By JULES ALLEN
© St. Petersburg Times, published October 2, 2000
Feel free to browse...
www.WhackAFlack.com
You, dear reader, wouldn't believe the PR types that writers and editors put up with daily to bring a little edification into your busy, day-trading lives. Boilerplate press releases laden with buzzwords du jour carpet bomb our e-mail boxes. Vapid, long-winded drones clamor for a few minutes of pressing the phone receiver against our ears to explain "innovative, B2B, e-commerce innovations." Here's a chance to strike back virtually, with a game using paper airplanes and flacks as targets. Why would we put up with such a terrible thing, day in, day out? Because we love you, that's why. Well, maybe not the rest of the newspaper staff but I love each and every one of you.
www.OSXonIntel.com
Run the Macintosh OS X beta on Intel-based computers? While it's possible that it's true, it probably is not. As mentioned in this week's OS X beta overview (page XXE), running the Darwin core of OS X can be done on non-Macs. What's missing is the Aqua GUI layer that provides a large chunk of the OS X value. This site bravely tries to show Apple that we, the people, want OS X on our PCs, not just Macs. Vote away but don't hold your breath. Microsoft Office on Linux isn't happening any time soon, either. There wasn't a privacy policy on the site so you might want to use a post office box or work address instead of your home details.
www.WebShots.com
Bored with that blue-green background on your computer's desktop? Then grab this free utility to liven things up a bit. The Mac version changes only the desktop background and doesn't offer the sassy screen saver or image collections that the Windows version does. They're working on that, apparently. If you're a shutterbug yourself, you can create a photo album and share it with others.
www.DomainAuction.com
From where I sit, being a domain squatter is up there with being an international terrorist or tax auditor. I believe in the fundamentals of capitalism but I also believe that million-dollar domain names are absurd. Maybe this is nature's way of separating the stupid from their money. Imagine my selfish delight when somebody suggested this one as a Site See-er. The bitter irony tickled me in parts I haven't had tickled in years. I bid it adieu.
www.EgoMedia.com
I first threw together some awful animations using version 1.0 of FutureSplash Animator before it was sucked into the Macromedia family of products and renamed Flash. And I was hooked on the tool. Knowing what it takes to build groovy animations with this tool, I can say I was thoroughly impressed with what EgoMedia has done with its site. It's pure eye candy and very impressive.