Silicon Times Report The Original Independent OnLine Magazine" (Since 1987) November 29, 1996 No.1248 Silicon Times Report International OnLine Magazine Post Office Box 6672 Jacksonville, Florida 32221-6155 R.F. Mariano, Editor STR Publishing, Inc. 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 STReport published with MS Office 97 & Adobe Acrobat Pro v3 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 Toad Hall BBS 1-617-567-8642 11/29/96 STR 1248 The Original Independent OnLine Magazine! - CPU Industry Report - Corel News - AWE 64 INFO - Diamond Monster 3D - USR Update Info - Kids Do the Web - AOL Settles Dispute - SAIC buys BellCore - Excite AOL Searcher - GEMvelop 2.96 - People Talking - Dana Reporting MUSTANG IN TROUBLE? CONFIRMED! WOW TO GO! BELARUS WEB SITE DESTROYED! 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: 11/23/96: 2 of 6 numbers, no matches From the Editor's Desk... It's a nice.. Long weekend! Feels good to know there'll be peace and quiet for the next few days. Except perhaps for the screams and hoots coming from either Diablo, LinksLS or any of the other new, superb entertainment goodies that are available. With the new hardware that's on the market like the Matrox super high power graphics card and of course, the Monster 3d card from Diamond the eye candy is unbeatable. Now couple all this with the AWE32 or 64, and you've got darn near virtual reality on a monitor. The new goodies are fantastic and its only going to get better. In all fairness, I must admit I used to get the very same feelings a long time ago on another platform. I was always so proud to think I was on the "cutting edge" back then. And when it all dulled I was broken hearted. Compared to then, I'm skateboarding on the sharp edge of a self sharpening razor blade today. Its neat to see it all happening again and again on a regular basis. It was only yesterday I remarked to a friend of mine; "its amazing. when I stop and think of all the hours of sheer enjoyment this computer has afforded me." its absolutely amazing. I'll waste no more time.. one more item, next week there will be some info about a great new capture, snap it grab it and go program called HyperSnap. Don't miss it because you'll want this program. 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 it is 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 AutoMailer 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 Michael R. Burkley 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 D. 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 Technology Eases Wayfaring Strangers' Journeys BURBANK, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1996 NOV 27 (Newsbytes) -- By Linda Dailey Paulson. Thanksgiving week is traditionally the busiest travel period of the year at United States airports as harried travelers attempt to catch flights over the rivers and woods to Grandmother's house. This year, air travelers will find technology, in many forms, designed to ease their journeys. There's nothing worse than checking in early for a flight and sitting and waiting interminably. To while away that time for travelers of all ages, Nintendo and Southwest Airlines are offering passengers at the Burbank Airport GameBoy hand-held video games to play while waiting for their flight. Nintendo will be at the Southwest Airlines check in counter between 10 am and 2 pm Wednesday. Meanwhile, business travelers have found ATCOM/INFO's pyramid- shaped Internet kiosks useful on their travels. The San Diego- based company has plans to eventually install more than 1,000 Internet kiosks in airports, hotels, and convention centers across the US. With GTE, a cellular telephone service provider, ATCOM/INFO installed 10 kiosks in Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in August and September, 1996. The company will be installing kiosks in terminals at the Bradley International Airport in Connecticut, some time in January 1997. At least two other airports may also join the growing list of locations in early 1997. "In the relatively short time the GTE kiosks have been operational, those kiosks have really played to what I call 'rave reviews,' from both business travelers and airport patrons alike," says Joe Dealey, Jr., D-FW International Airport spokesperson. "Admittedly the GTE kiosks represent a first for D- FW ... but I think it is highly likely improved versions and competing versions of this technology will show up at other airports, hotels, convention centers ... just about everywhere large numbers of people congregate for business or for pleasure." The cost of using the public access kiosk averages about $20 per hour. Typical users log on briefly at a cost less than $3; 