Cool Web Sites
by Don Singleton
Tulsa Computer Society
From the March 2003 issue of the I/O Port Newsletter
Including links previously reviewed at
http://www.educationindex.com/index.html,
http://www.komando.com/,
http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/arch.htm,
and http://marylaine.com/neatnew.html
The U.S. Geological Survey is out to prove that satellite images of our planet aren't merely of interest to a stuffy few, they can be an aesthetic treat to the masses. The 'Our Earth as Art' site features awe-inspiring pictures from the Landsat-7 satellite, including eerie landscapes and gorgeous glaciers, all sorted by continent.
You can't really remember the musical theme to Pac-Man exactly, but you sure recall enjoying it. Now you can download the tunes to that and hundreds of other video games past and present, thanks to the Video Game Music Archive. More than 13,000 MIDI files ... and counting.
Photography from Life from 1936-1972, including the searchable Covers collection and Classic Pictures. These great photographs remind us why, before television, Life Magazine and National Geographic were how we knew what the world looked like.
On busy days when just grabbing a moment by the window seems a luxurious excursion, fire up AdventureTV.com, which stands ready to take you on streaming-video trips to jungles, deserts and other exotic spots worldwide.
Get the inside scoop on all your favorite classic TV shows at TVParty.com. Learn why the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Christmas special nearly premiered minus Burl Ives, which TV stars did TV commercials in-character, and what we were watching on Saturday mornings in the '80s.
Watch as Pangaea separates and the continents take form, carrying their related life forms off to develop on their own, and watch magma rise, moving the mid-ocean ridges
If you're of a certain age, you've realized that your chances of taking that package tour to Saturn are growing pretty slim. Fortunately, this NASA site lets you picture any celestial body — from any other celestial body — anytime.
NASA's budget being what it is, chances are we won't be establishing a presence on Mars anytime soon. Yet that hasn't stopped Nexterra from creating a fully-interactive environment portraying what life might be like on the Red Planet. A veritable Flash fun house of imaginary base stations, rovers, and more.
"This site contains Episode Lists for over 2000 TV shows. Each list contains titles and airdates. For over 500 shows there is also a more detailed episode guide containing guest stars and plot summaries."
Some Web sites present what they have to say so attractively, you can't help but be drawn in. This guide to the biological function and allure of skulls — animal and human — is an interesting exploration of what lies beneath the skin. (Quicktime required.)
This ambitious project seeks to create a 30-mile long continuous portrait of San Francisco, recreating what one would see on a leisurely stroll starting (and ending) at the Bay Bridge. Check out how the project is going, and sample some of the scenes destined to be included in this 'seamless city.'
Can be used either to find the nutritional value of known specialties at fast food restaurants or to identify specialties that match a profile for calories or fat or sodium or cholesterol.
Tenets of composition, exposure and other photographic rules are gleefully abandoned at a site rejoicing in a brand of picture taking dubbed 'non-photography.' Featured images convey a surprising sense of life and vibrancy seldom found in traditionally 'composed' shots
Hundreds of photos taken from 1998-2002. Search or browse through files of Scenery, Wildlife, Science, Transportation, Stations, People.
Includes an FAQ file, links to a history of ships, a photo section, an art gallery, naval aviation history, the naval museum, and more
You went to work, made dinner, and — forgot to look at the stars tonight ... again! For those who just don't have time for stargazing, Sky & Telescope offers a simulated view of the nighttime sky from any spot on Earth.
The complete contents of the 12-volume Jewish Encyclopedia, which was originally published between 1901-1906. The Jewish Encyclopedia, which recently became part of the public domain, contains over 15,000 articles and illustrations." Browse alphabetically or search through article titles, texts, or -- an especially useful option -- image captions
From Google expert Tara Calishain. Type in ingredients you have available and ask for recipes containing them; you'll get Google results.
Though it comes as no surprise that China prevents its people from viewing certain Web sites, the sheer number of sites off-limits to the Chinese is astounding. This Harvard study found that, of some 204,012 sites requested, more than 50,000 were 'inaccessible from at least one point in China.' An eye-opening report.
"Approximately 18,000 watercolor renderings of American decorative arts objects from the colonial period through the nineteenth century." Selected tours include costume, Pennsylvania German Folk Art,toys, woodcarving, and lots more.
"Examining the issues behind your favorite TV shows." For instance, under West Wing, find backgrounders on medical coverups in the White House, Indian land claims, minimum age for capital punishment, etc. Other backgrounders for topics raised by South Park, The Sopranos, Saturday Night Live, Law and Order, Jag, and The Court.
Fire up Travel Ape for a 360-degree virtual tour of nearly 100 tourist attractions around the world. From New York's Times Square to the Tower of London, New Orleans' French Quarter and Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.
The invaluable Genie Tyburski offers an annotated guide to resources.
Interactive travel mapping for European destinations. You can also ask for town maps and downloadable maps for mobiles and Palm Pilots.
Aiming to be no less than a complete map of the entire universe, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey lets you scroll through views of the northern sky, as well as (relatively) famous portions of outer space. On tap: spectacular views of meteors, galaxy clusters, and more
"Spare the snark, spoil the networks," it proclaims. A place where viewers can freely exchange critiques and enthusiasms about current shows.
Includes articles, dose calculators, free info sheets on drugs, a recalls archive, articles (current one is on how Ritalin works), and a pediatric pharmacist online.
Just finished loading the latest edition of an application, only to find it requires far more computing pep than your computer can muster? Find a more manageable version of that software at OldVersion.com, featuring everything from America Online to ZoneAlarm.
Links to a wide range of maps, arranged by historical period and place.
For more information on the Tulsa Computer Society click here
Tulsa Computer Society 3/02/2003
Don Singleton, President