Sunday Style InSite Feb. 25, 2001

Sunday Style In-Sites Feb. 25, 2001

British Monarchy: The official Web site of the British royal family may look a bit staid and contain none of the juicy stuff that makes the lives of modern-day British princes and princesses so intriguing. But it's a neatly-designed royal resource that offers a detailed history of an institution that dates back to the Dark Ages, exploring traditions that have survived for centuries. 'Today's Royal Family' has all the royally approved information you could ever want, though the fact that only the late Diana, Princess of Wales, has a whole section devoted to her on the home page should give you an idea of the main attraction for most visitors to the site. There're dry but still fascinating biographies of everyone from Henry VIII to Queen Victoria in 'Monarchy through the ages', while 'Accession, coronation & succession' deals with how the King or Queen is chosen. You can also sign a virtual visitors' book and enjoy photos of the family, the 'Royal Collection' and palaces, including Windsor Castle. And if you're looking for updates and insights, you should keep going back to 'Press releases' and 'Your questions answered'.

International Blind Sports Association: Founded in Paris in 1981, the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) mainly aims to help people "deprived of vision or with serious visual impairments" to realise their potentiaal as athletes by organising sports events. That's a noble objective, and it's important for more fortunate people like us to support any cause that attempts to level the playing field for the disabled. This site not only provides news coverage of major international competitions organised by the IBSA, but also serves to document the achievements of blind people in various sports. The 'Capable of Everything' section shows how blind athletes can tackle everything from powerlifting to skiing, and the 'Rules & Documents' page has a lot of helpful tips for those putting together sports events for the disabled. The site has a lot of information on the association and its work, and if you're keen on doing your bit to improve the lives of blind people, you'll find plenty of inspiration here.

Nature Genome Gateway: Whether you're scientifically or not, you just can't choose to ignore the recent breakthrough by scientists working on the Human Genome Project in coming up with a map of our genetic sequence. And this site, put together by the Nature Publishing Group, offers the most comprehensive set of essays, reports and visuals on the subject with a clarity of expression those who dread technobabble will appreciate. Besides basic explanations of the outline of the human genetic sequence, there are in-depth reports summarising the whole genome business as well as analytical pieces by experts. There are four main neatly-boxed sections -- 'Research Papers', 'Overview', 'News & Comment' and 'Web Specials -- dealing with various aspects of the subject. And you can find more useful human genome resources under 'Links'. You can also read the seminal 1953 paper (in either HTML or PDF format) on the structure of the DNA by James Watson and Francis Crick which started the race to crack the human genetic code.

Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous Mission: Isn't it wonderful that through the Internet we are able to view pictures transmitted by an unmanned spacecraft 200 million miles from Earth in almost real time? In its final chance mission, NASA's Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous Shoemaker safely touched down on the surface of the asteroid Eros. And incredibly, the probe has remained in working order to send stunning close-range pictures of the asteroid surface, which can be viewed at this site. Images are updated daily, and you can even watch videoclips if you've got a machine with enough memory to handle the heavy downloads. The 'Latest News Flash' gives you the most recent information on the mission, and you can check out older reports in the news archive. If you're an egghead, the 'PDF Images Sheets' should keep you fascinated for hours. Less brainy surfers should be content with the FAQ section. The site design is rather utilitarian but that's how it should be.

Squash Player: Squash freaks will find most of the information they seek on their favourite sport at this British site that provides pretty extensive coverage of major squash events in Malaysia and other parts of Asia. Besides the latest news and results from major international competitions, there're sections offering tips on improving technique, gear reviews (everything from racquets to shoes) and rankings. There's even a fitness guide that helps you stay in form, though it also offers some unusual facts: Did you know that players can sweat up to two litres an hour while playing the game? There's a search facility to help you dial up contents as well as an A to Z directory. And the 'Clubs' listing lets you assess squash facilities in other parts of the world. The site's design is functional but watch out for annoying little pop-ups. Photo collectors will be disappointed though by the poor pickings.

Ultimate Dallas: That hugely popular '80s TV show (okay, if you want to get nitpicky about it, the series started in 1978 and ended in 1989) has found a fabulous home in cyberspace, which should help perpetuate its appeal. Since it's an official site, the designers have made every effort to make sure it doesn't look as sloppy as the unofficial Web homes created by fans determined to keep the memory of the soap alive. There's plenty of info here to please the soap-mad trivia buff, especially on the pages devoted to 'Character Bios', 'Southfork History' and 'Ewing Oil History'. There's also an 'Episode Guide' for those who want to enjoy the show on video, and such sections as 'Dream Zone', 'Ewing Gazette' and 'Southfork Insider' add new twists to the sizzling saga of the Ewings. There's a multimedia area for those who're rich enough (or lucky enough to enjoy free surfing at the office) to stay online for hours, and the 'News and Guide' section keeps you updated on new developments related to the series and its stars. The most recent addition is an exclusive interview with Charlene Tilton, and if you're one of those who strongly feel the series should be revived, you can click and join the 'Get Dallas Back Campaign'.