****************** WEBREFERENCE UPDATE NEWSLETTER *****************
APRIL 10, 1998
SPONSORED BY:
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Now with over 25000 subscribers
http://www.webreference.com
http://www.webreference.com/new/ <- archive, subscribe/unsubscribe
New this week on WebReference.com and the Web:
1. FEATURED ARTICLE: Real-World E-Commerce
2. DYNAMIC HTML LAB: Hierarchical Menus in Frames
3. DOC JAVASCRIPT: Screen Properties - Rx #17
4. NEW FEATURE: PLWeb Search
5. NEW LINKS: ISPs, Backgrounds, VRML, Graphics FAQs
6. OTHER VOICES: Java IDE Demos, Photoshop 4.0 Review
7. NEW SERVICE: JPEG Wizard
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1. FEATURED ARTICLE: Real-World E-Commerce
Before you head out the door on your way to the gold rush of the
late 20th century (electronic commerce), make sure you know what
basic provisions you will need. AdNet's own Fergal Byrne gives an
insider's account and helps you avoid some of the pitfalls on the
road to riches.
http://www.webreference.com/ecommerce/real/
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2. DYNAMIC HTML LAB: Hierarchical Menus in Frames
You roared your approval when Peter Belesis showed you how to
make Cross Browser Hierarchical Menus. But you asked for more!
"Give us a frame-based version Peter," you implored. Paraphrasing
the inimitable Jeeves: "We endeavor to give satisfaction." He did.
http://www.webreference.com/dhtml/column18/
http://www.webreference.com/dhtml/column14/
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3. DOC JAVASCRIPT: Screen Properties - Rx #17
Grab your user's monitor info with the new SCREEN object. With
their bit depth and screen dimensions you can serve up exactly what
they need. After all, that's just what the Doctor ordered. By
Tomer Shiran.
http://www.webreference.com/js/column17/
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4. NEW FEATURE: PLWeb Search
We've installed a new search engine on WebReference to improve your
searches of the site. PLWeb is a powerful full text search engine
created by PLS Software, which was recently acquired by AOL, so
there should be no worries about development funding.
http://www.webreference.com
http://www.pls.com
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5. NEW LINKS: ISPs, Backgrounds, VRML, Graphics FAQs
>Internet Service Providers
Don't just surf the Internet, be a part of it! Whether you're
looking for Web space, Internet access, or just an e-mail address,
let our resource links be your guide.
http://www.webreference.com/providers.html
>Background Images
Looking for that special texture to fill your Web page with? Look
no further than these links to some of the largest archives on the
Web.
http://www.webreference.com/graphics/backgrounds.html
>VRML Tutorials
Does your home page leave you feeling a little flat? Well, don't
dispair. Learn to add new dimensions to your Web space with these
links to tutorials on VRML.
http://www.webreference.com/vrml/tutorials.html
>Graphics FAQs
You're sitting in your chair...You've achieved perfect inner peace...
Then suddenly, it hits you! A FAQ attack! Don't worry, we've got
you covered. Check out our list of links to the best graphics FAQs
out there.
http://www.webreference.com/graphics/faqs.html
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6. OTHER VOICES: Java IDE Demos, Photoshop 4.0 Review
>Java IDE Demos: JavaBoutique.com
Java Developers take note, our friend Scott Clark at the Java
Boutique has a page of the latest and greatest demos, nine so far,
of Java Integrated Development Enviroments (IDE). Try them out and
find one just right for you.
http://javaboutique.com/javademos.html
>Photoshop 4.0 Review: WebDeveloper.com
WebDeveloper.com looks at the most recent release of Adobe
Photoshop, one of the best Web Graphics tools. If you've got a
need for professional looking Web graphics, you'll want to read
this special report.
http://www.webdeveloper.com/categories/design/design_reviews_Photoshop4.html
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7. NEW SERVICE: JPEG Wizard
JPEG Wizard is a new Web-based JPEG optimization service from
Pegasus Imaging Corp. Like GIF Wizard did for GIFs (and JPEGs),
JPEG Wizard lets you upload a JPEG from your hard drive and
optimize it for faster downloads. Unlike GIF Wizard, it's free and
has some unique technology under the hood.
Historically, the problem with JPEGs was when you recompressed one,
you'd get generational artifacts caused by rounding/quantization
errors. Artists are taught that when creating a JPEG, always start
from the original for the best results. No more.
Unlike other JPEG optimization programs, Pegasus' technology
optimizes compression by requantizing the JPEG data in place,
without causing generational artifacts that are caused by
uncompressing, then recompressing. These optimized JPEG images
look exactly the same at their compressed file sizes as an image
compressed from the original bitmap.
So you can take existing JPEGs and squish them down even further,
with no more loss in quality than when going from the original.
For perfectionists, I recommend uploading a "max-Q" JPEG saved at
the highest quality setting you have. This effectively gives JPEG
Wizard an original to work with.
Pegasus has added this new technology to their Netscape plugin and
PICPress products, and in order to demonstrate it are offering it
free for single images at:
http://www.jpg.com/jpeg-wizard.html
There are a number of settings you can play with, to create the
smallest acceptable image. For lossless transformations, set the
"luminance" to 0 (see the help file online for details). You can
rotate/mirror images with a 100% lossless transform to the JPEG
data. Once you're happy with the results, just save the resulting
images back to your hard drive.
I found the results to be very good indeed. Recommended.
That's it for this week, see you next time.
- Andrew King
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The Webreference Update is now the "Official Resource for Web News" for
the International Webmasters Association (IWA). The IWA and
Webreference have partnered to better serve their members by providing
timely and relevant information to help stay on top of their profession.
------------------------ http://www.iwanet.org ------------------------
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http://www.Internet.com on-line services:
http://www.BrowserWatch.com Web browser data, stats, and add-ons
http://e-comm.internet.com How to do e-commerce on the Internet
http://www.InternetNews.com The Latest Internet News: Keep Up!
http://ipw.internet.com Categorized links to Internet apps
http://www.InternetWorld.com The Leading Business Internet Magazine
http://www.JavaBoutique.com Java applets galore for your deployment
http://www.PCWebopaedia.com The definitive high-tech encyclopedia
http://www.SearchEngineWatch.com Boost your site's search placement
http://www.ServerWatch.com What's new in server technology
http://www.Stroud.com Download Internet apps for WIN 3.x/95/NT
http://www.TheList.com THE list of ISPs with 3,000+
http://www.WDVL.com The Web Developer's Virtual Library
http://www.WebCompare.com In-depth Web server software comparisons
http://www.WebDeveloper.com News and Resources for Web developers
http://www.WebReference.com Developer's Guide to the Web & Webmastery
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