| Around the World in a Thousand Days |
| California Movie Geography |
| For the Love of Japan |
| Expressway to Your Heart - Traffic Cams cover Metro Philly, New York |
| Spinning around Manhattan |
| A List of Humorous Lists |
| Wear Your Apple on Your Sleeve, or Your E-Mail |
| Buyers Guide for Online Purchases |
| Online Family Matters |
| Links to Radio on the Net |
| Right-Wing Talk Radio |
| Windows App Designed for NSD by Reader |
| Image Download Manager or Thief? |
| Why This MURL Isn't Haggard, or How to Manage Your URLs Online |
| Netscape 4.5 Not Available Yet |
| BOOK REVIEWS |
| LETTERS TO THE EDITOR |
| Contact and Subscription Information |
| Credits |
BREAKING SURF
Aids 98 Conference: 1 out of 4 Infected in Parts of Africa
On the eve of the latest international Aids conference the United Nations has released a new report on the state of the epidemic in the world. Thirteen sub-Saharan countries showed infection rates of at least 10%, while in Botswana and Zimbabwe about 25% of adults are infected. Some major African cities show infection rates of over 30 percent. Of the thirty million estimated infected individuals, about two thirds are in Africa. Gloomy as all that sounds, it appears that preventive educational measures do make a difference. Countries like Thailand and Uganda are showing a slowing in new infection rates after adopting prevention programs. You can read the report and view the webcast of the Aids 98 conference at these sites.Report: http://www.who.ch/emc-hiv/
Aids 98: http://www.aids98.org/
A Bug in Web Crypto SSL Algorithm, and a Fix
A researcher at Bell Labs found a way to compromise the SSL algorithm which underlines secure web server functions, though so far only in a laboratory setting. You use SSL whenever you order merchandise from secure commerce sites. It's not exactly a subtle attack, nor is it easy to apply on the Net, so your current online transactions are quite safe. A cracker would have to run a sniffer program on the machine and send about a million messages to the server and analyze how the server responds. Patches for various servers, including Netscape, Microsoft, and Stronghold, are already available online. Web browsers are not affected. Details of the problem can be found here.http://www.rsa.com/rsalabs/pkcs1/index.html
AOL Censors Web Site Under Islamic Pressure
AOL has removed a web site which featured parody verses of the Koran after complaints from Islamic religious scholars in Egypt. AOL claims the site was in violation of its terms of service by carrying material offensive to Muslims. Predictably the censorship has served only to give wide publicity to the web pages, clones of which have already appeared at other locations. Freedomforum has the story, Geocities has a clone of the site, as does byrden.com along with some commentary about the issue.Story: http://www.freedomforum.org/technology/1998/6/26koran.asp
Clone: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7143/
Issue: http://byrden.com/suralikeit/
Launch Win 98, NOT Win 98 Launch
The Silicon Valley Linux User's Group decided to commemorate the launch of Windows 98 with their own irreverent take on the subject by staging the "Launch Win 98" event. They obtained a couple of Win98 CD-ROMs and cut them into fins which were attached to a model rocket. This weekend they literally launched Windows 98 with the help of a Bay Area rocket club. The Pre-Launch page has some neat rocketry links, while the Crash site has pictures and some amusing details of the actual event.Pre-Launch: http://www.svlug.org/events/launch98.shtml
Crash: http://www.svlug.org/events/crash98.shtml
Jon Lovitz May Join NewsRadio, No Applause Necessary
Sometimes, we're not psychic, such as when we predicted in January 1997 that Greece would get involved in a war in the Balkans. Other times, we're still not psychic, but we make a pretty good guess. Allow us this small measure of gloating as we inform you that the NewsRadio folks are in fact courting Jon Lovitz to replace the late Phil Hartman, just as we had suggested they do in NSD 4.17. Hollywood, we're waiting for your call. Here's the news, at People's site, but it may scroll away.People Online: http://www.pathfinder.com/people/daily/daily.html
Lovitz: http://www.eonline.com/Facts/People/Bio/0,128,151,00.html
http://www.nationalenquirer.com/gen_fst.html?mod03/mod03-story-1455.html
SURFING SITES
