Silicon Times Report The Original Independent OnLine Magazine" (Since 1987) January 19, 1996 No. 1203 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! 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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: 1/13/96: 3 of 6 numbers with 2 matches in 2 plays From the Editor's Desk... Its editorial time. and as I've had plenty to say elsewhere in this issue, I'll keep this short. Intel has finally made better arrangements relative to the distribution of the Triton Bus Mastering Drivers. Thankfully, somebody is listening. Now, if only a fire can be lit under Canon's posterior. The 32 bit scanner drivers are pitifully late. (more than six months with lame excuses) It obvious they have many of their valued customers thoroughly alienated. Apple is seemingly on the "hard and bumpy road" to stay. Some of you may remember it being noted here well over a year ago.. that if.. Apple didn't wake up they too, would join the Amiga and the Atari in as little as five years. They have yet to wake up in Cupertino. One can only wonder how strong ego is or, how long it can last over hunger. Apple has deeper pockets but they're blowing it big time. Watch the headlines over the next few weeks . "you ain't seen nuthin' yet!" Oh well, keep warm my northern friends.. Its been a rough winter so far. On the southern end of the west coast they have summer like weather and here we are seeing an early spring. It must be the work of those gray skinned, big eyed guys out at Groome Lake. Talk at y'all later. 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. 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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 Feds Drop Zimmermann PGP Case Federal prosecutors have dropped a 28-month investigation reportedly into the possibility of prosecuting famed programmer Philip Zimmermann for allowing distribution of his "Pretty Good Privacy" cryptography software on the Internet. In San Francisco, U.S. Attorney Michael Yamaguchi said in a statement his office declined to prosecute any individuals for posting the PGP program on the Net, but did not identify any individuals targeted in the probe. However, attorney Phil Dubois, representing the 41-year-old Zimmermann, has the investigation had targeted his client. Authorities originally were concerned the program violated U.S. export laws. Writing in The Wall Street Journal this morning, reporter William M. Bulkeley notes Zimmermann developed PGP in 1990 because he believed computer users needed protection from government monitoring in order to communicate freely. "After someone placed it on the Internet it was quickly disseminated around the world," Bulkeley says. "Mr. Zimmermann, of Boulder, Colorado, became a folk hero to electronic-freedom advocates, protest groups and so- called cypher-phreaks." However, export of high-quality encryption is illegal, "presumably because of government fears that it would prevent monitoring of data communications," says the Journal. "The U.S. attorney's office in San Jose, California, notified Mr. Zimmermann in September 1993 that he was a target of a grand jury investigation." Late yesterday, William Keane, assistant U.S. attorney in San Jose, declined to comment on reasons the government decided against pursuing the case, telling the Journal, "This decision shouldn't be interpreted as meaning anything. I caution people against concluding the Internet is now free for export." Meanwhile, Zimmermann recently developed PGP Phone, a software program that turns a computer equipped with a microphone into a secure voice telephone. Zimmermann's situation aroused widespread interest, with the PGP software becoming a prime example for critics of U.S. software export policies. "Many experts on cryptography argued that the world-wide availability of PGP rendered absurd the government restrictions on sending encryption overseas," the Journal comments. Attorney Shari Steele of the Electronic Frontier Foundation told the paper, "We are so excited that the Justice Department has finally realized they don't have any facts to pursue this witch hunt." And Curtis Karnow, a San Francisco intellectual-property lawyer who worked with Zimmermann's legal team, says, "It's very difficult to know what the government was thinking," when it dropped the case. He says the prosecutor may have been "affected by Phil Zimmermann's folk-hero status. Thousands of people see Phil as a voice of conscience and someone who has dedicated his life to protecting people's rights." PGP enables computer users to encrypt their electronic mail to assure that only the recipient is able to read it. It uses a method called public- key encryption, in which someone wanting to receive encrypted electronic mail puts a "public key" on the Internet. Anyone wanting to send a message to that person can use the public key to convert it into code. But the recipient has to have another key -- a "private key" -- to decode it. "I'm just really pleased that the sword of Damocles is not over me anymore and I wonder why it took so long," Zimmermann told Associated Press writer Elizabeth Weise in a phone interview from his home in Boulder. "This is not just for spies anymore. It's for the rest of us. The information age is here. The rest of us need cryptography to conduct our business." Simson Garfinkel, who wrote a book about the program, comments, "Zimmermann never exported Pretty Good Privacy, so the U.S. Attorney seemed to be missing the point. Unfortunately there still is no clear ruling from our government as to whether or not making software available on the Internet counts as exporting it." Marc Rotenberg of the Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington told AP, "The case was part of the government effort to crack down on good technologies for privacy. We hope the government's decision signals a rethinking of federal policy in this very important area." For more on PGP, visit the Electronic Frontier Foundation Forum (GO EFFSIG). Pretty Good Privacy is available on the Internet's World Wide Web at Web address http://www.epic.org/privacy/tools.html. Sony Denies Apple Rumor Sony Corp. says a message circulating on the Internet concerning the company's purported offer to acquire Apple Computer Inc. isn't true. Sony reports that the message, allegedly from Sony President Nobuyuki Idei to Apple CEO Michael Spindler, is a hoax. The Tokyo-based consumer electronics giant says it is investigating the situation and would consider legal action against those responsible. Sony notes that its policy is not to comment on any rumored or possible acquisition transactions. Apple, which is losing both money and key executives, has been the rumored acquisition target of Sony and several other companies for many months. Apple Dropping Low-Cost Macs? Rumors are circulating in California that, as part of its widely anticipated restructuring, Apple Computer Inc. is considering a departure from the low-cost Macintosh business. Reporting from San Francisco, Therese Poletti of the Reuter News Service quotes industry sources as saying Apple is expected to announce this week that it will stop producing low-cost Macs. "Analysts are widely expecting Apple to announce its layoffs and a yet-to-be determined restructuring charge Wednesday, after the close of the U.S. stocks markets. Estimates for the layoffs are from 1,300 to up to 3,000." Actually, the MacWeek trade publication is reporting Apple will hand pink slips to 3,700 of its 14,000 employees, "but some said they believed that number may be too high," says Poletti, adding, "Apple executives are believed to be huddled in their offices working on the final details of their plans." Said one industry analyst who asked not to be identified, "They are going to have to focus on computers that have at least 20 points in margin. What is under consideration is, do we want to be all things to everybody? Or do we let some of the clone guys do it." The analyst added this decision will involve all Macs that cost less than $1,500. Reuters notes that currently the low-cost Macs make up about 15 percent to 20 percent of Apple's total revenues, which were $11 billion in fiscal 1995. "If Apple embarks on this move," says the wire service, "it will likely have to encourage more low-cost computer makers to license the Macintosh operating system and therefore, become Mac clone makers. Currently, there are only two Macintosh clone makers, Power Computing Corp. of Austin, Texas, and UMAX of Taiwan." Adds Poletti, "There are still many buyers of premium Macintosh systems costing over $1,500, with the heftier profit margins of 20 percent of revenues and above. And Apple would still get revenues, of approximately $40 per unit sold, from its licensing of the much-loved Macintosh operating system." The unidentified analyst also comment, "The sense we are getting is Apple will finally admit we can't be everything, we can't put out machines that don't make money, and they will focus on the things they do best." Spindler May Leave Apple A California newspaper reports Apple Computer Inc. CEO Michael Spindler may be among the thousands of employees to leave the company when a restructuring is announced this week. Quoting sources close to the company, The Los Angeles Times reports the 53-year-old Spindler may decide to leave partly because of health problems. The sources told the paper Spindler suffers from high blood pressure and has often been under doctors' orders to stay away from the office. Also Apple watchers say Spindler's health problems could provide the board of directors with a simple way to ease him out. As reported earlier, analysts are widely expecting Apple to announce layoffs, with estimates of affected employees ranging from 1,300 to up to 3,000. (Apple currently employs 13,000 workers). Also there are renewed reports that Apple may soon be sold. United Press International comments this morning, "Some analysts have been hesitant to blame Spindler, who succeeded John Sculley two years ago, for all of Apple's problems since the decisions that led to its current status were made long before he arrived -- specifically, the failure to license the Mac operating system enabled Microsoft Corp. to set the standard on how PCs run." Dorfman Says Apple May Be Sold Financial correspondent Dan Dorfman of TV's CNBC says he has learned a director at Apple Computer Inc. recently told a large shareholder it may be time to sell the computer maker. According to the Dow Jones news service, Dorfman said the director told the shareholder, a money manager with large holdings, that Apple actively should solicit bona fide offers. It is unclear, Dorfman said, whether such an offer has been discussed formally or informally among the directors, but that possible suitors include IBM, Oracle Corp. and Sun Microsystems Inc. Dorfman says observers estimate a buyout at $50 a share or more than $6 billion. As reported earlier, since the middle of last year Apple has been the subject of a number of takeover rumors, possible, says Dow Jones, because some consider the stock inexpensive. "Despite its declining share of the computer market," the wire service adds, "it still has some attractive businesses, including its computer software operations." IBM, Sears Looking to Sell Prodigy? After investing more than $1 billion over the past decade, IBM and Sears, Roebuck & Co. reportedly are looking at whether to bail out of their joint ownership of the Prodigy online service. Writing in The Wall Street Journal this morning, reporters Bart Ziegler and Jared Sandberg, noting both IBM and Sears are commenting, quote industry executives as saying: ú Sears has retained investment bankers to explore selling its 50 percent stake in Prodigy, seeking as much as $500 million, and is looking at whether to sell the stake in a public offering. ú IBM has hired an investment banking firm of its own to study what to do with its half ownership. The paper says its sources say AT&T last month approached IBM about possibly buying Prodigy in its entirety with the cooperation of Sears, "but IBM is believed to be leaning against an AT&T deal, in part because it views the phone company as a competitor." "Moreover," adds the Journal, "AT&T may be less interested now, having just decided to phase out its own commercial online service in favor of an Internet-based service." The 12-year-old Prodigy "has only flirted with profitability," the Journal comments, "hampered by years of stodgy marketing, cartoonish graphics and, more recently, infighting between its parents." Ziegler and Sandberg say, "For IBM, Prodigy's plight poses a dilemma: Should it pour more money into Prodigy to redouble its turnaround efforts? Or should IBM cut its losses and sell out to focus on the Internet -- at the risk of seeing a competitor snap up the service and build it into a powerhouse? Sticking with the service could be expensive. By some estimates Prodigy needs $100 million a year to revamp in the next few years." The paper notes Sears for several months has had Goldman, Sachs & Co. trying to round up potential buyers, "but apparently sought too high a price. It also has been hindered by concern among potential buyers that IBM wanted to run the show." Under the terms of the Prodigy alliance, IBM can reject any potential purchaser of Sears's stake, and "IBM executives have said privately they want the upper hand in managing the company," the Journal says.) CompuAdd Lays Off Workers Financially troubled CompuAdd Corp., once one of the nation's largest personal computer makers, has laid off most of its 225 employees. Reporting from Austin, Texas, the Associated Press says managers told workers Monday the company would be turned over to its bankers. The wire service notes the action came a few days after a creditor lawsuit became public. 