Internet picks of the week

Atlas Obscura It's tempting to think that, thanks to the internet, the world is shrinking – but the truth is that it's getting bigger. Atlas Obscura focuses on the less-visited (or at least less-acknowledged) wonders of the world: those geological curiosities, strange museums and forgotten attractions that reside slightly off the tourist trail. With sections dedicated to each continent, you can plan your own adventure. Recent articles include a report on a controversial giant statue of a fist in Detroit (a tribute to heavyweight boxer Joe Louis), a guide to the world's saltiest places, an account of the deadliest hailstorms on the planet, and a visit to Puzzlewood in Gloucestershire, which is said to have inspired JRR Tolkien's Lord Of The Rings. Billy Bullshit Many of us knew kids at school like Jay from the Inbetweeners, whose smirking headshot graces the first page of this wondrous site – kids who claimed to have lost their virginity at the age of 12 with their babysitter who was also a pop star. Some will even have endured the tales of plumbers touting imaginary minor pop careers, or nodded sagely at made-up stories of neighbours who had five thumbs on one hand, honest, swear on me Mum's life. This compendium of utter bollocks is a treasury of audacious fibbing, featuring the boss who claimed to be Emma Thompson's secret lover and a part-time ambulance driver, the Dad who once kicked a football so high it landed on a cloud, and the mate who reckons ninjas can go out in a rainstorm and not get wet cos they're "that fast". Blog roll: Toys One Cam The many disturbing – and highly unsuitable (for children) – things Toy Story figurines get up to in their spare time. Vinyl Abuse Interviews with vinyl toy artists, the launch of Bono The Robber Cat and the art of remixing Action Man. Star Wars 77-80 Collector Blog One fan's passion for late 70s Star Wars merchandise. If it's made after 1980, forget it. Toy Voyagers The globetrotting adventures of soft toys released into the wild. Underground Gamers A secret organisation of board game addicts based in Worthing. Subbuteo Tribute Website Endless archives of plastic men on chunky bases. What we learned on the web this week The visual dialogue of your Facebook portrait In 1884 St Paul's Cathedral was the third tallest building in the world How to teleport yourself across the world The growth of bogus Sigur Ros ad tunes They love watching movies in movies The four stages of "getting" Twitter The art of the badly photoshopped movie poster The finest Katy Perry impersonator on Chatroulette The 10 most obnoxious teens with superpowers What happens to decaying US shopping malls