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| Free Software Guru Richard Stallman Interview |
| Web Design Guru Lynda Weinman Interview |
| From Wheels to Keel - and around the World |
| A Highly Aboriginal Idea |
| HTML Form Art |
| Random Surfing |
| When's Your 10,000th? |
| The Web of San Francisco |
| Mayberry FAQ |
| Book Sales of North America |
| What's the Deal, Dude? |
| E-Save: Redemption for Coupon Believers |
| Seek Antiques? |
| BeOS 5.0 Released, Freely Licensed |
| Microsoft Releases Explorer 5.0 for Macintosh |
| RedHat Linux 6.2 Released |
| Perl 5.6.0 Released |
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| LETTERS TO THE EDITOR |
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BREAKING SURF
NASA Releases Mars Program Assessment Report
NASA released its highly anticipated report on the state of its Mars program March 28. Not surprisingly, the report found that "significant flaws in formulation and execution led to the failures of recent missions." Specifically, the most likely direct cause of the Mars Lander failure was a spurious sensor signal triggered during the deployment of the lander legs on descent. The signal fooled the lander into thinking that it had touched down, and the computer cut the engine prematurely, turning the probe into a meteorite. Less directly, faulty wiring during testing and the software's lack of a double-check set up the accident. The report more broadly concludes that Mars exploration is "an important national goal that should continue," the risks are reasonable and manageable, and the "faster, better, cheaper" approach is effective if properly formulated and implemented. The quotable bottom line from the report is "If not ready, do not launch".http://www.nasa.gov/newsinfo/marsreports.html
Mattel Settles with CyberPatrol Hackers, GPL Complications Ensue
Mattel, instead of trying to stamp out "cphack" - the program that reveals the local password and the list of sites blocked by CyberPatrol filtering software (see NSD 6.10) - has bought it. Mattel bought the program and the accompanying essay from authors Eddy Jansson and Matthew Skala for a token $1. Mattel now owns "all rights, if any" to the two files and the authors agree not to teach anybody how to decode CyberPatrol. Now, the fun: cphack was released under the GNU Public License (GPL), which says that if you get a copy of the program you are free to redistribute it. So what rights, "if any", does Mattel now own? The legal ramifications of this are unclear, to say the least. The authors, further muddying the water, stated in the settlement agreement that they have not assigned the rights to the program to anyone - which seems to contradict the GPL. The litigation over cphack-hosting mirror sites continues. Wired has clear coverage.Settlement: http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,35216,00.html
GPL Issues: http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,35226,00.html
Mirrors: http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,35244,00.html
GPL: http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html
The Mattel cphack case (see above) has now established another first: e-mailed subpoenas. In an attempt to head off further posting of cphack on Web sites, the lawyer for Microsystems Software (the subsidiary of Mattel that makes CyberPatrol) convinced the judge to approve e-mail restraining orders and subpoenas. The lawyers quickly dashed off the e-mail docs to Web sites posting the program; the subpoenas demanded the sites' cphack download logs. Critics point out that e-mail can easily be forged and that unlike registered mail, e-mail can't confirm delivery of the legal docs - in fact the Mattel team plans to send registered letters as well. Undoubtedly, this is not the last word on the matter, no matter how much you wish it were.
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-1583272.html
X-Box: Allegedly Wicked or Wickedly Alleged?
Microsoft's alleged entry into the gaming console market, the X-Box, looks like a promising player in an arena dominated by Sony's PlayStation2, Sega's Dreamcast and Nintendo's Dolphin. Microsoft announced it will release the X-Box - to be fed by a recently established dedicated games division - in autumn, 2001. Sporting hardware normally found in a PC costing over $1000, it could be a console gamer's dream. As with all things Microsoft, however, reaction has been mixed. Commentator Robert X. Cringely pointed out that Microsoft is using it's old tactic of announcing products far in advance of the release date, a move that may have more to do with dampening interest in the PlayStation2 than stirring up gamer interest in the X-Box. Here's a nice quote: "Microsoft admitted the demo was an X-Box simulation running on hardware different from what will actually ship in a year or two."X-Box: http://www.xbox.com/
Cringely: http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit20000316.html
CNet: http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1006-200-1569387.html
Welsh Credit Card Hacker Gets Gates's Number
Just another hacker caught story, but what makes this one amusing is that the guy had credit card information belonging to none other then Bill Gates himself. No word on whether he snagged the information from a Web site running Windows, but, oh, the sweet irony of it if he did!http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-1590629.html
This new site appears to be another of those "upload your photo albums and share them" sites. It's not, just because of who's involved. Yahoo has teamed up with Shutterfly, a new company started by Jim Clark of Netscape fame that will make prints of the online photos for users and mail them out. While other companies have done this, for example HP's Cartogra.com or PhotoAccess.com, Yahoo gets to punch up its site with cross-links to its related properties. You'll find convenient links to Yahoo photo clubs, message boards, and its gallery service which allows you to buy stock photos for personal use. The obvious question is will Shutterfly print all those porn pics people are so fond of stashing online?
