Oval antics
The Whitehouse.gov website was once more famous for being a simple mis-type away from a porn site than anything else. Now, there might be more reason to visit the official site: members of the presidential team, including Dubya himself, are taking time out from their schedules to show us round the home of world-wide power.
Your fears over what Vice President Dick Cheney has been up to in the past year will be allayed: he has been working on a video tour of the interior, presented here. But don't expect too much of a critical look. For instance, in the text dealing with the Oval Office, the only reference to Nixon has him talking to astronauts, and there is no mention of Bill Clinton's more recent antics therein. Never mind: it will confirm to addicts of the West Wing TV series that the makers have got their sets just right.
www.whitehouse.gov/history/life
Ego surfing
Guardian Online is "spotty with http", and certainly "fatter than usual". Tony Blair, among many things, is "almost boyishly impressed". By what, we are not told. Today "is all about greed". Supplier of this wisdom is Googlism; a site that claims to let you find out what the world thinks about your chosen subject by scanning Google search results. Some results are uncannily correct, while others are hilariously skewed. The temptation to enter your own name and see what it throws back is irresistible. Ego surfing is back. www.googlism.com
Dark places
There is something fascinating about abandoned buildings, but it is still much safer to indulge your interest online. Let someone else clamber down disused railway tunnels, wade through ancient sewers, and wander round abandoned hospitals. Regular readers will know about Abandoned Places, but may not have discovered Dark Passage. It's a quirky collection of photographs and stories from eerie empty spaces in the US, with the promise of more exhibits soon. www.darkpassage.com
www.abandoned-places.com
Treasure trove
You might have read yesterday of the launch of a vast, free to access archive of 3,500 hours of Pathe newsreels. Sixty years of often historic images, 91,000 stories and all the cheesy links in between are now immortalised online. The clips are designed to be downloaded using a 56k modem, but if you were looking for a wholesome reason to get broadband, this lottery-funded wonder might prove just the ticket. www.britishpathe.com
Isle will
Ever wanted to own a bit of land somewhere picturesque? Now's your chance, and the price isn't going to bring your bank manager out in a rash. Richard Haigh, an entrepreneur based in Inverness, bought the tiny island of Clett, off the north-west tip of Skye, last year. Now he is selling off 25,000 single square foot plots for $35 (£22) each over the internet. The target market is, inevitably, the US, where the notion of owning a tiny bit of one of Scotland's more godforsaken spots might seem romantic. But fans of 60s folk singer Donovan may also be interested: the crooner once bought the island with the intention of setting up a self-sufficient hippy commune. www.clett.com
Money to burn
Remember the boom days, when companies with no revenue raised - and blew - heady amounts of capital? Well, you bought the stock, now buy the game: in Burn Rate you are the chief executive of a dotcom, engaged in a battle to be the last to spend all your cash. No doubt the game makers will make lots more selling this £15 game than many dotcoms ever did. www.burnrategame.com
New & noted
* CIA World Handbook: new edition: www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook
* Rescue old tape recordings: www.preciousvoices.co.uk
Six of the best UK MacExpo
Show site
www.macexpo.co.uk
Rumours. About the Mac.
www.macrumors.com
Mac drama
www.appleturns.com
Macgeeks unite
www.macslash.com
Mac weblog
www.myapplemenu.com
Apple in the UK
www.apple.com/uk
