Silicon Times Report The Original Independent OnLine Magazine" (Since 1987) October 04, 1996 No.1240 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 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 Voted TOP TEN Ultimate WebSite 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 Courier Internal I-MODEM FAX: 904-268-2237 24hrs BCS - Toad Hall BBS 1-617-567-8642 10/04/96 STR 1240 The Original Independent OnLine Magazine! - CPU Industry Report - Corel Updates - Killer Cancelbot - Creative FAXBAK - Advert Rules? - Photo-OPS? - China Loosens Grip - Mitnick Indicted - SPA Audits Subs - USR Surprise? - People Talking - Dana's Tidbits NEW PROPOSALS FOR MANAGING THE `NET MS TO PROMOTE ISDN IN EUROPE Iomega Ships 3 Millionth Zip Drive 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 provision and distribution of STReport for their members. You may call The STReport Home BBS, The Bounty @ 1- 904-268-4116. Or obtain the latest issue from our WebSite. Enjoy the wonder and excitement of exchanging all types of useful information relative to all computer types, worldwide, through the use of the Internet. 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 ~ 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: 9/28/96: 2 of 6 numbers, eight 2 number matches From the Editor's Desk... I ran my mouth elsewhere in the issue, so I'll make this very short. New products abound! Keep an eye on us. as we present a litany of the new software and hardware over the next few weeks. From high performance networks to children's educational software. from virtual reality to the Internet its all going to be treat after treat. So, stay tuned its going to be a blast. 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 Beginner's Section R.F. Mariano J. Deegan Lloyd E. Pulley Gaming & Entertainment Kid's Computing Corner Dana P. Jacobson 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 Victor Mariano 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 Ron Satchwill 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 AOL STReport Internet rmariano@streport.com WebSite http://www.streport.com STReport Headline News LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS Weekly Happenings in the Computer World Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson "Cancelbot" Wipes Out Messages A rogue program known as a "cancelbot" wiped out more than 25,000 messages posted to Internet's Usenet bulletin boards last weekend. Writing in The Wall Street Journal this morning, reporter Jared Sandberg notes, "Anyone who uses the Internet can retrieve and cancel any message they have sent and the messages of others. While this contributes to the 'openness' of the system, it can also lead to some unwanted destruction." Among the messages summarily zapped in a matter of hours were those posted to electronic discussion groups on the topics of women, gays, Jews and Eastern religions as well as computer-oriented topics. One software engineer who woke up Sunday morning to discover thousands of electronic messages had disappeared told the paper, "Whoever did this has the potential to bring Usenet to its knees and remove all the articles from Usenet in a given day. That's Internet terrorism." Sandberg notes it also "underscores the persistent vulnerabilities and resulting vandalism" that still plague the Internet, adding, "Users have long been able to cancel messages, even those of others, on the global net." The paper says: ú The Church of Scientology recently used the technology to cancel messages that it believed contained copyrighted Scientology material. ú Author Michael Wolfe, who writes books about the Internet, saw his messages canceled by an anonymous user known only as the "Cancelmoose," who apparently felt Wolfe's messages were "spam," widespread posting of irrelevant messages. "It's a stupid Net trick,'" says William Cheswick, a security expert at Lucent Technologies Inc.'s Bell Laboratories. "It's virtually trivial to generate these cancel messages. Any doofus without much programming experience can do this, and we're going to see this kind of thing all the time." And the problem will likely get worse, says Richard Adams, founder of MFS Communications Co.'s UUNet Technologies Inc. "There are a certain percentage of idiots in any community," he said. "As the comunity grows, the absolute number of idiots gets bigger." This ability to cancel messages on the Internet had led to a philosophical face-off among Net faithful. Some argue the function allows them to wipe out countless commercial sales pitches that are plastered over the network weekly, while the downside is "virtually anybody can censor speech," notes Sandberg. Clinton to Order Encryption? Word in Washington is that President Clinton is prepared to sign an executive order instituting his administration's controversial plan that would allow sale of powerful data-scrambling software. As reported earlier, the new plan would enable companies to sell their advanced encryption technology abroad, but would require the companies to give law enforcement agencies the ability to break the codes under a court order. The Washington Post reports this morning the administration hopes a presidential order on the matter will break a deadlock between law enforcement and the U.S. computer industry over encryption. Writing for The Associated Press, reporter Laura Meckler notes the White House's most recent plan could allow U.S. companies to export data-scrambling software using codes that are up to 56 bits long. As it stands, codes may only be 40 bits long in exported software. Bits are the electronic pulses that make up the data being transmitted. In return, U.S. companies would have to design a "key recovery" system that would allow intelligence officials to obtain the code if they obtain a court warrant. As noted, Clinton fears encryption will be used by criminals and terrorists, so he insists law enforcement needs a way to break in. Civil libertarians and cyber rights groups fear the government will misuse the keys to spy on citizens. Marc Rotenberg, director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, told the wire service the latest plan also would transfer authority over encryption export from the State Department to the Commerce Department, but it would give the FBI power to review export plans. Says Meckle, "This plan replaces the 'clipper chip' that the Clinton administration proposed in 1994. That would have allowed computer or telephone communications to be scrambled while giving the government a set of decoding keys to allow for court-approved electronic surveillance. The latest plan is different because it would make it more difficult for government to unscramble messages. The keys could be held by third parties and their components would be spread across several companies." Meanwhile, The New York Times said in a story today, the administration believes it will take some time for the United States to persuade other countries to adopt the same systems, allowing governments to work together. One unidentified senior administration official told the Times, "It is going to take a while to persuade people that their data is safe under this system, that it protects privacy, and yet that we can use the system to trace terrorists or drug dealers." AP notes IBM and several other large computer companies have signed onto the administration's plan, although others are likely to object. Bill Extends Protection to Net California Gov. Pete Wilson has signed legislation extending standard consumer protections to the state's Internet users. Reporting from Sacramento, United Press International says the bill is intended to give consumers who buy goods or services over the Internet the same protections from financial scams, deceptive marketing practices and unfair service agreements as exist for phone, mail order, catalog or other sales. The measure -- sponsored by Attorney General Dan Lungren and carried by Assemblywoman Jackie Speier, D-Burlingame -- "will require Internet vendors to disclose their return policy, legal business name and street address before accepting any money," UPI adds. A related Speier bill, also signed, requires the state's Department of Motor Vehicles to place information on its Internet web site to help vehicle purchasers protect themselves from fraud. Electronic FOI Bill Now Law A bill ensuring the public has electronic access to government documents available under the Freedom of Information Act has been signed into law by President Clinton. As reported earlier, the new law updates the original one, which, notes The Associated Press, was passed 30 years ago when the government owned only 45 computers and provided information only on paper. "The legislation was designed to clarify that the FOIA -- used by journalists, researchers, businesses, local governments, public interest groups -- also applies to federal records maintained electronically," AP adds. Approved by Congress without dissent, the new Electronic FOIA requires federal agencies when asked to share data in a specific format, such as on computer diskette or CD-ROM. "It also broadens citizen access to government by placing more information online, in hopes of easing the huge backlog of requests for data," the wire service says. Feds Appeal Net 'Decency' Case The U.S. Justice Department has appealed to the Supreme Court to attempt to save the government's controversial "indecency" ban on the Iternet, citing among its arguments the government origin of the global network. At issue is a June ruling by a three-judge federal panel in Philadelphia that the "indecency" ban, enacted by Congress in February, is unconstitutional. United Press International reports the Justice Department brief on the case says the Internet "originated from experimental efforts" of the Defense Department to link some of its computer systems. Adds the brief, "The Internet originated from experimental efforts of the Department of Defense to link defense-related computer systems so that research and communication could continue even if portions of the network were damaged. "Similar networks were subsequently developed to link universities, research facilities, businesses and individuals around the world. All of those networks were ultimately linked to one another and became the global network known as the Internet." UPI notes that the Justice Department does not contend that the Internet's origin makes it more susceptible to government regulation. "The Supreme Court has always ruled that government entities have less power to regulate speech than private entities," the wire service observes. Congress Toughens Porn Laws Computer-generated child pornography is targeted in a new law that takes effect this week, making it illegal to appear to depict children in sexual situations, whether in computer images, films or photographs. However, the American Civil Liberties Union calls the measure unconstitutional and a waste of prosecutors' resources, since it expanded a law designed to protect any actual children used to produce pornography. The ACLU also says the law is so broad that adults portraying children in films could risk prosecution. Reporting from Washington, Jackie Frank of the Reuter News Service notes that previously, depictions of minors produced by computers without using children had been outside the scope of federal law. "The new law expands the definition of child pornography to include any image - photograp, video or computer-generated image -- that depicts or appears to depict a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct," Frank reports. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, says the law was designed to protect children from sexual exploitation and pedophiles. "While federal law has failed to keep pace with technology, the purveyors of child pornography have been right on line with it. Passage of this bill will help to correct that problem," Hatch said. On the other side of the debate, ACLU legislative counsel Daniel Katz told the wire service the law has major ramifications for artists, the film industry and journalism. Katz said it includes a waiver-of-privacy rule to permit newsroom searches for information related to investigations of child pornography, adding, "It is much broader, and the ramifications are extraordinary, both for artists and for people in the cinema." Of course, computers can be used to alter photographs, films and videos to produce sexually explicit materials virtually indistinguishable from unretouched photographs. "The new technology has hampered prosecutors in their ability to obtain convictions because it can be impossible to identify individuals or to prove that the materials were produced using real children," Reuters notes. "The new law would allow prosecution of pornographers whether or not the identity of the child could be determined, so long as the person, even if an adult, appeared to be a minor." (Currently, pornography is protected under free speech laws except when a minor child is involved.) Hatch contends computer-generated pornography posed many of the same dangers to children as did pornography made from unretouched photographs in that it could be used to seduce children into sexual activity or to encourage a pedophile to prey on them. Mandatory prison sentences of 15 years are established by the new law for production of child pornography, five years for possession of the materials and life in prison for repeat offenders convicted of sexual abuse of a minor. China Eases Internet Rules Limits on the number of Internet accounts in the country have been removed by China now that the government there has restricted material on the computer network that it considers unacceptable. Reporting from Shanghai, te Reuter News Service quotes Zhang Weihua, vice president of the Shanghai Post and Telecommunications Administration, as saying, "Some time ago, our security arrangements were incomplete and there was a problem with pornographic and politically unacceptable material, but our arrangements have now been improved and new accounts are now being added without restriction." Zhang said he was unaware of any restrictions on access to major international news sites through China's Internet servers. Several providers, including Dow Jones & Co., publisher of The Wall Street Journal, have reported China has cut off access to such news sites. Zhang said that for "security" reasons there was a need to control information and discussion on the Internet and related bulletin-board services, "but surveys done on the usage and interests of people in China with Internet access indicate that virtually all the material they wanted to look at is domestic." Guerrillas Blocked From Net Internet connections for a guerrilla group currently involved in a bloody offensive in the mountains and jungles of Colombia suddenly have been cut. Reporting from Bogota, Karl Penhaul of the Reuter News Service says the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which has periodically paralysed half the country with road blocks, found its route to the information superhighway barred. "The Communist insurgents, who rose up in arms in 1964, embraced new technology last year in their fight to overthrow the government by launching a home page on the Internet," writes Penhaul. "But in unexplained circumstances, which a spokeswoman for the Mexico City-based Internet provider Teesnet said may or may not be linked to external pressures, the plug was pulled on the service on Monday -- a day after being publicized in Colombia's leading daily, El Tiempo." In Mexico City, FARC international spokesman Marco Leon Calarca admitted the loss of the Internet page was a serious reversal, but vowed the computer-age conflict was far from over. He told the wireservice, "This is an attack on freedom of expression because we were not doing anything illegal. I cannot say exactly how it happened but the hand of the Colombian government is in this. The FARC is used to difficulties and this is just the latest challenge. One way or another we will get back on to the Internet." Reuters notes the guerrillas used their World Wide Web site to publish their political magazine Resistencia, whose distribution is banned in Colombia, and to offer explanations about their latest armed actions. FARC was labeled "narcoguerrillas" since the 1980s when U.S. ambassador Lewis Tambs highlighted the group's alleged connections with Colombia's drugs trade, and has been dubbed "Cyberspace guerrillas" since their appearance on the Internet. On this Calarca commented, "Cyberspace guerrillas may seem a fun name but I think it is pejorative and belittles what we're doing. We are looking to topple the government and set up a new Colombia." Mitnick Indicted in Thefts Convicted computer vandal Kevin Mitnick has been indicted on charges he carried out a spree of software thefts that cost corporations millions of dollars during nearly three years as a fugitive. In Los Angeles, The Associated Press reports a federal grand jury has indicted 33-year-old Mitnick on charges he stole computer programs from companies, damaged University of Southern California computers and used stolen passwords during his time on the run. Following an investigation by a task force of high-tech experts from the FBI, NASA and federal prosecutor's offices nationwide, the 25-count complaint also alleges that Mitnick used cloned cellular phone codes. As reported, Mitnick pleaded guilty last April to a single count of cellular phone fraud for using 15 stolen phone numbers to dial into computer databases. He also admitted violating probation for a previous computer fraud conviction. In return for that plea, prosecutors agreed to drop 22 other fraud charges but warned that new charges could follow. Mitnick, already awaiting sentencing on the earlier charges, could face up to 200 years of jail time if convicted, authorities said. In 1988, Mitnick served a year in prison for illegally tapping computers at Digital Equipment Corp. At age 17, he served six months at a youth center for stealing computer manuals from a Pacific Bell switching center. In 1992, he disappeared while on probation. Computer security expert Tsutomu Shimomura tracked Mitnick to Raleigh, North Carolina, where he was arrested in February 1995 after telephone technicians tracked his cellular phone signal to an apartment complex there. Mitnick Pleads Not Guilty Famed renegade computerist Kevin Mitnick has pleaded not guilty to charges he masterminded a multimillion-dollar online crime spree during his 2 1/2 years as a national fugitive. In Los Angeles, the 33-year-old Mitnick told the judge not to bother reading the indictment, which includes 25 new counts of computer and wire fraud, possessing unlawful ccess devices, damaging computers and intercepting electronic messages. "Not guilty," he said. Mitnick is being held without bail on a fraud conviction. As reported earlier, the indictment was handed up Friday by a federal grand jury and follows an investigation by a national task force of FBI, NASA and federal prosecutors with high-tech expertise. Mitnick is accused of using stolen computer passwords, damaging University of Southern California computers and stealing software valued at millions of dollars from technology companies, including Novell, Motorola, Nokia, Fujitsu and NEC. According to The Associated Press, Assistant U.S. Attorney David Schindler said Mitnick, if convicted, will be sentenced to "multiple years," but declined to be more specific, saying that computer crime was a new area of the law. As noted, Mitnick went on the lam in 1992 while on probation and was tracked by computer and telephone security experts who caught him in Raleigh, N.C. The story of his arrest in February 1995 made national headlines. Last April, he pleaded guilty to a North Carolina fraud charge of using 15 stolen phone numbers to dial into computer databases. Prosecutors dropped 22 other fraud charges then but warned that new charges could follow. AP notes Mitnick also admitted violating probation for a 1988 conviction in Los Angeles, where he served a year in jail for breaking into computers at Digital Equipment Corp. At 16, he served six months in a youth center for stealing computer manuals from a Pacific Bell switching center. The wire service reports Mitnick also has a new lawyer. He is Donald C. Randolph, who represented Charles Keating Jr.'s top aide, Judy J. Wischer, in the Lincoln Savings swindle. IBM Offers New, Trimmer PC Line IBM is introducing a new line of slick black machines that will be marketed to those wanting to clear clutter from their desks. The new Aptiva S Series separates the diskette and CD-ROM drives from the box that contains the main circuitry, allowing people to place the compute box away from the work area without sacrificing convenience, says business writer David E. Kalish of The Associated Press. "The foray into design by IBM signals that a recent industry trend toward fashionable machines has entered the mainstream," Kalish adds. "It and other PC makers are facing up to the