Silicon Times Report The Original Independent OnLine Magazine" (Since 1987) January 05, 1996 No.1201 Silicon Times Report International OnLine Magazine Post Office Box 6672 Jacksonville, Florida 32221-6155 STR Electronic Publishing Inc. A subsidiary of STR Worldwide CompNews Inc. R.F. Mariano, Editor Featured in ITCNet's ITC_STREPORT Echo Voice: 1-904-268-3815 10am-4pm EST STReport WebSite http://www.streport.com STR Publishing Support BBS THE BOUNTY INTERNATIONAL BBS Featuring: * 5.0GB * of File Libraries Mustang Software's WILDCAT! BBS v4.11 Fully Networked within the following Nets: ITCNet 85:881/250 JAX HUB FIDO Net 1:112/35 ~ Prowl ~ USPOLNet ~ FNET 350 ~ Nest 90:301/3 Delivered via Subscriber List through Internet 904-268-2237 MULTI-NODE 24hrs-7 days ISDN Access 904-268-4116 2400-115.2 bps V. 120 -32-34 v.42 bis USRobotics D/S Data/Fax 28.8 V.34 Everything ISDN USRobotics I-MODEM FAX: 904-292-9222 24hrs The Bounty STReport Support Central 1-904-268-2237 FNET. 620 : Leif's World 1-904-573-0734 FNET. 690 : PASTE BBS 1-206-284-8493 FNET. 489 : Steal Your Face BBS 1-908-920-7981 MNET - Toad Hall BBS 1-617-567-8642 01/05/96 STR 1201 The Original Independent OnLine Magazine! - CPU Industry Report - 1995 in Review - Atari Interactive - NavCIS Full Overview - What's HMI? - Frankie's Corner - VSCAN 228 - MS Explorapedia - McAfee News - Dvorak NEWS - People Talking - Jaguar NewsBits AT&T Announces Massive Job Cuts Feds Arrest Three in Cell Fraud SPY VIRUSES STREPORT INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE Featuring Weekly "Accurate UP-TO-DATE News and Information" Current Events, Original Articles, Tips, Rumors, and Information Hardware - Software - Corporate - R & D - Imports STReport's BBS - The Bounty BBS, invites all BBS systems, worldwide, to participate in the ITC, Fido, Internet, PROWL, USENET, USPOLNet, NEST, F-Net, Mail Networks. You may also call The Bounty BBS direct @ 1- 904-786-4176. Enjoy the wonder and excitement of exchanging all types of useful information relative to all computer types, worldwide, through the use of excellent International Networking Systems. SysOps and users alike worldwide, are welcome to join STReport's International Conferences. ITC Node is 85:881/250, The Fido Node is 1:112/35, Crossnet Code is #34813, and the "Lead Node" is #620. All computer enthusiasts, hobbyist or commercial, on all platforms and BBS systems are invited to participate. WEB SITE: http//www.streport.com CIS ~ PRODIGY ~ DELPHI ~ GENIE ~ BIX ~ FIDO ~ ITC ~ NEST ~ EURONET ~ CIX ~ USENET USPOLNET CLEVELAND FREE-NET ~ INTERNET ~ PROWL ~ FNET ~ AOL Florida Lotto _ LottoMan v1.35 Results: 12/30/95: 3 matches in 3 plays From the Editor's Desk... Whew! The holidays are behind us. This year was a memorable one that's for sure. I saw the last vestiges of my Atari computer stuff getting ready to be packed and sent to a new home. At the same time, the entertainment center in the family room received a new component. Seated alongside the complete Sony Playstation console is a full house Atari Jaguar. The main features of both are being enjoyed to the max. Highlander looks great on the Jag, and most all the titles we have for the PSX are absolutely outstanding. So.. Whenever there is inclement weather or, whatever, there is always our own little arcade center waiting there ready and eager to please. CES is upon us and the KEY words are going to be Virtual Reality. In every sense of the term, VR is here. It may not have fully arrived but its presence is being sufficiently felt to ensure it has a very bright future. Watch for many action packed titles in the entertainment arena that involve VR in one way or another. Speaking of NEW things in the software world . Atari Interactive has thrown its hat into the multi-platform gaming arena. Don't be surprised of you see the familiar Atari logo on that new software package for your PC, MAC or PSX, Saturn and of course the Jaguar. In a quickie interview with Atari's Don Thomas ( a really nice guy).. I in my usual diplomatic way pointedly asked if there is a future for the Jaguar. Don emphatically stated "there is!" He then went on to state that if the new price for the Jaguar Game Console, $99.00, had the intended effect, a great deal could easily be on the horizon for the Jaguar. I then asked what the overall view was of the future of Atari in general. Don really was highly confident of a very positive future for Atari. This reporter feels that with Ted Hoff seemingly in control, there is a very good possibility that Atari will finally have an excellent shot at the ever elusive "Brass Ring". Hoff has excellent credentials which include a strong background in promotions, PR and leadership. Perhaps Hoff is the key. We shall see. Ralph. Of Special Note: http//www.streport.com STReport is now ready to offer much more in the way of serving the Networks, Online Services and Internet's vast, fast growing site list and userbase. We now have our very own WEB/NewsGroup/FTP Site and although its in its early stages of construction, do stop by and have a look see. Since We've received numerous requests to receive STReport from a wide variety of Internet addressees, we were compelled to put together an Internet distribution/mailing list for those who wished to receive STReport on a regular basis, the file is ZIPPED, then UUENCODED. Unfortunately, we've also received a number of opinions that the UUENCODING was a real pain to deal with. So, as of October 01,1995, you'll be able to download STReport directly from our very own SERVER & WEB Site. While there, be sure to join our STR list. In any case, our current Internet mailing list will continue to be used for at least the next eight weeks. Each of our readers will have by then, received their information packet about how they may upgrade their personal STR News Services. STReport's managing editors DEDICATED TO SERVING YOU! Ralph F. Mariano, Publisher - Editor Dana P. Jacobson, Editor, Current Affairs Section Editors PC Section Mac Section Atari Section R.F. Mariano J. Deegan D. P. Jacobson Portable Computers & Entertainment Kid's Computing Corner Marty Mankins Frank Sereno STReport Staff Editors Michael Arthur John Deegan Brad Martin John Szczepanik Paul Guillot Joseph Mirando Doyle Helms John Duckworth Jeff Coe Steve Keipe Guillaume Brasseur Melanie Bell Jay Levy Jeff Kovach Marty Mankins Carl Prehn Paul Charchian Vincent P. O'Hara Contributing Correspondents Dominick J. Fontana Norman Boucher Clemens Chin Eric Jerue Angelo Marasco Donna Lines Ed Westhusing Glenwood Drake Vernon W.Smith Bruno Puglia Paul Haris Kevin Miller Craig Harris Allen Chang Tim Holt Patrick Hudlow Leonard Worzala Tom Sherwin Please submit ALL letters, rebuttals, articles, reviews, etc... via E-Mail to: CompuServe 70007,4454 Prodigy CZGJ44A Delphi RMARIANO GEnie ST.REPORT BIX RMARIANO FIDONET 1:112/35 ITC NET 85:881/253 AOL STReport Internet rmariano@streport.com Internet CZGJ44A@prodigy.com Internet RMARIANO@delphi.com Internet 70007.4454.compuserve.com Internet STReport@AOL.Com WORLD WIDE WEB http://www.streport.com IMPORTANT NOTICE STReport, with its policy of not accepting any PAID advertising, has over the years developed the reputation of "saying it like it really is". When it comes to our editorials, product evaluations, reviews and over-views, we shall always keep our readers interests first and foremost. With the user in mind, STReport further pledges to maintain the reader confidence that has been developed over the years and to continue "living up to such". All we ask is that our readers make certain the manufacturers, publishers etc., know exactly where the information about their products appeared. In closing, we shall arduously endeavor to meet and further develop the high standards of straight forwardness our readers have come to expect in each and every issue. The Staff & Editors SYSOP NEWS & CYBERWORLD REPORT "The Leading Hard Copy News Source in the BBS & Online Telecommunications World" Your own personal copy mailed to your home every month; STReport's special offer! Annual Subscription Rate of $15.95!! (normally 20.95). Include the STR offer number (STR-21) for your discount. Send your subscription to: BBS Press Services, Inc. 8125 S.W. 21st Street Topeka, KS 66615 Or, to order by phone, Please Call: 1-913-478-3157 (Voice) 1-913-478-9239 (Data) 1-913-478-1189 (FAX) Checks, Mastercard & Visa ok, Please include Full Name, Address, home Number, Card type, number & expiration date when ordering. If by mail, please _sign_ your personal order. STReport Headline News LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS Weekly Happenings in the Computer World Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson CompuServe Blocks Six Newsgroups Responding to a direct mandate from the prosecutor's office in Germany, CompuServe has suspended member access to some 200 of the Internet's 15,000 newsgroups. Targeted were those electronic bulletin boards considered by some to be pornographic. The Associated Press said Germany's request "marked the first time that a government has taken such drastic action to limit public access to the Internet," and that some in the interactive community fear it "may prompt other governments to take similar steps to block access to material they deem inappropriate." AP notes German authorities notified CompuServe this week they were investigating 200 distributors of sexually explicit material in connection with a government probe of what's on the Internet. They told CompuServe to block member access to them. "Since CompuServe doesn't have the technical ability to block only German users from such material, it had to ban every CompuServe user from access," the wire service observed. "Each of the newsgroups that was suspended was specifically identified to CompuServe by the German authorities as illegal under German criminal law." In a statement from its Columbus, Ohio, headquarters, the online service said, "CompuServe cannot alter the content on the Internet in any way and has only suspended access to the disputed newsgroups through CIS. The issues being investigated in Germany, like those being addressed across the industry, need to remain focused on the individuals and groups placing content on the Internet. CompuServe, as an access provider, is not responsible for the origination or nature of content on the Internet over which it has no creative or editorial control." The statement called the global market "vital" to CompuServe, noting the system currently has 500,000 members in Western Europe and anticipates doubling that number in the next year. "CompuServe must comply with the laws of the many countries in which we operate," said the statement added. "However, laws in different countries are often in conflict, and this creates new challenges unique to the emerging online industry. CompuServe is investigating ways in which we can restrict user access to selected newsgroups by geographical location." The statement said German authorities are investigating newsgroups and other Internet content that may contain "child pornography, other pornographic material illegal for adults, as well as content that although not illegal for adults is of such an explicit nature that it is illegal for minors." Meanwhile, cyber-rights groups worried aloud today about the First Amendment implications. Staff attorney Shari Steele of the Electronic Frontier Foundation told reporter Jared Sandberg of the Wall Street Journal, "Right now, Germany is dictating what Americans who access the Internet through CompuServe are going to be able to see. If any service provider is going to have to track all of the laws for all of the countries, we're not going