70 percent of people using the system do so to retrieve e-mail. "I can deal with a lot of business in 15 minutes by reviewing e-mail messages," says Peter Van Horne, president of ATCOM/INFO. "By responding to e-mail, I can respond and prioritize my time rather than being dependent on other people's priorities." One of the first technologies to find its way into airports was the in-flight telephone. Most major airlines carriers have some sort of telephone available to be accessed with a major credit card or telephone company calling card. These phones are as convenient as they are practical. A young mother on her way from Nashville to Sacramento was able to check on her infant son who had a doctor's appointment - - and talk to the doctor directly while somewhere over Nevada. Too, late flights necessitate a call to hold a reservation or connect with that person picking you up from the airport. "Just as technology has moved the in-flight telephone from the bulkhead to the seat back," says Dealey, "it also has made it very affordable to let someone know your flight is running late or you're OK, but you forgot something. It's an added a measure of convenience. "The advances in technology here and globally have really made the shrinking world cliches an operating fact of life. That you can get online and check e-mail or go into your company's network and transact business ... has really made business travel and holiday travel as well, a rather enjoyable experience," says Dealey. AOL Settles Price Complaint Because of a settlement with Washington state's attorney general, America Online now will give users nationwide more time and more information with which to consider a new pricing plan. Reporting from Olympia, Washington, Associated Press writer Hal Spencer says the agreement follows negotiations over AOL's plan to automatically switch subscribers to a new $19.95 flat rate on Dec. 1 unless they advised the company they preferred to stick with the current basic plan -- $9.95 a month for five hours and $2.95 an hour thereafter. State Attorney General Christine Gregoire complained that AOL's plan, announced last month, violated the state's consumer- protection law. Under the new agreement, AOL will notify its subscribers with an electronic message when they log onto the service. The message is expected to start of next week. "Customers automatically switched to the new plan on Dec. 1 will be able to change back to the original plan through March 31 and get a refund for the price difference," AP says. "The new choices are: a standard monthly plan offering unlimited use of America Online and the Internet for $19.95; a rate of $9.95 for unlimited access to America Online for those who already have an Internet connection; three hours of the service per month for $4.95, with additional time priced at $2.50 per hour." Attorneys general in 17 other states also are examining AOL's marketing practices, Gregoire told the wire service. Clinton Rejects New Taxes on Net The Clinton administration says it has no plans to try to impose new federal taxes on the Internet. Of course, the key word, though, is "new." The White House's 46-page policy paper, released yesterday, indicates the administration is looking for thoughts on how to apply existing taxes to electronic commerce. And, says Associated Press writer Dave Skidmore, "The answers have interstate and international ramifications and are not always obvious." About the Clinton position on new taxes, Glen A. Kohl, deputy assistant treasury secretary, told the wire service, "We think electronic commerce is to be encouraged and we want to make sure the tax system doesn't get in the way. We don't think electronic commerce justifies new taxes." But on the matter of existing taxes, AP notes the most vexing question is if a transaction occurs in cyberspace, where does it occur for tax purposes? "In the pre-Internet world," says Skidmore, "two principles have covered assessment of income taxes: the location of the source of the income and the residence of the person receiving the income. But, if an Australian offers services to U.S. customers from a computer in Canada, what is the location of the source of the income?" In its new paper, the U.S. Treasury Department says the rise of electronic commerce likely will lessen the importance of source-based taxation and emphasize residence- based taxation, but it offers no definitive answers. Kohl said his department is seeking to open a discussion, rather than issue policy pronouncements, adding the goal is to develop rules and international agreements that prevent double taxation and provide certainty. "Another issue," says Skidmore, "concerns whether a tangible