ST REPORT WEEKLY ONLINE MAGAZINE Monday, AUGUST. 22, 1988 Vol II No. 49 =========== APEInc., P.O. BOX 74, Middlesex, N.J. 08846-0074 PUBLISHER MANAGING EDITOR Ron Kovacs R.F.Mariano ======================================================= ST REPORT EDITOR: Thomas Rex Reade PO Box 6672 Jacksonville, Florida. 32236 Headquarters Bulletin Boards ST Report North ST Report South 201-343-1426 904-786-4176 ------------------------------------ ST Report Central ST Report West 216-784-0574 916-962-2566 CONTENTS ======== > From the Editor's Desk..............> ST REPORT ART CONTEST RULES....... > Late Breaking News..................> ArcShell Docs..................... > Surgery is a Cure...................> The Twilight Zone................. > Build a TrackBall...................> ST REPORT CONFIDENTIAL............ ========================================================================== AVAILABLE ON: COMP-U-SERVE ~ GENIE ~ DELPHI ========================================================================== From the Editor's Desk: Many times we are told of change and really feel our hearts grow warm with anticipation of fine things in the future. Over and over, through the course of history, have we seen many toil, for what seemed to be an eternity, only to have a newcomer appear on the scene and try to grace himself with the plaudits of being a catalyst in bringing about that change. I am so very thankful to have been fortunate enough to know the real truth...otherwise I would be inclined to condemn the Atari Bashers and "The Gang of Five". Instead, I praise them as I would those who fight and scramble to bring out the truth and have things done the right way. Garry Tramiel runs Federated Stores ..he received them as a wedding present...Hopefully he wants to keep them and will make sure the injustices being committed that involve Federated Stores will be corrected and rectified. Atari cannot afford to loose any dealers especially those who are respected and doing a good job. St Report has in the past brought forward many items that the readers did not believe or found too outrageous to believe well ....we certainly do not make any of these items up. Case in point: the double sided drives in 520STFM units....we first told you about it right after Spring Comdex along with the Chinon Drive matter....both have come right up front and made their full presence known...We at ST Report make a solemn effort to try and make sure each and every item we find out is fact...when we are relatively sure, you will read about it. As an individual, I have owned and enjoyed Atari computer products since the early 800 models were released. There is no doubt that I am, what is known as, a die hard Atarian and will be for quite some time to come. I say this to make sure most folks are not misinformed by our detractors. We do support the Atari product line and use our own units every day. St Report is produced on a Mega4 ST and we use the editor (buffer) in Flash for composition. Rex........ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE JUDGES LIST =============== Service Name ------- ------------ CIS Ron Luks CIS Dan Rhea CIS Mike Schoenbach GEnie Darlah Hudson GEnie Fred Beckman GEnie Sandy Wilson -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ST-Report Official Contest Rules ================================ No purchase necessary. Deadline for consideration in this contest is midnight August 31, 1988. Winners will be announced in ST-Report on September 12, 1988. We guarantee to award all prizes. The prize list will be announced during the contest. All readers are eligible to enter except employees of APEInc. Publishing, CompuServe, GEnie, Delphi and their immediate families. This contest void where prohibited or restricted by law. We are not responsible for lost, mis-marked, or delayed art/work. All submissions must be drawn with any Atari ST drawing program. All submissions must be drawn by the original artist. Copyrighted art work will not be accepted. All submissions become the property of APEInc. All submissions must be uploaded to specified BBS systems by the deadline date. All systems have time and date stamping capability. Any entry dated after 8/31/88 will be void from the contest. Art Work Requirements --------------------- All art work considered for this contest must be drawn with any Atari ST drawing program. Any person submitting art work must leave an address, telephone number, and drawing program used. Artwork must contain the following: ST-REPORT The winning entry will be used at a later date for a newsletter or magazine cover. Where to Send ------------- All art work may be uploaded to the following systems. Bounty ST BBS (904) 786-4176 Entries by mail are also permitted. Be sure to use a 3.5 floppy S/S! You may send to: ST-Report Logo Contest Post Office Box 74 Middlesex, New Jersey 08846-0074 (Please include your name, address and telephone number) Updates ------- This contest will update uploading areas every two weeks. Contest rules will not be changed, but judges may be added during the run of the contest. Current judge listing will be published next week. This contest commences May 2, 1988 and will end Midnight August 31, 1988. If you have any questions, Please leave email on the services at the following addresses: CompuServe: 71777,2140 GEnie : ST-REPORT : R.KOVACS DELPHI : RONKOVACS The Source: BDG793 Rules and Regulations: 1). Use any full color program written exclusively for the ST to draw your own personal design of an ST-Report logo. 2). Art work ported over from any other computer is void. 3). No X-rated art work will be accepted. 4). Winners will be announced by mail, email, phone call or equivalent on or before September 12, 1988. 5). Judges decisions are final. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- LATE BREAKING NEWS ITEMS ------------------------ *** HAYES SYSOP SPECIAL (USA) *** ========================= Sysops talk and Hayes Listens! ------------------------------ For a limited period of time, qualified Sysops can purchase up to 4 Hayes V-series Smartmodem 9600s for a special Sysops price of US $400 each! A 70% reduction from the estimated retail price of US $1,299.00. Hayes V-series system products provide the features that BBS operators most want - high speed (2400 bps and 9600 bps), error control, adaptive data compression and automatic feature negotiation. And, now, you can buy them at a special discount to use on your bulletin board. Qualifying for SysOp Special Rates is easy. You must demonstrate that: -------------------------- > The bulletin board and operator are serving a specific user group. > The bulletin board serves as an information center or center for exchange of information between separate users' groups or computer associated groups. > The bulletin board has been in operation for at least six months and receives a minimum of 50 calls per week or 200 calls per month. **** If you want the SYSOP Information Packet, or have any questions, give Hayes a call. They are eager to serve you. NOTE: Sysops who have already purchased Hayes V-series Smartmodem 9600s through the Hayes Sysop Purchase Plan will be offered an additional price reduction of $250, (for each V-series 9600 previously purchased), towards the purchase of additional V-series 9600s. This means, if you have already purchased a Hayes V-series Smartmodem 9600 through the Sysop Purchase Plan, you can now order another V-series 9600 for $150. (1 for 1, 2 for 2, etc). Up to a maximum of 4 only. FOR MORE INFO: -------------- Call Hayes Customer Service at (404) 449-8791, 8:00am to 8:00pm Monday through Friday. Ask for Mississippi. Lynn Caudwell. Be sure you mention you saw this notice in ST REPORT. Hayes, with this offer to the Sysops, continues to show the leadership and responsibility that has and is the fine example to all the other companies in the computing industry. Be sure to keep up with the ongoing offer from Hayes as we expect updates from time to time. U.S. Robotics has a similar offer, but they want 100.00 more for their HST modem...495.00 with S&H etc...it'll be MORE than 500.00! St Report will, in the next few weeks have a full tech report on the new U.S. Robotics HST 96oo and the Hayes V-series 96oo. NOTE: Modems from different manufacturers will NOT handshake at 9600bps unless they are identical internally..ie, set up with CCITT V.42. They will however, work at 24oo.....The power struggle is really over because the International Agreement has been signed in Australia. It is now up to the modem makers to get their act together. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ST-TALK Professional ===================== "Atari ST DeskTop Telecommunications" ----------------------------------- (C)1988 QMI by John DeMar ST-Talk Pro.... The Most Powerful Terminal Program for the Atari ST! ---------------------------------------------------- Here's a list of some of ST-Talk Pro's features: ********************************************** * Full GEM Operation * Easy to learn and use * Auto-Dialer Database * Save and Load Options * AutoPilot Script Language * VT-200/VT-100/VT-52 * ANSI and Vidtex Graphics * File Upload and Download * Archive and Un-Archive * Disk Utilities & Formatter * 10-buffer Word Processor * Capture while Editing * Adjustable Word Wrap * Search and Replace * Multiple Selected Blocks * Paragraph Reformatting * Time and Cash Clocks * Type ahead with 3 lines * Activity Logging * Unattended Auto Answer * Programmable Functions * Built-in Help Menus * 128 Page Owners Guide! * On-line support through Compuserve and QMI's 24-hour BBS. ************************************************************ Windows, Icons & Menus ====================== With drop-down menus and desktop icons, all of the features that you'll need most often are as close as a click of the mouse. Or, let your fingers take control through Alternate keystrokes and 40 programmable function keys. ST-Talk Professional's fast text display uses custom screen fonts for a full 80-columns within a GEM window. You get additional screen modes including 140 columns by 48 lines in monochrome! Editor with Multiple Buffers ============================ Edit mail messages and browse through information with ST-Talk Pro's built-in wordprocessor. With up to ten buffers, you can edit several unrelated messages and even capture incoming text all at the same time! The Editor also helps you write AutoPilot functions to automate your telecomm sessions. As you create auto-logon procedures and macros, the commands are checked as you type them. You'll find many powerful Editor features such as: word-wrap, paragraph reformatting, search, replace, and block operations on multiple selected areas. Sending and Receiving ===================== ST-Talk Pro lets you exchange information with many types of computers. Choose from several types of file transfer methods including Xmodem, Ymodem Batch, Compuserve-B and Kermit. With the Background file transfer accessory (available to registered owners only!), you can use other programs while the computer is busy transferring the file. No matter where you call or which modem you own, ST-Talk Pro can save whatever comes across your screen. You can edit and print text files and even load them into your favorite word processor. Emulation and Graphics ====================== To communicate with other computers, you need to talk their language. ST-Talk Pro emulates several terminals and lets you select the options you need to get connected. VT-200 and VT-100 with ANSI graphics and custom character sets lets you access anything from mainframe computers to remote bulletin board systems. VT-52 mode is popular with many systems including Atari ST BBS's. VIDTEX graphics gives you online pictures through Compuserve and QMI's BB/ST bulletin board software. ========================================================================== Q M I ST-Talk Professional $39.95 Quantum Microsystems Inc. PO Box 179 Introductory price: $29.95 !!! Liverpool, NEW YORK 13088 (Until October. 1, 1988) 315-451-7747 *VOICE* 315-457-7216 *BBS* ========================================================================== Next Week! ...a full review of ST TALK PROFESSIONAL.... -------------------------------------------------------------------------- SPECIAL SUPRA MODEM OFFER!!! ============================ CompuServe's Atari Forums have made very special arrangements with Paramount Products Inc. to offer the members of our forums the chance to upgrade your system to 2400 baud service at a very special price. For a limited time, CompuServe subscribers may purchase the SUPRA CORP. 2400 baud Hayes-compatible modem for the very **LOW** price of just $139.95 !!!!! These are brand new, not reconditioned units, with the full SUPRA CORP. warranty. The SUPRA MODEM uses the Hayes Smartmodem 'AT' command set and operates at 300-1200-2400 baud. It's an outboard unit (not an internal plug-in card) allowing ease of transfer to other computers. Connection is thru the standard RS-232 interface. (Just plug it into the back of your ATARI ST). To take advantage of this special offer, Phone the 800 number listed below or write to: Paramount Products Inc. 1405 S.E. Pacific Blvd. Albany, Oregon 97321 ***** Phone orders: (800)444-4061 ***** Price: $139.95 + shipping UPS ground: add $4.00 UPS Blue label: add $8.00 C.O.D.: add $2.25 MasterCard or VISA accepted Orders will be shipped the next business day If you've been accessing CompuServe at 1200 baud, this is a great way to lower your total online bill since CIS does *NOT* charge a premium for 2400 baud access. (You can get the same amount of information or download the same amount of programs in approximately 1/2 the time as 1200 baud users!) This modem will PAY FOR ITSELF in just a few sessions. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ARC Shell Documentation Version 1.97 ==================================== By Charles F. Johnson Last revision: August 14, 1988 Part One - Introduction ARC Shell is a GEM program which is designed to work with the popular ST archiving utility ARC.TTP. Essentially, ARC Shell adds a GEM interface to the ARC program, letting you point and click to select the various options instead of typing a command line. (I don't know about you, but one of the main reasons I bought an ST was to get away from all that MS-DOS/Unix command line silliness.) ARC Shell also contains a complete GEM-based disk utilities package, that lets you copy files (with wildcards and with query), delete and rename files, create and delete folders, show the free space on any connected drive, and even run other programs...all without exiting to the desktop. ARC Shell's current configuration can be saved at any point, so that the options and settings you use most often will be selected when you run the program. In addition, you can use the ST desktop's "Install Application" feature to set things up so that ARC Shell will automatically run when you double-click on a file with an extension of ARC. This documentation will focus primarily on the operation of ARC Shell; it's not intended to teach you how to use ARC. However, I've included the manual for version 5.20 of ARC in the