"c|net central"
TRANSCRIPT
- EPISODE 23 -

Original air date: 9/2/95


HOSTS: RICHARD HART and GINA ST. JOHN


GINA:  Windows 95, week one.  Is it selling?  And take a look at the 
five nominees with the coolest Web site of the year--and find out 
who won.

RICHARD:  Hi, I'm Richard Hart.

GINA:  And I'm Gina St. John.  Now, hold still and say c|net.  Now, 
we're going to show you how digital cameras, just like this one, are 
changing the face of photography.

RICHARD:  Plus, all the other stories we just told you about as "c|net 
central" continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GINA:  Remember that picture I took of Richard with this digital 
camera?  Well, look--all I have to do now is plug it in to my 
computer--and it works with both a PC and a Mac--choose the image 
that I want, I think I'll take this one, and I've got a picture in about 
two minutes.  Pretty good shot, huh?  And it's really fast.  A lot faster 
than one-hour photo.  So, with digital technology like this, driving to 
your local Fotomat could be a thing of the past.  Digital cameras, 
which record images directly into memory rather than on film, allow 
cybershooters to snap and download images directly into their 
computers.  Most people shoot their pictures with conventional 
cameras and film.  But now, with digital cameras, you can actually 
store those images with removable memory cards like this, or on the 
hard drive, or even on the internal memory of the camera.  You just 
connect the camera to your computer, download the images you 
want, and voila! You've got pictures.

Alex Berliner is a Hollywood photographer whose job depends on 
making the front page. Using a high-end digital camera and high-
speed phone lines, Alex's images span the globe in minutes.

ALEX BERLINER:  We don't put film in it anymore.  Sort of put that in 
there, close that up, there we go.

(BACKGROUND NOISE)

When we're shooting for "The Hollywood Reporter," the Academy 
Awards, we will shoot these, modem them to production, they will go 
directly to the press, and be printed at I think around midnight.  The 
Fujix-Nikon hybrid looks nothing like a standard camera.  This is the 
new B-2 stealth bomber of digital cameras.

GINA:  At a cost of over $20,000 the Fujix-Nikon uses removable 
PCMCIA-style hard drives of up to 131MB and will store up to about 
70 images.

ALEX BERLINER:  You see the guys from "The New York Times" 
carrying these things when they go to somewhere like Bosnia 
because what they'll do is they'll shoot some stuff, they will get at a 
cellular system hooked up to their Mac, and they'll modem stuff 
back.  Once the image is shot, the hard drive or flash card can be 
downloaded and stored in a computer. There the image is cropped or 
color-corrected by PhotoShop (a graphic software program) saved in 
a compressed image format, then transmitted by a modem anywhere 
on the planet.

VOICE-OVER:  Will you please step in, please?

GINA:  Also, on the high end, portrait-quality prints in about two 
minutes are available at tourist haunts everywhere.  The 3-chip Sony 
DKC-5000 has a resolution of over a million pixels.

VOICE-OVER:  OK, and if we just have a little smile in this direction...

GINA:  It's hooked directly to a processor and dry prints on 
photographic paper pop out and yep, in under two minutes.

Look at that do.  Look at that hairdo!

The question is, do you want to keep them?  Professionals aren't the 
only ones using digital cameras.  Companies like Kodak, Apple, Casio, 
and Dycam offer them for an average cost of $800.  And these low-
end versions store about 54 images with a resolution that compares 
to that of a $20 box camera.  Engineers, advertisers, and businesses 
use these digicams daily.  Real estate agents take pictures in the 
field, download them into their computers, and right into weekly 
listings.

VOICE-OVER:  OK, so what are we going to get?

GINA:  Andrew McDonald and his buddy Tom are big time burrito 
eaters with a Web page devoted entirely to the burrito.  Your food of 
choice is what?

ANDREW MCDONALD:  Burritos.  Yeah, can't keep our bellies up.  
There's such a huge plate of food.

GINA:  Using the just-released Casio QV-10, the burrito brothers 
scour the city for the ultimate roll, then download the pictures into 
their sometimes-daily burrito review.

TOM:  Now, this is free burritos, so you know we're still hungry.

ANDREW MCDONALD:  It's just sort of this fun thing that Tom and I 
do together.  We go out and take pictures of food, take pictures of 
each other eating the food, the people serving us the food.  And we 
create this little Web site and we have it running right now.

GINA:  Cybergas.  It's the next problem we're facing on the Net.

If you've taken great pictures like this one with a digital camera, we 
would love to see them.  Send them to us at photos@cnet.com and 
make sure you attach it to an email that gives your name, the subject 
of your picture, the date, and the kind of digital camera you used.  
We'll be picking out our favorites and airing them on a future 
episode of "c|net central."  Richard?

RICHARD:  When "c|net central" continues, John C. Dvorak reviews a 
CD-ROM called "H.U.R.L.," and check out the coolest Web site of the 
year.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

RICHARD:  Now, here's a quick look at news in the digital world this 
past week.  Windows 95 sales are apparently going well for 
Microsoft.  The software maker announced more than a million 
copies were shipped in the first four days of the product's 
availability.  This is good news for owners of retail stores carrying 
Windows 95.

VOICE-OVER:  Our store clients are all here at 8 in the morning sort of 
pounding down the doors.

RICHARD:  Microsoft's help lines were overwhelmed with calls from 
users needing help with the installation.  The House of Blues AIDS 
benefit concert in cyberspace this week marked the first time charity 
pledges could be made over the Internet.  Funds raised will go to 
support Lifebeat, an organization that supports musicians fighting 
AIDS.  And the supermarket tabloid "Weekly World News" is now 
available to users of America Online.  Interactive features include a 
chat area, a message board, and feedback to editors and columnists.

GINA:  Thanks, Richard.  Now, we're here today with the man that we 
call the Trashman, because he trashes so many CD-ROMs.  It's John C. 
Dvorak.

JOHN C. DVORAK:  Hi.

GINA:  Hi!  What are you going to trash today?

JOHN C. DVORAK:  Unfortunately, nothing.  Even though I've been 
working on my toss--I think I can hit the camera, now.

GINA:  I think we're all amazed on that one.

JOHN C. DVORAK:  That's too bad, I guess.

GINA:  Well, this first one looks pretty good, anyway.  It is "The 
Ultimate Frank Lloyd Wright," and I wanted to know if it had Falling 
Water on it.

JOHN C. DVORAK:  Falling Water, yes it does.  In fact, it has a lot of 
good stuff on there.  "The Ultimate Frank Lloyd Wright" is an 
exploration of the life and works of America's greatest architect. You 
can walk through three-dimensional simulations of three of Wright's 
most famous buildings.  Let's check out the Ennis House.  Here we go, 
through the front door, down the hall.  There's a chronology of 
structures from 1880 through 1950 with a photo of each structure.  
Here's Falling Water with text description and additional exterior and 
interior views.  Check out that fireplace.  There's even an interactive 
time line that tracks Wright's life.

VOICE-OVER: In 1885, when Wright was 17, his parents divorced.

JOHN C. DVORAK:  And the philosophy, sites, pattern, materials, and 
types of structural elements that Wright utilized are covered in 
detail.  You can put what you've learned to practice and create your 
own Wrightian-style architecture.  You can alter the size and height 
of the starting building blocks, you can add doors, windows, and 
roofs.  You can rotate, tilt, and zoom in on your unique structure.  
"The Ultimate Frank Lloyd Wright" sells for $59.95 and is available 
on the PC.  I gave this a Try It.

GINA:  Not bad.

JOHN C. DVORAK:  You have to be a little bit interested in architecture 
and/or Frank Lloyd Wright and it's a little expensive--it's $60.  It 
may have gotten a Buy It if it was cheaper.

GINA:  $60 is kind of steep.  But it looked really good.

JOHN C. DVORAK:  It was very good.

GINA:  This one, on the other hand, I don't know what to say.  
They're kind of marketing this as a baby "Doom" and it's called 
"H.U.R.L."

JOHN C. DVORAK:  And kids love it.  Instead of shooting people you 
use water balloons and soap.  You're a squeaky-clean secret agent 
hot on the trail of Bob the Slob and listen up, this is what "H.U.R.L." 
stands for:  Hardcore Union of Radical Litterbugs.  You run around 
and instead of killing people, you pick up trash.  As you collect trash, 
it turns into money and then you can take your money to the Trade 
for Trash machine where you can get unusual ammunition--water 
balloons, soap, and deodorant.  Each time you get hit, your dirt meter 
rises.  Too many hits and you're not dead, you're just sent back to the 
showers and you've got to start at that level all over again.  "H.U.R.L." 
sells for $39.95 and is available on the PC.  I give this one a Try It.

GINA:  Well, it's a pretty good balancing act you had there.  I thought 
you were going to say Buy It.

JOHN C. DVORAK:  You know, I was balancing it through that whole 
talk over there.  No, I would say Buy It, but some people like things 
with an educational bent and there's no educational thing in here--
but kids will love it.

GINA:  Now, this seems really educational.  It's our last title, "Beyond 
the Nine Dragons."

JOHN C. DVORAK:  Yeah, this is one heck of a disc.  It's a full 
documentary and well worth looking at.

(BACKGROUND NOISE)

"Beyond the Nine Dragons" is an interactive discovery of the four 
major cultures along the Mekong River.  First, Mother of Waters: 
Thailand and Laos; Turbulent River:  China and Burma;  Great Water: 
Cambodia; and Nine Dragons, Vietnam.  Each section covers the 
religion and people of the area with narrated slide shows.  The maps 
help keep your bearings, and the explorers guide is a wonderful 
travel resource with narrated video clips and a detailed country 
profile, along with essential travel information.  What's this, mines 
and munitions?   More than 7 million mines buried around the 
country.  Be careful where you walk.  "Beyond the Nine Dragons" sells 
for $9.95 and is a hybrid disc--works on both the Mac and the PC.  I 
give this a Buy It.

GINA:  A Buy It.  I am impressed.

JOHN C. DVORAK:  It's a great disc.  It's only $9.95, which is the way 
this should be priced--and it saves you a trip, an expensive trip, to 
Vietnam.

GINA:  You know, we were all going to go, too, before you said that.

JOHN C. DVORAK:  You get to avoid all those mines in Cambodia.

GINA:  He's good to us like that.  Well, hey, you had some great 
reviews this week.

JOHN C. DVORAK:  We'll see you next week.

GINA:  Thanks for coming.  Richard?

RICHARD:  Thanks, Gina.  I am in c|net labs.  This is the place where 
we put hardware and software to the test for you.  Right now, we are 
testing the newest laptop and notebook computers.  For example, this 
is the new Powerbook from Apple, the first with a PC Card slot built 
in the side, built in Ethernet--of course the active-matrix screen--
and the first with a RISC processor.  This one contains the 6.03e 
Power PC.  Apple says that this is the fastest notebook yet.  Is it?  
Complete test results can be found at c|net online, including some PC 
notebooks running Windows 95.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GINA:  Right now, the World Wide Web is growing at a rate of 50 
percent per month.  Hey, that's an awful lot of great new sites for the 
average Net surfer to keep track of.  Well, since August of 1994 they 
haven't had to.  There's a guy in Virginia who's got a Cool Site of the 
Day that's become pretty popular.  Actually, it's one of the hottest 
sites on the Net and now there's a new Net honor: the Cool Site of the 
Year.

(BACKGROUND NOISE)

It may not have the glamour of a Planet Hollywood opening, but to 
the people who have come for this award ceremony, this little statue 
represents the Oscar of cyberspace.

VOICE-OVER:  You could make or break our careers, yes.

GINA:  Welcome to the first annual Cool Site of the Year, an event 
created by Glenn Davis, whose Cool Site of the Day Web page has 
become the unofficial barometer of what's hip on the Net.

GLENN DAVIS:  Used to be nobody ever wanted my opinion, now 
everybody seems to respect my opinion.

GINA:  And the nominees for Cool Site of the Year are:  The rock and 
roll fantasy theme park, Rocktropolis.  Hear the past and future 
collide in a surrealistic landscape where even an angel like Darryl 
Hannah has an attitude.

VOICE-OVER:  Ouch, that hurt.

GINA:  After checking out the interactive comic strip, head on over to 
the main stage where you can check out what's new with megastars 
like Sting.  Next on the list, the only personal Web site nominated, 
The David Siegel Project.  If your home page lacks a certain panache, 
then this is the site for you.  In the Web Wonk section, you'll find 
advice on everything from how to spell to tips on how to earn David's 
High Five Award.

From the Casbah to Tinseltown, Mr. Showbiz is the only way to keep 
up with what's hot in Hollywood.  Curious about how your favorite 
TV show is doing?  And movie reviews are also only a click away.

VOICE-OVER:  Eh, hello baby.  Eh, butthead.

VOICE-OVER:  Ah, can we score?

GINA:  But the best feature to Mr. Showbiz has to be the Movie of the 
Week, a sneak peak at what the first Beavis and Butthead movie 
might look like.  

No animated characters for our next nominee.  Instead, his spot 
features the real-life adventures of five people who live in a Santa 
Monica beach house called The Spot.  Here, you can interact with 
residents of the first episodic Web site.

Our next nominee, Crash Site, offers an out-of-the-mainstream look 
at contemporary culture complete with morphs, spoken word...

VOICE-OVER:  I'd rather sleep forever than to sleep and forget...

GINA:  ...cool products, and even a copy of The Constitution.  And now 
the moment you've all been waiting for, the 1995 Cool Site of the 
Year goes to...

GLENN DAVIS:  The Spot.  Producers Russel Collins, Scott Zakarin, and 
Troy Bolotkin.

SCOTT ZAKARIN (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, THE SPOT):  I just want to 
say thanks to Glenn and everybody and thanks, this is excellent 
company we're in and we are the future of the Internet, all of us.

GLENN DAVIS:  I think people are on the Web now to be entertained 
more than anything and this is a very entertaining site.

GINA:  These ceremonies were held in the same room where the first 
Academy Awards were held, and Glenn Davis says he thinks his new 
awards ceremony will become as big as the Oscars.  But with the Web 
nearly doubling in size every month, one thing's for sure, next year 
they're going to need a bigger room.

You know, you'd think that being named the Cool Site of the Day 
would be an honor. Well, the officials at the NASA Ames Research 
Center in Northern California did not think so.  They were named the 
Cool Site of the Day and took about 80,000 hits in three hours and 
then asked to be taken off the list.  It just shows you how popular 
the World Wide Web has become.  And to match this demand, 
computers have become smarter, faster, more powerful.  And, you 
know, it's beginning to seem like there's nothing computers can't do.  
And it has a few people feeling threatened.  If you're one of those, 
Dave Ross has some advice for you.  And he gets the Last Word.

DAVE ROSS:

Today I want to talk MAN to MAN about a very important subject.  
One that more and more men are confronting.   Namely, how do I get 
my wife to pay attention to me, now that she's bought a Super 
Pentium Plug 'N Play computer with a half-gigabyte hard drive and a 
SCSI interface?

Let me just tell you up front, my fellow males, that's pretty major 
competition.  A Super Pentium Plug 'N Play with a half-gigabyte hard 
drive and a SCSI interface pretty well covers just about anything a 
man can do.

Once that baby's up and running, all she'll need you for is to squish 
spiders in the bathroom.

But don't give up.  There are a few things you can try.  Number one:  
you could build the shelves she asked for 18 years ago.  Number two:  
you could iron some shirts and look really pathetic.  Or number 
three:  you could open up her new machine and take the lithium 
battery out.

Shhh!  It's right there on the motherboard.  It's the little round thing 
next to the big square thing.  That's the lithium battery that keeps 
the clock going and some other stuff going.  What you want to do is 
accidentally remove it, and stick it in your pocket.

Then make sure you're nearby when she goes to start up the 
computer because, well, a whole lot of things will be wrong.  

And when you hear her scream, in YOU walk with one of these 
hummers... 

(PUTS ON POCKET PROTECTOR JAMMED WITH TOOLS) 

...and you say, "Hmm...want me to check the MOTHERBOARD for you, 
honey?  Could be a simple BATTERY problem.  Happens a lot with 
this model."

Now, two things to remember.  Number one, this will REALLY screw 
up the computer; and, number two, if she finds out....

(PATS POCKET PROTECTOR)

That's why you want to have this thing covering your sensitive 
organs.

I'm Dave Ross.  And I get the Last Word.

RICHARD:  Remember that for every story you see on "c|net central," 
there's tons more information available online.  For example, reviews 
of digital cameras, the latest test results for laptop computers...

GINA:  And it's not limited to this show alone.  I mean, for every 
single episode we've ever done, you'll find plenty of stories at c|net 
online.  You can still download the virtual tour of our studios and 
there are hot links to Web sites we've mentioned in past shows--like 
dating services and Internet gambling sites.  There's our virtual 
software library where you can download software from the 
Internet.  And if you missed Dave Ross's Ode to Bill Gates a few 
weeks ago, well, it's definitely worth downloading.

RICHARD:  That, Gina is a matter of opinion.

GINA:  But it's free.

RICHARD:  That's all for "c|net central" this week.  Thanks for tuning 
in and logging on!


(END OF TAPED MATERIAL)