product, such as a book or photograph or musical recording, is converted into anintangible product when it is digitized and transmitted over the Internet. How should the transaction be taxed?" The Treasury report also does not address the applicability of state taxes to the Internet, an issue that has bothered the industry more than the international issues. As reported earlier, several states, including Massachusetts and Florida, have examined applying taxes designed for telephone service to Internet service. The new Treasury paper has been posted on the department's World Wide Web site (http://www.ustreas.gov). WOW's Fate Worries Industry Industry observers and financial analysts are wondering this morning if the closing of CompuServe's WOW service is a harbinger of problems to come for similar general-interest, flat- rate projects online. "WOW's experience may be a precursor to what's going to happen to America Online, Microsoft and others," Vice President Peter Krasilovsky of Arlen Communications Inc. research firm told reporters Jared Sandberg and James P. Miller of The Wall Street Journal this morning. "Because of their new flat-rate pricing, it may quickly become uneconomical." CompuServe says it will shut down the family-oriented WOW service by Jan. 31, freeing the company to focus on the business users and experienced online computerists who have always been its primary market. WOW used a flat-fee approach, charging $17.95 for unlimited access, "but," says the Journal, "the low pricing appealed more to sophisticated heavy users who went online for hours at a time, driving up the company's costs." CompuServe Vice President Scott Kauffman told the paper, "It's not a particularly profitable business for us," adding he thinks online services aren't ready for the mass market. "It's still an early-adopter business," Kauffman said. On this, the Journal commented, "The collapse of WOW may provide a sobering lesson to other online services that hope to appeal to mainstream users and that use flat-rate fees." (Currently, CompuServe charges users$9.95 a month for five free hours and $2.95 for each additional hour.) CompuServe officials told the Journal the company will launch new services aimed at businesses and small offices early next year. "This is a back-to-basics strategy," said Kauffman, who noted that 45 percent of the company's 2.2 million domestic subscribers are business users and 60 percent of the company's 826,000 European subscribers use the service primarily for business. "It's a more profitable segment of the market." Lycos Licenses Tools to CompuServe Lycos Inc. says its search technology and proprietary content will be used to enhance the offerings of CompuServe Inc.'s online services. The licensing deal will allow CompuServe will provide a CompuServe-rebranded set of customized search tools for its suite of services, giving members powerful, fast and flexible search capabilities both within CompuServe content and on the World Wide Web. Lycos says the agreement is a reflection of its two- pronged business strategy to pursue advertising revenue while aggressively initiating licensing partnerships that seed the market with Lycos content and technology. "Through CompuServe, the number of people using Lycos Web products is boosted by millions," says Bob Davis, Lycos' president and CEO. "This reinforces our position as leaders in effectively providing powerful products for mainstream use, whether directly through Lycos or through our partners." Babbage, Software Etc. Sale OK'd Sale of Babbage's and Software Etc. to one of the original founders -- instead of to the stores' biggest competitor in malls nationwide, Electronics Boutique -- has been approved by a Dallas bankruptcy court judge. Writing in The Dallas Morning News, reporter Maria Halkias notes a group of investors led by Leonard Riggio -- a founder of Software Etc. and the chairman and principal stockholder of the Barnes & Noble bookstore chain -- was the successful bidder in an auction conducted during three days of court hearings. Says Halkias, "The decision by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Steven A. Felsenthal leaves as competitors the two biggest boutique sellers of video games and software in malls. It also preserves the headquarters operation in Dallas." The paper says Riggio's group will pay $58.5 million for the video game and software boutiques, whose parent company, NeoStar Retail Group, has been operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection since mid- September. Riggio told the paper the new entity will be called Babbage's, Etc. He also named his new management team, picking R. Richard "Dick" Fontaine (formerly CEO of