Volume 4, Issue 44 Atari Online News, Etc. November 1, 2002
Published and Copyright (c) 1999 - 2002
All Rights Reserved
Atari Online News, Etc.
A-ONE Online Magazine
Dana P. Jacobson, Publisher/Managing Editor
Joseph Mirando, Managing Editor
Rob Mahlert, Associate Editor
Atari Online News, Etc. Staff
Dana P. Jacobson -- Editor
Joe Mirando -- "People Are Talking"
Michael Burkley -- "Unabashed Atariophile"
Albert Dayes -- "CC: Classic Chips"
Rob Mahlert -- Web site
Thomas J. Andrews -- "Keeper of the Flame"
With Contributions by:
Martin Elsaesser
Kevin Savetz
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=~=~=~=
A-ONE #0444 11/01/02
~ AOL Spin-Off Unlikely! ~ People Are Talking! ~ HighWire News!
~ Can Spam Be Stopped?! ~ New AniPlayer Version! ~ KEYTAB 09 Available!
~ Online Gaming Ramps Up ~ Victory Against Aimster ~ New Undercover Out!
~ PayPal Users Targeted! ~ Bulk E-mailer Spam Ban ~ Augie Liguori Fired!
-* Free Tax E-Filing Approved! *-
-* Are Pop-Up Ads Killing Themselves?! *-
-* Microsoft Antitrust Case Decision Today!? *-
=~=~=~=
->From the Editor's Keyboard "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Happy belated Halloween!! We had lots of little ghosts and goblins and
everything in-between drop by last night. I really enjoy this "holiday",
even if there are many out there who consider demeaning to "real" witches
and the like. It was fun when I was a kid and it's fun seeing the kids now
that I'm an adult. Many houses in our neighborhood are decorated in spooky
regalia - some really go all out in "traditional" haunted house fashion. My
regret this year is that my wife gets to greet the 'trick-or-treaters' while
I made sure that our two dogs remained quiet (they love barking at the
revelers!). I managed to get a glimpse of the kids from a good window
vantage point, though!
But back to traditional news. It appears that there will be a decision
regarding the Microsoft antitrust case today. If we learn of the decision
before this issue "hits the streets", we'll have it available for you, along
with the highlights of the decision. It should be an interesting decision
that has taken far too may years to reach. Again this week, the
proliferation of spam continues to be a hot topic. Another company that
produces bulk e-mail has been punished for its practices. We can only hope
that this treatment of the bane of the internet will continue!
Until next time...
=~=~=~=
HighWire 0.09a Released
Development on HighWire is still going on after a summer break. So
what's new in this release?
HighWire now supports SOME of the FORM tags with place holders, not all
tags are currently supported at this time. Also, HighWire supports
displaying of TTF fonts in 8 bit mode only. The TTF support isn't that
pretty yet, but at least useable.
Change.Log for this release:
- Multiple Windows are now supported for the frame target "_blank".
Also ALT+ mouse click on a link opens it in a new window.
- Displaying of non-Speedo fonts is working now so far.
- Implementation of wheel mouse support.
- Realtime scrolling for slider usage.
- Highlighting of links improved. If the mouse pointer is over a link
the target will be shown in the window's info line.
- Improved parser function to also recognize quotation.
- Overworked text floating around images and tables.
- Slightly improved Nearest Colour algorithm for resolutions <=256
colours
- Closed some memory leaks
To download and more information, visit the HighWire website:
http://highwire.atari-users.net
KEYTAB 09 Available
KEYTAB 09 is released on 2002-10-28 as a Bugfix for KEYTAB 08. KEYTAB is
a little system utility which offers routines for converting chars
between charsets (i.e. Atari->Windows ANSI, ISO-8859-1 (ISO Latin1) ->
Atari, etc.). KEYTAB is freeware incl. utilities, the library for
developers (Pure-C, GNU-C, Pure Pascal, GFA) and all sources.
The implemented charsets are: Atari, Windows Codepage 1252, Macintosh (or
Apple Roman), MS-DOS Codepage 437, MS-DOS Codepage 850, US-ASCII,
ISO-8859-1 (or ISO Latin 1), ISO-8859-2, ISO-8859-3, ISO-8859-4,
ISO-8859-7, ISO-8859-8, ISO-8859-9, ISO-8859-15, Sinclair QL, NeXTStep,
IBM Codepage 437, IBM Codepage 850, ISO-646-US, ISO-646-DE.
Furthermore there are unicode conversions: from any of the supported
charsets chars and memory blocks can be converted to unicode and
backwards.
In addition to the Conversions of 8-Bit-Charsets there are
unicode-docings with variable length UTF-8, UTF-7 and UTF-7,5, UTF-16
and UCS-4 (UTF=Unix Transformation Format).
With the implemented functions there are conversions between all charsets
incl. the unicode-codings in any other charset - internally via the atari
charset or via unicode.
KEYTAB can be downloaded from .
Gruss
Martin [PGP-Key available]
---
Martin.Elsaesser@T-Online.de
New Version of Aniplayer
A new version of Aniplayer has been released with lots of new additions.
Follow the link for all the details.
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/didierm/index-e.htm
Undercover 23 Is Out
The Sirius Cybernetics Corporation in heavy cooperation with Dune and
Sector One has just released "Undercover Magascene # 23" last night.
There are two versions available, a full featured one for Falcon and
hard disk based ST systems and a lite one for disk-based ST systems...
Online version in preparation...
http://www.dhs.nu
Executive Duo Tossed Out of WWE Ring
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) on Thursday pink-slipped chief
financial officer Augie Liguori and chief marketing officer Julie Hoffman.
Until the WWE finds full-time replacements, Frank Serpe will be acting CFO
and Basil DeVito will run marketing. Both Serpe and DeVito are longtime
employees of the WWE.
A statement attributed to Linda McMahon, CEO of the WWE, said, "We seek to
bring in new leadership in both the financial and marketing areas," citing
the company's focus "on strengthening our core product."
The ratings of the WWE's bellwether weekly TV series "WWE Raw" on TNN
(Monday, 9-11 p.m.) and "Smackdown" on UPN (Thursday, 8-10 p.m.) have
softened somewhat over the last year. But in most weeks TNN's "Raw" is the
highest-rated regularly scheduled series on basic cable, while "Smackdown"
continues to keep UPN competitive against such powerhouse shows as
"Survivor" and "CSI" on CBS and "Friends" and "Will & Grace" on NBC.
Liguori joined the WWE in September 1998 after serving as chief financial
officer of Atari.
