KSFO's Web Wanderer

The Links for September 4, 1999

Last week, I featured a Win 2000 preview with preview screens. Nathan, (DoctorWho, our main chat room op) found a complimentary site.

"I just read about this on Slashdot. Someone has made a page showing what old versions of Windows looked like, all the way back to Windows 1.0. (This would go well with Taxi Mike's Windows 2000 preview find). The page has screenshots for every version of Windows, from 1.0 to 98, plus screenshots of some other GUIs."

For some, this site will be a trip down memory lane. For "kids", it'll give a feel at how quickly computer software develops. The early revs of Windows will be surprisingly clunky.

The site also has historical screens for the Apple II, Win NT and Linux.

Fun stuff, well worth a visit. Thanks, Nathan!

Steve's Software Guide - Wireman

Wireman found this site. He says "I like this site for searches for free and shareware check it out. Be sure to see steve other links and 'Hot stuff'."

This site is a great software starting place. There's links for Award Winners, Browsers/Helpers/Net Tools, Freeware and Shareware, Windows software, Anti-virus, and Search Engines and software directories.

Sometimes finding the software you need can be difficult. This site has a ton of "starting places" to look.

As Wireman suggested, I check out Steve's Hot Stuff. Lots of cool links (including my site! Thanks, Steve!).

Check this site out. Thanks, Wireman - great find!

Professional Pilots RUmor NEtwork (or PPRUNE) - Dudley

Listener Dudley found this one. It's something I never would have believed existed.

It's a site called the Professional Pilots RUmor NEtwork (or PPRUNE) at http://pprune.org/ On this site, Pilots, Air Traffic Controllers, Engineers, Cabin Crew, and Operations, all hang out and discuss stuff related to air travel - but is not mentioned in the news.

The "Rumors and News" area is probably the most interesting. It has everything from new Cabin Crew uniform colors, to strikes, to near misses.

Interesting stuff - and I had no idea it's here. Thanks, Dudley!

Online Recipe Calculator - Dudley

Dudley found this online recipe converter page as well.

Say you have a favorite recipe, that feeds a certain number of people. If you have a bigger, or smaller, crowd, you have to convert the recipe. This isn't easy for everyone.

This site makes it very easy. It will convert up to ten ingredients at once between various measurements. Or, enter any one measurement type and it will convert to all of the others, including metric/english conversions. For example, if you enter "2 1/2 c.", it will convert that measurement to teaspoons, tablespoons, pints, quarts and milliliters. It will also (optionally) convert servings sizes as well.

This isn't a "plug and chug" site - you do need to read the instructions (follow the "rules" link), or you'll get unexpected english to metric conversions, etc. But - the site works well.

Very handy for home chefs with larger, or smaller, crowds to please.

Very cool, Dudley. Thanks!

Worst of the Web - Wine Country Larry

Wine Country Larry (larryl in the chat) found this site.

There's plenty of "best of" sites on the web. There's also plenty of junk on the web. Well, here was have a "Worst of" site, with links to bad web sites.

We're talking bad content. The main topics are Bathroom, Begging, Celebrities And Fans, Computer And Internet, Dancing Pages, Fashion, Games And Tests, Language And Writing, Personal Home Pages, Politics, Religion, Science And Research, Sex And Gender, Star Trek, Stick Figure Death, Uselessness, Virtual Cards, and Zines And Sources.

There's a ton of links here to explore. Most sites are bad, but entertaining.

Check it out. Thanks, Wine Country Larry!

Free For All!

"Free For All" picks are freeware picks. They have to be useful, cool, or interesting. Most of all - they have to be free. This week we're spotlighting graphics applications.

Blender - Ian in Livermore

I had the pleasure of meeting Ian in Livermore (IanLM in the chat) two weeks ago at Bob's book signing. He's heavily into 3D modeling on his computer, and found this freeware pick.

Ian says :"Blender is a 3D Modeller/Animation/Rendering System I found on the net. It's very cool and for those on a budget, the base program is FREE FREE FREE."

He continues: "To make money, the Blender Folks are following the Example of the Pegasus (Email) Folks, by selling the Manual instead of the program as well as some of the advanced features. But for basic modelling and rendering, the entire system is there."

It's also essential to download the HTML Based Manual. In it you will find a nice little tutorial to get you started Modelling and Rendering 3D Objects.

Ian says: "This program is a must download for anyone who has been shut out of 3D Applications due to cost."

The Features page has these highlights:

Single integrated program: only 1.5 Mb!
Modelling of polygon meshes, curves, nurbs, text and metaballs
Deformation lattices and skeletons
Animation with keyframes, motion curves. morphing and inverse kinematics
Particle systems
Rendering: solid, transparent, halo/lensflare
Sequence editing of images and post production effects
3D view with animated rotoscoping
Powerful object oriented data system
File management included!

It's hard to believe this is free, but it is.

Thanks, Ian - great find!

Email Checker - Bob the Old Fogey

Bob the Old Fogey found E.Spy, an email checker.

E.Spy 2.0 is a Freeware Email Notification Utility. With espy you can check multiple pop3 accounts for email. It will play a notification sound and or display a dialog box telling you when you have new emails.

You can download and preview your messages, Delete them from the server and with the mouse. Lots of right click menus. System tray functions and visual effects.

This program is heavily supported and constantly being updated with new features.

Good stuff, Bob. Thanks!

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