Software Etc. during its expansion in the late 1980s and early 1990s) to be CEO of the new company. Another Software Etc. executive, Dan DeMatteo, was named president and chief operating officer of the company. Belarus Web Site Destroyed Word from Minsk is that a site on the Internet's World Wide Web providing news about the opposition to Belarus' hard-line president has been destroyed. Site editor Vladimir Korvatsky has told The Associated Press the Web page was destroyed just after posting photos and information from a Nov. 17 rally at which riot police beat several protesters. "We just wanted to give out unbiased information," Korvatsky said. "What good did it do to destroy a free information service for the whole world?" He added there have been more than 5,000 attempts to visit the site since it was cut off. Those trying to visit it see only a notice saying "Sorry! The Enemies of Democracy Have Destroyed Our Server." Korvatsky said the group hopes to reopen the site this week. AP quotes the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists as saying the site is one of the few sources of independent news out of Belarus, adding it has been carrying news of the legislative and judicial branches' attempts to resist a crackdown by President Alexander Lukashenko. Lukashenko has cracked down on political opposition and shut down independent newspapers and radio stations, AP notes. Critics say the result was one-sided information that crippled voters' choice in a referendum last weekend that expanded Lukashenko's powers. Germans Track Chip Counterfeits An international gang suspected of counterfeiting computer components has been cracked in Germany and nine other countries, authorities in Munich say. According to the Reuter News Service, more than 2,000 law enforcement officials raided locations in France, Italy and Belgium. "Police in Bavaria carted away truckloads of counterfeit components and files," Reuters says. "They issued arrest warrants for at least 24 Asians of Chinese descent on charges of counterfeiting, fraud, money laundering, and receiving stolen goods." Reuters quotes police as saying they believe the gang smuggled counterfeit components and sold them at market prices, causing about 500 million marks in damage. Several individuals were arrested, but police withheld further details for the time being. Intel Corp. officials says the chip giant is cooperating with the authorities and that the gang may have counterfeited its computer chips. An Intel spokesman in Munich told the wire service, "We are supporting theinvestigation but we don't know if or how many of our chips were counterfeited or sold." Neal Boudette of Reuters' Bonn newsroom reports, "The raids were the culmination of a three-year investigation that began in 1993, centering on a Chinese businessman who held a Laotian passport, whose computer company was allegedly involved in tax evasion and money laundering." Be Inc. Deals with Clone Maker Be Inc. -- a privately held start-up lately linked by rumors with Apple Computer Inc. -- has licensed its operating-system software to Power Computing Corp., maker of clones of Apple's Macintosh computer. Writing in The Wall Street Journal this morning, reporter Lee Gomes says Be's talks with Apple itself have hung up over price, adding the deal with Power Computing had been long planned, "and is unrelated to acquisition discussions between Apple and Be." Adds Gomes, "Those talks have bogged down over how much Apple is willing to pay for the Mountain View, Calif., start-up." The new agreement calls for all Power Computing's machines shipped after January to come equipped with both the Macintosh and Be operating systems. "While the Be operating system has been praised by technical reviewers," says the Journal, "it is still new, and thus has few application programs yet written for it. The Power Computing announcement is aimed mainly at sophisticated users, the sort who enjoy testing out major new pieces of software." Meanwhile, insiders say Apple is offering about $100 million in cash and stock for Be, which has a staff of 50, but that Be is seeking nearly quadruple that figure, "arguing," says Gomes, "that the company and its software would be the major component of any long-term turnaround at Apple." Be, founded in 1990 by former Apple research director Jean-Louis Gassee, is of interest to the Cupertino, Calif., computer makers because Apple's planned "Copland" operating system, which it had expected to use as its next-generation operation system, is years behind schedule, Gomes says. As reported, Apple has acknowledged it is looking outside for a new operating system, but it has never publicly confirmed that it is talking