Web Week

By PETER SINCLAIR

E-Zebra: New Zealand's newest youth and lifestyle portal went live last week, pumping personalized information to mobiles. It's aimed at the younger, tech-savvy market and they've got plenty of prizes onsite to lure you over if you fancy a copy of Buddhafinger, Tadpole's new CD. Vodafone users will appreciate their range of SMS alert services. On the way: Zeb-mail and chat.

Quackatorium: antique wellness – a fun look at early electrotherapy devices like the useful Faradic Battery, which zapped you with electrical shocks to cure "asthma, diseases of the brain, deafness, diabetes, cataracts, measles, hysteria, hernias, cancer etc." If symptoms persist, you may need the Radio Disease Killer (which flashes multi-colored lights), Galvanic Batteries (which radiate "magical healing powers"), or the Electropoise (which employs the miracle of 'Diaduction' to fortify the bloodstream).

Alex Chiu: you may laugh at turn-of-the-century devices like those at the link above, but quackery is alive and well today. Alex Chiu has discovered the secret of immortality (US Patent #5,989,178). Wear one of his rings on your little finger (may be adapted for the toes) and eternal youth is yours, he promises. Home handymen will also find designs for a teleportation machine.

Links:

E-Zebra

Quackatorium

Alex Chiu

US Patent Office