Movie Magic

A lot is happening at this time of the year in cyberspace. My obvious allusion is to the Christmas festivity that has hit the net, with c...

A lot is happening at this time of the year in cyberspace. My obvious allusion is to the Christmas festivity that has hit the net, with cyber shopping taking off in a big way. Besides, this fortnight we shall take a look at another mania that8217;s sweeping the net 8211; Star Wars, and also how the Internet is constantly seeking to redefine and reinvent music.

Recently, the net saw the launch of e-xmas.com, a Christmas cyber shopping site with a difference. It allows the shoppers to have their Christmas goodies delivered to an address different than the one on their credit card account. And guess what? This feature made it possible for the lonely Mir space crew to order presents for their families on the terra firma from the orbiting Russian space station. A sterling example of net value, wouldn8217;t you say? There is a downside though, related to the credit card security aspect but that8217;s a matter for another story at another platform. Let8217;s devote our attention to Christmas matters close at home. An Excite search revealed just about half a dozen sites dedicated to Christmas memorabilia in India, which is not really exciting. Visit wwindia.com/craft for Jayshree8217;s Craft for candle and Christmas craft sale or kriskreations.com for a range of hanging stars, trees, balls and bells, both sterling examples of individual webentrepreneurship. The flip side? You can8217;t make online purchase and have to key in your email address for them to respond. Though Internet shopping is still in its cradle here, a recent survey in the UK suggests that around three quarters of Internet shoppers enjoy buying goods online while 60 per cent feel it is more convenient than conventional shopping.

And now there is great news for Star Wars lovers who have been waiting for the last 15 years for the next cinematic hyperdose of the cult sci-fi phenomenon. The trailer of Episode One: The Phantom Menace has hit the movie halls in the US recently and with thousands of sites devoted to Star Wars, the Net is abuzz with frenzied activity. If you are a Star Wars fan, punch in starwars.com, the official website of Star Wars that8217;s designed to carefully stoke the flames of fan interest 8211; a sleek exercise in promotional Internet marketing about the movie set to be released in six months. You can get all the info about the making of Episode One and can also download the first promotional poster which is a visual delight and manna for the soul for fans. And if you are still thirsty for more, no problem. Check out other bigger fan sites like The Force.net theforce.net, Jedi Net jed inet.com, and Ain8217;t It Cool News aint-it-cool-news. com. Now, to digital music. Internet is allset to change the way we listen to music and even record it. Since the revolution of rock and roll, it is the single biggest advance that is virtually reinventing music for us. You can easily download high quality recordings for listening or creating new music and Indian surfers can listen to the latest albums the minute they are released abroad. From heavy metal to world music to Indipop, the music is in a state of flux and seeking to cross new frontiers. On the home front, check out mehfil. com for a range of music from Lucky Ali to A.R.Rahman, from Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan to Daler Mehndi or from folk to pop.

And if you are feeling nostalgic, there is always woodstock69.com that will take you to the land of the flower children. The site offers a collection of facts, figures, stories, pictures, current happenings, links, memorabilia and assorted tidbits about the most significant event that shaped the current music history. Happy surfing!