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BREAKING SURF
The games officially begin August 17, though competitors are already converging on the Bay Area region. The extreme sports extravaganza kicked off this week with some thrilling pre-qualifying street luge action on a fog enshrouded hill in San Francisco. Other events in this free-to-the-public spectacle include skateboarding, aggressive inline skating (don't you just love the hype?), and bicycle stunt riding. Of course, the whole shebang's just an excuse to market to hormonal, adrenaline-enhanced teenagers, but the events still do have a certain slackers-on-skateboards kind of charm. As of press time, the usually reliable ESPN oddly had no coherent Web site for Summer X-Games 2000. Unusual for a major media company, especially with the event less than a week away.Spectator Info: http://expn.go.com/xgames/schedule/s/compschedule.html
TV Listings: http://expn.go.com/tv/s/xgames.html
CSS HL Hunley: Confederate Submarine Recovered
Six score and 16 years ago, the CSS HL Hunley rammed an explosive torpedo-on-a-stick into the Union blockade ship USS Housatonic in US Civil War action. The Housatonic sank, and so did the Hunley. This marked the first time a submarine sank a warship, something that would not happen again for over 50 years. An expedition to recover the Hunley has just succeeded in raising the sub from the bottom of the ocean. The ship is heavily encrusted with silt; it will take about seven years to completely restore it. The salvagers believe the bodies of the sub's last crew are still entombed within it. CNN has a short article on the discovery and raising of the sub and you can find a great deal of first-class historical information on the US Navy military history Web pages, including the famous Conrad Wise Chapman painting. It makes for fascinating reading. Oh - CSS stands for Confederate States Ship, a vessel of the navy of the Confederate States of America.Salvagers: http://www.hunley.org/
Story: http://www.cnn.com/2000/US/08/08/hunley.01/index.html
History: http://www.history.navy.mil/branches/org12-3.htm
Context: http://www.history.navy.mil/branches/org12-7b.htm
Aimster: AOL Instant Messenger and File Trading
A new piece of software has a rather novel approach to Napster-like file trading. Aimster integrates with AOL Instant Messenger, already used by millions of people worldwide, and allows you to easily trade files with people on your buddy lists. AOL, traditionally protective of its instant messaging turf, has so far shown no significant reaction to Aimster. Somebody's bound to threaten the deep pockets of AOL with a file-sharing copyright lawsuit soon....http://www.aimster.com/index.php3
Two new Palm handheld models met the consumer market this week. The VIIx is just the wireless VII with extra memory. The more interesting of the two is the m100. Aside from a funky rounded case the little handheld features color detachable faceplates, a concept made popular by similar Nokia phone accessories. With a price of only $149, the M100 becomes the new entry-level device in the Palm family. Those who revel in speculation will note that Palm released the device just in time for back-to-school season and might guess that it's meant to hook students on the joys of Palm devices. Palm also announced an Ethernet cradle for the Palm III and VII series. The press release has all the details.
Press Release: http://www.palm.com/about/pr/080700b.html
Palm m100: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004VWM3/netsurferdigest
Palm VIIx: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004WHIL/netsurferdigest
RemarQ Usenet Portal Shutting Down
One of the few remaining Web-based Usenet portals, RemarQ will retire August 15. RemarQ, a free service, hasn't revealed its reasons, but we speculate that advertising revenue isn't paying the bills and venture capital has ceased flowing. A terse message on the home page announces the impending closure, which leaves Deja.com as the only large Usenet Web portal left. Meanwhile, RemarQ's parent company is still offering personal Usenet accounts under its considerably-less-free Supernews brand.RemarQ: http://www.remarq.com/
Deja.com: http://www.deja.com/usenet/
Supernews: http://www.supernews.com/indi_acct_info.html
Java Opens Security Hole in Netscape Browser
A rather serious security hole in Netscape's implementation of Java has come to light. This CERT advisory has the details - briefly, malicious Java applets can read any file on your computer. A tool imaginatively named Brown Orifice demonstrates this vulnerability, turning your computer into a Web server which serves up files on your hard drive to the Net. This is about as bad as it gets in security holes. We suggest not playing with the Brown Orifice (no snickering please!) unless you really know what you're doing - that includes trying the demo. The immediate fix is to turn off Java in your browser, at least when you're browsing untrusted sites. At press time. Netscape is scrambling to release a fix.CERT: http://www.cert.org/advisories/CA-2000-15.html
Brown Orifice: http://www.brumleve.com/BrownOrifice/
The usually stodgy IBM has been scoring brownie points with the geek community lately with its strong embrace of Linux. The point count goes up with an announcement this week that IBM researchers have managed to cram Linux into a wristwatch computer. The press release from IBM lacks technical details but an article in CNet has some scoop on physically tiny Linux computers. Linuxdevices.com has a picture of the computer, and a good interview with Alex Morrow, who led the Linux project at IBM.
