Sony Online
URL: http://www.sony.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Shel Kimen
Instead of taking several months to give Sony different Site of the Month awards ‹ for music, gaming, film, etc. ‹ for its amazing Web site, I thought it would be more efficient to mix it all together and name Sony as the best corporate site of the month. Know in advance that it is superb in all the aforementioned entertainment arenas. The ³Music² section offers sound and video clips of featured artists (the offerings regularly rotate to avoid redundancy), tour information, online catalogs with *stuff* to buy, like t-shirts, posters, etc. (though there¹s no online ordering yet), and an updated news area ‹ for all the fresh gossip. Actually, most of their news is PR material, but it¹s entertaining. And no, no no, it's not over. Sony also sponsors at least two, sometimes three, live chats via America Online (Keyword: live) each month with Sony recording artists ‹ with transcripts available on the Sony Web site. The ³Pictures² section traverses though cinema, video, and television, highlighting established, specially featured, and upcoming projects to keep you current and well-informed. There's a listing of how to find a Sony theater near you, as well as what might be playing there. When I last checked the site, the newest movie addition was ³Jumanji,² a feature film starring Robin Williams. The site for this one movie was several pages thick, with "behind the scenes" interviews and profiles, video clips, and an online contest to win merchandise. These katz know how to market in a fun and creative way. And let's talk interactive. Yup. The gaming industry¹s little media darling, the Sony PlayStation, has a home of its own on the Sony Interactive site, complete with game updates and all the technical specifications to leave bits and bytes types drooling. Sony also has screen savers here and every now and then offers a free one! Right now, they've highlighted ³Beavis and Butthead² and ³PlayBoy² (interesting combination...). And, though all of these areas have their own separate catalogs, there's a monster behemoth catalog in the ³On Gear² section, should you want to purchase more Sony merchandise.... Be prepared to spend a lot of time here, especially if you're heavy into entertainment culture. The graphics are smooth, the layout is easy to navigate, and the content is never ending.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 18

Matchbox
URL: http://www.matchboxtoys.com
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0996
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: Yes
Author: Lauren Guzak
As a child I spent many a Saturday afternoon playing with my brother¹s matchbox set, pushing the little die-cast wonders through the underbrush of the deep shag in my father¹s house, humming the theme to Speed Racer. Former Matchbox owners will do lots of reminiscing as they cruise around this site, but that¹s just a pleasant by-product of the experience. The real draw is all of the great cars and tracks, from the Matchbox Originals (a tribute to the first line of vehicles produced some 40 years ago) to the Torque Spin Racers that run on towering three-feet tall Zero G tracks. You can even give the tracks a virtual test spin in the Zero-G VRML environment! Starting with the Mega-Showroom, you¹ll find four different product lines: the 1-75 Line, Super Rigs, Premiere Collection, and Originals. The original and classic models are great, but I was really turned-on by the high-tech stuff, like the Super-Flex Chassis system. ³Whip through super-tight hairpin turns with ease,² utilizing this newest Matchbox car technology which features ³independent twisting halves that give these racers incredible handling.² Or check out the Anti-Grav Racers, which have a ³two-position aerodynamic body with extending rocket flame features, unique gravity-defying features, and a self-leveling cockpit.² Not to mention the Zero G Rail Ripper, which is both a laser track and an adjustable jumping set (!!!) with special track connectors that let you reconfigure up to six different jumps. Should you be looking for a higher degree of interactivity, you can create your own personalized vehicle in the Custom Auto Body Shop. Take your basic pick-up and add all of the details to taste--from the engine style, to the paint job and decals. Other activities include the "Get in the Fast Lane Contest," where the Grand Prize Winner gets their name on a Matchbox model. Last year's winner, ten-year-old Kyle Wieder, had his name emblazoned on the #7 blue Thunderbird Stock Car, ³an honor that's generally limited to race car drivers and superstars.² There¹s also an Ask the Expert, FAQ, and Collectors' Links. This site could have you back on your knees in the shag, humming that old tune. Go Speed Racer, go.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 18

Ben and Jerry's Homemade, Inc.
URL: http://www.benjerry.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 1096
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: David Pescovitz
Welcome to the tasty online home of the Ben and Jerry's empire. Designed in their signature Crayola-meets-microdot style, this site is like Cherry Garcia--dig and you'll find plenty of treats. Learn about Increase The Peace, a program the promotes creative and non-violent resolutions of conflicts. Check out the Flavor Graveyard of phased-out taste treats like Tennessee Mud and Fred and Ginger. Or learn how to build a paper cow with a bobbing head! Plenty of fun--pass the Chunky Monkey!
Overall Rating (out of 18): 18

M&M¹s Studios
URL: http://www.m-ms.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 1096
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: Yes
Author: Wayne Cunningham
Will someone please explain for me the appeal of snack food personifications? I mean, how can you watch a California Raisin or an M&M dance around on the TV screen, then chomp a whole handful into paste? Either the association is not being made between the characters and the product, or we¹re sophisticated enough to recognize the association without taking it too far. Or could it be that we¹re all acting out a survival-of-the-species, predator/prey drama; i.e., we delight in watching the gazelles prance across the plains, but hunt them down and barbecue them nevertheless. Something to think about. Anyway, that¹s just what ran through my mind while checking out the M&M¹s site. It¹s a brilliant production, really, and sure to delight the kids. Adults, be warned: There are brain-twisting reality blurs here that are probably best left unanalyzed, not to mention browser-twisting technologies. Come equipped with Shockwave. The home page is a parody of ³Variety,² Hollywood¹s industry newspaper. It¹s covered with clickable articles about the red, yellow, and blue animated M&M¹s from the TV commercials. Exploring this site, you get some idea just how extensive the characterizations are. Red is the egotistical Hollywood star; Blue, the artsy, cool one with the beatnik aesthetic; while Yellow is a depressed klutz. I¹d say he¹s a bit underdeveloped as a character, but perhaps its just a shortcoming of the M&M who plays him... The ³Lab² section of the site is devoted to three Shockwave games, which aren¹t exactly groundbreaking but are well-programmed and fun. To enter the ³Lab,² you have to enter your year of birth in a form field. If you are too old, your access will be denied. Between you and me, I had to spoof it with 1984 before I could get in. Reload the first screen a couple of times to see some different shockwave animations. As for eating your little friends, well, ... that¹s up to you.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 18

Radisson Hotels
URL: http://www.radisson.com
Category: Corporate
Issue: 1196
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Rachel Saidman
Not a corporate vanity page, the Radisson Hotels site exemplifies how the Internet can offer customers ease, convenience, and service beyond the usual. You can't access the site unless you have Netscape 2.01 or higher as it makes extensive use of Frames, Java, and encrypted transactions, but once you've installed the software (link from the Radisson site) you can enter a personal/business profile, check rates and availability, and reserve rooms in Radisson hotels all over the world. The interface is relatively simple and friendly, and Frames facilitate navigation.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 18

Levi¹s
URL: http://www.levi.com
Category: Corporate
Issue: 1196
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: Yes
Author: Adam Douglas
Certain corporate entities are so much a part of our lives, you¹d think they wouldn¹t even need to advertise. The company that invented blue jeans, Levi¹s and it¹s trademark product are at least as American as apple pie and baseball, and certainly more pervasive. You¹re probably wearing a pair as you read this. Founded in 1853 by Levi Strauss who figured, correctly, that the material used to make tents and covered wagons would make a good pair of pants, Levi¹s has endured changing times and fashion upheavals ever since. The classic 501¹s, after a few modifications, have stayed the same sine 1922, and the denim jacket, introduced in 1953, is still popular after all these years. The dates come courtesy of Levi¹s very big, very engaging Web site: a multimedia extravaganza that goes all-out in an effort to attract folks to it¹s online promotional effort. The history section was, not surprisingly, my favorite segment of the site. Laid out along a timeline, the site shows, at a glance, when copper rivets were introduced, say, (1873) or when belt loops became a fixture of American fashion (not until 1922). There¹s a slightly patronizing ³history quiz² that tests your knowledge of 1930¹s America, and how Levi¹s helped shape Depression-era fashion. Also worth a look is the Denim Dictionary, chock full of alphabetically organized Levi¹s trivia. Did you know about the ³crotch rivet,² an extra copper rivet that, until 1942, graced all 501¹s. Apparently, cowboys complained to Levi¹s that when crouching around the campfire, the bygone rivet tended to heat up, causing much discomfort. The site gets a little out of control when it veers away from jeans street to venture down every subcultural alleyway in existence. What, after all, do raves, anime, spoken word performances, Haight-Ashbury, and space aliens have to do with what pants I wear? Why would I want to read the bio¹s of the ³stars² of their European commercials? Not content with it¹s already prominent place in fashion culture, worldwide, it seems Levi¹s wants to create its own subculture, based on their media presence and association with hip ad firms (Tomato) and graphic designers (Designers Republic). The clothing is already classic, with vintage 501¹s and jackets selling for hundreds of dollars. But then again, sites like these can no longer rely on others to create content for them; unlike television, where advertisers could just sandwich their pitch between the shows, the Web model requires advertisers to put on their own show. All the same, there is such a thing as trying too hard. And Levi Strauss is teetering on that edge.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 18

