Silicon Times Report The Original Independent OnLine Magazine" (Since 1987) July 05, 1996 No. 1227 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: 1-904-292-9222 10am-5pm 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! Client/Server BBS Version 5 95/NT Featuring a Full Service Web Site http://www.streport.com Join STReport's Subscriber List receive STR through Internet MULTI-NODE Operation 24hrs-7 days Analog & ISDN BRI Access 904-268-4116 2400-128000 bps V. 120-32-34 v.42 bis ISDN V.34 USRobotics I-MODEM NT-1 FAX: 904-268-2237 24hrs BCS - Toad Hall BBS 1-617-567-8642 07/05/96 STR 1227 The Original Independent OnLine Magazine! - CPU Industry Report - Adaptec News - Corel News - DM II Walk-Thru - IBM Exec Joins Apple - MS; FREE MAC SW - Zip Drive Rebates - Dvorak Support News - COREL vs M-SOFT - HDTV STRATEGY - People Talking - JagNotes MAC SALES DROPPING! FEDS TO APPEAL 'DECENCY' CASE FCC CHIEF OPPOSES NET PHONE REGULATION STReport International OnLine Magazine Featuring Weekly "Accurate UP-TO-DATE News and Information" Current Events, Original Articles, Tips, Rumors, and Information Hardware - Software - Corporate - R & D - Imports STReport's BBS - The Bounty International BBS, invites all BBS systems, worldwide, to participate in the ITC, Fido, Internet, PROWL, USENET, USPOLNet, NEST, F-Net, Mail Networks. You may also call The Bounty BBS direct @ 1-904-268-4116. 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 IMPORTANT NOTICE STReport, with its policy of not accepting any input relative to content from paid advertisers, has over the years developed the reputation of "saying it like it really is". When it comes to our editorials, product evaluations, reviews and over-views, we shall always keep our readers interests first and foremost. With the user in mind, STReport further pledges to maintain the reader confidence that has been developed over the years and to continue "living up to such". All we ask is that our readers make certain the manufacturers, publishers etc., know exactly where the information about their products appeared. In closing, we shall arduously endeavor to meet and further develop the high standards of straight forwardness our readers have come to expect in each and every issue. The Publisher, Staff & Editors Florida Lotto - LottoMan v1.35 Results: 6/29/96: 3 of 6 numbers From the Editor's Desk... Its the Fourth of July weekend and its going full blast.. From coast to coast. So. this week's editorial is a real shorty. Enjoy the long weekend! 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. 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 Daniel Stidham David H. Mann 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 STReport Headline News LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS Weekly Happenings in the Computer World Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson Feds to Appeal 'Decency' Case As expected, the U.S. Justice Department says it has decided to appeal to the Supreme Court that landmark ruling earlier this month that struck down key parts of a new federal law barring alleged indecency on computer networks. Most of computerdom has expected the appeal ever since June 12 when a special three-judge federal panel in Philadelphia blocked enforcement of the Communications Decency Act on the grounds it violated constitutional free- speech rights. The Reuter News Service reports Deputy Attorney General Jamie Gorelick has informed Sen. James Exon (D- Nebraska) that the notice of appeal will be filed on or before the July 2 deadline. Justice Department spokesman Carl Stern told the wire service Gorelick's letter to Exon, a chief sponsor of the law, had been sent earlier this week. The measure, signed into law by President Clinton in February, bars the distribution to minors of indecent or "patently offensive" materials over computer networks. "The law allows for quick appeals directly to the Supreme Court once a three- judge panel rules," Reuters says. "When the court in Philadelphia issued its decision, Justice Department lawyers immediately started reviewing a high court appeal." The wire service notes the high court will not be able to get to the case until the justices return to the bench in October after their summer recess, adding a decision is unlikely before early 1997. Gore Launches National 'NetDay' Assisted by volunteers from three dozen states, Vice President Al Gore yesterday launched a national "NetDay" campaign, following California's one- day blitz earlier this year to wire 4,000 classrooms in that state for the Internet. In Washington, education writer Deb Riechmann of The Associated Press reports more than 400 volunteers applauded when Gore repeated the Clinton administration's desire that schools and libraries get free -- not just discounted -- access to the Net. "After California's NetDay in March, grassroots efforts began in other states to organize what Gore calls 'electronic barn raisings,'" Riechmann says. "NetDays are scheduled in October at least 35 states." On NetDays, wire is installed to link a central point inside a school building to a few classrooms and a library or computer lab. "With these wires in place," AP observes, "the schools can move forward to raise money to buy computers, software and figure out the best way to link the school building to the Internet." New telecommunications law entitles schools, libraries and other groups to discounted rates for communications services, but Gore, Education Secretary Richard Riley and several lawmakers want a board of state and federal regulators to provide schools and libraries with a package of free services, such as email, access to the Net and video conferencing. They say they also want the board to make a list of other services that schools and libraries could get at discounted rates, or as education supporters call them, "E rates." Web Search Engines Merge For $18 million, Excite Inc. is set to buy McKinley Group Inc. in what is thought to be the first consolidation of major Internet search engine companies. Excite's Web site and McKinley's Magellan receive about 4 million hits a day. Reporting from Mountain View, California, The Associated Press commented the deal also is "the most visible sign to date that there isn't enough of a market to sustain the nearly dozen large-scale electronic directories of information on the Internet's World Wide Web." The wire service notes that rivals Lycos and Infoseek also get about 4 million daily requests each, while Yahoo, a service that sorts Web sites into a catalog-like structure, gets 6 million visits a day. (As reported earlier this month, Yahoo has arranged to connect its users to the Alta Vista search engine of Digital Equipment Corp. as a secondary source of information. While Yahoo acts as a catalog where producers of information on the Web must register to be listed, Alta Vista is an automated program that takes a much broader view of the Web but does not sort out information.) Richard Redding, Excite's acting chief financial officer, told AP, "This deal lets us take the service to the No. 2 position in terms of market share. Our goal is to be the No. 1 company." He added Excite has not yet decided whether the Excite (accessible at Web address http://www.excite.com) and Magellan (http://www.mckinley.com) will remain separate. AP says Excite will buy privately-held McKinley, based in Sausalito, California, by issuing 1.2 million shares of stock. The wire service also comments that Magellan -- started by Christine and Isabel Maxwell, daughters of the late British publisher Robert Maxwell -- was the first site to publish reviews and ratings of Web sites, but "was late in selling ads; other companies began last fall while it started in February. G7 Page Shows Global Inequity The World Wide Web ultimately may touch all the world equally, but the cyberspace link to this week's G7 conference in the French city of Lyon is illustrating that for now, some countries are more equal than others. In other words, as writer Tom Heneghan of the Reuter News Service notes in a report from Lyon, the world's richest countries "can see to their chagrin that some are more global than others." This year's Group of Seven (G7) summit has its own Internet pages to keep computerists around the globe up to date "with what the exclusive rich men's club does and decides this weekend," Heneghan comments. The page (which you can reach at web address http://www.G7lyon.gouv.fr) offers "more than your average nerd will want to know about the annual summits, offers links to all seven participants and promises to publish summit documents when they appear," Heneghan says. "But," he adds, "it takes only a few minutes' surfing