to have very many service providers." CompuServe's statement said, "While access has been suspended, CompuServe continues to work with German authorities to resolve this matter." Germans Re-state Net Ban Stand German authorities now say they never mandated that CompuServe block access to some 200 sexually explicit newsgroups on the Internet, and that they didn't explicitly threatened the online service with criminal charges. The comments, which seem to conflict with last week's statements from the federal prosecutor's office in Germany, come in the wake of widespread protests on the Internet and a new boycott of German beers. CompuServe spokeswoman Daphne Kent told Associated Press writer Frank Bajak the Columbus, Ohio, company stands by the original statement: that German authorities themselves specified the newsgroups to which access should be suspended. As reported earlier, CompuServe said last week it was responding to a direct mandate from the prosecutor's office in Germany in suspending member access to some 200 of the Internet's 15,000 newsgroups. Targeted were those electronic bulletin boards considered by some to be pornographic. Since CompuServe doesn't have the technical ability to block only German users from such material, it had to block every CompuServe user from access. Each of the newsgroups that was suspended was specifically identified to CompuServe by the German authorities as illegal under German criminal law, the company says. However, now Munich senior public prosecutor Manfred Wick is saying his office did not provide any such list as part of its investigation of child pornography on the Net. To this, CompuServe spokeswoman Kent told AP, "The newsgroups were specifically identified by German officials. I don't know if the German prosecutors are backpedaling a little." She adds that CompuServe's legal department is in talks with prosecutors "and that is something that is going to have to be hashed out." Regarding a threat of criminal charges, Kent comments, "We got some information from (German prosecutors) that there was a real possibility of arrest if we didn't comply." Back in Germany, Wick says state police will present a finding before mid-February of what material available on computer networks can be considered criminal and what effect that can have on online services. Authorities there, he says, consider online services legally responsible for information found on their networks, even if it comes from outside the networks, as is the case with Internet newsgroups. Meanwhile, in San Francisco, a gay rights group is calling for a boycott of two German- brewed beers to protest the nation's stand, noting the banned information includes discussion groups on homosexuality and AIDS. Says the Reuter News Service, "Angered by the prosecutor's action, Americans for Gay Rights, a small San Francisco gay rights group, said on Tuesday it would launch a month-long boycott of two popular German beers sold in America." AGR spokesman Michael Petrelis says, "We want to send the German government a message that says we want them to keep their hands off the Internet." He says his group plans to start the boycott tomorrow by pouring bottles of Beck's and St Pauli Girl beer down the sewer in front of the Goethe Institute, the German cultural center, in San Francisco. CompuServe May Reopen Newsgroups CompuServe says it hopes by the end of the month to reopen access to 200 sexually-oriented Internet newsgroups to all but its German customers. Spokesman Jeff Shafer told the Associated Press that the company is working on a way to prevent Germans from accessing the newsgroups, while allowing access to customers in the rest of the world. As reported earlier, CompuServe said last week it was responding to a direct mandate from Germany's federal prosecutor's office in suspending member access to some 200 of the Internet's 15,000 newsgroups. Targeted were those electronic bulletin boards considered by some to be pornographic. Suspending access to the newsgroups has sparked Net-wide protests. Since CompuServe currently doesn't have the technical ability to block only German users from such material, it had to block all its 4 million users from access, but Shafer says he hopes that technology will be developed by the end of January. CompuServe says each of the newsgroups that was suspended was specifically identified to CompuServe by the German authorities as illegal under German criminal law. As reported yesterday, Munich's senior public prosecutor, Manfred Wick, has said his office did not order a ban or provide CompuServe with any list as part of its investigation of child pornography. However, Wick later did acknowledge police asked CompuServe to scrutinize a list last month. Wick maintains, "The decision on whether and to what extent the groups on the list would be blocked was left to CompuServe." CompuServe disputes this. Spokeswoman Daphne Kent told AP yesterday the company stands by the original statement: that German authorities themselves specified the newsgroups to which access should be suspended. Meanwhile, Shafer says the ability to block access by country "will be an important tool to have," adding, "We're in more than 140 countries. It would be silly to think we would not come up against this elsewhere." Acma Ltd. Bids for Hayes Micro From Singapore comes word that investment and electronics company Acma Ltd.'s proposed purchase and reorganization of modem maker Hayes Microcomputer Products Inc. still is being evaluated. The Dow Jones news service quotes a statement to the Stock Exchange of Singapore in which Acma says its joint bid with Canada's Northern Telecom Inc. for Hayes is being studied by the Bankruptcy Court in Atlanta. As noted, Hayes has been under bankruptcy protection and also is being wooed by Diamond Multimedia Inc. and U.S. Robotics Corp. "The planned reorganization of Hayes," says Dow Jones, "calls for 100 percent repayment of all valid creditors' claims, including accrued interest. If the bid is successful, it will result in Acma and Northern Telecom taking a 24.5 percent stake in Hayes. Acma said that the court will make a final decision by early February." AT&T Announces Massive Job Cuts AT&T Corp. says it will cut up to 40,000 jobs as it splits itself into three separate companies. The company also says it will take a post-tax charge of approximately $4 billion against fourth-quarter earnings to cover the costs of its restructuring. The job cuts will take place over three years, with about 70 percent to be completed by the end of 1996. Since more than 6,500 managers have already taken a voluntary severance package and about 4,000 other employees could be moving with units AT&T intends to divest, involuntary reductions are expected to total about 30,000, says AT&T. The company adds that extension of the voluntary separation offer to additional employees may further decrease the number of involuntary cuts. "The reduction in our workforce will be the most difficult and painful step we've had to take in this restructuring process," says AT&T Chairman Robert E. Allen. "Compassion will be an essential ingredient in the handling of the job cuts that are part of today's announcement. But I believe the reductions and other actions are absolutely essential if our businesses are to be competitive." The moves primarily affect the new AT&T company, which will provide telecommunications services, as well as the systems and technology company, which will provide network, business and consumer technology and equipment. The third company, computer unit AT&T Global Information Solutions, announced in September that it would eliminate 8,500 jobs in 1995 and 1996. TI Sues Samsung Over Chip Patents Texas Instruments Inc. has filed a patent infringement suit against Korea's Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and its two U.S. subsidiaries. In addition to unspecified monetary damages, TI is asking the court to issue a permanent injunction barring Samsung from using TI's patents. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, alleges violation of several patents involved in the manufacture of semiconductor devices, including dynamic random-access memories (DRAMs). A five-year cross-licensing agreement between the firms expired on Dec. 31. "TI has a strong patent portfolio that reflects billions of dollars in R&D investment," says Richard J. Agnich, TI's general counsel. "Our resolve to protect it and get a fair return for others' use of our technology has not wavered. Feds Arrest Three in Cell Fraud Federal authorities have arrested a man who used cyberspace to openly advertised illegal electronic surveillance equipment and cloned cellular phones, charging him with conspiracy, fraud and money laundering. Bernhard Bowitz, along with his estranged wife and another man, were arrested by the Secret Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration after the agencies received court approval to monitor online communications, Secret Service spokesman Bill Whiteside told the Associated Press in New York. The wire service reports search warrants executed in New York, Seattle, Las Vegas and Hong Kong resulted in the seizure of illegal bugging devices and cellular phone cloning equipment as well as laptop computers, scanners, bugging transmitters and receivers and a satellite cellular telephone. Whiteside told the wire service the investigation began after AT&T notified federal authorities someone was selling illegal devices online. He said the company was concerned that illegal activity was occurring over its telephone lines. "The investigation revealed a World Wide Web site where Bowitz advertised the illegal devices and cloned phones," AP added. Whiteside said Bowitz "pretty much openly advertised" them as illegal and allegedly bragged to undercover agents that drug dealers had purchased equipment from him. Bowitz, a native of Germany, was arrested Dec. 19. His estranged wife, Rachel, was arrested in Las Vegas while Gregory Brooks of Seattle, who Whiteside said was a salesman for Bowitz, was arrested in New York. They were charged with conspiracy and access device violations. Meanwhile, Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Zachary Carter told a Manhattan news conference, "These arrests offer a glimpse into what crime and law enforcement will look like in the 21st century. Criminals are adjusting to new means of communications in the same way we are." Reporter Tracey L. Miller of United Press International says the three suspects allegedly "set up a lucrative business to sell a device that can steal and store numbers from legal cellular phones and another device known as a 'celltracker' that can be used to eavesdrop on nearby cellular phone conversations." Miller says the investigation began last spring, when AT&T Wireless Services' security team spotted Bowitz's ads spotting up on CompuServe. "After determining what was for sale, the company referred the case to the Secret Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration," Miller writes. "The Department of Justice and the U.S. district court gave investigators authorization to monitor the trio's outgoing and incoming CompuServe e-mail messages, the first time permission for such a wiretap over the Internet has ever been granted." Brian Gimlett, who heads the Secret Service's New York Field Office, commented, "This authorization was critical, since Bernhard and Rachel Bowitz, and Gregory Brooks, perhaps believing that Internet communications were immune from interception, spoke relatively openly in their e-mail communications." Undercover officers also allegedly caught Bowitz laundering and attempting to launder $225,000 that he believed was used in drug trafficking. Said Gimlett, "The significance of this case should not be minimized. This case has substantially impeded the spread of technology that would undercut law enforcement's ability to conduct effective electronic surveillance, endanger the telecommunications and international business community and intrude upon the public's right to privacy."