Yahoo Photos: http://photos.yahoo.com/
Shutterfly: http://www.shutterfly.com/
Cartogra: http://cartogra.com/
PhotoAccess: http://photoaccess.com/
The Whitney Museum of American Art has introduced a new medium to its biennial state-of-the-art exhibition (March 23-June 4): Internet art. Nine Web sites have found a place among over 200 featured paintings, sculptures, films, and videos. The page describing the Internet gallery provides brief content descriptions and links to the Web sites, many of which we've favorably reviewed in the past. Museum visitors can visit the sites via a projection screen or a bank of computers. The featured Web sites include hypertext fiction, a parody of a corporate Web site, abstract animations, live action, some playful interactivity, a weird Java applet, and much more. The museum page has the links.
Whitney: http://www.whitney.org/exhibition/2kb_fs.html
Fruit Fly Genome Sequenced, Available for Your Analysis
Scientists at gene sequencing company Celera have announced that they fully sequenced the DNA of the fruit fly - Drosophila melanogaster, to be precise. You probably already know that good ol' D. melanogaster is one of the most closely studied organisms in biology, contributing great gobs of knowledge to our understanding of genetics. The article "A Fruitful Collaboration" comments on what it all means. You'll find the formal announcement of the sequence in your March 24 issue of Science, but if you're deprived of that esteemed journal, try downloading it from Celera or ordering it on CD-ROM. The Berkeley Drosophila Genome Project (BDGP) collaborated with Celera on the feat, and hosts a truly fly site dedicated to the insect.Collaboration: http://www.celera.com/celerascience/news/pageone/commentary_3_24.cfm
Science: http://www.sciencemag.org/content/vol287/issue5461/cover.shtml
Download: http://www.celera.com/celerascience/download2.cfm
BDGP: http://www.fruitfly.org/
Latest NEAR Spacecraft Images and Movie
Last week, NASA renamed the NEAR spacecraft now orbiting the asteroid Eros as NEAR Shoemaker, in honor of the late Eugene Shoemaker, best known for his co-discovery of the comet which slammed into Jupiter in 1994 and less known, though considerably respected, for his contributions to the Apollo project and our understanding of the Moon. NEAR is taking spectacular movies and stills of the asteroid and even obtaining some bonus science as a result of an opportune solar flare. Neat stuff.Images: http://near.jhuapl.edu/iod/archive.html
Shoemaker: http://wwwflag.wr.usgs.gov/USGSFlag/Space/Shoemaker/
The unexpected and baffling results of recent extrasolar observations have been driving solar system formation theoreticians bonkers. The latest findings offer no relief in the challenges to orthodox views of planet formation. Using an infrared telescope in Hawaii and a new supersensitive camera to examine a region of the Orion Nebula where new stars are forming, UK astronomers have discovered evidence of over 100 brown dwarfs, stars insufficiently massive to trigger main sequence nuclear fusion. They also found 13 large free-floating planets not bound to any particular star system. The site contains a nicely written news release, and links to JPEG, GIF and TIFF images of the central part of the nebula where these discoveries were made. The creativity of the universe just keeps surprising us.
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=1211
Describing itself only as a group of concerned individuals, SOS/Save Our Satellites has launched a plan to save Iridium's high-flying, financially grounded network of 66 communications satellites. The satellites can provide paging and telephony services to almost any location in the world. As brilliant as the service is, it's expensive to maintain, and what's left of Iridium has expressed interest in, uh, de-orbiting them for the tax write-off. SOS doesn't want to see that happen and, utilizing partnerships and merchandising to raise funds, they want us all to chip in and create "the world's first orbiting Open Source public network." They'll take money, brains, or both. There is a suspicious lack of names and content on the site but some intriguing ways of raising money, like credit card deals with major institutions. And you can't ignore the possibility of free T-shirts.