Does anyone doubt that the interactive riches of CD-ROM encyclopedias will be available online? Some are already. Britannica Online has created a free and authoritative multimedia site that documents the D-Day invasion of France in "Normandy: 1944". March across time with link-enriched essays and articles, transcripts of first-person accounts, newsreel videos (in RealPlayer and QuickTime), and Shockwave maps. Navigation bars at the top and bottom of each page provide quick access to major areas. You may not feel the emotional sweep of a documentary on film or TV, but this site might be a wonderful way to introduce technophobes or war veterans to the fascinating digital forms of modern history. Thanks to Britannica's editors and designers and to consultant military historians, this site is devoted, in a way, to the gruesome side of curiosity that pleads over and over, with every cold fact and image, with every echo across the decades, "never again."http://normandy.eb.com/
In 1994, the Koninklijke Bibliotheek, Holland's national Royal Library, published "A Hundred Highlights", a selection of manuscripts, printed works, book bindings, and specimens from its paper history collection. Taking full advantage of hypertext, the library offers the single collection in several online tours. Choose a tour that treats the collection as objects in and of themselves: miniatures in medieval manuscripts; modern typography; or paper making. Or take a tour that concentrates on the literary, religious, or art historical content of the objects. An introduction describes how the Koninklijke Bibliotheek acquired its collection over the centuries from the libraries of princes, the repatriation of stolen objects, and the collections of closed monasteries. The essay also includes a short contemplation on the role of libraries as the repositories of paper in the digital age. Watch for little nuggets of information in the generous annotations. We particularly like the observation that the same woodcut sometimes served several purposes. In one book, one illustration depicted the destruction of Babylon and, later, the razing of Utrecht.
http://www.konbib.nl/100hoogte/menu-welcome-en.html
Godfrey persistently attempts to contact someone, anyone, on an isolated payphone in the Mojave desert. Eventually, after months of dialing, Lorene picks up the phone. Godfrey records the ensuing conversation, minus the beginning because he is so startled to have his call answered that he knocks out the recording device. Godfrey - if he weren't already - becomes obsessed and makes a pilgrimage to the the phone booth where he builds a little shrine. He even considers purchasing another phone booth to break the object of his affection's monopoly. It just keeps getting better as you go along.
http://www.cardhouse.com/g/moj/mojave.htm
The Eclectic and Extremely Entertaining Ex Libris
This extraordinarily extensive site covers a range of ideas and theories about the world. Alan Dickinson writes, usually humorously, about almost anything, from choosing a character for fiction to media clippings that deal with language and misunderstandings. He explores the lack of originality in house naming, bureaucratic red tape at work, and the growing use of "fake" mobile phones. And if you don't yet know, you'll learn why Neil Armstrong said "Good luck, Mr. Gorky" when he returned from the moon. Fantastic reading.http://web.ukonline.co.uk/exlibris/
A Male 17-Year-Old's Brief Observations
Personal journals have a certain quality to them, and some difficulties. The subject must be observational, insightful, creative, and sensitive - or at least manage to fake it - to entertain others. This personal Web site comes across as genuine and it held our attention. Although discussions of dreams are an immediate snooze for many people, our nameless protagonist discusses with honesty his perceptions and discoveries, from finding personal messages in books to his experiments in spartan sleeping patterns.http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/cn1/
This page is little more than a collection of links - but what a collection. Exploring gender and sex on the Internet, Marj Kibby offers something for just about everyone - though we suspect the content will more likely touch women. It's difficult to describe this text-heavy site for you. It's tightly focused on far-ranging women's issues. The essays offer a cross-section of smart, mostly feminist, observations on women and technology, democracy and the Web, virtual harassment, and cyber pornography. If you plan to visit, block some time. While most essays read easily, there are a lot them on several subjects. This content deserves more than a browse.