to Be. Still, notes the Journal, it has done nothing to discourage rumors of the talks, which "has resulted in a number of enthusiastic articles in the Apple trade press about a deal that has yet to be consummated." Nonetheless, says Gomes, Apple officials recently pointed out they have alternatives to purchasing Gassee's company. For instance, at last week's Comdex trade show, Ellen Hancock, Apple's chief technology officer, warned reporters that "not everyone we are talking to is talking to you." Mustang Software Struggles Once on top of the world as the leading provider of stand-alone bulletin board system software, Mustang Software Inc. now is struggling, slashing its staff from the top down as it tries to make a place for itself on the Internet. Described by Computergram International as "badly ailing," Mustang's stock is selling for less than 10 percent of what it was worth a year ago and now major executives -- including Vice President/Chief Operating Officer Richard Heming and Sales/Marketing Vice President Brett Martin - have stepped down. Taking over the jobs, President/CEO James Harrer, a co-founder of the firm, told CI he is similarly consolidating other tasks throughout the company, while the total extent of the layoffs is still being worked out. Notes the newsletter, "Mustang is struggling to convert its Wildcat! 5 bulletin board software, once a best seller in the dial-up market, into a full-fledged Internet offering. Among other things it's designed to instantly convert bulletin board operators into Webmeisters." Adds CI, "The first disaster was in writing the new version, which slipped a half year before being released. The second was the discovery that Internet servers don't sell well off-the- shelf, virtually the only channel Mustang used to sell its bulletin board programs." Share prices have fallen from as high as $11.50 a year ago to as low as $1 earlier this month, recovering a bit to the $2 range last week. (Editor Note) Mustang Software's Wildcat Five suffers from a MAJOR problem. It has been a lack of an affordable FRONT END Mailer and Tosser for use with private networks like Fido and ITC etc.. The only one available was so high priced it literally KILLED Wildcat Five Sales to Sysops using Wildcat Four along with running mailer/tossers. They refused to make the change and suffer the excessive costs of the only compatible front end. Once again, "a quick score" has practically killed a marvelous product and a great company. Wildcat Five and Mustang Software. Jim H. ought to BLOW the market OPEN to Wildcat Five by either buying up the Front End Mailer that's available but excessively expensive to the new consumer/upgrader or, provide one for use with WC5 for Mustang's loyal consumer base thus neutralizing the "high priced spread". This would be an effective move to boost WC5 sales dramatically. Two Valley Firms Lay Off Hundreds Hundreds of Silicon Valley employees are being laid off by two firms because of either factory or production line shutdowns. In the San Jose, California, Mercury News, business writer Janet Rae-Dupree reports: ú VLSI Technology Inc. says it plans to shut down its San Jose chip plant, idling 300 workers. Based in San Jose, the firm says its chip plant was a victim of the rapid changes in the semiconductor industry. ú Seagate Technology Inc. says it will shut down an obsolete media production line which employs 290 people. Its Recording Media group, which employs 2,000 people in both Milpitas and Fremont, says its production line's obsolete technology is not suitable to making the recording media used inside today's hard drives. Computers Enable Beatles Film Computer technology will be used to turn still photographs by former Beatle Paul McCartney and his wife Linda into moving pictures, enabling the creation of a new film about the legendary British rock group. In London, Beatles spokesman Geoff Baker announced the project on the eve of the opening of an exhibition of Linda McCartney's photographs in the northern English city of Bradford. Said Baker, "Paul and Linda are currently editing through some 4,000 of Linda's pictures of the Beatles -- all of which have never been seen -- in order to make the new style of movie, which they call a photofilm." The Reuter News Service notes Linda McCartney took the photographs behind closed doors between meeting her husband in 1967 and the break-up of the Beatles in 1970. "The new Beatles film follows a critically acclaimed 'photofilm' by Paul McCartney last year," the wire service notes. "He selected two rolls of Linda's pictures of veteran West Coast rockers The Grateful Dead and made the still photographs move with the aid of computer technology." In a statement, Baker said the Beatles film, not expected to be completed before the end of 1997, would reveal "what is believed to be the richest and most intimate photographic archive of the Beatles." Also expected is a soundtrack of songs by the group that have never been released. They are on tapes of a secret jam session the Beatles recorded at the Roundhouse in London's Camden Town in 1968. Clinton Wins APEC Victory A major victory on the trade front is being claimed by the Clinton Administration today as Pacific Rim leaders have accepted the year 2000 as a deadline for cutting tariffs on information technology. Calling it "a big deal" and a boost for jobs in the U.S. information technology industry, which has exports worth $100 billion a year, President Clinton said, "Imagine if we went to zero tariffs in the entire world, what that would mean to America and for exports in higher-paying jobs." Associated Press writer David Thurber, in Subic Bay, Philippines, to cover the talks, quotes Clinton in remarks to U.S. Embassy staff as adding information technology is "to the 21st century what highways and railroads were to the 19th century." Thurber says a communique ending the 18-government summit went beyond the language accepted last week to partially meet U.S. demands for freeing global trade in computers, semiconductors, software andtelecommunications. "But," he added, "it hedged by speaking of 'flexibility' and of 'substantially' eliminating tariffs -- caveats meant to appease poorer nations which fear their high-tech industries will be swamped by cheaper imports if all trade barriers come down at once." AP says this will enable opponents like Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad of Malaysia to say they have kept their options open and haven't caved in to U.S. pressure. The statement read by Philippines President Fidel Ramos called for "an information technology agreement" by the World Trade Organization that would "substantially eliminate tariffs by the year 2000." The wire service notes the U.S. -- backed by Japan, Canada and Australia -- had wanted all tariffs on computers, software, semiconductors and telecommunications abolished by the year 2000. Malaysia led the objectors. "When Washington failed to get its way in pre-summit talks last week, U.S. negotiators insisted they were satisfied with the wording adopted," says Thurber. "But Clinton, who arrived in Manila on Saturday, clearly wasn't. According to U.S. officials, he warned Ramos, this year's host of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, that the meeting would be judged a failure unless it took a stronger line on information technology." U.S. officials told the wire service Ramos, along with Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto and South Korean President Kim Young- sam, also came to Clinton's support. Alleged Net Hate Site Probed An unprecedented investigation has been launched by Canadian officials into an Internet site run by history revisionist Ernst Zundel of Toronto whom many accuse of distributing hate materials. Reporting from Ottawa, the French Agence France-Press International News Service says the Canadian commission on personal rights opened its investigation Friday, adding, "The group has the power to shut down sites on the international computer network even though the server unit for the material is based in California." Zundel is known for his works denying the Holocaust took place during World War II. Max Yalden, head of the commission, told AFP that Canadian laws gives his group jurisdiction over telephone communications, including links between Internet sites made via telephone. Yalden said the commission intends to close down the site and defended the action saying it was not a case of censorship. Said Yalden, "I don't think Zundel's engaged in free debate, I think he's engaged in trying to incite people against Jews." Nazi Symbols Halt Corel Sales The top-selling Corel Draw computer program has been pulled from the shelves in Germany by its Canadian publisher because the software turns out to include four banned Nazi symbols. Corel spokesman Thomas Layer told the Reuter News Service his employer will remove three drawings of Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler and one swastika symbol from future versions of its popular software. Meanwhile, he said, Corel also is distributing warning labels for computer shops to stick on their current stocks to be able to resume selling them. Reuters says the label warns the "improper use of digital images and symbols" found in the programs Corel Draw 4.0, 5.0 and 6.0 is prohibited in Germany, which bans public displays of Nazi symbols. In Munich, the