among the pages of the member states -- the United States, France, Japan, Germany, Britain, Italy and Canada -- to see that some are definitely more Net-wise than others." For instance, France and the U.S. have come up with lively pages offering official communiques, background on the agenda issues, statements from government officials and photos and maps showing the main sights of the host city Lyon. Also, Japan has a colorful page with tips on how to see a kimono exhibit, the Firemen of Edo acrobats or hear traditional drummers in Lyon during the three-day summit. "By contrast," Reuters notes, "Germany, Britain and Italy have made little or no effort to put their positions out in user-friendly form." Net Addresses on the Selling Block Internet standards makers embarked on a "grand experiment" at the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) meeting this week in Montreal to determine if Internet addresses should be bought, sold, bartered or otherwise transferred on the open market, according to CMP's Network Computing. "Currently users pay an annual fee for domain names that readily identify Web sites," writes Christine Hudgins- Bonafield, Network Computing's business and trends editor and author of the article, "but the actual network addresses behind those domain names are essentially free. Users pay only a nominal administrative fee." The explosion in Internet usage has led to these latest developments. "While the IETF has traditionally been reluctant to dabble in policy decisions, like that of establishing charges for addresses, supporters see it as the only way to sustain Internet growth," notes Hudgins-Bonafield. "The goal is to determine whether a free market in addresses will conserve the finite pool of addresses available through existing Internet technology." According to the Network Computing article, many of the details of the proposal must still be worked out and some details -- such as a proposal that Internet service providers supplement a free market in addresses by charging their own fees to advertise unaggregated addresses that strain today's routing technology -- are meant only as suggestions. The IETF has no power to force Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to initiate such fees. However, representatives of at least one ISP, Sprint, present for the discussion appeared enthusiastic about the overall proposal. "The IETF has no enforcement power," says Yakov Rekhter, of Cisco, "but financial incentives could become a significant factor to motivate behavior that benefits the Internet as a whole." Rekhter says he plans to "clean up" the Internet draft proposal to make it an informational request for comments, and he expects the experiment to begin sometime this year. The draft presents a framework for financial incentives for address aggregation and address allocation. The Network Computing article on the IETF meeting is available on Network Computing's Web site at http://techweb.cmp.com/nwc/online/money.html. Application Software Sales Rise The Software Publishers Association reports that sales of personal computer application software in North America reached $2.4 billion in the first quarter of 1996, a 12.3 percent increase from the first quarter of 1995. Unit sales increased by 27 percent over 1995's first quarter. The SPA notes that the Windows 95/Windows NT application market has grown to $340.2 million. The largest categories within the field are system utilities that smooth installation, languages and development tools and basic productivity applications. Windows 3.x application sales fell 5 percent but remain by far the largest single platform, says the trade group. According to the SPA, all DOS categories, with the exception of games, home education and personal information managers (PIMs), declined significantly. For the Macintosh platform, database shipments were extremely strong -- up 210 percent -- with desktop publishing programs up 89 percent. For several categories showing declines, it appears that buyers are holding off on purchases until they can evaluate unreleased 32-bit products, says the SPA, which notes that previous experience shows that once the new products are out sales in the category will boom. "It's a healthy sign for the software industry when 13 out of 16 categories report positive revenue growth in the first quarter," says Ken Wasch, the SPA's president. Intel to Ship Flash Memory Flash memory cards based on Miniature Card specifications now are being shipped to worldwide customers by chipmaker Intel Corp. According to the Reuter News Service, the Intel Series 100 Flash Memory Miniature Cards are available in two- and four-megabyte densities. The two-megabyte cards are priced at $39 and the four-megabyte cards at $69. "Earlier this year," the wire service notes, "the world's major electronics makers, including Intel and Sharp Corp., agreed to promote Miniature Card specifications as the industry standard. Flash memory-based cards using Miniature card specifications allow data exchange with Microsoft's MS-DOS and Windows 95-based computers and systems." Intel did not provide details on shipment volume or any sales targets, Reuters adds. Iomega Unveils Zip Drive Rebates Iomega Corp. today announced a limited-time rebate program for its Zip drive and 100MB Zip disks. From July 1 through Sept. 15, customers purchasing an Iomega Zip drive at the estimated street price of $199.95 will be eligible for a $50 mail-in rebate. Customers will also be eligible to receive a $20 mail-in rebate when they purchase 10 Iomega Zip disks at the estimated street price of $149.95. Additionally, for customers who purchase a Zip drive and 10 Zip disks, Iomega is offering a free Zip drive carrying case and two Zip caddies, each of which can organize up to six disks. Both purchases must be made at the same time. "The Zip drive is gaining acceptance as the new high capacity, high-performance personal storage standard for multimedia computing in today's digital age," says Andy Grolnick, Zip product line manager for Roy, Utah-based Iomega. "This rebate program takes the value of Zip products to a completely new level, making them even more affordable for today's storage hungry personal computer consumers." Iomega has shipped over two million Zip drives since its introduction last year, making it one of the computer industry's fastest- selling personal storage products. Microsoft Offers Free Mac Software Microsoft Corp. has announced a free software product for Macintosh users. The Microsoft Empowerment Pack for the Mac provides users with tools that are designed to enhance their presence on the Internet, increase their computer's performance and improve their system's memory. The product includes Microsoft Internet Explorer version 2.0 for the Macintosh, a World Wide Web browser; Internet Assistant 2.0 for Microsoft Word for Macintosh, which allows users to turn their Word documents into Web pages; Internet Assistant for Microsoft Excel for Macintosh, which lets users create and share spreadsheets online; Microsoft Word 6.0.1a Update for Macintosh, which improves performance and stability; the System 7.5 Update 2.0 and System 7.5.3 Revision 2 from Apple Computer Inc.; and a $69 8MB memory upgrade offer from Kingston Technology Corp. "The Microsoft Empowerment Pack for the Mac is part of our ongoing effort to bring our customers new, powerful technology that improves their overall experience with the Office applications," says Dave Meltzer, group product manager for Macintosh applications at Microsoft. "The tools in The Microsoft Empowerment Pack improve performance and make it possible to bring the Internet to the desktop with easy-to-use, familiar Microsoft programs that our customers are comfortable with." Registered users of Microsoft Office 4.2 for Macintosh, Microsoft Word 6.x for Macintosh, Microsoft Excel 5.x for Macintosh and Microsoft PowerPoint 4.x for Macintosh will receive free Microsoft Empowerment Packs by mail in early July. Users of Microsoft Office 3.0 applications who registered after April 1993 will receive a mail-in card for the software. All other customers can download the software from the MicrosoftWorld Wide Web site at http://microsoft.com/macoffice/. Users can also order the software on 3.5- inch disks by calling 800-469-6520 in the U.S. Borland President/CEO Resigns Gary A. Wetsel has resigned as president/CEO of Borland International Inc. Chairman William F. Miller will serve as acting CEO until a replacement is appointed. Reporting from Borland's Scotts Valley, Calif., headquarters, The Associated Press says no reason for Wetsel's resignation was disclosed, adding, though, that Borland also expects to lose 53 cents