1st Tech, an Austin-based maker of computer memory modules, sued CompuAdd for $93,000 in unpaid debts. Also, CompuAdd said last week it had fired a "high-ranking company officer" after an audit last fall raised questions about financial practices. The company didn't identify the officer. Founded in 1982 by entrepreneur Bill Hayden, CompuAdd's growth for years matched that of crosstown rival Dell Computer Corp., reaching $500 million in sales in 1992. "But," notes AP, "its focus on retail sales began to unravel in 1993. The company's decision to close 110 stores that year prompted a Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring to settle the claims of landlords. CompuAdd has since focused on built-to-order PCs for companies and government agencies. The privately-held company also produced customized computers that serve as cash registers." Software Giants Settle BBS Case Microsoft Corp. and Novell Inc. say they have settled a major computer bulletin board system (BBS) piracy case. The software giants report they have reached a settlement with Scott W. Morris, who was doing business as the Assassins' Guild Bulletin Board Service, in what is believed to be the largest settlement ever with the operator of a pirate electronic BBS. The settlement concludes litigation filed by Microsoft and Novell in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. According to Microsoft and Novell, the agreement calls for Morris to pay $70,300 in cash and forfeit computer hardware valued at more than $40,000. Morris has also agreed to assist Microsoft and Novell in their continuing BBS investigations, say the firms. The Assassin's Guild billed itself as the worldwide headquarters for two large pirate groups, Pirates with an Attitude (PWA) and Razor 1911. U.S. Marshals raided Morris' residence last April. The BBS had been offering access to hundreds of pirated software products, including those published by Microsoft and Novell, to users throughout the United States and around the world over its state-of-the-art system. Marshals seized 13 computers, 11 modems, a satellite dish, 9GB of online data and more than 40GB of offline data storage dating back to 1992. "This case sets an important precedent for this industry," says Bob Kruger, enforcement director for the Business Software Alliance. "It sends a clear message to operators of bulletin boards who are illegally distributing copyright-protected software that they will be investigated and sued, or criminally prosecuted. It also sends a message to our industry that, large or small, no software publisher is immune from bulletin board piracy." While software publishers have scored several successes against the operators of pirate BBSes, the companies have had far less success catching individuals who distribute bootleg products via the Internet, where identities can be easily hidden. Exec-PC BBS Removes Erotica One of the nation's largest computer bulletin board systems has removed all its erotica files. Operators of Exec-PC of suburban New Berlin, Michigan, near Milwaukee indicate they feared a government crackdown. The BBS notified subscribers last week it had eliminated about 50,000 files of adult material, including pictures of porno stars and nude photos. The system has 700,000 electronic files offering everything from spreadsheet programs to X-rated graphics. Speaking with the Associated Press, founder Bob Mahoney said of the X- rated material, "Since it is only 7 percent of our service and it could result in the 100 percent loss of our business, the risk is not worth it." AP comments, "The move comes as authorities are cracking down on the use of computer networks to transmit child pornography and arrange sex with children, and as Congress considers legislation to ban online porn. Possession or transmission of pictures of children engaging in sexual activity is a federal offense." Mahoney told the wire service he feared that keeping the X-rated materials could result in his equipment being seized, even if no charges were filed. However, attorney Mike Godwin of the Electronic Frontier Foundation cyber-rights group observed, "He has a perfect right to choose what to carry, but it's a shame that he feels he has to exercise the right out of fear of what government might do. That's what constitutional lawyers call a chilling effect." Sculley Heads Software Firm Former Apple Computer Inc. chief John Sculley has taken an equity stake in a small California photo software firm called Live Picture Inc. of Soquel, where he also is serving as a "part-time" CEO. Reporting from San Francisco, the Reuter News Service quotes Sculley as saying he joined the firm in early 1995 and had bought a piece of the company, although he would not detail his holding. He says he continues to have a venture capital business in New York. The wire service notes Sculley was introduced by Live executives at a low-key press party earlier this week during the MacWorld Expo. The company was unveiling its 2.5 photo and imaging software that permits photographers and graphic artists to manipulate photos and other images -- through shape, color, shade, and resolution -- and allows them to be completed more quickly for clients, such as advertising agencies. Sculley told the wire service he believes the company's technology, which had been licensed by Eastman Kodak Co., could spread to the broader consumer market. He adds that a consumer could use the technology for a variety of "fun" ways to manipulate photographs, especially on the Internet. He says, too, the technology's wider use could come by next Christmas, when he expects such consumer products as digital cameras and low-cost color printers could hit the retail market and be used in conjunction with the Internet. Reuters says Kodak also owns a stake in Live, but that Sculley declined to elaborate or to detail the private firm's financial results. Kofax Finalizes Acquisition Kofax Image Products of Irvine, California, says it has finalized its acquisition of Tyngsboro, Massachusetts-based LaserData. The acquisition, which was originally announced late last year, includes all of LaserData's assets, which will now bear the Kofax name. The deal's terms weren't disclosed. LaserData's flagship product line is OS/N, a high-volume storage management solution for Windows NT and Novell NetWare environments. OS/N will be incorporated into Kofax's Ascent family of imaging applications. "In purchasing LaserData, we have acquired some excellent engineering and sales resources to help propel our Ascent line of production document imaging components into the next phase of the company's growth," says David Silver, Kofax's president. "Our primary focus is to ensure that our three document imaging components -- capture, viewing and storage -- are always the best of breed and are compatible with as many other imaging components as possible, using existing programming standards." LaserData's engineering team will remain based in Tyngsboro, Mass. Former LaserData CEO Paul J. Rusconi will serve as a consultant during the transition. Amquest Unveils Faster Modem Amquest Corp. says it has developed an internal V.34 modem that delivers compressed data speeds of up to 230.4K bps -- twice the maximum compressed speed of conventional 28.8K bps modems. The company, based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, notes that its HyperModem is the first modem to offer enhanced throughput using Rockwell International's controller/data pump chipset. According to Amquest, the $199 HyperModem is capable of data throughputs of up to 230.4K bps when linked to a remote HyperModem and up to 115K bps with ordinary 28.8K bps modems. The HyperModem supports V34/V.Fast Class 28.8K bps data transmission, plus slower standards such as 14.4K bps Group 3 send/receive fax. The modem is compatible with Windows 95, Windows 3.1 and most leading Windows and DOS communications packages. The HyperModem, which is scheduled to become available later this month, will be bundled with data/fax software from Cheyenne Communications. Multimedia Norton Utilities Ships Symantec Corp. has released the first multimedia version of its Norton Utilities software. Norton Utilities for Windows 95 on CD-ROM adds multimedia resources, such as video, animations and sound, to its software for protecting and improving Windows 95 computers. New to the product are three companion programs: Disk Companion, Memory Companion, and Norton Utilities Companion. The Disk Companion is a multimedia tutorial that explains how the Windows 95 file system works. The Memory Companion explains how Windows 95 manages memory. The Norton Utilities Companion shows users how to get the most out of Norton Utilities through multimedia demonstrations and interviews with the developers. "Symantec was the first company to offer utilities to enhance Windows 95, and this release of Norton Utilities on CD-ROM takes the program a step further by making our expertise available to the average user," says Karen Black, vice president of advanced utilities for the Cupertino, California- based company. "The Companions make it easy for anyone to become a power user of Windows 95." Norton Utilities for Windows 95 on CD-ROM sells for $129. Users of previous Norton Utilities versions, or PCTools, can upgrade for $69.95. Intuit Ships Business Tax Software Intuit Inc. has released the final 1995 tax year versions of TurboTax for Business and MacInTax for Business, its annually updated income tax return preparation programs. The San Diego-based software publisher notes that the programs are designed for use by all types of companies. Links to the Internet's World Wide Web are built into the products. The software is available on a $69.95 CD-ROM and in Sole Proprietorship, Corporation, S- Corporation and Partnership versions on floppy disk. The products provide business tax advice and tax planning suggestions. Also included is the full text of Tax Savvy for Small Business, a year-round tax guide by tax attorney Fred Daily, as well as complete IRS instructions and support text. "Small business owners say the single biggest problem they face is taxes," says Scott Cook, Intuit's chairman. "The 1995 TurboTax for Business program is a great way for small- business people to handle their taxes." Toy Favorites to Go High-Tech Mr. Potato Head, Tonka and Play-Doh are set to go high-tech as Hasbro Interactive gets ready to announce later this month a new line of edutainment CD-ROM titles based on the Playskool product line. Trade journal Computer Retail Week reports that the Hasbro division is expected to ship four titles in February -- Mr. Potato Head Saves Veggie Valley, Tonka Construction, Candy Land Adventure and Play-Doh Creations -- each with an expected retail price of $39.95. Two more titles based on other Playskool toys are expected to be released later this year, according to Tom Dusenberry, vice president of Hasbro Interactive. "Next year, Hasbro Interactive will begin to develop original edutainment titles for the retail market," Dusenberry told Computer Retail Week. Among the options being considered for these titles are characters based on other entertainment licenses. Hasbro launched its interactive division last October. Most recently, the division released an interactive, 3-D version of Monopoly that can also be played over the Internet. This year, Hasbro will release more interactive board games, including Risk, Battleship, Scrabble and a version of Clue with live action video, Dusenberry told Computer Retail Week. Amiga OS Headed to TV Land The Amiga operating system will live again, but not inside a desktop computer. Viscorp., an interactive TV developer headquartered in Chicago, and Escom AG, a computer manufacturer headquartered in Bersheim, Germany, have finalized a licensing agreement to add the Amiga operating system to Viscorp's new set-top TV appliance -- Electronic Device (ED). The deal's terms weren't disclosed. In 1995, Escom AG acquired all Commodore and Amiga licenses, patents and trademarks. Viscorp says that adding the Amiga operating system to ED will allow users to access any online service, local bulletin board service and any address on the Internet at speeds thousands of times faster than a conventional telephone modem. Access will be allowed through a TV remote control, a computer keyboard, a touch-sensitive pen or the microphone that's into ED. "By utilizing our unique set-top appliance and incorporating the Amiga technology, Viscorp is able to provide ... the ability to access the Internet through a standard TV set with pricing that makes sense for the average TV viewer," says Jerome Greenberg, Viscorp's chairman. Ohio University Eyes Virtual Campus A "virtual university" to help cut costs and increase access to college- level courses is being proposed by Ohio University President Robert Glidden to the board of regents, and the presidents of 12 other state universities. Reporting from Athens, Ohio, United Press International says Glidden envisions a service that would not replace residential campuses or compete with them, but would be a collaborative effort led by OU and include the best teaching that other Ohio universities can offer. And, says Glidden, it would offer a college education to people who otherwise would not get one because they can't afford the time or tuition for classes at a residential campus. Says UPI, "It's an advanced version of what OU has been doing for years through its correspondence course that is being taken by about 1,100 students this year ... But OU couldn't handle 500,000 students, Glidden said, which is how many could participate in a full-scale 'virtual university.' That's why he hopes other universities will get involved." A master plan for higher education in the years ahead will address how to develop such "virtual universities," among other proposals. It is expected to be completed this year. Poll: 4 Percent of U.S. on the Net A new survey suggests about 4 percent of the U.S. population now surfs the Internet, that half of them got started just last year, and most spend an average of 6.6 hours a week on the Net. Thomas E. Miller, who directed The American Internet User Survey, told business writer Karen Schwartz of the Associated Press the research found 9.5 million Americans, or 3.6 percent of the population, use the Internet, including 1.1 million children under 18 and that 51 percent said they first tapped in last year. AP says the Emerging Technologies Research Group randomly surveyed 1,000 U.S. adult Internet users by phone in November and December. Only people age 18 and older were interviewed, but those with children were asked about their youngsters' habits. The survey was sponsored by 30 corporations with interests in the Internet and has a margin of error of 3 percentage points. Among the findings are: ú The average Internet user is 36 years old, and use of the Internet closely follows college education. The average household income of an Internet user is $62,000. (Some 31 percent of Internet users were under age 30; 27 percent were age 30 to 39, 26 percent were 40 to 49, and 13 percent were 50 or older.) ú Thirty-five percent of all Internet users are women, and women online are more likely than men to use it at work and academic locations. Also women are twice as likely as men to use Internet exclusively for business. ú Nearly a third of Internet users said they spent less time watching TV, while a fourth said they spent less time on long-distance phone calls. Fifteen percent said they spent less time watching videos and 10 percent said they spent less time listening to the radio. ú Twelve percent and 13 percent said they decreased the time they spent reading newspapers and magazines respectively, "but," says