MIDDLE EAST TERRORISM: THE BLOOD OF INNOCENTS
An explosion and metal shards tore through the body of 12-year-old Yovav Levy, killing him, because some men decided peace was a threat. Certain Israelis and Palestinians have made painfully obvious in recent months and days their intention to blow peace and democracy - along with the lives of children and innocents - right out of the Middle East. This page provides lists of victims of recent Israeli bombings, a form for sending your remarks or condolences, and other info. "http://shani.net/terror/"
NETSCAPE 2.0 JAVA SECURITY HOLE AND FIX
The culprit is the Java Applet Security Manager, a small section of software that ensures a Java applet can only contact the host from which it is downloaded. The Security Manager figures out which computer it came from by querying the Domain Name System (DNS), and DNS spoofing by hackers could result in access to computers behind a firewall. Netscape has a fix available for downloading, with more technical information. It appears that Sun's JDK development kit is also affected. Further info is available from CERT. Netscape Fix: "http://home.netscape.com/newsref/std/java_security.html" CERT: "ftp://info.cert.org/pub/cert_advisories/CA-96.05.java_applet_security_mgr"
NETSCAPE JAVA SCRIPT SECURITY HOLE AND NO FIX (YET)
The language, JavaScript - not the same as Sun's Java language - allows Web servers to 1) secretly record file names (only) from a websurfer's hard drive, and 2) secretly induce a websurfer's computer to send e-mail to a third party. Netscape announced they will introduce version 2.01, which will eliminate these bugs and allow users to turn off JavaScript, next week. The following two pages have more information on these and other possible security problems with JavaScript. "http://www.c2.org/~aelana/javascript.html" "http://www.osf.org/~loverso/javascript/"
YET MORE SERIOUS SECURITY PROBLEMS WITH WINDOWS WEB SERVERS
NT Netscape server, Website, and Microsoft Internet Information Server are vulnerable. It's possible for hackers to execute arbitrary DOS commands on these servers because they can pass commands unchecked to the DOS command interpreter. Patches are available for the Microsoft server, but the others remain vulnerable. More technical details are available at these sites. "http://www.netcraft.com/security/http/cgi_dos.html" "http://www.omna.com/iis-bug.htm"
FREE WORLD DIALUP MEANS FREE LONG DISTANCE PHONE SERVICE
The basic idea is simple. Patch Internet phone services to regular phone lines, allowing anyone with access to a phone free international phone calls. Next, find a horde of volunteers who are willing to set up a PC and a phone line in every city. Give them the software and some training, and all of a sudden you have a free international phone network. That's just what the well organized Free World Dialup team is doing. They've launched their project and are looking for volunteers to help grow the non-commercial network. No reaction so far from the telcos but then, they have the reflexes of clay. "http://www.pulver.com/fwd/"
NEW SURVEY CHARTS WHICH SERVERS ARE MOST POPULAR
Netcraft has just completed a survey of 135,396 Web servers to find out which are the most popular. The NCSA Server (28%) narrowly beat out up-and-coming Apache (27%). As expected, Netscape (17%) is swiftly gaining market share. So are Windows NT-based servers (8%), despite a serious security flaw (see above). Results as well as links to all the servers are available. "http://www.netcraft.co.uk/survey/"
Legislation recently introduced by Sen. Patrick Leahy would relax export controls by transferring cryptographic export control to the US Commerce Department, create legal rules for key escrow agents, affirm the freedom to sell cryptographic products in the US, and criminalize the use of cryptography to obstruct a felony investigation. The full text of the bill, an analysis, and other interesting crypto news can be found at the Epic site. "http://washofc.epic.org/crypto/"
STRIFE: NEW DOOM-LIKE GAME PREVIEW AVAILABLE
Time for a break. Velocity software, known for its Spectre VR and Jet Fighter II games, just released two demo levels of this PC game for free download from their site. The game uses the familiar Doom rendering engine but adds interaction with characters who populate the game world. Needless to say, downloads have been heavy. "http://www.velocitygames.com/"
ONLINE LEGISLATION AND THE HUMOR IMPERATIVE
What better way to fight recent legislative idiocy than mockery? Predictably, you'll find plenty on the Web. Two of the better examples aim at US efforts to curb free speech on the Net. Regulate the Internet Your Way is a clever generator of your very own "(New and Improved) Telecommunications Act of 1996". Simply fill in a form, push the appropriately titled "Impose My Morality" button, and off you go. The euphonious eXonizer, on the other hand, is a cleansing script which will display your favorite web page scrubbed clean of all filth and prurient slime. Think of it as kind of a World Wide Web intellectual enema. Regulate: "http://fovea.retina.net/cgi-bin/gecko/regulate.cgi" eXonizer: "http://www.global-image.com/eXonizer/"
This site has Internet history, netiquette, search engines, and everything you need to know about the Net whether you're a newbie or not. Peruse advice about being care with e-mail, misinterpreted humour, emoticons, and all that stuff you might not know until someone flames you. It's all here like a patient friend to help you through the hot spots. "http://www.vip.at/cfeichtner/"
CAT PAINTING - BY CATS, NOT WITH THEM
