Netscape incorporates chat client into new Web browser
Nov.
30, 1997
By JIM BROOKS
Users of America Online have long enjoyed the ability to send
other users on the service quick typed mini-messages, or in AOL-speak,
"Instant Messages."
Instant Messages -- also known as IMs -- are private, keyboard-to-keyboard
chats between two users.
A user simply "calls" the other with the IM feature of
the America Online software.
And regardless of what part of the America Online the other user
is viewing, a small window will pops open to display the Instant
Message.
But now Netscape Communications has incorporated AOL's Instant
Message software into it's latest version of Communicator 4.04,
available at http://home.netscape.com.
The browser is a fix-it release as well, closing some minor security
holes in the browser. But the main incentive to download and install
Communicator 4.04 is the built-in IM feature.
Users must sign up for the Instant Messaging Service, which is
still handled through America Online -- though note there's no charge
by AOL or Netscape for using the feature.
Don't forget that the Instant Messenger software is still available
as a stand-alone product from AOL's Web site at www.aol.com/aim/.
It's easy to use and install and like Communicator's built-in version,
there's no cost to use it.
To try the latest version of Communicator, visit Netscape's Web
site at http://home.netscape.com/.
BODY OF WORK. The Virtual Body, by Columbia/HCA Healthcare
Corp., is available at http://www.columbia.net/vbody/.
You can view images of various parts of the body, but be warned
that this site requires the Shockwave plug-in for your Web browser.
The plug-in is free to download, and the Virtual Body even has the
a link to the Macromedia's Web site to get the plug-in.
You can visit the body's various systems, divided into areas, like
brain, heart, and skeletal systems. The site also offers links to
other educational resources, as well as company-specific sites for
more information on what's going on with Columbia/HCA.
TRIV TIME. Trivial Net is an online trivia game that'll
capture the hearts of any computer geek.
The premise is simple. Answer 10 random multiple-choice questions
about computers. Once completed, the game gives you a rating, depending
on how many questions are answered correctly.
My first try earned me an "Aspring Geek" with only five
out of 10 correct. But my second try garnered the coveted "First
Class Nerd" ranking, with eight of 10 correct answers.
It's an interesting way to bone up on computer trivia, and spend
a coffee break away from the rigors of the daily office grind. To
test your knowledge, put on your thinking cap and point your Web
browser to www.trivial.net/
AFFECT OR EFFECT? If you've ever had a question about the
proper usage of commonly misused words, you'll probably find the
answer at the Common Errors in English Web site at http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~brians/errors/
This site is hosted by Washington State University, and is an excellent
resource -- with a sense of humor to boot. For example, the listing
for "data" goes into detail that it is the plural version
of "datum" and its only proper singular usage is when
referring to Data, the character from "Star Trek: The Next
Generation."
If you're a fanatic for proper English, or an aspiring journalist,
you'll have to go some to find a better resource on the Web.
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