AP, "a similar number, 9 percent and 11 percent, said they increased the time they spent reading, primarily because they were trying to learn more about the Internet." ú Nearly two-thirds of the respondents visited fewer than 50 Web sites in any depth. Only 23 percent had visited more than 100 Web sites in any depth. "In addition," writes Schwartz, "the interviewers found that Web users often had little recall about the sites they had seen, remembering a truck, for instance, rather than a brand name." ú Personal use of the World Wide Web far outpaced business use, with 52 percent of all Web sites visited for personal reasons, 35 percent for business and 13 percent for academic reasons. When asked what information they were retrieving from the Internet, the respondents said: news and general information, 80 percent; hobbies and leisure, 67 percent; special interest groups, 66 percent; downloading software, 61 percent; education and training, 60 percent; music and entertainment, 57 percent; and product information, 47 percent. When asked what the Internet allows them to do that they could not have done before, the most common response was "communicate with people that I never would have met." Only 16 percent of the people surveyed said they were very satisfied with the ability to find information on the Internet, and 26 percent said they were very satisfied in their ability to return to a site. Meanwhile, the Reuter News Service notes the survey's finding of 9.5 million Americans using the Net differs "sharply from a study released in October by CommerceNet and Nielsen Media Research, which said that 24 million people in the United States and Canada use the Internet." "We stick by our numbers," said a spokesman for Nielsen Media, which is unit of Dun & Bradstreet Corp. "If you do different surveys, they will produce different results," said Jack Loftus of Nielsen Media. As reported earlier, the Nielsen Media study was based on more than 4,200 telephone interviews of randomly selected households in the United States and Canada. Symantec/Delrina NewsBits STR Infofile Symantec Announces Operation Snow Storm Symantec's Delrina Group Provides Relief to Companies Affected by the Blizzard of the Century; Donates Copies of Remote Computing Software for Windows LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK -- January 15, 1996 -- Symantec's Delrina Group, world leader in PC communications software, today announced Operation Snow Storm, a relief effort that will make 500 copies of its award-winning pcANYWHERE for Windows Remote computing software available to corporations free of charge to assist workers unable to reach their offices. With over 2 million active users, pcANYWHERE is the best-selling remote control and file transfer software and normally retails for $129-$149. The pcANYWHERE for Windows Remote Control product allows users to work from home, using their home PC to access the office. Required to run the software is a PC equipped with either Microsoft's Windows 3.1 or Windows 95. With the excessive amounts of snow we have experienced, it is becoming increasingly difficult to get to the office. This product enables workers to stay at home and work as if they were sitting at their desk," said Christopher Calisi, general manager of the Communications Business Unit. The pcANYWHERE family of award winning remote computing software solutions are developed on Long Island. "The Long Island branch of Symantec's, Delrina Group has a commitment to the community," said Calisi. "We are very concerned with the risks individuals are facing this winter, in light of the hazards of travel under such extreme conditions." This software will allow employees to dial into their office PC. Once connected, the user can log into the network, access documents and remotely operate both DOS and Windows-based applications. In addition, pcANYWHERE further increases productivity by enabling users to remotely access devices on their PCs and networks, such as printers, CD ROMs. "This enables people to remain productive from the comfort and safety of their own home," added Calisi. To take advantage of this offer, companies simply need to contact Symantec directly at 1-800-511-4994. A small charge for shipping/handling will be applied and the product will be shipped via Federal Express 2nd Day Service. Limit five copies per company. Symantec Corporation develops, markets and supports a complete line of application and system software products designed to enhance individual and workgroup productivity as well as manage networked computing environments. Platforms supported include IBM personal computers and compatibles, Apple Macintosh computers and all major network operating systems. Founded in 1982, the company has offices in the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan and throughout Europe. Information on the company and its products can be obtained by calling 1-800-441-7234 toll free or (541) 334-6054 or through the Internet at www.symantec.com. Brands and products referenced herein are the trademark or registered trademark of their respective holders. Press Contacts: Josef Zankowicz, Symantec Corp., Delrina Group (416) 441-4658 Shelly Sofer, Symantec Corp., Delrina Group (416) 441-4702 Luminous Announced STR Infofile Former Adobe Product Group Spins Out With Focus On Print Production Market New Luminous Corporation With Equity Interest By Adobe Seattle, Wash., (Jan. 11, 1996) ­ Capitalizing on the commercial printing industry's dramatic shift toward digital print production, a new Seattle- based company called Luminous Corporation today announced that it has finalized its arrangements as a spin-out company of Adobe Systems, Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) of Mountain View, Calif. Formerly the Adobe prepress group, Luminous is now a privately held company with James Betlyon, previously vice president of the Production Imaging Products Group at Adobe, as president and chief executive officer. Under the agreement, Luminous acquired or licensed worldwide development, marketing and distribution rights to the industry leading Adobe prepress software solutions for high-end print production professionals. These products include TrapWise, the advanced color trapping software; the PressWise electronic page imposition program; Color Central image server software; the OPEN production environment; the Adobe Virtual Network telecommunications application for the printing industry; the PrePrint Pro production preview, or "preflighting," program; and Print Central print server software. Luminous will also handle customer and technical support for these products. Luminous also has certain rights to the Open Prepress Interface (OPI) and imposition technologies along with full ownership of the OPEN workflow technology. Luminous plans to use these technologies and others acquired to enhance its current product suite and to incorporate into future offerings. Although Luminous is formed as an independent company, Adobe has obtained an equity interest in the new venture. Further, Adobe has licensed its Configurable PostScript Interpreter (CPSI) technology to Luminous for expansion into the high-end printing market. Other financial and licensing terms were not disclosed. "The entire printing industry is migrating to new, standards-based digital printing and transmission systems and away from the traditional, proprietary systems at an astonishing pace," said Betlyon. "As part of Adobe, we were able to bring innovative products to market by identifying the needs of this rapidly changing color publishing marketplace. By leveraging these technologies, Luminous will be able to meet the needs of customers in the larger scale print production business. With Adobe as one of our key technology partners, Luminous will satisfy these special industry needs while breaking new ground in comprehensive print production systems." In addition to furthering the product cycles of the acquired or licensed Adobe prepress products, Luminous will shape its product portfolio into a complete, modular, and integrated system suitable for use in client/server architectures and distributed network publishing. Its primary customers will be in the electronic prepress, print production, printing and graphic arts segments. "Adobe will continue to enhance the core technologies on which the award winning prepress products are based," said Fred Schwedner, vice president, Adobe Printing and Systems Division. "As a result, OEMs such as Luminous will be able to focus on delivering leading prepress applications to professional, on-demand high-end printing customers." The prepress stage is the final phase of the print production process in which color separation and publication assembly take place. These traditionally manual methods continue to migrate to electronic computer platforms much like manual page layout did in 1985 with Aldus Corporation's creation of desktop publishing. By making the prepress processes digital, short-run, high quality color printing is now possible. BIS Strategic Decisions of Norwell, Mass. reports that in 1993, the short-run commercial printing market for electronic black- and-white, or monochrome, and color documents shorter than 5,000 pages was $31 billion. They project that by 1998, on-demand short-run color jobs will account for 49 percent of that figure, or roughly $15 billion. Luminous Corporation is staffed primarily by former Adobe prepress personnel, most of whom joined Adobe Systems after its merger with Aldus Corporation in Sept., 1994. The current Luminous products, with the exception of the Adobe Virtual Network, were previously the core offerings of the Aldus Prepress Division prior to the merger with Adobe. Luminous' engineering, operations, product marketing, customer and technical support are based in Seattle. The company has regional sales offices and distribution channels in the United States and Europe. For more information on Luminous Corporation, interested customers should call (800) 685-6736. Adobe Systems Incorporated, founded in 1982, is headquartered in Mountain View, California. Adobe develops, markets and supports computer software products and technologies that enable users to create, display, print and communicate electronic documents. The company licenses its technology to major computer, printing and publishing suppliers, and markets a line of applications software and type products for authoring visually rich documents. Additionally, the company markets a line of powerful, but easy to use, products for home and small business users. Adobe has subsidiaries in Europe and the Pacific Rim serving a worldwide network of dealers and distributors. Adobe's 1995 revenue was approximately $762 million. TrapWise, PressWise, Color Central, OPEN, Print Central and PrePrint are trademarks of Luminous Corporation. Adobe, the Adobe logo and PostScript are trademarks of Adobe Systems, Incorporated and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. MS & WANG Imager STR Infofile Wang, Microsoft Announce Imaging Software For Microsoft Windows 95 Provides Built-in Support for Document-Imaging Applications Software Available Now Without Charge Over Internet BILLERICA, Mass. and REDMOND, Wash. - Jan. 16, 1996 - Wang and Microsoft Corp. today announced the release of imaging software developed by Wang for the Windows 95r operating system. The software provides built-in support for new document-imaging applications by enabling users of Microsoftr Windows 95 to scan, view, annotate, manage, store and share faxes, paper documents and electronic images. The software is available now over the Internet and major online services. It will also be incorporated into future versions of the Windowsr operating system. With the new Windows 95-based imaging software, a user can transform any paper or fax-based information into an electronic image that can be stored, filed, retrieved, edited, annotated, printed, faxed and shared. This eliminates the need to manage and store paper documents such as handwritten meeting notes, memoranda and business correspondence. The software also includes powerful 32-bit OLE interfaces that allow developers to create image-enabled applications easily. "Users of Windows 95 will now have easy-to-use, high-performance imaging software that can change the way they work and communicate," said Brad Silverberg, senior vice president of the personal systems division at Microsoft. "Wang's commitment to providing cost-effective and reliable imaging software is a true benefit to customers." "The Wangr imaging software for Windows 95 makes an important technology immediately available to millions of people worldwide," said Bob Weiler, president, Wang Software. "Working with Microsoft, Wang has made desktop document imaging a pervasive and inexpensive mainstream application. It will accelerate the broad deployment of imaging and workflow as business productivity tools." Users, Developers Gain Unprecedented Imaging Access The imaging software for Windows 95 provides an open, standard way to handle image documents and to view faxes through Microsoft Exchange Inbox. For example, in an office environment, the easy-to-use, intuitive interface enables users to transform paper and faxes into useful electronic documents as bit-mapped or rasterized images in black and white, grayscale or color. The software supports Windows 95 Explorer, standard Windows 95-based printers and fax products, as well as popular electronic mail systems such as Microsoft Exchange Server and Microsoft Mail. The imaging software provides developers and integrators with standard interfaces and components for creating image-enabled applications and for customizing or controlling Windows 95 capabilities. These interfaces include the following: ú OLE component technology to add image documents to Windows-based personal productivity and database-driven applications ú OLE Automation for integrating imaging into existing line-of-business applications ú OLE Controls for building new applications using a broad range of popular developer tools Commitment to Back-End Server Integration In the first half of 1996, Wang will provide connections between client imaging software available for Microsoft Windows 95 and Wang's other imaging software products. The connections will enable users to access and retrieve images stored on any Wang image server. In addition, Wang plans to incorporate the new OLE interfaces into its entire workflow and imaging product line, offering further integration capabilities between the desktop and back-end server software products. A Significant Result of the Wang and Microsoft Alliance The imaging software is a significant result of the broad alliance between Wang and Microsoft announced last April. This alliance will bring improved document-imaging and work-management capabilities to all users of Windows 95 and the Windows NTT operating system. As part of the alliance, Wang was designated Microsoft's preferred workflow and imaging vendor and is working closely with Microsoft to define the MAPI Workflow Framework for enabling interoperability between production workflow systems and messaging environments such as Microsoft Exchange. Easy, Convenient Access Over the Internet The new imaging software for Windows 95 is available immediately worldwide through the Internet (http://www.microsoft.com and http://www.wang.com) and will be available through other Microsoft online services. The software is available immediately in seven languages. This includes U.S. English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish. The software will also be available on the April Microsoft Developer Network CD. Wang Laboratories, Inc. (NASDAQ:WANG) is a recognized worldwide leader in workflow, integrated imaging, document management and network storage management for client/server open systems and a major worldwide provider of integration and support services for office software and networks. Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day. Microsoft, Windows and Windows NT are registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries. Wang is a registered trademark of Wang Laboratories, Inc. McAfee 229 STR Spotlight What's New in VirusScan Version 2.2.9 (9601) Copyright 1994, 1995 by McAfee, Inc. All Rights Reserved. These release notes cover what is new in VirusScan 2.2.9 and the December DAT replacement (9601) of VirusScan for DOS, VirusScan for Windows, VirusScan for OS/2, VirusScan for Windows 95, VirusScan for NT and VShield. Why this emergency release: The versions released as 2.2.8 was discovered to have a couple of false ids: SHZ on some COM files used in association with CPTOOLS. PROBABLE UNKNOWN BOOT SECTOR VIRUS on Disk Manager MBRs. This release of 2.2.9 (9601) fixes those issues. Vshield 2.2.9 You will need VShield 2.2.8 or 2.2.9 in order to use these DAT files with VShield for DOS. New features for VirusScan 2.2.9 and OS/2 Scan 2.2.9: /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. /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. /FREQUENCY DAILY Will scan once each day based on the date and not by hours. /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. OS2SCAN 2.2.9 The OS/2 code has been changed to fix a disk corruption problem. It's implementation has created a change in the way Scan works. When OS/2 Scan finds that the system has loaded IBM LAN drivers, it will not Scan the MBR of the s system, however, if you are using those particular Requesters, you need to boot the OS/2 box from the two Diskettes provided by IBM and then Scan your System. Booting this way will not load the drivers and OS/2 Scan will Scan your MBR. It has been our experience that most Boot Sector Viruses will not let your OS/2 machine boot and you would need to boot from the Diskettes anyway to find the machine's problem. 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 9601 DAT file from 9511 (105): 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 SILLYRC.414 END-OF.788 SIRIUS.640 ERRORINC.465 SISTER EVOLUTION.2770 SMALL COMPANION.160 EVOLVE.2770 SMALL.65 EXEHEADER.FUNKED.425.C SMASH EXEHEADER.PURE.DE'BUGER.427 SPM.A FAIRZ.2340 STONED.IVT FOGGY.91 STONED.PC-AT FOGGY.129 TRIVIAL.123 FOGGY.149 VACSINA.VACSINA-LOADER.A FOGGY.188 VCL.DIAL.600 FOGGY.220 VIENNA.BYTEWARRIOR FOGGY.228 VIENNA.M1.B FOGGY.256.A VME_1.DEMO FOGGY.256.B VRD FOGGY.292 WEREWOLF.658 FOGGY.300 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 9601 DAT file from 9511 (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:". MS Acquires Vermeer STR Focus Microsoft Acquires Vermeer Technologies Inc. Critically Acclaimed Visual Client-Server Web Publishing Tool to Complement Internet Offerings From Microsoft Desktop Applications Division REDMOND, Wash. - Jan. 16, 1996 - Microsoft Corp. today announced the acquisition of Vermeer Technologies Inc., a pioneer of visual, standards- based Web publishing tools based in Cambridge, Mass. Vermeer's flagship software application, FrontPage(TM), is a critically acclaimed tool for easily creating and managing rich Web documents without programming. FrontPage will become a key component of Microsoft's strategy to provide a full range of tools that put the power of Web publishing, for both the Internet and intranets, in the hands of the broadest range of computer users. "Millions of productivity-applications users want an easier way to participate in the excitement and enhanced productivity of the Web," said Bill Gates, chairman and CEO of Microsoft. "Vermeer's FrontPage fills the wide gap between simple HTML page editors and high-end, professional Web publishing systems available today." "Access to Microsoft's resources and channel partnerships will allow us to realize our vision of 'Webtop publishing' on a broader scale," said John Mandile, Vermeer's president and chief executive officer. Vermeer coined the phrase "Webtop publishing" to define the process of creating Web sites using its innovative visual tools. High-Quality Web Publishing FrontPage provides users with the fastest and easiest way to develop and maintain high-quality Web sites without programming. Designed for both individual users and collaborative work environments, FrontPage's client- server architecture supports authoring, scripting and Web-site management from a user's desktop, across a corporate LAN, or over the Internet. The client portion of the software, which is currently available for Windowsr operating system-based platforms and will be available for the Macintoshr later this year, includes the following features: ú FrontPage Editor for creating and editing HTML pages, with WYSIWYG support for many of the latest HTML formatting extensions ú FrontPage Explorer for graphically visualizing and managing a complex Web site composed of many documents and images ú WebBots that implement the most common Web server functionality, such as text searches, feedback forms, and threaded discussion forums, without any programming or complex setup ú Wizards and templates for easily creating personal and business Web pages in a task-oriented manner ú To Do List for tracking the status of authoring and management tasks to be completed on the site, a critical task for a collaborative Web document The server portion of the product, known as Server Extensions, is implemented using the open industry standard Common Gateway Interface (CGI) and can run on the Windowsr 95 or Windows NT™ operating systems and popular versions of UNIXr. These extensions support Internet server products such as NetSite from Netscape Communications Corp. and Microsoft Internet Information Server, which is currently in beta and is scheduled to ship in the first quarter of 1996. To allow users to get their Web sites up and running right out of the box, FrontPage includes an easy-to-set-up Personal Web Server. "Web Documents" Strategy Allowing users to create and edit Web documents easily is a key aspect of Microsoft's desktop applications strategy. Word processing and spreadsheet documents are the most common daily business communication formats among users today; Microsoft believes this same broad category of users will author Web documents for corporate intranets or the Internet in the near future. FrontPage is Microsoft's key offering in this burgeoning market. FrontPage extends the concept of document creation to include a variety of document types such as HTML or those created with Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and the Microsoft PowerPointr presentation graphics program, connected by hyperlinks on both corporate LANs or the Internet. FrontPage was designed for the end user and business professional, with a user interface consistent with Microsoft Office. With this announcement, Microsoft now provides a complete range of tools for users creating Web documents: ú In December, Microsoft Office announced a line of Office Internet Assistants that make it easy for users to author standalone HTML pages using their familiar Office applications such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint. ú FrontPage builds on this technology by providing the easiest way for end users, business professionals and Web-site managers to publish and manage high-quality Web sites without programming. Documents created with Microsoft Office and Office Internet Assistants can be incorporated easily into a FrontPage Web document. ú For professional publishers designing high-end solutions, Internet Studio provides a sophisticated publishing system to create, publish and manage Web sites that can include integrated programming and interactive multimedia. Desktop Applications Division Creates New Product Unit Over the next few months, the FrontPage development team will move to Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Wash., and become the core of the newly established Web authoring product unit within the desktop applications division. This new group will be managed by Chris Peters, currently vice president of the Office product unit overseeing the design and development of Microsoft Office. A 14-year veteran at Microsoft, Peters was formerly general manager of the Word business unit and led the development of Microsoft Excel for five years. "We are incredibly impressed with the talent at Vermeer," Peters said. "They're smart people with great development talent and a deep understanding of what it takes to create high-quality, easy-to-use Web software. We're also excited about how well FrontPage works with our Office applications today and about the possibilities for even more integration in the future." FrontPage will continue to be available as a standalone product directly from Vermeer during the transition period, and through Microsoft's channel partners in the future. Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day. Microsoft, Windows, Windows NT and PowerPoint are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries. FrontPage is a trademark, in the United States and/or other countries, of Vermeer Technologies Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft Corp. Macintosh is a registered trademark of Apple Computer Inc. UNIX is a registered trademark in the United States and/or other countries, licensed exclusively through X/Open Company Ltd. If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft and FrontPage, please visit the Microsoft home page at http://www.microsoft.com or e-mail frontpg@microsoft.com, or call Microsoft customer service at (800) 426-9400. 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 Edupage Contents Case Closed On Zimmermann Investigation Pretty Good Phone Privacy, Too New Survey Lowers Internet User Estimates Apple Workforce Cuts Ahead BBS Purges Porn Microcash Battle Continues In Canadian Phone Rate Hike Sculley Buys Stake In Photo Software Company Telecom Barricades Swiss Workers Fired Over Cyberporn On The Job Web Syntax, Explained For All Are IBM And Sears Abandoning Prodigy? Software Piracy Case Settled Windows 95 Sales Raise Concerns Academic Networking Assessment Cal Tech Benefits From Intel Largesse France Telecom Gears Up For Internet Access Internet Domain Policy Credit Card Software For Internet Cisco Buys Cable Modem Maker IBM Is Number One Patent Winner Microsoft To Acquire Vermeer Technologies Spy Agency Warns Of Corporate Spies Asian TV Network From NBC Pirate Chips Supreme Court Deadlocks 4-4 On Copyright Issue Brokers Say Net Threatens Telecoms Exodus From Commercial Services? One Is Enough Apple To Eliminate 1,300 Jobs IBM To Provide Government With Encryption Keys For Notes The Power Of Small Teams Teacherless Classrooms Considered Wang's Imaging Software For Win 95 Spider Eases Life On The Web Eastman Kodak Supports Digital Library Program Cross-Border Culture War Looms Internet Domain Policy CASE CLOSED ON ZIMMERMANN INVESTIGATION Federal officials have told cryptographer Philip Zimmermann that their 28- month grand jury investigation regarding international dissemination of his encryption software is now closed. The software, called PGP for Pretty Good Privacy, was developed in 1990 because Zimmermann thought computer users needed a tool to protect their e-mail messages from government prying. After someone put it on the Internet, it was quickly distributed around the world. "This decision shouldn't be interpreted as meaning anything. I caution people against concluding the Internet is now free for export," says the assistant U.S. attorney in San Jose where the action originated. (Wall Street Journal 12 Jan 96 B2) PRETTY GOOD PHONE PRIVACY, TOO Now from the creator of PGP encryption software comes a new product for making your phone calls more private. Philip Zimmermann's PGPfone software scrambles phone calls made through a computer modem using a complex algorithm called Blowfish, which rearranges the digital version of your voice conversation and then decodes it at the other end. The result is an intelligible -- though not high-quality -- totally private conversation. The URL is: < http://web.mit.edu/network/pgpfone/ >. (Popular Science Jan 96 p43) NEW SURVEY LOWERS INTERNET USER ESTIMATES A new survey by New York-based Find/SVP pegs the number of U.S. Internet users at 9.5 million, far below the findings of a disputed Nielsen Media Research survey a couple of months ago, which had reported 24 million North American users. The Find/SVP study also estimated the number of U.S. Web users was about 7.5 million. (Wall Street Journal 12 Jan 96 B2) Meanwhile, a survey conducted by the Emerging Technologies Research Group shows Internet users spending an average of 6.6 hours a week on the Net, time previously spent watching TV, listening to the radio or making long- distance phone calls. The average session was 68 minutes. Women are twice as likely as men to use the Internet exclusively for business. (Tampa Tribune Jan 12 96 B&F1) APPLE WORKFORCE CUTS AHEAD Analysts are predicting that Apple Computer will be cutting up to a fourth of its workforce in an effort to recover from its recently posted losses of $68 million for the last quarter. "It's very clear they can't continue in the same vein because they are not making any money," says one investor. "They need to organize the business so that they can make a profit." The restructuring is widely viewed as CEO Michael Spindler's last chance to turn things around. (Investor's Business Daily 12 Jan 96 A5) BBS PURGES PORN A Wisconsin-based BBS that bills itself as the nation's largest computer bulletin board has eliminated about 50,000 files containing adult material, including photos of porn stars and other nude scenes. Exec-PC's