to 56 cents a share in its fiscal first quarter. "In late May," notes the wire service, "the company projected an operating loss for the quarter due to slower sales of its desktop software and a major business reorganization. Sales of the Delphi Desktop, an entry-level version of its high-performance, visual development tool, have been lower than expected." As reported, Philippe Kahn, the French programmer who started Borland in 1983, resigned as chairman at the beginning of the year. "In recent months," AP observes, "the company has slashed its staff by more than a third and scaled back its operations to concentrate on products for software developers." Ex-IBM Exec Joins Apple Apple Computer Inc. today announced that it has named Ellen Hancock, a 28- year IBM veteran, executive vice president of research and development and chief technology officer. Hancock will report to Gilbert F. Amelio, Apple's chairman and CEO. She will assume her new posts on July 8. Hancock will be responsible for driving Apple's technology vision, technology alliances, the development of technology platforms and standards and Apple's research activities. She will oversee the AppleSoft division, the Apple Research Laboratories, the AppleNet division and the Apple Reliability and Quality Assurance group. "Ellen Hancock's expertise in leading-edge technologies and software development -- from visionary assessment to successful implementation -- as well as her strong leadership qualities, will keep Apple at the forefront of technology innovation and key industry trends," says Amelio. "We are proud to have Ellen Hancock lead the many talented and leading edge Apple technologists and scientists." "I am excited to join Apple as chief technology officer," says Hancock. "Apple has always pushed the envelope of technology innovation, and I look forward to being a part of Apple's future." Hancock joins Apple after a relatively short stint as executive vice president and chief operating officer at National Semiconductor, where her focus areas included technology, applications and product development. Prior to joining National Semiconductor, Hancock held various staff and line executive positions at IBM. She was elected an IBM vice president in September 1985 and a senior vice president in November 1992. Hancock was also senior vice president and group executive, responsible for IBM's Networking Hardware division, Networking Software Division and Software Solutions division. She was also a member of the IBM Corporate Executive Committee and the IBM Worldwide Management Council. Study Finds Mac Sales Dropping Macintosh computer sales reportedly fell steeply in April and May, just as Apple Computer Inc. was launching a major turnaround effort. That is the finding of a widely watched survey by market research firm Computer Intelligence, which reports revenue from sales of Apple computers dropped 30.6 percent in April and 32.6 percent in May, compared with year-ago levels. This comes after sales rose in single-digit percentage terms for the first three months of the year. Reporting from Palo Alto, California, the Reuter News Service says sales by unit volume fell slightly less steeply, "an indicator of continued pricing pressure on the beleaguered Cupertino, California-based computer company, with year-to-year unit sales falling 28.9 percent in April and 27.2 percent in May." CI Analyst Matt Sargent said, "This tears at the heart of their core competency. It means continued weakness. The downward spiral has not stopped -- it's not clear when it does." Reuters notes the researchers' ScoreBoard sales tracking service is based on monthly sales data collected from 1,100 outlets, so it does not count sales into the distribution channel. This could be significant, Sargent acknowledges, since a major portion of Apple's record $740 million second fiscal quarter loss was related to writing down inventories of unsold computers and computer parts, and Apple could still have generated sales as dealers and retailers rebuilt inventory. Still, Reuters says, the survey results indicate not only a weak third quarter, "but also a further embarrassment for Apple at a time when is struggling to turn around its business." Dell Claims Second Spot Citing new research data from International Data Corp., Austin, Texas, computer maker Dell Computer Corp. says it has surpassed IBM and Hewlett- Packard Co. in desktop sales to become the second largest PC manufacturer in revenue to the U.S. corporate market. The Reuter News Service quotes Dell officials as saying it now ranks second only to Compaq Computer Corp. in sales to the corporate PC market, with 13 percent market share among U.S. medium and large businesses. Dell also says its "business-centered strategy" has driven a growth rate twice the industry's average over the past 20 quarters, and Dell has added 15 Fortune 500 companies to its customer list since January. Telecommuting Help for Atlanta With approximately two million visitors expected in Atlanta during the Olympics, many Atlanta-area employees will be forced to work from their homes. To help ease the burden, Symantec Corp. and U.S. Robotics today announced Operation Telecommute '96, a unique service that aims to allow Atlanta-based employees to work at home as easily as if they were at their downtown office. The companies, in association with the Metro Atlanta Telecommuting Advisory Council (MATAC), will make available up to 500 specialized Telecommuter Relief Kits, containing free communications software and special offers on modem hardware, to Atlanta-based companies adversely affected by the Olympics crush. International visitors will create a short-term commuting emergency for most companies here in Atlanta," says Frank Boyd, MATAC's president. "This initiative not only provides a quick solution for those that are forced to look at teleworking as an alternative but also serves as an excellent introduction to the technology, connectivity and services that can sustain a long-term work-from-anywhere strategy for any company." Valued at more than $300 at retail, each kit includes Symantec's pcANYWHERE remote access and WinFax PRO fax communications software. Also provided is a $20 rebate from U.S. Robotics on the purchase of a Sportster V.34 Faxmodem, Sportster Voice V.34 Faxmodem or Sportster V.34 Winmodem for Windows. Companies or individuals operating in the downtown Atlanta area are invited to call 800-249-8313 ext. 7221 to qualify for their free Relief Kit. There is a limit of five kits per company. Dvorak Support STR Focus A NOTE TO DEVELOPERS OF NAVCIS ADD-ONS (updated July 2, 1996) NavCIS 1.75, and all subsequent versions of NavCIS, will communicate with CompuServe via the CompuServe Host-Micro Interface (HMI). HMI allows us to communicate with CompuServe in a much more controlled and efficient manner. The end result will be a NavCIS that is much more stable while on-line, and much less susceptible to changes in the CompuServe host software. In order to support the new way of doing things in HMI, we had to make some changes in the way we present data to CompuServe. We have also had to deal with changes in the way CompuServe presents data to us. It became apparent early on in the conversion process that we would have to make some changes to the format of the NavCIS database files. Since we were committed to making changes, we also decided that this was a good time to fix a few design problems in the layout of the NavCIS database files. The purpose of this document is to give you, our 3rd-party developers, a peek at what changed between version 1.62 and 1.75. Keep an eye on the 3rd Party Developers section in the Dvorak forum for any updated information. FILE NAME CHANGES The first, and most obvious change is that all of the file names were changed. We did this to avoid the possibility of mixing old data files with new data files (the formats of some are not compatible). A conversion utility was included in the 1.75 (and later) installation process to translate the old data files to the new names and formats. The conversion utility will be automatically run by the installation program, so the name changes should be transparent to the end users. The utility (called IMPORTER.EXE) is a separate program, and it will remain in the NAVCIS directory in case it is needed. The following table outlines the name changes: Old Name New Name ACTIONS.* HACTIONS.* ADDRESS.* HADDRESS.* CATALOG.* HCATALOG.* FORUM.* HFORUM.* GROUP.* HGROUP.* HEADERS.* HHEADERS.* LINK.* HLINK.* RECV.* HRECV.* WATCH.* HWATCH.* CONFIG.* none -- merged into HNAVCIS.INI USERS.* none -- now stored in CIS.INI NAVCIS.INI HNAVCIS.INI FORUMFPT.* HFRMFPT.