The WWE hired Hoffman in April 2001. She had been executive VP of
communications consultants Shepardson, Stern and Kaminski. Before that, she
was exec VP of Gray Advertising.
=~=~=~=
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
compiled by Joe Mirando
joe@atarinews.org
Hidi ho friends and neighbors. As I sit here on Halloween night, waiting
for the Trick-or-Treaters to ring the doorbell, I can't help but think
back to when I was a kid. Halloween was different then. The streets were
loaded with kids going from house to house, ringing doorbells and yelling
"Trick or treat!"
Sure, there were sick-o's back then too, but it was something that no one
considered when planning for "the big night". The worst thing my parents
worried about back then was getting the house toilet-papered.
And as I sit here waiting for the kids dressed as Spiderman and the
Powerpuff Girls, I have to wonder if things will ever be like they were
when I was a kid. I doubt it. History is against it.
It's now 9:30 pm and there hasn't been a single kid at the door. There was
a neighborhood party at the church down the street, as there has been
every Halloween for the past five or six years, but this is the first
year that at least some of the neighborhood kids haven't made the rounds.
While I understand that it's safer for the kids, and allows the parents to
relax and leave the worrying behind for a while, I find it sad that it's
necessary at all.
I must admit that it felt good to sit on the front porch and watch the
youngsters parade by in their costumes.... no matter whether they were
home-made ho-bo's or store-bought spacemen, they were happy and excited.
My favorite recent Halloween memory is from about five years ago when one
of the neighborhood mothers came up the sidewalk with her three kids and
said to them, "It's okay to go to THEIR house, they're nice".
Yeah, it's a small thing, and it WAS only a couple of pieces of candy, but
it still made me feel good to think that maybe there was still a chance
to get back to...
"The Way Things Used To Be".
OH! One other thing I'd like to mention... I think that there should be a
$10,000.00 fine for each time during a political ad that a candidate even
mentions his/her opponent. And just to make things interesting, they
could be forced to give the money to the Green Party.
Well, let's get on with the news, hints, tips, and info from the UseNet.
From the comp.sys.atari.st NewsGroup
==============================
Martin Tarenskeen asks about TOS Clones and emulators:
"Reading the discussions about fast TOS clones vs emulators another
subject came into my thoughts: benchmark tests.
There is a problem with the existing benchmark tests that I have seen so
far (qindex, gembench, gemtest, zbench). All these programs are based on a
similar principle. Let the program perform a certain action (calculation,
graphics, etcetera) and repeat this action an x number of times. Then
measure the time it took to do all that.
But the difference in speed between an 8 MHz ST, and an emulator running
on a 2 GHz pentium PC is huge. This makes old benches that were made with
the old ST in mind useless. The measured times would be very small, or
even zero on such a fast system. On the other hand a new, similar,
benchmark test that would be designed to measure higher speeds, using more
repetitions and/or more complex tests and calculations wouldn't be very
suitable for an old ST because the tests would take so much time.
My suggestion would be to develop a benchmark test that follows a
different principle: It should measure the number of times a system can
perform a certain action (calculation etc.) in a fixed time. For example
10 seconds. In that case such a benchmark test would always take 10
seconds, no matter if a 8 MHz ST or a TOS emulator on a 2 GHz Pentium IV
would be used to run test. The precision of the test could be influenced
by selecting a longer or shorter testing time value.
Johan Klockars tells Martin:
"VDIBench has always worked like that, for exactly the reasons you
mention. I seem to recall Kronos working like that too, but I'm not
sure about that.
Another problem with most benchmarks is that they insist on performing
some kind of 'average performance' computation. Not only is this often
calculated in very dubious ways, it also often combines data from
completely unrelated tests (many of which are often completely
irrelevant to anything anyone would ever do on a computer).
The end result really says nothing at all, which is quite unfortunate
since that is the only number most people will ever mention..."
Kenneth Medin tells us that he...
"Got the ISA EtherNEC Ethernet to ROM port adaptor from Lyndon Amsdon
today. Works perfectly with STinG on my Stacy with Geneva.
On the TT however it does not work at all. My STinG setup is in good
working order and I have tried both ENEC.STX and ENEC3.STX without
success.
On a very basic TOS 3.6 setup with nothing except what is needed for
STinG the .STX manage to read the MAC address but nothing goes out. The
LED flickers but all packages gets dropped.
The very same setup but with Magic 6.20 results in the .STX even can't
read the MAC address but pops up with FE, FE, FE, etc. This is if I start
without any STING.PRT file.
My present conclusion is that the STinG drivers by Redelberger does not
work on a TT. Anyone who have got it working?
I'm using the latest drivers from his homepage. And, I did copy ROUTE.TAB
from the working Stacy TOS 1.4 setup just to by sure."
David Wade tells Kenneth:
"I have one working on my TT. I did have to waggle the interface card a
bit to get it to work. Have you tried the test programs?"
Jan Krupka adds:
"I have another experience. I have tried EtherNEC on 3 TTs. It works
perfectly on two of them (on one I must change bad fuse for 5V Ucc for ROM
port) but on last TT I cannot start the connection. The MiNT driver starts
ok. The MAC address is ok. I can do ifconfig and route without problems
but it is all. The next communication doesn't work. And I don't know why,
because the same hardware works nice on my Falcon."
Kenneth comes back and posts:
"I have now made some further tests. Note that I have only tested the
STinG versions sofar. Guess I will have to try MagicNet as well...
Stacy (ST TOS 1.4) and Mega STe (TOS 2.6) running Geneva both works
perfect with the ENEC.STX .
Tested both ENEC.STX and ENEC3.STX on my three TT:s and none of them
work. With Geneva the MAC address is read but with Magic 6 not.
Just tried to change the program load flags on ENEC3.STX to load and
allocate from TT RAM and with this setting this TT now reads the MAC
address under Magic6 too!
When I try to Ping my main router data goes out on the Ethernet line
(lights flicker on both ends) but they seem garbled as nothing comes
back. Double checked my ROUTE.TAB by using the other parallel-to-Ethernet
adaptor.
Also tested HT2ENEC.TOS and it will read the MAC address on the TT under
Geneva with an output as follows:
-----------
Test EtherNE with NE card but without any STing, MagiCNEt, MINTNet
Software (C)2002 Dr. Thomas Redelberger
Interrupt Status register after Reset (should read $80): $c0
Reading the NE PROM.