founder says, "Since it is only 7% of our service and it could result in the 100% loss of our business, the risk is not worth it." The move comes on top of CompuServe's efforts to restrict access to adult material on its service as U.S. legislators ponder new laws to prosecute electronic transmission of "indecent" content. An attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation says, "He has a perfect right to choose what to carry, but it's a shame that he feels he has to exercise the right out of fear of what government might do. That's what constitutional lawyers call a chilling effect." (Tampa Tribune 12 Jan 96 B&F5) MICROCASH Digital Equipment filed a patent last August for a payment system called Millicent, which enables Web-site operators to charge as little as a tenth of a cent for each customer "hit." The system relies on middle-men -- credit card companies or digital banks -- to handle the transactions, but its novelty lies in its cost-effective design geared toward tracking minuscule amounts of cash. To keep disk storage at a minimum, security measures providing privacy and a trail of signed receipts are not included in the system, but proponents point out that would-be cyberthieves would have to crack a lot of transactions -- 10,000 at 0.1 cent each -- to make just $10. "There are easier ways to make 10 bucks," says Millicent's inventor. (Business Week 15 Jan 96 p90) BATTLE CONTINUES IN CANADIAN PHONE RATE HIKE A coalition of Canadian business and consumer groups urged Cabinet to order phone companies to give back the extra money they will receive from increases in local phone rates, otherwise they will pay for new infrastructure on the backs of local consumers. The coalition also wants some of the money to be used to set up "lifeline" programs that subsidize low-income customers. Bell Canada maintained the coalition's proposal should not be taken seriously and its petition to Cabinet is "frivolous." (Toronto Star 12 Jan 96 E2) SCULLEY BUYS STAKE IN PHOTO SOFTWARE COMPANY Former Apple CEO John Sculley has taken an equity stake in Live Picture Inc., a small California company producing software that allows photographers and graphic artists to manipulate images through shape, color, shade and resolution. (New York Times 12 Jan 96 C16) TELECOM BARRICADES Cable giant Rogers Communications president Ted Rogers, courting American money through new stock issues on the New York Stock Exchange, maintains Canadian media companies must work together to protect their vulnerable turf by building a "virtual fortress" around Canada. Rogers added the industry cannot rely solely on the federal government to protect Canadian interests against American incursions. (Toronto Globe & Mail 12 Jan 96 B2) SWISS WORKERS FIRED OVER CYBERPORN ON THE JOB Roche, the health products group based in Switzerland, has fired three workers after ignoring a verbal warning to stop using company time and computers to retrieve and copy allegedly pornographic materials from the World Wide Web. Swiss law permits summary dismissal of workers only there are "serious grounds" for doing so. The workers plan to appeal. (Financial Times 12 Jan 96 p1) WEB SYNTAX, EXPLAINED FOR ALL Syndicated columnist Dave Barry says that "those weird string of letters that have started showing up everywhere in newspaper stories, advertisements, TV shows, etc., the ones that look like http//www/clamsucker.doo.wah" are "code instructions to Dan Rather from his home planet." ARE IBM AND SEARS ABANDONING PRODIGY? Corporate spokespersons have declined comment on reports that IBM and the Sears, Roebuck Co. are talking with investment bankers in order to devise a way to extricate themselves from their ownership of Prodigy, the third- largest consumer online service after AOL and CompuServe. Prodigy's marketplace value may have increased in recent months as a result of its aggressiveness in positioning itself as an Internet access provider with some ownership of content. (New York Times 16 Jan 96 C2) SOFTWARE PIRACY CASE SETTLED Microsoft and Novell have reached a settlement with the computer hacker who ran the Assassins' Guild BBS, which served as the headquarters for two groups that distributed illegal copies of commercial software. The BBS operator will pay $70,300 and forfeit $40,000 worth of computer equipment in the settlement. (Investor's Business Daily 15 Jan 96 A7) WINDOWS 95 SALES RAISE CONCERNS Software companies that bet on phenomenal sales of Microsoft Windows 95 are reporting disappointing financial results. The problem is that fewer companies are switching over to the new operating system than anticipated, instead waiting until they buy newer, more powerful computers better suited to the Windows 95 environment. "It is still the largest software product done in the industry to this point," says an analyst at Computer Intelligence Infocorp. "We're estimating that they've got something on the order of 17-million units out there already, and that's not chicken feed." But "it's not becoming the corporate desktop, and that has some people worried." (St. Petersburg Times 15 Jan 96 p8) ACADEMIC NETWORKING ASSESSMENT Syracuse University is conducting a 15-month study, financed by the U.S. Dept. of Education, to determine how computer networking contributes to teaching and learning. The main product of the $143,000 effort, a manual entitled "Assessing the Academic Networked Environment: Strategies and Options," is almost finished, and provides a summary of networking issues that colleges and universities should address, along with an extensive questionnaire to elicit information, with the goal of intelligently assessing the cost/benefit issues of networking in higher ed. The assessments are key in planning for future technology: "There are more bells and whistles out there than we could ever afford to buy, and the university has to make some really tough decisions about which applications to use, what kinds of systems to support, and so on," says chief researcher Charles McClure. (Chronicle of Higher Education 19 Jan 96) CAL TECH BENEFITS FROM INTEL LARGESSE The California Institute of Technology will receive a gift of about $700,000 worth of computer gear from Intel Corp. The new lab, which will house Cal Tech's electrical engineering department, the Center for Neuromorphic Systems Engineering, and an NSF engineering research center, will be named in honor of Intel co-founder Gordon Moore and his wife Betty. Moore is an alumnus of Cal Tech, as are several other Intel executives. (Investor's Business Daily 15 Jan 96 A6) FRANCE TELECOM GEARS UP FOR INTERNET ACCESS France Telecom is beefing up its network infrastructure in preparation for offering its customers local Internet access. The move is seen as significant, because in order to bring its population up to speed, the utility will be forced to undermine its $1.33-billion Minitel business. France Telecom has signed an agreement to distribute Netscape software to its users, and is developing Wanadoo, a search engine and classification system for information on the Web. The company also plans "France En Ligne," a closed service similar to America Online. (Wall Street Journal 15 Jan 96 A7B) INTERNET DOMAIN POLICY Network Solutions Inc. (NSI), which issues Internet domain names to U.S. companies and organizations, has a new domain-name registration policy which will "protect the ability of companies to extend their corporate identity into the Internet." The policy requires applicants to warrant that the requested name will not infringe any intellectual property of any third party and will not be used for any lawful purpose. < http://www.shsl.com > CREDIT CARD SOFTWARE FOR INTERNET Portland Software has come up with a solution for would-be Internet shoppers who aren't comfortable sending their credit card information over the Net. The software allows the customer's PC to dial the credit card network for transaction approval, and supplies a code needed to receive the merchandise. "Customers are much more willing to use this than to use a standard Web server," says one satisfied Portland Software customer. Today's servers "may be secure, but the perception is, they're not." (Wall Street Journal 15 Jan 96 B3) CISCO BUYS CABLE MODEM MAKER Cisco Systems, known for its computer network equipment, has acquired an equity stake in Terayon Corp., a manufacturer of cable modems. The two companies will collaborate on developing technology to capitalize on the transmission speed possible through cable-linked networks, which can operate hundreds of times faster than those that rely on telephone lines. (Investor's Business Daily 16 Jan 96 A9) IBM IS NUMBER ONE PATENT WINNER IBM has topped the list of U.S. patent winners for the third straight year, with 1,383 patents awarded for 1995. The patents will be used in developing new IBM products, generating license fee income, and helping IBM barter for cross- licensing arrangements. Other big patent winners were Canon, Motorola, Eastman Kodak, Mitsubishi Electric, Toshiba, Hitachi, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., and General Electric. (Investor's Business Daily 15 Jan 96 A6) MICROSOFT TO ACQUIRE VERMEER TECHNOLOGIES Microsoft is planning to buy small Cambridge, Mass.-based Vermeer Technologies Inc. and to incorporate into the "Microsoft Office" software suite Vermeer's "Front Page" program, which helps people without complicated programming skills to develop pages for the World Wide Web. (New York Times 16 Jan 96 C9) SPY AGENCY WARNS OF CORPORATE SPIES The Canadian Security Intelligence Service warns that companies eager to do business in competitive global markets must be vigilant about foreign companies trying to acquire information through less-than-legal means, particularly when it becomes economic espionage sponsored by foreign governments. Since 1992, CSIS has investigated security concerns at about 500 companies and found economic espionage in about 70% of the cases. (Toronto Star 15 Jan 96 E2) ASIAN TV NETWORK FROM NBC The National Broadcasting Company has begun offering from Hong Kong a 24- hour English-language cable service providing global and Asian news intended for a target audience of Asian business professionals and their families, expatriates and travelers. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution 16 Jan 96 E3) PIRATE CHIPS One of Canada's top computer "crackers" and video pirates claims he's made $20,000 tax-free over the past five weeks by selling the green cards that decode programming from DirecTV's popular satellite system. According to the cracker, more than 5,000 cards have been sold on the black market (about 80% in Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, with the rest smuggled into the U.S.). Canadian federal regulators have banned Canadian consumers from watching U.S. signals. There is also "no moral issue at stake" (according to crackers), because a ruling by a Winnipeg judge determined that what's beamed into your backyard is your own business. (Toronto Star 16 Jan 96 D1) SUPREME COURT DEADLOCKS 4-4 ON COPYRIGHT ISSUE A U.S. Supreme Court 4-4 tied vote on a Lotus/Borland copyright dispute leaves in place an appellate court ruling which said Lotus Development Corporation was not entitled to copyright protection for a system of commands and menus which it had developed for the Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet program and which were copied by Borland for that company's Quattro Pro program. The appellate court ruling said that a command structure was not a "form of expression" (i.e., something that is copyrightable), but rather a "method of operation" (i.e., something outside the scope of copyright law). (New York Times 17 Jan 96 C2) BROKERS SAY NET THREATENS TELECOMS The London stock brokerage firm Durlacher says in a report that telecom companies underestimate the threat posed to their business by the Internet: "Their greatest difficulty is that telecom operators run business based on charging for the cost per unit of time used. The long-term marginal costs associated with a local call are now, however, heading toward zero. In the future, charges will be made for content that is accessed rather than the cost of moving the material from the host machine to the users." The report warns that technical developments could leave telecom operators "with an obsolete system, of no obvious value, other than the recycle value of the copper in the cables." (Financial Times 15 Jan 96 p6) EXODUS FROM COMMERCIAL SERVICES? Commercial online services are having a difficult time keeping customers and differentiating themselves, as more savvy computer users switch over to small Internet access providers. "Most everything I find on the online services, I can find using an Internet service provider," says one customer who's made the switch. "For me, the need for an online service is diminishing." "AOL is like the Internet on training wheels," says another, who feels he's "graduated." In tandem with subscriber defection is the problem of content providers who increasingly are setting up their own shops on the Web, bypassing the commercial services altogether. The popularity of the Web "turns the model of the online services industry upside down," says Scott Kurnit, the former No. 2 executive at Prodigy, who's now running an Internet service for MCI and News Corp. While the number of commercial service subscribers has grown to about 12.5 million over the past decade (doubling in the past year), the number of World Wide Web users increased eight-fold, to eight-million, in just the past year, according to International Data Corp. (Wall Street Journal 18 Jan 96 A6) ONE IS ENOUGH The number of people subscribing to more than one online service has dropped significantly since 1991 when almost a third of online users carried multiple subscriptions. Now, 97% report they can do everything they need to using a single service. (Business Week 22 Jan 96 p8) APPLE TO ELIMINATE 1,300 JOBS Apple Computer says it will be forced to lay off 1,300 employees, or 8% of its staff, as a first step in restructuring its business. The company plans to simplify its product line, focusing on high-end machines, while allowing Mac clones to dominate the low-end market. In addition, CEO Michael Spindler says Apple will fundamentally change its business model, concentrating on its key products in education, business and home markets, while pursuing expanded business alliances. (Investor's Business Daily 18 Jan 96 A9) IBM TO PROVIDE GOVERNMENT WITH ENCRYPTION KEY FOR NOTES IBM has agreed to provide the U.S. government with a special key that would enable government agents to more easily decode electronic messages, in exchange for permission to export a version of Lotus Notes that includes 64- bit security. The arrangement