state prosecutor launched an investigation into the software Oct. 2 after learning someone had used the banned images to print business cards for a neo-Nazi group, the wire service says. German sales of Corel Draw -- which provides more than 24,000 "clipart" drawings and symbols that computer users can copy into newsletters and other documents -- was suspended last Tuesday, Reuters reports. USRobotics Update News STR Infofile Sportster 33.6k Upgrade If you own a Sportster V.FC or Sportster V.34 modem, you can upgrade to 33.6k! Order the 33.6k Upgrade Kit, which includes a user-installable e-prom chip, or send your modem in and we can install it for you. To place your order, call either of the numbers below. Be sure to have your modem's serial number ready when you call. Call: Voice: 847/982-5151 BBS: 847/982-5092 Pricing: 33.6k upgrade Kit $24.95 Installation of Upgrade Kit (option l) $20.00 Shipping and Handling $ 5.00 Ordering through the BBS: To place your order through the BBS, dial the number listed above. Once logged into the system, type SPV34 at the main prompt and the system will prompt you along. Please have your credit card information ready. Upgrading your Sportster Vi Modem: The upgrade to 33.6k for the Sportster Vi is free. There are only two Sportster Vi modems that qualify for the upgrade. Look at your 16 digit serial number. If it starts with 00027900 or 00028202 then it can be upgraded. You need to call or fax(847- 676-7314) in the following information to receive the upgrade: * First and last name * Complete phone number * Shipping address(street, city, state, zip) * Your modems 16 digit serial number * If faxing in request, state that you are requesting the Sportster Vi 33.6k upgrade chip. Upgrading the Winmodem: To receive the Winmodem upgrade from 28.8k to 33.6k, download the appropriate file from the list below. WINM336.EXE 555808 06-21-96 Full install files for all | Sportster Winmodem models. | This version supports 33.6k | connections. Extract these files | to floppy disk to install. | Uninstall previous Winmodem | software before installing this | version. WM336UPG.EXE 959614 06-21-96 Sportster Winmodem 33.6k upgrade. | To upgrade your Winmodem, run this | file from within Windows. Under | Windows 95, click on Start then Run. | Under Windows 3.x in Program | Manager, click on File then Run. These files can be downloaded from our BBS(847-982-5092), FTP Site(ftp.usr.com), or our Web Site(www.usr.com). Keating Technologies: Information for Canadian Customers U.S. Robotics has a service company in Canada, specifically to take care of our Canadian customers. They will take care of your Service Repair Order(SRO) authorizations, technical questions, and orders. Below is their address and contact information. Keating Technologies 25 Royal Crest Court Suite 200 Markham, Ontario L3R 9X4 phone: 905-479-0231 fax: 905-479-0232 email: support@keating.com Web: www.keating.com Flash Upgrading your Courier using X-ModemNote: The code of your Courier must be at least 4/29/96 to support the X-Modem flash update feature. To check your code date, open up a terminal program and type ATI7. Look at the supervisor date line on the ATI7 screen. If the code date is older than 4/29/96, you will have to use the current DOS USRSDL.EXE file to flash your modem up to code that supports this feature. Using X-Modem to update your Courier on a Macintosh: 1. Download USRSDL.XMD from our FTP site at ftp.usr.com, or our Web Site at www.usr.com. This can be done on a PC or Macintosh if your Macintosh can read PC disks. 2. Copy USRSDL.XMD onto the Macintosh. 3. Go into a communications terminal software program such as MacComCenter, and make sure MacBinary is disabled(in MacComCenter, go under Setup | File Transfer | MacBinary Options, and select "Never MacBinary"). 4. Go to a terminal window(in MacComCenter go under Data and select On-Line). In the terminal window type AT~X! and enter, and you will get "SDL X-Modem file transfer - (Y)es (N)o (T)est >". Type 'Y'. You will then get the message "Begin X-Modem file transfer now." 5. Start an X-Modem send of USRSDL.XMD(in MacComCenter go under Data | Send File | X- Mmodem CRC, and select USRSDL.XMD). 6. The flash ROM of your modem will then be erased and re- flashed with the code contained in the USRSDL.XMD file. Using X-Modem to update your Courier on other operating systems: 1. Copy USRSDL.XMD onto the hard disk. 2. Go into your communications terminal software. 