* CONFIG.DBF As of version 1.75, NavCIS will store all configuration information in standard Windows .ini files. Following is a table mapping the old CONFIG.DBF field to it's new location: Old Field New Location MAX_BAUD CIS.INI (maintained by HMI toolkit) PORT CIS.INI (maintained by HMI toolkit) SPECIAL none -- was not being used. IRQ CIS.INI (maintained by HMI toolkit) BASE CIS.INI (maintained by HMI toolkit) INIT1 CIS.INI (maintained by HMI toolkit) INIT2 CIS.INI (maintained by HMI toolkit) PREFIX CIS.INI (maintained by HMI toolkit) SUFFIX CIS.INI (maintained by HMI toolkit) NUMBER CIS.INI (maintained by HMI toolkit) NAME CIS.INI (maintained by HMI toolkit) TITLE HNAVCIS.INI, [Global], Title= ADDR1 HNAVCIS.INI, [Global], Address1= ADDR2 HNAVCIS.INI, [Global], Address2= CITY HNAVCIS.INI, [Global], City= STATE HNAVCIS.INI, [Global], State= ZIP HNAVCIS.INI, [Global], ZIP= COUNTRY HNAVCIS.INI, [Global], Country= GET_FORUMS HNAVCIS.INI, [Global], GetForums= GET_PHONE none -- was not being used. AREACODE none -- was not being used. SYS_INFO HNAVCIS.INI, [Global], SysInfo= PURGE_DAYS HNAVCIS.INI, [Forum Defaults], PurgeDays= AGE none -- was not being used. SCAN_HDR HNAVCIS.INI, [Forum Defaults], ScanHeaders= READ_WAIT HNAVCIS.INI, [Forum Defaults], ReadWaiting= SCAN_LIB HNAVCIS.INI, [Forum Defaults], ScanLibraries= SCAN_WAIT HNAVCIS.INI, [Forum Defaults], ScanWait= OUTBOX HNAVCIS.INI, [Forum Defaults], SaveOutgoing= FSYS_MSG HNAVCIS.INI, [Forum Defaults], GetSystemMsgs= LINTNUM HNAVCIS.INI, [Internal Storage], LastInternal= LSESSION HNAVCIS.INI, [Internal Storage], LastSession= LADDR HNAVCIS.INI, [Internal Storage], LastAddress= LGROUP HNAVCIS.INI, [Internal Storage], LastGroup= ICON_SET HNAVCIS.INI, [Miscellaneous], IconSet= SORT HNAVCIS.INI, [Miscellaneous], IconSort= SPLIT HNAVCIS.INI, [Miscellaneous], IconSplit= DETECT HNAVCIS.INI, [Miscellaneous], CrashDetect= DUMMY1 CIS.INI (maintained by HMI toolkit) DUMMY2 HNAVCIS.INI, [Miscellaneous], Flags1= PACK HNAVCIS.INI, [Miscellaneous], PackCycle= DUMMY4 HNAVCIS.INI, [Miscellaneous], Flags2= VERSION HNAVCIS.INI, [Miscellaneous], IndexVersion= STOCK_CNT HNAVCIS.INI, [Special Forums], StockMessageCount= STOCK_NEW HNAVCIS.INI, [Special Forums], StockNewCount= STOCK_HN HNAVCIS.INI, [Special Forums], StockHasNew= STOCK_HA HNAVCIS.INI, [Special Forums], StockHasAny= WEATH_CNT HNAVCIS.INI, [Special Forums], WeatherMessageCount= WEATH_NEW HNAVCIS.INI, [Special Forums], WeatherNewCount= WEATH_HN HNAVCIS.INI, [Special Forums], WeatherHasNew= WEATH_HA HNAVCIS.INI, [Special Forums], WeatherHasAny= FF_CNT HNAVCIS.INI, [Special Forums], FFMessageCount= FF_NEW HNAVCIS.INI, [Special Forums], FFNewCount= FF_HN HNAVCIS.INI, [Special Forums], FFHasNew= FF_HA HNAVCIS.INI, [Special Forums], FFHasAny= FF_HC HNAVCIS.INI, [Special Forums], FFHasCatalog= FF_MARK HNAVCIS.INI, [Special Forums], FFMarkedCount= FF_CAT HNAVCIS.INI, [Special Forums], FFCatalogCount= USERS.DBF All information pertaining to user ID's and user passwords is now stored in CIS.INI, which is maintained by the HMI toolkit. NOTE: Information about the contents of the CIS.INI is "CompuServe Proprietary Information" and therefore cannot be described here. CompuServe requests that 3rd-party applications do not modify CIS.INI except via the mechanisms provided in the CompuServe Connection Toolkit (CCT). FORUM.DBF No change other than filename (now HFORUM.DBF) CATALOG.DBF The name of this file has changed to HCATALOG.DBF. The following fields have been changed: FILE_LEN - Widened to 10 digits HAVECATNUM - New field (see FSTRUC.WRI) CAT_NUM - New field (see FSTRUC.WRI) TEXT_BUF - End of paragraph marker has been changed from a NULL (0) to a carriage return. RECV.DBF The name of this file has changed to HRECV.DBF. The following fields have been changed: MSG_TEXT ú End of paragraph marker has been changed from a NULL (0) to a carriage return. Also, fonted messages will now have a !^NavFont line stored at the end of the message in this field. ú IS_NAVCIS - This field is no longer used. ú NAV_CODES - This field is no longer used. Font information is now stored as part of the message text (see above) HEADERS.DBF No change other than filename (now HHEADERS.DBF) WATCH.DBF No change other than filename (now HWATCH.DBF) ADDRESS.DBF The name of this file has changed to HADDRESS.DBF. The following fields have been changed: USER_ID - Widened to 100 characters. GROUP.DBF No change other than filename (now HGROUP.DBF) LINK.DBF No change other than filename (now HLINK.DBF) ACTIONS.DBF The name of this file has changed to HACTIONS.DBF. The following fields have been changed: MSG_TEXT - End of paragraph marker has been changed from a NULL (0) to a carriage return. Also, fonted messages will now have a !^NavFont line stored at the end of the message in this field. IS_NAVCIS - This field is no longer used. NAV_CODES - This field is no longer used. Font information is now stored as part of the message text (see above) SORTING KEYS Sort keys changed for the catalog database. (see FSTRUC.WRI for details) WHAT IS WINCODE Wincode is a Windows 3.1x program (compatible with Windows 95) which converts 8-bit BINARY (EXE, COM, GIF, TIF, JPG, DOC, XLS, ZIP, etc.) files to 7-bit ASCII (Text) files (and vice versa). This allows binary files to be sent via Internet e-mail (i.e., to an e-mail address containing "@") which can only send ASCII text files. Wincode currently supports UUE, MIME (also known as Base 64), BOO, USR, XXE, BTOA and BINHEX (sometimes used with Macintosh computers) formats. UUE and MIME are the two most frequently used with MIME becoming the more popular of the two. Binary files you want to send to someone must first be encoded in one of these standards and binary files you receive via Internet e-mail must be decoded before you can use them. Many e-mail packages automatically handle the encoding/decoding whenever the user attaches a binary file to an outgoing message or when they receive a message containing an encoded file. Unfortunately, NavCIS and WinCIM have not implemented this capability yet. Therefore, you need to manually encode binary files you want to send to Internet e-mail and decode ones you receive. SENDING A BINARY FILE IN NAVCIS If you are sending the file to another CompuServe user, you don't have to worry about any of this stuff. Just drag the File Upload icon over to the Mail icon, specify the CompuServe ID number and Browse for the file you want to send which places the file name on the Subject line (which you should leave alone). However, if you want to send the file to someone outside of CompuServe via Internet e-mail, read on... When you first setup Wincode, in the Encode preferences, make sure you specify "single file" and a maximum output file size of 2,000,000 characters since CompuServe can handle e-mail messages up to 2MB in size. Setting a smaller size will result in Wincode splitting up the file into multiple sequentially numbered output files. In the Encode preferences, you can specify whether you want Wincode to put the resulting encoded file (the ASCII text file you will be sending) in the default directory, prompt you for the directory you want to use, or always use a specific directory you specify. In the Decode preferences, you can specify whether Wincode should put the resulting decoded file (the binary file someone sent you) in the default directory, prompt you each time where you want to put it or use a specific directory. Make sure the Decode Code Type is set to Auto Detect. You can leave all other options at their factory defaults. Before you encode a file for transmission, you'll need to determine what format (almost always either UUE or MIME) the recipient is set up to handle. If they are using Lotus CC:MAIL it will be UUE format. The on-line services America Online and the Microsoft Network, and the e-mail packages Eudora and Microsoft Exchange all use MIME. In Wincode, you select the Encode operation and select the format you will use (this will either be shown on the file selection dialog box or press the Options button, depending on which version you are using). Then tell it the name of the binary file you want to send and Wincode will convert it to ASCII text and save it to the directory you specify, changing the extension to UUE or B64 (for MIME). In NavCIS, drag the File Upload icon over to the Mail icon and fill in the e-mail address, select Browse and locate the encoded file (which will place the file name on the Subject line which you should leave alone) and then make sure to check the ASCII check box. Since NavCIS and WinCIM do not allow a text message to be combined with an encoded file, you will probably want to send a separate message to the same person telling them they will receive a message