IBM: http://www.ibm.com/news/2000/08/072.phtml
CNet: http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1006-200-2456857.html
Picture: http://www.linuxdevices.com/files/misc/IBM-linuxwatch-pen.gif
Interview: http://www.linuxdevices.com/articles/AT9330943155.html
More New Planets Than You Can Shake a Journal at
Two thousand astronomers from 87 countries spent 11 days at the University of Manchester, UK, for the 24th International Astronomical Union's General Assembly. The events range from pure science to matters of international policy, and all throughout various entities announced new developments of general interest. Among a number of exciting finds is the discovery of many new planets and the possibility of multi-planet systems, supporting the contention of some at the meeting that astronomers are discovering new planets faster than they can write reports. Also at the gathering, leading astronomers from a number of different countries signed agreements to begin planning a radiotelescope 100 times larger than anything that exists today. At least 10 countries would cooperate to design the Square Kilometre Array, with construction tentatively starting in 2010. Look through the press releases, these guys are busy.http://www.iau.org/ga24press/
Hacking and cracking have made their way to the masses. Software originally designed to allow parents to record their children's activity on the home computer has been re-branded as software that adults can use to spy on each other. Keystroke capture programs are nothing new, but the twist of couples using the technology to monitor each other for cyber-adultery is. Cheating spouses don't despair - we're sure a counter-hack will be available soon. The Washington Post has all the unfortunate details.
http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A52154-2000Aug7.html
Psst, Buddy - Wanna Buy a Mailing List?
Yahoo, eBay, and the little known Market Logistics Group (MLG) have become the latest companies to dance in the tide of public privacy concerns. MLG tried to auction a mailing list of 200,000 American investors on both eBay and Yahoo. eBay refused to host the mailing list auction and closed down both of MLG's attempts, while Yahoo removed the offer there after three days. The selling of such lists is an established industry that has translated successfully to Web - this time, it was just a little too blatant. MLG will try it again with AskAD.com, an auction site in beta. CNet has the story and DMNews, a follow-up.CNet: http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-2457350.html
DMNews: http://www.dmnews.com/articles/2000-08-07/9877.html
AskAD: http://www.Askad.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.
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Dungeons and Dragons 3rd Edition Player's Handbook
Perl for System Administration
An Anatomy of Thought: The Origin and Machinery of Mind
Marrow
Stock Options: An Authoritative Guide to Incentive and Nonqualified Stock Options
SURFING SITES
So, 18-year-old Brett Banfe has decided he's going to be silent for an entire year. And he's putting it on the Web, with his own chat room. Of course, any parent will tell you that a teenager spending hours in his room online, not speaking, isn't that unusual. But Brett is pretty straightforward about his mission. He says he wants to inspire his peers and others with his commitment, to teach the meaning of that word. Oh, and he wants to line up a sponsor for his first words after his ordeal. Admirable. The kid who won't speak has a publicist, a cute blonde girlfriend named Andrea, and a fan club. Brett is putting up a section where you can vote on whether he can make it the entire year, although a fan club site has beaten him to the punch. We want to vote on how long it will take before Andrea says, "We never talk any more." Like so many other tragedies, this started "as a kind of a bet."Brett: http://notspeaking.com/
Fan club: http://brettfansite.tripod.com/
An entire worldwide subculture of urban archaeologists speleologise in abandoned subway stations, sewer lines, drain pipes, and maybe even those legendary maintenance tunnels under theme parks. But we doubt there are any quite as enthusiastic as the Cave Clan Australia, who call themselves the largest organized group of urban explorers. Who could have imagined that there was this much space under Down Under, let alone this many people willing to clamber through the drains of Melbourne, Sydney, and Canberra since 1986? They've even launched expeditions to the sewers of England and India. The site has expedition pictures, underground artwork and safety tips should you decide to take the, er, plunge yourself.
http://www.caveclan.org/
Superheroes and Hostess Snacks
Everyone knows fruit-filled snacks can revive even the most pulped superhero. Especially Marvel comics and their financial advisers. See the Hulk delight in the three fruit fillings and light flaky pastry only moments after being smushed by the Green Goliath, Abomination, and Wendigo. Watch agog as Superman saves the lives of some starving but plucky teens with creamy Twinkies. Stare disbelieving as Captain America gives Deserter his "just desserts" and de-zombifies the American public with the reviving pleasures of tender pastry. We're still a little stunned at how the creative geniuses behind these ads managed to slip Twinkies into every treacherous moment. If you want a reminder of how gullible you were as a youngster, check this out.http://www.seanbaby.com/hostess.htm
The Heartbreak of Chronic Windbreak
A humorous look at flatuphobia, the prejudice against people with wind, this Australians against Flatuphobia (AAF) site cleverly mimics the style and structure of awareness sites but is basically just a big gas. The AAF tells us last year's Flatulence Awareness Week was a roaring success as millions of Australians wore black shoes in support of the crusade. The stoic AAF members have posted their meeting minutes and their attempts to gain public awareness: Brian "is considering radical ideas such as disrupting events where lack of noise is required e.g. tennis matches." Go on a choose your own adventure where the AAF members test your prejudice and reveal whether you too unnecessarily turn your nose up at victims of this life- and pants-shattering affliction.http://members.dingoblue.net.au/~skinhat/
Speaking of Smelly, Why Not Add Fungus?
We dub Christian the reigning gross king of the Internet. Let's see.... Being of sound mind and body - or even unsound body - would you willingly subject your feet to organisms that cause athlete's foot and/or other infestations? Would you nurture them as they ate your flesh out from under you? Maybe, yeah, if you were drunk or something. But could you stay under the influence for three weeks? Duct-tape plastic bags to your feet to hold in heat and moisture? Drag your mom in as backup staff? We didn't think so. This grotesquely interesting site lays out the process in easily browsed pages. Keep a bowl handy if you visit too soon after eating. And wash when you're done.http://www.ontap.com/health/stinkyfeet/index.html
One of our writers is a former Washingtonian who used to plan her Beltway drive time so she could catch the broadcast of a local 90-second radio commentary, the Daily Feed. She was not alone in this practice; literally tens of her friends admit to the same. From this scientific survey, we are forced to conclude that the Daily Feed is, in fact, the cause of all that horrendous DC traffic. If only John Dryden, the creator of Frank and Max ("yet another editor..."), weren't so darn clever. The day's treat is often political satire, but the technology pieces are priceless. Literally. The most recent weekday offering is available for free download in RealAudio format, along with a handful of archived broadcasts.
http://www.dailyfeed.com/
This SF, or maybe horror, site works best for folks with the latest browser and all the bells and whistles. Low bandwidth users can access the site, but the experience will, not surprisingly, be somewhat different. Multimedia is especially nice on broadband; here, you can select different background tunes and wait only a lifetime or two for the darkly appealing graphics. Available sections of the site include a mix of older and newer Reuters items, under the heading of Whacked News (Belgians, prepare for a new tax to be levied on rainwater). Original animations, e-mail, and various forums also find space. The site offers three games and links to gaming sites. At press time, we found the message boards a bit sparse, the discussions lacking depth. That seems likely to change as the site matures. Overall, this seems to be a work in progress, but one worth watching and waiting for. The combination of graphics, sound, and navigation is decidedly nonconventional.
http://www.distantcorners.com/
No, Your Computer Is Not Possessed by Beethoven
Every once in a while, somebody with more time than we have browses Microsoft's euphemistically named Product Support Services - i.e. bug reports - for funny items. Word gets around, and with our ear to the electronic rails, we eventually overhear something. This is too good not to mention. Apparently, if your CPU fan fails, your computer will spontaneously erupt in song, playing either Beethoven's "Fur Elise" or - if you're really lucky - "It's a Small, Small World".http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q261/1/86.ASP
Irish Site for Disgruntled Workers
With its "Wasting time @ work" slogan, P45.net makes clear at the outset that it's not for the die-hard professional. In Ireland and further afield, it has become a surprise hit among disgruntled office workers and other wage-slaves everywhere. Name a problem at your workspace, and you're likely to find it discussed with startling honesty among the many participants in the site's many forums. A database of thousands of jokes arms you for tomorrow's progress review with your boss - to be quickly followed by an automatically generated resignation letter or CV. P45.net also has a free, twice-weekly e-mail newsletter, "The Five O'Clock Shadow". With its inimitable mix of irreverent and humorous material, the newsletter can massage you each Monday and Friday with the assurance that there are others out there who are experiencing the exact same thing.http://www.p45.net/
No wonder everybody at Home Depot looks so fried. Home enthusiasts spent almost 73 billion hours and $800 billion building, gardening, and pursuing a variety of hobbies last year, according to Home and Garden Publishing. If you want to know more about any of those activities, flipping through Home and Garden's Web site is a lot more fun than wandering a warehouse or watching a certain blond TV expert we love to hate whose initials are MS. The only drawback to this site is related to Home Depot syndrome: there's so much, you might get lost. On the other hand, you'll never get run over by a golf cart and you'll get some great ideas.