archive which contains this file and the latest version of ARC Shell. Refer to this manual if you have any questions about the ARC program itself, such as "What's the difference between Updating and Freshening?" or "What does Convert Archive do?" The original version of ARC for the ST was version 5.12, ported by Harvey Johnson. The most recent version is ARC 5.21, ported to the ST by Howard Chu. Version 5.21 is available on Compuserve, Delphi, and GEnie, and on many local ST BBSes. Part Two - The Usual Shareware Plea ------------------------ Versions 1.95 and above of ARC Shell are "shareware," which means that if you like and use my program I'd appreciate a contribution of $15.00 ... or more if you happen to be struck by a random philanthropic impulse. I've been continually updating and improving ARC Shell since it was first written, and I think you'll be pleased with the result; letters with checks in them would please me equally! If you think ARC Shell is worth at least $15.00, send a check to: Charles F. Johnson (ARC Shell) P.O. Box 1250 Pacific Palisades, CALIFORNIA 90272 And thanks for your support! Part Three - Using ARC Shell When you run ARC Shell, make sure you have the ARC program (ARC.TTP) in the same directory with ARCSH197.PRG. The very first thing ARC Shell does is look in the current directory for ARC.TTP. If a file with this name cannot be found, ARC Shell will show you a file selector asking, "Where is ARC.TTP?" and you will be able to locate the ARC program with the file selector. When ARC Shell finds the ARC program, it will then display a large dialog box, with buttons representing the available options. What you're looking at. In the upper left of the main dialog box is a box containing buttons labeled "ADD to Archive," "EXTRACT from Arc," etc. The buttons in this box are the main ARC commands; you'll notice that the default ARC command is "EXTRACT from Arc." Only one of these buttons can be selected at a time - if you click on a button to select it, the previously selected button will be turned "off." (These are known as "radio buttons.") To the right of the ARC command box is a box containing the ARC "flags." The button labeled "Hold Screen" is selected by default when you first run ARC Shell. The buttons in this box can be turned off and on individually; unlike radio buttons, more than one can be selected at a time. The button labeled "Encrypt/Decrypt" is a special case; when you turn this button on, the code word entry line beneath it becomes active and the edit cursor (the thin vertical line) is placed on the entry line, allowing you to type in an encryption keyword. The code word can be up to eight characters long. Directly underneath the ARC command box is a box containing buttons to let you select the device which will be used for LIST and VERBOSE LIST commands, and the drive for ARC and DATA files. The drive buttons can be operated in two ways; you can either type in the drive letter by hand, using the up and down arrows to move from one button to another, or use the mouse to click on the button. If you click the button, a box with 16 buttons representing the 16 possible logical drives will pop up, allowing you to select the drive with the mouse. Only active drives will be selectable in this box, and hitting Return will exit without changing the current drive. Finally, along the bottom of the main box are buttons labeled "Info," "ARC," "Disk," "Config," and "Exit." The Info button will display a copyright message, and a gentle reminder to send in your shareware contribution. OK, let's do something. When you've set all the options in the ARC Shell dialog box the way you want them, click on the "ARC" button to start things going. NOTE: You may also double-click on any of the buttons in the ARC command box (Extract, Add, List, etc.) to execute that command immediately without the extra step of clicking the "ARC" button. Depending on which ARC command you've selected, what happens next will vary slightly. In all cases however, the first thing ARC Shell will do is display a file selector to allow you to choose an ARC file. If you're creating a new archive file with the ADD or MOVE commands, simply type in a name for the new file on the file selector's "Selection" line, and hit Return or click on OK. If you're using any of the other commands (which all operate on previously-created archive files), click on the name of the ARC file you're working with and click OK. The file selector's "Cancel" button always returns you to the main ARC Shell dialog box. The LIST, VERBOSE LIST, or TEST commands only take one parameter - the name of an ARC file - so they will be acted upon as soon as you exit the file selector. Any of the other commands will now require a second parameter, the name of the DATA files on which you're operating. If you're ADDing files to an archive and you leave the "Selection" line in the DATA file selector blank, ARC Shell interprets this as "all files," and passes a search spec of *.* to the ARC program. If you type in a name on the selection line or click on a filename, only that filename will be passed to ARC. Also, when ADDing files, you will always return to the DATA file selector when ARC is finished adding a file or files, so that you can choose more files to add without having to select "ADD to Archive" every time. You must click on the file selector's "Cancel" button to exit back to the main dialog box. If you leave the "Selection" line blank when you're EXTRACTing files from an archive, you'll be faced with the following choices about how to extract the files: ALL - Extracts all files from the archive into the specified directory. To Folder - First creates a folder (a subdirectory) with the same name as the archive file (minus the .ARC extension) in the specified directory, then extracts all files from the archive into the folder. When the operation is complete, you'll be given the chance to delete the original ARC file. W/ Query - When you select the "Query" option, ARC Shell reads through the entire ARC file and gets the name of every file it contains, then displays all the names in a large dialog box. There is room in the box for 80 filenames; if an archive contains more than 80 files a page indicator will become visible in the lower left of the box and you can page forward and back to see the rest of the filenames. (The maximum is 720.) The Query box lets you mark individual files or groups of files for extraction by clicking on them with the mouse. You can click and hold down the button while dragging the mouse to select or deselect files, and double-click on any file to select it in one step. (Note: if you double-click on a file when other files are selected, it begins the extraction process for the entire group of selected files.) If you want to abort a multiple extraction after the process has already started, press and hold down the Alternate key. (Another note: the Query box is also available for the "Delete from ARC" and "Copy to StdOut" commands. Just choose "w/ Query from the alert box that appears after selecting either of these commands.) Cancel - Lets you change your mind and return to the main ARC Shell dialog box. The "COPY to StdOut" command can be used to view text files contained within an archive without extracting them first. When this command is selected, ARC Shell will display an alert box with the choices "ALL" and "w/ Query." The Query option works in the same way as with the EXTRACT command; the filenames will be read from the archive, and you can choose which file(s) to view using the Query dialog box. When