Book battle
E-books have been the subject of both derision and intense interest since they were introduced, and the recent success of the Stephen King e-story, available only online, made a much broader audience aware of this novel format. However, King's book went out through existing online booksellers rather than publishers that specialise in e-books, complained one e-book publisher, Fatbrain.com, in Salon.com. The piece sparked a response from Tim O'Reilly of O'Reilly Publishing, who takes a look at The Coming Ecology Of E-Book Publishing.
Art and eats
I'll have an American Hot and a Damien Hirst to take away, please: punters can make bids until April 30 for original art by the 10 regional finalists in the PizzaExpress Contemporary Artist of the Year Competition at www.pizzaexpress.co.uk. Judges included art buff George Melly and London Evening Standard art editor Annabel Freyburg. You can have your own say by voting at the site for the overall Contemporary Artist of the Year.
Cybernews
For tech business heads trying to keep up with the new, new thing, the US business magazine Fortune has a daily online column from Silicon Valley called Valley Talk, at www.fortune.com/fortune/technology/daily If that's not enough tech with your morning coffee, you can also check out the special report on the trend towards "clicks and mortar", or have a look at the list of America's least and most-admired companies, www.fortune.com/fortune/mostadmired. Yep, Microsoft is still up there, at number two - of most admired companies, of course.
Clip off
And while we're talking about Microsoft, only one thing is more annoying than the ever-changing "standard" toolbars in Word, and the ever-more-confusing icons: the dreaded Talking Paperclip. But someone else has put it so much more succinctly at www.ftrain.com/art/badword.gif.
Zero hero
Just one more Microsoft item. Why wouldn't you summon a superhero using Microsoft Outlook? You could rest assured that the mighty Action Item, professional superhero, will swoop in to save, or at least prioritise, the day. He's always ready to respond to an Outlook meeting request, then add value to any meeting - even a sidebar meeting. You'll find him at www.sentient.com/~pcm2/ action_item.html.
No joke
The needy women of Afghanistan; the Good Times virus; the requests for postcards to be sent to a child dying of cancer. Everyone has received such hoax emails at some point. www.hoaxkill.com aims to keep well-intentioned but unwary people from forwarding tedious chain letters, false campaign letters, and fake virus warnings to even more victims. Anyone received the one yet for the free mobile phone that you get for forwarding the chain email to eight of your friends, then emailing the mobile phone manufacturer?.
Mr Lonely
Forget pathetic chat-up lines, guys. Now you just need to create a bare-bones web page with a pathetic appeal for a girl friend, and the world will link to your site. Flavour of the week is the Lonely Asian Male, who could become the new "I kiss you!" Mahir at: www.geocities.com/lonely451_2000/me.html.
New and noted
BBC Radio 1's Steve Lamacq hosts an independent UK MP3 chart from this week at www.clickmusic.co.uk; www.shout99.com is a news and information website for IT and engineering contractors. The lord chancellor's department has a new community legal information and advice service at www.justask.org.uk.
Six of the best Mapping sites
National Geographic maps
www.nationalgeographic.com/resources/ngo/maps
Invisible worlds
http://mappa.mundi.net/maps
Nasa's solar system
http://maps.jpl.nasa.gov
All kinds of maps
www.map.com
Antique maps
www.davidrumsey.com
British Ordnance Survey
www.ordsvy.gov.uk/home/index.html