FedEx
URL: http://www.fedex.com
Category: Corporate
Issue: 1296
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Adam Douglas
In an age when faster is not only better, but a matter of survival, it¹s no surprise that Federal Express has become such a business necessity. Every day FedEx ships over 2 million packages to over 200 hundred countries around the world. With more than 110,000 employees, 500 planes, and 35,000 vehicles to transport said packages, FedEx is on the ball. Now they even provide an online shipping service. Ideal for small businesses that don¹t want to bother with the hassles of the FedEx Power Ship system, the site provides a convenient alternative. The site is laid out as a functional site should be: intuitively. A simple yet stylish navigation bar adorns the bottom of each page, which makes it easy to get around. The graphics are downplayed in favor of instructional text, and what graphics there are mostly comprise functional buttons and such. Content is light, but informative. There¹s no unnecessary FedEx junk that no one cares about - you¹re here to ship your package, not read the stockholders¹ report. FedEx knows this, and sticks to a ³Just the facts, Ma¹am² approach. Get in, ship it, and get out. Once you¹ve called to get your FedEx account number, you can ship all your packages from the site. After you process the package, a barcode with a specific tracking number is printed up on your laser printer (sorry, no inkjets), as well as an airbill. You can also arrange to have a driver pick up the package, or take it to a FedEx drop-off. Don¹t know where one is? Don¹t worry, the site will apprise you of the nearest location. And if for any reason your package gets lost en route, you can track its whereabouts as well. How¹s that for convenience? For the harried executive or over-stretched small business, the FedEx site could be a blessing. Because when it has to be there overnight, it has to be there overnight.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 18

Pat Meier Associates
URL: http://www.patmeier.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0696
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
Part advertisement for the firm, part platform to promote its clients, this site ends up as a disjointed mix of elements. It doesn¹t give much information about the PR firm, and the client information has the feeling of a small industrial fair ‹ press-releases from seemingly unrelated companies all thrown together on one site. I got no sense of what Pat Meier Associates has done for their clients or any Œfeel¹ for the company. There is an interesting guide to restaurants in San Francisco¹s ŒMultimedia Gulch¹, though, that would be of interest if you are planning to visit the area.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

Forte Technologies, Inc.
URL: http://www.fortevr.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0696
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
Forte¹s personal virtual reality headset is on the cutting edge of gaming technology. For game junkies who haven¹t purchased one yet, this site offers excellent product information, tables of software that support it, and locations of Forte retailers. If you¹re already the proud owner of a VFX1, there is an excellent software archive, mediocre technical support, links to VRML sites, VR news, and developer information to keep you up to date with the rapidly evolving VR world. All game fans will love the excellent graphics and the section on hacks and cheats for popular computer games.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

NovaLogic, Inc.
URL: http://www.novalogic.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0696
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
Looking for a good war machine simulator? Whether your fetish is tanks, subs, planes, or helicopters, NovaLogic has your software. The site offers in-depth descriptions of its products, including reviews from the critics, a less than impressive collections of links, and customer support information. If you are considering buying one of it¹s games, this would be a very good site, if not, there is not much reason to visit.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

Wilkins Outdoor Network
URL: http://www.outdoor-ad.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0696
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
This brilliantly conceived site walks you step by step through the convoluted world of outdoor advertising. In an hour you will talk like an expert on out-of-home media and Wilkins will practically write your marketing report for you. The pages elaborate on how to plan intelligent advertising decisions, what outdoor media would be best for you, and how to get the most for your marketing dollar. You will also be quite familiar with Wilkins, its departments, and the Wilkins services. The whole site is extremely well organized and attractive ‹ a must for anyone considering outdoor advertising. Blue Light
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

Airwalk Online
URL: http://www.airwalk.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0696
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
Few things are as important in todays hip sports as having the right footwear. In this spirit, Airwalk is happy to provide us with a sampling of product information, pictures, links, and interviews with the pros who endorse its skating, snow boarding, and mountain biking shoes. Also included is an interesting reader feedback section where you can read letters such as the ³skater who beat up the fool who tried to steal his Airwalks.² This is an extremely well done site: slick graphics, cool technology, and a cohesive theme. When I visited, it was still under heavy construction, so it should be even cooler by the time you read this.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

Franco Public Relations Group
URL: http://franco.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0696
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
This site provides a clear image of the Franco Group, and includes many items of interest to the PR community in general. The run-down of the company gives a good view of the different organizational units, what services it provides, and some of its current clients. A very well done staff bio section includes pictures, phone numbers, a biographical sketch, and a favorite link for each of the group members (no e-mail!). For those not interested in the Franco group, the site includes some excellent PR case studies, a section of useful pointers for public speaking and presentations, and an art gallery of the groups graphic design work.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

Neiman Marcus
URL: http://www.neimanmarcus.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0696
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
Neiman Marcus is assured a place in Internet history for the notorious ³$250.00 Cookie recipe² story, which has mysteriously appeared in my inbox at least twice a year for the past several years. (If you see it, do us all a favor, don¹t forward it.) The site addresses this myth directly, and provides a variety of promotional material: Neiman Marcus history, a not too helpful fashion section, a store finder, and calendars of upcoming events in individual stores. Regular shoppers will want to sign up for an e-mailing list to receive special notices about upcoming sales and events near them.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

The Toro Company
URL: http://www.toro.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0696
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: Yes
Author: Wayne Cunningham
An unlikely candidate for the high-tech world of the Web, but Toro has put together an excellent site. All of you tech heads out there may be thinking, ³Toro? Don¹t they make ide controllers?² Sorry kids, but Toro is the yard care specialist, making equipment for all kinds of outdoor environmental management. And by management I mean riding lawn mowers! Even though the lawn we had when I was growing up was only about 30 by 20 feet, I had always wanted a riding lawn mower. And even now that I have a car (and no lawn at all), I still think a riding lawn mower would be great. Toro¹s home page really shows where its heart is, too. When it launched it had an ³under construction² sign on the corporate info link, but the sections for the consumer product line and yard care questions were up and running. The consumer product area is a well-designed candyland for anyone that occasionally likes to work in the earth, but with a lot of horsepower. The browser is met by an index of products that range from tractors to outdoor lighting. While some of this may seem overwhelming to the landscaping dilletante, the folks at Toro are real friendly. The section with the more serious equipment (tractors and snowblowers) have a utility that will suggest the right tool for you, based on your answers to a questionnaire (although I would just go for the most power you can afford). The lighting section shows the many different styles of outdoors lights, and has a whole section on how to design a lighting plan. The yard care section features a virtual expert named Earl who you can offer advice about lawn maintenance. Earl¹s ³vocabulary² is somewhat limited, though, since you can only type one word queries into the search form, and if they aren¹t specifically about lawn care, Earl will be stumped (so save your ide controller questions for Gina Smith). Or you can use the browse function to find answers to lawn care problems. A number of documents, in official FAQ format, deal with grass, weeds, leaves, and pests. Rock on, backyard warrior!
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

Peachpit
URL: http://www.peachpit.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0596
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
This is a well-designed site; it¹s easy to find what you¹re looking for, it¹s not overburdened with needless graphics, and there¹s a good search engine. You can create an order while browsing the site, then send it in electronically, but the form isn¹t secure. Another downer: The descriptions of the computer books are too limited to be helpful. But reader forums and a good technical support section add to the quality of this site. If you already own Peachpit books, especially its Macintosh Bible series, you¹ll probably want to check the site out.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

Roland Users Group
URL: http://www.rolandus.com/rug/rug.html
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0896
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Bonnie J. Burton
Roland is music to any musician¹s ears. Here you can find out which keyboard, synthesizer, digital sampler or electronic drum is right for your techno pop or riot grrrl band. Even if you¹re not in a band, the site has numerous articles and interviews with composers and musicians who use the company¹s equipment, including "White Squall" film composer Jeff Roma and Jazz fusionist Pat Metheny. You can also shop for Roland videos, posters, clothing, books and CDs from the Web site.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

American Express University
URL: http://www.americanexpress.com/student/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0996
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Rachel Saidman
Apollo, American Express' figurehead, sports a pair of Raybans at the gateway to this site targeting college students/recent graduates. While rich in information, there's work involved in unearthing the most useful nuggets from its many layers. The scope is ambitious, covering credit cards, travel, careers, personal finance, and movies. Sections of particular interest are: "Wanderlust," for online flight reservations and ticket purchases; "The Money Pit," which features resume templates, interview tips, and skills assessments; and "The Right Thing," highlighting non-profit opportunities. For students seeking travel tips, summer internships, or career guidance, this one is worth the visit.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

Guinness Brewing
URL: http://www.guinness.ie/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0996
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Rachel Saidman
The Guinness site, in minimalist black-and-white, will have particular appeal for Guinness lovers, amateur brewers, and Shockwave enthusiasts. Upon entering, you can either "Visit the Local," or "Visit the Brewery." Skip the local, and go straight to the brewery (choose the Shocked version or come back when you have Shockwave). There you can learn everything there is to know about brewing, packaging, and the history of Guinness. While non-Guinness drinkers may enjoy the site for its technological flair, or even idle curiosity, I suspect only true stout aficionados will bookmark it.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

Kellogg's Cereal City
URL: http://www.kelloggs.com
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0996
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Rachel Saidman
High tech marketing meets good old-fashioned cereal at the Kellogg's page. Kids will find fun activities here, and the folks may even appreciate the site's funky fifties aesthetic. Activity spots include Kellogg Kitchens (who knew there were so many ways to use cereal?), the rec room -- with downloadable screensavers and electronic greeting cards -- and the lounge, where kids can color in Tony the Tiger, Toucan Sam, and other Kellogg's characters. A fun, interactive, and lively place for kids to spend time, it¹s Grrreat!
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

The Power Line
URL: http://www.minuteman-ups.com
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0996
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Rachel Saidman
This site is about uninterrupted power supplies, plain and simple. If that's not of interest to you, don't go. But, if you¹re looking for information on Minuteman products, or have always wanted to understand the concepts of squarewave and pulse-width modulation, this is the place to be. Products are described in glorious technical detail, complete with photos and specs. The Power Quiz and Quote Request will help you determine your UPS product needs, and give you a price quote to boot. Promotions and gimmicks are kept to a bare minimum, and the graphics are clean, bold and straightforward.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

