• What is VRML and Live3D?
• What is an "Internet phone" and how does it work?
• What is CoolTalk?
• Are their any other Web sites that post Usenet news?

What is VRML and Live3D?

Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) is now considered the standard for implementing virtual reality on the World Wide Web (WWW). With small computer applications, called "applets," VRML programs allow you to view and manipulate computer simulations in an animated or 3-dimensional (3D) "world."

Using a VRML viewer like Live3D, you can "walk" through a human body or "fly" around celestial bodies. Netscape's Cool Worlds site has plenty of Live3D examples ranging from games to simulated walk-throughs of buildings and towns.

Specifically, Netscape Live3D features 3D text, background images, texture animation, images that changing from one form to another (morphing), different viewpoints, collision detection, gravity simulation, and abilities to link with audio, and video.

Compared to even a 15-second, low-quality digital "movie" on the Web, a VRML file is quick to transfer (download) to your computer and, once on your computer, can be maneuvered without remaining attached to the Internet.

What is an "Internet phone" and how does it work?

An Internet telephone allows you and one other person to talk to each other your normal computers set up for the Internet with the Internet phone program installed, plus a sound card and a microphone.

To talk with someone, you must know the other person's e-mail address. You then "dial" that address and he or she answers the phone.

If you have a "full-duplex" modem, the two of you can talk at the same time, like a normal telephone. If you have a standard, "half-duplex" modem, conversation is more like a CB radio--you have to take turns speaking. Usually you say "over," or something to indicate that you are through speaking, and then other person responds. The quality of Internet phones is nothing to compare to "real" telephones, but the price is right--its free! (Excluding your normal Internet service fees).

What is CoolTalk?

CoolTalk is the business (or personal) collaboration tool / Internet phone that comes with Netscape Navigator 3.0. CoolTalk has added a few features that allow us to peek at the future of 'Net phoning.

For example, once the receiver has answered their Internet phone, both you and your receiver exchange "business cards" with information supplied earlier, including a graphic (ie. digital photo of yourself or company logo).

What if you want to avoid that persistent creditor or pesky, talkative In-law? You can always screen your calls with the "caller ID" feature.

What if you don't want to or can't talk right then? You still have the option of letting your Internet "answering machine" record a message.

CoolTalk moves out of the simple Internet phones and into a true business collaborative tool with the "whiteboard" feature.

You can pull up a graphic (ie. business plan, product schematic or organizational chart) on your whiteboard and it will immediately pop-up the receiver's whiteboard and, by sending the file through the Internet, display the identical graphic. Both of you can then draw or type on this display. Every mouse stroke you make or letter you type is shown in "real-time" on the other person's board and vice-versa. This is one of those computer applications that you really must try to appreciate.

One additional note: both Internet phones and VRML viewers require full "graphical" Internet accounts, not just "text-based" accounts.

Sometimes Zippo's WWW news service is busy. Are their any other Web sites that post Usenet news?

Yes. The self-proclaiming "The Premier Usenet Search Utility," DejaNews is an excellent place to start.

With the normal search, you can quickly search for any words or groups that might be in a newsgroup posting. If you are getting too many results from your normal search, limit the choices with the "Power Search." The Power Search lets you "filter" articles to meet specific criteria.

Another nice feature, "Author Profile" lets you see what other newsgroup messages an author has written and how many responses he or she got from those postings. Of course, as with any good Usenet service, you can directly post your own response to a topic or read a thread (a chronological message listing of what a person said and all the responses to that original message).