We often think we, as humans, have mastered certain aspects of achievement, notable examples being writing, computer programming, junk food, and last but not least, art. But this page shows just how arrogant our species can be. The Why Cats Paint Home Page spotlights the art of a different cat every day with a short bio of the painter, and an image of artist at work. Consider this article stained with e-tears of laughter. One exhibit showed Gumbie, an ex-cat, whose works have tripled in price to $5000 since his untimely death. It showed Gumbie at work completing "Aviary Arsonist" at home in Toronto. This is too stupid for words. Human stupidity and gullibility has reached their ultimate pinnacles. This is the "capo di tutti stupido". "http://www.netlink.co.nz/"%7Emonpa/index.html
For once, a site where "under construction" means just that. Marc Hernandez's small program, RndPic, uses a genetic algorithm to generate striking graphic images reminiscent of yet quite different than fractals. The v0.5 DOS beta release of the generator is here though it is either broken or simply crawls on a Pentium/120. What better idea then to create a home page for the program! You're best advised to just admire the collection of largish pre-generated sample images. Admit it, wouldn't you love to know how RndPic graphs this equation: abs((-abs(var[1])^((-97/-((var[0]^(abs(68)^var[1]))/var[0]))-abs(-var[0])))) ? Come visit for the satisfying solution. "http://id.mind.net/~marc/rndpic/rndpic.html"
This surpisingly rich site salutes the art and craft of small cinema - small as in 8 mm, personal cinema. Crisply designed (you are using Netscape, aren't you?) and adorned with photos and graphics of old movie equipment, the pages offer discourses on editing, splicing, and processing techniques. Historical selections offer small treatises on topics such as movieolas and Super 8. There is also an excellent collection of motion picture laboratories organized by region and presented in a tabular form annotated with personal comments. Links to other film sites round out the offerings. Don't go directly to "INFO" or you'll miss the main but curiously unobvious navigational image map at the top of the first page. "http://www.city-net.com/~fodder/index.html"
Short on explanation but long on visual excitement, Hitachi's "Viewseum" is an extensive showcase for its Digital Image System (DIS). DIS is a computerized process for digitizing and restoring images. Examples abound with selections from prominent art museums along with photos in categories such as Flowers, Skydiving, and Sea Life. The clarity and intensity of these graphics is stunning, particularly in light of the small file sizes. Not really sure? Compare a few of the "before" and "after DIS" shots to assuage your disbelief. You'll enjoy wandering here because the pages naturally guide you on your journey. The only lingering question: how quickly can we see images of this quality elsewhere on the Net? "http://www.cmg.hitachi.com/"
Tasmanian photographer Tony Ryan's home page offers a sampling of erotic art. These are beautiful, downloadable examples of the photographer's skill and sensitivity. A fuller catalogue can be gleaned through the various connections made available. He also offers a limited edition volume of his prints via subscription. His commentaries on Net censorship and his philosophy of photography are worthwhile reading. "http://pigweb.com/tonyr.htm"
The only thing missing from the Edgewise Cafe is the smell of espresso wafting through the air. As soon as RealScent is available, we're sure they'll have it. This is more than just a poetry site, this is interactive art for artists. Poems are available in text, RealAudio, and QuickTime movie formats. Wednesdays, they sponsor a live poetry workshop and Telepoetics, an interactive audiovisual medium that functions like a worldwide open mike. "http://vanbc.wimsey.com/~hhaley/edgewisecafe/"
ANOTHER SITE DESTINED FOR 15 MINUTES OF ARTISTIC FAME
Is this highly creative or simply another technoid, cuteoid, inane, animated, difficult-to-view site? You'll have to decide for yourself and see some of the "never-seen before content" like their dreamstate stories. To enter the world of the really strange, go to the site and click on consciousness, then on consciousness again. "http://www.spectacle.com/"
Hitch, the e-zine of the above, features a range of weirded out stuff which is brilliant if you're into satire, sarcasm, and the odd fruitcake site. David Hasselhoff's Baywatch Diary, the all-consuming Mentos Site, various articles such as "Your Rectum, Your Friend" and "Lustful Livestock" - it's got it all. Even an analysis of the self-satisfying board game, Beat-O-Matic, definitely worth a look. Good attitude and great content - too bad it seems to be orphaned. "http://www.ionet.net/~twilken/hitched.shtml"
A gay mag based in London, it has a predominance of pubs/clubs/lifestyle type stuff, and more than a few rude and nude shots if you're keen. They accept submissions of articles and information, and have a personals section, advertising, and a "What's On" page with takes on music, film/book reviews, shopping, and all that stuff you look for in a paper mag. Juicy and useful. "http://www.dircon.co.uk/qxmag/"
Le Coq Sportif is a Web-zine bringing the world of hockey to the Net. This fast-growing, slick e-zine hosts a wealth of information on current standings, team composition and statistics, as well as daily updates of television broadcast schedules. This is a very impressive e-zine, with a professional look and feel that will present hockey fans with a no-nonsense avenue to the statistics, both on an individual and team basis, and the box scores that they so desperately crave. Of particular interest is the Stanley Cup Odds page, which lists the current chances of the Ottawa Senators taking the Stanley Cup at 9328732-1. Whoohooo! Go, Senators! "http://www.canadas.net/sports/Sportif/"