The first 12 bytes are the 6 byte MAC address
Each byte is doubled up (this is normal):
0000c0c0
dfdfc4c4
45456565
20202020
20202020
20202020
20202020
42424242
Press any Key
----------
Everything is fine except for the interrupt status register?
Now under Magic 6.20 and STinG not installed:
----------
Test EtherNE with NE card but without any STing, MagiCNEt, MINTNet
Software (C)2002 Dr. Thomas Redelberger
Interrupt Status register after Reset (should read $80): $80
Reading the NE PROM.
The first 12 bytes are the 6 byte MAC address
Each byte is doubled up (this is normal):
00000000
00000000
00000000
00000000
00000000
00000000
00000000
00000000
Press any Key
----------
Here the Interrupt register is ok ($80) but no MAC address. Strange...
I really have a feeling there are some timing problems. A quick look in
the source code HT2ENE.S showed these lines:
move 10000,d0 ; wait 2ms
.t1 dbra d0,.t1
That must give very different results on different hardware.
Has anyone got this Ethernet adaptor running with STinG on a TT??"
Dave Wade tells Kenneth:
"Yes, it appears to work on mine, but it is a very stock TT...."
Kenneth asks Dave:
"Under standard TOS or Magic?
Strangely I have three TT:s here and none seem to work properly with the
adaptor. Two of them are of the older type with metal shieldings. One
with original TOS 3.1 and only 4 MB ST RAM. The other upgraded to TOS 3.6
and 36 MB RAM (4+32), some hard disks and CDROM.
The third TT is from March 1991 and has been downgraded to TOS 3.1 . All
three have working cartridge ports."
Carey Christenson asks about replacing the memory in his Falcon:
"I have a memory board installed on my Falcon030 that takes just 1 16 meg
simm. The simm is located on the underneath side of the RAM board. What
kind of memory am I looking for to replace a bad simm??? I have place
called JDR that I can order FPM or EDO here is what I can get listed
below:
72 pin FPM simms:
16MB Non-Parity 4Mx32, 60ns
16MB Parity 4Mx36, 60ns
30 pin FPM simms:
16MB Parity 16Mx9, 60ns, 9 chip
72 pin EDO simms:
16MB Non-Parity 4Mx32, 60ns
These are all of the 16 meg simms besides a 168 pin which I am sure is not
compatible with my Falcon030. Any help that anyone could provide me with
information on the correct RAM to use on this computer would be greatly
appreciated."
Robert Schaffner asks Carey:
"Which memory board do you have?
Some boards needs fast page edo 16Mb / PS2, other boards needs parity
ram modules. Falcon can be expand with memory boards from wizztronics,
h&n, wb-systemtechnik, centek and some more."
Michael Schwingen tells Robert:
"Since the memory controller in the falcon does not handle parity,
installing parity SIMMs seems like a waste of money - it can even hurt
stability if the board leaves the parity data lines floating."
Greg Goodwin tells Carey:
"If you remove the cover (7 screws) and the first section of shielding
(about 10 screws) you will see the memory board a little toward the
keyboard and right of center. You should be able to read the SIMM
without much trouble. What does it say?"
Jean-Luc Ceccoli adds:
"Both EDO and FPM 72 pins modules work fine ( I tried both)."
Chris Friend asks about choosing between a TT and a Falcon:
"OK, I have a TT (2ST/4TT/200MB HD) and a Falcon (4/80) that I can get
for around the same price ($300-$250 respectively). Which one is
better for running newer Atari software? I know each has tradeoffs
(TT has faster processor and more expandibility), Falcon has DSP.
What the the falcon's highest native resolution? Help! Need more
info. The best ST I've ever used is a Mega ST4."
Adam Klobukowski tells Chris:
"Falcon can do beyond 1000x600 but these resolutions are available only
when running a software enchancer (no hardware needed). I do not remember
the maximal value. Note that bigger resolutions eat speed. Note also that
in TC the maximum resolution is smaller.
Without screen enhancing software the max you can get is 640x480."
Carey Christenson adds:
"Depends on what you want to do with your Atari Computer. I can tell you
right now that the Falcon will beat any Atari computer at Audio apps.
Apps like Aniplayer or Falcamp just to name a few. Converting MP3's to
wav's with Aniplayer is much faster on the Falcon because of the DSP, which
Aniplayer uses. Yes, the TT030 has a faster processor but this computer is
built more for desktop publishing. As far as expandability I am unsure on
the TT030 what is available. But the Falcon will soon have the CT60
(which I am in line to get) which will take the processing power up to a
72 mhz. 060 which will make the Falcon the most powerful Atari computer
available. Not to mention NATURE is working with R. Czuba on making a FULLY
COMPATIBLE graphic card which will plug into the CT60 which will give us
1600x1200 resolution in 32 bit color all with 32 megs of DDR SDRAM, they
claim 99.9 percent compatibility with Atari related software. I have the
ECLIPSE graphic card adapter with an ATI Rage with 4 megs of VRAM and I
don't get know where near 99.9 percent Atari software compatibility. At
the moment a stock Falcon is capable of 640x480 in 256 colors which is
adequate not sure about the screen enhancement software someone else spoke
of. But if there is such a thing I would agree that it would take a lot
more processing time to run such a program. But go with either the TT030
or the Falcon030 but I would steer clear of the ST's unless they were
considerably cheaper."
Frederic Fouche adds:
"The TT is really nice, but I would only choose it for development if it
was me, otherwise the falcon is a better choice in my opinion.
The falcon is broader, games, music, graphics etc.
The slower CPU in the falcon can be upped to match (actually even faster
than TT) if you are concerned about the cpu speed (ct2 boards etc).
TT natively can take more RAM than stock falcon which can be good for some
things.
All depends on what you want to do really and if you want to put a little
extra money to be comfortable with the machine you would choose to get."
Dave Wade tells Chris:
"I would go for the Falcon UNLESS I had specific requirements that only
the TT can answer. As far as I know the main one of these is ASCI
port...."
Greg Goodwin adds:
"The TT is faster and is easier to add a graphics card to. The Falcon
has superior sound, and will be faster if the CT60 comes out and works
as advertised. The Falcon's highest native preset resolution is
640x480x256 @ 60 Hz, but an auto folder program (Videlity) exists that
allows for 800x600x256 @53 Hz (a bit hard on the eyes, if you ask me).
With a video card, much higher is possible, of course.
My personal opinion is that the Falcon is the superior computer for
most home users unless your TT happens to have a nice 1280x960x2 ECL
monitor."