! Computer Finds Shakespeare Poem A computer program has confirmed that a 383-year-old poem unearthed in a library appears to be the work of William Shakespeare. Scholar Donald Foster found the 578-line poem -- "A Funerall Elegye In Memory of the Late Vertuous Maister William Peeter," about the death of a young actor in 1612 - - in the Oxford University library in 1981. From Chicago, the Associated Press reports Foster ran the poem through a program called SHAXICON, which he wrote to weed out poetry not really written by Shakespeare. The software compares word usage and style with that of Shakespeare and 50 other Elizabethan writers. He said the new elegy fit Shakespeare's usage in all 17 tests made by the SHAXICON program. No other author came close in more than five areas. Still, Foster acknowledges that, even if it is accepted as one of Shakespeare's works, the poem will never be counted as one of his masterpieces. Said the scholar, "It's not a poem that will ever be widely loved, but it will change how we read his other texts. It is, in a way, a retirement poem, talking of theatricality as a fraud. He also talks of `a sadder case of knowing shame,' possibly scandal of a sexual nature." He said Thomas Thorpe, publisher of Shakespeare's Sonnets, entered the 1612 elegy in London Stationers Register, a copyright depository, along with the initials "W.S." Shakespeare's last plays were written at about the same time; he died in 1616. The poem reads in part: "But whether doth the stream of my mischance "Drive me beyond myself, fast friend, soon lost, "Long may thy worthiness thy name advance "Amongst the virtuous and deserving most, who herein hast "Forever happy proved; "In life thou livest, in death, thou diedst beloved." Retail Computer Sales Top $23 Billion More than $23 billion in sales are being reported by the retail computer industry for 1995, a year that apparently saw record gains. A survey in the current issue of Computer Retail Week finds retailers this year experienced a gain of 38.3 percent in sales, which translated into a growth of $9 billion in retail sales of computers, peripherals, software and other computer related-products in the last year. Also, says the magazine, five stores finished the year with more than $1 billion in sales of computer-related merchandise each. They were CompUSA, Best Buy, Computer City, and two new entrants into the "billion-dollar computer club," Office Depot and Circuit City. According to a statement from the magazine's Manhasset, New York, headquarters, other key findings of the survey were: ú CompUSA remained the dominant retailer overall, racking up more than $2 billion in retail sales, followed by Best Buy and Computer City. ú Computer superstores accounted for 36.1 percent of all retail computer sales in 1995. ú Software Specialists, a staple of malls across America, saw their sales fall flat in 1995, as general retailers such as toy and book stores and supermarkets leapt into the software market. ("Computer superstores also stole a portion of their sales," said the statement, "contributing to a 2.4 percent drop in sales by software specialists compared to last year.") ú Additions to the top 100 list of retailers include toy giant Toys 'R' Us and media retailer Virgin Megastore. ú The number of stores selling computer-related products jumped by 13.3 percent in 1995. '96 Internet 'Hangover' Foreseen The International Data Corp. is predicting a shift in corporate leadership online in the new year. It foresees activity on the Internet and World Wide Web lurching from an "intoxication" to a "hangover" stage in 1996. The Framingham, Mass., technology consultant also predicts many corporations that invested in online services now will suffer "discouraging" losses in 1996 and decide to pull out of the Internet. Nonetheless, IDC gave online services a bullish 10-year outlook. Writing for United Press International, Andrea McDaniels reports, "IDC said two of the leading online service providers -- CompuServe, America Online, Microsoft Network and Prodigy -- are expected to founder in 1996, leaving only two network giants providing access to the Web." IDC Vice President Frank Gens told the wire service, "The seeds will be sown for the creation of new leadership and the downfall of some current giants." He did not predict specifically which would fall. Citing network "traffic jams" encountered by Net wanderers, Gens added, "If they sign on during rush hour on the information superhighway, they could wait five to 10 minutes for one screen to appear. Most will be underwhelmed by the content on the Web once they get there and cancel their online subscriptions." Other IDC predictions reported by UPI: ú Networks will develop new technologies to cope with the exponential growth of subscribers, whose numbers were expected to soar in the next five years from 8 million to 10 million to more than 200 million, reaching 1 billion by 2010. ú Providers will streamline services through data compression, adding high-speed telephone lines and hooking up larger computers. ú Some companies, retailers and publishers will bail out during the "hangover" period, "crippling their business's ability to compete in the virtual economy," says UPI, adding, "This will clear the way for leaders in the electronic marketplace to hike their investment in services." ú Slow development of a wide consumer base will lead 20 percent of the some 170 Fortune 500 companies with commercial Web sites to close or stop maintaining them, resulting in "ghost sites." ú Microsoft Corp. will have to put out its new online products, including its NBC-affiliated news service, under a different brand name tailored to Internet users if it wants to stay ahead. (Said Gens, "There's a limit to the power of the Microsoft brand.") He also thinks the growth of the Web will buck Microsoft from its top spot in the next 10 years. ("It's impossible for Microsoft to be as dominant as it has been in the past 10 years," he said.) ú Net access cost will drop in 1996 from $25 to $70 a month to as little as $10 a month and Internet appliances will be given away free. ú Some "corporate visionaries" will seize the key home consumer market by developing a cheaper multimedia PC that breaks below the magical $1,000 mark. Multimedia computers, which now cost about $1,500, will be pitched for $800 by 1997. Said Gens, "The ones who figure out how to penetrate the home market will be the leaders five years from now." "Cyberspace," "Online" Clich‚s? A Michigan university has put "cyberspace" and "online" at the top of its annual New Year's list of overused terms, saying they are cliches that ought to be retired. The 20th annual list by the Lake Superior State University's public relations department selected "online" as a representative of offensive jargon worthy of being discarded. Reporting from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, the Reuter News Service quotes nominator Michelle Batterbee as asking, "Where is the 'line' that everyone is on. It sounds like some place a fish should be." And contributor Michelle Mooney in her nomination wrote, "Cyber-ANYTHING sets my teeth on edge." Beyond the cybersphere ... oops ... the O.J. Simpson murder trial spawned the disingenuous "the race card," and, Reuters notes, "several contributors merely sought relief from those ubiquitous initials, 'O.J.'" Also making the list were promotions of "alternative music" groups from Nirvana to Kiss who rocked "unplugged." And, says the wire service, "Overworked euphemisms such as actor Sylvester Stallone's exclamation 'Absolutely!,' instead of a simple 'yes,' irked other contributors." House speaker Newt Gingrich was singled out for using the word "frankly" 12 times in one speech, "nearly as often as he intoned 'liberal,' which was on the university's list of banned words last year," Reuters says. And news reports about the civil war in the former Yugoslavia produced "ethnic cleansing" for genocide, and referred to foreign troops as a "peacekeeping force. "The university also aimed jabs at "revisit," "touch base," "done deal," "on the same page" and "closure." 1995 In Review! Here are 1995's leading computer and information industry news stories, as reported by CompuServe's Online Today's Monitor section Microsoft to Introduce Bob (Jan. 3): Microsoft Corp. reported it was set to introduced a new $100 program called Bob intended for new PC users among the rapidly expanding home market. Bob, running on top of DOS and Windows, has a set of eight programs for handling common household chores, including options to balance checkbooks, mark calendars and handle electronic mail. Kahn Steps Down as Borland CEO (Jan. 11): Borland International Inc. announced that founder Philippe Kahn stepped down as president and CEO, but will remain with the software publisher as chairman. Gary Wetsel, 49, executive vice president of operations and chief financial officer, was named president and appointed to Borland's board of directors. AMD, Intel Settle Legal Fight (Jan. 12): After seven years in court, chip- making rivals Intel Corp. and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. ended their court fights, and some observers are declaring AMD the winner. Bad Pentiums Cost Intel $450 Million (Jan. 18): A $450 million charge was taken by Intel Corp. to account for the costs of replacing its flawed Pentium microprocessor. Man Arrested for Internet Messages (Feb. 10): A University of Michigan student was arrested on charges he threatened another student by writing about her in at least one rape-murder fantasy story he posted on the Internet. Borland Sells Rights to Kahn (Feb. 14): For undisclosed terms, Borland International Inc. sold rights to its Sidekick for Windows and Dashboard for Windows programs to Starfish Software, a new company headed by Borland Chairman Philippe Kahn. Borland Introduces Delphi (Feb. 14): Borland International Inc. formally unveiled Delphi, its long-awaited visual application development software. Judge Nixes Microsoft Settlement (Feb. 15): Stunning many in the computer industry and in Washington, a federal judge rejected the U.S. Justice Department's proposed antitrust settlement with software publisher Microsoft Corp. Feds Appeal Microsoft Ruling (Feb. 16): Saying delay would cost the taxpayers money, the federal government asked an appeals court to move quickly to overturn a federal judge's rejection of the Justice Department's antitrust settlement with Microsoft. Lotus Takeover Rumors 'Silly Talk' (Feb. 22): All those rumors about a takeover of Lotus Development Corp. are nothing but "silly talk," insisted Jim Manzi, chief executive officer of the software group. Samsung Eyes Big Stake in AST (Feb. 28): For $377.5 million, South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co. agreed to buy a 40.25 percent stake in AST Research Inc. Intuit Admits to Bug in Tax Program (March 2): Intuit Inc. said it found a major bug in its income tax software that can affect its TurboTax and MacInTax programs and said it would replace the affected programs free of charge. Jury Clears IBM in RSI Suit (March 9): Ending the first case of its kind against IBM to go to trial, a jury in Hastings, Minnesota, ruled the company is not liable for the disabling repetitive stress injuries a secretary