titled "xxxxxxx.UUE" or "xxxxxx.B64" and what they should do with it. If they are not using a mail reader that handles file attachments/automatic decoding, they will have to have a program such as Wincode at their end to put the file back to its binary form. ABOUT ZIP FILES: To reduce transmission time, you can compress the source binary file (e.g., .GIF, .TIF, .JPG, etc.) BEFORE you encode it (note that encoding will INCREASE the size of the file by 20-30%). You can use a standalone ZIP utility (like the popular WinZIP) or, in the latest versions of Wincode, use the setup options to have Wincode automatically ZIP files prior to encoding (requires PKWare's PKZIP 2.0x). Note that the person at the receiving end will end up with a ZIP file after the e-mail message is decoded and they'll have to have a ZIP utility to decompress it before using it. RECEIVING A BINARY FILE USING NAVCIS People that send you a binary file through Internet mail probably are using an e-mail package that supports automatic encoding and file attachments. They'll just hit the "Attach" button and specify the file they want to send. If they don't have automatic encoding, they'll have to use a program like Wincode at their end to convert the binary file to ASCII text so that it will be able to go out via Internet mail. When you receive the e-mail message in NavCIS, if it happens to be a small message, you will be able to read the top part (which may contain a note from the sender) and further down the message will be a BEGIN or PART BOUNDRY statement followed by a file name and a bunch of text characters that looks like a lot of garbage. This is the encoded file and you should select File/Save As and save it as a .TXT file. However, it is more likely that you will get a message in your In-tray that the e-mail message was too big and NavCIS saved it as MSGxxxxx.TXT in your \NAVCIS\DATA directory. You should open this file in a text editor to look at the top part in case the sender included a note on the front end, perhaps telling you what to do with the file. In Wincode, you select the Decode operation and specify the .TXT file as the input file. Wincode will automatically determine the type (MIME, UUE or other), convert the file back to binary and save it under its original name in the directory you specify for decoded files. You can then open the file with its native application. On occasion (particularly MIME-encoded messages coming from America Online), Wincode will not be able to correctly guess the format and you may get a "Nothing to Decode" error message. If this happens, change the Auto Detect option to Base 64 (MIME conformant). This option is shown in the file dialog box or press the Options button, depending on which version of Wincode you are using. ABOUT ZIP FILES: To save transmission time, the sender may have used a ZIP utility to compress the file prior to sending it. If, after decoding, you end up with a .ZIP file, you will have to process this through a ZIP utility (such as WinZIP) to decompress it before using it. In the latest versions of Wincode, you can set it up to automatically unZIP such files (requires PKWare's PKZIP 2.0x). A SMALL WORD OF CAUTION: If the decoded file turns out to be an EXE/COM executable program or a Microsoft Word DOC/DOT file, it could be carrying a virus that could be installed on your system when you execute the program or open the document. It is a good idea to process these kinds of files through a virus scanner (e.g., McAfee Virus Scan [GO VIRUSF]) first. If you are using Microsoft Word, you may want to install Microsoft's Word virus protection [GO MSWORD, file: MVTOOL10.EXE]). In the latest versions of Wincode, in the configuration options you can set it up to automatically virus scan all the files you receive and decode (you must have a virus scanner program installed). WINCODE HOOK One of the nicest features of Wincode is that it integrates nicely with NavCIS. Using the "hook" feature, you can setup Wincode so that it appears as a menu item in NavCIS. In the Wincode Hook App configuration, put the name that NavCIS shows on its title bar (e.g., NavCIS v 1.76) in the Application Name field. Specify the path to the application (e.g., C:\NAVHMI\WNAVCIS.EXE). Select the Hide Windoe and Auto-Hook options. Leave all other options at their defaults. Now, instead of starting NavCIS, just start Wincode. It will launch NavCIS for you, put a new Wincode menu item in the NavCIS menu bar and then disappear. You'll now be able to encode/decode directly from within NavCIS without having to start separate programs! (If you start NavCIS instead of starting Wincode first there will not be a Wincode menu item in NavCIS, so just get in the habit of starting Wincode instead of NavCIS.) OTHER FEATURES 1. - Full featured Windows 3.1 program (compatible with WFWG 3.11 and Windows 95) 2. - Easy access ButtonBar for hassle-free operation 3. - Drag and Drop support (use for batch en/de-coding -> Wincode also allows multi-file selection from File Open dialogs) 4. - SMART decoding (handles single files, multi-part files, can determine what is encoded or not, etc.) 5. - Fully configurable 6. - EMBL UUcode compatible 7. - Supports UU, XX or User defined En/Decoding 8. - Supports Base64 (MIME conformant) En/Decoding 9. - Supports BINHEX Decoding 10. * Supports BINHEX Encoding 11. * Supports BOO En/Decoding 12. * Supports BTOA En/Decoding 13. - Supports En/Decoding to/from the Clipboard 14. - Supports automatic CODE TYPE detection (just use Auto Detect) 15. * Supports automatic ZIP/UNZIP (requires PKWare's ZIP/UNZIP 2.0x) 16. * Supports automatic virus scanning (requires separate virus program) 17. - Application menu hooking option to integrate Wincode's menu 18. * Powerful scripting language can be used to "program" Wincode (includes new automatic "Repair" damaged files option) 19. - Includes INSTALL program for upgrades 20. - Includes UNINSTALL program for removal 21. - Integrated file-sorting companion program (separate executable for easier upgrading) which handles MANY types of file header formats 22. * Integrated Winsock compatible e-mail/post daemon (separate executable for easier upgrading) to allow for automatic e-mailing and posting of encoded documents (see Requirements) 23. - Multimedia support 24. - It's ALL FREE... Items above marked with "*" are only supported in the new beta version (see below). Wincode is distributed as FREEWARE. A complete help file is available for $10 US, but you will probably not need it if you read the README files and/or the short on-line help file. Details about ordering the complete help file can be found in the Help menu. OTHER UTILITIES Wincode is not the only program that handles UUE/MIME encoding/decoding. Several other Shareware and commercial programs are available. Island Soft's DECODESW.EXE is another popular one that has built-in graphic file viewing but does not have the "hook" feature. These programs and additional help concerning encoding/decoding can be found on CompuServe's Internet New Users forum (GO INETNEW) and Internet Resources forum (GO INETRESOURCES). Searching on keywords "UUE" and/or "MIME" will get you started. WHERE TO FIND WINCODE Wincode 2.6.1 is the latest production version. Forum: WINSHARE, Library 5 - Network/Remote Access, Filename: WNCODE.ZIP. Wincode 2.7.2 is the latest beta version (08MAY96). Forum: INETRESOURCES, Library 4, Filename: WC272B16.ZIP. This version will expire on September 10, 1996 because the final production version will be released before that date and will ensure that you are not using an outdated version. I am currently using this version and have not run into any bugs or stability problems. The most up-to-date information can be obtained by sending a blank e-mail message to: wincode@snappy.global2000.net Additional information and perhaps later versions of the program may be found on the Web at: http://www.global2000.net/users/snappy/snappy/ (yes, there are two /snappy's in the address) You can also use anonymous FTP to access: www.global2000.net/users/snappy/ and look in the /users/snappy/ directory. I hope this detailed information (most of it copied from Wincode's README file) is of help. Gary Brenkman (not associated with Wincode, Dvorak, Island Soft; just trying to help out) Special Notice!! STR Infofile File format Requirements for Articles File Format for STReport All articles submitted to STReport for publication must be sent in the following format. Please use the format requested. Any files received that do not conform will not be used. The article must be in an importable word processor format for Word 7.0.. The margins are .05" left and 1.0" Monospaced fonts are not to be used. Please use proportional