Well folks, that's it for this time around. Tune in again next week, same
time, same station, and be ready to listen to what they are saying
when...
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
=~=~=~=
->In This Week's Gaming Section - 'BloodRayne' Full of Bite!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Game Fans Flock to 'Vice City'!
Online Gaming Quest Expands!
And more!
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE's Game Console Industry News - The Latest Gaming News!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Sexy Vampire Has Plenty of Bite
Blood and gore reign supreme in "BloodRayne," the new
horror-shooting-slashing game released just in time for Halloween.
All the bloodshed is hardly surprising as Rayne, the heroine of this
Terminal Reality game, is half human and half vampire. Cool and sexy, she's
also adept at slicing and dicing her victims, thanks to attributes such as
superhuman speed, enhanced vision, hinged wristbands that hold 3-foot
jagged-edge swords, and a set of spike-heeled shoes that are in fact
stilettos.
Oh yes, she's pretty handy with firearms as well.
Rayne is a dhampir, the daughter of a vampire and human mother. She's got
the dental profile of traditional Hollywood vampires, a lust for blood,
extraordinary strength, and the ability to leap high enough to jump through
a second-story window. But, because she has a human side, sunlight won't
kill her and religious artifacts don't bother her.
It must have made for an interesting childhood.
In the beginning of "BloodRayne," set in 1932, we see the young heroine
prowling the cobblestone streets of a European city filled with vampires.
After a fight with several of the bloodsuckers, Rayne is recruited by an
organization known as the Brimstone Society, a secret group that tries to
counter supernatural threats. (The society is similar to The Spookhouse in
Terminal Reality's 1999 hit "Nocturne," an organization revived a year
later when the company released "Blair Witch Volume 1: Rustin Parr," which
was far more chilling than the movie that served as the basis for the
video game.)
A brief tutorial teaches players how to make Rayne leap, crash through
walls, walk along power lines and sink her fangs into victims' necks.
After that we're off to a Louisiana town where most of the folks have been
turned into zombies and huge spider-like creatures lurk at every corner.
Rayne must find the source of the scourge without getting shot or chopped
up herself.
To further complicate things, much of the town is flooded -- and prolonged
contact with water can be fatal to Rayne. At one point, players must make
her leap rapidly from rooftop to rooftop and race along power lines in an
attempt to follow one of the creatures back to its nest. The task is
incredibly challenging because it can be difficult to judge distance in
this game. As a result, if you drop Rayne hip-deep in bayou water, she
begins to sizzle and sputter like bacon on a hot griddle.
Fortunately, other elements of the game are more forgiving. If you move her
a little too much to the side while she's walking along the power lines,
the game allows her to stand in mid-air rather than making her fall.
Rayne eventually uncovers the source of the infestation ... and who should
turn out to be involved? As in "Raiders of the Lost Ark," it seems that
Nazis are poking around in the supernatural realm again. After the
Louisiana menace is removed, the game flashes forward to 1938, when Agent
BloodRayne is sent to Argentina to check out rumors that Hitler's minions
are searching for a lost relic with immense otherworldly powers.
For that mission, Rayne has the power to slow down time, allowing her to
dodge bullets like characters in "The Matrix." Rayne also has a snazzy
harpoon that lets her snare hapless prey so she can feed on them.
By the way, if Rayne isn't given something to do for a minute, she starts
licking blood off one of her blades.
Unfortunately, you can only save your position at the beginning of each
level. I was also frustrated by the inability to change the camera
position, which means it's easy to be attacked from behind with no warning.
However, the Xbox version that I played had a button that allowed you to
instantly spin around to check behind you.
One of the nice features of the game, at least on the "easy" setting, is
that Rayne automatically looks and points her weapons at any nearby threat,
offering a clue that something needs to be checked out.
If you run into problems, Prima sells a $15 strategy guide. In addition,
you can also go on the Internet at sites like http://www.gamewinners.com
to find codes to restore your health, freeze your enemies, or make you
invulnerable.
There's also a "gratuitous dismemberment" mode, which is yet another reason
why "BloodRayne" is rated for mature audiences.
Like its namesake, once the game sinks its teeth into you, you'll have
trouble getting free.
"BloodRayne" for Xbox, PlayStation 2 and GameCube sells for $50. The
Windows version is scheduled to be released in March.
Video Game Fans Flock to Debut of 'Vice City'
For video game enthusiast Eric Fort, the most hotly anticipated game of the
year is all about one thing: "freedom" - freedom to carjack a police
cruiser, run over pedestrians and shoot anything that moves.
"I don't think there's anything out there like this," said Fort, 23, at an
event to mark the launch of "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City," the follow-on
to last year's chart-topping game, "Grand Theft Auto 3."
Hundreds of video game fans, including Fort, turned out early Tuesday
morning at an Electronics Boutique video game store outside Los Angeles for
a first look at the criminal-adventure game, which features sunny beaches,
scantily clad women, a 1980s soundtrack and edgy violence.
"Vice City," published by the Rockstar Games imprint of Take-Two
Interactive Software Inc., is widely expected to be the best-selling game
of 2002 and possibly among the top sellers of all time.
The game's controversial predecessor, released a year ago, established a
formula that gamers loved and critics panned for its use of wild car chases
and gratuitous violence.
The earlier game also sold more than 7 million copies, grossing an
estimated $350 million -- more than all but a handful of Hollywood hits.
As a result, New York-based Take-Two has gone from the bottom of the
industry to being the No. 3 independent publisher in just about a year.
Its stock price has soared, rising 55 percent in 2002 to outpace industry
rivals.
"Vice City," set in a city modeled on Miami, features voice tracks from
some known Hollywood talent, including Ray Liotta, Burt Reynolds, Lee
Majors and Dennis Hopper. Porn star Jenna Jameson, former football player
Lawrence Taylor and 1980s TV icon Philip Michael Thomas also turn up.
"It has a completely different vibe than GTA 3 does," Rockstar spokesman
Rob Fleischer told Reuters. "Vice City" is much larger than its
predecessor, with a 1,000-page script and 90 minutes of video interspersed
throughout the game.
The game's target demographic was clear from the dozens of people milling
about the Los Angeles launch: males in their late teens and early 20s,
largely clad in baggy jeans and sweatshirts.
An Electronics Boutique spokeswoman told Reuters the "Vice City" launch
was about three times bigger than any other game launch in the company's
history, based on number of units presold to consumers who put down a $5
deposit.
She said at least 200 of the company's 1,000-plus stores were holding
midnight events to launch the game nationwide.