reality that their machines are fundamentally similar, built from the same processing chips and operating software." IBM's Aptiva S series encases the drives and power controls in a discrete slim "media console" that forms a base for the monitor, close at hand even when the hardware box is stored off the desk. "Previously, people could stow the bulky box away from the desk but would then need to stretch to insert and eject diskettes and CDs," AP observes. "The new system also features a distinctive monitor stand supported by elegant wide arches to provide space for the keyboard when not in use." Its lowest-cost model will use Intel Corp.'s Pentium 166 MHz microprocessor, with prices starting at $2,499, excluding a monitor. The highest-cost machine, at $3,099, will be run by a 200 MHz Pentium. All will have at least 16MB of main memory, hard drives ranging from 2.5 to 3.2 gigabytes and 28,800 bps modems. Monitors cost an extra $499 to $799, depending on display size. Dell Ships Low-End Dimension P200v Dell Computer Corp. says it has begun volume shipments of the Dell Dimension P200v, a high-powered PC designed for cost-conscious small- and medium-sized business and home office customers in the United States. The P200v represents the first time Dell has offered the fastest-available Pentium processor in an entry-level system priced less than $2,000. Dell introduced and began shipping the P200v in limited quantities last month. The Dell Dimension P200v mini-tower system includes 16MB of RAM, a 2.1GB hard drive, a Dell 15TX Trinitron monitor and an 8-speed CD-ROM drive. Factory-installed options include a 16-bit sound card and speakers for $99 and a 28.8K bps fax/modem for $129. OS/2 FaxWorks Pro Enhanced Global Village Communications Inc. has introduced an enhanced version of its FaxWorks Pro for OS/2 communications software. FaxWorks Pro for OS/2 3.0, which is compatible with IBM's new OS/2 Warp 4, includes voice mail, message forwarding, fax-on-demand, paging and remote message retrieval features. The software also offers Internet Relay, which allows OS/2 users to forward faxes and voice mail messages to Internet mailboxes. For mobile users, received faxes and voice messages can be placed in an Internet mailbox, so that these messages can be retrieved along with their e-mail. FaxWorks Pro for OS/2 3.0 ispriced at $129. Prices for the local area network edition start at $499. Modem Allows Voice, Data at Once The online community is abuzz over a new modem technology called Digital Simultaneous Voice and Data -- or DSVD -- that will allow you to talk on the telephone and send data on the same call. Reporting in Popular Mechanics, writer T.J. Byers says DSVD models "are great for head-to-head game competition, but they also have more serious applications," adding, "Business during phone conferences, and video telephones become practical and inexpensive." With DSVD, the phone and modem share the same line. The key to its success is "selective processing of the voice signal," the magazine said. During DSVD calls, voice, normally analogue, is digitally modulated and compressed like computer data. "The modem takes snippets of your telephone conversation and stuffs them into a small frame, making them easier and faster to transport," Byers writes. When the frame is opened at the other end, the contents return to their original form." The digitized voice and data signals are mixed together in a process called multiplexing, with the voice frames interwoven with data frames in a defined pattern. In DSVD, the pattern typically is two data frames for every voice frame. This robs the data channel of some of its speed. "Unfortunately, there is a catch to DSVD technology," the magazine adds. "Minor difficulties between each vendor's DSVD protocol limit the interoperability of all but the newest products. Lack of standardization does not mean you must wait to buy a DSVD model. The International Telecommunications Union has a DSVD standard in the works." DVD-ROM Software Sales to Soar Digital video disc-read only memory (DVD-ROM) software products could generate revenues of $100 million annually by 1999, and will begin to take revenues away from CD-ROM beginning in 1997, according to a new research report from SIMBA Information Inc. of Stamford, Connecticut. The report estimates that DVD-ROM software sales will rach $35 million in 1997, $75 million in 1998 and $100 million by 1999. SIMBA estimates that U.S. consumers, businesses and educational customers spent $1.47 billion on multimedia CD-ROMs in 1995. CD-ROM sales will increase 74 percent to $2.56 billion in 1996, led by "edutainment" and game titles, says SIMBA. Although multimedia CD-ROM revenues will continue to grow over the next several years, emerging platforms such as DVD-ROM and online multimedia delivery will encroach upon its territory beginning in 1997, notes the researcher. Iomega Ships 3 Millionth Zip Drive Iomega Corp. reports that it has shipped more than 3 million Zip drives worldwide since the line's introduction in March 1995. The 100MB Zip drives and disks provide up to 70 times the capacity of traditional floppy disks. The Roy, Utah, company also says it has shipped its 5 millionth personal storage solution, comprised of Zip and Ditto disk drives and Jaz tape drives. Iomega recently announced that internal Zip drives for OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) will boot computers containing updated BIOS (Basic Input Output System) by early 1997. Zip drives can be found as standard or optional features in computers made by IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Packard Bell, NEC Technologies, Micron, Power Computing, Unisys, and Canon. Iomega's Web site is located at http.//www.iomega.com. Robotics at Work on Faster Modem? Rumors are circulating again that modem market leader U.S. Robotics Corp. is preparing to unveil a faster-speed modem, talk that caused the company's stock to jump 6 7/8 points yesterday. In Chicago, the Reuter News Service quotes Southcoast Capital analyst Jim McIlree as saying, "The whispers are they're going to announce the high-speed modem soon." However, U.S. Robotics spokeswoman Karen Novak said, "We have not announced anything and we have nothing to announce." She repeated, though, the company's stance that the 33.6 kilobit per second modem currently in the market is not the fastest possible, saying, "We believe 33.6 is not the end of the line." McIlree and options traders said they are awaiting more details from U.S. Robotics, which holds a dominant market share in modems. Reuters notes, "Other companies, for example, have set dates. Motorola Inc. has said it will unveil a modem with 56 kbps capabilities in 1997, and Rockwell International Corp. has said it expects to demonstrate 56 kbps technology at a trade show in November." Referring to U.S. Robotics, McIlree observed, "This would be a very significant new cycle for them. It would have a large impact on their desktop modem busines and it would have a significant effect on their network systems business." DVD Market Set to Take Off Dataquest Inc. expects the digital video disc (DVD) optical drive market to grow from $35 million this year to $4.1 billion in 2000. Analysts at the San Jose, California, market research firm expect DVD to boost both the consumer electronics and personal computer markets to new heights. But Dataquest also forecasts that DVD revenue won't exceed CD-ROM revenue until the year 2000. "With high storage capacities, faster data transfer rates and interactive capabilities, DVD has moved the capabilities of optical storage forward by magnitudes," says Mary Bourdon, a Dataquest senior analyst. "It should be noted that the enthusiasm and competitive drive of DVD manufacturers could lead to supply exceeding demand for DVD in the near term and cause some temporary jolts and lurches in the market." DVD can be thought of as the next generation of super CD drives designed specifically for diverse applications ranging across computer, games, video and audio markets, says Bourdon. "It offers consumers the prospect of a single-media format for high-quality film and audio reproduction, as well as high capacities and improved performance in multimedia applications." Compaq Sales Pass Packard Bell For the first time, Compaq Computer Corp. became the No. 1 U.S. retailer of PCs in July, outpacing Packard Bell Corp. That is the finding of Computer Intelligence's "StoreBoard Channel" survey of retailers, which tracks sales data from PC superstores, consumer electronic stores, and office superstores throughout the United States, outlets that account for about 85 percent of retail PC sales. Eric Auchard of the Reuter News Service notes the survey does not cover mass merchants like Wal-Mart, whose sales represent about 15 percent of the U.S. retail market for PCs. (Traditionally, this market has been dominated by Packard Bell, whose primary focus is U.S. retail sales, as opposed to corporate or direct, mail-order distributon methods.) But, adds Reuters, Compaq's market share steadily increased throughout the second quarter of 1996, and in July finally surged ahead of the long-time leader. CI analyst Matt Sargent told the wire service, "Clearly, we're now seeing the effects of the PC market shifting to a second-time buyer situation. It's hurting vendors that cater to low-end, first-time purchasers, while helping those that target second-time buyers, who typically emphasize quality over price and favor premium brands." The study found market shares for the top four vendors in the overall retail sales have shifted significantly since the first quarter of this year: Compaq held 22.7 percent of overall retail business in July, up from 18.0 percent in February. Packard Bell slid to 17.5 percent in July from 30.1 percent in February, when it was far and away the dominant retail PC supplier. IBM rose to 11.7 percent in July from 6.7 percent in February. Hewlett-Packard Co. accounted for 10.6 percent of the product sold in those stores surveyed versus 7.4 percent in February. Reuters says the most dramatic market share gains for Compaq occurred in the consumer electronic stores market segment, causing Packard Bell to lose market share in a distribution channel it had pioneered. "Compaq nearly doubled its share of the consumer electronics market to 21.2 percent, up from 11.0 percent in February," said the wire service. "Packard Bell's share was cut in half to 19.3 percent in July from 41.8 percent five months before." Another Rescue on the Internet It has happened again -- a disabled and ill Net surfer over the weekend managed to summon help from a fellow computerist hundreds of miles away. In Boston, Charles Drafts -- a double amputee who types using a stick in his mouth -- was online Saturday with 159 other people in an Internet chess site when he suddenly sent out a message for help: "i'm disabled and havingshortness of breath, call ambulace." He also managed to type in his address. Associated Press writer Dave Howland reports that while several users tried to find out what symptoms Drafts was suffering, Andy McFarland of Owensboro, Kentucky, was calling Boston's emergency medical services on his second phone line. "When he finally got through, he told dispatchers where he was calling from and explained the situation," Howland relates. 