fonting only and at eleven points. ú No Indenting on any paragraphs!! ú No underlining! ú Column Format shall be achieved through the use of tabs only. Do NOT use the space bar. ú No ASCII "ART"!! ú There is no limits as to size, articles may be split into two if lengthy ú Actual Artwork should be in GIF, PCX, JPG, TIF, BMP, WMF file formats ú Artwork (pictures, graphs, charts, etc.)should be sent along with the article separately ú Please use a single font only in an article. TTF CG Times 12pt. is preferred. (VERY Strong Hint) If there are any questions please use either E-Mail or call. On another note. the ASCII version of STReport is fast approaching the "end of the line" As the major Online Services move away from ASCII.. So shall STReport. All in the name of progress and improved readability. The amount of reader mail expressing a preference for our Adobe PDF enhanced issue is running approximately 15 to 1 over the ASCII edition. Besides, STReport will not be caught in the old, worn out "downward compatibility dodge" we must move forward. However, if the ASCII readership remains as high, rest assured. ASCII will stay. Right now, since STReport is offered on a number of closed major corporate networks as "required" Monday Morning reading.. Our ascii readers have nothing to worry themselves about. Many grateful thanks in advance for your enthusiastic co-operation and input. Ralph F. Mariano, Editor STReport International Online Magazine For Immediate Release Adaptec Purchases Corelr CD Creator MILPITAS, California - June 26, 1996 - Adaptec, Inc. and Corel Corporation announced an agreement today providing for the sale of Corel's popular Corelr CD Creator software program and PD optical recording technology to Adaptec in a $12 million (US) cash transaction. All versions (including localized versions) of Corel CD Creator, the leading software for compact disk recordable (CD-R) drives, will be included in the deal. Adaptec publishes Easy-CD Pror Software, the leading choice of CD-R peripheral OEMs. "High function and performance I/O software is a major strategic business for Adaptec; and optical recording technology, the key to CD-R and DVD, will play a big part in that effort," said S. Sundaresh, Adaptec vice president and general manager of the Personal I/O business unit. "We will support customers of both products," continued Sundaresh. "CD-R is poised to move into the mainstream. With this new technology, we're in an even better position to deliver the software solutions the new market demands." "Our strategic vision is to move forward in pursuing our interests in the field of productivity application software and the vast opportunities presented by the Java-based operating system. This transaction fits in with that vision," said Dr. Michael Cowpland, president and chief executive officer of Corel Corporation. "We are confident Adaptec will continue to provide the very best in 32-bit CD authoring to our loyal customer base." The acquisition will be accounted for under the purchase method of accounting. Adaptec will evaluate the allocation of the purchase price to the assets acquired, which may include in-process technology that will be written off, and goodwill, which will be amortized over the benefit period. Adaptec Adaptec provides bandwidth management technologies for organizations building the global information infrastructure. Its high performance I/O, connectivity, and network products are incorporated into the systems and products of major computer and peripheral manufacturers. Founded in 1981 and headquartered in Milpitas, California, Adaptec (NASDAQ:ADPT) employs 2500 people worldwide in design, manufacturing, sales, service and distribution. Adaptec's home page is http://www.adaptec.com. Corel Corporation Incorporated in 1985, Corel Corporation is recognized internationally as an award-winning developer and marketer of productivity applications, graphics and multimedia software. Corel's product line includes CorelDRAWT, the Corelr WordPerfectr Suite, Corelr Office Professional, CorelVIDEOT and over 30 multimedia software titles. Corel's products run on most operating systems, including: Windows, Macintosh, UNIX, MS-DOS, OpenVMS and OS/2 and are consistently rated among the strongest in the industry. The company ships its products in over 17 languages through a network of more than 160 distributors in 70 countries worldwide. Corel is traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (symbol: COS) and the NASDAQ--National Market System (symbol: COSFF). For more information visit Corel's home page on the Internet at http://www.corel.com. Adaptec and Easy-CD Pro are registered trademarks of Adaptec, Inc. Corel and WordPerfect are registered trademarks of Corel Corporation or Corel Corporation Limited. CorelDRAW, CorelVIDEO, Corel VENTURA and Corel Click & Create are trademarks of Corel Corporation. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and other countries under license. Macintosh is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. used under license. All products mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. EDUPAGE STR Focus Keeping the users informed Edupage Contents Cable TV Decision: Community-Access Channels Left Free 56-Bit Encryption Is Vulnerable, Says Zimmermann More "Net Days" On The Way Australian Cable Company Has It All Pentium Pro Servers Invade RISC Market He/She Salaries In Information Technology White Pine Teams With Digital On CU-See-Me Sub-Global Villages Satellite Phone System For Africa "Oral History" Of The Internet Outlook Murky For Taxing Cybersales FCC Chief Opposes Internet Phone Regulation HDTV Strategy Cable Ruling May Be Two-Sided Harmony Precedes Copland Internet Search Co. Excite Buys Rival Sizing Up Computer Monitors Last-Generation Leader With Next-Generation Ideas Tell All Your Friends TCI-Telesat Plan Opposed By Clinton Administration Hancock Chosen As Apple's New Chief Technology Officer IBM Consent Decree Ended "Shrink-Wrap" Licenses Okayed By Court Digital Cuts Jobs Gore Endorses E-Rates Search Engine Market To Expand Corel Vs. Microsoft German PC Retailer Seeks Protection From Creditors Web Profits Unlikely Till 2000 Online Journal Hosts Discussion On Peer Review Net Conversation: The Future Or The Past? CABLE TV DECISION: COMMUNITY-ACCESS CHANNELS LEFT FREE Striking down parts of a Federal law intended to protect children from "patently offensive" programming on cable television, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that cable TV operators may ban such programming on commercial television but must not place the restriction on community-access channels used by local governments and community groups. Some legal analysts, arguing that the Internet is analogous to community- access cable TV, think this decision means that the Court will find the Communications Decency Act unconstitutional, when it comes to consider it in the next term. (New York Times 29 Jun 96 p1) 56-BIT ENCRYPTION IS VULNERABLE, SAYS ZIMMERMANN Philip Zimmermann, creator of Pretty Good Privacy encryption software, testified before a Senate subcommittee that, based on a 1993 presentation by Michael Wiener of Northern Telecom, it would be possible to build a machine for $1 million that could crack a message encrypted with the Data Encryption Standard and a 56-bit key in an average of 3.5 hours. A more powerful machine, costing about $10 million, could do it in 21 minutes, and a $100 million machine could bring the time down to two minutes. Zimmermann's testimony contradicted a recent statement by U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno that even with a "top of the line supercomputer, decoding a 56-bit key would take over a year and the evidence would be long gone." At issue is whether the U.S. should permit the general-license export of 56-bit encryption products. (BNA Daily Report for Executives 27 Jun 96 A5) MORE "NET DAYS" ON THE WAY In the wake of California's NetDay, a one-day blitz to wire 4,000 classrooms for the Internet, 35 other states have announced plans for their own NetDays this fall. Mississippi, Connecticut, North Carolina and Maine are among the states involved in planning their schools' participation. In support of bringing the Information Superhighway to all classrooms, Vice President Gore is advocating free -- not merely discounted -- Internet access for schools and libraries. (Tampa Tribune 30 Jun 96 A16) AUSTRALIAN CABLE COMPANY HAS IT ALL Optus Vision, the partly owned cable subsidiary of Australia's No. 2 long- distance company, is now able to offer television, telephone and high-speed data services through a single network -- long the goal of the U.S. cable industry. "The U.S. has taken longer than everybody thought," says a Motorola general manager, who notes that U.S. cable operators have delayed their all-in-one systems because of the daunting task of upgrading older plant and equipment to provide telephony and two-way data links. Optus was able to build its network from scratch. (Wall Street Journal 28 Jun 96 B4) PENTIUM PRO SERVERS INVADE RISC MARKET Intel's Pentium Pro microprocessor is fueling an invasion of the higher end server market, as Compaq, Dell and other computer makers try their hand at low-cost, high-performance servers. On the lower end of the market, where desktop computer makers have already made great inroads, Compaq's 200- megahertz, single- processor Pentium Pro server with 64 megabytes of memory goes for $11,900, compared with Digital's $16,000 32-bit, 266-megahertz server with 64 megabytes of memory. Compaq's top-of-the-line Pentium Pro server is priced at $200,000, still cheaper than Digital's RISC (reduced instruction set computer) servers that go for $250,000 and up. "The price- performance ratio is a lot better with the new Pentium Pro," says an analyst for Technology Business Research. "All of a sudden, the RISC makers are saying, `We've got to reduce prices.'" (Investor's Business Daily 1 Jul 96 A6) COREL VS MICROSOFT Corel CEO Mike Cowpland says a Canadian government bidding process for millions of dollars in software is rigged in favor of Microsoft, and that government officials canceled a $1.75-million WordPerfect order even though it was chosen as the best product in departmental comparisons. (Ottawa Sun 28 Jun 96 p5) HE/SHE SALARIES IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Computerworld reports a 1995 survey of information systems professionals showing that the IS population was 70% male and 30% female, with men's salaries ranging from less than $45,000 (29%), $45-55,000 (30%), and more than $55,000 (41%), compared to a distribution for women's salaries: less than $45,000 (62%), $45- 55,000 (25%), and more than $55,000 (13%). (Computerworld 24 Jun 96 p84) WHITE PINE TEAMS WITH DIGITAL ON CU-SEE-ME In a move to make White Pine Software's CU-See-Me desktop videoconferencing software more "platform neutral," the company has announced that its new 3.0 version, available later this year, will be compatible with Digital Equipment Corp.'s Windows NT-based Alpha Server. The new version also will work with other videoconferencing technologies, such as 'Net Meeting. White Pine's president sees CU-See-Me eventually becoming as "seamless" a communications format as telephony. (Broadcasting & Cable 24 Jun 96 p61) SUB-GLOBAL VILLAGES German sociologist Nils Zurawski says the Internet could spawn a plethora of smaller global villages that could actually isolate communities rather create than the global village with a homogenized culture that proponents envision; at the INET '96 conference he discussed the risk that the Internet communities will focus inward rather than interact with other communities. (Montreal Gazette 28 Jun 96 D7) SATELLITE PHONE SYSTEM FOR AFRICA Harlem businessman Percy Sutton has created a venture called AfriCom Telecommunications Ltd, to build a $650 million satellite-based system for providing phone service throughout Africa via handheld wireless phones. Although "there are a lot of wealthy people in Africa," Sutton says that "in many places in Africa you have to wait seven hours to make a telephone call at a postal telegraph office. Our system would allow entrepreneurs all across the continent to open their own telephone businesses." (Atlanta Journal-Constitution 30 Jun 96 H2) "ORAL HISTORY" OF THE INTERNET Journalist David Bennahum has taken on the task of oral history archivist of the Internet, through his "Community Memory" list. His goal is to collect first-hand accounts by early users, and to document the origin of terms such as "hypertext" and "hackers." To put your two cents' worth in, send a message to listserv@cpsr.org, and in the body of the message type: subscribe cpsr-history your name. (Chronicle of Higher Education 28 Jun 96 A14) Bennahum will also be appearing in the next issue of Educom Review, writing on a different subject. OUTLOOK MURKY FOR TAXING CYBERSALES A study released last week by KPMG Peat Marwick details "the frustrations of corporate America as it tries to cope with the murky environment created by applying old tax laws to new ways of doing business," says a partner with the firm. "Taxation of electronic commerce varies from state to state, so determining what's taxable and who is responsible for paying those taxes ecomes very complex." Some of the companies interviewed for the study said they might consider moving their electronic sales off-shore to escape the reach of state and local taxes. (St. Petersburg Times 1 Jul 96 p12) FCC CHIEF OPPOSES INTERNET PHONE REGULATION Noting that "we shouldn't be looking for ways to subject new technologies to old rules," Federal Communications Commission chairman Reed Hundt indicated his opposition to Internet telephony regulation at the INET '96 conference in Montreal last week. "Instead, we should be trying to fix the old rules so that if those new technologies really are better, they will flourish in the marketplace." Acknowledging complaints by phone companies that Internet service providers are not paying their fair share for network upkeep, Hundt said, "I don't know what the full answer is to this problem. But I'm inclined to believe our best guidance is to let technology, competition and access reform make the problem go away." (BNA Daily Report for Executives 1 Jul 96 A20) HDTV STRATEGY FCC chairman Reed Hundt says that broadcasters seeking a second, digital channel for high-definition television thought they would "get the spectrum first and think about how to use it later. But in order to get these licenses, you should have to serve the public in a specific, quantifiable, measurable, reliable, guaranteeable way." Hundt wants broadcasters to devote at least 5% of airtime on the new channels to such public-interest programming as children's educational TV or free time for political candidates. In addition, he wants to auction off UHF channels 60-69 for purposes such as cellular-phone use. The president of the National Association of Broadcasters charges that Mr. Hundt "is attempting to impose his social agenda." (New York Times 1 Jul 96 C1) CABLE RULING MAY BE TWO-SIDED A Supreme Court ruling that struck down parts of a 1992 law prohibiting" indecent" programming on cable television channels leased to local groups or set aside for the public may have unintended consequences for the Internet. The ruling "tastes sweet at first," says Harvard professor Laurence Tribe, "but it turns out to be a sugar-coated poison pill for the First Amendment." At issue is Justice Breyer's carefully worded opinion, which emphasized the government's interest in shielding children from inappropriate adult programming and explicitly rejected a categorical endorsement of free speech in programming content. (Wall Street Journal 1 Jul 96 B1) HARMONY PRECEDES COPLAND Apple's major revision of its five-year-old System 7 Macintosh operating software, code-named Copland, isn't scheduled to ship until late 1997, but Mac owners will have the opportunity to do a mini-upgrade this year via a new version called Harmony. Harmony will incorporate improved networking and Internet tools, as well as some Copland features. (Business Week 8 Jul 96 p16) INTERNET SEARCH CO. EXCITE BUYS RIVAL Excite Co. will acquire McKinley Group, which operates the Magellan Online Guide, for $10 million in stock. The move is a first step toward the consolidation of the large-scale electronic directory market that many industry analysts have predicted. Electronic directories typically generate their revenues through advertising on their sites, and analysts have suggested that the market of a dozen or so companies is too large for the available ad dollars. Excite and Magellan combined receive about 4 million hits a day, compared with Yahoo!, hich receives 6 million visits a day. Two other rivals, Lycos and Infoseek, each generate about 4 million hits daily. (Investor's Business Daily 1 Jul 96 A7) SIZING UP COMPUTER MONITORS The July issue of Consumer Reports points out that the actual image displayed by a computer monitor is about an inch less than its nominal size (an example was the NEC MultiSync XV17+ whose active viewing area measured only 15.3 inches diagonally), thanks to the fact that monitors, unlike TV sets, aren't covered by a federal rule governing the way screen sizes can be advertised. The publication suggests taking a tape measure with you when you shop, and after testing a multitude of 15- and 17-inch screens, the group concludes: "A 15- inch monitor is the best choice for a new computer unless the work you do (or your eyesight) requires a large image or more information on the screen at once; then, a 17-incher may make the most sense." (Consumer Reports Jul 96 p30) LAST-GENERATION LEADER WITH NEXT-GENERATION IDEAS Gordon Bell, one of the primary developers of the minicomputer industry during his 23 years at Digital Equipment, is now at Microsoft working on his idea for "scalable network and platform computing" which he predicts "will totally change the industry by the year 2002" by giving a single desktop computer the power of a mainframe. Discarding the notion that computing is a game reserved for the young, Nathan Myhrvold, who recruited the 62-year Bell to Microsoft, says: "One thing that is very valuable in computing but very rare is having a sense of the past. Technology moves so rapidly and most of the people are very young. There are a tremendous number of lessons from the past that are lost on people because they don't have the depth of experience." (New York Times 1 Jul 96 C5) TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS Please tell all your friends that we have NOT discontinued Edupage. Unfortunately, many people were recently inadvertantly dropped from the list, perhaps including your friends (especially if they seem irritable and disoriented). This is no time for you to be smug just because you're getting Edupage and they're not. Be kind. Tell your friends that they should simply resubscribe. TCI-TELESAT PLAN OPPOSED BY CLINTON ADMINISTRATION Citing the fact that Canada has not yet opened its skies to U.S. satellite companies, four government agencies have asked the FCC to withhold a ruling on whether the Colorado-based cable giant Tele-Communications Inc. should be allowed to beam its direct-broadcast TV satellite service via the Canadian satellite launched by Telesat Canada Inc. TCI's defeat on this issue would be a victory for the joint venture direct satellite service being developed in the U.S. by MCI and News Corporation. (New York Times 4 Jul 96 C4) HANCOCK CHOSEN AS APPLE'S NEW CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER Apple chief executive Gil Amelio has chosen Ellen Hancock to be Apple's executive vice president and chief technology officer. Hancock spent 28 years with IBM, and was a senior vice president in 1992, responsible for the division making computer networking hardware and software, when she left the company following a management reorganization. Amelio first recruited her to National Semiconductor last September, before he moved from CEO of National to CEO of Apple. Hancock said of her new appointment: ''I have brought products to market before, so I know how to focus on what you need to do." (San Jose Mercury News Center 4 Jul 96) IBM CONSENT DECREE ENDED IBM has reached an agreement with the Justice Department to end a consent decree imposed in 1956, phasing out the remaining provisions covering IBM's mainframe and mid-range computer businesses over the next five years. Other restrictions, which forced IBM to ship computers to customers in the order in which they were received, were ended immediately. "As these provisions fall away we are going to be able to compete in a way we are unable to compete in today," says IBM's general counsel. Other consent decree restrictions were lifted several months ago in previous negotiations. (Wall Street Journal 3 Jul 96 B4) "SHRINK-WRAP" LICENSES OKAYED BY COURT The validity of the "shrink-wrap" licenses that many software publishers rely on for copyright protection was bolstered by a recent appellate court ruling in Chicago. Last month, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court's finding that shrink-wrap agreements were unenforceable. Plaintiffs in the case, ProCD vs. Zeidenberg et al., charged the defendants with distributing the software program via the Internet. The defendants had argued that they couldn't be held to the license terms because they'd had no chance to negotiate or object to parts of the agreement. They also said the license agreement should be printed on the outside of the box, where it could be read before purchasing. The latest ruling found this suggestion to be an onerous burden, but did say the box must have a notice saying there's a licensing agreement inside, and that buyers should be able to return the software if they don't agree to the license once they read it. (Investor's Business Daily 3 Jul 96 A5) DIGITAL CUTS JOBS Digital Equipment Corporation chief executive Robert Palmer has forced out his No. 2 executive and announced that the company's latest quarterly results would be well below expectations. Digital will cut 7,000 jobs within the next 12 months. (New York Times 3 Jul 96 C1) GORE ENDORSES E-RATES Vice President Al Gore, at a recent NetDay conference in Washington, called on the Federal Communications Commission, state regulators, parents, school administrators and others to work together to make the E-rate -- free or steeply discounted rates for schools and libraries -- a reality. Gore said that he believes the E-rate could be implemented "in a way that promotes education, while protecting ratepayers, that spreads the benefits and the burdens in an equitable manner, and that empowers communities to use the new technologies and services in the best way that they see fit to use them." He emphasized the Clinton administration's commitment to ensuring that services offered under such a plan would meet "recognized educational objectives, including the need for adequate bandwidth," and that all competing telecommunications entities have access to technology-neutral universal service fund subsidies. (BNA Daily Report for Executives 2 Jul 96 A12) SEARCH ENGINE MARKET TO EXPAND Forrester Research says that Internet search engine suppliers such as Yahoo! and AltaVista will move into the database and database warehouse markets by 1997, providing competition for traditional database systems that, in contrast to such newer search engines, cannot locate information in unstructured documents. (Computer Industry Daily 5 Jul 96) COREL VS. MICROSOFT The Canadian government admitted that it gave Microsoft a multi-million dollar contract over Corel even though its software met all the requirements and was cheaper. A government spokeswoman said Corel's "point of non- compliance" was that its software did not work with files from Microsoft's PowerPoint 4.0. Corel insists its software works, but that the government staff had been working with older versions. (Ottawa Sun 4 July 96 p2) GERMAN PC RETAILER SEEKS PROTECTION FROM CREDITORS Escom, the German company that is one of Europe's largest PC retailers, is seeking protection from its creditors (similar to Chapter 11 protection in the U.S,), following significant trading losses and losses caused by a stock write-down. Aggressive expansion into new markets such as the U.K. had caused storage and supply problems. (Financial Times 4 Jul 96) WEB PROFITS UNLIKELY TILL 2000 Most companies banking on selling their content over the Web won't see a profit until the year 2000, predicts Forrester Research, which says the typical site, such as an electronic newsletter or magazine, will lose $3.9 million beyond the initial investment before they start making money. "Content providers who joined the Web gold rush find themselves tumbling down a long, dark mine shaft. It will be at least four years before they see a return on their investments," says the report's author. (Investor's Business Daily 3 Jul 96 A5) ONLINE JOURNAL HOSTS DISCUSSION ON PEER REVIEW In response to an item in Edupage which reported that a group of scientists had dismissed "electronic challenges to the tradition of peer review for scientific publications," the online journal RhetNet has initiated conversations on the subject of peer review and the issue of quality in scholarly publication in particular. (http://www.missouri.edu/~rhetnet/net_texts.html) NET CONVERSATION: THE FUTURE OR THE PAST? Paul Saffo of the Institute for the Future says that the Web will evolve into "the hottest salon venue on the planet. We're not going to surf in cyberspace, we're going to hang out on it" -- conversing with other people. But Washington attorney Stewart Baker, who specializes in online law, says the "free-wheeling, anything-goes attitude" now found on the Net "will comprise a smaller and smaller percentage of what goes on the Web... People get tired of hearing other folks rant, and they want more organized entertainment." (Washington Post 4 Jul 96) 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. 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