provides government officials with a key to the first 24 bits of security code, meaning that they only have to crack the remaining 40 bits to decrypt a message. U.S. Notes customers already use a 64-bit system. "We were desperate enough to try to negotiate a short- term, pragmatic solution," says Notes developer Ray Ozzie. "But we do not believe this is the right long-term solution... Our customers have been telling us that, unless we did something about the security, we could no longer call it a secure system." (Wall Street Journal 18 Jan 96 B7) THE POWER OF SMALL TEAMS Sun Microsystems chief technology officer Eric Schmidt favors small teams and a focused approach to technical problems: "The proper arrangement at a company is a very large number of very small businesses. The best things were done by very small engineering teams, because a small engineering team is forced to make tradeoffs to do only one thing. They are very committed... But small teams go against human nature. Human nature is to build bigger and bigger enterprises." He cites examples to bolster his argument: "Unix was developed by two people. Java was done by a team of less than five, Mosaic was done by two to four people and the Mac system was done by about 12 people. Even DOS was actually developed by only two people." (Investor's Business Daily 17 Jan 96 A1) TEACHERLESS CLASSROOMS CONSIDERED Ontario's Community colleges, hunting for $120-million in savings for the next academic year, are de-emphasizing the role of the teacher in the learning process. A study prepared for the Colleges' Council of Presidents titled "Learning Centred Education" says educational institutions can cut teaching costs by using CD-ROM courses and computer tutorials to deliver education using support staff rather than teachers to monitor students' progress. (Ottawa Citizen 17 Jan 96 A4) WANG'S IMAGING SOFTWARE FOR WIN 95 Wang Laboratories has developed software that allows PCs to file, forward or annotate faxed and scanned images in a standardized way. The product development stems from a patent lawsuit settlement reached last spring with Microsoft, under which Microsoft acquired a 10% stake in Wang. The image- handling capability will be incorporated into future versions of Windows 95. (Wall Street Journal 17 Jan 96 B5) SPIDER EASES LIFE ON THE WEB Toronto-based software developer Incontext says it "Spider" software allows Net newbies to create Web pages without mastering HTML. The package, which retails for $129, includes a browser, spell checker and several Web page templates to make it easier for beginners. (Ottawa Citizen 18 Jan 96 D2) EASTMAN KODAK SUPPORTS DIGITAL LIBRARY PROGRAM Eastman Kodak Co. has committed to spending $1 million on the Library of Congress's National Digital Library Program. The program hopes to receive $45 million in private donations by the year 2000, and has requested an extra $15 million in government funding to reach its overall goal of $60 million. (Information Today Jan 96 p14) CROSS-BORDER CULTURE WAR LOOMS Canada's federal regulator is in Washington trying to persuade a skeptical U.S. government that Canadian efforts to black out American TV signals that contravene standards on violence and nudity do not violate NAFTA. U.S. Trade Representative Mickey Kantor has warned Canadian Trade Minister Roy MacLaren that the U.S. government, while supporting the development of a V- chip to allow parental control, will react negatively if Ottawa takes wholesale action to block American programming from distribution through Canadian cable systems. (Toronto Financial Post 18 Jan 96 p5) Meanwhile, Power DirecTV says the explosive growth of satellite TV piracy and the flood of American direct-to- home dishes into Canada is threatening to wipe out Canadian broadcasting. The company urged the Canadian government to create rules that aid new Canadian DTH companies and to enforce laws that prohibit the import of American dishes into Canada. (Toronto Star 17 Jan 96 B3) INTERNET DOMAIN POLICY We made a typo in the NSI Internet domain policy summarized in Edupage of 16 Jan 96. Corrected, the sentence reads: "The policy requires applicants to warrant that the requested name will not infringe any intellectual property of any third party and will not be used for any unlawful purpose." The full text of the policy will be available in a few days at: , but if you wish a copy sent by e-mail prior to that time, send mail to: kinsella@shsl.com. 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: Until next time... Anodyne Software announces: ExtenDOS Pro v2.3: CD-ROM with audio copy ExtenDOS Pro version 2.3 is the latest version of Anodyne Software's CD-ROM drivers for Atari systems. Like previous versions, it provides access to CD- ROMs and audio CDs on most popular CD-ROM drives, but v2.3 offers many new features including: . direct audioCD-to-disk recording (requires compliant hardware) . MIDI_COM support: CD-ROM drives installed by ExtenDOS Pro are now accessible across a MIDI_COM connection . improved automatic support for photoCD and audio CD on drives unknown to ExtenDOS Pro . support for single-session photoCD on the popular NEC25 drive. It continues to offer: . easy installation and reconfiguration via a GEM-based installation program . support for a wide range of CD-ROM drives, including changer mechanisms . an extremely stable and well-tested environment. With ExtenDOS Pro, you can play audio CDs as easily as you can access the data on CD-ROMs. Put a CD-ROM in your drive, and access it like a large removable hard disk, or pop in an audio CD and use the included program to turn your CD-ROM drive into an audio player. Direct audioCD-to-disk recording ExtenDOS Pro now allows you to copy segments of an audio CD directly to your hard disk, at sample rates of 25.033, 44.1, or 50.066 kHz. The length of recording is limited only by the size of your hard disk! Please note that this function requires the appropriate hardware support within the CD-ROM drive; at this time, for those drives that are known to provide some form of support, the status is as follows: Drive Comments Chinon 535 (revs Q20 & R20) not tested NEC 3X see NOTE below Panasonic 8004 not tested Pioneer 602x not tested Plextor 4plex not tested Sony 561 (& OEM equiv.) OK Toshiba 3401/4101/3601 OK NOTE: NEC 3Xp tested; it appears to function correctly, but the firmware does not always return the correct audio data, resulting in 'stuttering' in the copied file. It is not known if other NEC drives suffer from this problem. For the latest support information, please contact Anodyne Software via GEnie (R.BURROWS1), or via the Internet (r.burrows1@genie.geis.com), or write to the address below. Audio support ExtenDOS Pro includes the following audio functions: . play/pause/stop/eject . track forward or back . index forward or back . skip forward or back . cd repeat/shuffle . scan . set play segment . volume control These are provided through an interface visually similar to a standard audio CD player, with clearly-marked buttons and a complete time/track display. A smaller version of the main window may be selected at any time; this is particularly effective in reducing screen clutter when running the audio player as a desk accessory. ExtenDOS Pro conforms to the defined CD-ROM software interface standard; programming details for this interface are available on request from Anodyne Software at the address below. The interface allows third-party software products such as the CDP program from Alexander Clauss to access the audio CD functions and provide functions beyond those available in the CDAUDIO program/DA. Data support ExtenDOS Pro provides support for industry-standard CD-ROM formats. You can access any ISO9660 or High Sierra format CD-ROM as if it were a removable hard disk, switch between supported disk formats without a reboot, and access files of any size. ExtenDOS Pro even provides a built-in configurable cache facility to speed up data access. And with the right drive, ExtenDOS Pro supports single-session or multisession photoCD as well. Hardware requirements ExtenDOS Pro requires a SCSI CD-ROM drive connected directly to a SCSI port, or connected to an ACSI port via an ICD AdSCSI+, Link, or Link2 (or equivalent) host adapter. Please note that other host adapters (including the original Atari host adapter, the Supra, the BMS, and certain early ICD adapters) may not be capable of transmitting the commands necessary to support audio CD and photoCD. If you're not sure whether your adapter is compatible, please contact Anodyne Software at the address below. ExtenDOS Pro runs on all TOS-based Atari systems, including the ST, STe, Mega, MegaSTe, TT030, and Falcon030. Supported functions depend on the type of drive: Function Type of drive read standard CD-ROMs Any read photoCD Most current drives audio control/play Any fully SCSI-2 compatible drive; selected SCSI-1 drives, including models from NEC and Sony audio copy Selected drives (see list above) The following is a partial list of supported drives: . Apple CD-300e,CD-300e+,PowerCD . Chinon 525,535 . Compaq 561 . MediaVision Reno . NEC 25,35/72/77/80/82,73/83,37/74/84,38/74-1/84-1 . NEC 210,3Xe/3Xi/3Xp,3Xp+/4Xe/4Xi . Panasonic 501 . Pioneer 602X,604X,124X . Plextor 3024/3028,5024/5028,4plex . Sony 6211,8022,541,561/55S . Sun CDPlus . Texel 3024/5024 . Toshiba 3201,3301,3401,3501,3601,4101,5201,5301 For the latest information on supported drives, please contact Anodyne Software via GEnie (R.BURROWS1), or via the Internet (r.burrows1@genie.geis.com), or write to the address below. Software requirements ExtenDOS Pro requires one of the following operating environments: . TOS (1.0 through 4.04 tested) . MultiTOS (with MiNT v1.08 or v1.12) . Geneva (v003/v004 tested) . Mag!X (v2.01 tested) Preliminary tests of MagiC v4 indicate that ExtenDOS Pro drives are not 'visible' to the MAGXDESK desktop; however, they are available to any program running from the desktop, including the builtin CLI. This anomaly will be fixed in a subsequent release of ExtenDOS Pro. Availability ExtenDOS Pro v2.3 is available now at a suggested retail price of $39.95. Order from your local Atari dealer, or directly from: Anodyne Software 6 Cobbler Court Ottawa Ontario K1V 0B8 CANADA. If ordering from Anodyne Software, you may request a manual in French instead of in English. ExtenDOS Pro Upgrades If you are an existing ExtenDOS Pro user, you will be able to upgrade to version 2.3 AT NO CHARGE by downloading an upgrade file. This will be distributed to online libraries, including GEnie and Atari FTP sites, within a few weeks. Alternatively, you may upgrade by sending your original diskette plus $8 (including shipping) to Anodyne Software at the above address. Please see below for methods of payment. ExtenDOS Upgrades Existing owners of ExtenDOS may upgrade to ExtenDOS Pro v2.3 by sending their original ExtenDOS diskette plus $20 (including shipping) to Anodyne Software at the above address. The upgrade includes a manual. Please see below for methods of payment. Methods of payment For North American orders, please make your payment by cheque or money order, in US$ for shipping to the U.S.A., in Canadian$ for shipping within Canada. Ontario residents please add 8% sales tax. For shipments outside North America, please pay by money order in US$. Please add an additional $2 for airmail shipping. Houston Atari Safari! STR InfoFile! Safari '96 Announced! HACE invites all Atari users to the sixth annual Houston Atari Safari. Safari '96 is primarily a sales show, with plenty of old and new software and hardware for the ST/TT/Falcon computers, Atari 8-bit computers and Atari Lynx and Jaguar game systems. Major Atari vendors who will be at the show include: Binary Sounds - MIDI software ChroMagic - ST/Falcon hardware interfaces such as the keyboard gizmo, ST MIDI tutorial software, ST game software & ST utilities Crawly Crypt - ST shareware & PD CD Rom disks, CD drives Gribnif - Dan Wilga will be there with Geneva, Neodesk 4 and more Systems For Tomorrow - lots of commercial software from Kent's store TOAD Computers - Jennifer is bringing lots of commercial software Trace Technologies - Keith Gerdes has Load Aladdin v2.2 and more. We will be adding another 3 or 4 major vendors in the next few weeks (just waiting on a reply from them) ... right now the "possibles list" includes the following vendors who have asked for information: BraSoft's Darek Mihoka (Gemulator 4), Oregon Research Associates' Bob Luneski (Diamond Back, Diamond Edge2, HiSoft titles), It's All Relative (CD titles), and Computer Direct's Chris Krowchuk (retail software). Safari '96 will also have a used hardware/software area composed of Atari user and ex-user vendors. Safari '96 will be held at the Ramada Hotel, 7787 Katy Freeway in Houston, Texas. One day only, Saturday - February 24th, 1996 - 10 am to 6 pm. Admission to the show is $4 (only 1 dollar for kids 12 and under). Vendor tables are available for $20 per table. Table Reservation Form for the Atari Safari '96 Fill in this form and return to the following address so that it will be received in Houston no later than 17 February 1996: HACE ~ PO Box 820335 ~ Houston TX 77282-0335 NAME: ___________________________________________________________ COMPANY: ________________________________________________________ ADDRESS: ________________________________________________________ CITY, ST, ZIP: __________________________________________________ Do you represent a Dealer or Company? .. Yes No Number of tables Required? .............. Yes No Do you need an electrical outlet? ....... Yes No Will you have any special requirements? (describe) ____________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ $20.00 X ______ (number of tables requested) = _______ Amt due HACE Make checks payable to HACE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION! Jaguar Section Atari, Limping Off Into the Sunset? Layoffs, Resignations, and Nasty Rumors/News - The ONLY News For the Day! From the Editor's Controller - Playin' it like it is! This has probably been the worst week for Atari/Jaguar news in all of the years that I have been following Atari and supporting its products and users - both in these pages of STReport, online, and personally. As likely mentioned prior to your getting to this section, Atari has had another layoff, a major one. There have also been some resignations. Most notably, Ted Hoff and programmer Jeff Minter have left Atari. Layoffs include Ron Beltramo, Sandi and Greg LaBreq, and Dan McNamee. I've heard that there were about 20-plus employees either laid off or resigned - not good news, especially after the other recent staff cuts. With the departure of Hoff and the recent health problems of Atari CEO Sam Tramiel, Atari patriarch Jack Tramiel is