you use "COPY to StdOut" to view text files, you can pause the scrolling by typing Control-S and resume by typing Control-Q. The COPY operation can also be aborted at any time by typing Control-C. The LIST and VERBOSE LIST commands are used to display the files contained within an archive. You can direct the output from the LIST commands to the screen, to the printer, or to an ASCII disk file by clicking on the buttons labeled "List Device" in the main ARC Shell dialog box. There are two buttons in the ARC Shell dialog box which are intended to be used only with ARC version 5.21; "Overwrite Existing Files" and "Squash." Earlier versions of ARC will report an error if either of these two buttons are selected. The buttons labeled "Crunch" and "Squash" are used to choose between two different types of data compression schemes used by ARC 5.21 -- only the "Crunch" option is supported by earlier versions. So bear in mind that if you use the "Squash" method, people who don't have ARC 5.21 will be unable to extract those files. Part Four - The ARC Shell Disk Utilities To access the ARC Shell Disk Utilities, click on the button labeled "Disk" at the bottom of the main ARC Shell dialog box. The Disk Utilities are a complete GEM-based file maintenance system - you won't have to exit ARC Shell to copy files, delete files, etc. You can even use the ARC Shell Disk Utilities to run other programs. When you click on the "Copy File(s)" button, a file selector appears to let you choose the source file(s) for the copy. You can use any combination of wildcards (? and *) on the 'Selection' line of the file selector to specify groups of files to be copied. When you click the file selector's OK button, another file selector will appear to let you choose the destination directory for the copied file(s). If the source filename contains no wildcards (in other words, you're copying a single file) the file will be copied right away. If there are wildcard characters in the source filename, you'll be given a choice to copy "ALL" files or copy "w/ Query." The Query option will prompt you whether or not to copy each file that matches the wildcard specification. You can also delete groups of files by using wildcards in the same way. If the destination filename already exists when a copy operation is being performed, a box will appear with the warning "Name Conflict During Copy." You can either click OK to write over the existing file or type in a new name for the copied file and hit Return. The "Run Program" command lets you execute a program from within ARC Shell, and return to ARC Shell when the program terminates. If the program you choose to run has the extension .TTP (Tos Takes Parameters), a box will appear to let you enter a command line to pass to the program. The operation of the other disk commands should be fairly self-explanatory. You can rename files, show the free space remaining on a disk, create and delete folders, and format a floppy disk. The format command lets you use drive A or B, and formats either single or double sided. No fancy format options here - you get the straight ahead standard format, 80 tracks, 9 sectors per track. At the bottom left of the Disk Utilities dialog is a box titled "Copy/Delete Prompts" containing buttons labeled "On" and "Off." When this option is set to "Off," you'll get no warning when you delete a file or copy a file to an already existing name. The Exit button returns you to the main ARC Shell dialog box. Part Five - Configuring ARC Shell Clicking on the button labeled "Config" at the bottom of the ARC Shell dialog box will take you to the configuration screen. This screen lets you specify a pathname for both a "default" ARC utility and an "alternate" ARC utility, and also set the directory to which ARC's numerous temporary files will be written (the latter option is only valid when ARC Shell is used with ARC 5.21). You can save these options, as well as every other ARC Shell setting, with the button labeled "Save Configuration"; after you do this, ARC Shell will remember the settings the next time you run it. The default ARC utility is the one which will be searched for when the program first runs. If you haven't specified a default ARC utility, ARC Shell looks in the current directory for a file named ARC.TTP (see above). However, using the Config option, you can set it so that ARC.TTP can be located anywhere when you run ARC Shell. Click on the button labeled "Locate Default ARC Program" and use the file selector to specify a new file and pathname. Next, you can select an alternate ARC utility which can be enabled by clicking on the button labeled "Use Alternate." To specify the pathname for the alternate ARC utility, click on the button labeled "Locate Alternate ARC Program" and use the file selector. The purpose of the "Alternate" option is to allow you to switch easily between two different ARC programs; for example, some people prefer to use a shareware program called DCOPY (by Ralph Walden) to do their ARC operations because it's quite a bit faster than ARC.TTP. When ARC is adding files to an archive, it creates quite a few temporary work files on the disk. With ARC Shell, you can choose to have these files written to either the ARC drive or the DATA drive, or to another directory altogether. (Hint: directing the temporary files to a RAMdisk can really speed up ARC, especially if you have a floppy-based system.) When you click on the button labeled "Set Directory" a file selector lets you choose the directory for the temporary files. (NOTE: this option is only valid when used with ARC 5.21.) There is one small difference in the way the two versions of ST ARC handle redirection to the printer. ARC 5.12 uses the device name "PRT:" while ARC 5.21 uses "PRN:." If you're going to be redirecting the output from the LIST commands to a printer, you should choose the appropriate "Printer Device Name" at the lower left of the Configuration box. When you have ARC Shell set up the way you want it (including all of the options in the main dialog box), you can click on the "Save Configuration" button to make this arrangement your new default....in other words, after saving your configuration, ARC Shell will always start out with your settings when you run it. Versions of ARC Shell prior to 1.96 saved their configuration data in a separate file called ARCSHELL.CNF. This was changed in version 1.96; the configuration is now saved directly into the ARC Shell program file, which makes a separate data file unnecessary. When you choose to "Save Configuration," ARC Shell will first look in the directory from which it ran for a file called ARCSH197.PRG. If a file by this name is found, ARC Shell will attempt to write the new configuration data to this file. If for some reason, a file by this name exists and is NOT the ARC Shell program, you will be warned and the configuration save can be retried or aborted. If ARC Shell cannot find a file named ARCSH197.PRG (perhaps you changed the name?), you'll be given a chance to use a file selector to locate the program file no matter which name you've given it. Part Six - Installing ARC Shell as an Application Using the desktop's "Install Application" feature, you can set things up so that whenever you double-click on a file with the extension .ARC, ARC Shell will automatically load and run. To do this from the desktop, click once on ARCSH197.PRG to select it, then move to the "Options" menu and select "Install Application." In the box that appears, enter a document type of "ARC," and then click on the button labeled "Install." (DON'T hit Return after entering the document type....Return will exit without installing!) Now save your desktop, so this setting will be remembered the next time you boot up. If you double-click on an ARC file after ARC Shell has been "installed" in this way, a dialog box will appear showing the name of the ARC file you selected. You can extract files from this archive, do a verbose list of its contents, or cancel the operation by clicking on one of the three buttons in the box. If you choose to extract, you'll be given the same extract options as explained above in the section titled "Using ARC Shell." When the extract or list operation is complete, you can either enter ARC Shell (to do some more archive maintenance) or quit back to the desktop. CHARLES F. JOHNSON is one of the finest programmers we at ST Report have seen...his work both in the Shareware and Commercial area is quite superb. Be sure to check out G+Plus by Codehead Software, another fine program! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ SURGERY IS A CURE ================= by T."Rex" Reade I wonder how many folks out there remember the movie "V" that was on national television in a three part run recently? For those who do not here is a very brief idea about the picture......Aliens from another universe come to earth with wonderful things ...cures for disease, abundant crops etc....in other words, a promise of wonderful positive things with no side effects. The majority of the earth's population get completely sucked in by the aliens, the few skeptics soon find out that the benign aliens are, in fact, LIZARDS in disguise who are actually scouring the Universe in search of food! The humans are the excellent food source! In this reporter's eyes the ALIEN in OUR WORLD right now is FEDERATED STORES.......sure, I am on the east coast and do not have to deal with them but think of this...if they continue to conduct business in the shabby manner that they are and keep eating Atari's lunch....I could be on MARS and it will effect me. How? you say?...hah! easy, Atari is put outta business by FEDERATED SLEEZE TACTICS! Having had the opportunity to read the majority of the mail received in the past few weeks from dealers the BIG STINK is loud and clear. Dealers on the East Coast and in areas where they are not effected by a Federated Store are genuinely concerned over the reputation of the product in general. They say, If the dealers by Federated Stores start dropping the line and it gets publicity, it is sure to place the Atari product line in the same category as "when it breaks trash it" or, worse ...serious minded computer enthusiasts will have NOTHING to do with it because of it's instability. The dealers have cited a number of sore points: they are: [a] Lackluster support [b] Anemic Warranty [c] Favoritism Played [d] Always Backorders Those are the generalized complaints, to be a bit more specific... a - The single biggest complaint has been "Where the hell is my factory REP???" Oh sure, Atari tells us we have the telemarketing crew (2 people) for the entire US! When are they gonna get real out there? To get even closer to a BIG problem, in the southwest and west there are the infamous Federated Stores who by their actions seem to be hell bent on putting Atari into chapter 11! For example: Federated.... --------- First to be selling the 520 STF with a D/S drive! Atari originally denied this and said it was a mistake, that the machines Federated received were destined for European sales....{ INCREDIBLE!! } has inventory of 1040s and Megas that would be the envy of ALL the product and service starved Eastern Dealers..... allows it's SALESPEOPLE to spread false stories about the Atari Dealers in the vicinity..... is STILL SELLING to the public at prices below the average Dealer's factory cost....{TERRIFIC BUSINESS PRACTICE} a different price for all! We at ST Report can understand why Federated would do all these neat business and success building things, they have had a terrible growth record and have, in fact, caused Atari to loose money this year. It is perfectly understandable knowing these facts but, the one thing that is nagging at us is ....how can Atari continue to allow this garbage to occur? FEDERATED IS A PROBLEM...... SOLVE IT OR TREAT IT LIKE A CANCER AND CUT IT OUT! Dealers need SERVICE and ATTENTION...stop trying to devote 999% of your time to recruiting NEW victims and take care of those you have! Folks, believe this, Of the dealers who sent us mail about the way they are treated by Atari, it would not take very much on the part of Atari to get things turned around....a little TLC and a more positive response towards the dealer's needs will get the job done. Can you imagine how a dealer feels when he is signing a check for $26,000.00 worth of product and he still gets large doses of the backorder blues or gets told we do not sell the mouse cords separately, YOU HAVE TO BUY THE WHOLE MOUSE! That is, in this reporter's opinion a perfect example of the "subtle gouge". Who ultimately gets it in the neck?....THE USER! Atari HAS, by it's performance, shown this country's userbase that it has no idea how to run a National Organization, I hate to say this, but perhaps those in SUNNYVALE should pay closer attention to the folks up North. They have the respect of their dealers, users and third party entities. WHY?....Sure, you can say the size difference is one factor but I say it's the lack of expertise on the part of certain US execs who continue to interfere and muck up the US operation. Many of the practices of Atari US are backward and self defeating. The bright side is that in the last few weeks Atari has been ultra receptive and quite open to suggestions....let's see if, in fact, they place any value on the grassroots attitudes towards the future. ************************************************************************** NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY COMPUSERVE WILL PRESENT $15.00 WORTH OF COMPLIMENTARY ONLINE TIME to the Readers ST REPORT ONLINE ELECTRONIC MAGAZINE SIGN UP WITH CIS TODAY! Call any of the St Report Official BBS numbers (Listed at the top of ST REPORT) or Leave E-mail to St Report, Ron Kovacs or Rex Reade Be sure to include your full mailing address so your Compuserve kit can be immediately mailed to you! Offer limited to NEW CIS applicants Expires 09-30-88 NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE ************************************************************************** A TIDBIT FROM THE "MADMODIFIER" ------------------------------- :-) humor. :-( sad. :_) tongue in cheek :-! foot in mouth <:-) for dumb questions. (:-) for messages dealing with bicycle helmets. (8-) for messages dealing with owls. d:-) for messages dealing with baseball. d :-o hats off to your great idea q:-) for those who wear their caps backwards. @= for messages dealing with nuclear war. o>-<|= for messages of interest only to women. ~= a candle, to annotate flaming messages. oo for somebody's head-lights are on messages. ;-) say no more, nudge nudge. :-$ put your money where your mouth is >:-> leer ;-} leer? (terminal dependent) |-<> kissy face :-| man playing an harmonica O:-) for those innocent souls [:|] from a robot (or other appropriate AI project) :>) from someone with a big nose :<| from someone who attends an Ivy League school :%)% from someone with acne =:-) from a hosehead :-(*) from someone who is about to vomit :-)8 from someone who is well dressed 8:-) from a little girl :-)-{8 from a big girl #-) from someone who partied all night %-\ from someone hungover :-* from someone who just ate a sour pickle -:-) from someone who sports a mohawk and admires Mr. T :-'| from someone who has a cold :-)' from somone who tends to drool ':-) from someone who accidentally shaved off one of his eyebrows 8:] from a gorilla (:)-) from someone wearing scuba mask P-) from someone getting fresh |-) from someone who is falling asleep .-) from someone with one eye :=) from someone with two noses :-D from someone who talks too much Miscellaneous: -------------- (-:|:-) Siamese twins :~/ Really mixed up the invisible man {:\/ sounds like a duck .\/ duck variation ___ / \ | RIP | |_____| from someone who is dead ------- Normally, The Madmodifier is quite stable...I guess after what has happened lately to his dealer we can forgive his moment of frivolity ;-) -------------------------------------------------------------------------- A LOOK INTO THE TWILIGHT ZONE ============================= by Richard Kushner - JACG EDITOR: I can't publish this article. It is much too outlandish for anyone to believe. AUTHOR: Well, how about if I make it sound like a fairy tale ? EDITOR: We could try that. But, really, it's so far beyond belief, that even as a fable it strains all credibility. AUTHOR: Yeah, I know. Too bad it's all true. This is a fantasy... Pure Fantasy! ---------------------------------- Once upon a time there was a widget maker named Nelson Brindell. He loved to tinker and, from time to time, managed to invent something that someone was interested in selling (and buying). One day he invented a widget that hooked to the Video Box, so that people could play games on the Box. And people liked it very much, and made Nelson a wealthy man. So successful was Nel- son that, as it often happens, a large company (in this case, the Wilson Sisters company) offered him lots of money to buy his com- pany. And he sold it and went off to invent more widgets (even- tually producing ones that walked, talked, and even made pizza). Now the Wilson Sisters had an idea that they could capitalize on Nelson's work to make his widget into a product to compete with the Avocado, a well known character manipulation device invented by those famous brothers Stephen, Woz, and their other brother Darrel. And they named their device Katanga, a Sanskrit word having no English equivalent. And many grew to love and support the Katanga and heap abuse upon the Avocado and its ilk. And people liked the Katanga very much and all was well. For a while, at least. For on the other side of town the Admiral Tool and Die Company, headed by John Trample, thought it could use its cunning methods for cutting corners to make an Admiral device that would do everything the Katanga and Avocado could do, but at half the price. And they proceeded to do just that, and mayhem descended upon the world of widgets, with prices dropping faster than... well, faster than just about anything you could imagine. And many grew to love the Admiral and heap abuse upon the Katanga (not to mention the Avocado). Now pay attention, because the story gets very confusing at this point. So confusing, that if this were a soap opera, the next paragraph would take at least six months to tell. (Diagrams of all the moves and counter moves are available upon written re- quest and payment of a $5.00 handling fee). Ray Major, who dreamed up the Katanga, left Wilson Sisters and invented a better Katanga, which he called the Freundlich. While he was doing this, John Trample left Admiral T&D (claiming that the state of Pennsylvania was not big enough for all of his fami- ly) and bought the Katanga from the Wilson Sisters... lock, stock and barrel (a move applauded by the Wilson Sisters, who wanted to get back to their first love, vaudeville). Hiring the designer of the Admiral, Hashnish Shirka, (by luring him away from his former company), Trample set out to build a better widget, the Super Katanga. Not to be outdone, Admiral T&D hired good old Ray Major and his Freundlich to do battle from their side of the city. And so you are faced with the totally implausible situation, where lovers of the Katanga now support the Super Katanga, which actually comes from the Admiral T&D Company, and the lovers of the Admiral now gather around the Freundlich, even though it ac- tually comes from the Katanga Company (by the way of the Wilson Sisters, who, by the way, opened at the Atlantis Casino in early March, to rave reviews). If you are still with me, I have a pro- position for you, that concerns a certain bridge that is rumored to be for sale... EDITOR: I'm really sorry. I've read the article over and it stretches logic too far. AUTHOR: Gee, it is, after all, the August issue and maybe you can pass it off as a spoof ? EDITOR: As an Author, you know there must be an element of truth in satire, or it fails. AUTHOR: But Sir, the story is true, only the names have been changed to protect the innocent. EDITOR: Gimme a break. Do you think I was born yesterday? Why not see if MAD Magazine is interested? Just go away and leave me alone ! -------------------------------------------------------------------------- BUILD an ST TRACKBALL ===================== by Don Neff The Project ----------- The Trackball, an old familiar peripheral in the Atari 8bit world, has suddenly been discovered by ST and IBM users. Trackballs are generally considered superior to their small cousin, the mouse, for CAD or fast games. First, the larger size of a trackball seems to permit finer control of the cursor during the delicate moves often encountered in CAD. Second, the stationary trackball can be used with wild abandon during a fast game, without worry of running out of room on the desktop (how many times have you slammed your mouse into the side of your computer at a crucial moment?). While the IBM world seems to be filled with suppliers of trackballs, ST users must create their own. Most ST users create theirs by modifying an 8-bit trackball such as the WICO Command Control or the Atari CX22 Trackball. This article gives you the information needed to convert either of these to ST mouse compatibility. The Atari CX22 conversion is easier to do than the WICO conversion. There are major differences in the two, so the modification process is covered here in several sections. The first sections cover things common to both the WICO and Atari trackballs. The next sections address the items which are specific to each one of them. These modification sections are followed by brief testing and trouble shooting sections. 8bit Compatibility ------------------ The WICO conversion eliminates any possibility of using the WICO on an 8bit machine again. The Atari conversion, however, retains the original 8bit compatibility while adding ST Mouse compatibility. Caveat ------ Both of the conversions seem deceptively simple because you will be either installing a single IC chip or adding a few new wires. However, every component or connection is critical and any error will result in a useless trackball (but no damage to your ST). Read and understand this entire article before modifying your trackball. If you have doubts about your understanding of any part of this article, get help before starting. The troubleshooting sections at the end of the article address only the most obvious problems. Also, be aware that the wire colors described from my trackballs may not match what you find in yours. Or, even worse, the colors match, but the wires are connected differently. I am available at the WAUG and MACE meetings (or you can write to me through Michigan Atari Magazine) if you have questions. I do not have time to convert a trackball for you; you must do it yourself. Buying the Trackball -------------------- The Atari CX22 Trackball is still available from some stores who sell Atari 2600/5200 game systems. I bought mine for $10 from the Kay Bee Hobby and Toy store at 12 Oaks shopping mall in Novi, Michigan. They still have dozens more they would like to part with. Both the WICO and the Atari trackballs are frequently available (new and used) at Computer/Ham Radio flea markets. These flea markets are also a good source of other Atari parts, peripherals, books and software. (I am always amazed at the number of Apple, Commodore and IBM pirates openly selling pirated software complete with photo-copied documents at these events and wonder why Atarians are blamed for all piracy!) Preparing the Trackball ----------------------- Cut the cable off near the case and discard it. Turn the case upside down and remove the Phillips head screws which fasten the top and bottom pieces together. Hold the top and bottom pieces together with your fingers and turn the case right side up again. Gently ease the top of the case off the bottom piece. The Atari trackball case will require some serious prying during the first 1/4 inch of separation. Remove the cue ball, the two roller axles, the single bearing, all springs (if present) and put them in a safe place. Preparing the New Cable ----------------------- The new cable is made from a Radio Shack joystick extension cable (RS# 270-1705). Cut the male end (the DB9 plug with pins instead of holes) off of the new cable and throw it away. Trim the outer insulation back about six inches on the cut end of the cable to expose the nine individual wires inside. Strip and tin about 1/4 inch of the ends of the nine wires. Use your ohmmeter to identify which wire connects to each pin in the female DB9 plug on the cable. Label each wire with a small numbered tag (a friendly electrician can get wire labels for you) indicating the appropriate pin number for easy identification in later assembly steps. The wire from pin #5 can be cut short since we will not be using it at all. Form a strain relief at the cut end of the cable by applying a ring of epoxy around it. Atari CX22 owners should now skip to the section titled "Atari CX22 Conversion." WICO owners should continue on with the next section. Building the WICO Circuit ------------------------- Remove and discard the main circuit board from the WICO case, leaving the two LED opto-interrupter mounting boards in place in the case. The circuit described here will replace the original which you have discarded. Figure 1 shows only one fourth of the necessary conversion circuit. The other Three fourths are similar to this, but use different pins on IC1. If you don't know how to expand Figure 1 into the full circuit, get help. This step is the one most likely to cause serious problems for you. ***** Figure 1 ***** IC1, an LM339 (RS# 276-1712), is four LM311 comparators in a single case, all sharing common power pins (#3 and 12). We will be using one comparator each, for left, right, up and down signals. Figure 2 shows the pin relationships for the inputs and outputs as we will be using them. ***** Figure 2 ***** Build the circuit on a small circuit board (RS# 276-148) using a socket (RS# 276-1998) for IC1 (RS# 276-1712). C2 (RS# 272-1028) may be located any place in the case, but C1 (RS# 272-131) should be as close to IC1 as possible. The resistors (RS# 271-1317, 271-1328, 271-1335, 271-1347) may be mounted in any convenient location on the circuit board. After the circuit is built, connect the wire from pin #1 of the DB9 plug on the new cable to pin #1 of IC1. Connect the wire from pin #2 of the cable to pin #2 of IC1. Connect the wire from pin #3 of the cable to pin #13 of IC1. Connect the wire from pin #4 of the cable to pin #14 of IC1. Those are the up, down, left, and right signal paths to the mouse port. Connect the wire from pin #7 of the DB9 plug on the new cable to pin #3 (V+) of IC1. Connect the wire from pin #8 of the new cable to pin #12 (ground) of IC1. These are the V+ and ground points for other parts of the circuit too, so leave room to connect other wires at these points. WICO Triggers ------------- The WICO has only one trigger button, SW1, so you must add the second one, SW2 (RS# 275-1566). Select a convenient spot on the top of the case where the new switch will not interfere with anything inside the case. Drill a 3/8 inch hole in the chosen spot. Insert switch SW2 in the hole and fasten it in place with the supplied retaining nut. Connect one terminal of SW2 to any ground connection and connect the other terminal to the wire going to pin #9 of the DB9 plug on the new cable. Cut the 11-PIN plug off of the wires from the 2 LED opto-interrupter circuit boards which remain in the case. Two of the wires (white in mine) from this plug are for the original trigger switch, SW1. Connect one of these white wires to any ground point, and connect the other to the wire from pin #6 of the new cable. Figure 3 shows how the trigger button connections relate to the DB9 plug. ***** Figure 3 ***** Each of the two LED opto-interrupter mounting boards has four wires coming from it. Two of these wires (red and black in mine) are the power feeds for the LEDs. Connect the two red wires to the V+ source (pin # 7 of the new cable) and connect the two black wires to ground (pin #8 of the new cable). The remaining four wires (yellow, blue, violet, and green in mine) carry the trigger signals to the four comparators. Connect the yellow wire to pin #6 of IC1. Connect the green wire to pin #4 of IC1. Connect the blue wire to pin #10 of IC1. Connect the violet wire to pin #8 of IC1. Figure 2 shows the color and pin number relationship. Before you place IC1 in its socket, plug the WICO trackball into your mouse port and turn the ST on. Use a voltmeter to insure you have +5 volts at pin #3 and ground at pin #12 of the IC socket. Next, check both of the opto-interrupter boards to insure you have +5 volts on their red wires and ground on their black wires. Unplug the WICO trackball from the ST and insert IC1 into its socket. Refer now to the section about testing your modified trackball. Atari CX22 Conversion --------------------- Leave the original circuit board in the case; it already contains the circuit which WICO owners must build. We will be adding a new computer cable, one switch, and connecting several new wires to the original board. Remove the remaining short piece of black insulation from the stub of the original connector cable and separate the individual wires. Strip and tin about 1/4 inch of the free end of each wire. Six of these wires are attached to J1, the circuit board connector strip located in the rear left corner of the circuit board. Four of the six wires from J1 will be soldered to the new switch as shown in Figure 4. Connect the black wire from pin 1 (ground) of J1 to the wire from pin 8 of the DB9 plug on the new cable. Connect the orange wire from pin 2 (V+) of J1 to the wire from pin 7 of the DB9 plug on the new cable. ***** Fig. 4 ***** The new switch is a four pole, double throw (4PDT) which is available from most Ham Radio or electronics stores (but not Radio Shack). These switches are often available for less than a dollar at the Computer/Ham Radio flea markets mentioned earlier. Locate a convenient place for the switch and drill a mounting hole in the case for it. Figure 4 shows the wiring scheme of this switch which allows you to change from 8-bit to ST compatibility. The ST signals are picked up at the four points labeled TP1-4 