MCI WebSite Services
URL: http://www.mci.websitesvcs.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0996
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
Everyone wants in on the web action, and MCI¹s no exception. This straight-ahead page comes right to the point: the company¹s web site division can help you assess your web needs, design or build a public or private site, obtain domain names and ³vanity URLs,² offer secure transactions, and so on. In three cleanly-designed screens, you'll see the scope of their business. The only lack is contact information; all you get here is an e-mail form. Phone, fax and snail mail details would round out the picture.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

ESRI
URL: http://www.esri.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0996
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) is home base for several geographic information systems (GIS) software tools used to build applications for planning, land use, facility management, sales territories, emergency routing and the like--applications which need multiple views and dynamic data combinations. This friendly and appealing site contains not only background on ESRI¹s products, but tech support, data scripts, and links to sites demonstrating GIS and spatial relationships.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

Tampax
URL: http://tampax.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0996
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
As a topic usually spoken of only in hushed tones between mother and daughter, behind closed doors, it¹s refreshing to find the Tampax site so full of frank, clearly written information, lots of Q&As, and numerous ways to send questions and comments. Geared to young teens, the appealing graphics depict racial variety in a cheerful, ³clubhouse² atmosphere, and there¹s no hard sell. (There¹s a text-only option too). Women past the the target age seem to have a universal reaction: ³I wish there had been something like this for me when I was younger.²
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

United Media
URL: http://www.unitedmedia.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 1096
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: David Pescovitz
Yet another reason not to buy a newspaper. Nancy, Robotman, Marmaduke, and the Peanuts gang are all hanging out on these funny pages for your online enjoyment! And who can do without Dilbert's travels in corporate hyperreality? There's even political cartoons by the likes of Steve Benson for the smart alecs out there. Check back daily and immerse yourself in the best of the daily comics, without all that news to distract you.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

Durex.com
URL: http://www.durex.com
Category: Corporate
Issue: 1096
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Rachel Saidman
Tongue firmly planted in . . . cheek, Durex, manufacturer of Ramses and Sheik condoms, has developed this site as an homage to the prophylactic. In categories like "up and coming" and "the in's and out's of sex," guys and girls can find tips on the mechanics of condom application and maintenance (kids, don't hide them behind the radiator!) as well as the touchier issue of incorporating condoms into romantic interludes. Dr. Dilemma answers a range of questions about sex for the informationally challenged. All in all, it does a fine job of combining whimsical humor with some very serious issues.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

Kinko's
URL: http://www.kinkos.com
Category: Corporate
Issue: 1096
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Rachel Saidman
Kinko's goes from "hippie to high tech," with a graphically upscale site and pithy quotes from the likes of Alexis de Tocqueville and Albert Einstein. Doesn't Kinko's make copies? Positioning themselves as the new "virtual office," Kinko's now offers -- in addition to the usual round-the-clock copying -- videoconferencing, digital camera rental, conference room rental, and individual workstations. Kinkonet (sounds like some kind of bondage accessory) lets you transfer your documents electronically. Go Kinko¹s.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

Diesel Jeans
URL: http://www.diesel.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 1196
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Rachel Saidman
Diesel Jeans' web site sports the faux seventies look of its fashions: bell bottoms, halter tops, and hip huggers are showcased at this site which is rendered in blinding neon colors and swirling, psychedelic patterns. Its design metaphor is that of a funky, slightly seedy hotel. Enter through The Foyer, and take the guided tour to peek through keyholes at a series of strange collages. The Ground Floor boutique, with fashions for kids, women, and men, made me wish I had kept the beloved terrycloth romper of my childhood. This is a refreshingly wacky site that doesn't take itself seriously at all, and offers some fun surprises.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

Smirnoff's Pure Thrill
URL: http://www.purethrill.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 1296
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: David Pescovitz
Welcome to the Smirnoff Pure Thrill Hotel--a world of drinking, decadence, and death. This well-designed and thought-out bells-and-whistles site is based on the idea of a classy hotel, where you can meet the Rene the hotel manager, the scamming Countess, and a host of other characters involved in the murder that unfolds as you browse the site. Smirnoff has done an impressive job of creating content as opposed to just pushing product. The hook that brings you back? You have to visit periodically to find out whodunit.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 17

Speedware Corporation, Inc.
URL: http://www.speedware.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0696
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
This site is geared toward developers using, or considering purchasing, Speedware software, including its 4GL for interfacing applications with networks, an open platform development environment, and other network development tools. If you¹re a web developer and have never heard of Speedware, this site is worth a visit; the company offers good product information and the site is very attractive. Current users will want to check out the Speedware partnership deal and the customer support database (only accessible by registered users.)
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

1 800 SEX-STUD
URL: http://www.oj.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0796
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Tom Geller
This self-proclaimed ³Pothole on the Information Superhighway² offers up a mix of links to phone sex ads, super model home pages, U.F.O. theorists, and stuff about O.J. ‹ the man and the citrus drink. (Yes, there really are links to orange juice concerns!) All of this is presented like the front page of a supermarket tabloid, with plenty of beefcake butts and B-I-I-I-I-G, colorful headlines. There¹s not much original content (except for the phone sex ads), but it¹s loads o¹ fun for slackers and perverts anyhoo.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

WWS World
URL: http://www.wwsworld.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0596
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: David Pescovitz
Morphing to the needs of the new media, advertising agencies are rushing to create Web sites to lure in even the most technophobic clients. Weiss, Whitten, Stagliano¹s site does the job nicely. Fun in a marketing company sort of way, yet elegant in a ³we mean business² professional appearance, this site is a no-apologies commercial for the abilities of this agency. With examples of its work for Giorgio Armani and Ferrari, this agency shows that it can walk the production walk just as well as it talks the Web talk. A worthy look at a good example from the industry that will help commercialize the net... whether we like it or not.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Digital Equipment Corporation
URL: http://www.digital.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0596
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: David Pescovitz
Home to Alta Vista, easily the best search engine of the Web, DEC continues as a force to be reckoned with in the computer world. Here you¹ll find the usual material from a high-tech corp¹s Web site ‹ a letter from the big cheese, product info, and plenty of press releases for analysts and consultants. But if you¹re not a journalist hunting for background, a corporation with an equipment budget to blow, or a tech-head looking for work, go ahead and bookmark Alta Vista and leave the rest alone. The engine from heaven is hidden in the New Technology and Research section.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

FenderWorld
URL: http://www.fender.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0596
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
Guitar heroes will love this site. It contains a complete catalog of all things Fender, a FAQ, Tech Tips, and miscellaneous guitar trivia. It also has the handy ŒAxe Dater¹: Enter the serial number of your Fender and it tells you when it was made. Cool. An online version of its magazine, Frontline, features current artists and their Fenders. If you¹re so inspired, you can also subscribe to the magazine (and get a free bonus Bon Jovi CD), join the Fender Club, or check out the guitar links. Perhaps most fulfilling of the cultural insights: ³Jam Out² has apparently replaced ³Rock Out² as the appropriate term of guitar jubilance.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

SRI International
URL: http://www.sri.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0696
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
SRI, a non-profit research organization spun off from Stanford University, has created a Web site detailing its services and projects. There¹s a lot of information, much of it quite technical, about what the organization is up to. Amateur scientists with an interest in applied scientific research could spend hours at this site reading about fascinating projects. Industrial executives considering research collaborations could also spend hours scooping out good ideas. It¹s a fascinating organization, and the site does a good job of chronicling its activities.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Andersen Consulting
URL: http://www.ac.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0596
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
Anderson is an international giant in the management and high-tech consulting industry. This means that some of the best and brightest minds around work on the Anderson payroll and Web site. If you¹re interested in technology, you¹ll find fascinating reading here, from tomes on the future of multimedia to analyses of retailing on the Internet. The site has a slight feel of having been thrown together rather than planned, but I didn¹t find that too much of a distraction. Job recruitment, technology discussion forums, and Internet news also make this site of value.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Codex Privacy Site
URL: http://www.thecodex.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0596
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
Playground for the paranoid. Codex offers electronic eavesdropping products and services, including things no one can live without, such as a Conference Room RF Shielding device. The site has a great section of links; anyone into conspiracy theory will love them. From Mossad to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the links cover topics such as hacking, privacy, spying, and international intrigue. The site also offers practical information (such as how to tap a phone). You also have the chance to order an e-mail version of its catalog (I enjoyed it) or to subscribe to the newsletter. Don¹t miss the disclaimer in the How To section.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Connectix
URL: http://www.connectix.com
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0896
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Unknown
No telling how much fun a computer geek can have the eyeball-like QuickCam from Connectix. This site mirrors the creative dream behind that product, featuring shots from the color QuickCam and a fish cam, updated once a minute, as many times as you care to hit the reload button. You can also download software to turn the eye into a high-tech video phone.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Crave Media
URL: http://www.crave.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0896
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
Wouldn¹t you know it? Crave leaves you craving for more of their stuff. Crave is a Web/multimedia design shop in Toronto, and they¹ve created terrific sites for some cool clients including the influential Toronto International Film Festival and the innovative CityTV/MuchMusic/Bravo TV site, among others. Though you can admire their work, Crave¹s site is really meant as a way to show off for their new business prospects. Clean and well-designed as it is, there are not enough samples of their work, and not enough other interesting links to warrant a lengthy visit.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Vivid Studios
URL: http://www.vivid.com
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0896
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
Five years ago, Vivid published books on computer topics. Then the Web hit, and the firm turned into a Web (and CD) studio. Their corporate site takes you to a good selection of client work (3Com, Windows 95, J. Walter Thompson, Bell Atlantic) and some pro bono projects like the Names Project AIDS Quilt. A friendly tone keeps you on site, as does the monthly calendar of Internet/multimedia/interactive trade shows (there are a million of them these days) with links and an annotated bibliography of seminal books that Vivid recommends. You can even study a map of their ³grimy² hood, San Francisco¹s ³South of Market,² the epicenter for multimedia development. A good place to study Web design in action.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

W3-design
URL: http://w3-design.com
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0996
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Rachel Saidman
W3-design's home page illustrates the idea that "less is more." A Web site design firm, its own entry is understated, subtle, and serious. Rendered in muted greens, the site gives a refreshingly brief introduction to the firm and links to client home pages. A quick tour of their work shows it to be content-driven, boasting fewer bells and whistles than many other corporate sites. Not terribly exciting visually, it nonetheless possesses an elegant simplicity that allows content to outshine visuals.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Burton Snowboards
URL: http://www.burton.com/mainmenu.htm
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0996
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
Geared to the already-hip-on-the-concept, Burton Snowboards touts its product line, of course, but offers a few tidbits more. The company has been in the powder-riding biz a long time; check out the first board made in 1978. Read interviews with champion boarders, learn the lingo, and link to rec.skiing.snowboard (and more web sites). There¹s a page of news from various tourneys and snowboard triumphs, but the news is old, and there are no people pictures apparent, which would add to the fun.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Toshiba
URL: http://www.toshiba.com
Category: Corporate
Issue: 1096
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: David Pescovitz
The Web sites of consumer electronics companies are often boring, but useful. True, there's usually not much "entertainment" content, but electronics shopping is one area where new product information and spec sheets can be extremely helpful. If you're in the market for Toshiba goods, check here first. But you'll probably want to skip Club Toshiba, where you cough up demographic information in exchange for member percs like access to hourly news updates, and a Toshiba e-news letter. Whoopee. On the other hand, customization, like the ability to create your own Club Toshiba home page, is always an interesting Web fillip. But when in a rush, let this site do what it does best--help you become an informed shopper.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

AT&T
URL: http://www.att.com
Category: Corporate
Issue: 1096
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: David Pescovitz
Ever heard of information overload? The AT&T home page is packed full of linked text in a small font, so you're best bet is to proceed directly to the site map to get a finger on where you need to be--product info, telecommuting information, wireless telecom, etc. Several levels deep, you'll find lots of interesting information about telecommunications products and research. My favorite area to browse is the AT&T Bell Labs R and D area. Did you know there's already a prototype of Dick Tracy's wrist telephone?
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Letraset Online
URL: http://www.letraset.com/letraset/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 1096
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: David Pescovitz
Letraset is the graphic design imprint of the international company, Esselte, the people behind those fun Dymo label guns. Here, you can browse dozens of fonts, clip art, and background textures before contacting your Letraset dealer to drop some cash. A cool tool on the site is The Ripper--a script that enables you to type in a headline, choose a point size, and render your text using any of the Letraset fonts. I always like to try before I buy. Another fun gimme is the free font of the month--yours after you complete an easy multiple choice test about Letraset products.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Monsanto
URL: http://www.monsanto.com/index.shtml
Category: Corporate
Issue: 1096
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: David Pescovitz
Based in St. Louis, Monsanto is a huge biotechnology company working in the areas of medicine, agriculture, fiber, and food ingredients. Basically, they engineer products that we eat and wear. With that kind of responsibility, it's wise for Monsanto to create a positive and calm corporate identity, as they do at the Web site. Relaxing images of forests, farmland, and small animals actually work well here. (Without a cheesy aftertaste!) Learn about Monsanto's herbicides, engineered plant seeds, medicinal concoctions, and other ways in which they've messed with Mother Nature. Biotech is the future--meet one of the major players.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Compuserve's Our World
URL: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 1196
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Rachel Saidman
Compuserve's Our World attempts to develop a "global community" by providing free software, graphics and 1 megabyte of server space for anyone who wants to put up their own home page (providing you are willing to forego pornography, obscenity and racist material). While this is an intriguing concept, the twenty or so home pages I scanned were disappointingly uniform, most featuring a photo or two and a series of links. This still doesn't quite feel like a community to me; rather a bunch of individuals gathered together in a central location. A beginning, perhaps, but there's a lot more to community than a shared interest in having your picture on the Internet.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Working Assets Online
URL: http://www.wald.com/news.html
Category: Corporate
Issue: 1196
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Rachel Saidman
Cynics beware: This site is so well-intentioned and sincere it's almost painful. After all, Working Assets is the company that genuinely cares about the environment, human rights, racism, and poverty in America. They also actually do something about it by providing telephone service and donating 1% of your charges to nonprofit organizations (a relatively painless way to give to charity). Newsbite, as the site is called, is a compilation of articles on social/political issues such as gay rights, ending the Cuba embargo, and the epidemic of church burnings in the South. Will Durst, irreverent San Francisco columnist, is also featured in the Daily Dose of Durst.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

L'oreal
URL: http://www.lorealcosmetics.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 1196
Content Quality: Poor
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Rachel Saidman
Perky models strut their stuff at the L'Oreal web site, their lives vastly improved through the use of L'Oreal cosmetics. This site has the look and substance of a fashion magazine, with timely tips on seasonal colors and styles, fashion and make-up advice (how do you keep your mascara looking fresh all day?), and an online questionnaire in Let's Get Purse-onal where you can describe the contents of your, guess what, purse. The site is a looker -- no doubt about it -- but while it may catch the eye, there's not much to engage the mind.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Budweiser
URL: http://www.budweiser.com
Category: Corporate
Issue: 1196
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Rachel Saidman
Engines revving and testosterone coursing through the veins of men across America reverberate through Budweiser Online, like the sound of the ocean dimly echoing in a conch. The site features automobile race information ad nauseam, beermaster tips, photos from spring breaks in Fort Lauderdale, Cancun, and the Bahamas, and Thirst for Knowledge (³exercise your brain with "how to say 'beer' in 33 languages"). You can also buy Bud Gear (clothing and accessories) and download the Bud Frogs screensaver. It's pretty obvious who Budweiser's target audience is -- you know who you are -- and there's plenty here for them.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Black and Decker
URL: http://www.blackanddecker.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 1296
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: David Pescovitz
I bought my first drill this year. And it's a Black and Decker. Of course, B and D and American males go together like baseball and popcorn, so stop here if you want to see the company's most-impressive tool box. There's plenty of product info, a few contests, and even detailed plans on how to build your own furniture--including a computer desk! I knew that Black and Decker Router would come in handy someday.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Oscar-Mayer Cyber Cinema
URL: http://www.oscar-mayer.com
Category: Corporate
Issue: 1296
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Emily Soares
Stop by to visit The World Wide WeenerŠ ³the hottest link in the Oscar Mayer web site,² or get the latest on the Oscar Mayer Talent Search where kids will be auditioned singing either the Wiener Jingle or the Bologna Song in ninety U.S. cities. As of this writing, it¹s Soup and Sandwich month, so features run the gamut, from a soup and sandwich personality test to a map of soup and sandwich place names. Don¹t forget the interactive history of the Wienermobile. Rife with plays on words like ³relish² and ³ketchup², this cheesy (ahem) site is fun to look at and will probably be a hit with kids of all ages who get a kick out of cold cuts and food personification.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

World of Speedo
URL: http://www.world-of-speedo.com
Category: Corporate
Issue: 1296
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Emily Soares
Get the latest on Aquablade, the fastest suit on the market and hear Speedo sing the praises of its space age S2000, a fabric worn by 8 out of 10 swimming World Record holders at Barcelona. The Atlanta Olympics still loom large on this site, with a day by day rundown courtesy of Aussie swimmer Alex Bennett, who couldn¹t compete due to a car crash shortly before the Games. Pages with hints and tips on triathlon and beach volleyball competitions are also available. A very slick design, the site provides a list of retail locations worldwide and links to scores of swimming-related sites.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Tide ClothesLine
URL: http://www.clothesline.com
Category: Corporate
Issue: 1296
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Emily Soares
Tide ClothesLine features a handy Stain Detective which will, by category, help figure out the nature of and removal procedure for any given spot. ³Body soils/unknown stains² remains a mystery, though, as it refused to load. I did, however, determine the best way to remove Playdoh/Silly Putty, from acrylic. You can get laundry tips for beginners (³turn on the machine to fill it with water²) and parents of young children, an apparel labeling guide, and a list of FAQ¹s. And if you want to impress your friends at the laundromat, dip into Laundry Trivia to get the lowdown on laundry demographics.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 16

Eastgate Systems
URL: http://www.eastgate.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0696
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
Hypertext fiction is a fascinating literary form in which you pick your starting point and then follow whatever links catch your eye. Eventually the disparate elements begin to crystallize into a cohesive work. This site provides two sample hypertexts for your perusal, as well as descriptions and reviews of the works Eastgate publishes. The company also publishes non-fiction, a hypertext authoring system, and Web Squirrel ‹ a drag and drop URL manager. You can download a demo (Mac only) and check out other peoples URL collections. If you have never experienced hypertexts, check this site out.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Grossman and Roth, P.A.
URL: http://www.gateintl.com/GR/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0696
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
This is a classic example of the McWeb site: little information about the law firm, few links in places that almost demand them, and very little information about law in general. Especially bad are the scanned newspaper articles by the partners ‹ bandwidth hogs and almost totally unreadable. It seems like a pretty admirable law firm, but you don¹t get much of an impression of it from the little information the site provides.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Chrysler Technology
URL: http://www.chryslercorp.com/ctc.html
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0596
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
Chrysler is evidently very proud of its testing facilities. Here you can learn all about them. Unfortunately, the site¹s editors chose boring pictures of wind tunnels instead of photographs of cars smashing into walls at high speeds. I enjoyed looking at Chrysler¹s concept cars, which always seem to be the ones I wished were in production. Of course, no corporate site could be complete without news releases, ad campaign info, and a section espousing the company¹s great environmental track record. Like the rest of the site, these sections are conservative and offer few surprises, but are presented well.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Blockbuster
URL: http://pwr.com/blockbuster/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0596
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Steve Szyszko
"The purpose of our Internet Web site is to give you the inside story of what's new and exciting at Blockbuster® ‹ but in an all-new way." So begins the Blockbuster® Web experience. This is the electronic equivalent of an airline magazine, with less content and fewer pictures of far-away lands. The curious and morbid will find monthly lists of top video rentals, profiles of soon-to-be released films, and the results of the World Video Game Championship. To its credit, Blockbuster® does make this fluff available online in Spanish, too.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Westinghouse Science & Technology Center
URL: http://www.stc.westinghouse.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0596
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: David Pescovitz
Upon first look, this site only presents what appears to be a pithy overview of the deep research being conducted at Westinghouse. The Technology area lists confusing-to-the-layman codewords for the new high-tech developments. And each departmental link (Intelligent Systems, Microelectronics, etc.) leads to a happy photo of its respective manager summarizing (and hyping) his group¹s work in a brief paragraph. But link a little further into some of the areas ‹ cryoelectronics, for example ‹ and geek out with some intense scientific papers and reports from the men and women in the white lab coats. Bring your slide rule!
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Bantam Doubleday Dell
URL: http://www.bdd.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0596
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: David Pescovitz
Yet another electronic promotional vehicle for a company that¹s best suited for the medium of dead trees. While the catalog of Bantam Doubleday Dell¹s books in print is mildly entertaining to peruse before you head off to Waldenbooks, a daily puzzle and horoscope aren¹t enough of a draw to make this site a bookmark. Somewhat interesting are the profiles of the featured writers and their tour dates, but haven¹t we heard enough about John Grisham already?
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Maytag-Home of Dependability
URL: http://www.maytag.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0596
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
I never really liked the Maytag Man. Unfortunately, he¹s prominently featured in this site. Maytag provides a fair amount of information about its appliances ‹ prices, warranty info, and general features, and it has a handy remodeling guide that gives the dimensions of each appliance. My favorite area of the site, the tips section, offers general suggestions on how to remove laundry stains and keep vegetables fresh in your refrigerator. I can¹t imagine a lot a people go appliance shopping on the Web, but if you need or want to, this is a good place to start. And there are pretty pictures!
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Prudential Insurance
URL: http://www.prudential.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0896
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Bonnie J. Burton
Come to terms with your own mortality yet? Prudential has a Web site to remind you of the grave in the days of your youth. Learn which policy is best for you when the Grim Reaper comes knocking on your door. Find the closest Prudential Representative in your area with the Geo-Locator or discover the possible career options as a life insurance salesman. Take a tour of the fictitious Ourtown, USA where the Prudential employees help build housing for the poor. And remember, your time is short.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

PhotoNet
URL: http://www.photonet.com
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0896
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
A good idea poorly executed, the PhotoNet site touts a new service by which film is digitally processed so that your photos can be used on the Web, for personal pages or classified ads. You have to comb through several links to find out even this much, though, let alone where to find dealers to process your film, how to view proof sheets, and so on. Unfortunately, PhotoNet is not quite ready for prime time: the only dealers listed are in Maine, Georgia and Israel; the promised software to store, edit or morph photos isn¹t really up yet; the classifieds displaying photos are skimpy at best. Better to wait till there are more dealers and more applications before taking the PhotoNet plunge.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Market Visibility, Inc.
URL: http://www.mvisibility.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0896
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Lauren Guzak
Companies for Sale! Get Œem while they¹re hot. Or not. This is a site for those itching to trade, and the goods here are business concerns. Though it has other features, (many of them not quite in place, but ³coming soon²) like gratuitous sports links and weather updates, the real thrust here, if I read it right, is buying and selling companies. You remember, the big sport of the `80¹s? In fact, that¹s what this one feels like: A sports page. Interesting in an odd way, but not for everyone.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Chiquita Online
URL: http://www.chiquita.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0996
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
Do you crave info on the ubiquitous banana? Chiquita Online is an excellent resource: you¹ll find trivia and factoids, history, geography (³Banana Producers of the World² is one page), even info about licensing the Chiquita brand name. Then there¹s the Chiquita jingle, which in its heyday became a pop hit, and banana nutrition tips. What¹s missing? Recipes. (There are just two on the whole site, and no links to others.) Aside from that, it¹s good fun visiting with our potassium-rich friend.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Rudd Equipment
URL: http://www.ruddequip.com
Category: Corporate
Issue: 1096
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: David Pescovitz
Get out yer hard hat--The Rudd Equipment Company is ready to meet "construction needs on the World Wide Web." And we're not talking about ways to get rid of those annoyingly ubiquitous "under construction" symbols on the Web, either. Rudd Equipment deals in wheel loaders, excavators, cranes, drills, rollers, and graders. The heavy duty stuff. Use their site to see what's on hand and even put your own goods up for sale. Need to talk with a Rudd sales rep? Click on the map to find one near you. I may look into buying a crane. You never know when you¹ll need a big crane.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Weston
URL: http://www.rfweston.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 1096
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: David Pescovitz
Not the oil, that's Wesson. Weston is a large environmental services firm that will take care of your waste management, water treatment, air quality management, and even landfill construction needs. And the best part is that according to their site, Weston does it all with a "preserve, protect, restore" mindset about Mother Earth. In addition to plenty of info about the company and its history, you can also search and read papers dealing with environmental issues like pollution prevention and sustainable development.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

British Airways
URL: http://www.british-airways.com/bans/checkin1.htm
Category: Corporate
Issue: 1096
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: David Pescovitz
British Airways is a densely packed site serving the needs of its UK customers. (All prices are in pounds!) If you're preparing to fly on this airline, there's an endless of supply of details that you don't need to know but can find out on this site, anyway--the airline's mission statement, environmental policies, etc. You can also check here for schedules and fares. Packed and well-organized, with only one thing missing: Online reservations!
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Colgate-Palmolive
URL: http://www.colgate.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 1096
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: David Pescovitz
First of all, I'm a Crest man. So I'm biased. But this company also makes Palmolive and Ajax, which I use frequently, so I'll try to remain objective. I'm not too interested in their "Story Behind Our Global Brands"or the fun historical facts about the company's history on their site though. And the product info galore doesn't do much for me either. As usual, the real fun to be had is in the "Kids' World" portion of the site, complete with brushing tips. You can even fill in a form to let the Tooth Wizard (what happened to the Fairy?) know your tooth is gone, and check your e-mail the next morning for a message! Now if my computer would just floss for me.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Campbell Soups
URL: http://www.campbellsoups.com
Category: Corporate
Issue: 1196
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Rachel Saidman
Ever since Andy Warhol made it cool, Campbell's has possessed an enviable position in the soup world. Unfortunately, Campbell's website is a lot like their soup: warm and comforting, but not exactly overflowing with substance (which is fine if you're home sick). The standard stuff is here: Campbell's Soup recipes (you know the green beans with cream of mushroom and french fried onion rings on top?), Campbell's Soup souvenirs, and general information about the company and its other brands. I found the Seasonal Sampler section to be particularly humorous, with suggested menus for significant yearly events (Campbell's on Yom Kippur?).
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Moto Laverda
URL: http://www.keycomm.it/~laverda/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 1196
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Rachel Saidman
This bilingual site is sponsored by LaVerda, the Italian motorcycle manufacturer. The text is in both Italian and English (the stilted, translated variety) and features brief description of the various models, along with photos for enthusiasts to drool over. A full line of clothing and accessories will also be available through the site some time in the future. This is not an overly hyped-up site, and possesses a certain homespun charm that a lot of the slicker corporate sites lack.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

E-data
URL: http://www.e-data.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 1196
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Rachel Saidman
E-Data owns the rights to a 1985 patent that has far-reaching implications for many businesses. Simply put, the patent involves the technology that allows for the sale and distribution of products electronically using encryption methods. Currently involved in complex patent infringement litigation, E-Data is, in the meantime, offering "amnesty" to companies who may be infringing, providing they purchase licensing agreements to use this technology. Companies who have taken advantage of this offer include Adobe Systems, IBM, and Kidsoft. While the patent is currently in contention, this issue is worth checking into for companies conducting electronic commerce.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Land Rover
URL: http://www.landrover.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 1296
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: David Pescovitz
Sports Utility Vehicles are just so...rugged. Macho. The person who drives one *must* be a true outdoor adventure type. Either that, or a yuppie with some extra cash to blow. But the Web site does succeed in grabbing you with that off-road virus. Pictures of muddy vehicles on picturesque landscapes and model specs abound, and Land Rover will even help set you up with an adventure to match your vehicle: "So if you'd rather be a traveler than a tourist, if you enjoy acquiring new driving skills and mastering new sports, if you appreciate warm hospitality and ice-cold champagne, look within for an Invitation you cannot refuse." Yeah, as if my old Chevy Sprint wouldn't have made it to the Redwoods.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Smucker's
URL: http://www.smucker.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 1296
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: David Pescovitz
That must be jelly because jam don't shake like that! Smucker's is the brand when it comes to fruity spreads for your breads. And here, you can take a dip into the history of the company, starting with the time Jeremy Smucker prepared the first batch of Apple Butter with fruit straight from Mr. Appleseed's trees. A nice old fashioned-style lay out, but without much content beyond nutritional info and a few recipes. The Smucker's quiz is cute, but just leaves me hungry for some Strawberry-Passion Fruit on a lightly browned piece of toast.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Hyundai Motor
URL: http://www.hmc.co.kr/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 1296
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Emily Soares
The criteria for judging a corporate site need to take into account whether or not the product is presented effectively and how much info is provided. In that regard, Hyundai does pretty well. Here you can view photos of all Hyundai models, get specs, and read the corporate profile. On the Sponsorship page learn about the Asan Foundation funded by Hyundai in ¹77, which reportedly provides ³state-of-the-art² medical services, subsidizes social welfare institutions, funds research projects, and awards scholarship grants; where and for whom remains a mystery. Links to Korean culture pages as well.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 15

Algor
URL: http://www.algor.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0596
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: David Pescovitz
What the hell is Algor, anyway? A quick glance at the home page doesn¹t reveal anything about the power behind the pages, but the links are appealing nonetheless. Several clicks in, it¹s finally possible to deduce that Algor makes software used for a variety of truly interesting scientific purposes like aerospace, chemical, and mechanical engineering projects. Probably most notable to non-PhD nerds surfing this site is the story of Dante II, the robot used to explore a volcano in Alaska in 1994. And guess what! Algor software was used in the design of the robot. Scientific self-promotion at its finest.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 14

Young Chang
URL: http://www.youngchang.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0596
Content Quality: Poor
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
Young Chang is one of the largest piano makers in the world. Piano fans will find some items of general interest here, such as a section on how to find a piano teacher and listings of piano organizations. Descriptions of piano models, though, are limited to describing what types of finishes they come in; too much attention is devoted to expounding why the company¹s manufacturing process produces superior pianos. There are a few silly sections, such as information on Young Chang¹s game-show giveaways.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 14

HarperCollins
URL: http://www.harpercollins.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0696
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
Someone forgot to tell the good folks at Harper Collins that a site should be planned out before it¹s coded. You¹ll find lists of titles with decent descriptions, but the order of the books makes no sense. Some titles are separated from the main lists, in different ³Subject Categories,² on different parts of the site, and they¹re often broken down by subsidiary publisher ‹ which seems like a silly way to organize titles. There is little here besides these lists. Inexplicably cryptic icons appear on some of the pages deeper in the site. Click away, but there¹s no way to know in advance where you might end up.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 14

Random House
URL: http://www.randomhouse.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0596
Content Quality: Poor
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
Want to browse Random House¹s book offerings by looking at titles, authors, and a brief description of each book? Well, you can¹t. To make up for this, there is an extremely well-designed search engine to navigate the extensive list of Random House titles. Of course, once you get the titles, you still don¹t find much information. The site does have good theme pages relating to some of the publisher¹s more popular current books. Here you¹ll find forums, links, and discussion.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 14

Intersolv
URL: http://www.intersolv.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0896
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Bonnie J. Burton
What Nutrasweet does for coffee, Intersolv aims to do for Java. The world¹s 35th largest software company, Intersolv¹s Web site has a nice design, but ironically enough, no Java bells and whistles -- not even a single GIF animation. For a company that prides itself on working with JavaSoft, it¹s a mystery why the site doesn¹t show off some snazzier elements.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 14

Haworth
URL: http://www.haworth-furn.com
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0896
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Karen Wickre
Haworth designs and sells office furniture, from the lowliest cubicles to top executive power desks. Here you¹ll find artful images of attractive office setups (these are big files, so be patient), displays of the company¹s various product lines, and info on Haworth services including customized configuration, planning, and design. If you really like the looks of what you see here, hey, go to the Haworth job listings, or to their page of other links for furniture and design professionals. There¹s also a page of links to furniture trade shows for the cognoscenti.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 14

Delta Airlines
URL: http://www.delta-air.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 1296
Content Quality: Good
Aesthetic Quality: Good
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Emily Soares
Delta¹s site offers visitors a lot of travel information, even if they¹re not planning on flying with the airline. Drop by the Executive Woman¹s Travel Network (not just for executive women), the Plane Fun game room, hokey travelogue entries from a frequent Business Class flyer, and all kinds of flight info and Delta News. You can also get weather information across the world and sports updates for U.S. cities. Problem is, each page takes forever and a day to load, and some never load at all. Which is ok, I supposeŠunless you have a plane to catch.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 14

Official Guinness
URL: http://www.itl.net/guinness/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0596
Content Quality: Excellent
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
This is a site no member of the cult of Guinness should miss. There are delightful treats to downloaded ‹ a Guinness screen saver and wall paper composed of your favorite Guinness advertisements. There's also a Guinness FAQ to answer your age-old stout questions. So open a can of pub-draught, pull up a chair, and step into the virtual pub.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 13

J Walter Thompson
URL: http://www.jwtworld.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0796
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: David Pescovitz
Take a surreal jaunt through J. Walter Thompson¹s world of advertising. Learn about the firm¹s ³global² approach to advertising while enjoying some New Yorker-esque illustrations. Visit the gallery where you can view TV commercials from the firm¹s repertoire or get a personalized Web site via an e-mailed URL, for viewing at your leisure. Neat, but I¹m not really clear on the point. There¹s even an online game where budding creative- and/or cutthroat-types get a chance to shine in a pretend advertising office. I¹ll stick to *watching* commercials.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 12

CONSTRUCT
URL: http://vrml.arc.org/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0796
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: David Pescovitz
Construct is the most inspired Internet design firm in San Francisco¹s Multimedia Gulch. With avante-garde experiments in VRML, Java, and other advanced programming languages (plenty of examples on the site), Construct is tied to the future of the medium. A roster of projects includes everything from the design of the BB King CD-ROM Web site to the creation of virtual reality models of nanomechanical devices for a recent molecular nanotechnology conference.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 12

MCI
URL: http://www.mci.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Shel Kimen
MCI has an outstanding site. It¹s huge, with everything from news releases (updated very regularly) and long-distance information to entertainment, customer service, and online paging capabilities. Yes, you can page someone with an MCI or Skytel pager from the Internet ‹ it¹s easy. The graphics are great (and not bandwidth bandits), and the content is well-organized. While you're browsing, link to InternetMCI (http://www.internetmci.com), which houses all the fashion, entertainment, and misc. fun stuff.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 12

Sirius Connections
URL: http://www.sirius.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Shel Kimen
This is a nice Web site. "Nice" is the most appropriate word since it¹s neither spectacular nor lacking, but covers the bases of its business well. Sirius, an Internet access provider for the San Francisco/Bay Area, includes all the necessary information about its services. You¹ll find out about prices, files, account types available, and online registering. There¹s a reference/help desk for technical and service-related questions. Also, the site looks good, with tasteful icons and a smooth layout. No gimmicks. No frills. Just good and solid.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 12

Welcome to NutraSweet
URL: http://www.nutrasweet.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Shel Kimen
NutraSweet, indeed, has a sweet site. It's loaded with health tips, a news area (though it wasn't quite finished when I last checked), a library, which is actually a reference shelf for NutraSweet-related questions, and a market place to distribute NutraSweet-enhanced recipes (yes, cakes, cookies, and pies, guilt-free.) And the super bonus: you enter in your personal data ‹ age, gender, activity level ‹ and receive in reply a custom calorie/nutrition recommendation chart. The graphics are great ,and you'll never guess who's starring as the site¹s mascot ‹ Mr. Magoo! Very clever.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 12

Digital Planet
URL: http://www.digiplanet.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0496
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Jon Phillips
Any corporate page from a Web site design company that purports to expand ³the interactive medium¹s power to entertain, enlighten and inform² had better present zeniths in content and technology. Digital Planet doesn¹t stumble. The company, which has designed areas for Philips Media, Universal Pictures and MGM/UA Home Video, vaults its own self-imposed hurdles, and sets new standards with lavish artwork, technological gimmickry and quick, intuitive navigation. Clearly, the people behind the coding have spent significant energy in studying online communication models. The fruits of their travail? State of the art Web design. Anything less would be unpresentable. An opening splash screen displays a seamless integration of texture-rich background illustration and accompanying iconography. Think Carlos Segura, the innovative graphic artist and type designer. Think album cover art from the likes of Xmal Deutchland and other members of the 4AD music catalog. Overall, the site¹s imagery quietly announces authority and sophistication. Likewise, the site¹s editors have posted tasteful, concise bits of text that spread the Digital Planet credo without bludgeoning surfers with gratuitous self-promotion. Via quickly downloaded tutorials ‹ your browser should digest the bite-sized chunks quite easily ‹ you¹ll learn about building online corporate identities in a sober, reserved manner. Couth insouciance is the name of the game here, and Digital Planet is a regular Cary Grant. Or perhaps Digital Planet is a regular Thomas Edison. The company promises potential clients all the latest in Netscape and HTML trickery, and, behold, the bells and whistles are amassed in full force. When you travel to a portfolio area displaying links to the external pages of current clients, a server push mechanism launches an animated stream of the clients¹ company logos. The effect is sure to impress any Web neophytes who have yet to discover this particular gimmick. And, of course, the site¹s main interfaces are devoid of archaic text links. Surfers instead navigate via custom-designed hot buttons. Digital Planet has obviously shown forethought in employing navigation devices that eschew out-dated (and now inappropriate) print-and-paper models. Finally, Digital Planet offers an intriguing sense of mystery. Since the site doesn¹t include extensive corporate ³backgrounders,² one leaves wanting to know more about the people behind the creativity. Unfortunately, the site doesn¹t encourage two-way communication between the company and its fan base. It doesn¹t even include a snail mail mailing address, or mention of its city of origin. But perhaps Digital Planet just wants to be left alone while it tackles pressing projects at hand.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 12

i33 Communications
URL: http://www.i33.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0496
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Jon Phillips
Beginning with a stark white opening screen displaying nothing but a red admission ticket and a pragmatic credo ‹ ³Businesses establishing a presence on the internet should be driven by opportunity, not fear.² ‹ i33 Communications sets a standard for tasteful, understated corporate Web collateral. Other Web page construction companies would do well to mimic i33¹s soft-sell sense of reserve. From images to text, the content is devoid of gratuitous self-promotion.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 12

Net-User
URL: http://netuser.pair.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0896
Content Quality: Poor
Aesthetic Quality: Poor
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Bonnie J. Burton
Nothing washes down cheap, frozen pizza like a 1992 Cabernet Sauvignon-Zinfandel ordered online. Net-User sells everything from alcohol to detective agency services. One company advertising on Net-User even offers one-on-one phone counseling for people with Attention Deficit Disorder. That service goes for $150 an hour, provided the patient can stay on the line that long. Somehow Net-User doesn¹t seem too legit, and the design falls short of inspiring confidence.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 12

Winterland World's Greatest T-Shirts
URL: http://www.mca.com/winterland/index.html
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Shel Kimen
Winterland has all the flavors in concert t-shirts, from The Beastie Boys to Hole to Pantera. The Web site has great graphics and a smart layout, but unfortunately, they don't do such a great job showing off the merchandise. The site only displays one shirt for each artist, even though in the paper catalog, several shirts are listed for each band. (Did they run out of space or time?) So, it's not very complete compared to what they actually offer. And yes, you guessed it, no secure transactions yet. Call the 800-number to order.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 11

Adobe Systems Incorporated
URL: http://www.adobe.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0496
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Jon Phillips
The mainstay of desktop publishing software offers a professional-looking site that should inspire confidence in Adobe products, and provide tangible assistance to end-users. A well-designed home page offers sleek hot-button icons (as opposed to clumsy text links) that lead users to tech support resources, tips and techniques, and, most conveniently, *free software*. That¹s right: Plug-ins, filters, and printer drivers are available online for immediate downloading. When the site adds a search engine, it will realize its full potential.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 11

Culture Shock inc.
URL: http://revolution.cultureshock.com/csi/top.htm
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0796
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: David Pescovitz
A self-promo for a graphic design firm, this page doesn¹t have what it takes to stand out online where everyone is a master of typography and technical tricks. While the logos and icons are nice in a simple, post-Neville Brody sort of way, the plain layout and snoozy content doesn¹t make me want to sign on the dotted line. Culture Shock prides itself in its alleged ability to ³generate and execute extraordinary ideas² -- so proud, in fact, that they put a ticker-tape at the bottom of the screen that broadcasts the claim over and over and over... Yeah, pretty extraordinary.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 10

OZ Interactive Inc
URL: http://www.oz.is/OZ-Interactive/Welcome.html
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
This company is a leader in computer graphics, an imaging company that seems very interested in VRML (Virtual Reality Markup Language). There¹s not a whole lot at this site yet, but it¹s very nice-looking and there are some interesting things coming. They have a VRML gallery already, and are working on a VR record store. The plans for it are laid-out, and are worth a look now if you¹re interested in Icelandic computer graphics. Definitely bookmark it for later reading; it could be a fascinating site, especially if you have a VRML reader.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 10

Welcome to Macromedia
URL: http://www.macromedia.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
For people who use Macromedia products, this is a very good site. There¹s a good range of software and plug-ins for use with Macromedia products. There¹s also a wide range if items, such as industry gossip and demos, that would be of interest to multimedia aficionados. There isn¹t a great amount of depth to the material, but hopefully, it will fill in over time. Perhaps the coolest feature is the ability to download a file of bookmarks for the Macromedia site that you can import into your browser.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 10

Corbis
URL: http://www.corbis.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
Excellent. I could spend an entire day at this site, an enormous, well-organized archive of images, many available in high resolution. Especially worthwhile is the Almanac under the Corbis Media section. The Gallery Plan in the Gallery section is done so well I forgot it¹s useless. You can set up an account that somewhat personalizes your home page screen to account for your bandwidth and interests. The hi-res images are encrypted, so you have to download their viewer to access them. It always gives me a warm feeling to know that Bill Gates (founder of Corbis) is vigilantly protecting our copyright laws.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 8

MasterCard International Pointers
URL: http://www.mastercard.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Shel Kimen
Here's an example of how to keep a corporate site interesting. Sure, Mastercard will bombard you with company information and, of course, an opportunity to apply for a credit card (online in several countries). But Mastercard ups the ante a bit and adds in a hot spot link ‹ complete with clever quotes, contests, a story archive, and an interesting article about secure online transactions (to ease paranoia and spread a little education). It's not a super-fancy-looking site, but it¹s pretty enough, and the content value certainly is high enough to create a nice balance.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 8

MCA UNIVERSAL CYBERWALK
URL: http://www.mca.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
In its usual fashion, MCA/Universal has given an impression of substance to almost non-existent content. I found myself spending 20 minutes trying to figure out the impressive-looking home video library, only to realize there were only images of videocassette covers surrounded by lots of useless buttons. The site does boast some movie clips and actual information about many of their books in the Putnam/Berkeley section, but the music and film sections are quite bare. Overall, you have to search through a lot of fluff to find a very moderate amount of substance.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 8

Welcome to Bulldog
URL: http://bulldog.ca/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Excellent
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
This group is very fond of itself. There are some interesting pictures here, and the video is somewhat interesting, though it may take you an hour or more to download it. Overall, though, the site is quite dull and lacks much information. Want to take an extensive photo tour of their office? I didn¹t either. But I did find out that the CEO is a new media genius, wine expert, and gourmet cook. Who cares? I found myself saying that a lot.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 8

Welcome to Toasted Berkeley Systems Online
URL: http://www.berksys.com/index.html
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0796
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: David Pescovitz
Toasted is the online home to the mad minds behind those annoying flying toasters that everyone loves to hate. While not especially well-designed or tricked-out, the site is still worth a quick visit. Pick up a few new After Dark displays, stop by Cafe Slack for some free expert advice on love or lounge-wear, then order yerself some more questions for Berkeley Systems¹ aggressively addictive You Don¹t Know Jack trivia game. Of course, you can also buy an inflatable flying toaster for just $4.95. Seriously.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 7

Lansdale Semiconductor Inc Wafer Fabrication of Integrated Circuits
URL: http://www.syspac.com/~lansdale/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0796
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: David Pescovitz
Lansdale is a semiconductor company that¹s been cranking out silicon since the mid 60¹s. And unlike most high-tech companies which are busy pushing new products, Lansdale, an ³after market technology² business, is manufacturing the semiconductors needed to keep your old workhorses running. This is a fine example of a corporate Web site without any pretense; it simply offers information about the company and its products. Press releases, mission statements, a company history, departmental information -- it¹s all here. If I ever need a Motorola ML7406 buffer/driver, I know who to call.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 7

Architect Susan Grant Architectural Design
URL: http://members.aol.com/sgrantarch/index.html
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0796
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: David Pescovitz
This is a clean and elegant site promoting the services of a Chicago-based architecture and interior design firm. Grant¹s portfolio speaks for itself, but she also offers something important to any Web site--a service. Link to her ³Steps For A Successful Building Project² for hints on how to save time, money and irritation when building or remodeling. As to why you should hire an architect instead of doing things yourself: ³It is not enough to watch a few "This Old House" episodes.²
Overall Rating (out of 18): 7

Citicorp Citibank Home Page
URL: http://www.citibank.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Shel Kimen
Too bad Citibank didn't spend as much energy on its front-end home page (boring boring boring) as it did on the product/service pages or credit card information page (very well done). They weren't accepting online credit card applications when I last checked, but it's a possibility by the time you read this. They also have student loan information (which you *can* apply for online, though heed the warning ‹ it's not secure yet.) Also of use is the searchable database of Citibank branches worldwide ‹ just in case you need a cash advance from Argentina.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 7

Microsoft Corporation
URL: http://www.microsoft.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
I was expecting quantity and quality from Microsoft¹s site. I got the former. There¹s an incredible amount of information here, all extremely well-organized. You can get an outline of the entire site, or more detailed outlines of parts of it. Alternately, the entire site can be searched with a good search engine. Perhaps best of all, Uncle Bill discourses on the office and school of the future. The graphics are pretty dull image maps, although the forms are cool and the pseudo pull-down menus in the support section are kind of interesting, though a bit silly.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 7

Synergy Production's Home Page
URL: http://www.synprod.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0496
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Jon Phillips
Peter Nowell *is* Synergy Productions, a humble San Jose, California consulting firm that designs and creates trade show presentations, 3D animations, CD-ROMs, and ³architectural walk throughs.² By clicking various items on an image map of a living room scene, viewers can learn more about Synergy¹s services: RealAudio files offer real-time commentary from two *completely satisfied* customers evangelizing how Peter changed their lives, and surfers can even download an animation of one of Peter¹s 3D architectural tours. While the site boasts plenty of bells and whistles, it eschews artistic risk-taking; a comfortable resource, perhaps, for the suit-and-tie set.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 7

PriceCostco
URL: http://www.pricecostco.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0496
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Jon Phillips
While PriceCostco conducts its buy-it-by-the-pallet business in cold, prefab warehouses, its Web site offers a warmer experience. A relatively snazzy splash screen leads you to innovative content items, including Web Words, an online contest (users employ highlighted words hidden throughout the site to compose their own poems), and, Debate, a running statistical survey of consumers¹ political leanings. Returning to business at hand, the online delivery catalog is a great resource for small companies who want to keep their break rooms stocked with plenty of sodas and candy bars. Simply download your order and wait for the truck to arrive.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 7

Mobil Corporation
URL: http://www.mobil.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0496
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Excellent
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
This site looks good, and offers some interesting material. There is a section on the Pegasus medal, an international literature award sponsored by Mobil. The only problem is that Mobil doesn't actually tell you anything about the books or authors that received the kudos. The site also offers a section that looks up your legislators, and helps you send them e-mail. You can also apply for credit cards, and buy Mobil racing merchandise. Be ready for a healthy load of propaganda, my personal favorite being pictures and commentary on ³Mobil¹s New Fast and Easy Nozzles².
Overall Rating (out of 18): 7

Multimedia Connection
URL: http://www.tiac.net/users/mmc1/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0796
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: David Pescovitz
Apparently, Multimedia Connection is a multimedia production company ready to transform your boring old content into something special with video, interactive kiosks, CD-ROMs, and the like. While the home page design is colorful and mildly attractive and the team may indeed be top notch, the services discussed and the language used on their site are not creative or original enough to grab the attention of a sophisticated Web denizen. My favorite pitch: ³Are you an author of a book and would like to have your book offered on CD-ROM?² Yes! Please! More shovelware!!
Overall Rating (out of 18): 6

The official FISHER SPACEPEN CO web site
URL: http://www.fisherpen.com/spacepen/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0796
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: David Pescovitz
I¹m way into Fisher Space Pens! These things are so sleek and space-age that the astronauts use them. Write upside down, underwater, on the frozen surface of the moon, anywhere. All through the miracle of Fisher¹s Sealed Pressurized Ink Cartridge, explained with a neat-o diagram on their fluid, if simple, Web site. The site is in the early stages of development and still lacks content. But I¹ll keep checking back. Fisher has lots of stories to tell and the Web is an ideal outlet for them. If this sounds like a commercial, too bad. Go buy a Fisher Space Pen. Now.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 6

Eastman Kodak Company
URL: http://www.kodak.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Shel Kimen
Dang, it's slow! There's plenty of information and nice enough graphics here if you can stand the wait. Search through heaps of press releases, corporate data (mission, background info, etc.), and photography tips, or enter one of the scheduled live chats with a professional photographer. (Transcripts are available, too, for those who missed the chats.) But if you aren't a photographer or fanatical about Kodak, I can't really think of many reasons for you to visit the site. It's just O.K.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 6

Pacific Bell Web HomePage
URL: http://www.pacbell.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Shel Kimen
Well, Pac Bell isn't going to win any design awards, though the graphics are fine. They probably won't win any content or net smartness awards, either. But it's an all right site if you want information on products and telephone rates for the West coast. The press release database is pretty current (and interesting, as Pac Bell has its hands in many things related to the Internet), and it's searchable ‹ thus saving the Web site from total review annihilation.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 6

Sun Microsystems
URL: http://www.sun.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0496
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Jon Phillips
Any corporate site that repeatedly uses the terms ³productivity² and ³solutions² is obviously geared to the suit-and-tie set. Likewise, any site that pushes a 2.7 MB .WAV file speech from the company CEO is clearly aiming to trumpet its Wall Street image. But don¹t fault Sun for highlighting its dry marketing collateral. If you happen to stumble upon the SunWorld Online hot button, you¹ll find valuable content for regular old end-users who *actually use* Sun hardware and software. Overall, the site is easily navigated and downloads quickly; a nifty search engine shoots you straight to desired destinations.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 6

Welcome to Honda
URL: http://www.honda.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0496
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
Honda seems to be very proud of its racing team. What would you expect from a company whose founder almost died in a racing accident? The racing section is quite good; fans won¹t want to miss it. Surprisingly, this site does not offer very in-depth info about Honda cars, and it isn¹t readily apparent how to access what is available. (Here¹s a tip: Click on the car images at the bottom of the Model line-up pages). Precise info on current lease terms and specials should be very helpful to those who care.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 6

The IBM world wide web home page
URL: http://www.ibm.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
This is kind of your standard corporate page. The support section is very extensive. The IBM plugs are ever-present. The Stretch (just for fun) section is surprisingly good. They have also done a very nice job of integrating their ³Solutions for a Small Planet² campaign with the Web. There¹s not much reason to go here unless you just happen to be a Big Blue developer or fan (does IBM have fans?), but it¹s a very solid site.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 5

Silicon Graphics¹ Silicon Surf
URL: http://www.sgi.com
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0496
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Jon Phillips
While Silicon Surf's content transcends the marketing-oriented requisites of a corporate Web site, its artistic appeal and HTML aptitude fall short. This, friends, is nearly a damning sin for a site presented by the leader of computer graphics technology. Yes, you will find comprehensive answers to esoteric technical questions. Yes, you will find copious amounts of freeware. And, yes, you will find end-user case studies, image galleries and step-by-step instructions for off-the-wall design projects. But you *will not* find a site whose intrinsic imagery cries out a high-tech, 21st century aesthetic.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 5

Welcome to Corel
URL: http://www.corel.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0496
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: Jon Phillips
Corel, a Canadian software company, is perhaps most famous for its suite of art programs. It¹s flagship product, CorelDraw, a cheap and quite awesome draw application, unfortunately lends itself to a ³typical look.² Users tend to employ the same amazing special effect filters in the same way, and resulting imagery often screams, ³I was created on CorelDraw!² Such is the case with this site¹s opening screen, an unspectacular presentation that lacks artistic flair, and leads to a surprisingly brief menu of content items. Thankfully, Corel does provide a stout area devoted to technical support ‹ a must for all those Windows-based applications.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 5

JC Penney
URL: http://www.jcpenney.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0496
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
I expected a dull page from an institution as venerable as J.C. Penny. I was not disappointed. This site is kind of like a Penny catalog with a scant few items, bad pictures, and no order form. The pictures are pathetic. One was so low-res, I couldn¹t even discern the item in question. This site would be useful if you could actually order items. I suspect this complaint will be addressed as soon as Web commerce becomes more widely accepted. But for now the site is disappointing.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 5

Welcome to Texaco Online
URL: http://www.texaco.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0496
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
How do you make petroleum exciting? Texaco apparently doesn¹t have an answer. This is essentially a typical corporate Web page: short history of the company, abbreviated shareholder report, the mandatory ³we are so environmentally aware² section... You get the idea. The site¹s high point is definitely the auto racing section, which includes daily reports, schedules, pictures, driver bios, and other racing info. Texaco racing fans will love it. There is also a nifty little 10-page document that will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about oil. A must read for home mechanic types.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 5

The Saturn Site
URL: http://www.saturncars.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0496
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
The folks at Saturn have worked hard to develop a homey kind of image. Their web sight manages to continue this tradition quite well. There is a lot of info about each car in the Saturn line, including fairly detailed technical specs. The site also has a good section detailing the Rails to Trails project, and information about the Saturn bike team. Perhaps my favorite feature was the database (support group?) of Saturn owners, which the company claims will soon be extended to allow customers to communicate with each other directly.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 5

BERKLAY AIR SERVICES CORP
URL: http://pages.prodigy.com/NY/serv99c/aircargo.html
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0796
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Good
Site of the Month: No
Author: David Pescovitz
Meet Berklay Bernie, the HTML-crunching airline shipping expert! I really dig Berklay¹s site--no nonsense, no download waiting time, almost no formatting. It just gets the job done. Just like Bernie. In fact, if pigs learn to fly, Bernie promises that his family business ³will book space on them!² Got a far-away motorcycle show coming up? You know who to call. With lots of family gossip, showbiz daydreams, and asterisks thrown into his site, Bernie earns my trust. As Bernie says, ³Goodroads!²
Overall Rating (out of 18): 4

Apple Computer
URL: http://www.apple.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
I¹m a big Apple fan, so I expected a lot from this site. I found it had very solid, in-depth information about Apple and its programs. But after looking around for an hour, I felt something was missing. Style. The site is just plain dry. True, there¹s a good support section, lots of ra-ra Apple info, and a nice special exhibit containing excellent pictures and extensive annotation. Don¹t miss the ³Open Doc² section in the technologies and research area; if you have the time and bandwidth, download the example. But all of this needs to be better presented.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 4

Wal-Mart Stores Inc
URL: http://www.wal-mart.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0496
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Jon Phillips
Wal-Mart hasn¹t exactly *endeared* itself to the body politic: ³60 Minutes² skewered the megastore chain for ravaging large chunks of small-town America, and last year Usenet patrons almost erected alt.activism.walmart, a newsgroup for employee gripes and war stories. Thus explains this site¹s focus on *good* press ‹ hypertext links that lead you to glowing, self-congratulatory P.R. on cultural diversity and community involvement. Still, Wal-Mart can¹t be faulted for protecting its identity. It *can* be faulted, however, for failing to provide product and sales information on all the household staples it sells nationwide.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 4

Volkswagen
URL: http://www.volkswagen.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0496
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
Volkswagen has always prided itself on being eclectic when compared to other car manufactuers. Its web site continues this tradition. The opening page is composed of a series of intentionally vague image maps. You¹re supposed to just click around and check things out. Eventually you¹ll find press releases, a Volkswagen museum, the current line of cars, and several other goodies (including a strange Jerry Garcia tribute). Volkswagen fans will love this site ‹ except those using a low bandwidth, who will hate the large file sizes.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 4

Penguin USA Home Page
URL: http://www.penguin.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0496
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
This place is kind of bare, but it looks like a good beginning. The site seems to be designed well. There is already info, some of it quite in depth, on new releases. There is also a pretty good list of book links. If you are a teacher or librarian make sure and check out the section on academic books, like the rest of the site there is not a whole lot there, but they are going in a good direction. If you are a book lover, keep an eye on Penguin, it may develop into a very good site.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 4

Amiga Technologies Homepage
URL: http://www.AMIGA.de/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
They still make Amigas? That¹ about all I learned here. It doesn¹t get any more basic than this. No fancy graphics, not much text, few links (not that there are a lot of other Amiga sites to link to). Some parts are only in German, but I doubt non-speakers are missing much. I did learn that the Amiga ³is the first choice of graphics professionals.² Yeah, sure. If you¹re an Amiga fan or owner, you probably don¹t have a lot of sites to choose from, but for the other 99.9 percent of the population, stay away.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 3

Merrill Lynch
URL: http://www.ml.com/
Category: Corporate
Issue: 0396
Content Quality: Not Rated
Aesthetic Quality: Not Rated
TechnoSmart Quality: Poor
Site of the Month: No
Author: Brian Bearden
Merrill Lynch has fallen into the trap of thinking that having a Web site is enough; if you build it, they will come. This site could have been developed as a great resource to investors and planners. Instead, the homepage has lots of investment buzz words linked to a 250-word statistics-laden info sheet that, in turn, is linked to a form for visitors to fill out. Merrill Lynch uses the info from the form to s-mail glossy advertisements. If you¹re looking for Merrill Lynch brochures, this is the place for you. For anything else, look elsewhere.
Overall Rating (out of 18): 3