SOS: http://www.saveiridium.com/
iridium: http://www.motorola.com/satellite/info/
Hatfield-McCoy Feud Family Reunion
Hatfields and McCoys. In the US, you can't say one without the other. Over 100 years ago, in Pikeville, Ky., the celebrated family feud nominally began over ownership of a prize hog (the courts awarded the hog to the Hatfields). The families, fiercely loyal to kin, began a feud that eventually saw 12 people dead and which sealed a place in American lore. In June, Hatfields, McCoys, distant relatives, and revelers of all types will gather in Pikeville to bury the hatchet at the first ever Hatfield-McCoy Family Reunion. Planned activities include an equestrian event, a mountain bike ride, a unity service celebrating the peace between the two families, a marathon, and a ballroom dance featuring Civil War re-enactors. No word yet if they're serving pork.McCoys: http://www.real-mccoys.com/
Hatfields: http://hatfield2000.cyberriver.net/
The latest issue of Netsurfer Science is just out. We've got ice lakes, cold bugs, secrets of the quartz watch, Sun spacecraft (no, not the computer company...though the idea has a certain odd appeal), environmental hazards of dead bodies, twinkies, and all the people who have ever lived. Don't tell us we're not action packed! Read, and subscribe if you like it.
NSS 03.06: http://www.netsurf.com/nss/nss.03.06.html
NSS Subscribe: http://www.netsurf.com/nss/subscribe.html
ONLINE CULTURE
Free Software Guru Richard Stallman Interview
Richard Stallman, who started the GNU Project and the Free Software Foundations, is best known as one of the most outspoken and respected proponents of the free software movement. In this Wired audio interview, he talks about free software, expands on his call for a boycott of Amazon.com over its patent policy, weighs in on the whole online music-sharing phenomenon, and gives some advice to budding free software authors. Also not to be missed is Richard's rendition of the "Free Software Song".Interview: http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,35143,00.html
Song: http://www.cygnus.com/~jsm/freesoftwareSong.html
Web Design Guru Lynda Weinman Interview
Webreference.com has a good interview with Lynda Weinman, author of numerous best-selling Web-design books. Lynda talks about designing for the Web, but also touches on her career and beginnings, the practice of virtual work, and online technology. Worth reading, particularly after you visit her impeccably designed site, which holds tons of common-sense design advice, a schedule of her classes, and discussion areas centered around common Web layout software. It's a great resource site for professional and beginner Web designers.Interview: http://www.webreference.com/graphics/greats/lynda/
Lynda's Site: http://www.lynda.com/
SURFING SITES
Ian McKellan's 'Lord of the Rings' Diary
Want all the details from the set of the new "Lord of the Rings" (LOTR) in New Zealand? Sir Ian McKellan's site, like his acting, is wonderful in so many ways. He gives details about the upcoming film (he's Gandalf) and, most precious of all, a regular diary about his filming experience and weird little trivia about the movie itself. He describes the problems involved in creating convincing hobbits out of full-sized actors, the issues of perspective on set (they have two Bag End's, one for hobbit perspective and one human-sized, which they can splice together), and he answers lots of your nosy questions. Sir Ian even confesses to being a big fan of movie theme parks. His intriguing site offers enough behind-the-scenes LOTR gossip to engage any film buff. Don't forget to backtrack to the main site to see his comments on his other projects, including this summer's "X-Men".http://www.mckellen.com/cinema/lotr/index.htm
Fans of science fiction and fantasy crowd Usenet groups and Web sites, and scatter their ideas and information across the Internet. Xenite.org has long collected links, ideas, and writing from the hard-core SF cultists and packaged them for Web consumption. No surface glaze here - Xenite offers profound analysis and conversation on everything from Tarzan to Xena. Download some of the valuable and provocative autorespond files - the one about the subtext of the Xena/Gabrielle relationship, for example, is well researched and food for thought.
http://www.xenite.org/
Talk of piracy on the Internet usually involves cracks, numbers, and some version of the phrases "warez" and "3l33t doodz". The fact section of Pirates! does actually touch on the computer variety, but focuses more on the history - and the present - of the traditional version on the high seas. The portion of this site that deals with pirate legends also covers the fiction most of us have been exposed to, from the swashbuckling bravado of Errol Flynn to the dashing derring-do of Basil Rathbone. Krzysztof Wilczynski and Genki Mine created this scurvy Web tribute as a ThinkQuest contest entry and it has now developed a life of its own, along with really cool Jolly Roger T-shirts and its own domain.