In fact, fans who pre-purchased were the only ones getting their hands on
"Vice City" Tuesday morning. Store managers told people who walked in off
the street wanting to buy a copy to check back and sign up for a pre-order
program for next week.
Interest was helped by on-air promotions for the event by one of Los
Angeles' leading hip-hop and RB49.95 price as the game.
"Vice City," which carries a "Mature" rating, is exclusive to Sony's
PlayStation 2 game console.
Charles Kim waited from 11 a.m. on Monday to be first in line to get into
the Marina del Rey, California store at midnight, which he did, fists
pumping in the air.
Asked if he planned to take his new game home and play through the night,
he said "not just all night -- all day tomorrow."
Nintendo Launches GameCube Online Adapters
Nintendo Co. Ltd. on Wednesday said it has released adapters for its
GameCube console, that allow some games to be played online.
Two separate $34.95 adapters are available, one for dial-up Internet
connections and one for broadband. They plug into a port on the bottom of
the unit.
The first online game to be released for the GameCube is Sega Corp.'s
"Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II," which came out on Tuesday. The
online service for that game, which Sega provides, costs $8.95 a month.
As opposed to competitors Sony Corp. and Microsoft Corp., who are making
major online pushes with their PlayStation 2 and Xbox respectively,
Nintendo has said it considers online play more of an extra feature than
integral to its plans.
Sony released a network adapter for the PS2 in August that supports both
dial-up and broadband. The Xbox comes with a broadband connection built in.
Like Nintendo, Sony does not offer a central gaming service, whereas
Microsoft does have such a system, Xbox Live, that will launch in November.
Sony, Nintendo Expand Online Gaming Quest
Following in the footsteps of Microsoft, which plans to invest at least
US$1 billion to promote its Xbox as a multi-use Internet device, Sony and
Nintendo have unveiled plans and products aimed at boosting online gaming.
Sony intends to launch a "broadband gaming pack," with a price tag of $70,
first in the United Kingdom and on mainland Europe by next spring. In
addition to an Ethernet adapter, the pack will include a game and a
start-up disc.
The company's plans mean that both it and Microsoft will reach the
European market with online gaming offerings around the same time.
Microsoft already has said it will launch a similar service in March in
the United Kingdom.
Meanwhile, Nintendo said an adapter enabling its GameCube to be connected
to the Web via dial-up or broadband has been shipped to U.S. stores. The
company noted that a similar product release in Japan has resulted in some
stores selling out of the adapter kit.
The adapter will sell for $34.95 in the United States. Nintendo also offers
a monthly premium online gaming service for $8.95 per month through its
Sega brand, but emphasized that its adapter is designed to let GameCube
users access any online gaming venue they choose.
Nintendo vice president Peter MacDougall added that Nintendo avoids
"console access charges" and allows gamers to use their existing Internet
service provider.
Game console makers are not the only ones seeking to capitalize on the
potentially lucrative online gaming market. Earlier this year, Yahoo!
announced it would launch a site where competitors could square off via the
Web for a fee.
IDC senior analyst for gaming devices Schelley Olhava told NewsFactor that
companies are still determining how best to make money in the online
gaming marketplace. While nearly 50 million gaming consoles have been sold,
IDC has estimated that only about 2 million will be connected to Web gaming
sites by the end of 2002.
"If you want people to pay, you have to offer something special, something
that improves the experience," Olhava said. "Obviously, the growth of
broadband makes this much more likely, but it still isn't clear what kind
of model is going to emerge the winner."
In fact, Nintendo's MacDougall admitted recently that Nintendo has
deliberately chosen not to be a pace-setter in the bid for online gaming
dollars, a move Microsoft made by announcing it would invest $1 billion to
promote Xbox and Xbox Live.
"We really don't know how big a segment it might become," MacDougall said.
=~=~=~=
A-ONE's Headline News
The Latest in Computer Technology News
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
Judge OKs Microsoft Antitrust Settlement
A federal judge on Friday endorsed the antitrust settlement that Microsoft
Corp. reached with the U.S. government and nine states a year ago, in a
victory for the software giant that was cheered by investors.
U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly rejected the alternative demands
of nine other states saying they "present little, if any, legitimate
justification for these remedies and in most instances these proposals are
not supported by any economic analysis."
There was no immediate word on whether the nine states, which had rejected
the settlement as too weak to stop Microsoft's illegal behavior, would
appeal Kollar-Kotelly's decision.
An appeals court ruling in June 2001 upheld trial court findings that
Microsoft had illegally maintained its Windows operating system monopoly,
but rejected breaking the company in two. The case was then transferred to
Kollar-Kotelly to determine the appropriate remedies in the case.
Microsoft reached the settlement with the Justice Department and nine
states in November 2001 after Kollar-Kotelly urged the parties to reach an
agreement.
The settlement gives computer makers greater freedom to feature rival
software on their machines by allowing them to hide some Microsoft icons
on the Windows desktop.
Microsoft is prohibited from retaliating under the settlement against those
who choose non-Microsoft products. Nor could it enter into agreements that
require the exclusive support of some Microsoft software.
Under the settlement, Windows will be sold under a standard license to the
major computer makers, although discounts would still be allowed according
to the volume of the order.
The nine states that declined to settle were California, Connecticut,
Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Utah, West Virginia, plus
the District of Columbia.
These non-settling states had asked for greater disclosure of Microsoft's
code to allow rival software to work better with Windows.
They had also sought a version of Windows with removable add-on features
to create opportunities for competing versions of features like Internet
browsers and media players.
Microsoft has long argued the restrictions sought by the states would
benefit rivals like AOL Time Warner and Sun Microsystems Inc., and would
deprive consumers of a reliable platform for software.
Microsoft Says Reviewing Judge's Ruling
Microsoft Corp. said on Friday that it would take some time to review a
federal judge's endorsement of a settlement with the U.S. Justice
Department and had no immediate comment.
Microsoft spokeswoman Stacy Drake said that the company was preparing a
fuller response to the ruling, in which U.S. District Judge Colleen
Kollar-Kotelly had rejected the alternative demands of nine states opposed
to the settlement reached last November.
"The issues in the case are significant for Microsoft and for the industry
as well," she said.
Microsoft said that it had not yet set a time for an expected news
conference later on Friday.
U.S. Says Pleased with Judge's Microsoft Decision
Attorney General John Ashcroft on Friday applauded a federal judge's
decision approving the Justice Department's settlement with computer
software giant Microsoft in the landmark antitrust case.
"The Department is pleased with the court's decision approving the
department's settlement with Microsoft," Ashcroft said in a statement
issued by the Justice Department just minutes after the court's ruling.
"That decision confirms that the final judgement furthers the public
interest by fully and effectively addressing Microsoft's unlawful conduct
and restoring the competitive conditions in the computer software
industry," he said.
Ashcroft said the Department of Justice was "strongly committed" to
ensuring that Microsoft complies with the settlement and will continue to
closely monitor the company's implementation of its terms.
Highlights of Microsoft Decision
Highlights of U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly's decision in the
Microsoft antitrust case.
* Approved almost all aspects of the federal settlement. The deal prohibits
Microsoft from retaliating against computer manufacturers; allows customers
to remove icons for some Microsoft features and requires that Microsoft
disclose some technical data to software developers. Microsoft has already
started complying with much of the agreement.
* Denied all stricter remedies requested by the nine non-settling states.
Those states wanted Microsoft to let users remove some Microsoft features
from Windows entirely, divulge the blueprints to its Internet Explorer Web
browser, and force the company to let its Office productivity software be
translated to other operating systems.
* Criticized the strategy of those states, saying they opted for a
kitchen-sink approach to the case by asking for penalties that would
address every rival's complaint. Said that those states neither justified
their requests nor would they fix new illegal conduct.
* Created stronger oversight capabilities for the judge. She said Microsoft
frequently minimizes the effects of its illegal conduct, and that she
needed the ability to make further changes in order to ensure compliance.
* Warned Microsoft executives, who are responsible for the company's
compliance with the deal, that she will be closely watching their efforts.
Case Mentioned AOL Spin-Off, but Move Not Seen
AOL Time Warner Inc. Chairman Steve Case has discussed spinning off the
embattled America Online Internet division he co-founded, but analysts do
not expect his wish to come true any time soon.
Less than two years after consummating the deal that used AOL's soaring
stock price to acquire media giant Time Warner, Case mentioned spinning
off now embattled America Online as part of discussions about the
division's strategic direction ahead of a Dec. 3 meeting with investors,
sources familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.
Company executives are expected to detail turnaround plans and near-term
prospects for America Online at the meeting.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that Case told some senior
executives he would just as soon take back the unit through some sort of a
spin-off.
The America Online division, suffering from a sharp slowdown in advertising
and subscriber growth as well as federal probes into its accounting
practices, has hampered growth at AOL Time Warner and offset strength at
the former Time Warner businesses, including cable networks and film.
Investors' anger has heightened as America Online's woes have deepened and
it has recently been targeted at Case, co-founder of the online giant and
the last senior executive standing from the team that engineered AOL's
$106.2 billion purchase of Time Warner.
"This is Steve Case's home and he hates to get trashed publicly or
privately so I'm sure he's feeling bad about that and in a wishful way,
thinking 'Why don't you just get rid of me and get me back with America
Online," said Mark Edmiston, managing director of investment banking firm
AdMedia Partners.
Many industry insiders have said Case will likely leave the company
sometime next year, possibly around the time of the shareholder meeting.
Comments about spinning off America Online only add to that sentiment,
they added.
AOL Time Warner Vice Chairman Ted Turner, who has lost billions of dollars
as the single largest investor in AOL Time Warner and backed a Case
departure, has vocally criticized the merger and would likely support a
move that would get the online unit out of the equation, industry players
said.
Chief Executive Richard Parsons, however, has squashed past talk of a
possible spin-off. He told investors in May, "There is really no analytic
reason to think that disaggregating the company is somehow going to
increase the value. There is no current thinking about breaking up the
company."
If Case aggressively backs a spin-off, he could find himself at odds with
another senior AOL Time Warner executive. While Parsons said Case was his
partner in May, he made it clear he would have the last word on strategy
issues.
"Ultimately, (the strategy) has to be something the CEO can embrace and
drive," Parsons said in May.
A company spokeswoman said on Tuesday there were no plans to spin-off
America Online nor serious discussions about it.
Spinning off the online business -- the company already plans to spin off
its cable business next year -- would give shareholders more value because
the market could price the businesses independently, Edmiston said.
"It's a way of literally putting the parts back where they were and an
admission of defeat," Edmiston said, adding he too does not see such a
move any time soon.
Media veteran Hal Vogel has been a vocal proponent of removing AOL from
the company's name and spinning off the online unit, but he also does not
see such a move soon.
"They have to have a better stock market and the debt level on the Time
Warner side has to come down a bit," said Vogel, head of Vogel Capital
Management. "I don't know if (Parsons) is so against it. It could just be
posturing. They can't do it right now anyway, so why discuss it publicly?"
Despite the division's woes, some analysts are not ready to write off the
business, which generated $2.2 billion in revenue and $432 million in cash
flow.
Some industry insiders said failure to get the spin-off could also offer
Case a "face-saving" excuse to leave.
PayPal Users Targeted by E-Mail Scam - Again
Users of online payment service PayPal have again been targeted by scam
artists trying to steal their personal data, including name, address, home
and work telephone numbers, and credit card information.
Last week, a reader e-mailed Computerworld saying he had received a message
allegedly from "CustomerService@paypal.com" with the subject "PayPal
Security Update." Last month, PayPal users were hit by a similar scam.
The October 22 message, which arrived as an HTML e-mail replete with
grammatical mistakes, was set up to mimic PayPal's Web site, and said: To
confirm that you are an authorized PayPal member, authorization is needed.
The New SSL 4.0 Secure Socket Layer has been updated to the PayPal servers.
To be authorized, please visit https://www.paypalauthorization.com/. After
completion, you will recieve[sic] and [sic] email confirmation within 24
hours of reciept [sic]. Thanks for using PayPal!, PayPal Security Team.
The Web site address listed in the e-mail took users to an official-looking
site that asked for their personal information.
The reader said he was fooled into entering his user name and password, his
address, and half of his credit card number before he realized he had been
scammed. He said he immediately changed his PayPal log-in password, removed
his credit card and bank information from his PayPal profile, sent an
e-mail to PayPal's customer service department, and filed a complaint with
the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation's Internet Fraud Complaint Center.
As of late Thursday Eastern time, the spoofed PayPal site was still
available. It wasn't available Friday.
PayPal spokesperson Julie Anderson said the company was notified of the
spoof site Thursday morning, immediately contacted the Web host for the
site and asked that it be removed. The company also plans to file a
suspicious activity report with law enforcement officials.
Previously, Anderson had said spoof sites are very common. She said the
scam artists probably got hold of a database and sent messages to thousands
of people, hoping to hit some PayPal account holders.
"[These scams] happen often, and they happen often to successful Web sites
like eBay, PayPal, and other financial services sites," Anderson said last
month. "Fortunately, we know from experience that PayPal users are for the
most part savvy enough not to fall for them. But in the end, if they do,
they are certainly not liable for any losses."
A "whois" search on the domain name used in this week's scam showed that
it was registered on September 29, 2002, to a woman in Jacksonville,
Florida. However when reached for comment, the woman said she was the
victim of a similar scam targeting users of Dulles, Virginia-based America
Online.
The woman said she had only been a member of AOL for one week when she
received a message allegedly from the company saying there was a problem
with the credit card information she had provided and her service would be
shut off immediately if she didn't provide the number of a different credit
card.
She said she complied with the request and then said she was asked to
resubmit the number and expiration date of the card she originally
provided. Again she complied with this request.
Shortly thereafter, the issuing banks called her because they determined
there had been some suspicious activity on her card. She said that's when
she realized she had been victimized.
AOL couldn't be reached for comment Friday.
Russ Cooper, a security consultant at TruSecure in Herndon, Virginia, said
that in addition to the security center PayPay has on its site--complete
with tips for users, including a warning that they never share their PayPal
password with anyone--the company could do more to protect users.
He suggested that PayPal use digital signature technology that would allow
users to determine the veracity of an e-mail purporting to be from PayPal.
He also said PayPal could alert users to this technology by posting
information about it on a prominent place on its site.
Verizon, Spam Co. Reach Settlement
One of the world's most prolific purveyors of bulk e-mail, or spam, has
been barred from sending messages to Verizon customers under a legal
settlement.
Under the agreement, parts of which are secret, Verizon's 1.64 million
Internet customers in 40 states will no longer receive spam from Alan
Ralsky, whose Michigan-based company, Additional Benefits LLC, is
considered one of the largest sources of bulk e-mail.
"It's not like these guys file SEC reports, but as best as folks can tell
he is one of the bigger spammers out there," said John Mozena, a spokesman
for the Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial E-mail.
Verizon filed its lawsuit against Ralsky in March 2001 in Virginia federal
court after several 2000 incidents in which Verizon Online customers were
inundated by millions of e-mail solicitations from companies that work with
Ralsky, said Verizon spokeswoman Bobbi Henson.
The initial lawsuit against Ralsky had sought to shut him down entirely
but Henson called the settlement a victory.
"People should see this and think twice about sending spam on our lines,"
Henson said. She said Ralsky must also pay an undisclosed fine.
Ralsky's company would send e-mail solicitations for online casinos, diet
pills, and companies that promise to fix bad credit, among others,
according to the complaint filed by Verizon.
The complaint said Ralsky broke federal and Virginia law by among, other
things, clogging Verizon's network with a flood of illegitimate e-mails.
Mozena said most Internet providers work hard to keep spam from their
customers, using filters and other technology, although the recent telecom
meltdown has left some cash-strapped providers dependent on money they can
earn from trafficking in spam.
Occasionally, he said, a provider will file a lawsuit against a person or
business it considers a particularly egregious abuser of its e-mail
network.
Major providers like America Online and EarthLink have won settlements in
recent years on grounds similar to those cited in the Verizon lawsuit.
Ralsky has said he has lists of 150 million e-mail addresses as a part of
his business, so the Verizon case would likely make only a small dent in
it.
Ralsky's lawyer did not immediately return calls from The Associated Press
seeking comment. Ralsky told The Detroit News he denies any wrongdoing.
The Unstoppable Flood of Spam
Perhaps the time has come for Internet users to accept the unpleasant
likelihood that nothing will ever stop spam.
Filtering software has, by most accounts, fallen short. Seemingly airtight
privacy policies always seem to have at least one loophole that allows
marketers to ferret out even the most carefully guarded e-mail address.
Lawsuits have been cited as the next best hope. A class-action suit filed
in August against senders of junk faxes has been cited as a model for
anti-spam suits. Yet, most experts say such lawsuits are unlikely to slow
the march of junk e-mail into the inboxes of the world's computer users.
"Spam is inexpensive and can be effective at times," GartnerG2 analyst
Denise Garcia told NewsFactor. "That's a powerful combination, one that
[attracts] a lot of marketers who don't have to worry about their brand
image."
Spam's many detractors have a new ally in their fight, however. After
remaining neutral for some time, much to the dismay of such groups as
Junkbusters, the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) announced last week
that it will support state and federal legislation aimed at curtailing
spam.
DMA president H. Robert Wientzen said the move is a recognition that spam
hurts direct marketers who use e-mail carefully and that anti-spam
regulation will help "preserve the promise of e-mail as the next great
marketing channel. Without a solution that includes legislation, legitimate
marketers who use e-mail to communicate with consumers will continue to
suffer at the hands of spammers."
But legislation could be difficult to enforce, because spammers can strike
from any location around the globe. And analysts say that despite the DMA's
insistence to the contrary, direct marketers must acknowledge that even
legitimate marketers are guilty of adding to the flood of e-mail clutter.
"Every marketer that sends irrelevant, unwanted messages contributes to
the problem," Forrester Research analyst Daniel O'Brien told NewsFactor.
"There is a lot of clutter, and even things that aren't necessarily spam to
marketers fall into that category if it's not done right."
Others say the biggest problem with spam now is that even though most
above-the-board consumer product makers and marketing firms have turned
their backs on massive e-mail blasts, plenty of underground merchants seem
willing to take over.
Based on consumer complaints to state and federal regulators, most annoying
and offensive junk e-mail barrages currently are generated by shady
marketers pushing such products as anti-aging potions, sexual aids and
pornography.
These unscrupulous marketers are constantly devising ways to evade filters.
Both MSN and AOL touted improved e-mail filtering as a highlight of their
version 8 launches earlier this month, an admission of sorts that previous
offerings have not done the trick as spammers continue to search for new
e-mail addresses.
"If you have a list of e-mail addresses, someone will pay you for it, and
it can be resold countless times," said O'Brien. "It becomes a valuable
commodity."
Just how much spam is out there? Two recent studies put spam's percentage
of e-mail volume at either 17 percent or 38 percent. Despite the disparity,
either ratio represents a giant quantity of unwanted e-mail. According to
research firm IDC, some 31 billion e-mail messages will have been exchanged
in 2002 by year's end.