'I think I lost them for just a second,' McFarland said. 'It's not something they get every day.'" AP says firefighters rushed to Draft's home, but no one answered the dor. They called McFarland back to verify the address. McFarland told the wire service, "The last thing I heard them say was, `We're going in,' and they hung up." About 20 minutes later, a Boston dispatcher called to tell McFarland that they had found Drafts inside and that he had needed help. This morning, Drafts was listed in stable condition at Beth Israel Hospital, though hospital officials declined to give details of the nature of his illness. This is reminiscent of last February's incident when a minister from Scotland messaged people taking part in a weekly online chat in CompuServe's Genealogy Forum that he thought he was having a stroke. In that case, forum administrator Dick Eastman tracked down The Rev. Kenneth J. Walker in Arbroath, Scotland, and notified local emergency authorities, who arrived in time to ensure his survival. Judge Extends Appeal Time in RSI The amount of time plaintiffs can sue computer manufacturers for repetitive stress injuries they allege are caused by typing on keyboards has been extended by a New York federal judge. The three-year statute of limitation for filing a claim begins running when the plaintiff suffers pain and symptoms of an injury, rules U.S. District Judge Jack Weinstein of Brooklyn. According to the Reuter News Service, Weinstein said a New York state court was wrong when it ruled last month that the statute begins to run when the plaintiff first began to use the keyboard, even if the pain does not occur for many years. The judge said that the Appellate Division, First Division's application of the statute was not an accurate statement of New York State law. He made his ruling in a case brought against Apple Computer Inc. by a woman who began using computer keyboards in 1988. She did not begin to feel pain until 1993 and filed suit 13 months later. Net Commerce Group Gets Funding A new organization that plans to address the legal issues and policy questions arising from increased business activity on the Internet says it has received over $100,000 initial funding from a number of companies involved in Internet development. The Internet Law & Policy Forum plans to produce the building blocks for a more predictable global Internet environment, including model business agreements, uniform contracting tools for electronic commerce, model codes of conduct, analytical reports and recommendations for best business practices. The group's corporate sponsors include AT&T, Bell Canada, BBN, British Telecom, Cisco Systems, Deutsche Telekom, General Electric Information Services, General Magic, Hong Kong Telecom, IBM, Mastercard International, MCI Communications, Microsoft, Netscape Communications, Oracle and Visa International. The Electronic Commerce World Institute in Montreal (www.ecworld.org), an independent international organization that addresses strategic business issues relating to electronic commerce, will provide administrative support to the project during an expected six-month organizational phase. "Our commitment to support the Internet Law & Policy Forum represents the desires of our membership across five continents to promote the establishment of a predictable, legally secure environment in which global electronic commerce can reach its full potential," says Andre Vallerand, president of the Electronic Commerce World Institute. CREATIVE LABS AUTOMATED FAXBACK SYSTEM 405-372-5227 Last Updated: 9-24-96 If a customer would like to receive a faxback document: 1. Dial 405-372-5227. 2. Press 1 to order a document. 3. Press 2 to order a document catalog. 4. Follow the remaining voice instructions. AVAILABLE CATALOGS Doc# Description 1 Product Information Catalog 2 Technical Services Catalog ********************************* * Product Information Catalog * ********************************* SOUND BLASTER CARDS Doc# Description 1000 Sound Blaster Audio Card Reference Chart 1010 Sound Blaster 32 PnP 1020 Sound Blaster AWE32 PnP 1030 Sound Blaster 16 Value PnP MULTIMEDIA/CD-ROM KITS Doc# Description 2000 Multimedia Kit Reference Chart 2010 Blaster CD 4x 2020 Sound Blaster Discovery CD 4x PnP 2030 Sound Blaster Performance 8x 2040 Sound Blaster Value CD 4x PnP 2050 Blaster CD 6x 2060 Sound Blaster Performance 6x 2070 Blaster CD 8x 2080 Sound Blaster Discovery CD 8x 2090 Aventura CD 4x (Espa¤ol) 2100 Aventura CD 4x (portugues) 2110 Sound Blaster Multimedia Home 8x 2120 Sound Blaster Value CD 8x 2130 Blaster CD-R 4120 GRAPHICS/VIDEO Doc# Description 3000 Video Card and Accessories Reference Chart 3010 Video Blaster RT300 3020 Video Blaster SE100 3030 Graphics Blaster MA201/MA202 3040 Graphics Blaster MA302 3050 3D Blaster 3060 Creative TVCoder External 3070 Video Blaster MP400 COMMUNICATIONS Doc# Description 4000 Modem and Communication Reference Chart 4010 PhoneBlaster 4020 ModemBlaster 14.4 PCMCIA 4030 PhoneBlaster 28.8 PnP 4040 ModemBlaster 28.8 External 4050 ModemBlaster 28.8 PnP 4060 ModemBlaster 28.8 PCMCIA 4070 Internet Blaster 33.6 PnP COMPANION PRODUCTS Doc# Description 5010 Wave Blaster II Gamepak 5020 Sound Blaster Speakers SOFTWARE Doc# Description 6010 Creative VoiceAssist 6020 E-MU SoundFonts 6030 Vienna SF Studio DESKTOP VIDEO CONFERENCING Doc# Description 7000 Desktop VideoConferencing Product Reference Chart 7010 ShareVision PC300 7020 ShareVision PC3000 7030 ShareVision MAC300 & MAC3000 PRODUCT PRESS RELEASES Doc# Description 8010 Creative Unveils 3D Blaster For Pentium PCs 8020 Creative Offers Complete Range of High-Speed Communications Products 8030 Modem Blaster 28.8 PCMCIA Expands Creative's Communications Product Line 8040 Creative Announces Phone Blaster 28.8 Upgrade 8050 Creative Introduces New Graphics Blaster Multimedia Accelerator Cards 8060 Creative Reduces ShareVision Desktop Video Conferencing Prices To Under $1000 8070 Creative Announces ShareVision Products Will Support New Data Sharing And Video Conferencing Standards 8080 Creative Announces a Complete Entertainment Platform for Windows 95 8090 Interoperability Testing Begins for New Videophone Standard Transmitting over Phone Lines 8100 Creative Introduces New Line of 8x Multimedia Upgrade Kits 8110 Creative First to Deliver Direct3D Support 8120 Creative Introduces SoundFont 2.0 Sound Sample Format 8130 Creative Labs Takes Next Step in 3D Graphics Strategy 8140 Creative Announces PhoneBlaster 28.8 PnP 8150 Creative Unleashes the Power of the PC at E3 8160 New Entries in the Growing List if 3D Blaster Titles 8170 Creative Ships New Multimedia Kits for Latin America 8180 Creative Indroduces Complete Line of Sound Blaster Speakers 8190 Creative Ships Internet Blaster 33.6 PnP: The First Complete High- Speed 33.6 Internet Solution 8200 Creative Teams with Industry Leaders to Offer High Speed 33.6 Internet Bundle 8210 Creative Technology Extends Industry Leadership In Desktop Videoconferencing 8220 Creative Labs Showcases Complete Line of Multimedia Products for Brazil 8230 Creative Labs Ships Brazilian Edition of 8x Multimedia Upgrade Kit 8240 Creative Ships Complete CD Recording Upgrade Kit Designed For The General Consumer 8250 Creative's Sound Blaster Gets "Interneted" 8260 Creative's Partnerships Change the Face of the Internet 8270 Creative and Seer Deliver Low-Cost Wave-Table Audio to Sound Blaster 16 DEVELOPER INFORMATION Doc# Description 9010 Sound Blaster Developer Kit 2.0 9030 Blaster Certification Program Intro. Kit 9040 Registered Developer Application FINANCIAL INFORMATION Doc# Description 10010 First Quarter Fiscal 1996 Results 10020 Form 6-K for First Quarter Ending 9/30/95, Part 1 10022 Form 6-K for First Quarter Ending 9/30/95, Part 2 10030 Form 20-F for 1995, Part 1 10031 Form 20-F for 1995, Part 2 10032 Form 20-F for 1995, Part 3 10033 Form 20-F for 1995, Part 4 10034 Form 20-F for 1995, Part 5 10035 Form 20-F for 1995, Part 6 10036 Form 20-F for 1995, Part 7 10037 Form 20-F for 1995, Part 8 10038 Form 20-F for 1995, Part 9 10039 Form 20-F for 1995, Part 10 10050 Second Quarter Fiscal 1996 Results 10060 Third Quarter Fiscal 1996 Results 10070 Fourth Quarter Fiscal 1996 Results USEFUL INFORMATION Doc# Description 11010 The Creative Network of Addresses and Phone Numbers 11020 Creative Labs Warranty Agreement 11030 Creative Labs Product Reference Chart CREATIVE IN THE NEWS Doc# Description 12010 "Game for Anything," Introduction to the 3D Blaster (FamilyPC, November, 1995) 12020 "Blast Into 3-D," Introduction to the 3D Blaster (ComputerLife, November, 1995) 12030 "New! Sound Solution for Plug and Play" Review of Sound Blaster AWE32 PnP (PC Computing, November, 1995) 12040 "With New Boards, PCs Threaten to Blast Out of the Box" Introduction to 3D Blaster (Wall Street Journal August 16, 1995) 12050 "Fast Companies," Report on the Fastest-Growing Companies in the U.S. (U.S. News & World Report, July 3, 1995) CORPORATE PRESS RELEASES Doc# Description 15010 Creative And DataBeam Announce Intended Partnership for Application Sharing and T.120-Based Technology 15020 Creative Technology Announces Results for Fiscal 1995 15030 Creative Garners Top Awards For 1995 15040 Creative Announces Resignation of Chief Financial Officer 15050 Creative Announces Its Support for Microsoft NetMeeting 15060 Creative Announces Resignation of President 15070 Creative Announces Cessation of CD-ROM Drive Manufacturing 15080 Creative Technology Names Chief Scientist 15090 Creative Details Newest Multimedia Strategy for the Internet CHANNEL MARKETING Doc# Description 20010 Creative Labs Distributor List 20020 MBA Introduction and Registration Form 20030 VAR Introduction and Registration Form 20040 Reseller Product Literature Order Form 20050 Channel Discount Purchase Program 20060 VARPak Product List 20070 Canadian MBA Registration Form CREATIVE SOUNDS NEWSLETTER Doc# Description 21010 Creative Sounds Newsletter for April 21020 Creative Sounds Newsletter for May 21030 Creative Sound Newsletter for August CREATIVE SOUNDS CANADA Doc# Description 22010 Creative Sounds Newsletter for Canada, May 1996 22020 Creative Sounds Newsletter for Canada, July 1996 ***************************** * Technical Support Catalog * ***************************** SOUND CARD DIAGRAMS AND JUMPER SETTINGS Doc# Description 51320 CT1320 Sound Blaster 1.0/1.5 51330 CT1330 Sound Blaster Pro I 51350 CT1350 Sound Blaster 2.0 51600 CT1600 Sound Blaster Pro II 51730 CT1730 Sound Blaster 16 51740 CT1740 Sound Blaster 16 51750 CT1750/1759 Sound Blaster 16 MCD 51770 CT1770/1779 Sound Blaster 16 SCSI-2 52230 CT2230/2239 Sound Blaster 16 MCD 52231 CT2230C/2239C Sound Blaster 16 Creative 52232 CT2230S/2239S Sound Blaster 16 Sony 52290 CT2290/2299 Sound Blaster 16 IDE 52291 CT2291 Sound Blaster 16 Value IDE 52740 CT2740/2749 Sound Blaster 16 52750 CT2750/2759 Sound Blaster EZ CD16 52760 CT2760 Sound Blaster AWE32, Rev. 1 52763 CT2760 Sound Blaster AWE32, Rev. 3 52770 CT2770 Sound Blaster 16 Value Edition 52830 CT2830 Sound Blaster 16 IDE 52910 CT2910 Sound Blaster 16 Value IDE 52950 CT2950 Sound Blaster 16 Value IDE 53600 CT3600 Sound Blaster 32 Plug and Play 53780 CT3780 Sound Blaster AWE32 Value Edition 53900 CT3900 Sound Blaster AWE32 IDE 53910 CT3910 Sound Blaster AWE32 Value IDE 53930 CT3930 Sound Blaster 32 53980 CT3980 Sound Blaster AWE32 Plug and Play CD-ROM DRIVE DIAGRAMS Doc# Description 50033 Sony CDU33A 50075 Sonu CDU75E 50200 Creative CD200F (Funai E2550UA) 50220 Creative CD220F (Funai E2800UA) 50271 NEC CDR271 / CDR272 / CDR273 50400 Mitsumi CD4000M (FX400 / FX400D) 50420 Creative CD420E 50422 Creative CD420F (Funai E2750UA) 50510 NEC CDR-510M 50511 NEC CDR-511 50521 Creative/Panasonic CR 521/CR 523 50530 Toshiba XM-5302B 50540 GoldStar GCD 540B 50563 Creative/Panasonic CR563 50574 Panasonic CR574 50581 Panasonic/MKE CR 581J 50620 Creative CD620E 52750 Sound Blaster EZ CD16 50730 Hitachi CDR-7730 CD-ROM Drive 50265 Funai E2650 CD-ROM Drive 50820 Creative CD820E CD-ROM Drive INTERFACE CARD DIAGRAMS Doc# Description 51331 CT1331 External CD-ROM Pass-Through Card 51810 CT1810 Creative CD-ROM Interface Card 51830 CT1830 Creative/Sony CD-ROM Interface Card 51860 CT1860 IDE CD-ROM Interface Card 51870 CT1870 PnP IDE/Creative CD-ROM Interface Card TELEPHONY CARD DIAGRAMS Doc# Description 55010 CT5010 Modem Blaster 19.2Voice 55020 CT5020 Modem Blaster 28.8 55030 CT5030 Modem Blaster 14.4 VIDEO CARD DIAGRAMS Doc# Description 56010 CT6010 Creative TV Coder 56040 CT6040 Video Blaster SE 56042 CT6042 Video Blaster SE100 56050 CT6050 Video Blaster FS200 56060 CT6060/CT6061 Video Blaster RT300 56080 CT6080 Video Blaster MP400 SOUND CARD ISSUES General/SB2.0 in DOS Doc# Date Description 60001 8/22/96 SB 2.0 and No Throughput, No Mixer, Only DMA 1 60002 8/22/96 Buzzing from Sound Blaster Until Initialization 60003 8/22/96 MCV Bus Timeout Error 60004 8/22/96 Multi Config and Memory Management for SB2.0 General/SB2.0 in Windows 3.x Doc# Date Description 60005 8/22/96 VSBPD.386 Not Loaded Error 60006 8/22/96 SB 2.0 and No Sound in Windows Until Mosaic is Entered 60007 8/22/96 No MIDI in Windows, All Other Sounds Work 60008 8/22/96 Difficulties with Monologue for Windows SB Pro in DOS Doc# Date Description 60101 8/22/96 Multi Config and Memory Management for SBPro SB16 in DOS Doc# Date Description 60201 8/22/96 16-bit DMA Problems 60202 8/22/96 Multi Config and Memory Management for SB16/AWE32 60206 8/23/96 SCSI-2 Installation Will Not Accept Disk 2 SB16 in Windows 3.x Doc# Date Description 60203 8/22/96 Creative Mixer Does Not Save Setting Upon Exit of Windows 60204 8/22/96 Errors When Running Texto'LE SB16 in Windows 95 Doc# Date Description 60205 8/23/96 Installing a Non Plug-and-Play Sound Card in Windows 95 SB32/AWE32 in DOS Doc# Date Description 60301 8/22/96 MPU-401 Initialization Failed with AWEUTIL.EXE 60302 8/22/96 No Music on an AWE32 in Games SOFTWARE ISSUES Issues in DOS Doc# Date Description 60502 8/23/96 Synthesizer Not Installed and SBAITSO 60504 8/23/96 Errors on Speed Installation 60505 8/23/96 Blaster and Sound Environment Settings 60507 8/23/96 MS Flight Simulator 5.0 and Choppy Sound Issues in Windows 3.x Doc# Date Description 60501 8/23/96 Photostyler SE 1.1a PhotoCDs causing GPFs 60503 8/23/96 Problems Running Screen Singer Under Windows 60506 8/23/96 Digital Morph Gives Errors When Trying to Load a Morph Picture 60508 8/23/96 Monologue Dictionary Changes Have No Effect 60509 8/23/96 Groliers 6.X AVI Problems 60510 8/23/96 Groliers with Blank, White, or Black Screens CD-ROM ISSUES Issues in DOS Doc# Date Description 61001 8/21/96 Omni CD Setting Errors 61002 8/21/96 Panasonic CR-562 on a Creative/Panasonic Interface 61004 8/22/96 Playing Audio CDs in DOS on a SB16 61005 8/22/96 Incorrect DOS Version when MSCDEX Attempts to Load 61006 8/22/96 MSCDEX Does Not Attempt to Load 61007 8/22/96 Not Enough Drive Letters Available 61008 8/22/96 List of Drives Supported by Various Versions of SBIDE.SYS Issues in Windows 3.x Doc# Date Description 61011 8/22/96 1995 Groliers and System Resource Problems 61015 8/27/96 Installing the [MCI] CD-Audio Driver Issues in Windows 95 Doc# Date Description 61012 8/27/96 CD-ROM Not Working in Windows 95 61013 8/27/96 CD-ROM not accessible from MS-DOS Mode (NON-PnP) 61014 8/27/96 CD-ROM drive not recognized in MS-DOS under Windows 95 (PnP) Hardware-Related Issues Doc# Date Description 61003 8/21/96 No Sound from CD Audio 61009 8/22/96 Daisy-Chaining on a Creative/Panasonic Interface 61010 8/22/96 One-Channel CD Audio TELEPHONY PRODUCT ISSUES Doc# Date Description 63001 8/27/96 Compatible Modems and Initialization Strings The Windows 95 Upgrade Packs for SB16, SB32 and AWE32 sound cards are now available for immediate shipment through Customer Service in North, Central, and South America, and the Asia Pacific area (the European area will have the upgrade available soon). You can contact our Customer Service Department at 1- 800-998-1000 in North America. (elsewhere see CONTACT.TXT, Lib 1 on Compuserve). Please note that the upgrade pack is ONLY available for legacy (non-PnP) retail versions of the card. Retail versions of the PnP cards ship with both DOS / Win 3.1 and Windows95 software. OEM customers should contact their vendor to see if an upgrade is available for their card. SB16 Windows 95 Upgrade Disk Pack (Part Number: 2000001230) SB16 Windows 95 Upgrade CD-ROM Pack (Part Number: 2000001240) * New 32-bit Creative Multimedia Deck applications Mixer, CD player, Wave player, MIDI player, Soundo'le and Wave Studio. * 16-bit versions of Text Assist and Voice Assist that will run properly with Windows 95. * Sound drivers. * CD-ROM drivers SB32 and AWE32 Windows 95 Upgrade Disk Pack (Part Number: 2000001260) SB32 and AWE32 Windows 95 Upgrade CD-ROM Pack (Part Number: 2000001250) * New 32-bit Creative Multimedia Deck applications Mixer, CD player, Wave player, MIDI player, Soundo'le and Wave Studio, AWE Control Panel. * 16-bit versions of Text Assist and Voice Assist that will run properly with Windows 95. * 16-bit version of Vienna that will run properly with Windows 95. * Sound drivers. * CD-ROM drivers Each Windows 95 Upgrade Pack costs $12.95 plus shipping and sales tax (if applicable). Windows 95 Upgrade Packs are not available for any of Creative's 8-bit sound cards. All of the drivers required for 8-bit sound cards are included with the Windows 95 operating system. Customers who require one or more of the following drivers and/or application patches can download them free of change from our BBS, FTP site or CompuServe. * The latest SB16, SB32 or AWE32 Windows 95 sound card drivers. * The latest MKE and IDE Windows 95 IDE CD-ROM drivers. Creative's new 32-bit applications WILL NOT be available for download or free of charge. Those customers who would like to upgrade to Creative's new 32-bit applications must purchase the upgrade through Customer Service. All of our legacy 16-bit applications (with the appropriate patches) work properly in Windows 95. When contacting Customer Service, please give both the part number AND the title of the upgrade that you would like to purchase. Creative Technology Ltd. is the world's leading provider of advanced multimedia solutions for personal computers, including sound, graphics, communications and video conferencing products. The company's Sound Blaster technology has been accepted as the worldwide standard sound platform for PCs, and the company's global distribution network is the most extensive in the multimedia industry. Creative is focused on enhancing the overall user experience by providing powerful, enabling, high-value technology for the mass market. Sound Blaster and Blaster are registered trademarks and 3D Blaster is a trademark of Creative Technology Ltd. E-mu is a registered trademark of E-mu Systems, Inc. All other products mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective owners and are hereby recognized as such. This announcement relates to products whose launch are in the United States of America. The product names, contents, prices and availability may differ elsewhere in the world according to local factors and requirements. Sound Blaster and Blaster are registered trademarks of Creative Technology Ltd. All other products mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective owners and are hereby recognized as such. EDUPAGE STR Focus Keeping the users informed Edupage Contents New FCC Phone Regulations Put On Hold Cancelbot Attacks Usenet PC, Heal Thyself Apple And Netscape Work On Audio/Video Conferencing Microsoft To Promote ISDN Service In Europe Content Really Is King Gov't Documents To Be Made Available Electronically Victoria Pulls Plug On Web Site Microsoft Expects Slower Revenue Growth In FY97 Computer Delivers Fatal Drug Dose The Ever-Morphing PC Clinton Okays Encryption Plan With Key Recovery System CyberCoin Targets Small Change On The Net Bellcore Warns Smart Cards Are Vulnerable New Proposals For Managing The Internet VeriFone's Digital Cash Machine Utilities To Offer Full Telecom Service Netizens Ask, "Where's The Beef?" SPA Audits Subscribers To Internet Service Provider AOL Tries To Get New Subscribers And Keep The Old Ones Netscape Fights Back Educom's Conference To Be Web Cast AT&T Offers Digital Version Of Its Cellular Service Microsoft Gives Away ActiveX Technology Netscape Launches InBox Direct California Shuns Virtual University Apple Shows Recovery Signs PC Anti-Freeze Silicon Beach? Intuit Sells Insurance Via Internet Satellite Digital TV In Japan Teleglobe Clinches American License Power Traveler's Notes Oracle Chief Thinks Netscape's On Way Out NEW FCC PHONE REGULATIONS PUT ON HOLD A federal court in St. Louis has ordered a temporary stay on new regulations developed by the Federal Communications Commission to control the way in which the local phone companies open up their networks to new competitors such as long-distance carriers and cable television operators. GTE and other local phone service companies are arguing that the elaborate FCC rules are an unreasonable government encroachment on the free marketplace. (New York Times 28 Sep 96 p23) CANCELBOT ATTACKS USENET Last weekend, a computer cracker aimed a "cancelbot" computer program at Usenet -- an Internet bulletin board system -- and wiped out more than 25,000 messages. "Whoever did this has the potential to bring Usenet to its knees and remove all the articles from Usenet in a given day," says one software engineer. "That's Internet terrorism." "It's a stupid 'net trick,'" says a Lucent Technologies security expert. "It's virtually trivial to generate these cancel messages. Any doofus without much programming experience can do this, and we're going to see this kind of thing all the time." The cracker's account on Oklahoma-based Cottage Software Inc. was canceled immediately and the FBI has been notified. (Wall Street Journal 27 Sep 96 A13A) PC, HEAL THYSELF CyberMedia Inc., which makes a software diagnostics tool called First Aid, is working with Phoenix Technologies, which makes BIOS 4.0 (Basic Input/Output System) system-level diagnostic software, to create a package that enable PCs to figure out what's wrong with them, and fix themselves. "Together, we have access to all the layers of the software stack and the hardware in the system, so virtually any problem could be solved," says Phoenix's marketing VP. The collaborative package, called ActiveHelp, will be able to prevent a system crash from happening, and can change registry entries and replace damaged or missing drivers if needed. Phoenix plans to make ActiveHelp available to PC and motherboard manufacturers that license its BIOS chips, and the package should be available on PCs in the first half of 1997. (Information Week 23 Sep 96 p15) APPLE AND NETSCAPE WORK ON AUDIO/VIDEO CONFERENCING Apple and Netscape will work together to develop audio and video conferencing over the Internet, with Apple's QuickTime conferencing bundled into the Macintosh version of Netscape's Navigator 3.0 software for browsing the World Wide Web. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution 29 Sep 96 H2) MICROSOFT TO PROMOTE ISDN SERVICE IN EUROPE Microsoft, in an effort to build up its European following, is teaming with France Telecom and Deutsche Telekom to promote ISDN (integrated services digital network) phone lines in Europe. ISDN is widely viewed as the key to broadening the Internet's appeal to European consumers. Under the agreement, Microsoft will incorporate an easy way for Windows 95 and Internet Explorer users to sign up for ISDN service with just a few mouse clicks. At the same time the three companies will launch an ad campaign for ISDN service. The phone companies will pay Microsoft for every new ISDN customer generated. (Wall Street Journal 27 Sep 96 B8) CONTENT REALLY IS KING The massive amount of information that's now being generated may appear to make the individual content provider less important, says a Walt Disney Imagineering VP, but it actually means that branded content becomes much more important. In the Information Age, "more information is worth less. There's too much; you can't swallow it all. Content providers that will be successful will be the ones that make the content mean something." (Broadcasting & Cable 23 Sep 96 p54) GOV'T DOCUMENTS TO BE MADE AVAILABLE ELECTRONICALLY Congress has passed legislation directing federal agencies to make their records available in electronic format and to make better use of the Internet to distribute some government information. The legislation was tied to efforts to improve government response to Freedom of Information Act requests. "These changes will make access to government information easier," says the bill's sponsor, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.). "The American people have a right to know how their government works, or doesn't work." (Chronicle of Higher Education 27 Sep 96 A30) VICTORIA PULLS PLUG ON WEB SITE Victoria, the first city in Canada to put its tax-assessment rolls on the Internet, has pulled the plug after British Columbia's Information Commissioner announced an investigation into the practice, believing it violates privacy laws. (Toronto Globe & Mail 27 Sep 96 A3) MICROSOFT EXPECTS SLOWER REVENUE GROWTH IN FY97 Microsoft says its operating margins might be reduced in fiscal year 1997 because of slower revenue growth and higher operating expenses, including expenses related to R&D. The company plans to "continue significant investments in software research and development and related product opportunities from which significant revenues aren't anticipated for a number of years." (New York Times 28 Sep 96 p22) COMPUTER DELIVERS FATAL DRUG DOSE Terminally ill Bob Dent touched the keyboard of his laptop computer to give the go-ahead to receive a lethal drug dose, making him the first person to kill himself under the world's only voluntary euthanasia law. The computerized "death machine," which sent a mix of barbiturates and muscle relaxants into Mr. Dent's bloodstream, is equipped with software that asks the potential suicide a series of questions. (Toronto Star 27 Sep 96 A3) THE EVER-MORPHING PC "The PC will fade into the background as we deliver technologies that allow people to focus on their jobs, as opposed to focusing on the computer's user interface," says Stephen Boies, head of IBM's interactive systems division at the Thomas Watson Research Center. For instance, IBM is developing a specialized device that car dealers can plug into their telephone line to get credit approval for their customers in under two minutes. And physicians and nurses at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center in California use touch- screen flat-panel displays embedded in the hospital's walls to track patients' progress. Apple Fellow Donald Norman predicts that we're seeing the dawn of computing's next generation: "We're at the end of the second generation of the personal computer," which was marked by the graphical user interface, promising ease of use. "But what happened," says Norman, "is computers have become even more complex, expensive, and unmanageable." In the third generation, "the focus will be on people and the tasks they want to accomplish, not technicalities." (Information Week 23 Sep 96 p48) CLINTON OKAYS ENCRYPTION PLAN WITH KEY RECOVERY SYSTEM Attempting to compromise with critics of its "key escrow" approach to data encryption, the Clinton Administration now plans to begin allowing U.S. computer companies to export software using powerful encryption codes (or "keys") up to 56 bits long. However, the government will require those companies to develop, within two years, a "key recovery" system allowing U.S. law enforcement or anti-terrorist groups armed with a search warrant to get the key from the several third-party companies, each of which would hold one part of the key. IBM and some other large companies are supporting the plan, but other companies are expected to oppose it. The system will be successful only if the Administration can convince other countries to adopt the same kind of system. (New York Times 1 Oct 96 C1) CYBERCOIN TARGETS SMALL CHANGE ON THE NET CyberCash has teamed up with six major banks, including Nations Bank, First Union, First USA and PNC Bank, to offer an electronic payment system to Internet users who want to make purchases ranging from 25 cents to $10. The system, called CyberCoin, will charge a just a few cents per transaction, making it economically more feasible than traditional credit card systems, which charge 75 cents for a 25-cent transaction. The availability of "micropayments" is a critical component in allowing publishers to charge for online information, say industry observers. "What this is really about is not selling old things more efficiently, but setting the stage to sell an entirely new set of products," says Paul Saffo of the Institute for the Future. "It allows you to buy things by the sip rather than the gulp." (Wall Street Journal 30 Sep 96 B8) BELLCORE WARNS SMART CARDS ARE VULNERABLE Researchers at Bellcore have discovered that applying heat or radiation to a smart card's embedded chip can make it vulnerable to reverse engineering, allowing the data on the chips to be stolen. Michael Smith, director of the Smart Card Forum, discounts the researchers' findings, however. He points out that smart card transactions require security passes by several systems, not just those on the card itself, and that exposing the card to heat or radioactivity would not result in repeatable faults, which would be needed for reverse engineering. "If what Bellcore says is right, that would mean you could bake 10 personal computers, turn them on, run a spreadsheet, and each one would show two plus two equaling five," says Smith. (Investor's Business Daily 1 Oct 96 A8) NEW PROPOSALS FOR MANAGING THE INTERNET Representatives from the Internet Society, the International Telecommunication Union and the World Intellectual Property Organization are meeting with others in Washington to make recommendations on the future of the registration process for assigning Internet domain names. One proposal, advanced by Anthony Rutkowski of General Magic, Inc., suggests that InterNIC, which currently assigns names, and the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, should be merged into a new, nonprofit, international InterNIC committee, which would include a legal subcommittee to handle "trademark disputes involving domain name registrations and warehousing of names." Another proposal, put forth by Robert Shaw of the International Telecommunication Union, recommends turning the process over to a new entity that would embody a more formal legal and public policy framework: "The Internet can no longer ignore the real world because it is rapidly becoming the real world. Therefore, the challenge is to find the path towards an international balanced dialogue and legal framework while fostering the positive (and often chaotic) forces that have made the Net the wonderful success story it is," says Shaw. (BNA Daily Report for Executives 27 Sep 96 A25) VERIFONE'S DIGITAL CASH MACHINE VeriFone Inc. has developed a small electronic device that can turn a telephone into a dispenser of digital cash. Users can slip a smart card -- a plastic card with a computer chip inside -- into the little box, which is smaller than a paperback book and hooked up to the telephone. The box dials the user's bank, verifies the amount in the bank, and downloads digital cash onto the smart card. VeriFone, which has an installed base of five million credit-card verification terminals in businesses around the world, will try to persuade its merchants to upgrade those devices to accept the digital cash. (Wall Street Journal 30 Sep 96 B8) UTILITIES TO OFFER FULL TELECOM SERVICE Electrical utility Boston Edison Co. and cable and telecom-operator C-Tec Corp. are building a $300-million data network to offer customers a smorgasbord of cable television, Internet access, and local and long-distance phone services. The network will capitalize on Boston Edison's already- installed base of 200 miles of fiber- optic lines, which is currently used for communications between its power plant and transmission stations. Customers eventually will be able to use the network to order electricity, home security, and monitoring for heating and cooling systems. (Investor's Business Daily 1 Oct 96 A9) NETIZENS ASK, "WHERE'S THE BEEF?" Yankelovich's second annual Cybercitizen survey has bad news for Internet entrepreneurs: "There are widespread complaints about reliability, value and usefulness," says a Yankelovich managing partner. "People are looking for a reason to stay." The survey reports a drop in average online time from 16 to 12 hours a month. Survey respondents reported that the online services they value the most provide frequent updates, quick downloads, and fast searches. The least useful sites included pictures, sound and bulletin boards. (Tampa Tribune 30 Sep 96 B&F5) SPA AUDITS SUBSCRIBERS TO INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER After discovering that an unidentified customer of Intergate, a small Internet service provider in Marietta, Georgia, had created a Web page pointing hackers and crackers to sites containing serial numbers, codes, and programs designed to defeat copyright protections, the Software Publishers Association, a Washington, D.C. based trade organization, convinced Intergate to submit to an ongoing audit which would allow the activities of the company's 170 subscribers to be monitored for copyright infringements. Intergate president Jeffrey McGough said, "I'm an easy target. The legal issues take more time and money than I could ever spend," but argued: "It's ridiculous that the SPA would apply the copyright law this way. The knowledge is not illegal, the use of it is." One national Internet service provider, Atlanta-based Mindspring, said through a spokesperson that, although it cooperates with appropriate legal authorities, the company "could not agree to an audit that made us responsible for monitoring what our users put on their personal Web pages." (Atlanta Journal-Constitution 1 Oct 96 D3) AOL TRIES TO GET NEW SUBSCRIBERS AND KEEP THE OLD ONES At the same time it is launching a $300 million advertising campaign to attract enough new subscribers to boost its membership from 6 million to 10 million by next summer, America Online has admitted in a filing to the Security & Exchange Commission that, because of increased competition, it has had trouble retaining subscribers in the last year. The company believes that a new pricing plan offering 20 free hours for $19.95 will be the solution to the subscriber retention problem. (Washington Post 30 Sep 96) NETSCAPE FIGHTS BACK Netscape's newest version of its Navigator browser, scheduled for test release sometime this month, will enable collaboration among groups without the need for "groupware" software such as Lotus Notes. It will also make it possible for users to create multimedia e-mail messages and their own Web pages. The strategy is to continue persuading people to install Netscape's browser and to buy Netscape server software. "That's where the money is," says CEO Jim Barksdale. Still, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison is doubtful that this David will be able to win the battle against Microsoft's Goliath: "Netscape has no chance. They will be wiped out." (Business Week 7 Oct 96 p34) EDUCOM'S CONFERENCE TO BE WEB CAST If you're unable to be with us in Philadelphia next week for the EDUCOM'96 conference, watch selected conference sessions via the EDUCOM'96 Web Cast, produced by Apple Computer. Access is through the Educom Web site or the Apple Web Cast site < http://live.apple.com/ >. AT&T OFFERS DIGITAL VERSION OF ITS CELLULAR SERVICE AT&T's new Digital PCS, a new digital version of its existing cellular phone service, will offer caller ID, voice mail and electronic mail, though it will not be providing genuine PCS (personal communications service) -- the new generation of digital technology that allows transmission at a higher frequency and with lower power than a conventional cellular network. Responding to competitors who complain that AT&T is not offering true PCS service and is merely trying to preempt competition, AT&T chief executive Robert Allen says that "consumers really don't care about frequencies; they care about services." A number of the competitor companies are planning to offer true PCS service months before AT&T is ready to offer it at the end of 1997. (New York Times 3 Oct 96 C1) MICROSOFT GIVES AWAY ACTIVEX TECHNOLOGY Microsoft has agreed to transfer control over its ActiveX file-linking software to the Open Group, a Cambridge, Mass. industry group, which now will be able to set the software's future design standards. The move signals Microsoft's realization that giving control over the software to an outside entity might encourage software vendors to use the ActiveX approach to creating software building blocks that can be arranged into customized programs and linked to Microsoft's desktop operating software. "Microsoft wouldn't be doing this if it didn't think it was in its best interests," says the president of a software consulting firm. Meanwhile, Netscape, Oracle and other software companies are backing a rival technology called Corba, which has also been shaped by industry groups. (Wall Street Journal 2 Oct 96 B1) NETSCAPE LAUNCHES INBOX DIRECT Netscape's InBox Direct software enables users to receive Web pages via the e- mail client contained in its Netscape Navigator 3.0 browser. The new technology means companies can send Web-page-type information to prospective customers rather than waiting for them to come to their Web site. Yahoo! And Clarinet Communications both have announced they will use the new technology to deliver information to their customers. Industry observers have pointed out that the proliferation of this technology could signal a new paradigm in Web marketing, but also warn that it could backfire, by bolstering the telcos' case for higher rates and increased regulation of Internet connections. (Interactive Age Digital 2 Oct 96) CALIFORNIA SHUNS VIRTUAL UNIVERSITY California will not participate in the Western Governors' "virtual university" project. Instead, Gov. Pete Wilson says the state may start its own program to create and market college courses through the Internet. He's enlisted the help of the state's three public-college systems, along with the presidents of Stanford University and the University of Southern California, and executives from the computer, finance and telecommunications industries in the planning process. Unlike the Western Governors' project, the California venture will not seek separate accreditation. "The control of the academic offerings and the control of the curriculum would remain with the campus," says a CSU VP. "We do feel that faculty should be in charge." (Chronicle of Higher Education Academe Today 3 Oct 96) APPLE SHOWS RECOVERY SIGNS After three consecutive quarters of losses resulting from forecasting mistakes, manufacturing problems and various kinds of internal turmoil, Apple Computer is now confident that its reorganization efforts will return the company to profitability "no later than March." (New York Times 2 Oct 96 C10) PC ANTI-FREEZE There's nothing worse than seeing your computer screen frozen, unresponsive to either keyboard or mouse, with the latest version of your work still unsaved. Symantec's new Norton CrashGuard with Anti-Freeze can take the sting out of a Windows 95 software crash, offering a soothing message that tells you it's working on the problem. If all goes well, users can then save, quit and reboot their PCs. Symantec's Norton CrashGuard is available without charge at < http://www.symantec.com/crashguard >. (Investor's Business Daily 3 Oct 96 A8) SILICON BEACH? The state of Florida is going after the chip industry, hoping to lure microchip manufacturing plants to its sandy shores via tax credits and a $15- million cash incentive fund. The details must still be approved by the state legislature, but government officials are optimistic the strategy will meet with approval. "Florida has been considered a second-tier state by the industry," says a VP at Enterprise Florida, a quasi-governmental agency that promotes business interests in the state. And while Florida faces stiff competition from other states after the same prize, the cash incentive program is considered unique. It ties in with research grants at state universities, which will match the grants with their own funds to provide engineering, research and other support for the companies. (Wall Street Journal 2 Oct 96 F1) INTUIT SELLS INSURANCE VIA INTERNET Intuit Inc. is now offering a service that allows consumers to gather information on life insurance costs and purchase their policies through the Internet. Quicken InsureMarket will expand later this year to include car insurance rates and policies. (Investor's Business Daily 3 Oct 96 A5) SATELLITE DIGITAL TV IN JAPAN PefectTV in Japan has begun the country's first digital satellite service, offering 57 TV channels and 4 radio broadcasts. With digital technology, high-quality images can be transmitted simultaneously over dozens of channels. (New York Times 2 Oct 96 C2) TELEGLOBE CLINCHES AMERICAN LICENSE Teleglobe has won a license from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to operate as a global telecommunications carrier in the United States, putting Teleglobe on an equal footing with larger American competitors, including AT&T, MCI and Sprint. (Montreal Gazette 2 Oct 96 D1) POWER TRAVELER'S NOTES American Airlines will be adding power ports at first class and business class seats on some trans-Atlantic routes. The ports are 12-volt DC outlets compatible with the universal cigarette-lighter adapter in automobiles. (New York Times 2 Oct 96 C9) ORACLE CHIEF THINKS NETSCAPE'S ON WAY OUT Oracle chief executive Larry Ellison said an industry conference in Paris that its sometime-ally Netscape has "no chance of surviving." Predicting that Netscape's Navigator Web browser was doomed, Ellison said that "there will be no such thing as a browser in a couple of years," because browsers will have been replaced by central servers that will supersede current searching and messaging software. Netscape executives have suggested that Ellison is hoping to talk down the price of Netscape in preparation for a takeover attempt. (Financial Times 3 Oct 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. 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: Atari can be performed by null modem, or by floppy at the moment. Have a look yourself if you have a PC with Win95.... roine@stacken.ct.se http://www.edu.isy.liu.se/~z94patsa/jsdata/jserver.html Here's the latest posting at Jag Interactive from Stephen about his DOOM update. It also includes an e-mail address if you wish to contact him. Take care! "Well, not that I actually consider myself part of the underground, I guess you could call me a spin-off. Roine at the Jag Server has finally put together a kit for PC/Windows 95 users. As soon as I can get some kind of link going I should be starting on the correction of the DOOM networking code and possibly some Wad-file add-ons. The Wad-files should prove tricky as many of them were created with some characters that do not exist on the Jag Cart (perhaps I should introduce them; it's all a question of feasibility)." "On the rotten side, due to the number of Wad-files and my budget, I am going to only be able to do a CD ver. Don't go buying another CD yet. I don't even know if the CD and cartridge can co-exist. Slow as a Rabid Snail..." Stephen Finton Igor@texoma.com ONLINE WEEKLY STReport OnLine The wires are a hummin'! PEOPLE... ARE TALKING On CompuServe compiled by Joe Mirando CIS ID: 73637,2262 Hidi ho friends and neighbors. As some of you know, I've been fighting off a sinus infection during the past week. My doctor told me that if I wasn't feeling better in five days, I should call. Well, I was feeling somewhat better, but not as much as I felt I should have after being on antibiotics for six days (okay, so I put it off for an extra day) and had developed an annoying spasmatic cough that hits without warning and can last for up to ten minutes at a time. Needless to say, these bouts leave me sore and tired. So I called the doctor's office and was told that the doctor was not in and that I'd have to see the doctor that was covering for mine. After a few calls and set of directions I was off to see the new doctor. After a cursory examination the new doctor informed me that the previous six days of antibiotics had done nothing to defeat the infection which had now moved down to include my throat and larynx and I still had a temperature of 101. According to my wife, the only good thing about the past week has been that I've had bouts of laryngitis. Of course I made up for it with the coughing episodes. At any rate, the doctor prescribed a different antibiotic... for ten days this time. And after a closer examination of my throat, he also quickly wrote a prescription for a cough syrup with codeine. Heck, I didn't even know that codeine was still used. It's too soon to know if this antibiotic will have the desired effect or if it will be like the last one. Only time will tell. I guess the reason I'm telling you this is so that you don't expect too much from this week's column. So let's get on with the reason for this column in the first place... all the great news, hints, tips, and info available every week right here every week on CompuServe. From the Atari Computing Forums When Sysop Bob Retelle mentions using MOD tracking on a PC, Rob Rasmussen asks: "MOD tracking...errr...what is that? I know what MOD sound files are, is it related? Yes, I realize I am still working with just the software that came on this PC, and that there's tons of more stuff out there that is better. I think I'm still in shock and in denial. What a strange feeling I had, right after I bought the PC, standing there in CompUSA with isles and isles of software everywhere that I CAN use. It's intimidating! After sending in all my warranty and registration cards for everything, all the magazine offers and ads are starting to arrive. Slightly overwhelming! For so long I did EVERYTHING on the Atari, but now it will be mostly for music and maybe graphics. I considered converting all my new MS-Word files to TXT so that I can have them on the Atari too, converting each database to dBase format for cross compatability but it seems a lost cause (too much work!). So I will try to keep threading a needle with a sledgehammer on this pee cee. Case in point - a simple thing, merging text from another file into a word processor document, or appending text to another file (ok, maybe ms-Works can do this but I'm still on WordPad). This concept seems foreign to this PC - I have to have both documents up and then cut and paste between them. On the other hand, it does have other things that I do like." Sysop Bob tells Rob: "A MOD tracker is a program to create your own MOD files... I've been looking for a good music system to use on my PC.. it's been years since I used to create "SIDs" on SIDplayer on my C-64, and so far everything has either been way too simplistic, or waaay to complex (and expensive)..! MOD trackers let you use digital samples to sequence music files on the PC.. no MIDI instruments needed, no "musical ablity" needed (for playing an instrument in real-time), but with terrific sounding results. I haven't started creating anything just yet though.. I've been downloading and playing as many of the existing MODs as I can find.. and there sure are a lot of them..!" Publisher Note. Hey Bob, Try, MidiSoft's Studio 4. Its terrific! Phillip Lamarche asks for help using QuickCIS: "I need more help with the program QuickCis. I can't even get it to dial compuserve. I don't hear the phone clicking as i do when I use Flash. It seems like an excellent program. The documentaqtti is obscure. For instance in one section It it gives directions for entering data into lines 29,30, and 31, but I can't find these lines. What next. Thanks for your interested." Sysop Jim Ness (who also happens to be the author of QuickCIS) tells Phillip: "Check View Config to ensure that you have a valid dial string entered. That dial string must begin with the dial command (usually "ATDT") and continue with the phone number needed to access CompuServe." Corey Klemow tells us: "I've had a cracked CPU in my Atari 1040ST for years. The worst side-effect was losing the sound. However, I recently -- aargh! -- dropped my monitor on my Atari while moving it around, and now my Atari is seriously ill. Is there anybody in Los Angeles who services Ataris, and could replace the CPU (not to mention fixing the floppy drive, which has recently made a semi- regular habit of trashing the directories...)? If not, do I have any other options (other than buying an IBM-compatible)?" Albert Dayes asks Corey: "What about Mid-Cities or Alternative Computing. I believe they can still provide service for your Atari computer... The contact Data I have for Mid- Cities is Mid-Cities Computers 9406 Flower St Bellflower, CA (310) 876-0626 Alternative Computing is by the some of the same people who ran TCN (The Computer Network) in Glendale. I do not know the phone number however." Sysop Bob Retelle adds: "You might be able to find a used ST for sale here or on the Atari related Usenet newsgroups for about what it would cost to get your current system fixed... you might even be able to pick up a better model. Also, if there are any local BBSs in your area that have Atari sections, you might want to post a message indicating your interest in buying a used ST." Angelo Vahatoura of Evangelo's Atariwares asks: "[Does] Anyone out there have an ATARI Mega STE or 1040STE? If so, if a game says on the box Mega ST will it work with the STE series? I don't see why not but I have to know because I am selling some software to someone and he has an STE." Charles Cartwright tells Angelo: "I have an STe (with 4 Meg of RAM) and have found that most games run on it. A few older games have proved incompatible. However I beleive that the Mega STe was somewhat less compatible (particularly with games) than the standard STe. Also my TOS version is 1.62 and games tended to have more problems with the higher versions 2.x etc. Certainly compatibility with a Mega ST is no guarantee it will work with any of the STe range." Angelo asks Charles: "Do you have a lot of games for the STE? If not is it possible you can write down which ones work with the STE, it is very important to me. Although I have over 1000 games for the Atari computers it is very hard for me to sell to STE users, so when I E-mail my lists I mention this." Joe Villarreal adds: "I've got a Mega Ste. I'm not much of a game player. I do know that some games that run on a regular ST do not run on a Mega STe since it uses TOS 2.05 or 2.06, although they might run on a regular STe. On the other hand, some games for the ST do work on the Mega STe." Well folks, I know that this has been short as hell, but the codeine is taking hold and the monitor is getting a bit hard to see. Be sure to tune in again next week, same time, same station, and be ready to listen to what they are saying when... PEOPLE ARE TALKING EDITORIAL QUICKIES Brilliant Republican Rhetoric.. "Hawaii has always been a very pivotal role in the Pacific. It is in the Pacific. It is a part of the United States that is an island that is right here." ...Dan Quayle STReport International OnLine Magazine [S]ilicon [T]imes [R]eport HTTP://WWW.STREPORT.COM AVAILABLE through OVER 200,000 PRIVATE BBS SYSTEMS WORLDWIDE 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" October 04, 1996 Since 1987 Copyrightc1996 All Rights Reserved Issue No. 1240