in the front left corner of the circuit board. TP1 and TP2 are the left/right connections; TP3 and TP4 are the up/down connections. Solder a 9-inch piece of wire to each of these 4 points. Connect the wires from pins 3-6 of J1, the wires from pins 1-4 of the DB9 plug, and wires from TP1-4 to the 4PDT switch as shown in Figure 4. Now mount the switch in the hole you drilled earlier, and fasten it in place with the mounting nut. Atari Trigger Buttons --------------------- The Atari trackball already has two trigger buttons installed, but they are connected together with two wires. One wire (black in mine) is connected to ground through pin #1 of J1 and should not be cut. The other wire (red in mine) should be cut near the terminal on the left trigger button. Notice there are two red wires at this terminal; cut only the one from the right trigger button. Connect the red wire from the right button to the wire from pin #9 of the DB9 plug on the new cable. Connect the red wire you left attached to the left trigger button, to the wire from pin #6 of the new cable. Figure 3 shows how the trigger button connections relate to the DB9 plug. Plug the Atari trackball into your mouse port and turn the ST on. Use a voltmeter to insure you have +5 volts at pin #3 and ground at pin #12 of A1, the LM339 chip. Testing Your Trackball ---------------------- Reinstall the springs, roller axles, single bearing and cue ball. Do not put the top on the case yet. Plug the trackball into the mouse port again and watch the action of the cursor as you move the cue ball. If the cursor moves in the proper direction in relation to your movements on the cue ball, you can go to the section titled "Finishing the Trackball." If the cursor movements do not reflect your test movements of the cue ball, write notes about which direction the cursor moves in relation to left, right, up and down movements of the cue ball. Unplug the trackball and compare your notes to the tips in the appropriate trouble shooting section below. WICO Troubleshooting -------------------- This section is useful only if your finished WICO trackball is working, but the cursor is moving in the wrong direction. If your finished trackball is completely dead, check all of your wiring connections against Figures 1, 2 and 3. If your notes show the cursor moved left as you moved the cue ball to the right, and vice versa, you should reverse the connections of the yellow and green wires. Connect the yellow wire to pin #4 of IC1 and the green wire to pin #6. If your notes show the cursor moved up as you moved the cue ball down, and vice versa, you should reverse the connections of the blue and violet wires. Connect the blue wire to pin #8 of IC1 and the violet wire to pin #10. If your notes show the cursor moved up or down as you moved the cue ball left or right, you should reverse the connections of the yellow/green pair of wires with the blue/violet pair of wires. Connect the green wire to pin #10, connect the blue wire to pin #4, connect the yellow wire to pin #8, and connect the violet wire to pin #6 of IC1. Now return to the trackball testing section above and perform the tests again. Keep in mind that if the left/right movements are reversed, you must now swap the connections of the blue and violet wires. Likewise, if the up/down movements are reversed, you must now swap the yellow and green wire. Atari CX22 Troubleshooting -------------------------- This section is useful only if your finished Atari CX22 trackball is working, but the cursor is moving in the wrong direction. If your finished trackball is completely dead, set the new switch to its other position and try again. If the trackball is dead in both switch positions, check all of your wiring connections against Figures 3 and 4. If your notes show the cursor moved left as you moved the cue ball to the right, and vice versa, you should reverse the connections of the wires at TP1 and TP2. If your notes show the cursor moved up as you moved the cue ball down, and vice versa, you should reverse the connections at TP3 and TP4. If your notes show the cursor moved left or right as you moved the ball up or down, you should exchange the pair of wires at TP1 and TP2 with the pair of wires at TP3 and TP4. Now return to the trackball testing section and perform the tests again. Finishing the Trackball ----------------------- Unplug the trackball and prepare to install the top piece of the case. Place the new cord in the cut-out at the back of the case. Make sure the epoxy strain relief on the cable is on the inside of the case wall. Check all wiring to make sure no wires can move close to the axles, wheels or the cue ball. Loose wires should be secured to the case with a drop of rubber adhesive or silicon sealant. When all wires are secured out of the way, set the top in place and rotate the cue ball. If the ball rotates freely, you can turn the case over and reinstall the screws to hold the top and bottom pieces together. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ST REPORT CONFIDENTIAL ====================== ATLANTA USA TODAY, The newspaper, had a gorgeous full 2 page spread ------- bought and paid for by Commodore, TELLING ALL THE NON-COMPUTER TYPES ALL ABOUT THE 500 AND THE 1000... dated 08-19-88. Get the MESSAGE Atari?? SUNNYVALE Atari is not sure about the 16 vs 32mb partition access nor --------- are they sure about the 12 partition limit. They are sure they will have "hooks" installed to be able to handle the removable media drive that will work in conjunction with the new software being written. But nothing positive about the roms....sheeesh! This is the third quarter guys!!! DENVER The issue of D/S DRIVES is heating up more and more, ------ especially since Atari has made NO official statement or taken any official posture..We suggest they assign a ninety day grace period during which any units purchased having S/S drive be exchanged at no charge...all others wishing to make the exchange can do so for a fee of 65.00. Any Takers? HOUSTON One of the MAIN reasons Atari is here is because of the FREE ------- TRADE ZONE, it allows the manufacture of product, duty free, for EXPORT ONLY..Duty is paid only on goods destined to be sold in the US. "Read between the lines bunky" HOLLYWOOD Seems a Usergroup President walked into a Federated Store --------- with a Video Camera on his shoulder blazing away..the management of the store went nuts demanding the tape ..I wonder why??? Do you? More to come on this one! SUNNYVALE Watchword on the Blvd. What is this new and strange creature --------- called ST PLUS (laptop) also...what is a STACEY (colors and sound) hmmm verry interrresting! NEW YORK Atari stock is now at 7.00 after trading of roughly 100,000 -------- shares and they enjoy a position in the top 10. TITUSVILLE COMPUTER SHOPPER SOLD! Ziff - Davis has acquired the favorite ---------- and world's largest computer magazine. Ziff Davis will not be as liberal, NO reprints allowed anymore. What a nice bunch of folks! -------------------------------------------------------------------------- THIS WEEK'S QUOTE: ------------------ "Greed is usually behind ANY strange behavior in the business world!!" ------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ST-REPORT Issue #49 AUGUST. 22, 1988 (c)'88 APEInc. All Rights Reserved. Reprint permission granted except where noted in the article. Any reprint must include ST-Report and the author in the credits. Views Presented herein are not necessarily those of ST-Report or of the Staff. -------------------------------------------------------------------------