http://www.piratesinfo.com/
Just How Satisfied Are You? (and Other Tests)
Wondering whether to fish or cut bait? Emode's Relationship Satisfaction Test offers 96 questions designed to test the vista of your present twosome. It evaluates your commitment, communication, and shared interests, among other aspects. Here's a hint: If you have to take a satisfaction test to see how your relationship is doing, it's not doing so well. Fortunately, that's not all you can test yourself on. While you're at the site, block out your calendar with the Wedding Date Predictor, find out if you're a sex god or goddess, and dig up what breed of dog you are. Tell them a German Shepherd sent you.Relationship: http://www.emode.com/tests/rel_sat.html
Emode: http://www.emode.com/
Your Guide to the Technological Lifestyle
Home networks, personal firewalls, Web refrigerators, connected cars - many of us will have to wait a while for these and other technological marvels of e-consumerism. But everywhere you turn, it seems, you hear the hype, and some really are available already. So we see a bright future for Technocopia, which takes its cue from consumer magazines, newspaper columns, and lifestyle hubs. Letters from readers, for example, cover virtual fishtanks, home repair management software, cabling, and other topics trendy, practical, or both. The Pet Tech section touches on microchip IDs and an automatic cat litter box while the Transportation section looks at buying cars online and the flying SkyCar. Parents may want to check out the Smart Toys section. Right now, mere information hogs most of the site, but we can foresee integration with catalogues and product and services support. Add this to your list of ultimate gadget sites.http://www.technocopia.com/
Tankers full of newfangled audio and video boxes are a-birthin', and we don't mean just DVD. A TV is no longer distinguished by its screen size alone; soon, potatoes are going to have to get off the couch and decide to go with one of two HDTV formats, or just plain old lower definition digital TV. Audiophiles have to absorb info not only pertaining to new audio formats and recorders, but also Sony's new Super Audio CD format, which promises ten times the sound resolution of regular CDs. Confused? Worried? The Ecoustics site rounds up great consumer-oriented articles from many reputable magazines covering the home electronics industry. It's all you'll need to stay hip to the times.
http://ecoustics.com/
This site is either proof that you can have your cake and eat it too, a computer-generated retelling of Sunday in the Park with George, or an experiment in sub-atomic particle collisions run amok. Or perhaps not. We may have dozed off midway through the performance, but we can tell you that there is plenty of flashing in the pan, a quasi-operatic soundtrack, and - though we could be wrong about this - we thought we detected an electrical surcharge. Or is that discharge? At any rate, if you have some time on your side, just sit back and let it roll over you like a snargetic presumption.
http://www.snarg.net/
The Fuselage That Never Flew - Commercially
Simply put, since the 1940s, the Burnelli Aircraft company has been alleging that the US government and a cartel of aeronautics manufacturers and banks have ignored the safer, far better Burnelli fuselage design in order to further their financial interests. Whether or not you agree with the accusation of cartel collusion, take a look at the Burnelli Lifting Body, which features supposedly less hazardous fuel tank placement and other safety and efficiency design improvements on the modern commercial carrier paradigm. Nine planes using the design were built and successfully used from the 1920s through the 1930s. The site has photos and drawings for engineering and design enthusiasts.http://www.aircrash.org/
For Newbie Europeans and Others
Many Europeans are only now discovering the Internet, including the French, long enamored of phone-based Minitel. "Searching the World Wide Web: A Basic Tutorial", an online course designed by two librarians at the Netherlands' Tilburg University, will seem a bit of a blast from the past for Net veterans. To wit: "A large amount of computer software is also available on the Internet.... On the Internet, you can find newspapers, popular magazines, and scientific and general journals." Newbies and instructors, though, may find this Eurocentric course invaluable. It covers a huge amount of territory with admirable structure and concision so that you never feel overwhelmed. Main points are illustrated with links. The Ask an Expert and List of URLs pages contain resources that may be new even to Net vets. All in all, it's pretty classy.http://cwis.kub.nl/~dbi/english/instruct/www/indexuk.htm
Good Resource for Newbie Surfers
While sites for newbies are becoming increasingly common, this one is simple and to the point, with links everywhere. With Tips and Tricks, you get the lowdown on everything from emptying your cache to organizing bookmarks to downloading graphics. Even the most hard-nosed surfers can appreciate the lessons on how to avoid scams, and the basic stuff regarding chat-rooms and newsgroups will hold the interest of anyone bemused about the systems involved.http://www.about-the-web.com/
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Items our staff likes and you might too. Click on the image or title to order at a hefty discount from our affiliate Amazon.com, and send a few pennies our way as well.
