But is it e-Art?
Although e-commerce attracts the most media coverage, e-art is gaining acceptance, and the Whitney Museum of Art has now started to include websites in its biennial exhibitions. The first display includes nine sites which "range from those that consist almost exclusively of text to others that are collages of images and sound". They include Darcey Steinke's Blindspot, Lew Baldwin's Redsmoke and the familiar RTmark agit-prop site. Bewitched
While it's probably not art, Bewitched is never less than thought-provoking. Its delights include an interactive version of Van Gogh's Starry Night, and diagrams of famous musical compositions.
Beat combo
The Oasis show in Toronto on April 29 - part of the Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants world tour - will be webcast live by the Microsoft Network and the band's official site at www.oasisinet.com (note that extra "i" between oasis and net when you type this address into your browser). Noel will also be chatting to fans via the two sites on Wednesday April 26.
Tune in
SonicBox has launched a software radio for your Windows-based PC. The free iM-band tuner will play Windows Media and RealMedia streamed files, and will be followed by an iM Remote Tuner - hardware that will apparently work via a standard radio. A Tell Me More button will even request song information to be sent by email. It comes pre-programmed with 25 different station genres and 32 stations per genre.
Sloganeering
Beanz Meanz Heinz is the most popular line in the Advertising Slogan Hall of Fame, with the top advertising slogans being selected by a 12-man panel of experts. Further selections are on the way at the ADSlogans Unlimited site . Incidentally, the three most overworked slogans are: The natural choice (used by 60 advertisers), It's about time, (45) and Simply the best (30).
Diet checker
The US government's Centre for Nutrition Policy and Promotion is helping to fight obesity with an online diet-checker. Enter what you've eaten - a tedious process - and the database checks it against federal dietary guidelines. However, the Interactive Healthy Eating Index has proven very popular so don't all go at once...
New and noted
The Excite web portal now lets users chat to one another using old-fashion voice technology www.excite.co.uk/people_and_chat/voicechat. The software is for Windows only and lets you talk with up to 10 people at once. Microsoft has put a digital diva - Stacy Elliott - online to offer computer advice "in the language of everyday people" www.microsoft.com/digitaldiva. The UK's top men's designer fashion ranges are now being offered at www.designerheaven.com, while the e-Angel's have arrived to help would-be entrepreneurs start new businesses, not just dot.coms. The US Supreme Court has finally opened a website at www.supremecourtus.gov, but the design looks as though it was started in 1995. The anti-Blair backlash is represented by the thinking man's guide to New Labour at www.stupidgit.co.uk.
