Perhaps one of the greatest aspects of the Internet is the accessibility of an almost limitless quantity of interesting Websites. From information to entertainment, we occasionally find sites that we'd like to forward to friends and colleagues. This page consists of some of those sites.

Also, if you have some interesting sites that we should include, please let us know at Info@ApexMediaSolutions.com.

Enjoy,
Scott Newton

1) Hidden Features on DVDs

We recently heard about what are called "DVD Easter Eggs". This term refers to hidden content on DVDs that is not readily accessible through the user navigation features - yet by following certain steps, the content can be viewed. Here's an example with Cast Away starring Tom Hanks.

Start off by inserting disc 2 then select video and stills galleries then go on Raft Escape then press left and a pair of yellow wings will appear. Press Enter, and you'll hear a short sound clip of the director Robert Zemeckis answering the question: What was in the FedEx box that Chuck never opened?

Many DVDs have this type of hidden content. For a list of these DVDs, and how to find the Easter Eggs, check out www.dvdreview.com/html/hidden_features.shtml.
 

2) The Oracle of Kevin Bacon

We're not really sure how this Kevin Bacon thing got started, but here's the story. You've heard of the concept of six degrees of separation? Well, the Kevin Bacon phenomenon is based on the fact that whatever actor you choose, Kevin Bacon has a close connection. For example, if you were to check the connection between Ben Stiller and Kevin Bacon, here's what you would find.
 

    Ben Stiller has a Bacon number of 2.
    Ben Stiller was in You'll Never Wiez in This Town Again (2003) with Sean Penn
    Sean Penn was in Mystic River (2003) with Kevin Bacon
 

So you say, "Ben Stiller is a contemporary of Kevin Bacon. That's not too surprising." OK, well how about a more obscure actor, like Zasu Pitts. Here's what you'd find.
 

    Zasu Pitts has a Bacon number of 2.
    Zasu Pitts was in Perfect Marriage, The (1946) with Eddie Albert
    Eddie Albert was in Big Picture, The (1989) with Kevin Bacon
 

Strangely, it's rather difficult to find an actor that has a number higher than 2 or 3. To play this game, there's a cool Website at www.cs.virginia.edu/oracle/.

3) Language Translation Tool

Do you ever find yourself in need of translating text to and from a foreign language. There's a very handy tool for performing language translation which is located on the Google search engine Website.  Click on the following link to access their Language Translation Tool at www.google.com/language_tools
 

4) How Stuff Works

Have you ever wondered how things work - like your water softener, traffic light sensors or any number of other things we encounter on a daily basis. Well, there's a very cool Website that explains many of these modern mysteries. Check out their site at www.howstuffworks.com.