said she suffered from using IBM keyboards. Borland Wins Lotus Case (March 10): A federal appeals court in Boston overturned a lower-court ruling for Lotus Development Corp., siding with Borland International in an action that limits copyright protection for software. The ruling may help struggling Borland survive. Intel Already Planning 'P7' Chip (March 13): P6 isn't out yet, but Intel Corp. already is thinking of P7. The Washington Post reported that Intel is at work with partner Hewlett-Packard Co. on the next-generation microprocessor, code-named P7, which is to appear in 1997. CompuServe to Buy Spry Inc. (March 14): Seattle-based Spry Inc., producer of the Internet in a Box software, was acquired by CompuServe Inc. The Wall Street Journal says the deal called for the exchange of about $100 million in stock and cash, and is "believed to be the largest Internet-related acquisition." Microsoft, DreamWorks Team Up (March 22): Microsoft Corp. and DreamWorks SKG signed a joint venture agreement to create a new software company designed to produce interactive and multimedia entertainment properties. Cray Computer Files Chapter 11 (March 24): Cray Computer Corp. filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. The Colorado Springs, Colorado-based company suspended work on its supercomputer systems and laid off its engineering, manufacturing and marketing personnel. Publishers Win Rental Law Test (April 4): Software publishers won the first case to test the Computer Software Rental Amendments Act of 1990. The Software Publishers Association reported that a federal court ruled in favor of its members in a civil copyright infringement suit against Global Software & Accessories Inc. The company offered software on a "Deferred Billing Plan" that allowed customers to take software home for up to five days for a "non-refundable deposit." Poulsen Sentenced to Prison (April 11): Renegade computerist Kevin Lee Poulsen was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison after admitting he rigged radio call-in contests to win luxury cars, Hawaiian vacations and thousands in cash. Gates Settles Wedding Lawsuit (April 13): For undisclosed terms, a television reporter arrested covering the Jan. 1, 1994, Hawaiian wedding of Microsoft founder Bill Gates reached an out-of-court settlement with Gates and Dole Food Co. Inc., which owns the island where the wedding was held. Samsung Gets Major Hold on AST (April 15): South Korea's Samsung Electronics disclosed it will gain significant management control over struggling PC maker AST Research in return for its planned investment of $377 million. Power Unveils Mac Clones (April 17): Power Computing Corp., the first company to receive and announce a license for Apple Computer Inc.'s Mac OS, introduced its first three Mac-compatible systems: the Power 80, Power 100 and Power 110. The systems, available in desktop and tower configurations, are based on 80MHz, 100MHz and 110MHz versions of the PowerPC 601 microprocessor and are comparable to Apple Computer's Power Macintosh 7100 and 8100 class of computers. Intel Halting '486 Production (April 26): To solidify the Pentium chip as its core product, Intel Corp. stopped production of most versions of the 80486 microprocessor. Intel spokesman Howard High said the company most likely would make '486 processors only for low- end notebook computers. Feds Challenge Microsoft Deal (April 28): An antitrust suit to block Microsoft Corp.'s $2.1 billion acquisition of financial software publisher Intuit Inc. was filed by the U.S. Justice Department in a San Francisco federal court. Microsoft and Intuit immediately vowed to fight. CompuServe Tops 3 Million Members (April 29): CompuServe Inc. reported it has more than 3 million active accounts and is signing up as many as 60,000 new members each week. The firm attributed the growth to the rising interest in online services, its improved Internet access and increased content. CompuServe Sets Wireless Pacts (May 1): CompuServe Inc. announced alliances with wireless industry leaders that will allow it to provide members with broad mobile systems coverage. The services includes e-mail notification, which will allow a member to select critical mail and forward it to a pager. IBM OS/2 Warp Sales Soar (May 8): A study by Computer Intelligence InfoCorp (CII) revealed that sales of IBM's OS/2 Warp operating system increased more than 300 percent since the product first became available late last fall. IBM to Preload Win95 on PCs (May 11): Despite its substantial investment in OS/2 Warp, IBM Corp. announced that its PCs will also run Windows 95. IBM is working with Microsoft to ensure system compatibility and support of Windows 95 for its customers. IBM also says it intends to preload Windows 95 on selected desktop and mobile systems. Mike Maples to Leave Microsoft (May 15): Microsoft Vice President Mike Maples announced plans to retire in the near future and there were unconfirmed reports the software giant planned to reorganize its top management to fill the gap left by his departure. NBC, Microsoft Join Forces (May 16): NBC and Microsoft Corp. announced the formation of a multimedia alliance covering a broad range of areas, including online, CD-ROM, interactive TV and other digital products, as well as the integration of those efforts into traditional broadcast and cable television. Microsoft Drops Intuit Deal (May 21): Blaming a protracted legal fight needed to overcome U.S. Justice Department antitrust objections, Microsoft Corp. canceled plans to buy financial software publisher Intuit Inc. for $2 billion, an all-stock deal announced last October. Robert Palmer Named DEC Chairman (May 23): President/CEO Robert B. Palmer of Digital Equipment Corp. added the title of chairman. This was the first time the Maynard, Massachusetts, computer firm had a chairman since it went public in 1966. Compaq Suing Packard Bell (May 26): In a patent violation lawsuit, Compaq Computer Corp. sought $450 million from Packard Bell Electronics Inc., according to comments from a Packard Bell attorney during a hearing in another dispute between the rivals. Win95 Net Feature Scrutinized (June 1): A feature in Microsoft Corp.'s upcoming Windows 95 software that allows users t register electronically instead of mailed post card came under scrutiny because of its capability to report what other programs also are on a customer's computer. IBM Plans to Buy Lotus (June 5): In a blockbuster move, IBM Corp. said it planned to acquire software publisher Ltuos Development Corp. The Armonk, New York-based computer giant launched a $0 6per share tender offer for Lotus' stock. IBM said it planned to pay for the deal with money from its cash reserve. Computer Pioneer Eckert Dies (June 6): Seventy-six-year-old J. Presper Eckert, who co-invented the first electronic digital computer, died in Pennsylvania after a long battle with cancer. A spokeswoman at Bryn Mawr Hospital told the Associated Press the computer pioneer died from complications caused by leukemia. Lotus Agrees to Takeover by IBM (June 12): A week after the launch of IBM's hostile takeover bid, Lotus Development Corp. agreed to be bought out by the computer giant for $3.52 billion, or about $220 million more than was originally offered. Intel Announces New Pentium (June 12): Intel Corp. announced its fastest production microprocessors to date -- a 133MHz Pentium model. The chip is targeted for servers and high-performance desktop computers. It was the second member of the Pentium processor family to be introduced in as many weeks. There are now nine versions of the Pentium, each with different prices and performance points for different market segments. IBM's PowerPC Units Rolling Out (June 19): IBM's new PowerSeries PCs, based on the PowerPC chip IBM designed with Apple Computer Inc. and Motorola Inc., were announced to hit the market in July. But IBM didn't expect to begin selling the machines in substantive volume until next year. Internet Fantasy Charges Dropped (June 21): Charges were dropped against Jake Baker, a 21-year-old former University of Michigan student who published on the Internet a violent fantasy about another Michigan student, using her real name. Judge Aervn Cohn, in dismissing the case, ruled publication of the rape-slaying story would have been better handled as a disciplinary matter by the university. Adobe Buys Frame Technology (June 23): Expanding its holdings in electronic- publishing interests, Adobe Systems Inc. agreed to buy Frame Technology Inc. in a stock swap valued at $500 million. Frame, based near San Jose, California, specializes in software for creating long documents, including books and technical manuals. AST-Samsung Deal Approved (July 4): Stockholders and the Korean government approved a plan for AST Research Inc. to sell 40 percent of itself to Korean electronics giant Samsung for $377 million. The deal marks the first major overseas investment in a leading U.S. PC producer. Gates Is World's Wealthiest Person (July 5): Bill Gates headed Forbes' ninth annual list of the world's wealthiest people, the first time an American has occupied the top spot. The magazine estimated the Microsoft Corp. chief's worth at $12.9 billion. NEC to Buy Stake in Packard Bell (July 5): In Tokyo, officials with NEC Corp. said the company would pay $170 million for a 19.99 percent stake in leading U.S. PC maker Packard Bell Electronics Inc. Radius Taps IBM for Mac Clones (July 5): Radius Inc. said it signed IBM Corp. to manufacture its line of Macintosh-compatible computers. Radius said it selected IBM following an exhaustive search that began after the company completed a Mac OS licensing agreement with Apple Computer Inc. last December. Last Typewriter Maker Quits (July 5): The last American company to manufacture typewriters filed for bankruptcy protection, saying personal computers have eroded demand for its products. Smith Corona Corp. filed for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, freeing it from the threat of creditors' suits while its reworks its finances. Dataquest Says Compaq Is Top Vendor (Aug. 7): Compaq Computer Corp. remained in first place among PC vendors during the second quarter this year, where it had been since the first quarter of 1994. That is the finding of Dataquest Inc. analysts who also said IBM ranked second, followed sequentially by Apple Computer Inc., NEC Corp., Packard Bell and Hewlett- Packard Co. Feds Won't Block Win95 Release (Aug. 9): Antitrust regulators with the U.S. Justice Department said they would't take action on the Microsoft Network or Microsoft Corp.'s new Windows 95 software before the new products' release. Netscape Stock Bumps Records (Aug. 10): Netscape Communications Corp. took New York by storm as one of the most successful new stock issues on record. The day saw the new Internet web browser software publisher's shares double in price. 'Dilbert' Creator Loses Day Job (Aug. 11): Scott Adams -- whose "Dilbert" cartoon strip is a favorite among many Net surfers -- was laid off from his post at Pacific Bell's San Ramon, California, office, causing some to speculate on whether he drew himself out of a job. Stones Tune to Launch Win95 (Aug. 18): Members of the Rolling Stones, breaking their long standing refusal to sell song rights to advertisers, reportedly accepted $12 million to let Microsoft Corp. use their hit "Start Me Up" to launch the Windows 95 software campaign next week. Judge OKS Microsoft Settlement (Aug. 21): A federal judge approved an antitrust settlement reached more than a year earlier between Microsoft Corp. and the U.S. Justice Department, changing the way the software giant sells its key product. IBM Announces Win95 Support (Aug. 24): At the last minute, on the day Windows 95 became available, IBM Corp. became the last major PC maker to announce support for the operating system. The company says it signed an agreement with Microsoft Corp. to offer Windows 95 preloaded on its desktop and portable systems. Microsoft Sells 1M Win95 Copies (Aug. 29): Microsoft said it estimated that more than 1 million copies of Windows 95 were obtained by customers at retail during the product's first four days of availability in North America. 'Prank Macro' Strikes MS Word (Aug. 30): Loath to call it a virus, Microsoft Corp. said a "prank macro" that was annoying but mostly harmless had infected its popular Word word-processing software. In a statement from Microsoft's Redmond, Washington, headquarters, Michael Hebert, group product manager for office applications, said the rogue macro (a group of computer commands that can be performed by hitting only one or two keys): "seems to be becoming relatively widespread" in documents produced with Word. Web Sites Top 100,000 (Aug. 31): Internet's monstrously popular World Wide Web passed the 100,000 mark in the number of Web sites, and observers predicted it would reach nearly a half-million by year's end if the current exponential growth rate continued. Viruses Slow Win95 Installation (Sept. 1): Microsoft Corp. said some buyers of its new Windows 95 were finding the version of the operating system that installs from floppy diskette can be ruined by a virus on their machines. However, Win95 itself does not carry a virus, the firm added. AST President, Others Step Down (Sept. 12): In a major management shakeup, AST Research Inc.'s president and two other top executives quit as the Irvine, California, computer maker forecast a quarterly loss and stagnant sales. The move came less than a month after South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co. invested $377.5 million for a 40 percent stake in the company, but AST CEO and co-founder Safi Qureshey told business writer Evan Ramstad that Samsung did not force the executive changes. FBI Accuses 12 of Child Porn (Sept. 14): Wrapping up a two-year nationwide investigation dubbed "Innocent Images," the FBI arrested a dozen people accused of trading in child pornography by computer networks, and more arrests were expected. Federal authorities said their probe monitored America Online to catch suspects distributing child pornography, as well as those alleged to be arranging sex with children. Sides Agree on New CD Standard (Sept. 15): In Tokyo, two competing industry alliances put aside their differences and agreed to standardize on a single high-capacity CD standard. Security Flaw Found in Netscape (Sept. 19): Two graduate students at the University of California at Berkeley found a serious security flaw in Netscape Communications Corp.'s Internet web browser, jeopardizing data such as credit-card numbers that users pass over the Net. The company acknowledged the flaw and said it was issuing a software fix. AT&T Quits PC Business (Sept. 20): AT&T Corp. planned to divide itself into three separate companies and was leaving the PC business. AT&T's computer unit, AT&T Global Information Solutions (GIS), would eliminate approximately 8,500 jobs, including 1,000 positions from the its Dayton, Ohio, headquarters, as well as 1,300 independent contractors who perform services for the unit. Novell Sets UNIX Course (Sept. 20): Novell Inc. gave up control of its UNIX software, forming business relationships focusing on the popular operating system with Hewlett-Packard Co. and the Santa Cruz Operation Inc. The Santa Cruz Operation acquired Novell's UNIX software business, while Hewlett- Packard was to collaborate on future technology developments. Seagate to Buy Rival Conner (Sept. 21): Disk driver maker Seagate Technology Inc. agreed to buy arch rival Conner Peripherals Inc. in a stock swap observers say is valued at about $1.04 billion. Wall Street Journal writer Charles McCoy said the proposed transaction would combine two of the four largest makers of disk drives and other computer-memory components. Ex-Intel Programmer Jailed (Sept. 25): Accused of stealing millions of dollars worth of Intel Corp.'s Pentium chip production secrets and giving them to a rival computer company, a software engineer was jailed in Arizona. The FBI arrested 43-year-old William Gaede at his home in Mesa Saturday. An FBI complaint alleges that Gaede sent videotapes with instructions for making Intel's Pentium microprocessor to Advanced Micro Devices Inc., which, said the bureau, immediately returned the material to Intel. Apple Tries to Persuade IBM (Sept. 25): Word is Apple Computer Inc. is trying to persuade IBM to abandon its own OS/2 operating system for the Macintosh and, instead, market Apple's system. Also, the Wall Street Journal reported IBM made a bid for Apple in September 1994, offering $4.5 billion, according to people familiar with the talks. IBM to Sell PC's Birthplace (Sept. 28): IBM Corp. is likely to sell its historic Boca Raton, Florida, research facility, the birthplace of the IBM PC in 1981, reported the Wall Street Journal. According to the newspaper, the 550-acre property was to go on the market late this year. But an IBM spokesman added that the decision wasn't yet final. IBM announced earlier in the week that it was moving 800 OS/2 software developers and marketing professionals from Boca Raton to Austin, Texas. CompuServe Debuts Net Service (Oct. 4): CompuServe's Internet division announced the first worldwide consumer Internet service. Priced at $4.95 per month, the service -- code-named SPRYTE -- is designed to make the Internet available to every household. NexGen Unveils New Microprocessor (Oct. 10): NexGen Inc. released details about its planned sixth generation x86 microprocessor line. The chip maker said its Nx686 CPU offers up to twice the performance of Intel's Pentium Pro on 16-bit applications and up to 33 percent higher performance on 32-bit code. CompuServe Makes Beeper Link (Oct. 10): Starting in November, CompuServe subscribers will be able to get electronic mail delivered directly to their beepers. The service will work on alphanumeric beepers that have digital screens allowing for short written messages. Jim Manzi Resigns as Lotus CEO (Oct. 11): Just four months after his firm was acquired by IBM in the software industry's biggest merger, Jim P. Manzi resigned as CEO of Lotus Development Corp., telling employees in a memo that he feels he no longer fits with the company. CD-ROM Sales Soon to Top Floppies (Oct. 12): Market researcher IDC/LINK forecast that CD-ROM software sales would pass floppy disk revenue sometime in 1996. The company, based in New York, reported that CD-ROM revenues were $1 billion in 1994 and are expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 43 percent by the year 2000. By contrast, floppy disk revenues were $.63 billion in 1994 and were expected to decline $2.7 billion within the next five years. Online Libel Case Resolved (Oct. 25): Prodigy Services Co. said it reached an agreement in a closely watched libel case that could lead to a ruling that online providers are not responsible for the content on their services. The Reuter News Service reported that the anticipated ruling could have enormous impact on the online field and on companies offering personal computer users access to the Internet. CompuServe Puts Info on the Phone (Oct. 26): CompuServe Inc. is putting some of its online information on the telephone. Through an exclusive agreement with Premiere Communications Inc., the company introduced a service that lets people take advantage of a wide variety of online communications services by dialing in from any Touch-Tone phone in the United States and from more than 40 countries. Novell to Sell WordPerfect (Oct. 31): Just 16 months after buying out the word processing giant for $855 million, Novell Inc. said it will sell most of WordPerfect Corp. along with other parts of its office applications software business. Analysts said this is a major change in Novell's marketing plan, turning away from what has been deemed its losing strategy in the word processing and spreadsheet businesses. Intel Offers Faster Pentium (Nov. 1): Intel Corp. unveiled its fastest chip to date, the Pentium Pro, which will run at 150MHz, meaning it can execute 150 million instructions per second. Intel Chairman Andrew Grove told the Reuter News Service the Pentium Pro initially will be targeted at users of turbo-charged desktop computers and will make advanced PCs at least as powerful as $40,000 workstations from Silicon Graphics Inc. Softbank Acquires Ziff-Davis (Nov. 9): Japanese software distributor Softbank Corp. and an affiliate agreed to acquire Ziff-Davis Publishing Co., the largest U.S. publisher of computer and high-tech magazines, for $2.1 billion. Ziff-Davis publishes several major computer magazines, including PC Magazine, Computer Shopper, PC Week and MacUser. IBM Plans 'Internet Station' (Nov. 14): IBM Corp. CEO Louis V. Gerstner Jr. said his company is working on an "Internet station" that would give users Internet access and computing capabilities for only a few hundred dollars. In his COMDEX/Fall keynote speech, Gerstner remarked that the machine wouldn't have as much storage capability as a regular PC, but would offer a fast communications connection so that programs and information could be downloaded as needed from the Internet and other online services. Common IBM-Apple Platform Agreed On (Nov. 14): IBM and Apple Computer Inc. said they have agreed on details to develop new machines able to run each other's operating software. The announcement comes a year after the two companies first proclaimed their intentions to develop a common platform. Borland Chairman Kahn Steps Down (Nov. 22): Borland International Inc. Chairman Philippe Kahn is stepping down to devote his attention to Starfish Software Inc., the company he founded shortly after being ousted as Borland's CEO. The move is set to take effect on Jan. 1. Kahn will remain a director of Borland, which he founded 12 years ago. Gartner Group to Buy Dataquest (Nov. 28): In a cash and stock transaction valued at about $75 million, Gartner Group Inc. agreed to acquire the Dataquest Inc. market research and consulting firm from the Dun & Bradstreet Corp., which also owns a little more than 50 percent of Gartner Group. IBM, Apple, HP End Taligent Work (Dec. 1): Taligent Inc. -- a software joint venture by IBM, Apple Computer Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co. -- is being dissolved. More than half the staff is being laid off and Taligent's technology is being moved to IBM. Feds Launch Windows 95 Probe (Dec. 4): Word on the street was federal investigators were asking whether Microsoft Corp. intentionally set up digital roadblocks in its Windows 95 operating system to disable rival companies' Internet access programs. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Justice Department issued subpoenas to CompuServe, Netscape Communications Corp. and Netcom On-line Comumnications Services Inc. Intuit to Provide Net Banking (Dec. 5): The publisher of the popular Quicken financial program is setting up to provide banking over the Internet, developing a connection to enable customers to do routine transactions, such as pay bills, check account balances and transfer funds. Officials with Menlo Park, California-based Intuit Corp. told the Associated Press the service will be available by the second half of next year. Apple's 'Pippin' Comes Next Year (Dec. 5): Pippin -- Apple Computer Inc.'s new multimedia device, a hybrid between a television-based computer game player and a stripped-down but speedy computer -- is expected to be introduced next year, first in Japan and later in the United States. Sony's First PC Coming Next Fall (Dec. 6): Japanese electronics giant Sony Corp. said it will introduce its first personal computer - one probably based on Intel Corp microprocessors -- next fall. IBM Licenses Sun's Java Language (Dec. 6): IBM Corp. said it has licensed Sun Microsystems Inc.'s Java programming language and intends to use it to enhance the way customers view and interact with content on the Internet's World Wide Web. IBM said it plans to implement the Java technology in products that exploit the Internet, such as Web browsers and Web servers, as well as in its Lotus Notes integrated messaging and group ware software. IBM also notes that it intends to port the Java technology to its OS/2 and AIX operating systems, as well as to Windows 3.1, and will make those ports available over the World Wide Web. Microsoft Licenses Java Program (Dec. 7): Eager to illustrate it still is in the hunt for the Internet market, Microsoft Corp. announced several new products and said it will license the hot new Java programming language from Sun Microsystems Inc. Business writer George Tibbits of the Associated Press called the endorsement of Java for designing software that can be easily distributed on electronic networks "a rare embrace by Microsoft of a product it did not develop or buy." Judge Rules Against Prodigy (Dec. 14): The judge in a much-watched libel case refused to vacate his earlier decision holding Prodigy Services Co. responsible for messages its subscribers post. As reported earlier, a $200 million libel suit against Prodigy by Stratton Oakmont Inc. of Lake Success, New York, after one of the online service's subscribers posted a message accusing the brokerage firm of fraud. Microsoft, NBC in Joint Venture (Dec. 14): Microsoft Corp. agreed to pay $220 million over the next five years for a 50 percent interest in MSNBC Cable, a new 24-hour news service it is forming with NBC. The companies also expect to invest approximately $200 million over five years to fund the operation's cable and online services. Microsoft and NBC said MSNBC Cable will be developed from the outset to integrate news delivery across broadcast, cable, and Internet platforms. Apple Forecasts Loss (Dec. 15): Despite recent price cuts that have resulted in higher sales and shipments, Apple Computer Inc. said it expects to post a loss for the final three months of 1995. Apple blames the shortfall on price cuts that didn't generate as much revenue as expected and on tighter margins. It would mark Apple's first quarterly loss in more than two years. PC Shipments Exceed Estimates (Dec. 18): U.S. personal computer shipments are to rise 22 percent this year, exceeding previous estimates. Look for Compaq Computer Corp. to keep a slight lead over Packard Bell Electronics Inc. and Apple Computer Inc. as the nation's largest manufacturer. German Computer Legend Zuse Dies (Dec. 19): German computing pioneer Konrad Zuse died at 85 in the central German town of Huenfeld. Zuse is credited with building in 1941 the world's first fully functioning computer system, the Z3. The machine, programmed with punched tape, featured a binary calculation system with 600 relays. CompuServe Hits 4 Million Mark (Dec. 23): CompuServe Inc. said the worldwide membership of the CompuServe Information Service has surpassed 4 million individuals. The company reported that more than 20,0000 new members are joining the service each month, with local dial-up access now available in more than 140 countries. CompuServe officials are optimistic about prospects in the new year. Intel Investing in Phoenix Tech (Dec. 27): Intel Corp. is investing $10.9 million in Phoenix Technologies Ltd., which specializes in software used in PC design and manufacturing, giving the chip giant a 6 percent stake, with an option to add another 7 percent over the following four years. Navigating CompuServe: STR Focus NavCIS is the NAME of the GAME! Dvorak hurtles into the 21st century with NavCIS Dvorak Development & Publishing Corporation, the Louisville, Colorado, company that produces second-generation navigators that help users get around in cyberspace, is strengthening its play for the fast-growing consumer market. NavCIS, the flagship product among an impressive family of cyberspace navigation products, smartly positions Dvorak for the coming explosive growth. NavCIS is a next generation off-line navigation program, essentially an intelligent "search engine" designed to work in concert with the well-known CompuServe Information Service. With 3.8 million users and growing, CompuServe dominates the commercial online market, turning an impressive profit of $102 million (before taxes) on sales of $429 million in 1994. CompuServe is acknowledged as the biggest of the Big Three (America Online and Prodigy being second and third respectively). With the recent addition of its newly acquired SPRY web browser (a first-generation online Internet browser), access to the Internet's Usenet, and a fourth-quarter upgrade of its online information manager, WinCIM, new subscriptions on CompuServe are exploding, with well over 100,000 new subscribers signing up each month. In addition to NavCIS' sophisticated auto-navigation features, NavCIS includes amenities such as a built-in spell checker, a viewer for graphic files such as Windows bitmaps, JPEG photos, and other graphic file types, and is the only software which allows users to send and receive alternative fonts including Arial, Times Roman, and WingDings, in e-mail and forum messages. Consumers by far out-distance traditional business and educational users in terms of new subscriptions. According to one enthusiastic user, "It has actually changed my life . I get a lot more out of CompuServe, and I can do so without feeling guilty about tying up the phone line; thanks for a GREAT product!". Dvorak markets NavCIS directly through the CompuServe Information Service through its forum, aptly named "DVORAK." To visit Dvorak's CompuServe forum, GO DVORAK. NavCIS for Windows is available in a 30-day trial version that can be downloaded directly from CompuServe. This free trial version, called NavCIS TE, works for 30 days from the first day a user logs onto CompuServe with it. NavCIS TE requires a 386/33 or faster, 4mb of RAM, a VGA or higher resolution monitor, Windows 3.1 or higher (works with Windows 95 as well), and of course, an active CompuServe account. To download NavCIS TE: GO DVORAK, library 1, and download the file, WPROTE.EXE. NavCIS Pro for Windows and Windows 95 ($69) is Dvorak's flagship product, adding sophisticated search features and cutting-edge technology. Dvorak Development & Publishing Corporation develops second-generation off-line navigators, software programs that supercharge cybersurfing. The company is based in Louisville, Colorado, and was founded in 1992 by John C. Dvorak, chairman, and Mike Ceranski, president and CEO. The company employs 15, including a full time German speaking specialist who handles Dvorak's growing numbers of Europeans. Dvorak Development has a unique two-pronged strategy: to specialize in next-generation navigation tools for cyberspace, and to ensure their products work on a wide range of information services including CompuServe, the Internet, Prodigy, and soon, America Online and Microsoft Network. An explanation is in order: imagine the Internet (or a similar cybernet like CompuServe) as a skyscraper. Once inside, it's an awful mystery just to get around. The rooms don't have signs, nobody's manning the information desk, even the elevators are hard to find. A first-generation browser would search floor-by-floor and room-by-room to see what's there. A second-generation navigator, on the other hand, already possesses a blueprint of the skyscraper's layout and is smart enough to know which floor, room, and file cabinet to look into for information. The proven success of NavCIS for CompuServe, the company's flagship product among an impressive family of products, has already positioned Dvorak to make a play for the fast-growing online market. Dvorak's newest Windows and Windows 95 product, OUI (Off-line Usenet Interface), builds on that success and is designed for navigating the complex Usenet, an Internet subnetwork that is one of the fastest-growing networks in cyberworld (use is expected to double over the next 18 months). A fourth-quarter Dvorak product, called NavStar, is the Prodigy equivalent of NavCIS and OUI and is designed to work on the Prodigy Information Service. All three programs are marketed and distributed directly through cyberspace: NavCIS and OUI through the DVORAK forum on CompuServe, OUI via the Web, and NavStar directly through the NAVSTAR Bulletin Board on Prodigy. Many consumers find the prospect of searching for and gathering information on diffuse databases, newsgroups, forums, and bulletin boards to be a daunting task. "Saving money, saving time, and ease-of-use. Those are the three dominant issues among online consumers today," says Ceranski of Dvorak Development. "Our Windows products, NavCIS, OUI, and NavStar solve these problems by easing the demands on the clock and the pocketbook while lowering the frustration factor." In sum, intelligent navigators accelerate the process of finding useful information, allow the user to review the gathered information while off- line (thereby saving hourly charges), and finesse the need for super- technical know-how since they already posses plenty of built-in "cyberspace intelligence." With the addition of the Internet pathway, CompuServe and Prodigy now provide easy gateways to the Internet subnetworks-- Usenet and the World Wide Web. And with the number of first-time users growing exponentially, Dvorak makes things easier and less expensive for them. To visit Dvorak's CompuServe forum, GO DVORAK. If using the Web, the URL is http://www.dvorak.com, and users can download timed trial versions from ftp.dvorak.com. Prodigy users can JUMP DVORAK to find out more about NavStar. Contact Mike Ceranski, president of Dvorak Development, for more information What's HMI? CompuServe's change to NISA forums December 26, 1995 CompuServe, as many of you have read, is changing over to NISA. What does that mean? "NISA" is an acronym and stands for "New Information Server Architecture". Essentially, it means CompuServe is upgrading both its computers (called "host-servers") and its host software. They are replacing the old mini-computers that act as the current host- servers, and replacing them with PCs running Windows NT. These new 32-bit host-servers will be running new software as well. This software controls forums, e- mail, and special interest areas such as ENS (Executive News Service). Why is CompuServe doing this? It's the price of success. CompuServe is adding thousands of new users each day. This is taxing their current host-servers and software enormously and will soon be unable to keep up with demands. Already, many of you have experienced problems related to too much traffic. Unfortunately, the conversion process to NISA will not be painless. The fact is, CompuServe is moving into uncharted territory. Phenomenal growth is forcing them to address expanding their network (the number and location of modems available for us, the general public, to call), implement a new server architecture, upgrade the host-side software, and do all this while keeping up a good level of service. A humongous task. The advantages to switching over to NISA: ú Able to "grow" the system to support increased traffic easily. ú Increased reliability of the forums. ú Faster data access. The disadvantages: ú The changeover from old hosts to new hosts will not be seamless for a while. ú While online, going from an old server to a new NISA server takes time. Our experience indicates as much as 30 to 45 seconds. This should go away as CompuServe learns how best to handle it. ú Unexpected hangs may cause forum or e-mail to be temporarily unavailable during the switch-over. Part of the NISA conversion is the switch-over to HMI protocol only. This is why we are coming out with a new version of NavCIS. In NavCIS 1.75 we have replaced our ASCII command communications engine with a new one based on CompuServe's HMI communications toolbox (this is the same comm engine that WinCIM uses). This represents a huge amount of work for us, and has taken two engineers nearly three months to accomplish. NavCIS using HMI is faster in some areas than previous versions of NavCIS (notably header and message downloading) and somewhat slower in others (such as file downloading). These changes are forced upon us by HMI, and there's not much we can do about it except to encourage CompuServe to improve performance in future versions of the HMI toolbox. NavCIS v1.75 is free to customers who have bought previous versions of NavCIS. As we've stated, "all upgrades are free within the version 1.x series". Though it would make good economic sense for us to have called this version 2.0 and charge an upgrade fee, we are unwilling to do that. You've given us your support, and this is how we chose to show our appreciation. When NavCIS 1.75 comes out, we hope you enjoy it and find it as easy to use as previous versions. The advantages of switching to HMI: ú CompuServe is quickly moving to HMI-only, so failing to do so means our product would eventually not work at all. ú HMI is more robust than the ASCII command protocol. For instance, when CompuServe makes a change to a forum's name, HMI can still find the forum while ASCII-based navigators cannot. ú NavCIS v1.75 works with CompuServe's Internet Dialer and Winsock, allowing you to be online and using NavCIS and CompuServe's Mosaic Web Browser at the same time. ú NavCIS v1.75 supports popular corporate networking mechanisms such as Int14 and X.25. If it works with inCIM, it will work with NavCIS v1.75. ú HMI is being constantly improved and added to. New functions and features are being added by CompuServe. Combined with the advantages of NISA, the new NISA-HMI system will bring a very strong yet flexible synergy to CompuServe. ú Speed increases in messaging and related functions. The disadvantages of switching to HMI: ú Slower file transfer speeds due to smaller packet sizes. CompuServe intends to address this in the next version of the HMI toolbox. We'll be uploading NavCIS v1.75 fairly soon, possibly before year's end. We have a large and very active beta test group and they've been doing their best to find problems and bugs. We are lucky to have such a dedicated and hard working group of beta testers, and you will certainly benefit from their labors. Version 1.75 is, in my opinion, the best version of NavCIS we've ever built. About different versions of NavCIS 1.75: ú NavCIS Pro will be the first version we release (LIB 15). ú NavCIS TE, our 30 day Timed Edition will follow within a few days. ú NavCIS SE, the Special Edition, will be phased out. ú NavCIS SO, the SysOp version, will follow. This version, designed for CompuServe Sysops, will require the new HMI toolbox and will take a lot of work and effort. Engineering estimates run from as little as 4 weeks to as much as 12 weeks. We do not have an exact estimate... there are too many unknowns at this point. However, we will be creating an SO version as quickly as we can. -Mike Ceranski, CEO Dvorak Development McAfee Version 2.2.8 STR InfoFile What's New in VirusScan Version 2.2.8 (9512) Copyright 1994, 1995 by McAfee, Inc. All Rights Reserved. These release notes cover what is new in VirusScan 2.2.8 and the December DAT release (9512) of VirusScan for DOS, VirusScan for Windows, VirusScan for OS/2, VirusScan for Windows 95, VirusScan for NT and VShield. Vshield 2.2.8 You will need VShield 2.2.8 in order to use these DAT files with VShield for DOS. New features for VirusScan 2.2.8 and OS/2 Scan 2.2.8: /CLEAN /FORCE When confronted with a boot sector virus, /CLEAN /FORCE tells VirusScan to forcibly remove the virus using its generic remover capabilities. For MBR infecting viruses, this is similar to the use of FDISK /MBR. /NODOC In 2.2.7, we introduced .DOT and .DOC into the default list of files checked when you run Scan. /NODOC forces DOT and DOC files not to be checked. Some of our users requested this flexibility. /CONTACTFILE Display contents of when a virus is found. Previously it worked only for viruses found during disk scan. Now, it also applies to viruses found during memory scan. OS2SCAN 2.2.8 Creating a Clean Boot Disk: When creating a clean OS/2 boot disk, it is necessary to copy the file NLS.DLL to the disk as well as OS2SCAN.EXE and *.DAT. The file NLS.DLL is part of standard OS/2. The path where it can be found is: \OS2\DLL\NLS.DLL About Macro viruses... Included in this ZIP file is a self-extracting archive, MVTOOL10.EXE, being distributed by Microsoft. It is a way to protect yourself against the Concept virus, as well as to warn you against document files that contain macros without your knowledge. To make use of it, execute the program: MVTOOL10.EXE 40732 bytes It will create these files: README.DOC 36864 10-02-95 1:08p SCANPROT.DOT 49152 10-02-95 3:44p Enter Word and read the README.DOC to see if the package is suitable for your environment. Removal of macro viruses directly from within VirusScan will soon be made available. If you wish to help us test the beta, please check our beta area on our Web Site (www.mcafee.com) in the download area. Detectors added or updated in the 9512 DAT file (106): AC.1400 HLLO.7227 ACIDWARP HLLO.41714 AEP.2518 HOME SWEAP.658 AMZ.1100 HYDRA.1657 ANARCHIST.478 IMI.1536.G ANARKEY.1179 ITTI.161 ANTI PASCAL.400.A IVP.939 ANTI PASCAL.400.B IVP.FLIPPER.872 ANTI PASCAL.407 KOHNTARK.KOMPANION.268 ANTI PASCAL.440.A/B LEPROSO.1221 ANTI PASCAL.480.A/B MAGIC DOLLAR ANTITB MIREA_II.4157 AUSTRALIAN PARASITE.306.A MNEMONIX.NEUROPATH.928 AUSTRALIAN PARASITE.482.A MOSQUITO.768 BEDA.1530 MRTINY.155 BROTHER MZBOOT.B CIVILWAR.RATBOY.303 PC FLU.763 COITO.644 PS-MPC.670 COP-COM.286 REKLAMA.2723 COP-COM.287 RTL CREATIVE.877 SCRATCH.554 DAEMAEN.2041.B SEMTEX.686 DARK_AVENGER.OLIVER SEPULTURA.2136 DEI.1526 SHARK.1027 DSME.DEMO SHARK.B EAF.656 SHIFTER.983 EMF SHZ END-OF.788 SILLYRC.414 ERRORINC.465 SIRIUS.640 EVOLUTION.2770 SISTER EVOLVE.2770 SMALL COMPANION.160 EXEHEADER.FUNKED.425.C SMALL.65 EXEHEADER.PURE.DE'BUGER.427 SMASH FAIRZ.2340 SPM.A FOGGY.91 STONED.IVT FOGGY.129 STONED.PC-AT FOGGY.149 TRIVIAL.123 FOGGY.188 VACSINA.VACSINA-LOADER.A FOGGY.220 VCL.DIAL.600 FOGGY.228 VIENNA.BYTEWARRIOR FOGGY.256.A VIENNA.M1.B FOGGY.256.B VME_1.DEMO FOGGY.292 VRD FOGGY.300 WEREWOLF.658 FOGGY.382 FOGGY.420 FOGGY.444 GIRL.2273 HIPERION.249 HLL.4075 HLL.4629 HLL.6167 HLL.8902 HLL.12304 HLL.BIRTHDAY.5824 HLL.KASIENKA HLL.MERCURY HLL.SAURON HLL.VOVA.8896 HLL.VOVA.9904 HLLC.4768.B HLLO.4032.B Removers added or updated in the 9512 DAT file (37): ANTI PASCAL.400.A ANTI PASCAL.400.B ANTI PASCAL.407 ANTI PASCAL.440.A/B ANTI PASCAL.480.A/B DARK_AVENGER.OLIVER DVD.455 FOGGY.91 FOGGY.129 FOGGY.149 FOGGY.188 FOGGY.220 FOGGY.228 FOGGY.256.A FOGGY.256.B FOGGY.292 FOGGY.300 FOGGY.382 FOGGY.420 FOGGY.444 FREDDY_2.1 HI.802 HOME SWEAP.658 HYDRA.1657 MRTINY.155 OVER1644 PS-MPC.670 QUICKSILVER.1376 (Needs 2.2.8 Executable) SAYAWATP SHEHAS SMALL COMPANION.160 STONED.ZAPPA SVC.2936.C SVC.2936.D TRIVIAL.123 VIENNA.648.LISBON WEREWOLF.658 False Alarms fixed: HLL.4984 KILROY NOKERNEL (BOOT) OVER1644 PS-MPC.ARCV.3 THIEF Significant virus name change: Breasts -> SheHas Yale -> Alameda Top active viruses other than those presented above: AntiCmos (alias: Lixi) Byway.A (*) Byway.B (*) Concept Da'Boys (**) Junkie MonkeyA MonkeyB Natas NYB (alias: B1) Ripper Sampo (*) To remove Byway, boot up with the virus in memory. Copy all executable files to floppy, with a non-executable extension. Copy all the data files off. Format harddisk. Replace files. (**) To remove Da'Boys from a hard disk infection, one needs to boot from a clean corresponding DOS version and execute the command "SYS C:". A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N FARGO PRIMERA PRO COLOR PRINTERS - 600DPI For a limited time only; If you wish to have a FREE sample printout sent to you that demonstrates FARGO Primera & Primera Pro SUPERIOR QUALITY 600dpi 24 bit Photo Realistic Color Output, please send a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope [SASE] (business sized envelope please) to: STReport's Fargo Printout Offer P.O. Box 6672 Jacksonville, Florida 32205-6155 Folks, the FARGO Primera Pro has GOT to be the best yet. Its far superior to the newest of Color Laser Printers selling for more than three times as much. Its said that ONE Picture is worth a thousand words. Send for this sample now. Guaranteed you will be amazed at the superb quality. (please, allow at least a one week turn-around) A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N Apple/Mac Section John Deegan, Editor EDUPAGE STR Focus Keeping the users informed A New Year AT&T Search For Identity Results In Massive Layoffs E-Mail-Tap Nets Criminals CD-ROM Software Sales Soar Huge Corporate Upgrade In Store Apple Gains In Market Share, Loses Revenue DVD Slated To Be Electronics Show Star Number Portability Atari Plans PC Games -- 3-D PacMan? What States Have The Information Technology Jobs? Smart Cards To Make American Debut At Olympics NetDay In California Another New Year's Greeting ALSO The Telecom Bill Controversy Reactions To Compuserve's Action Against Cyberporn Europe Gearing Up For Home Stretch On Info-Highway Tech Stocks -- Sizzle, Not Fizzle India's New Software Powerhouse Spy Viruses Global Information Infrastructure A NEW YEAR A new year, a new chance ... All of us wish you a very happy, prosperous and peaceful new year! ... Toute l'equipe d'Edupage vous souhaite que 1996 soit une tres bonne annee, remplie de paix et de prosperite! ... Wir alle wuenschen Ihnen ein sehr gluckliches, reiches und friedliches neues Jahr! ... Nagyon boldog, sikerekben gazdag, be'ke's u'j esztendo"t ki'va'nunk! ... ANU MEACHLIM LACHEM SHNAT SIMCHA, SHNAT SIGSUG VE-SHALOM Auguriamo a tutti un anno nuovo felicissimo, prosperoso e pieno di pace! ... Me ko~ik soovime Teile o~nnelikku, edukat ja rahulikku uut aastat! ... Todos nos desejamos a voces um ano novo muito feliz, prospero e cheio de paz! .. Todos nosotros les deseamos un muy feliz, prospero y pacifico Ano Nuevo! TELECOM BILL CONTROVERSY The proposed major telecommunications legislation put forward by a House- Senate conference committee continues to be under attack as a "giveaway" to broadcasting companies, which would be given a valuable portion of the radio spectrum for TV stations to roll out high-definition television. The licenses are estimated to be worth as much as $70 billion if they were auctioned in the same manner as the new wireless phone service licenses. (New York Times 30 Dec 95 p21) REACTIONS TO CompuServe's ACTION AGAINST CYBERPORN Complaints have poured in to CompuServe forums, following the decision of the commercial online provider to prevent its 4 million subscribers from accessing sex-oriented portions of the Internet, after the company was pressured by criminal prosecutors in Germany. CompuServe had no way to block German subscribers from such material without depriving subscribers