http://www.newcastle.edu.au/department/so/gender.htm
UFOs, the Millenium, and Armageddon
Following the Heaven's Gate mass suicide, belief in causal relationships between the arrival of aliens and Armageddon persist. UFO-NET attempts to categorize and shed light on various millenial theories of salvation by nonterrestrial powers. This quasi-academic year-2000 site is reassuringly hosted at Colgate University: we find no attempt to proselytize or brainwash (unless you count a banner ad for the Colorado Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau or, in footnotes, ads for Amazon.com). The UFO Buzz forum lets you post your own opinions. Or you may want to visit UFO Chat if you encounter strange critters in your neighborhood before the countdown clock hits the big triple zero.http://bostwick.colgate.edu/asinger/alien/
Imagine yourself as either Dan, the J, Jill, or JohnSlab, the four heroes of Escape from Westfield, an amusing romp through cyberspace. Anyone who wanted to escape from high school and found solace in a cup of coffee with friends at an all-night diner will empathize with the characters. It's witty, linking Dante and Disney. It's esoteric; the waitress wears an apron of holding, much appreciated by those of us who know what a vorpal kitty is. And, in the vein of all of the best choose-your-own-adventure games, you're going to have to choose between a series of doors, one of which leads to certain demise. It's immensely time consuming, and lots of fun. Don't visit during work or your boss will come in to see what you're laughing about.
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Hills/6657/escape/
Originally a teaching aid, the Virtual Stock Exchange (VSE) will let you try your hand at the stock market without risk to your life's savings. You start with a certain amount of play money and end up with - if you can beat the market - a lot more play money. The free version allows you to buy, sell, sell short, and buy to cover stocks, but you'll have to upgrade to the premium version to learn about stop and limit orders or to try your luck at mutual funds. Caveat investor, though. The agreement you sign when you register has this clause: "From time to time, we may make our database of user information (including email addresses) available to other parties for promotions and solicitations of goods or services that may be of interest to VSE."
http://www.virtualstockexchange.com/
Bridge. A game where North trumps South, and South finesses East, and West is Dummy. Or something like that. This addiction, enjoyed by people all over the world, can now be played to great effect at OKbridge. Similar in function to Quake server sites but totally different in design and look, this site provides playing rooms, chat, articles, technical help, and advice from experts. A 30-day guest signup lets you try the site before purchasing a membership.
http://OK-bridge.com/
Fancy a day at a theme park this summer? No matter what country you are in, this Mining Company site (need there be any others?) has all the info you need in this well-structured guide. In addition to articles about watersplash safety and Gay Days at Disney, there are links to every official and most unofficial theme park sites on the Net. It's good to know before screaming your head off on the Great Bear at Hersheypark that it's a 2,800-foot-long steel inverted coaster with a plummet of 134 feet straight down. You know, 133 feet just doesn't seem as scary.
http://themeparks.miningco.com/
If you know what a spit coat is (it's not that lovely sheen you get when you sit in the front row at the opera), you're probably already familiar with the antics of Ed Feldman and Joe L'Erario, the Furniture Guys. If not, you should be. It's like getting a film history lesson while you refinish a table. Their official site is interesting, but, unfortunately, doesn't do them justice. The only humorous feature, "Are The Furniture Guys Straight or Gay?", allowed visitors to decide the hosts' sexual orientation by majority rule until the boys shut it down. Still, the area dedicated to Joe's artwork is excellent, and gives viewers something the fan sites with audio and video clips can't offer.
http://www.furnitureguys.com/
The Electronic Worldwide Beanie Baby Exchange (EWBBE) Web site has a looooong name for a tongue-twisting concept: Beanie Babies buying. This virtual stock market for prime-condition Beanie Babies lets Beanie-Baby addicts seek and possibly find the Beanie Baby of their dreams. If that doesn't satisfy your Beanie Baby craving, then get thee hence to Gonewild for BeanieBabies, which will sate you with links to must-reads such as the Beaniacs Web Site, B.B. Tree-Beanie Trees for your Beanie Babies, and Beanie Princess's Ultimate Beanie Babies Web page.
EWBBE: http://www.ewbe.com/
Gonewild: http://come.to/GONEWILDforBeaniebabies
Virtual Company in Virtual Town Puts Virtual Tongue in Virtual Cheek
Cyberspace is having reality envy. The virtual RYO Corporation dominates the virtual town of Cowchip, Ala. This imaginary company town has a history, a local newspaper (the Cowchip Gazette), and a cast of town locals with photos and colorful bios. References to company qualities and practices remind us of other mega-business corporations. A lot of work went into this site, worth a trip if you're bored and just want brain filler.http://www.angelfire.com/al/ryocorporation/index.html
ONLINE TRAVEL
Around the World in a Thousand Days
Sailors who circumnavigate the globe and tell about it usually do so after the fact. Today, you can get a multimedia account of such a voyage in progress - Sailing Around the World: Out of Bounds, the Web story of a small crew and a dog who left Newport, R.I. in the fall of 1996 on a three-year voyage. Outfitted with laptops, a scanner, and a modem, the crew has amassed a collection of digital memorabilia with design help from a teammate in New York: journal entries, photo galleries, a QTVR video gallery, maps, weekly reports, links to local sites. Some of the photos are so gorgeous we're mightily tempted to use them as desktop wallpaper. Individual narratives and the entire share-our-journey-as-we-go format make us wonder whether Hollywood will take part soon in the adventure. Apparently, with all the good times enjoyed along the way, the crew is in no rush to end a good thing.http://www.outofbounds.com/
Maps here mark the locations of over 200 California movie sites. Even the X-Files movie is listed already. The maps can be viewed in some detail and freely downloaded as a printable PDF for carrying with you on a tour. You can search the site by actor, movie, region, or keyword, or you can download the large, detailed "Hollywood on Location" poster with the entire state's star spots. Worth looking at just to see how a well made site looks and runs.
http://gocalif.ca.gov/movies/
Yoshi Melrose's Japan site holds a little bit of everything. He has a Japanese historical timeline, a list of the national holidays, and a set of links to related sites with a solid description of each site. However, the best part is his small tour of Japan from Iwakuni to Hiroshima, touching on the beaches and wildlife in between. Inside this section, you learn what it feels like to be a member of the American armed forces gazing on Peace Park in Hiroshima and where you can find the best BLT in the world. He excellently employs on-mouse-over, but if your browser isn't Javascript-capable and you can't read Japanese, you may find yourself stranded.
http://www.geocities.com/~validus/
Expressway to Your Heart - Traffic Cams cover Metro Philly, New York
Which would you rather rely on for traffic info - the radio, or your own eyes? Cut to the chase and see exactly what the tragicomic Schuylkill Expressway or the dreaded Long Island Expressway look like before you hit the road. Cameras cover the mean streets of Wilmington, Delaware, Philadelphia, Newark, Long Island, and Queens. Also, get text reports for the five boroughs, Long Island, northern New Jersey, and Connecticut.http://colossus.netwatchinc.com/trafficam/main.asp?site=trafficam
If you like 3-D and your browser has no problem with Java, check out Virtual NY for spot tours of Manhattan. At our last visit, only "MidTown" panoramas were available; "Sports" and "Events" are on the way. Even with zoom and pan there isn't much detail in these 180- and 360-degree, QTVR-like Java applets from Live Picture (humans tend to get lost in the cityscapes), but this is the type of undemanding chair-potato interactivity that commercial travel sites on the Web might do well to exploit as a realistic tease for out-of-towners. We're a bit puzzled why the sponsor of this site, the Manhattan Club, uses plain JPEGs instead of applets to showcase its luxurious accomodations when presumably it could have used the same grab-and-rotate-with-your-mouse approach the site designers did with Times Square, Central Park, and Columbus Circle. Perhaps, after all that excitement, simple photos suffice.
