Complied by Donna Tapellini
by Donna Tapellini
The wind whistles, trees bend and debris flies. Weather buffs and storm chasers will love the great storm videos in the Everything Weather CD-ROM, created by the Weather Channel. View footage of blizzards and notorious hurricanes, including a 1938 New England storm. Also on the CD are storm chasers' homemade tornado videos, and full-color photos of lightning and other weather phenomena. Customizable weather charts provide a variety of climatic data, from heaviest thunderstorm activity to highest temperatures and most snowfall.
$49.95 (street). Bureau of Electronic Publishing, 800-828-4766, 201-808-2700 x152.
by: Eileen McCooey
Looking for new wheels, or just wish you were? Cruise through Popular Mechanics Car Guide, 1996 edition, and get up to speed on more than 7,500 new and used cars, trucks, vans and recreational vehicles. The CD has complete specs and pricing (including dealer invoice), user satisfaction ratings, buying tips, pointers on loans and leasing, and more. Search for specific criteria--say, four-door sedans priced under $20,000 then compare the prospects side by side. And check out the car of your dreams in a rainbow of colors!
$30 (street). Books That Work/Hearst New Media, 800-242-4546, 415-326-4280.
by: Paul Silverman
If you're tired of wading through the want ads in search of that perfect job, throw out the Sunday paper and boot up Adams JobBank. This 10-diskette database includes more than 15,000 employer profiles, placement agencies and job lines that you search by industry, state or position. Search results include company descriptions, benefits, contact names and phone numbers, common positions and required backgrounds for prospective employees. The program also offers interview, rΘsumΘ and cover letter advice, as well as access to Adams' online postings and career center. $39.95 (street). Adams Media Corp., 800-USA-JOBS, 617-767-8100.
by: Jim Forbes
Help a budding Beethoven learn music with the Piano Discovery System. Bundled with a MIDI keyboard that attaches to your computer, this CD uses activity-oriented software that teaches basic music as well as fundamental keyboard techniques. The interface uses a town square, in which you visit various buildings to learn and be entertained. You can also compose and record your own music. $199. Jump Music, 800-BUY-JUMP, 415-917-7460.
by: Diganta Majumder
Photo Op uses not just 350 photographs but numerous audio and video clips to document the work of Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist David Hume Kennerly. The marketing on this CD is a little overdone--even brief captions are accompanied by lengthy sales pitches. Still, this is a vivid portrait of the past 30 years. It presents events ranging from the Vietnam War to the Simpson trial and personalities from Mikhail Gorbachev to Whoopi Goldberg. $24.95. Portland Software, 503-636-6026, fax 503-636-6039.
by: Tom Ponzo
Are you a rock-climbing daredevil? Are you challenged and awed by mountains and rock formations that make you question your inner strength? Rock Climbing will ease the initial fears of making that first climb, bringing you to the pinnacle of this fast-growing sport in no time. Rock Climbing starts at the mountain's base and takes you through the identification and proper use of the equipment necessary to get you to the top. Based on the book Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, this CD-ROM provides eight to 10 hours of lessons on conquering overhangs, climbing steep faces, taking advantage of cracks, navigating cor- ners, rappelling, implementing safety techniques and leading a climb.
$49.95. Media Mosaic, 800-972-3766, 503-225-1988.
by: Ian Etra
Sometimes the simplest ideas make the best games. It may be just a simple card game, but Set has won seven best game awards and recognition by Mensa. The "cards" in Set have symbols with four features: shape, color, number and texture. The goal is to pick sets of three cards based on a single--but subtle--rule: Each of the four features must be the same on all three cards, or different on each card. Think it sounds too easy? Set forces your brain to perceive patterns in a new way, and several variations keep you on your toes. Play solo, against
the computer, with another player via modem or with up to nine others on the same PC. While Set may not have the glamour or visuals of the latest CD-ROM titles, it will keep you coming back for more (and it'll give you a better mental workout than Minesweeper).
$24.95. Set Enterprises, 800-351-7765, 602-837-3628.
by: Lori L. Bloomer
No less than seven million copies of Windows 95 flew off the shelves in the five weeks after the operatingsystem's release. Although some buyers are new to the Windows environment, others are power Windows 3.x users looking to make a quick transition to the new platform. It seems like most upgrade manuals are for beginners--unless you count Inside Windows 95. Written by WINDOWS Magazine contributing editor Jim Boyce, this thick tome is geared toward the intermediate-to-expert user. It offers hints and tips that experienced users will want, while sparing many of the intricate explanations that populate beginner-level books. It comes with a CD-ROM of Win95-compatible software. Boyce's book will help you quickly become the Windows pro you were in the "old days."
1,083 pages. $40. New Riders Publishing, 800-428-5331, 317-581-5884.
by: Tom LaSusa