http://www.hgtv.com/
The 1849 California Gold Rush brought forth the same blinding greed. All and sundry are storming the gates of the Internet's many domain name registrars to get every possible variant of their favorite word or phrase as used in a domain name. RegSelect wants to help those treasure seekers budget their exploration properly. Given the many choices of registrars - more than 50 have been approved - it can be more difficult than one might expect to find the right deal. Couple to that the reality that of the ten or 20 domains registered by a single person, perhaps two will prove to be useful or valuable; the rest will establish themselves as nothing more than nuggets of fool's gold untouched. RegSelect's main table of registrars in the US for the .com, .net, and .org domains is well researched and will help educate even idle domain shoppers.
http://www.regselect.com/
ONLINE TRAVEL
Getting the Most out of Los Angeles
Without some planning and reliable advice, Los Angeles can be a multi-centric sprawl of confusion. The LA Times Calendar gives information and tips that most natives would sign off on: the best hotels, bars, restaurants, etc. But the extra value comes with the fine editorial covering outdoor music and theater, hiking trails, and little-known cultural opportunities. Angelenos looking for fresh day trips and night haunts may be inspired.http://www.calendarlive.com/visitors/
Dubai in the United Arab Emirates is definitely a hoppin' town. You can be a full-fledged tourist and take advantage of its many resources: eat out, see a show, visit a nightclub, and see if you have any energy left. The morning after, the stubborn can find out where to play golf, visit the park, or even ride a camel. DubaiCityGuide.com includes sections devoted to Tourism and Going Out, and also provides an introductory Arabic language guide. A For Kids section helps round out a visitor's needs with activities for children, and information about schools or restaurants who organize birthday parties.
http://www.dubaicityguide.com/
FLOTSAM & JETSAM
Rob's Online Marriage Proposal for Robin
Rob has proposed to Robin but hasn't told her. She's supposed to find the Web page with the proposal herself. With all the media coverage, we wonder what will happen if she says no.http://www.virtualromantic.com/robin/
A clever and all-too-snide take on the Bible, this quiz asks you to pick the correct passage from the big book and confuses us and our crack Bible support team with the terrible answers it holds.
http://www.bettybowers.com/bible.html
While shopping, have you ever turned to a stranger and asked for an opinion on a hypothetical gift? Get opinions from all over the Web on what to give someone who works too much or the perfect gift for a bris. Hint: it's not a Cuisinart.
http://www.surprise.com/
US Local Political Candidates Database
NetCampaigns.com is striving to become the Internet's largest database of political candidates. Look up your local race, or, if you're on the ballot this November, submit your bio and platform.http://www.netcampaigns.com/
SOFTWARE
The second version of Netscape 6 has been released. As you may recall, this version is based on the open-source Gecko HTML rendering engine. This version is feature complete, with the next and final preview release concentrating on bug fixes and stability. Preview 2 is not yet a particularly stable version, but is worth playing with if you want to help debug it. Notable enhancements include a functional skins capability, multiple e-mail accounts, and lots of new tabs in the My Sidebar component.http://www.netscape.com/browsers/6/index.html
Yahoo, AOL Instant Messengers Released for Unix
Instant messaging products from two of the major providers make it to Unix. The Yahoo version runs on Linux and FreeBSD. Not really a lot to say about it - it works essentially identically to the Windows version. Meanwhile, America Online has released a beta of their AIM product on Linux. If you're looking for a multiprotocol Unix IM software, may we recommend you try Everybuddy, which is compatible with Yahoo, MSN, and AOL messengers.Yahoo: http://messenger.yahoo.com/messenger/download/unix.html
AIM: http://www.aol.com/aim/Linuxbeta.html
Everybuddy: http://www.everybuddy.com/