PUBLISHERS' CLEARINGHOUSE, LITERALLY
The Writers and Publishers Resource site offers general interest filler articles for sale. Topics range from business and economy, to entertainment and food, to kid stuff and government. Writers submit their features and short articles to be listed at the site, and publishers and editors can order their articles by e-mail. There's also a free newsletter, sent by e-mail. E-mail: jayfox@ionet.net "http://www.ionet.net/~jayfox/"
Great graphics and a wild sense of humor grace "geekgirl", an Australian women's magazine. This zine has an amazing array of features, from mermaids and myths to Australian women writers and artists. And don't miss SPRACI (Sydney Party, Rave, and Club Information). It's enough to make you want to, well, go down under! "http://www.geekgirl.com.au/"
Comet watchers both professional and amateur are nearly frothing at the mouth over the recently discovered Comet Hyakutake. It promises to be big and bright, or so they say (remember Haley?). It's already zoomed onto the Net, where basic info along with the latest photographs are available at several sites including Sky & Telescope magazine, the Comet Observation Home Page, and the Comet C/1996 B2 Hyakutake home page. Hyakutake will blast by Earth the evening of March 25, when NASA is organizing the Night of the Comet, a "virtual star party". Digital images snapped through telescopes all over the world will be posted throughout the night, allowing those with cloudy skies at home to follow the comet over the Net. Sky & Telescope: "http://www.skypub.com/comets/hyaku2.html" Observation: "http://encke.jpl.nasa.gov/" Hyakutake: "http://newproducts.jpl.nasa.gov/comet/hyakutake/" Night: "http://ccf.arc.nasa.gov/comet/"
This is your standard home page for your not so standard group: the International Association of Bloodstain Pattern Analysts (IABPA). You'll find the usual boring suspects - membership info, related links, etc. But what's this? A link to a "Sim-Crime Scene". Here's the meat! Effectively using Netscape 2.0 frames, you're presented with a (V-chip warning: graphic) photo of a crime victim. Clicking on emphasized regions yields blood spatter closeups with explanations. Use your growing analytical skills to dissect the scene while you wait for the overloaded server to deliver your next clue. For all you Simpson trial fans, test your DNA knowledge by matching alleles to randomly generated DQ-Alpha strips. Hats off to Monroe Chin-See, the innovative designer. "http://www.shadow.net/~noslow/index.html"
Ever ask yourself, "Where can I find ALL the sources of info on artificial life on the Net?" Fret no more - your artificial fantasy has become real. The Artificial Life Home Page is your connection to "Artificial Pets with Real Brains", "Primordial Soup", and many more. Links are organized by both location and area of application. Have extracurricular reading material handy. "http://kant.irmkant.rm.cnr.it/u/gral/luigi/lupa_algames.html"#quick
Siberia, Mongolia, and other areas of the ex-Soviet Union are the stomping grounds of researchers of the onion-domed Russian Paleontological Institute (RPI), the largest institution of its kind. The Institute lacks a wire to the Web, but it has loaned some virtual exhibits to UC-Berkeley's Museum of Paleontology, which has established a stateside Web site for the Institute. Photos of exhibits at RPI carry explanatory text, and are linked to the Berkeley museum's own pages. Unfortunately, the photos are fairly washed out, though they do make one look forward to the day when the Moscow museum will be online. "http://ucmp1.berkeley.edu/pin.html"
A site for consumers, Medical Breakthroughs provides news from medical centers and research labs around the US. The content changes every few days. Patients and relatives will find names and addresses of health professionals to contact for further information about current topics. Consultation Room, a collection of threaded discussion groups, provides a tailored alternative to Usenet. For a price, you can order video news reports, research papers, and transcripts of interviews. Journalists in particular should visit this site for background and ideas. "http://www.ivanhoe.com/"
MAY YOU NEVER NEED THIS PROSTATE INFO
The Prostate Cancer InfoLink is bound to get a lot of visits. The site provides concise information about the disease, its treatment, and personal and social issues. It's growing. Patients and visitors can access a specialized dictionary, send questions and receive answers, read clinical reviews and news items, or submit letters, personal experiences, and book and video reviews. Here's a good example of how the Web is starting to break down barriers between patients and care providers. "http://www.comed.com/Prostate/index.html"
EINSTEIN RELATIVITY MANUSCRIPT, SOVIET SPACE STUFF FOR SALE
Want to peek into the mind of Albert Einstein or own a space capsule? Check out Sotheby's, which will auction off Einstein's earliest surviving manuscript on the Theory of Relativity and Soviet space memorabilia March 16. The Einstein pages include an Eisenstaedt photo of Einstein and Robert Oppenheimer. The Space History link offers pics of 16 of the 400 auction lots, including a dog space suit. "http://www.sothebys.com/Auction/auction.html"
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