Val Cowan's Web World

A NORTH West record company and one of the bands it is backing are pinning their hopes on new technology.

Manchester-based Citrus Communications is planning to offer its products on a sale or return basis to any independent record store that has a website, on the condition it provides a link to the band's website.

Managing director John Leah believes such deals could break the stranglehold the big distribution companies have on the UK music industry and make it easier for new bands to break through.

"We plan to bypass the usual channels and supply directly to the shops, thus keeping our costs low and giving smaller record stores a chance to make money with no risks," he said.

Bury-based band Kings of Hong Kong is hoping to benefit from the deal - and get its music to a wider audience by using MP3.

The band is releasing its first album, Country Punk Boutique, through Citrus on March 27. It will be the label's first release.

But the Kings are also making the album available for free on the internet, in MP3 format, at the band's own website (http://www.kohk.co.uk).

The group believes it is more important to get the music out to people than worry about how much money could be made. Singer Dave Naylor said: "We don't have much money but we have a strong following, some great songs, and we play together because we like it.

"Getting a record deal these days is almost impossible. The last year has resulted in only mediocre attention from the majors and we didn't want to wait for them to pick us up any longer."

One of the songs from the album, Savannah, has been released on the European MP3 site Besonic (http://

www.besonic.com) and has already attracted a lot of attention.

Call for tax online

THE internet could be used to boost people's interest in local government, according to an MP.

Conservative frontbencher Archie Norman has called for local council meetings to be broadcast on the internet and for people to be able to pay their council tax online.

The shadow secretary for the environment, transport and regions would also like to see planning applications posted on the web for people to consult free of charge.

Costly old bones

A TRAWL through the items for sale on most online auction sites - such as www.auctionhunter.co.uk - will turn up some strange objects.

But some lots are just too unusual - or expensive - to sell, as Lycos Inc in America found.

On offer at an auction hosted by the company was a 25ft tall, 40ft long Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton, with a starting price of $5.8million (£3.5million) - but not one bid was made. The 65million-year-old skeleton, discovered on a South Dakota cattle ranch in 1992, will stay in a Kansas warehouse for now.

Men in tights

THE Backstreet Boys have been transformed into superheroes for a new comic book.

See the men in tights at the Backstreet Project website.

http://www.backstreetproject.com

Black-eyed magic

PANDA Central lets you see how the giant pandas at San Diego Zoo in the USA are getting on via a webcam.

Bai Yun and Shi Shi arrived at the zoo in 1996, at the start of a 12-year conservation study.

And on August 21 last year, Bai Yun gave birth to a cub, Hua Mei - the first North American panda birth in a decade.

The site is a must for fans of these lovely creatures. http://www.sandiegozzoo.org/

special/pandas/index.html

Movie a minute

TOO busy to read a book, or even watch a film?

Don't miss out - there's a website which will let you do it in a minute.

Rinkworks' Movie a Minute site condenses entire film scripts into just a few lines, while the company's Book A Minute site does the same for classic novels.

It won't get you through an exam - but it's amusing all the same.

http://rinkworks.com/movieaminute

http://rinkworks.com/bookaminute

SEEN something interesting on the web? Send an e-mail to vcowan@lancashire.newsquest.co.uk

Check out our website - http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk

Browse around virtual shops at your leisure

SHOPPERS' World, the Lancashire Evening Telegraph's online shopping mall, has welcomed two big new customers.

Co-op Travel and Co-op Direct Electrical have become the latest firms to start selling their products via our site.

"The great thing about a virtual shop is that floorspace is a lot cheaper," said Bob Taylor, new channels development manager for United Norwest Co-op. "We run shops throughout the North West, but none of them have the space to display anything but a few electrical items," he said.

"This lets us sell the whole range."

And all the savings made on not paying for bricks and mortar are passed onto the customer, making Co-op Direct Electrical one of the most competitive retailers in the region.

Bob said Shoppers' World's local links had also helped them make their mind up.

"This is Lancashire is very much a community website, and we are very much a community retailer," he said.

Fiona Hawkins, marketing co-ordinator for Co-op Travel, said e-commerce was an expanding market, and they wanted to be at the forefront of it.

She said the company chose Shoppers' World because it reflected the firm's trading area - and gave access to a much wider area.

Find Shoppers' World at http://www.

thisislancashire.co.uk.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.