The recent arrest of suspected Unabomber Theodore Kaczynski has unleashed an expected torrent of online mayhem. For serious news and background surrounding the developing story, tune in to the excellent Pathfinder page. Inevitably come the more bizarre contributions. The Unabomber Political Action Committee page features the top-ten reasons to vote for the Unabomber for President - along with a professional-looking campaign bumper sticker. Yes, it's satire. There's also the alt.fan.unabomber newsgroup for discussion, serious and otherwise. Pathfinder: "http://pathfinder.com/"@@DGVmyJNIVwAAQL@2/pathfinder/features/unabomber/ UPAC: "http://www.paranoia.com/unapack/"
NETSCAPE 2.01 WITH SECURITY PATCHES AVAILABLE
The latest version has a number of Java-related security patches - definitely worth installing. Full release notes are available at Netscape while the software can be found on various mirrors. Release Notes: "http://home.netscape.com/eng/mozilla/2.01/relnotes/" Sources: "ftp://ftp.netscape.com/2.01/"
Mad Cow Disease, more properly Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, has swept the global media along in some primeval herding instinct to another of those periodical hysterias. After all, what fluffy local action news team can resist implying that crazed bovines will soon rampage through the neighborhood mini-mall like so many prions through a brain? Gary Larson, where are you when we need you? The official UK page has a good chronology of the crisis dating back to 1986 as well as official statements, press releases, and a short bibliography. The University of Illinois page looks at medical aspects of the disease, while Nando Net offers a large collection of related media articles. UK: "http://www.open.gov.uk/maff/bse/bseindx.htm" Nando: "http://www.nando.net/newsroom/nt/morecow.html" Illinois.:"http://w3.aces.uiuc.edu/ansci/bse/"
Join the first South African team to attempt to climb Mt. Everest as they brave the coldest spring in 20 years and regroup. The climbers have computer hardware that lets them communicate via the Internet, and of course there's a Web site to chronicle the endeavor. The Sunday Times Everest Expedition site is so interesting, we almost forgot to take notes. You can send e-mail to the climbers, join a discussion forum, get news updates and progress reports on the adventure, and browse cool stories about the people involved. There's more than we can mention, including Everest history, so hurry on over. "http://www.web.co.za/everest/"
THE SIXTH CONFERENCE ON COMPUTERS, FREEDOM, AND PRIVACY
Those interested in the issues covered by this recently concluded conference will be well served by this site which contains concise but informative summaries of the sessions. RealAudio recordings of various sessions are also available. A random sampling of forums covered: International Developments in Cryptography; Mass Communication vs. Mass Media; Copyright and Freedom of Expression in Digital Networked Environment;and Property vs. Freedom: Beyond Copyright. "http://swissnet.ai.mit.edu/~switz/cfp96/"
That's the name of a new TV series recently seen in Canada and now playing on various PBS stations in the US. We'd like to recommend the program to all our readers, not least because our own Digest is featured in episode nine, entitled Electric Ink. A more compelling reason to watch (as if you needed more) is that aside from a broad coverage of Net issues, the programs provide a fascinating glimpse of the people behind many of the Web pages mentioned here over the years. If you've ever wondered what drives all those folks and how they work in cyberspace, then you'll enjoy the programs. The PBS site has info about the shows and broadcast schedules for your area. "http://www2.pbs.org/internet/"
INTERACT '96 VIRTUAL CONFERENCE
InterAct '96, happening April 23-35, is a virtual conference that will feature speakers and exhibits. Keynote speakers will be pre-recorded to be broadcast on the Web via ToolVox (audio) and VDOlive (video). Speakers, culled from a cross-section of the online world, will also participate in moderated chat sessions during the conference. Exhibitors will hawk their wares in VRML worlds in which attendees can interact though Avatars. If you like everything about conferences except human contact, this is the place for you. "http://www.interact96.com/"
SUN RELEASES JAVA-BASED JAVA DEVELOPMENT TOOL
The dragon eats its own tail. Sun has just released the beta version of Sun Java Workshop, a tool that helps create, test, and install Java applets. The neat thing is the whole thing is written in Java, and can be run from any Java-capable browser. A free 30-day preview is available; you can check it out at this site if you have Netscape 2.0.1 or higher. The final version is scheduled to ship in May for $295. "http://www.sun.com/sunsoft/Developer-products/java/"
Mark Paschal is a one-man campaign against "junk" e-mail. In his role as the de facto anti-spam king, Paschal's site provides the background philosophy and tactics to combat this electronic invasion. Offending firms are listed - sometimes with a "backdoor" e-mail address so you can spam them back. Various mailbots are either detailed or under construction for more automated attacks. Paschal isn't just paranoid (well, maybe...) - he's had to flee an ISP due to counterattacks by some marketing firms. For the whole picture, read up on the his dealings with "Cyber Promotions". The pages are creatively produced and feature Java support. Don't leave without checking the "Featured Spammers of the Week". "http://www.mindspring.com/~mdpas/gigo.html"
FLAMING ALIEN PSYCHIC CONSPIRACY!
No, not another Microsoft product, just the alt.alien.visitors newsgroup. From the name of the newsgroup you'd think that it would be a reasoned (ahem) discussion of alien visitors to our planet. We found a cesspit of vitriolic flames about aliens, psychic powers, and conspiracy. Not to say that it isn't entertaining; it rather was. Favorite threads include the meticulously documented "Apollo Moon Conversations Show NASA Coverup"; the "Crystal light" thread that oscillates between photographing auras and offers of cash for proof of psychic phenomenon; the assertion that "CIA has shills on usenet" with the wonderful quote: "Some UFO debunkers have been shown to be intelligence-community agents"; and finally the monumentally topical conspiracy opus "Ron Brown Silenced?" Knowledge of synonyms for "idiot" required to participate.
Eagles, American bald eagles to be precise, are John Herron's passion. Ironic, no? Herron devotes six pages to his photographs of eagles caught in various states of flight and rest. For the naturalists among you, he's also compiled a list of related biological links. The images impress, and the author sprinkles a few technical notes in the captions. Also prevalent is his copyright statement. Apparently, John may enjoy eagles, but he dislike raptors. (That's a little Latin pun for ya.) "http://www.umn.edu/nlhome/m122/herronj/eagle.htm"
Associated Press photographer Jack Kustron, in his first foray into cyberspace, exhibits a collection of his photographs of the newsmakers and events that shape today's political landscape. Intended primarily as a means of giving newspaper photo editors an easy way to observe his work, the site maintains a thumbnail set of photos taken in the last 24 hours. The pages are neat and slick, but before downloading any of the full-sized images, surfers must consent to Kustron's licensing agreement and plunk down 50 US greenbacks. "http://www.photoj.com/"
What do you get when you cross an Amazonian shaman with a Colombian anthropologist? Answer: the Usko-Ayar Amazonian School of Painting, in which 700 youth indigenous to the Peruvian Amazon study art and produce beautiful, vivid, and often haunting images of their jungle surroundings. View their work at the Electric Gallery's Amazon Project page. The paintings by their mentor, Pablo Amaringo, evoke a hypnotic voodoo feel. If you like that sort of thing, his paintings are for sale. "http://www.egallery.com/amazon.html"
MORE SOMETHING OR OTHER FROM THE IRATIONAL
This site contains a world of changing black and white images sure to provoke some response from the viewer - confusion was ours. Dark, weird, and foreboding pictures of silhouetted faces and mood-lit rooms merge as you watch. We didn't hang around long. The creators are apparently "scarred by the violence of language", but despite their feelings, might want to use it to provide hints to the imagery. Remember: words don't hurt people, sticks and stones hurt people. "http://www.irational.org/pain/"
Curtco's "Home Theater Technology" magazine presents information about high-end home audio and video equipment in print and online. Most of the content here is reprinted from the tangible version, though the Web presentation is excellent. The home page is huge but easily navigable with links and "remote control" style buttons and icons. A useful product and dealer locator lets you select a price range and returns the address of a nearby store. Extensive product reviews and a smattering of feature articles will give a taste of the print publication. RealAudio reports round out the offering. Naturally, you can also subscribe to the print edition here. This is a magazine Web site done right. "http://www.hometheatertech.com/"
Lucille is the cartoon cowgirl (in stiletto heels, mind you) who greets you on this page from "P." publishing. This is front door to seven online publications in Adobe's PDF format. Yes, you do have to download them, but the sizes are moderate, and the page layout pleasant. These biweekly periodicals vary from five to ten pages and include advertising. The current offerings are somewhat of a hodgepodge including 'zines about the Internet (what else?), cooking, biology, and miniatures (along with a special issue including birdhouse construction plans). This is a whole lot more fun if you get the PDF plug-in, which allows you to view the publications directly from within a Netscape window and click on hot links as you normally would. "http://www.p-pub.com/"
Xander Mellish first published her short stories about "New Yorkers in their twenties with very big dreams" in public, by posting excerpts on telephone poles, in laundromats, and in subway stations in New York. Teased by the partial stories, readers would phone her for the remainder. Buoyed by this interest, Mellish now brings her stories, illustrated with cartoons, to the Web. You can read the full text of each story or listen to a 30-second reading. If you enjoy the simple cartoons, you'll find a list of cafes around the world (!) exhibiting them. While an impressive Web site for an individual, literary seekers may reap greater rewards at the public library. "http://www.users.interport.net/~xmel/"
AN ODD LITTLE E-ZINE FOR BAD GIRLS
We like Cupcake, although the download is sometimes a bit slow. Great images - in fact, "a shitload of images" - and backgrounds accent the stylish design. A racy magazine-style creation, it was surprisingly easy to get lost in and had more links and spunky pages than we've seen in a while. There are celeb interviews, fashion, and general bad-girlness. Links to other cool sites like Women's Wire, the Virtual Beauty Page, and Pepsi World gave some weird variety to the girl-based information. "http://www.cupcake.com/"
Love the Web, love PC Magazine's Internetuser. Its four sections pack a punch. "Browser Central" lets you test features on your browsers (Can you telnet with yours? Read newsgroups?) and read browser reviews. Plug-in Central will update you on the latest browser add-ons. Web Central links to a top-100 list, columns, and news. The Internet Toolkit features a tools directory that all by itself merits repeat visits. Looking for Internet software, tools, and an all-around inoffensive experience? Check out Internetuser. "http://www.pcmag.com/"
Mac Today is a wonderfully biased and amusing look at the grand world of Macintosh. It's honest and full of useful stuff for the quarter or so of our readers who use Macs. Friendly advice, articles on Apple's latest plans, peeks behind the screen, tips, and good writing make it engrossing. "http://mactoday.com/"
The Hollywood Reporter, an entertainment newspaper in La-La Land, is now offering the latest to-die-for details on the famous and not-so-famous on its Web site. Known as the runner-up to the more well known Variety, the Hollywood Reporter's site features stories on film, television, and music. Click on News to review such earth-shattering news as Warner Brothers' plans for an in-house visual effects unit, a threatened Writers Guild strike against CBS news, and Universal's latest promotions. "http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/"
This page features most of the stuff you'd find in glossy, oversized, stylist-coffee-table mags: a fashion clinic; health and beauty; and street fashion are hyped up to seem important. The latter features women talking about their clothes. "I want to have fun and look foxy," exclaims one. Who doesn't? Learn that color is ALL you need to stand out in a crowd, which makes sense if you look at it from a naturalist's point of view. It could be a better looking page, though, especially considering the intended audience. The week we visited, the page featured Manga madness and designer Michiko Koshino. "http://www.widemedia.com/fashionuk/"
IN-DEPTH LOOK AT US INTELLIGENCE (OR LACK THEREOF)
"Sources" is a relatively new e-journal of information, disinformation, and intelligence. Whether you're a bona fide spy or just an avid fan of international espionage, you'll enjoy enlightening interviews with former CIA operatives, excerpts from real-life spy books, and related stories. "http://www.dso.com/sources/"
NEWSPAPERING DEBATE AND OPINION FORUM
Netopia bills itself as the new media meeting place, and hosts a forum for the discussion of media ideas and opinions. The focus is on the present and future of electronic vs. paper media, and the future of multimedia. Thought provoking premises and thoughtful responses from participants make this well worth a visit if you belong to or are interested in the media. "http://www.wiredguru.com/"
What better way to calm fears about killer tomatoes and other biotech Hollywood monsters than to provide a great Web site for high-school biology teachers? Access Excellence, sponsored by biotech giant Genentech, is a collection of resources that all science teachers should visit. On one of its pages - Access Excellence Collection - you can get see what students and teachers are doing in areas such as acid rain research, beaker babies, biospheres, designer seeds, dinosaur paleontology, and DNA jewelry. The "Classic Collection" is a nice bit of science history. Message boards let teachers and scientists connect. All in all, this is a place of enlightment. "http://www.gene.com/ae/"
MAD SCIENCE AND THOSE WHO LOVE IT
As anyone who has ever picked up a comic book knows, the planet Earth is just packed with dangerous, maniacal, repressed villains - also known as Mad Scientists. To foster interest in this disreputable underbelly of the scientific community, the First International Virtual Conference on Mad Science has set up a Web page for all the future Dr. Evil-types out there on the Internet. Tamper with the forces of nature, and share the results on a poster with your colleagues. Apply now. "http://www.ftech.net/~madsite/"
VACUUMS, ENERGY, AND PERPETUAL MOTION
Is this the latest on perpetual motion, or fancy mathematics? This page contains very interesting - if that's the right word - information on building an electric motor that can produce a surplus of energy. According to the author, the latest competition between Japan and the United States will come soon to an automobile showroom near you - in the form of an electric car. "http://www.hsv.com/writers/bearden/tommenu.htm"
The Wildflower Information Resource is an unassuming but comprehensive little array of all things wild and flowering. You'll discover scores of catalogues, international sites, real gardens to visit, common and Latin names for the most familiar species and more. Take your pick. "http://rampages.onramp.net/~garylipe/"
THROUGH THE JUNGLE WITH MAYAQUEST '96
The journey continues! MayaQuest '96 is an extension of an amazing travel experience that began in 1995. This year, the MayaQuest team of five is biking and hiking through Guatemala and Mexico, stopping over at a plethora of Mayan ruins and archaeological sites - all in search of clues about the mysterious Mayan civilization. Follow their travels, participate in discussions, check out the maps and photos. This is educational interactivity at its best. MayaQuest '95 made big headlines last year for its popularity with classrooms all over the world. No doubt the 1996 trip will do the same. "http://www.mecc.com/mayaquest.html"
WEB RESOURCES FOR THE DISABLED FROM THE UK
The Ability site is a collection of links and information for the disabled, with hundreds of links covering many of the subjects on the Internet. It is designed to overcome most of the problems faced by disabled users by making it simple to connect to relevant sites around the world. They have big plans for the future, so be sure to check them now and later. "http://www.ability.org.uk/"
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