That number will double to 60 billion within four years, IDC vice president
Mark Levitt told the E-Commerce Times.
"E-mail is a valuable tool for both business and personal communication,"
Levitt said. "But it's easy to see how all that value could be crushed
under the sheer weight of that much e-mail before too long."
IRS, Preparers OK Free E-Filing
Up to 78 million taxpayers will probably be able to file their tax returns
electronically without charge under an agreement between the Internal
Revenue Service and a group of tax preparers and software publishers.
"This represents an important step forward for taxpayers and our e-filing
efforts," said IRS Commissioner Charles Rossotti, who signed the agreement
Wednesday with Free File Alliance manager Mike Cavanagh.
Taxpayers usually pay a fee, averaging $12.50, for online filing, and that
is on top of fees for preparation services or computer software. Of the
125.6 million tax returns filed this year, 46.5 million were filed
electronically.
Under the terms of the agreement, participants in the consortium of
preparers and filing services must provide free services to at least 10
percent of the taxpayers they serve in order to become a member of the
consortium.
But IRS expects far more than 10 percent of taxpayers to receive free
electronic filing, and to persuade preparers and services to join the
consortium, IRS has agreed not to compete with consortium members in
providing tax preparation and filing software. The goal is for 60 percent
of the 2002 tax returns, or about 78 million, to be filed for free next
year.
Public access to the free service will be available on a website to be
launched in January, Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill said. Links to the
service will be available through www.irs.gov and www.FirstGov.gov.
With the signing of the agreement, most major tax preparers are expected
to join the consortium.
President Bush has also proposed a 15-day extension for taxpayers who file
electronically, including those who take advantage of the free-filing
initiative. That proposal awaits approval by Congress.
Are Pop-Up Ads Killing Themselves?
Pop-up ads can interrupt, slow or even ruin a Web search or news headline
scan, but these annoying products of the online ad slump can be eliminated
using a number of methods - including free, third-party software that
deflects unwanted browser windows.
While experts say there has not been a pronounced surge in downloads of
pop-up killing (PUK) software, such programs are readily available online
and have garnered a significant user base. After all, although anti-pop-up
activity may frustrate marketers seeking to reach consumers at any cost,
PUK freeware puts control of the Web browsing experience back in users'
hands.
However, as more Internet service providers and Web sites banish pop-ups
of their own volition -- and as advertisers realize pop-ups are becoming
ineffective and steer away from them to avoid damaging their brand -- PUK
utilities may become less essential.
A broad range of free PUK software is available on the Internet, such as
Panicware's Pop-Up Stopper, Ecom Software's PopUpBuster and Sureshot's
Stop-the-Pop. "It's increased in popularity over the last couple of years
as pop-up ads have increased," Gartner vice president David Smith told the
E-Commerce Times.
But one factor that tempers use of PUK freeware is that glitches can occur
in connection with installation of third-party software that is not
supported by a vendor. For example, third-party software can cause
configuration or stability problems, Smith said.
He added that some pop-up killing utilities trade one problem for another
because they include spyware, which tracks users' Web browsing habits.
Nielsen//NetRatings vice president of analytics Charles Buchwalter, who
said pop-ups represent just 20 percent of online ads, told the E-Commerce
Times that hassles related to installing freeware can "mess you up for
months."
But the need for third-party pop-up killers may be lessening as Internet
service providers and highly trafficked Web sites begin to include this
functionality. For example, EarthLink, iVillage and AskJeeves have
voluntarily removed pop-up ads from their sites. In fact, pop-up removal
has become a competitive battle, with AOL announcing plans to banish
pop-ups sponsored by outside companies and Microsoft's MSN trying to up the
stakes by banning all pop-ups in its newest version.
In addition, pop-up prevention methods have crept into some Web browsers,
including Mozilla and Netscape, which feature settings that block these
ads.
With all of this pop-up killing going on, is third-party software - free or
not - still necessary?
The answer is that pop-ups are unlikely to disappear completely because
niche advertisers will hang on to them. However, they almost certainly
will become less prevalent as advertisers shy away from the potential brand
damage that can result from alienating consumers. Therefore, third-party
pop-up freeware may lose any "must-have" luster it has gained.
Buchwalter said that in the end, pop-ups will be a footnote rather than a
chapter in the annals of Internet history.
"I don't think [PUK software] is going to be necessary," he noted.
"Advertisers are going to realize the benefit/response rate and that they
are [angering] a lot of potential consumers ... and tarnishing their brand.
People are veering away from it from that standpoint."
RIAA Scores Victory in Aimster Case
The recording industry on Thursday claimed a victory in its ongoing legal
assault against online piracy after a federal judge granted a preliminary
injunction against file-swapping service Aimster, which recently changed
its name to Madster.
The Recording Industry Association of America, which represents industry
giants like Bertelsmann AG's BMG, EMI Group Plc, AOL Time Warner Inc.
Vivendi Universal and Sony Corp. said the court's decision follows a
Sept. 4 ruling granting the record companies' request for a preliminary
injunction.
Madster -- a well-known file-sharing service that emerged in the wake of
now idled Napster and allows members to download and swap copyrighted songs
-- was not immediately available.
The RIAA said Judge Marvin Aspen of the U.S. District Court for the
Northern District of Illinois on Wednesday night ordered Madster implement
filtering technologies so that it does not infringe copyrighted works over
its network.
The legal battle between Madster and the music and movie industries dates
back to Spring 2001. The central issue in the case was whether Madster,
formerly known as Aimster, violates copyright laws because users can
exchange pirated material.
Madster operates by piggybacking on the instant messaging (IM) network of
AOL Time Warner's America Online so that an Madster member becomes an
online "buddy" of every other Aimster user and can access songs from other
member's files.
Madster argued it was protected by the Audio Home Recording Act of 1992,
which ensures the right of consumers to make analog or digital recordings
for private, noncommercial use.
Various suits against Aimster were consolidated before Judge Aspen, who
ruled last month that Madster must make changes to prevent copyrighted
material from being exchanged. Aspen, however, said certain aspects of the
service, like sharing personal text messages, should be allowed to
continue.
Earlier this year, two companies that run Madster and Madster's founder
John Deep himself filed for bankruptcy protection, according to press
reports.
The RIAA said it was continuing its crusade against other file-sharing
services. "Other unauthorized peer-to-peer networks should take note of
this decision....should also take advantage of these technologies and
prevent illegal trading of copyrighted works on their systems," said Cary
Sherman, president of the RIAA.
=~=~=~=
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