back at the helm of Atari. Garry Tramiel is also back in the fold after a short departure. News reports, rumors, speculations, and denials have been flying everywhere online. Other than the staff cuts, we have no real hard facts to back up the news reports, or deny them. What we do have are the various reports from within Atari and what has been learned from former employees, either directly or reported from other reliable sources. Reading all of the available "stories", there seems to be a good degree of truth in it all. Reading these reports, and reading between the lines, says a lot. Personally, taking into consideration all of the history behind Atari, the current lackluster success of the Jaguar, and the current stories - it's easy to think that this is possibly the end of Atari. Atari, as I knew it, died when the Falcon030 failed and the computer platform was abandoned for the Jaguar. I felt then, as I still do now, Atari was making a mistake putting all of its eggs into a single basket, the Jaguar. Regardless of the fact that Atari was born out of the video games market, I couldn't see it as being the "re-birth" for Atari. However, I did consider that the Jaguar was a viable product and could be successful. In fact, knowing that Atari computer users were still around in significant numbers, it made sense to supplement the Atari section of STReport with Jaguar news. It worked - for myself, staff, and our readers. I won't pretend that I don't have a sinking feeling about the future of Atari, or the lack of one. This recent news is ominous. What will happen to current development of Jaguar games? What about games reportedly in production? New development? Will Atari take the same path for the Jaguar as they did for the Lynx - let whatever is in the pipeline come out and then slowly fade away? I have no idea. My guess would be that the present schedule of games will continue; it makes no sense to put that much money into development and throw it away. Unless Jack Tramiel decides to just pack up and retire Atari, I believe that we'll see the current games that are in production and those close to being completed in development. After that. your guess is as good as the next person's, if made with realism in mind. The time for emotional speculation is over. Reality is about to hit the masses - be it the avid supporters or the detractors. There is going to be plenty of "I told ya so's" and "no way" for a long time. I see a bleak time for the supporters; and I see all of the "bashers" coming out of the woodwork to immaturely taunt. I also see a lot of the realistic users or ex- users continue to debate the current affairs in a responsible manner. It will definitely be an interesting period until the dust settles on the subject. Where do I stand in this matter? I really don't know what to think. If Atari fades away, as seems quite possible, I will not be a bit surprised. If Atari continues, I believe it will be a difficult ride. In any event, I do not see the Jaguar as having any real chance for success under present conditions. I'm going to see how the dust settles, IF it does, and then take a long hard look and then make my conclusions. Realistically, the signs do not look good. We'll be here to let you know what happens as we learn it. Stay tuned, online and in upcoming issues - STReport has the tradition of learning the news quickly and correctly, whether it be good or bad. We'll continue to do so. As to the rest of the usual Jaguar section - it's been preempted other than the few reports that have appeared. Under the circumstances, I feel that a "normal" issue of Jaguar news and information is inappropriate for this week. I apologize in advance if you were expecting more this week, but I think that you will agree. I hope that during the days to come before next week's issue, we'll have some good news. At the least, we hope to be able to have more concrete information regarding the situation at Atari. Until next time... Industry News STR Game Console NewsFile - The Latest Gaming News! Atari Exiting Video Game Business, Liquidating Gaming Assets Atari Corp. is throwing in the video game towel. Company sources tell MMWIRE Atari is liquidating all its video game assets, including the Jaguar, Jaguar CD and Atari Interactive, the company's recently launched PC software division. It would appear that the Tramiel family, the largest Atari shareholders (with approx. 47%), have decided to apply Atari's $50 mill. cash reserves in a business other than video games - or any consumer product for that matter. The sudden move comes on the heels of the recently launched Atari Interactive. Just last week Atari told MMWIRE it expected to use a portion of that $50 mill. to invest in video game software companies. The closed video game division leaves behind an installed based of 150,000 Jaguar game systems and outstanding title development contracts amounting an estimated $6 to $8 mill. Approx. 20 employees have been laid off, leaving 30 remaining. These too are expected to depart shortly. Layoffs include the entire Interactive division including management, accounting and legal personnel. The Tramiels intend to exit the video game business, liquidating those assets. MMWIRE believes the Tramiels intend to merge the resulting company with a computer components manufacturer. "The video game business at Atari as we know will cease to exist," according to sources. While it is not known who Atari intends to merge with, the combined companies are expected to trade under the current Atari stock symbol (amex: ATC). ATARI DENIES IT'S QUITTING GAME INDUSTRY Atari has vehemently denied a published story that the company has dumped the Jaguar and is planning to slip out of the video game business. The company believes the story, which appeared on the Internet yesterday, was sparked off by the sudden departure of key staff at the company, including chief executive Ted Hoff. In an interview with NEXT Generation OnLine, chief financial officer August Liguori commented: "We were in the video game business a long time before Ted joined us. Just because he has gone does not mean that we are quitting the business. The story is not true. "We sounded this market in the first place and we are not about to give it up. We are still supporting the Jaguar and we are still continuing with our recently announced plans as regards Atari Interactive. "We have reorganized and we are looking carefully at all our operations, but we are still developing the same number of titles as we were at the beginning of the week." ONLINE WEEKLY STReport OnLine The wires are a hummin'! PEOPLE... ARE TALKING On CompuServe compiled by Joe Mirando 73637,2262 Hidi ho friends and neighbors. As is usually the case, there isn't much going on in the Atari world right now. Other than the rumors flying around about Atari closing its doors or selling the rights to the Jaguar (neither of the rumors is true), the big news is the "cooperative programming" effort to bring a navigator or information manager to allow us to access the special features that CompuServe offers for CIM and CISNAV users. If you want to be involved in this effort just fill out the information form below and send it to Steve Van Rossen at 100256,3406. INFORMATION FORM About yourself: Name : ............................................................. Street : ................................................. Nr. : ..... Zipcode : ........ Town : ............................................. Country : ............................................................. I live in timezone: ................................................... Your Atari: MODEL: RAM: [ ] ST [ ] 512 Kb [ ] STE [ ] 1 Mb [ ] Mega ST [ ] 2 Mb [ ] Mega STE [ ] 4 Mb [ ] TT [ ] Other: ... Mb [ ] Stacy [ ] Falcon [ ] TT/030 boards only: .... ST RAM, .... TT RAM [ ] ST Book [ ] Other (MEDUSA, Eagle): ................. PRINTER: ............................................ Type : [ ] Matrix [ ] Laser [ ] Inkjet [ ] Other: ......................... PERIPHERALS: -- Model ------------------------------------ External diskdrives : ............................................. ............................................. Modem : ............................................. Hard disk(s) : ............................................. ............................................. Monitor(s) : ............................................. ............................................. OPERATING SYSTEM EMULATORS [ ] TOS version: ........ [ ] Gemulator95 version: ........ [ ] MultiTOS version: ........ [ ] Janus version: ........ [ ] Geneva version: ........ [ ] ........... version: ........ [ ] MagiC version: ........ [ ] MagiCMac version: ........ ACCELERATOR BOARD: [ ] .......... version: ........ ................................... About 'AtariCIS' General questions: 1. Do you want it to be WinCIM-like or CIS Navigator-like (underline your choice) 2. What do you think would be a good name for this application? (e.g. AtariCIS, CISsie, AtariSurf etc.) 3. How many hours per month are you going to invest in this project? 4. What basic functionality do you expect from the software? If you can are on the participants list as a developer: 3. What is your favourite compiler? (e.g. Pure C, Lattice C...) 4. What resource-editor do you prefer? 5. Do you want to participate in defining the functional definition (a short one should do)? To All: This project needs a coordinator. I am a candidate for this job, but I would like that everybody who is interested in the overall coordination send me a message to tell so. I propose that the project members choose the coordinator... Okay, now that that's out of the way, let's get on with the reason for this column: All the great news, tips, and info available every week right there on CompuServe. From the Atari Computing Forum On the subject of carrying your Atari software with you to another platform, Mark Kelling posts: "Even if you "jump ship" to a Mac, you _can_ take most of your great Atari software with you. All you will need is MagiCMac. It works really well with most well written Atari software. Just one note: the Mac will _not_ read disks formated in any of the extended styles. No extra sectors, no extra tracks, no twisting, no single sided disks, just plain old 1.44meg or 720K. Make sure you get everything copied over _before_ you loose you ST. I didn't (my ST died in a thunderstorm) and I'm still trying to get some disks copied." Jon Pruitt tells Mark: "Thanks for the suggestion. I do sometimes use extra sectors in formatting, but mostly, I buy DOS formatted 720k floppys out of laziness. I guess that's in my favor on this issue." While talking about accessing the Internet, Dennis Patton posts: "I have tried to use CAB/Stik on my Mega4STe and a local provider w/no avail. I can get all the way to connecting w/the provider then I can't seem to get around the Internet. I'm thinking the provider is at fault, but they support SLIP connections. I'm quite new to trying Internet stuff and would love to do so, but can't afford a Mac just for browsing. Any input?" Greg Kopchak of It's All Relative tells Dennis: "I was most impressed with CAB, it does a few things Mosaic doesn't do. Once you get it up and running you will be happy with it." Neil Newman asks: "Is it possible to use 14.4kbps on a Falcon, the modem.cpx and Stalker.prg go from 9600 straight to 19200bps and yet StraightFax has 14.4kbps?" Mark Hadfield tells Neil: "The baud rate setting in modem.cpx is the speed with which the Falcon communicates with the modem, not the speed at which the modem communicates across the telephone line (e.g. with a Fax machine). You need to set the Falcon's baud rate at least high as the modem's baud rate (and preferably at least twice as high if your modem supports compression). i.e. set modem.cpx, or within Stalker, to at least 19200 baud, preferably 38400 baud." John Raymond asks for help: "I am having problems downloading files from compuserve, (I have had this problem before and can't remember how to rectify it). I am using Connect - software, and Compuserve B+ protocol. I get data overflow, empty data packet messages. I think my setup may have been changed by accident. anyone have any ideas." Sysop Jim Ness tells John: "Most likely cause of those comm problems is that your flow control is set up wrong. Flow control makes sure the other end doesn't not over run your computer with fast data. You should have one of the RS232 fix programs in your AUTO folder. Make sure it is set up for "hardware" or "RTS/CTS" flow control." Michel Vanhamme adds: "I don't remember all the details, but check your parity settings in Connect (in the 'port' dialog): they should be 8 bits, no parity, 1 stopbit. Also check that the 8th bit is _not_ stripped in the 'compatibility' (or something) dialog. All this is from memory, so I might be wrong... Also note that sometimes (typically when your connection with CIS is bad) downloads will still fail with the same symptoms you mentioned. In that case, you'll have to try to reconnect sometime later. As was mentioned, a serial port patch in your auto folder will also help." Shelly Gartner tells us: "I'm new at downloading and have a basic question. I know you will forgive me. I downloaded several files for the Falcon, including games like BOOm and Masterword and Rummy. I also downloaded a zip program. Basically, how does my Falcon read/run these programs. The Boom game and another game worked when I changed the extension to .PRG. The others said "TOS Error #35" when I did this. Is this what the zip program is for is the zip dealing with converting files from PC language to Atari? In the Falcon manual I read the extensions .ACC,.TOS, etc. These do not work either. Thank you for your help. I hope this is an easy one." Sysop Ron Luks tells Shelly: "Zipped files are 'compressed archives' of one or more programs and files. To access (run) these files you must UN-Zip the package. Download the UNZIP utility from our libraries here. Simply changing the filename will not work. Think of these files like clothes that you pack in a suitcase for traveling on an airplane. You put all your clothes in a suitcase to travel to another city, but you must unpack them before you can wear them." Rob Rasmussen asks for help with PageStream: "I wanted to try PageStream, so I ordered it from Toad and they sent 5 disks (a program disk and the rest font disks) with a manual. Following the directions, I copied the files from the disks to a folder on my hard disk, but I keep having problems. The program disk has folders named Graphics and Text which for some reason, won't copy to the hard disk. I get the error message "Can't write destination file", even though there is no path or filename conflict. I copied as much as I could to the HD, but I kept getting alerts "Data on drive A may be bad." If I try to run the program from the HD, it says "Data on drive E may be bad" (I had copied what I could to drive E). I called Toad about this, and they had no idea what could be wrong, so they sent me another set of 5 disks, and the same thing happens. PageStream won't install on my Falcon or ST. I'm about to give up on this and get a refund if I can't get it to work. Anyone have any ideas?" Ken Goodwin asks Rob: "Is your hard drive full perhaps? Your alerts are the same ones usually a associated when you try to copy a file and your destination drive is full. I'm not meaning to insult your intelligence with what could be a very obvious error, but I've done it myself a few times! You might also want to check with Soft_Logik in the Atari Vendors Forum (GO ATARIV). Mike from SL drops by occasionally." Rob tells Ken: "After a few more tries I finally got PageStream to install ok. There was plenty of hard drive space, but some files wouldn't copy from the folder they were in on the floppy. So I made new folders and copied the individual files." Well folks, that's about it for this week. Tune in again next week, same time, same station, and listen to what they are saying when... PEOPLE ARE TALKING STReport Confidential News, Tips, Rumors, Exposes, Predictions - Sunnyvale CA. ATARI.. to "CALL IT QUITS??" On Tuesday evening of this past week, STReport reported the following in a number of posts on the CompuServe Forums; Atari Interactive, Video Game Central and Video Games: STReport . the FIRST publication to break this story . #: 185760 S5/Atari Jaguar 16-Jan-96 20:58:16 Sb: #The Revolving Door Fm: Ralph @ STReport 70007,4454 To: All STReport Exclusive .... The whole story this Friday! Atari History Repeats itself again! Ted Hoff Gone....... Minter is gone... More Lay-Offs...... Jack is back. Maybe to put the "For Sale Ribbon" on the skeleton. STReport then posted. in reply to repeated statements of disbelief You could ask: Ted Hoff Ron Beltramo Greg LeBrec & Mrs. LeBrec Jeff Minter ....and all the others who THOUGHT they had at least six months.... but then... they're gone now. Not a happy week at ATC. All that's really left is the Accounting Dep't, (natch) a few testers and a person in customer service. Jack's back and Gary's coming back. Oh Joy......... I wonder which peripheral he'll sit on this time. I believe its "liquidation time"..... I hope I'm wrong... I think not. More Information.... According to reports that first appeared in an Online Bulletin from STReport International Online Magazine, and MMWire, Jack Tramiel, who bought what is now Atari Corp. from Warner, has retaken control of Atari Corp. Atari Corp.'s Ted Hoff, President of its North American Operations, vacated his position this past Wednesday, after resigning. This, following further layoffs of 20 or more employees. Hoff left amidst reports the company was selling off its Interactive/Game Division. Which includes; The Jaguar VideoGame Console, the Jaguar CD Player, and Atari Interactive, a recently formed game software entertainment group. STReport's Sources, among them; "GreenThroat" and "Big Cahuna" reported a number of reasons, including certain health problems, sagging sales, and internal turmoil are mainly behind this recent incident. Hoff mentioned "It was an indication that Atari's long-term commitments were not materializing as far as continuing in the Game business." Ted Hoff also remarked "the layoffs include people from every major area in Atari." Those left, "don't constitute the minimum levels of experienced personnel necessary to continue successfully in the Game/Interactive Business." Atari's Augie Liguori, Jack's close friend and Atari's long time "Bean Counter", has vigorously denied anything Atari was/is being liquidated. "We're not leaving. We have $50 million, and we fully intend to continue being involved in strategic investments, developing and publishing for all our platforms." But, at the same time, a number of highly informed industry sources deftly remarked it's highly unlikely that any ongoing development contracts will ever reach fruition. Reportedly, both the Jaguar VideoGame Console and the CD Player are no longer in manufacture. Additionally, our sources noted, "It appears Atari has plans to vacate its present office space by the end of next month, and its warehouse by the end of April." Food for Thought... This Fifty Million. Atari keeps talking about. Is this the very same Fifty Million they had when they began with this Jaguar thing?? Why is the Fifty Million Figure so common? To please the Stockholders? The SEC? Or, is it simply a "Catch Phrase"? Another of our snoops has it on good authority. "a West Coast Newspaper is now involved in an investigative series of Atari Affairs from the day the Tramiels took over". Further Information Posted Subject: **ATARI CLOSES DOWN** - Msg Number: 59136 From: SYSOP*John Ricciardi 75162,2212 To: all Forum: VGCENTRAL Sec: 01-Gaming Central HQ Date: 17-Jan-96 23:14 To all, Try THIS one on for size... surely the biggest news in gaming so far in 1996. Make of it what you will, but no matter how you feel - one thing is for certain: The Jag is done. From: mmwire@interramp.com (Todd Elliott) Subject: MMWIRE(tm) eFlash(tm) Atari Quits Video Games Status: OR MMWIRE(tm) eFlash(tm) 1-17-96 3:45pm ET. We could not resist the urge to inform everyone before our weekly posting. MMWIRE EXCLUSIVE: ATARI CORP. EXITS VIDEO GAME BUSINESS, TO LIQUIDATE GAME ASSETS Copyright 1996 MULTIMEDIA WIRE. All Rights Reserved. Atari Corp. is throwing in the video game towel. Sources close to the company tell MMWIRE Atari is liquidating all its video game assets, including the Jaguar, Jaguar CD and Atari Interactive, the company's recently launched PC software effort. It would appear that the Tramiel family, the majority Atari share holder, with $50 mill. in cash in the company, have decided to apply that cash elsewhere. The closed video game division leaves behind an installed based of over 150,000 Jaguars and outstanding title development contracts amounting to an estimated $6 to $8 mill. Approx. 20 employees have been laid off, leaving 30 remaining. These too are expected to depart shortly. Layoffs included the entire Interactive division including management, accounting and legal personnel. The Tramiels intend to exit the video game business, liquidating those assets. MMWIRE believes the Tramiels intend to merge the resulting company with a computer components manufacture. "The video game business at Atari as we know will cease to exist," according to sources. While it is not known who Atari intends to merge with, the combined companies are expected to trade under the current Atari stock symbol on the American Stock Exchange. MMWIRE Online mmwire@interramp.com http://www.mmwire.com (V) 301/564-6122 (F) 301/493-8996 The following is from the Next Generation Website, its a little more encouraging than the STReport and MMWIRE reports: ATARI DENIES IT'S QUITTING GAME INDUSTRY Atari has vehemently denied a published story that the company has dumped the Jaguar and is planning to slip out of the video game business. The company believes the story, which appeared on the Internet yesterday, was sparked off by the sudden departure of key staff at the company, including chief executive Ted Hoff. In an interview with NEXT Generation OnLine, chief financial officer August Liguori commented: "We were in the video game business a long time before Ted joined us. Just because he has gone does not mean that we are quitting the business. The story is not true. "We sounded this market in the first place and we are not about to give it up. We are still supporting the Jaguar and we are still continuing with our recently announced plans as regards Atari Interactive. "We have reorganized and we are looking carefully at all our operations, but we are still developing the same number of titles as we were at the beginning of the week." Subject: NextGen update on Atari. - Msg Number: 107542 From: Harj 76532,1142 To: ALL Forum: ATARIGAMING Sec: 10-News/Reviews/Shows Date: 18-Jan-96 23:46 The following is an article on the recent events at Atari from Next Generation: ATARI: THE LAST DAYS OF ROME With conflicting reports raging through the game industry, and the Jaguar community in a state of utter panic, NEXT Generation OnLine tries to see sense in all the mess. Contrary to some reports, Atari hasn't fallen yet. But the citadel is crumbling. Here are the differing perspectives which the industry faces today. Until the situation sorts itself out, you must make up your own mind of what will emerge from the rubble. Former insiders at Atari have found themselves without a job. Their perspective is that the company is finished in the game industry. That the Tramiels will take their $50 million suitcase and set up shop elsewhere (bizarrely, the computer components market has been mentioned). Independent observers have thus far been attracted to this point of view. Atari's take is, not surprisingly, very different. It says that there has simply been a post-Christmas re-organization. That senior management have gone. That staff have been laid off. And that a new approach is being implemented. The goals remain the same: support for the Jaguar and an aggressive push into software development for more successful platforms. This is soothing stuff for Atari-watchers. Our take is that, right now, Atari resembles the Last Days of Rome. There are many people at Atari itself who don't know what is really going on. Nor what tomorrow holds. These are dark days for the game industry's oldest and still one of its most colorful forces. Many are awaiting the word from on high which will answer their question; just what the hell is going on? Confusion reigns. Senior management still in existence talk about restructuring and reorganization but no details are forthcoming. They promise that no development projects have been canned, but are not so forthcoming on what games will actually see the light of day. They fall back on Atari's long (if flawed) history as a justification for an everlasting presence in this market which is, of course, sophistry. Unfortunately, the Jaguar is facing its twilight hours. As a machine at $99 we see it as an okay buy. But it is not going to cause much lost sleep to the people at Sony and Sega. The netherworld of user-groups and fanzines beckons. Ted Hoff, before he left, was doing the only thing plausible for an embattled company. That is, redirecting Atari's brand strength and internal talents towards areas of potential profitability (software development). Atari may have enjoyed a long history in the hardware business, but only the most faithful can see a way forward in this ultra-competitive sector. It was and is time to get off. We hope that Atari does continue. That new Jaguar games of the quality of Defender 2000 make their way to market. And that the Atari name becomes synonymous with gameplay quality. We can only hope. Subject: IGOnline Update on Atari - Msg Number: 107543 From: Harj 76532,1142 To: ALL Forum: ATARIGAMING Sec: 10-News/Reviews/Shows Date: 18-Jan-96 23:46 The following is from the Interactive Gamer web site: Atari Announces Major Cuts (Update: 1-18/96) by Brian Osserman Don Thomas at Atari has confirmed that Ted Hoff, President of North American Operations, has resigned, and Jack Tramiel, the chairman of the board, who had been very much in the background for the past couple years, has renewed his active involvement in the company. Atari has laid off a number of employees, including Ted Taquechi, who produced a number of Jaguar games and was the producer for the upcoming Phase Zero. Thomas commented that he did not expect these cutbacks to affect upcoming Jaguar and PC releases, stating that games being produced by people who were laid off will be reassigned to remaining personnel. Phase Zero's new producer will be Jon Skruch. Skruch and Larry Pacey, who oversee Atari's Jaguar and PC developments respectively, both remain at Atari. Thomas also confirmed that Jeff Minter, the programmer of the incredibly popular Tempest 2000 and VLM, and the much-anticipated Defender 2000, has left for another company. When Atari laid off a number of employees in November, IG ran a story indicating that Atari did not plan to contract out any new Jaguar games. In a subsequent interview with Don Thomas, Atari denied these allegations, saying that they intended to continue to contract out Jaguar games to outside companies. However, it now appears that, in fact, the original story was correct. Jeff Minter was quite possibly the most popular Jaguar developer, and other evidence indicates the likelihood that Atari had no plans to contract out another Jaguar project to Minter: High Voltage Software, who are responsible for White Men Can't Jump, Vid Grid, NBA Jam: Tournament Edition, and Ruiner Pinball report that Atari has not contacted them regarding any further Jaguar projects. Moreover, Beyond Games, who coded Ultra Vortek, and were supposed to receive a contract for the sequel to the incredibly popular Alien vs. Predator, have stated that Atari has dropped the contract negotiations for that game, and have not been responsive to proposals for a conversion to the Jaguar of Beyond Games' Lynx hit Battlewheels. At this point it seems likeliest that Atari will in fact finish most of the Jaguar games currently being worked on, but will not pursue any new titles, focusing instead on the PC games market. EDITORIAL QUICKIES Happy Birthday to George Burns!! STReport International OnLine Magazine [S]ilicon [T]imes [R]eport HTTP://WWW.STREPORT.COM AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE ON OVER 100,000 PRIVATE BBS SYSTEMS All Items quoted, in whole or in part, are done so under the provisions of The Fair Use Law of The Copyright Laws of the U.S.A. Views, Opinions and Editorial Articles presented herein are not necessarily those of the editors/staff of STReport International OnLine Magazine. Permission to reprint articles is hereby granted, unless otherwise noted. Reprints must, without exception, include the name of the publication, date, issue number and the author's name. STR, CPU, STReport and/or portions therein may not be edited, used, duplicated or transmitted in any way without prior written permission. STR, CPU, STReport, at the time of publication, is believed reasonably accurate. STR, CPU, STReport, are trademarks of STReport and STR Publishing Inc. STR, CPU, STReport, its staff and contributors are not and cannot be held responsible in any way for the use or misuse of information contained herein or the results obtained therefrom. STR OnLine! YOUR INDEPENDENT NEWS SOURCE January 19, 1996 Since 1987 Copyrightc1996 All Rights Reserved Issue No. 1203