Hitching: Tales from the Byways and Superhighways
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MP3: The Definitive Guide
Code Complete: A Practical Handbook of Software Construction
American Beauty: Original Motion Picture ScoreONLINE TRAVEL
From Wheels to Keel - and around the World
This is that internet rarity - a must-see Web site. Beautifully crafted and expertly designed, it tells the ongoing story of a very brave man, Vincent Lauwers, who is a paraplegic. On December 19 last year, Vincent set off for a solo sail around the world, to raise money for paraplegic and disabled kids. His diary, e-mailed to the site every week, makes riveting reading. It's an incredible voyage undertaken by an incredible man.http://www.parasail.com.au/
Indigenous tribes of the Americas may never fully reclaim their languages, religions, and cultures, but some in Canada are using the Net to rekindle their vitality. Aboriginal Digital Collections, a Canadian government program, is funding hundreds of Web sites produced mostly by Aboriginal youth groups and businesses. The home page tells how groups can get involved, and links take you to the interesting stuff: sites displaying art, music, history, native languages, and information about the more than 20,000 Aboriginal-owned businesses nationwide. The sites stand on their own merit, but they've also served as instructive, creative rites of passage for kids who might otherwise remain severed from their cultural roots.
http://aboriginalcollections.ic.gc.ca/
FLOTSAM & JETSAM
Alexei Shulgin has invented a new art form, making pictures on a Web site out of the dialogue boxes and buttons of HTML forms. If he says it's art, who are we to argue? Take a look and decide for yourself.http://www.c3.hu/hyper3/form/
With Blindsurf, you won't be surfing blind. Quite the contrary. Blindsurf is a collection of human-reviewed, quality Web sites in various categories, all of which can be delivered randomly. Pick a category and you'll be taken to a random site. For more sites, just keep whackin' the "next" button.
http://www.blindsurf.com/
Our Netsurfer learned that her next decimal birthday (every thousandth day) arrives Sunday, January 27, 2002. Her minor decimal birthday (10,400th day) is a bit sooner, so she's getting the beer ready, hoping for some cool people to start hanging around, hungry for a swingin' time.
http://www.jarusa.com/birthday/
You could call this an entire city search engine on a single page. You'll find all the essential links to the city, including activities, sports, government, media, commerce, guides and more.
http://www.december.com/places/sfo/blue.html
The Mayberry FAQ is a truly delightful collection of facts about Andy, Barney and the entire gang at Mayberry. Search the database by keyword (Darlings, for example) or browse by character. If you have any questions you can always e-mail Floyd.
http://www.zille.com/griffith/faq.asp
Nothing beats a book sale. Church sales and library fundraisers carry a wide range of stock, often donated by reviewers or people who can't be bothered taking them to second-hand shops. This site lets sellers reach buyers with details.
http://www.booksalefinder.com/
Overwhelmed by offers in your mailbox and on the Web? Check out the Deal Dude, a collection of short reviews of sites that offer online sales, coupons, and freebies. It has a bit of attitude, and useful sites. House hunters, for example, can follow the "Best Loan Deals" link.
http://dealdude.com/
E-Save: Redemption for Coupon Believers
Even if you hate the coupon/rebate mail-in drill, E-Save might convert you. Choose from a list of items from pantyhose to Lean Cuisine. Buy the stuff, send in the receipts, and E-Save says you'll get a check inside of two weeks. Note: we're not saying the privacy policy isn't there, but we sure couldn't find it.http://www.e-save.com/
Interested in antiques? Try this feature-packed site for lovers of the old and valuable for everything from chat boards to auction news.
http://ave.vwh.net/antiquecast/
SOFTWARE
BeOS 5.0 Released, Freely Licensed
The Be operating system is kind of consigned to the third world of media coverage, as if it were a poor cousin of Linux. Nevertheless, BeOS has plenty of fans and advanced features aimed at multimedia users and developers. This version comes free for personal use, and you can install it on any Windows machine without having to repartition your hard drive. If you've got the time, it's definitely worth installing BeOS and comparing it with Linux and Windows, even more so if you're really into digital multimedia.http://www.be.com/products/freebeos/
Microsoft Releases Explorer 5.0 for Macintosh
A year after releasing Explorer 5.0 for the Windows platform, Microsoft has finally ported the Web browser to the Mac. It works with System 7.6.1 and up and has a new feature called the Auction Manager that keeps track of auction sites - bids, closing times, item delivery, that kind of thing. Sounds useful. You can't miss it on the Microsoft Mactopia site.http://www.microsoft.com/mac/default.asp
The leading Linux distribution gets an update. You can download the whole package from the Web site, or wait a couple of weeks to order the CD-ROMs. In addition to improved installation/configuration options, there's a new kernel, a bunch of security updates, and the usual set of package updates. You'll find much more info at the Red Hat site.
http://www.redhat.com/
Everybody's favorite scripting language has a new version, with many, many new features of deep interest to programmers. Rather then wasting e-mail space with the details we'll let you grab the feature list from the Perl.org announcement.
http://www.news.perl.org/