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor

September 26, 2025

Have you ever stared at a blank screen, a text prompt cursor blinking mockingly at you, knowing exactly what you want to achieve visually but having no efficient way to start? 

How about you want to create funny monsters?

Here's a FridayFunday Cool Tip:  Try the new Google Mixboard.

What Is Mixboard, and Why It Matters

Imagine sketching a mood board, but instead of dragging in images manually, you just type a phrase like “funny Googly eye monsters” and the app fills the board with visual suggestions. 

You can:

• Start from a blank board, a prompt, or one of several pre-populated templates.
• Upload your own images or have the tool generate visuals via AI.
• Use natural-language commands to tweak things (“make background darker,” “add more eyes”) thanks to a specialized image model under the hood, called Nano Banana.
• Hit “regenerate” or “more like this” to iterate quickly.
• Generate contextual text from images on the board (e.g. captions or descriptions).

It’s currently in public beta in the U.S. only and is explicitly experimental. 

Google sees it as a testing ground rather than a fully fleshed product. 

Dash to Collect Baguettes in Google Arts & Culture's Baguette Sprint

Dash to Collect Baguettes in Google Arts & Culture's Baguette Sprint

A new interactive experiment from Google Arts & Culture turns learning into a lively race, making the history of the humble baguette an engaging pursuit for all.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor

September 19, 2025

Have you ever found yourself immersed in a world where art and technology blend seamlessly, creating an engaging experience that's both entertaining and culturally enriching? 

Here's a Cool Tip:  Play Google's Art and Culture Baguette Sprint.

Google Arts & Culture's Baguette Sprint is one such experience that combines the thrill of a game with the richness of art and culture.

Cut the Jargon: Why This Game Might Be the Security Game You Need to Play

Cut the Jargon: Why This Game Might Be the Security Game You Need to Play

The nonstop flood of cybersecurity acronyms is more than a nuisance.  It creates confusion that can weaken defenses. BeyondTrust’s new game, Acronym Overload, aims to fix that problem in a surprisingly effective way.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor

September 12, 2025

Think about the last time you sat in a security meeting. 

Someone probably said, “We need to shore up IAM, JIT, ZTNA, and ABAC” and you nodded along even though at least one of those terms was fuzzy. 

Most of us have been there. Acronyms dominate security conversations, but too many shortcuts can bury meaning. 

When clarity slips, risks grow.

Here's a Cool Tip:  Play the Acronym Overload game.

BeyondTrust has built a short browser game called Acronym Overload to bring the problem into focus. 

It feels playful, but the purpose is serious: to keep your team speaking the same language when it matters most.

Draw A Fish & Let It Swim: The Simple Site That Brings Your Art To Life.

Draw A Fish & Let It Swim: The Simple Site That Brings Your Art To Life.

DrawAFish.com turns your doodle into a digital fish that swims in a shared tank. It is quick, fun, and surprisingly engaging.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor 

September 5, 2025

Have you ever sketched something and wished it would come to life? 

Here's a Cool Tip:  Visit DrawAFish.com.

With DrawAFish.com, you draw a fish, the site decides if it looks enough like one, and then it swims in a communal digital tank. 

It is simple, playful, and strangely addictive.

Fly Anywhere for Free with This Online Flight Simulator

Fly Anywhere for Free with This Online Flight Simulator

GeoFS brings global flight simulation into your browser with real-world maps, dozens of aircraft, and multiplayer flying, all for free. Whether you’re a casual user or a pilot in training, this is one of the easiest ways to take off virtually.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor

August 29, 2025

Have you ever wanted to pilot a jet over New York City or glide over the Alps without leaving your desk? 

Most flight simulators demand expensive hardware, large downloads, and steep learning curves. 

Here's a Cool Tip:  Fly Online with GeoFS.

GeoFS runs entirely in your web browser, giving you the freedom to fly anywhere in the world using real satellite imagery.

CrazyGames Lets You Play Free Browser Games

CrazyGames Lets You Play Free Browser Games

Discover how CrazyGames Originals is shaking up the fast, free world of browser gaming with no downloads, no hassle, just instant joy and creative surprises.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor 

August 22, 2025

Do you ever find yourself stuck with ten minutes to spare and a craving for something playful, something rewarding but light? 

Browser gaming used to be quick dashes through Flash relics. 

Here's a Cool Tip:  Play CrazyGames.

CrazyGames Originals is giving us curated, polished mini‑experiences that feel like they were made just for these tiny gaps in the day.

Throwback: How to Build Digital Sand Art

Throwback: How to Build Digital Sand Art

Create mesmerizing digital sand art with This is Sand Art, a playful web and mobile app that lets you layer virtual sand in vibrant colors, just like the classic bottle craft from childhood. Available on desktop browsers and iOS/Android devices for a relaxing, creative escape.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor

August 15, 2025 (Originally published January 20, 2023)

Remember making those multi-colored sand in the bottle crafts when you were young?

Relive the fun of your youth with this Friday Funday Cool Tip: https://thisissand.com/

ThisIsSand allows you to drop multi-colored sand piles to create amazing works of art.

ThisIsSand can be played in a laptop/desktop web browser (thisissand.com) OR with the Thisissand app on iOS (iPhone) or Android devices.

fig. 1 - This is Sand Art

Turn Ideas into Illustrated Stories with Google Gemini

Turn Ideas into Illustrated Stories with Google Gemini

Let Google Gemini help you create charming, illustrated storybooks with just a few prompts.  It's perfect for kids, educators, and creativity lovers.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor 

August 8, 2025

Picture this: your child is going off to kindergarten soon and she is feeling anxious. 

What if you could whip up a custom book where a friendly kitten goes to kindergarten on her first day, complete with pictures and a voice that reads it aloud?

Here's a Cool Tip:  Create Storybooks with Google Gemini.

What You'll Gain

• Turn a single sentence into a full illustrated storybook
• Access free AI-generated art and narration
• Engage your children or classroom with custom tales

Ready to Become an AI-Powered Storyteller?

How to Listen to Emergency Radio

How to Listen to Emergency Radio

From sirens to skies hear what’s really happening in your world, live.  Discover how to use emergency radio app Broadcastify to monitor real-time emergency communications safely and legally.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor

August 1, 2025

Ever wonder what that helicopter is doing overhead?

Or what delayed your train this morning? 

Here's a Cool Tip:  Listen Online to Emergency Radio with Broadcastify.

With one click, you can listen to live emergency and specialty radio streams, police, fire, aircraft, rail, marine, all free and right from your browser.

It’s like having a backstage pass to the world’s infrastructure and it’s surprisingly addictive.

Discover Aotearoa with i‑Spy New Zealand

Discover Aotearoa with i-Spy New Zealand

Uncover a fresh twist on edtech: i-Spy New Zealand turns scenic scenes into clickable fun, making geography and culture accessible, especially for educators, learners, and productivity-focused adults.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor

July 25, 2025

Ever thought learning about New Zealand could be relaxing and interactive rather than dry? 

Here's a Cool Tip:  Play i-Spy New Zealand.

It’s not your average geography lesson.

It’s an illustrated game that invites you to poke around dense, beautifully crafted landscapes and discover quirky facts hidden in plain sight. 

Feel a bit like hidden-object gaming meets travel brochure.

What is i-Spy New Zealand?

Turn Trivia Into Impact: How FreeRice Boosts Your Brain and Fights Hunger

Turn Trivia Into Impact: How FreeRice Boosts Your Brain and Fights Hunger

Play FreeRice daily to sharpen your mind and donate to the World Food Programme—no wallet required.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor 

July 18, 2025

Have you ever thought a quick vocab quiz could help feed the world?

Imagine tapping a few keys between meetings and unknowingly delivering grains of rice to someone in need. 

Here's a Cool Tip:  Play FreeRice.

That’s the core appeal behind FreeRice, a slick mix of trivia, micro-learning, and social good that hooks your brain and tugs at your heart.

Typing Meets Arcade Shooting

Typing Meets Arcade Shooting

Level up your typing speed through gameplay, an addictive combo of arcade action and productivity training.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor 

July 11, 2025

What if mastering your keyboard came packaged as an adrenaline-fueled arcade game? 

Imagine zapping alien ships by typing their names. 

Here's a Cool Tip: ZType. 

It sneaks in repetitive typing drills under the guise of a shooter, no boredom, just blast after blast of productivity.

What You'll Gain

• Sharpened typing speed and accuracy.

• Engaging, focus-boosting practice.

• Fun break routine that doubles as skill training.

Celebrate July 4th Online with Virtual Fireworks

Celebrate July 4th Online with Virtual Fireworks

Light up your Fourth of July with Google’s interactive online fireworks experiment, an engaging, competitive, and creative way to celebrate America’s birthday without leaving your couch.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor

July 4, 2025

What if you could launch a spectacular Fourth of July fireworks show from your living room with no permits, no noise complaints, no risk? 

And have fun at the same time?

Here's a Cool Tip:  Celebrate with Google Arts & Culture.

Google Arts & Culture lets you launch fireworks online to patriotic music all as a game.

It’s not just digital eye candy, it’s an unexpectedly game twist on one of America’s favorite summer traditions.

Play Timeless Classics in Your Browser

Play Timeless Classics in Your Browser

Fire up your nostalgia!  Playclassic.games makes it ridiculously simple to revisit legendary PC and DOS games straight from your browser, with no hassle or installs.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor

June 27, 2025

Remember the first time you booted up Doom on a wheezing 486? 

Or lost a weekend to SimCity 2000? 

For many, those moments defined what computers could be — not just productivity machines, but windows into new worlds. 

Trouble is, finding a way to play those games today often means a frustrating scramble through sketchy abandonware sites or complicated emulators. 

Here's a Cool Tip:  Play Classic Games.

Playclassic.games slices through that mess and brings hundreds of classic PC games right to your browser, ready to play in seconds. 

That’s more than a time machine — it’s a portal to joy.