throughout the world. Civil liberties groups have been outraged by the company's action, while a spokesman for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children said, "That's electronic citizenship." (Atlanta Journal- Constitution 30 Dec 95 E2) EUROPE GEARING UP FOR HOME STRETCH ON INFO-HIGHWAY A recent report by Gemini Consulting shows 74% of telecommunications professionals believe that Europe will have its high-speed communications infrastructure in place within 10 years. Driving the transformation will be future competition among telephone markets and common European standards for technology. Obstacles include Europe's traditionally strong, local cultural heritage. (Investor's Business Daily 2 Jan 95 A10) TECH STOCKS -- SIZZLE, NOT FIZZLE After driving much of the current stock market boom since mid-1994, technology stocks are expected to remain hot through the next few years: "We're only in the middle of a long, multiyear technology cycle," says a Morgan Stanley analyst. While networking gear manufacturers seem assured of continued prosperity, software gains are expected primarily for those companies that focus on the corporate market rather than the home user. (Business Week 25 Dec-1 Jan 96 p86) INDIA'S NEW SOFTWARE POWERHOUSE The number of Indian software export companies has exploded in the past five years, from seven to more than 130, providing jobs for more than 100,000 programmers. Revenues reached about $500 million for the year ending March 31, 1995, about 50% higher than the previous year. "The industry is changing," says the head of one Indian software firm. "American customers now demand code that is rigorous, methodical and reengineerable. Indians know how to do it that way." (Forbes ASAP 4 Dec 95 p74) SPY VIRUSES Syndicated columnist Gina Smith predicts a proliferation of computer "spy" viruses similar to Microsoft Windows 95's registration wizard that can zip around your CPU and determine whether you've legally registered all the software you've got loaded on there: "It's already possible to do this sort of scanning without alerting the user, so it doesn't take much of a futurist to imagine the same sort of stealth technology being used on unknowing bulletin board and Internet users. In fact, I think a trend away from juvenile-prank computer viruses to information-seeking `spy' viruses isn't merely likely, it's inevitable." (Popular Science Dec 95 p12) GLOBAL INFORMATION INFRASTRUCTURE Harvard's Kennedy School of Government is hosting a symposium 25-27 Jan 96 to consider national and international Information Infrastructure policy issues.Info:eshan@ksgrsch.harvard.edu or . AT&T SEARCH FOR IDENTITY RESULTS IN MASSIVE LAYOFFS AT&T is eliminating 40,000 of it 300,000 jobs in order to prepare for competition in a swiftly changing telecommunications industry. The company is splitting into three separate companies, with AT&T retaining the core long-distance telephone business but spinning off the equipment manufacturing and computer units. AT&T's head of financial relations explains: "We decided to ask ourselves, what kind of company do you want to be? What kind of customers would you focus on, what kinds of products would you have? How big do you want to be, and how do you want to be organized?" (New York Times 4 Jan 96 A1) E-MAIL-TAP NETS CRIMINALS The first-ever court-approved wiretap of an e-mail account has resulted in the arrest of three people charged with running a sophisticated cellular- fraud ring. The alleged mastermind, a German electrical engineer, advertised his illicit wares on CompuServe, where they caught the attention of an engineer at AT&T's wireless unit. The Secret Service and the Drug Enforcement Agency then got into the act and obtained the Justice Dept.'s permission to intercept e-mail messages between the alleged perpetrator and his accomplices. "This case represents the challenges in the future if we can't get ahead of the curve in technology," says a U.S. attorney, whose office is prosecuting the case. (Wall Street Journal 2 Jan 96 p16) CD-ROM SOFTWARE SALES SOAR The Software Publishers Association reports that second quarter 1995 sales of CD-ROM software totaled $291.7 million, up 225% from the same period last year. Windows-compatible products accounted for 71% of total sales. Entertainment unit sales remain the largest unit category, but their lower price points generate lower overall revenues. Business products, though lowest in terms of units, lead in sales revenue. Home education sales for first half '95 were $59.3 million, up 136% from $21.6 million in first half 1994. (Heller Report Jan 96) HUGE CORPORATE UPGRADE IN STORE Computer industry analyst Seymour Merrin sees strong PC sales growth as consumers and businesses struggle to keep up with software that demands ever- more-powerful machines, complaining all the while about increasingly short product lifecycles: "Yes, there's a limit (to product cycles) if you're a consumer. On the corporate side, it's different. Senior executives are suffering from speed deprivation. They have a faster computer at home than they do in the office. And they're all over the information systems people to get new technology. You're going to have a one-time increase in turnover in the corporation over the next 24 months to 36 months." (Investor's Business Daily 2 Jan 96 A10) APPLE GAINS IN MARKET SHARE, LOSES REVENUE Apple Computer's strategy of slashing prices and raising inventory has netted it 9.3% of the worldwide PC market this past fall, up from 7.9% mid- year, but at a significant cost -- the computer maker is expected to post a $5 million loss for the Christmas quarter, down from a $178 million profit on sales of $2.8 billion for the same quarter a year ago. CEO Spindler isn't about to back away from his strategy now -- dealers are predicting Apple will cut prices 10% in January on some PowerBook laptops and high-end 9500 Power Macs. Insiders worry that workforce reductions will be used to balance the books until the computer maker can recover from its recent round of red ink. (Business Week 8 Jan 95 p33) DVD SLATED TO BE ELECTRONICS SHOW STAR As electronics retailers flock to the 1996 Winter Consumer Electronics Show, most are predicting that the new high-density digital video disks (DVDs) will steal the show. DVDs are expected, over time, to replace videocassettes, laser discs, audio CDs and CD-ROMs. The first DVD players will be designed to play movies and will appear on the shelves by next fall at a cost of $500 to $800. Other eye-catching products include the new digital camcorders that allow users to output home movies to their PCs for editing, and the Compaq-Fisher Price line of kid-oriented computer peripherals. (Investor's Business Daily 4 Jan 95 A8) NUMBER PORTABILITY The CRTC has ordered Canada's phone companies to prepare for local service competition by developing a system that allows consumers to take their phone number with them if they change service providers. Phone companies have opposed portability because it serves as an incentive to competition, according to the Public Interest Advocacy Center. The group adds that recent licensing of personal communications services may provide an impetus to portability. (Toronto Globe & Mail, 2 Jan 96 B3) ATARI PLANS PC GAMES -- 3-D PACMAN? In a move to diversify beyond the video-game market, Atari Interactive will produce games for PCs. Much of the new material will be recycled video from the company's 1980s heyday, updated with 3-D graphics and stereo sound to run on high-end PCs. "We have a library of video-game titles, and we want to put some of those games on the PC," says the president of Atari's North American operations. (Wall Street Journal 3 Jan 96 B4) WHAT STATES HAVE THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY JOBS? In terms of payrolls for computer industry employment, the leading states are California ($17.7 billion), with Texas a distant second ($4 billion), followed by Massachusetts ($3.3 billion) and New York ($3 billion). (New York Times 1 Jan 96 p34) SMART CARDS TO MAKE AMERICAN DEBUT AT OLYMPICS The "smart cards" that are moving us to a cashless society will make their mass-use debut in the United States at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, where Visa and a number of regional banks will market about a million of the cards in denominations ranging from $10 to $100. The cards contain a microchip that stores a monetary value that is reduced as purchases are made with the card. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution 2 Jan 96 E1) NETDAY IN CALIFORNIA Organizers of NetDay96 (March 9) say tens of thousands of parents, students, teachers, and volunteer engineers from California's high-tech companies will participate in installing network wiring for at least five classrooms and a library in many of California's ten thousand public and private schools. ANOTHER NEW YEAR'S GREETING Here is another New Year's greeting, in a language that will soon be used for another translation of Edupage: Xin Yi Nian, Xin Qi Xiang. Zhong Xin Zhu Fu Ge Xia You Yi Ge Mei Hao, Feng Sheng De Yi Nian. (The greeting was a little late for our own New Year's, but not for those who speak the language shown.) Edupage is written by John Gehl (gehl@educom.edu) & Suzanne Douglas (douglas@educom.edu). Voice: 404-371-1853, Fax: 404-371-8057. Technical support is provided by the Office of Information Technology, University of North Carolina. EDUPAGE is what you've just finished reading. To subscribe to Edupage: send a message to: listproc@educom.unc.edu and in the body of the message type: subscribe edupage Marvin Minsky (assuming that your name is Marvin Minsky; if it's not, substitute your own name). ... To cancel, send a message to: listproc@educom.unc.edu and in the body of the message type: unsubscribe edupage... Subscription problems: educom@educom.unc.edu. EDUCOM REVIEW is our bimonthly print magazine on learning, communications, and information technology. Subscriptions are $18 a year in the U.S.; send mail to offer@educom.edu. When you do, we'll ring a little bell, because we'll be so happy! Choice of bell is yours: a small dome with a button, like the one on the counter at the dry cleaners with the sign "Ring bell for service"; or a small hand bell; or a cathedral bell; or a door bell; or a chime; or a glockenspiel. Your choice. But ring it! EDUCOM UPDATE is our twice-a-month electronic summary of organizational news and events. To subscribe to the Update: send a message to: listproc@educom.unc.edu and in the body of the message type: subscribe update John McCarthy (assuming that your name is John McCarthy; if it's not, substitute your own name). INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE The CAUSE organization's annual conference on information technology in higher education is scheduled for the end of this month in New Orleans. The conference will bring together administrators, academicians and other managers of information resources. For full conference information check out or send e-mail to conf@cause.colorado.edu. ARCHIVES & TRANSLATIONS. For archive copies of Edupage or Update, ftp or gopher to educom.edu or see URL: < http://www.educom.edu/>. For the French edition of Edupage, send mail to edupage-fr@ijs.com with the subject "subscribe"; or see < http://www.ijs.com >. For the Hebrew edition, send mail to listserv@kinetica.co.il containing : SUBSCRIBE Leketnet-Word6 or see < http://www.kinetica.co.il/ newsletters/leketnet/ >. For the Hungarian edition, send mail to: send mail to subs.edupage@hungary.com. An Italian edition is available on Agora' Telematica; connection and/or free subscription via BT-Tymnet and Sprint (login: