Silicon Times Report The Original Independent OnLine Magazine" (Since 1987) November 15, 1996 No.1246 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 11/15/96 STR 1246 The Original Independent OnLine Magazine! - CPU Industry Report - Corel NT News - Acrobat Reader - N64/JAG64? - HP Scanners PnP - 486 Comeback? - NEW Cardinal Modems - Crash Bandicoot - Comdex 1996 - Diamond DVD Kits - NEW Encryption Flap - Dana's Tidbits Glitch Hits 200,000 AT&T Users Virus Shuts Down EPA Network WebCrawler Awards Man $1 Million 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: 11/09/96: 4 of 6 numbers, 3 three number matches From the Editor's Desk... Comdex looms closer and closer.. Adobe is shipping Photoshop 4.0 for both the Mac and Windows arenas and its the most outstanding new graphics tool this year. Delrina/Symantec is shipping WinFax Pro 7.5 nad its simply put, amazing. Fax anywhere.. in any format, via any medium. As always, WinFax Pro is the product when it comes to Faxing ala PC. This year's Fall Show promises to be the biggest yet and the one with the most innovative technological advances yet. To even the youngest of users both direct and indirect, most all the goodies to debut at this show are milestones of one type or another in the computing industry. Voice command soft/hardware and recognition soft/hardware are ready to pounce upon the waiting markets and then, right on its heels, comes the Universal Serial Bus (USB). heard anything about it yet? You will. Once this takes hold, the IRQ blues will be a thing of the past completely. Coupled with the PCI bus.. the pair will make the pursuit of speed a secondary consideration in machines of the future. The primary consideration being the creation of new innovative goodies that'll make full use of the architecture. Stay tuned. we'll have full reports and coverage of Comdex. 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 Special Events 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 Net Per-Minute Charges Fought Some two dozen hardware, software and online service companies -including Apple Computer and Netscape -- are fighting what they say is an attempt by regional phone companies to charge for Internet access on a per-minute basis, just like for phone calls. Business writer David E. Kalish of The Associated Press says the group, called the DATA Coalition, contends the phone charges almost certainly would be passed along to Net users, potentially stifling future growth of the medium where currently most pay a flat monthly rate to an Internet service provider for unlimited Internet access. "Local telephone companies assert that the extra usage is clogging their lines," says Kalish. "The access fees are needed, they say, to pay for upgrades to their networks or build new ones to handle the millions of Americans going online each day for everything from movie reviews to stock trading." Pacific Bell, Nynex, Bell Atlantic and other regional phone companies complain Net usage is clogging phone lines so much that thousands of local calls are not going through. "Besides," says Kalish, "the Internet has grown into a money-making enterprise, where advertisers peddle information and goods in 'electronic storefronts' -- and as such users shouldn't be getting a free ride by local phone companies." Bell Atlantic and other regional phone companies are urging the Federal Communications Commission to eliminate the Internet service providers' exemption from regular phone rates and the FCC has started work on the issue. It expects a decision by the middle of next year. AP notes the phone companies favor a fee of about one-third penny per minute, but critics says the costs could add up to hundreds of dollars a month for subscribers used to paying just $20 a month, who tend to keep their lines open for many hours at a time. Spokeswoman Grace Hinchman of for Digital Equipment Corp., a member of the DATA Coalition, told the wire service, "We in the coalition are sure that it's going to have a chilling effect. There's a lot of rhetoric that (Internet service providers) want a free ride. That's not it at all." Hinchman said the group is trying to convince the FCC to create incentives for phone-company rivals to build alternate networks for Internet access. Virus Shuts Down EPA Network The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has shut down its mid-Atlantic region computer network, because of a computer virus that destroyed data while displaying a "smiley face" on the screens of its victims. According to The Associated Press, the virus caused differing degrees of damage to the government computers, deleting files in some and wiping out all data in others. EPA spokeswoman Leanne Nurse told the wire service the largest impact of the network shutdown was the loss of word processing and electronic mail. The agency's national databases were not affected, the EPA said. Users in the EPA's offices in Wheeling, West Virginia, first noticed trouble Wednesday evening and alerted administrators in Philadelphia, where regional headquarters are located, AP said. After an attempt Wednesday night to clear the virus, regional managers shut down the system Thursday as a precaution, Nurse said. The mid-Atlantic EPA region is responsible for federal environmental programs in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, D.C. Nurse said the regional office hoped to have its computers back in operation by Tuesday, after the Veterans Day holiday. Meanwhile, Jim Newsom, deputy assistant regional administrator for the EPA, estimated that 15 percent of the region's work stations were contaminated. Glitch Hits 200,000 AT&T Users More than 200,000 AT&T customers were prevented from receiving e-mail for almost a day and a half this week because of a problem with a computer in the company's WorldNet system. AT&T spokeswoman Patty Allen told The Associated Press the "brownout" started at 2:35 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday and was resolved by 10:15 last night, "but not before it affected about half of WorldNet's 425,000 subscribers," reports business writer David E. Kalish. "It did not hurt their ability to send e-mail, except if they tried to send mail to another WorldNet customer affected by the brownout," he added. No mail was lost as a result of the problem because it is being stored in other computer databases, Mike Miller, another AT&T spokesman. AT&T said it was the biggest problem to hit its online service since it launched WorldNet last March. Said Allen, "We had experienced other e-mail problems in the past that were rectified. We've never experienced a problem like this one." Kalish says the company was keeping customers informed about the problem through news groups and customer announcement areas in the online service. Customers also have been phoning the service's help line about the trouble. WebCrawler Awards Man $1 Million "The only time I've ever won anything is $50 on a bingo game up in Alaska," says 53-year-old Lancaster, Pennsylvania, fork-lift driver Ray L. Burns. But he won't be saying that anymore. Burns is now a millionaire, winning the Million Dollar WebCrawl sweepstakes on the Internet's World Wide Web. And he won the big prize with his first and only try at entering the sweepstakes, sponsored by the Net's WebCrawler search engine (http://webcrawler.com). The sweepstakes took place over the course of three months and attracted more than 350,000 individual players, most of whom took advantage of the contest's invitation to enter more than once. Burns is not a nubie on the Net. He first got interested in the Web as a way to advertise a mail-order business he had previously co-owned. He currently is online about an hour a day and used his home PC to enter the sweepstakes. In a statement from its Berkeley, California, headquarters, WebCrawler quotes Burns as saying that he's won, "a motorcycle or a sailboat to take out on the Susquehanna River, Pa., are dreams that may now become reality." WebCrawler teamed with New York-based Yoyodyne Entertainment, an online game shows developer, to implement the sweepstakes, the prize of which is awarded in the form of an annuity. Germans Consider New Net Law A new proposed law being considered by the German government would not require companies providing gateways to the Internet to police cyberspace for pornography or neo-Nazi propaganda. "The legislation would make operators of online services responsible for their own offerings," says the Reuter News Service in a report from Bonn, "but stops short of holding them liable for third-party contributions." In fact, Technology Minister Juergen Ruettgers told a news conference today that online providers would be prosecuted only for outlawed material they are aware of and have the technical means to prevent. A separate part of the law would make Germany the first country in the world to set up a framework in which unforgeable digital "signatures" backed by a personal ID code would be legally acceptable, he added. Said Ruettgers, "Providers will not be required to constantly search through their systems for outlawed material or material that could be harmful for adolescents. This is not meant as censorship." Reuters notes Germany originally had hoped to present the draft last spring, but it was delayed because federal and regional state governments only recently struck a compromise agreement to share in the jurisdiction of the law. They're service comments, "Executives at companies providing access to the Internet are likely to breathe a sigh of relief when they see the new legislation. Many had feared they could be held personally responsible for millions of pages created all across the world." Panel Backs School Net Hookups A plan to set aside $2.25 billion a year to link schools and libraries to the Internet at discounted rates has been approved by a Federal Communication Commission panel. However, the group rejected President Clinton's call to hook them up for free. The panel of federal and state regulators proposed yesterday that eligible institutions could buy access to the computer network at discounts of 20 percent to 90 percent. FCC Chairman Reed Hundt, who oversaw the panel, told Roger Fillion of the Reuter News Service, "Schools will be able to connect every single classroom to the Information Highway. The ramp will be a high-speed, high bandwidth, cutting- edge connection. The discounts, tailored to each school's individual level of need, will make building and maintaining the ramp truly affordable for every school." Reuters said the Net proposal is part of a broader plan to overhaul the multi-billion dollar "universal service" program that ensures affordable phone service to rural communities and low-income neighborhoods. The FCC must adopt rules by early May. "Officials hope the wide-ranging proposal, which stems from the new telecommunications law, eventually will generate lower phone rates through increased competition," the wire service added, "but some board members fear the plan -- to be paid for from the revenues of phone companies, cable TV operators and other communications carriers -- may prove too ambitious and ultimately push up rates." For instance, chairman Laska Schoenfelder of the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission, commented, "A universal service fund that taxes consumers billions of dollars a year is not only inconsistent with congressional intent, but could be extremely harmful nationwide to consumers." Reuters says the Net provision calls for less well off institutions and those in out-of-the-way high-cost areas being entitled to the larger discounts. The average discount would be 60 percent, officials said, adding one-third of schools would get at least an 80 percent discount, and the poorest 15 percent would get a 90 percent discount. On this, Vice President Al Gore told reporters, "It is no secret and no surprise that access to technology in the nation's schools and classrooms is tremendously unequal. Wealthier schools are twice as likely as poor schools to have Internet access, and wealthier students use computers 20 percent more than their poorer peers." Nonetheless, the new plan stops short of the president's proposal to give schools and libraries free basic service, with the nation's communications carriers footing the bill. Covering the same FCC action, Associated Press writer Jeannine Aversa characterized the Net proposal as "a centerpiece of President Clinton's second-term educational goals," a proposal that would cover 50 million students and teachers at 100,000 schools. Aversa says the FCC proposal would make available $2.25 billion per year, which would come from an existing fund paid for by telephone companies to support universal telephone access. "In addition to discounts for the Internet service itself," she writes, "schools would be given discounts on the costs of hooking them up to telecommunications networks necessary to tap into the Internet and on the costs of wiring inside classrooms." Other than for the most affluent schools, discounts would range from 40 percent to 90 percent, "depending on the wealth of the school and whether it is in a high-cost telecommunications area such as a rural community," AP says. "Cut rates also would be available to libraries." And "wealth," she writes, "would be defined by the number of students eligible for federally subsidized school lunches." For instance, schools in which less than 1 percent of students participate in the subsidized lunch program would get a 20 percent discount. AP says about half the nation's public schools were linked to the Internet in October 1995, up from 35 percent one year earlier, according to a survey the Education Department released earlier this year. However, only 9 percent of individual classrooms had access. Before becoming final, the plan must be approved by the FCC. Parts of the plan also may have to be approved by state telecommunications regulators, AP says. Computers in 40% of U.S. Homes The percentage of families owning computers has climbed to 40 percent, from 22 percent six years ago, according to new figures on consumer buying habits. In fact, says The Conference Board, consumers have been stocking up on all kinds of electronic conveniences besides PCs, including microwaves, VCRs and car phones. "Despite times of extreme weakness in the economy over the last six years," says The Associated Press in a report about the findings, "more Americans bought practical electronic goods during that period, the New York-based business-research group found in a nationwide survey of 5,000 homes." Lynn Franco, associate director of The Conference Board's Consumer Research Center, told the wire service, "The proliferation of electronic products strongly suggests that the American dream house continues to be designed for convenience." Other findings of the survey, done for The Conference Board by NFO Inc. of Greenwich, Connecticut, include: ú 85 percent of the responding families had microwave ovens, compared ú to 75 percent in 1990. ú VCRs were found in 85 percent of the homes surveyed, up from 68 percent in 1990. In fact, 40 percent have at least two VCRs. ú 27 percent own car phones, compared to just 3 percent in 1990. ú 52 percent of the surveyed families have CD players, compared to 15 percent in 1990. ú 70 percent have answering machines, up from 38 percent six years ago. Egghead Looks to Web for Help Egghead Inc. aims to become the first major software retailer to deliver programs over the Internet directly to customers' computers. It's a bid to turn around the company's sagging sales in traditional stores. Writing in The Wall Street Journal this morning, reporter David Bank notes Egghead's Internet delivery system is the first of several pilot projects backed by Microsoft Corp. "to preserve the role of traditional retailers in the electronic marketplace." Adds Bank, "Internet sites have sold boxed software before, but it has been delivered to customers by mail. A handful of small Internet start-ups and some software publishers also allow users to download programs directly into computers." He notes Ingram Micro Inc., the nation's largest wholesale distributor of computer hardware and software, plans to launch electronic sales experiments later this month. The Journal observes, "Analysts expect electronic software distribution to account for as much as 20 percent of retail software sales by the end of next year. By the end of the decade, they predict, it will overtake storefront and mail-order sales." Egghead, of Spokane, Washington, one of the largest software-only retailers, began offering three programs for direct download from its Web site last Friday, including Microsoft's FrontPage and Sidekick from Starfish Software Inc. By next year, Egghead expects to offer thousands of titles. Adds the paper, "Egghead will be using technology from Release Software Corp., Menlo Park, California, that allows customers to try the programs free for a short time. The software is then cut off unless buyers pay by Internet, phone, fax or mail and get a digital 'key' that allows the software to be used permanently." IBM Creates Division for NCs A new division to sell network computers -- stripped-down PCs customized for the Internet and dependent on corporate computer networks for performing functions -- has been created by IBM in a move seen as boosting Big Blue's commitment to the NC concept. Business writer David E. Kalish of The Associated Press says the unit will coordinate all IBM's efforts to develop, make and promote its NCs, which are expected to go on sale early next year at less than $700 apiece, not including a monitor. "While IBM introduced a version of the new product in September," adds Kalish, "its reorganization signaled the effort has top priority at the world's largest computer company. The network computers are a centerpiece of IBM's new strategy to reap strong profits from the combination of Internet and traditional mainframe computer technologies." Analyst Greg Blatnik of Zona Research Inc. characterized the move as "a fairly big deal," adding, "It goes well beyond just producing a cheap piece of desktop hardware." Citing an internal company announcement, Kalish quotes IBM Chairman/CEO Louis V. Gerstner as describing customer demand for NCs as "extremely high." Sun Microsystems Inc., Microsoft Corp. and other high-technology companies also are promoting versions of NCs, with software for the machines to be downloaded via the Internet or corporate networks, instead of requiring costly installation on each machine. AP says internal IBM forecasts call for network computers to capture more than 20 percent of the corporate PC market by the year 2000 -- up from 1 percent now. "That is much more optimistic than many analysts' forecasts," Kalish observes. "International Data Corp., based in Framingham, Massachusetts, expects annual U.S. sales of 2.5 million network computers in 2000, or about 3 percent of the 80 million corporate PCs expected to be sold that year." '486 CPU Headed for a Comeback? The '486 processor may be headed for a comeback. National Semiconductor has released a thin-client reference design for an Internet-based PC based on the venerable CPU. Code-named Odin, the design aims to allow PC makers to create a bare bones PC costing about $200. Odin is based on National's NS486SXF embedded processor. The company notes that the combination of an X86 architecture and an ISA bus interface will allow PC makers to take advantage of low-cost peripherals rather than create proprietary peripheral chips and custom drivers. Other Odin features include a graphics controller for SVGA monitor and TV output, Rockwell's WaveArtist single-chip audio system and a 33.6K bps modem. National notes that its design works with a variety of operating systems and application programs. The reference design will be available to PC makers and software developers in early 1997. More information is available on the World Wide Web at www.national.com/ns486. DVD-ROM Encyclopedia to Debut The first DVD-ROM encyclopedia is scheduled to debut at next week's COMDEX/Fall computer industry trade show in Las Vegas. The Reuters news services reports that Xiphias' Encyclopedia Electronica will compete against a variety CD- ROM-based titles, including Microsoft's industry-leading Encarta. The Xiphias title, will contain more than 80 minutes of MPEG-II video, far more than a CD-ROM can hold. Xiphias president Peter Black told Reuters that the title will include video clips from CBS News and the National Archives. The software will also have the ability to update its content via the Internet. Seagate Passes 100M Drive Mark Seagate Technology Inc., the world's largest disk drive maker, says it has passed the 100 million drive milestone. Founded in 1979, Seagate offered the world's first rigid magnetic disk drive for desktop PCs, the ST-506. "I am very pleased to see the tremendous growth and advancement that both Seagate and the disk drive industry have made," says Alan Shugart, Seagate's president, chairman and CEO. "The marking of Seagate's 100 millionth disk drive is significant for both ourselves and the industry." To commemorate the milestone, Seagate has presented its 100 millionth drive to the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, California. The Seagate Medalist 2.5GB, 3.5-inch unit is now on display in the museum. Cardinal Unveils Upgradable Modems Cardinal Technologies has unveiled a new family of 33.6K bps analog fax and data modems that can be upgraded to 56K bps as well as 128K bps ISDN support. The Lancaster, Pennsylvania-based company says the modems will utilize the "x2" 56 Kbps technology recently announced by US Robotics. The x2 technology takes advantage of the digital connections already in place between the telephone network and central site equipment used by many Internet service providers and corporate remote access servers. Cardinal's modems will also work with a $79 ISDN Option Kit that includes the necessary system software and an ISDN cable connector. Usage of the ISDN function will require the installation of an ISDN line and account from a national or local telephone company service provider. Cardinal says its new modems will start at about $149 and should be available in early 1997. HP Scanners P&P Certified Hewlett-Packard Co. reports it has received Windows 95 Plug and Play certification from Microsoft Corp. for its desktop flatbed scanners, the ScanJet 4c and ScanJet 4p. HP notes that its products are the first SCSI scanners to receive the "Designed for Microsoft Windows 95" logo. Both models are now shipping with a new Plug and Play SCSI card that simplifies scanner installation. According to HP, the card makes it easy for users to install their scanner by automatically resolving PC-system conflicts. HP is recommending that customers who have purchased but not yet installed a ScanJet 4c or ScanJet 4p to upgrade to the new card. HP does not recommend the upgrade for customers who are already using their scanner. U.S. customers who purchased a ScanJet 4c or ScanJet 4p on or after Sept. 11, 1996, may upgrade to the new HP SCSI card for shipping and handling costs of $10. Customers who purchased a ScanJet 4c or ScanJet 4p scanner before Sept. 11 may upgrade to the new card for $35. TI Unveils New Notebook PC Line Texas Instruments Inc. has announced the Extensa 900, a family of ultra-thin Notebook PCs. According to TI, the Extensa 900 is designed for users who require a lightweight mobile computer that can be transformed into a full- power, state-of-the-art multimedia desktop replacement system. Standard features include a 133MHz Pentium processor, a 1.35GB hard drive, 16MB of EDO RAM (expandable to 48MB) and an external 1.44MB floppy drive. Weighing 5.1-pounds, the base Extensa 900 offers a 12.1-inch SVGA dual-scan display. The Extensa 900T, which weighs 4.9-pounds, features a 11.3- inch SVGA active- matrix color display. Designed to remain in the office or attach to the notebook, a companion 2.2-pound Mobile Productivity Base features a modular 8x CD-ROM drive, a secondary battery with weight-reduction module, standard PC interfaces and a 32-bit Advanced PCI Card expansion slot. Extensa 900 street prices range from $3,299 to $4,299. MCI Completes Internet Upgrade A $60 million Internet upgrade has been completed by MCI Communications Corp., which says it plans to double overall Internet infrastructure capacity in 1997 because its electronic traffic is increasing by nearly 30 percent per month. Reporting from Dallas, the Reuter News Service says the upgrade: ú Increases MCI's Internet infrastructure speed to 622 megabits per ú second from 155 megabits per second. ú Adds about 13,000 ports to accommodate increasing consumer and ú business demand for Internet service. MCI chief engineering officer Fred Briggs told the wire service, "With this upgrade to 622 megabits, we continue to build on our commitment to offer MCI customers the fastest, most reliable Internet service in the world. That effort will continue in 1997, as we further boost the speed of our network, giving customers enough network speed and power to meet and exceed their needs." As noted, British Telecomm Plc and MCI earlier this month announced plans to merge. Adobe's Acrobat Reader STR Infofile Acrobat Updates New Features of the Acrobat 3.0 Reader A growing number of Web publishers is using the Adobe Acrobat suite of universal electronic publishing products to bring visually rich, compelling content to the Web. The freely available Acrobat Reader is the universal way to view, navigate and print electronic documents created in the Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF). Acrobat 3.0 Reader is an update to the Acrobat Reader 2.1. Acrobat 3.0 includes several new features: Acrobat Reader 3.0 Beta Release 13 (Macintosh, Windows 95, Windows NT, and Windows 3.1) 27 September 1996. ú This version has no expiration date. ú A forms plug-in has been added; it allows Acrobat Reader users to fill in forms and submit them over the Web. It also allows use of PDF files containing dynamic controls. ú A movie plug-in has been added; it allows Acrobat Reader users to play audio and video stored with PDF files on CD-ROM and hard disks. ú The Windows 95/Windows NT version of the Reader supports Microsoft Internet Explorer, as well as Netscape Navigator. ú A number of bugs which existed in earlier beta releases have been corrected. Acrobat Reader 3.0 Beta Release 1 (OS/2) 27 September 1996. ú This version has no expiration date. ú A number of bugs which existed in the previous Alpha releases have been fixed. ú Anti-aliased text is now supported. Acrobat Reader 3.0 Beta Release 12 (Sun OS, Solaris, HP-UX, AIX, IRIX, LINUX) 27 September 1996 ú This version has no expiration date. ú A number of bugs which existed in the earlier beta releases have been fixed. ú Viewing PDF One-page-at-a-time Over the Web There are four pieces of the Acrobat-on-the-Internet picture: ú The Acrobat 3.0 Beta Reader for integrated viewing over the Web. ú Web servers that can "byteserve" PDF files one page at a time, to the Acrobat 3.0 Beta Reader. ú Optimized PDF files for progressive display and maximum file compression. ú Weblinks to connect your PDF files to other content on the Web. Any non-optimized PDF file can be viewed in the Netscape window (without page-at-a-time display) with the Acrobat 3.0 Reader and Netscape Navigator 2.0 or better. Page-at-a-time display requires a Web server with byteserver capability,either built-in (as with the Netscape and Open Market server products) or as a CGI script. Best viewing performance (page-at-a-time display and progressive rendering) for PDF documents over the Web is achieved with optimized PDF files and a server with the ability to byteserve the files. The optimized PDF format and byteserver protocol are not yet final, so we have provided a set of demonstration files on Adobe's server to allow you to test the page-at-a-time performance. See for yourself how cool PDFs get even cooler. Known Problems Adobe does not provide direct end-user technical support for unreleased products. You can view the current known problems or report bugs on Adobe's Web site. How to Report Bugs You may report problems to Adobe using the Bug Report form. Check the Known Problems section to see whether your problem has already been reported. Please provide as much detail as possible about the problem you encounter. Detailed instructions are included with the Bug Report form. Due to the volume of reports we receive, Adobe cannot respond directly to individual bug reports. We do screen each report and make every effort to keep the Known Problems list up to date. We appreciate your assistance in making the Acrobat 3.0 Beta Reader a top-quality product. Electronic End-user License Agreement You may make unlimited copies of the Acrobat 3.0 Beta Reader and give copies to other persons or entities for evaluation and trial use purposes only as long as the copies contain the Electronic End-User License Agreement. The Acrobat 3.0 Reader is a beta version, does not represent final product from Adobe, and may contain bugs, errors, and other problems that could cause system failures. The Acrobat 3.0 Reader is currently available for Macintosh(R), Windows(R) 95, Windows NT(TM), Windows 3.1, SunOS, Solaris, AIX, HP-UX, IRIX, LINUX and OS/2. Comdex FALL'96 STR Spotlight Be part of the most powerful IT event in the world You can still participate! On-site registration opens Sunday, November 17th. It's over 2,000 exhibitors, over 10,000 new products, and over 200,000 attendees from over 100 countries. It's your chance to see, touch, and test- drive solutions across the IT spectrum from the Internet and server technologies to multimedia and OEM sources ... network with technical experts from every corner of the industry ... get your first look at new products at the ultimate launching pad for next-generation technologies ... and meet the big players, the start-ups, and every company in between. Powerhouse COMDEX Keynotes: Andrew Grove, CEO Intel Corp. Monday, November 18, 9:00-10:00 a.m. Bill Gates, Chairman and CEO Microsoft Corp. Tuesday, . November 19, 9:00-10:00 a.m. Jim Barksdale, President and CEO Netscape Communications Corp. Wednesday, November 20, 9:00-10:00 a.m. The COMDEX Show Daily follows the action - as it happens Don't get caught sleeping - make sure you check back throughout the show for regular updates on the latest and greatest technology news - as it breaks!" The preview edition is now live! Also, don't miss our special Las Vegas section to help you fill your hours outside the show walls. COMDEX/Fall '96 Webcast Apple will Webcast this year's COMDEX/Fall '96. Webcasts let you experience interesting and exciting events using the latest multimedia technology. Pictures, sounds, videos, text and even virtual reality bring distant happenings and news to life on your computer screen. And interactive events such as chats and discussions let you share your point of view with other participants. Spice up your COMDEX/Fall experience by using Apple's new HotSauce plug-in to nagivate the COMDEX/Fall, Show Daily and Webcast sites in 3D. Announcing a special 25th anniversary celebration of the microprocessor To mark the silver anniversary of the introduction of the microprocessor, COMDEX/Fall celebrates 25 Years of Industry Achievement -- a very special program featuring an opening keynote address from Intel CEO Andrew Grove, the man behind the microprocessor. In addition, COMDEX/FALL will feature "The 25th Anniversary Museum", a time-warp chronological walk through of computing from that first historic innovation, as well as an awards and recognition program dedicated to the products that have defined our industry... For Immediate Release Corel Announces New CLP for Upcoming Corelr Office for Windows NTr Server 4.0 New server software offers unique pay-per-server approach to volume licensing. OTTAWA, Canada -- November 11, 1996 -- Corel Corporation announced today a new, innovative licensing program for Corelr Office for Windows NTr Server 4.0, scheduled for release by late November. The program will offer simultaneous, unlimited usage of all applications in the suite to all users connected to the server. It will also allow an organization the flexibility to grow without having to purchase additional licenses -- an offering completely unique to the office automation industry. "This revolutionary pricing strategy is an incredible opportunity for any organization looking for an inexpensive and efficient network environment solution," said Dr. Michael Cowpland, president and chief executive officer of Corel Corporation. "Corporate customers will not find another licensing offering of this kind in the industry." Corel Office for Windows NT Server 4.0 will be available to corporate customers through the following three CLP (Corel License Program) purchasing options: Shrink wrap: Customers can purchase one copy of the shrink wrap software for a SRP of $1,995 US. Once installed, the applications can be accessed from both 16-bit and 32-bit workstations. The package will contain two CDs -- one containing all the Business Applications and the other containing all of the Internet Applications. Documentation for the core business applications will be available electronically in EnvoyT format, with additional paper manuals available through any Corel Authorized Reseller. There are also two paper manuals included in the box: Getting Started with Corel Office and a Corelr WEB.GRAPHICS SUITE user manual. CLP Choice: Organizations wishing to install the Corel Office for Windows NT Server 4.0 on more than one server can purchase additional licenses through CLP Choice. This license-only program has no minimum purchase restrictions and is available through any Corel Authorized Reseller at a SRP of $1,595 US. To obtain media, users simply purchase one copy of the shrink wrap version of Corel Office for Windows NT Server 4.0. To obtain documentation, users are required to purchase document sets through any Corel Authorized Reseller. CLP Universal: This option is targeted towards larger organizations with 25 servers or more using the Windows NT Server 4.0 operating system and is available through any Corel Universal Authorized Reseller. Organizations with more than 25 servers can take advantage of incremental discounts and pay as low as $1,200 US. CLP Universal further facilitates the implementation of the Corel Office for Windows NT Server 4.0 by offering annual maintenance which includes all upgrades, interims and patches available during the year. Premium support contacts or incidents will also be available to organizations purchasing this option to assist in implementation and management. Corel Office for Windows NT 4.0 Designed specifically for the Windows NT Server 4.0, the new suite offers powerful business applications, advanced Internet and Intranet technology, efficient network installation, aggressively low pricing and electronic technical support. Once the package is installed on the Windows NT Server 4.0, users of all three Windows platforms, including Windowsr 3.1x, Windowsr 95 and Windows NTr, can access relevant applications through the network. Corel Office for Windows NT 4.0 is scheduled to begin shipping by the end of November 1996. Windows 95 and Windows NT client applications include Corel WordPerfect 7, Corel Quattro Pro 7, Corel Presentations 7, Paradox 7, InfoCentral 7, Corel Time Line, Envoy 7 Viewe, Netscape Navigator 2.02, Corel WEB.GRAPHICS SUITE, Corel WEB.DATA, as well as the new Corel WEB.Site Builder, a graphical tool for creating and managing an interactive Web site without the need to write software code. The Windows 3.1x version includes Corel WordPerfect 6.1, Corel Quattro Pro 6.0, Corel Presentations 3.0, Paradox 5.0, Envoy 1.0 Viewer, Netscape Navigator 2.02 and Corel WEB.GRAPHICS SUITE. Corel Office for Windows NT 4.0 also includes Netscape FastTrack ServerT, which can be accessed by 16-bit and 32-bit workstations, 5,000 clipart images, 7,500 Internet-ready clipart images, over 150 fonts and on-line documentation. Support Classic (toll-line), Priority or Premium Support services are available at an extra charge and can be purchased directly from Corel or from a Corel Universal Authorized Reseller. Clients who purchase maintenance in the CLP Universal option are the only customers entitled to Premium Support, the highest level of support offered by Corel. 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, Corelr WordPerfectr Suite 7, Corelr Office Professional, CorelCADT, CorelVIDEOT and over 30 multimedia software titles. Corel's products run on most operating systems, including: Windows, Macintoshr, UNIX, MS-DOS 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 world-wide. Corel is traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (symbol: COS) and on NASDAQ-National Market System (symbol:COSFF). For more information visit Corel's home page on the Internet at http://www.corel.com. Corel and WordPerfect are registered trademarks and CorelDRAW, CorelVIDEO, Corel VENTURA and CorelCAD are trademarks of Corel Corporation or Corel Corporation Limited. All products mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N LEXMARK OPTRA C COLOR LASER PRINTER For a limited time only; If you wish to have a FREE sample printout sent to you that demonstrates LEXMARK Optra C SUPERIOR QUALITY 600 dpi Laser Color Output, please send a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope [SASE] (business sized envelope please) to: STReport's LEXMARK Printout Offer P.O. Box 6672 Jacksonville, Florida 32205-6155 Folks, the LEXMARK Optra C has to be the best yet. It is far superior to anything we've seen or used as of yet. It is said that ONE Picture is worth a thousand words. The out put from the Lexmark Optra C is worth ten thousand words! Send for the free sample now. (For a sample that's suitable for framing, see below) Guaranteed. you will be amazed at the superb quality. (please, allow at least a two week turn-around). If you would like a sample 8«x11 printout that's suitable for framing. Yes that's right! Suitable for Framing. Order this package. It'll be on special stock and offer superb quality and originality. We obtained a copy of a 1927 COLOR ENGRAVER'S ADVERTISING YEAR BOOK. Our Scanner is doing "double duty"! The results will absolutely blow you away. If you want this high quality sample package please include a check or money order in the amount of $6.95 (covers expenses only) Please, make checks or money orders payable to; RFM. Be sure to include your full return address and telephone number . The sample will be sent to you protected, not folded in a 9x12 envelope. Don't hesitate.. you will not be disappointed. This "stuff" is gorgeous! A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N EDUPAGE STR Focus Keeping the users informed Edupage Contents New Encryption Blow-Up Likely Telecom Panel Recommends Discounts For Schools, Libraries Egghead Moves Software Sales To The Internet Oracle Puts IT Training Online Big Mac -- Exponential Working On 500-Mhz Mac Chip SEC Files First Case For Stock Manipulation Using Internet WorldNet Subscribers Get A Day Off From E-Mail Revealing Software Glitch Bares Credit Card Info On The Web Cray Unveils Teraflop Supercomputer Harvard's Business School Embraces High-Tech Online Training Poised For A Boost Businesses Reporting A PC Shortage Diamond Systems To Offer DVD-ROM Kits IBM Forms Networking Unit IBM And Siemens Use Net To Let Utilities Do Power Trades Digerati Less Inclined To See A Library In Their Future Full Menu From Apple Interval Research To Spin Off Three Start-Ups Intellectual Property Treaty Worries Some Academics Internet Transaction Tax Urged IBM To Buy Educational Software Company McNealy Predicts Sunny Future Pointcast Rides Wavephore's Network IBM Targets Web Server Market Junk Fax Crackdown In Canada FTC Shuts Down Pyramid Scam Microsoft Joins MCI/BT To Develop Global Intranets NEW ENCRYPTION BLOW-UP LIKELY Because it makes use of a 128-bit encryption code that is much more powerful than the 40-bit code authorized for export by the Clinton Administration, a $300 TV set-top device developed for Web-surfing and e-mail has been classified in the "munitions" category to keep it away from terrorists and criminals. The device is manufactured by the Sony and Philips corporations based on a design by Web TV Networks, Inc., which had planned to market it next year in Europe and Japan. However, having recently proposed a "key recovery" encryption plan using third parties to hold parts of the encryption key, the Clinton Administration is unlikely to allow exportation of the Web TV device. (New York Times 8 Nov 96 C2) TELECOM PANEL RECOMMENDS DISCOUNTS FOR SCHOOLS, LIBRARIES A panel of federal and state telecommunications regulators has made its recommendations regarding expansion of the universal-service system, suggesting that rural health-care providers, schools and libraries all have access to new telecommunications services at discounted rates. The panel's findings, which were submitted to the Federal Communications Commission, recommended a tiered system for discounts to school systems, from 20% for the country's wealthiest school districts, to 90% for low-income areas. The subsidies could total as much as $2.25 billion a year. (Wall Street Journal 8 Nov 96 B17) EGGHEAD MOVES SOFTWARE SALES TO THE INTERNET Egghead Inc. has become the first major software retailer to deliver its computer programs directly to the customer via the Internet. A number of Internet sites sell software online, but the product is then boxed up and shipped to the buyer by mail. Egghead's move is the first of several pilot projects backed by Microsoft to bolster the ability of traditional retailers to compete with software companies that distribute their products directly via the Net. Analysts predict that online distribution will account for 20% of retail software sales by the end of next year. (Wall Street Journal 8 Nov 96 B6) ORACLE PUTS IT TRAINING ONLINE Oracle's education unit will begin offering information technology training courses over the Internet, beginning in December. By next summer, the company plans to expand from the original 75 third-party courses to more than 1,000. "We'll provide one-stop shopping for all kinds of corporate training," says Oracle's senior director of worldwide marketing. The company has about 60 partnerships with other vendors and training companies, including Hewlett-Packard, Lotus, Microsoft and Novell, that are providing the content and technical support for the online venture. "The Holy Grail of training via the Internet is the ability to slice and dice content to suit individuals' training needs," says the marketing director of HP's education unit. (Information Week 4 Nov 96 p106) BIG MAC -- EXPONENTIAL WORKING ON 500-MHz MAC CHIP Exponential Technology recently debuted its X704 microprocessor, a 500-MHz PowerPC chip slated for use in Apple Macintosh computers, as well as machines made by DayStar Digital Inc., Power Computing Corp. and UMAX Computer Corp. Apple has worked closely with Exponential engineers during the development process and is rewriting the Mac ROMs to function at the higher speeds. The X704 is based on BiCMOS technology -- a combination of the CMOS technology typical in microprocessors and the bipolar architecture more commonly found in mainframe processors. The X704 chips are scheduled to ship in March 1997. (MacWeek 3 Nov 96) SEC FILES FIRST CASE FOR STOCK MANIPULATION USING INTERNET The Securities & Exchange Commission has filed a suit alleging a massive, ongoing market manipulation of the stock Systems of Excellence Inc. The Florida company's chief executive has been accused of distributing unregistered shares of the company to accounts controlled by him and to a market research company that published an Internet-transmitted stock market newsletter. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution 9 Nov 96 H3) WORLDNET SUBSCRIBERS GET A DAY OFF FROM E-MAIL The AT&T WorldNet Internet access service (which, with 425,000 customers is the second-largest Internet access provider, after Netcom) experienced a computer problem last week, which prevented more than 200,000 of its customers from receiving e-mail for more than a day. No mail was lost. (New York Times 9 Nov 96 p29) REVEALING SOFTWARE GLITCH BARES CREDIT CARD INFO ON THE WEB Some Web shoppers have recently had their worst fears about electronic commerce confirmed -- the credit card information they trustingly typed in was accessible by anyone using a simple Web browser. The sites affected had improperly installed a software program called SoftCart, made by Mercantec Inc., to handle their transactions. "Our standard documentation clearly explains how to avoid these security break-ins," says Mercantec's president. The problem was attributed to human error, which occurred when inexperienced installers failed to place completed order forms in directories not accessible to Web browsers. Vendors affected by the glitch say they've taken steps to remedy the situation. (Wall Street Journal 8 Nov 96 B6) CRAY UNVEILS TERAFLOP SUPERCOMPUTER Silicon Graphic's Cray Research unit has unveiled its new CRAY T3E-900 supercomputer capable of performing a trillion calculations per second, becoming the first company to bring a teraflop system to market. Shipments will begin in Spring 1997, with prices starting at $500,000. Cray anticipates selling the super-fast systems to oil companies and other exploratory concerns, which could use the machine's power to map and analyze sites to find oil and minerals for extracting. The new machines can handle in just a few days calculations that it would take less powerful systems up to three months to process. (New York Times 12 Nov 96 A18) HARVARD'S BUSINESS SCHOOL EMBRACES HIGH-TECH Harvard Business School has completed an $11-million high-tech overhaul, the brainchild of dean Kim Clark who took over a year ago. The new MBA curriculum is focused on the Web, which is used to organize and deliver information to students, including multimedia content and links to corporate sites. Before last year, courses were mostly text-based, with some supplemental videotaped material. "We're trying to build programs that allow students to experience the environments they'll be likely to face in the outside world," says one Harvard business professor. "In traditional case studies, we have to rely on the text to create a picture in the students' minds. Now, we have much richer media to do this for us... One of our objectives is for students to come out with a certain literacy with the technology." (Chronicle of Higher Education 15 Nov 96 A29) ONLINE TRAINING POISED FOR A BOOST As the costs of bricks-and-mortar-based learning experiences skyrocket, companies increasingly are turning to technology to deliver training and education. Quality Dynamics Inc. predicts that by the year 2000, half of all corporate training will be delivered via technology. A separate study by the Gartner Group projects the demand for technology-based training rising 10% a year for the next two years, to $12 billion. "Corporate America spends $50 billion a year on continuing education to improve their employees' skill sets and retrain them to deal with the rapid pace of change in the workplace," says the CEO of The Home Education Network, affiliated with UCLA. "More and more of that funding is going to go into distance learning." (Information Week 4 Nov 96 p32) BUSINESSES REPORTING A PC SHORTAGE Some businesses are reporting a shortage of high-end personal computers, and Intel is confirming that demand has outpaced supply of its popular 200 MHz Pentium Pro microprocessor. An Intel spokesman says the company is noticing "a general tightness across the board" as sales of high-powered PCs exceed projections in what was predicted to be a relatively flat fourth quarter. (Miami Herald 11 Nov 96) DIAMOND SYSTEMS TO OFFER DVD-ROM KITS Diamond Multimedia Systems says it plans to incorporate Toshiba's DVD-ROM drives into its multimedia kits for PCs, with shipments planned for early 1997. The Diamond kits are likely to be the first DVD (digital video disk) products for computers to hit the market. (Investor's Business Daily 12 Nov 96 A18) IBM FORMS NETWORKING UNIT IBM has formed a separate unit to concentrate on building and selling network computers, or NCs, targeted at customers who require specific functions, such as Internet connectivity, but don't need a full-fledged PC to accomplish that. "Customer interest in our NC initiatives has been extremely high," says Chairman Louis Gerstner. "Customers are looking for solutions that lower the cost of desktop computing and provide access to networks." (Investor's Business Daily 12 Nov 96 A18) IBM AND SIEMENS TO USE NET TO LET UTILITIES DO POWER TRADES IBM and a unit of Siemens will work together to develop an Internet-based system to allow utility companies to reduce costs by making it easier for them to temporarily use each others' transmission lines. Currently, 70% of this specialized market is controlled by the small Austin, Texas company TradeWave and two partners. (Wall Street Journal 12 Nov 96 A6) DIGERATI LESS INCLINED TO SEE A LIBRARY IN THEIR FUTURE A survey by the Benton Foundation, which advocates wider public access to libraries, concludes that computer users are far more likely than non- computer users to think that libraries will become less important in the future; the survey also indicates that persons between the ages of 18 and 24 are less willing to pay higher taxes to support libraries. < http://www. benton.org > (Atlanta Journal-Constitution 12 Nov 96 C3) FULL MENU FROM APPLE In partnership with Mega Bytes International, a firm owned by London real estate developers, Apple Computer will be opening an international chain of "cybercafe" restaurants offering customers Web access, videoconferencing at every table, and a full menu of international foods. The restaurants will also be used to sell Macintosh software, and will be designed by Landmark Entertainment, a theme-park development firm that has undertaken such projects as "Jurassic Park: The Ride." (Los Angeles Times 12 Nov 96) INTERVAL RESEARCH TO SPIN OFF THREE START-UPS Closely held Interval Research -- founded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen -- is spinning off three separate start-up companies in an effort to commercialize some of its more viable inventions. One company, Purple Moon, will focus on developing interactive software and related products for girls age 7 to 12. Much of the product line is inspired by computer-design expert Brenda Laurel, whose work has focused on discovering why many girls don't find today's videogames entertaining and how to engage their interest. Another, Ogopogo Studies, will use live video combined with computer- generated images to enable children to create imaginary landscapes and situations. The third, Carnelian Inc., will market technology developed for online publishers, incorporating new payment mechanisms and copyright protections. "These represent the things that were ripe to take to market," says Interval CEO David Liddle. "We don't want anybody to conclude that they are the whole scope of what we are doing here." (Wall Street Journal 13 Nov 96 A3) INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY TREATY WORRIES SOME ACADEMICS A multinational treaty on intellectual property protection for databases, slated for consideration at the World Intellectual Property Organization's meeting next month in Geneva, has scientists, librarians and some scholarly societies concerned over what they view as overly broad protections for information contained in a database. While database publishers need some protection against digital piracy, any solution should also protect "the interests of society and the full and free flow of information for scientific research," says the president of the National Academy of Engineering. The Academy has joined with the Institute of Medicine in recommending that the U.S. take "no precipitous action" on the treaty. A lawyer at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has called scientists' concerns about fair use overblown. He says the draft treaty contains provisions to allow the U.S. to enact a fair-use exemption in the legislation it would pass to enact the treaty. (Chronicle of Higher Education 15 Nov 96 A31) INTERNET TRANSACTION TAX URGED Acting to stem the tide toward broad taxation of Internet-based activities, the Interactive Services Association has called for state and local taxation entities to target online purchasers rather than the entire information technology industry. "The industry believes that the only type of tax that can be applied effectively to Internet and online transactions will be a transaction tax that is imposed upon the purchaser, not upon the industry," says the executive summary of a soon-to-be-released ISA white paper on the topic. The paper also urges one uniform tax rate within each state: "The greatest threat to the type of tax system contemplated here is any requirement that a remote seller have to account for a multiplicity of taxes at lower levels of government." ISA warns that "relieving the industry of such a requirement is the key to obtaining the industry's cooperation" in collecting such taxes, and suggests that states move slowly in developing their tax policies for the online industry. "A deliberate and cooperative approach will avoid the dangers that lurk in precipitate and uninformed action on the part of the states." (BNA Daily Report for Executives 8 Nov 96 H3) IBM TO BUY EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE COMPANY IBM is buying Edmark Corporation, the Redmond, California company that sells educational software to schools and homes. Because of its small size, Edmark has had difficulties convincing large retailers to place its products on the shelves. With this acquisition, IBM will be placing new emphasis on selling to consumers, and may also use Edmark's strong presence in schools to sell more hardware there. (New York Times 14 Nov 96 C4) MCNEALY PREDICTS SUNNY FUTURE Sun Microsystems CEO Scott McNealy predicts that in five years, Sun will be one of the "Big Three" hardware providers: "We want to be a computer equipment supplier providing the `Web tone' and `data tone' to MIS departments and Internet service providers. We'll provider the servers. We'll do chips, software, the whole deal. Who do I think will be the big three players? ...IBM is the leader in the host-based computing market. WinTel is the leader in the desktop stand-alone computing market. We're the leader in the network computing model. I think the network computer model is the only one that matters down the road." (Investor's Business Daily 14 Nov 96 A8) POINTCAST RIDES WAVEPHORE'S NETWORK PointCast Inc., which offers a real-time newscast service via the Web, is teaming up with WavePhore to offer businesses a subscription-based service using WavePhore's proprietary satellite or FM wireless data broadcast network as the delivery vehicle. The OneCast service will offer a combination of public news, internal company news and business-to-business news, using its Pro-Server software. "The premium service will run alongside the PointCast service and the internal newscasts," says PointCast's marketing VP. "Every time something happens, it flashes on your screen in a headline." (Broadcasting & Cable 4 Nov 96 p67) IBM TARGETS WEB SERVER MARKET IBM says it's happy to let Netscape and Microsoft duke it out on the Web browser front -- what Big Blue's really interested in is the server software that runs the computers hosting Web sites and other information. "Nothing helps us more than competitors that become distracted," says IBM Internet division head Irving Wladawsky-Berger, who says Microsoft is "out of their league" when it comes to developing industry-specific Internet applications capable of operating on a global basis. Meanwhile, Lotus president Jeff Papows thinks Netscape lacks the experience and workforce numbers to support and maintain Web server software that could compete with Lotus's Domino. "We've got more people in Akron, Ohio than they've got worldwide." (Wall Street Journal 13 Nov 96 B6) JUNK FAX CRACKDOWN IN CANADA The Canadian federal regulatory agency for telecommunications has limited the hours during which uninvited "junk fax" calls can be made in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec, and has reduced (from 30 days to 7 days) the amount of time telemarketers can take to remove a name from a junk fax list when asked to do so. (CTV Network 7 Nov 96) FTC SHUTS DOWN PYRAMID SCAM The Federal Trade Commission has shut down a pyramid scheme run by a California company called The Mentor Network, which induced people to pay $30 a month to the network and to recruit three additional subscribers, for a promised eventual payoff of about $12,000. The company claimed to be helping raise money for a children's charity. (Atlanta Journal- Constitution 14 Nov 96 G12) MICROSOFT JOINS MCI/BT TO DEVELOP GLOBAL INTRANETS Microsoft is joining forces with MCI and BT to manage private communications networks for global corporations and their clients. In the heated competition to provide intranet services for multinational companies, the Microsoft/MCI/BT team will be facing off against such opponents as Sprint, AT&T, and IBM. (Wall Street Journal 14 Nov 96 B6) 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: