Virtual DNA
Now we have the complete human genome, why not try virtual DNA sequencing? The Virtual Bacterial ID Lab, www.biointeractive.org, has a fantastic interactive Shockwave program that lets you go through the whole process. You begin by grabbing your own bacterial colony out of a petri dish and it keeps on getting better. While you work in the virtual lab to the left, the right side of the browser gives a detailed commentary on what you're doing and why. Budding scientists and anyone with a general interest in the area will enjoy this. While there, pay a visit to the Virtual Cardiology Lab as well, or have a look at other science resources for children, teachers and adults.
A handbag?
Handbag.com's celebrity handbag auction began Monday, but bidding continues until the 13th, so you have plenty of time to go after Maggie's, Cherie's or Mo's little numbers. All proceeds will go to the charity Breast Cancer Care. Have a peep at the bags and find out how to make a bid at www.handbag.com/auctions/handbags/
Tasty site
Sainsbury's has a bright new website, www.tasteforlife.co.uk, a compendium of information on food and drink. Along with a special section on organic foods (Sains bury's was the first supermarket to offer organic gin, the site says helpfully), there are 4,000 recipes, tips on buying and serving wine, and an "it's gone wrong" Q&A section. Especially useful is the recipe search engine, which locates recipe suggestions by main ingredients, time to prepare, calories, course, or dietary requirements. The selection I looked at all sounded pretty mouthwatering.
Tune in
Wondering whether you can legally use that line from Romeo and Juliet on your new trance single? Find the answer at www.hobomusic.com, a just-launched music site that has a number of features that musicians should find very useful. There's a free online legal clinic run by music lawyers Clintons, a booking service that lets you reserve studio time over the Net, and a directory of contacts and companies.
Drop the debt
Comic Relief, www.comicrelief.org.uk , is using an email campaign this year to urge world leaders to keep debt cancellation on the agenda at the next G7 summit, taking place July 21-23 in Okinawa, Japan. Plenty of celebrities have swung in behind the initiative, including Ewan McGregor, Steve Coogan, Angus Deayton, Douglas Adams and Tony Robinson. The idea is that you get an email forwarded from the celebs and then either add your name and send it on to your friends, or you can create your own email. You can also think about becoming part of an anti-debt "virtual human chain" on July 21; details at www.dropthedebt.org
Pension plans
If the word pension has always brought on the frights, try www.pensionsorter.com, which proves that low-tech delivery of information is sometimes all that a site needs to be effective. Every aspect of pension-purchasing is gone through in detail, and all the terminology is explained in easy-to-understand language.
Black hole
Former Disney studio head Joe Roth and the man behind The Blair Witch Project internet hype has launched a sci-fi site, www.DistantCorners.com It has an initial disclaimer warning that the site really needs a high bandwidth DSL or cable connection for optimal viewing - that's a setup that's rare still in the States, let alone over here. Then, there's a silly, pretentious Shockwave sequence while the site loads. If you're still with them by this point, most of the site seems to run perfectly well on a 56k modem connection.
New and noted
International legal site A HREF="http://www.law.com/uk" TARGET="_NEW">Law.com<.a> now has a UK version, ... Macmillan Cancer Relief has a new site for its September World's Biggest Coffee Morning fundraiser, see www.everyoneswelcome.com... A1 Learn , has launched a range of interactive online training courses in computing_ try a web-delivered short movie at www.405theMovie.com, then read about how it was made... health and beauty site www.changeslive.com features information, makeovers and a section for men.
Wap watch
UK Directory has a web - not wap - site wap.ukdirectory.co.uk explaining how to build your own wap pages which are downloaded to your phone for £10 a month (after a free trial). Http://loot.com has potential but we drew blanks on finding a home while holiday queries found "File too large".
Wap.breathe.com was OK for cricket, news and weather and also found the nearest Pizza Express. Wap.wapgata.com checks out domain names. (Victor Keegan)
Six of the best Guides to San Francisco
Rough Guide's San Fran
http://travel.roughguides.com/content/3697/index.htm
Everything, including parking tips
http://bayarea.citysearch.com
News, entertainment, sports
www.bayinsider.co
Links and more links
http://metroscope.com/sanfran.html
Q magazine's gay and lesbian guide
www.qsanfrancisco.comqsf/guide/contents.html
//wapSoMa: a Wap guide to The City
www.waptown.net