http://www.ilove-ny.com/
FLOTSAM & JETSAM
This site is just one big list of some of the funniest lists that you'll ever find. Of course, that depends upon your sense of humor. We laughed, we choked, we ... well you get the idea. Check out the 28 Biggest Lies.http://www.cs.bgu.ac.il/~davidcha/Humor/
Wear Your Apple on Your Sleeve, or Your E-Mail
MacAddict, the liveliest of the Macintosh magazines, is offering free Web-accessible e-mail at Imaginemail. You can choose to show your Mac loyalty with domain names like longlivethemac, buyamac and mac-addict. Some other pretty strange domain names can be found here, too.http://www.imaginemail.com/
Buyers Guide for Online Purchases
Attempting to serve as the Consumer Reports of the virtual world, eSmarts gets you info on Internet deals. From business cards to travel agents to grocers, virtual shoppers can snoop out some savings.http://www.esmarts.com/
Want a family Web site but don't want to pay the big bucks? Here's your chance. The FamilyPoint Web site lets you create a private familial page. Post reminders, update your address books, plan the next family reunion... just make sure to make room for Daddy.
http://www.familypoint.com/
Music Radio has hundreds of links to radio stations broadcasting music on the Net, just because they can. Never mind the bandwidth. You can choose music and listen to it in the background while you continue netsurfing.
http://www.webzone.net/willhoite/music/music.html
Listen to all of the right-wing talk radio shows over the Internet with these links and schedules for Limbaugh, Liddy, Reagan, and dozens more. Possibly every conservative with an Internet audio link can be found here.
http://www.geocities.com/~justalotoftalk/
SOFTWARE
Windows App Designed for NSD by Reader
Neat is too subtle a word for this delightful little app! See something interesting in Netsurfer? Then copy the URL (Control-C or just a click) and paste it into the tiny icon for MemoNet. A dialogue will appear which allows comments to be entered and a category to be selected. And that is it - you can quickly build a list of useful URLs, and the app has a call button if you want to activate the link. Well designed, tiny footprint, and very useful - yet free! Thanks, Alain.http://wwwperso.hol.fr/~apinaud/english.htm
Image Download Manager or Thief?
WebBot will search a Web site, stripping all images and downloading them as thumbnails. The images become available on the websurfer's own PC. The software presumes that unless a site is specially coded, it is okay to download the images. We don't consider the concept of "if it ain't nailed down it's mine" to be the best approach. It's bad news for image archives, whose advertising revenues will be hit if the user does not need to visit sites to avail themselves of the contents. The software's home page tells webmasters how to protect their graphics from the process, recommended reading for anyone who has risen an inch above standard clipart.http://www.jacksonville.net/~dlxpress/
Why This MURL Isn't Haggard, or How to Manage Your URLs Online
Standard bookmarks live locally on your hard drive, so in order to take your favorite sites to another location, you have to bring the some sort of hard copy along (or you could e-mail it). Back in NSD 3.29, we reviewed ItList, an online bookmark manager, which allows users to submit their favorite sites via e-mail and then call them up from any computer. With the speed of Web technology it wouldn't take long for itList's e-mail interface to be one-upped by someone, and Anton Olsen's MURL has done it. If your browser is capable of handling JavaScript URLs then you can use URL-to-MURL, which allows you to log in, follow the URL-to-MURL instructions once, and then specify which sites you want to save without going through an e-mail interface.http://murl.com/
CORRECTIONS
Netscape 4.5 Not Available Yet
Netscape's Communicator 4.5 beta is not out yet. We were wrong. But we were right about Jon Lovitz.