(Archived September 1, 1998)

The New York Times on the Web, August 16, 1998 Big Web Sites to Track Steps of Their Users. Feel like you are leaving a visible trail as you navigate among major Web sites to purchase consumer products or just request information about them? This article will explain why privacy advocates are concerned about new databases that track Web activity with great detail. PC World, August 1998 XML Spoken Here: New Web Language Promises Smarter Surfing, p. 70. XML promises to deliver better “bibliographic control” to Web pages. The New Megasites All-In-One Web Supersites, p. 125. It seems like everyone is offering free e-mail, personal home pages, Web directories, and more. Which site should you choose for your default home page? The Second Coming of Cardfile, p. 260. This utility duplicates the simplicity and functionality of a basic card file, without the cards! The program is available for download from PC World Online. PC Magazine, August 1998 Using That Web Research, p. 93. Jim Seymour extolls the usefulness of the web for research, and complains about the difficulty of capturing web pages for later use. In the process, he briefly discusses several products that make it easier to store web pages. Microsoft Security Advisor Update Available For Long Filename Security Issue affecting Microsoft Outlook 98 and Microsoft Outlook Express 4.x Microsoft maintains the security advisor site to update users with bulletins, white papers and links to patches required for specific applications. Best to bookmark this Security Advisor site, as you no doubt will be using it a lot in the near future. Netscape Security Resources Long Filename Mail Vulnerabilty Netscape has acknowledged the following problem with the mail and news components of Communicator 4.0 through 4.05, as well as preview release 4.5: “The Long Filename Mail vulnerability could allow an email or newsgroup message with an attachment that has a very long filename to execute malicious code on your computer.” The Security Resources site is an essential addition to your bookmarks if you are a Netscape user. Wall Street Journal, August 6, 1998 When the Pen May be Mightier Than the Keyboard, p. B7. A return to the use of the pen may be a welcome innovation for those who bemoan it’s decline in the digital era. PenOp signature software, for $199, “measures 90 different pieces of biometric data about a signature.” New York Times, August 3, 1998 Internet is Snagging on Free-Market Appetites, p.D3. The battle lines between the goliaths of the Internet have been defined, and according to a growing chorus, threaten to impose a choke-hold on the free, open, and global marketing of the Web and it’s content. Searcher, September 1998 (Sneak Preview) Dialog’s DialUnits A Price Increase in Sheep’s Clothing Dialog Alternatives A Power Searcher’s Checklist LawPractice Management, July/August 1988 Meltdown: Will My Computer Die on January 1, 2000? p.30. This is a concise article on the topic, including problems with software often used by the legal community, links to associated Web sites, and practical advice on how to confront the problem. AmLaw Tech, Summer 1998 Westlaw & Lexis: A Librarians’ Roundtable, p.74. Five law librarians offer their insights into the recent upheavals caused by the mergers in the legal publishing industry, and the resulting online trends that are changing the way we conduct legal research. Getting Personal: the 3rd Annual AmLaw Tech Survey of the top 100 firms, p.28. An interesting survey of technology used by top firms. Attorneys seem to have caught the bug for palmtops, laptops and other gagets, and intranets are coming to many more firms. PC World, July 1998 Pump Up Your Browser, p. 171. Reviews of Web accelerators, offline browsers, bookmark managers, download utilities and metasearch tools. Netscape’s Communicator 5 Leaps Into the Unknown, p. 60. Wondering what the new version of Netscape has in store for us? Though details are scarce, here’s a sneak preview of what is known about Communicator 5. The Best Help Money Can Buy, p. 280. What are your options when you need help, and you need it now? Steve Bass reviews two services that are only a phone call away. Presentations, July 1998 PowerPoint Toolbars save Time, Money and Aggravation, p. 28. If you’re inserting photos into your PowerPoint presentations, you’ll benefit from this review of how to sue the PowerPoint picture toolbar. Searcher, June 1998 Web Search Services in 1998 Trends and Challenges, p. 29. Susan Feldman tests the Internet to see how it measures up as a supplier of “serious” online information. Includes tips and recommendations, and a search engine feature chart. The Sidebar: Call to Action: Legislation Affecting Information Professionals, p. 56. Carol Ebbinghouse reviews legislation with a potential significant impact on librarians, including the Digital Era Copyright Enhancement Act and the Digital Copyright Clarification and Technology Education act of 1997. Legal Research Products on the Web, p. 64. A review of significant legal research Web sites.