Look What They’ve Done to My Software, Ma

For a broad look at how the Internet is changing the software industry, check out the accounting firm Deloitte & Touche’s free Software Industry 1997 Annual Report conference Thursday morning at the Century Plaza Hotel in Century City.

Panelists at the event include executives from several local Internet companies, and the annual report features commentary from Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of the World Wide Web. Some of the topics the report addresses include making Internet commerce profitable, the intranet boom, who’s driving mergers and acquisitions and who’s profiting, the latest software technologies, and financial trends.

Attendees will receive a copy of the annual report. For more information, call (213) 553-1659.

CYBERSPACE

* Since 1979, wine enthusiasts have been meeting in Napa Valley once a year to take part in the annual Napa Valley Wine Auction, a charity event that has raised more than $5 million for health-care organizations. Now devotees around the world can get involved. The Internet Napa Valley Wine Auction takes place in the six weeks leading up to the real event. The virtual auction ends May 30, so there’s still time to place your bids. If you’re the winner of the wine, you’ll also get recipes and information about it--including what food it goes with and when to drink it. To take part, put your glass down and point your browser to https://www.nvwa.org

* Stop (and not a “California stop,” either) by https://www.chp.ca.gov for everything you ever wanted to know about the California Highway Patrol. Learn about DUI and enforcement programs, auto theft legislation, CHP task forces and the history of the agency.

* Eager to learn more about Los Angeles County Superior Court? Check out https://www.co.la.ca.us/courts/superior-auc. You can read about the court and its leaders as well as find the felony bail schedule, court locations, court holidays, fees, jury information and more. At https://www.lamuni.org, similar information can be found about Los Angeles Municipal Court. Don’t miss the section on the online traffic school and how to file a small claim in civil court.

* Not always sure where you’re going? A good start is the Magellan Maps site; that is, if you can find your way to https://pathfinder.com/travel/maps/. There are maps of U.S. states and cities as well as cities and countries around the world. The U.S. Census Bureau’s Tiger Mapping Service (https://tiger.census.gov/)is another good site, with maps and census information. Just type in a city or address and away you go.

* The National Trust for Historic Preservation (https://www.nationaltrust.org) site has gardening hints from historic American hotels, features on the winners of the Great American Main Street Awards and information about the trust. You can also take guided tours of the nation’s historic sites.

* The Consumer Watchdog (https://www.consumerwatchdog.com) is on alert. You can either submit your PC-related questions and concerns or sift through others’. It’s also a good place to check before making significant software or hardware purchases. You’ll find how others fared in their purchases and can learn about rebates and service.

* KidsCampaigns (https://www. kidscampaigns.org) is a resource for all kinds of news and information on kids’ issues: health, safety, education and financial security; 101 things we can do for kids’ futures; statistics about U.S. kids, including facts and figures from the National Center for Children in Poverty and the National Assn. of Child Advocates; and lists of and links to children’s organizations across the country.

Site suggestions can be sent to [email protected]