3. In terminal, type AT~X!. This will bring up the prompt "SDL X-Modem file transfer - (Y)es (N)o (T)est >". Type 'Y'. This will bring up the message "Begin X-Modem file transfer now." 4. Start an X-Modem send of the file USRSDL.XMD. 5. The flash ROM of your modem will then be erased and re- flashed with the code contained in the USRSDL.XMD file. If any errors or problems occur, please contact U.S. Robotics Courier Support at (800)550-7800. U.S. Robotics Corporation And Subsidiaries Consolidated Statement of Earnings (In thousands, except earnings per share data) (UNAUDITED) Quarter Ended 9/29/96 ---------------------------- Including Excluding In Process In Process Technology Technology Quarter Charge Charge % Ended --------- ----------------- 10/1/95 % ----------------- Net sales $ 611,410 $ 611,410 100.0 $ 293,397 100.0 Cost of goods sold 355,238 355,238 58.1 170,365 58.1 --------- --------- ---------- Gross profit 256,172 256,172 41.9 123,032 41.9 Operating expenses Selling & marketing 92,706 92,706 15.2 40,755 13.9 General & administrative 26,768 26,768 4.4 13,844 4.7 Research & development 28,945 28,945 4.7 17,416 5.9 Purchased in pro- cess technology 54,000 - - - - --------- --------- ---------- 202,419 148,419 24.3 72,015 24.5 --------- --------- ---------- Operating profit 53,753 107,753 17.6 51,017 17.4 Interest income 1,155 1,155 0.2 3,307 1.1 Interest expense 1,663 1,663 0.3 1,173 0.4 Other income (expense) (147) (147) 0.0 91 - -------- ---------- ---------- Earnings before income taxes 53,098 107,098 17.5 53,242 18.1 Income tax expense 39,626 39,626 6.5 19,023 6.4 --------- ---------- ---------- Net earnings $ 13,472 $ 67,472 11.0 $ 34,219 11.7 ========= ========== ---------- Net earnings per share $ 0.14 $ 0.71 $ 0.37 ========= ========== ========== Shares used in per share calculation 95,681 95,681 91,717 ========= ========== ========== All share and earnings per share data have been adjusted to reflect the two-for-one stock splits in the form of 100% stock dividends paid on September 8, 1995 and May 10, 1996. U.S. Robotics Corporation And Subsidiaries Consolidated Statement of Earnings (In thousands, except earnings per share data) (UNAUDITED) Fiscal Year Ended 9/29/96 ------------------------------ Including Excluding In Process In Process Technology Technology Charge Charge % ---------- ------------------ Net sales $1,977,512 $1,977,512 100.0 Cost of goods sold 1,149,446 1,149,446 58.1 --------- --------- Gross profit 828,066 828,066 41.9 Operating expenses Selling & marketing 271,585 271,585 13.7 General & administrative 93,717 93,717 4.7 Research & development 109,437 109,437 5.6 Purchased in pro- cess technology 54,000 - - Non-recurring merger costs - - - --------- --------- 528,739 474,739 24.0 --------- --------- Operating profit 299,327 353,327 17.9 Interest income 8,424 8,424 0.4 Interest expense 4,995 4,995 0.3 Other income(expense) (866) (866) 0.0 --------- --------- Earnings before income taxes 301,890 355,890 18.0 Income tax expense 131,870 131,870 6.7 --------- --------- Net earnings $ 170,020 $ 224,020 11.3 ========= ========= Net earnings per share $ 1.79 $ 2.36 ========= ========= Shares used in per share calculation 94,932 94,932 ========= ========= All share and earnings per share data have been adjusted to reflect the two-for-one stock splits in the form of 100% stock dividends paid on September 8, 1995 and May 10, 1996. U.S. Robotics Corporation And Subsidiaries Consolidated Statement of Earnings (In thousands, except earnings per share data) (UNAUDITED) Fiscal Year Ended 10/1/95 Including Excluding Merger Merger costs costs % Net sales $ 889,347 $ 889,347 100.0 Cost of goods sold 521,159 521,159 58.6 -------- -------- Gross profit 368,188 368,188 41.4 Operating expenses Selling & marketing 136,585 136,585 15.4 General & administrative 42,614 42,614 4.8 Research & development 52,478 52,478 5.9 Purchased in pro- cess technology - - - Non-recurring merger costs 29,449 - - -------- -------- 261,126 231,677 26.1 -------- -------- Operating profit 107,062 136,511 15.3 Interest income 7,700 7,700 0.9 Interest expense 5,465 5,465 0.6 Other income(expense) (377) (377) - Earnings before income taxes 108,920 138,369 15.6 Income tax expense 42,969 49,215 5.6 Net earnings $ 65,951 $ 89,154 10.0 Net earnings per share $ 0.77 $ 1.05 Shares used in per share calculation 85,304 85,304 All share and earnings per share data have been adjusted to reflect the two-for-one stock splits in the form of 100% stock dividends paid on September 8, 1995 and May 10, 1996. U.S. Robotics Corporation And Subsidiaries Consolidated Balance Sheet (In thousands) (UNAUDITED) September 29, October 1, 1996 1995 ASSETS CURRENT ASSETS Cash and marketable securities $ 16,814 $ 232,803 Accounts receivable, net 490,040 168,365 Inventories 185,855 103,032 Deferred income taxes 45,493 22,373 Prepaid expenses and other 7,739 current assets 12,407 Total current assets 750,609 534,312 PROPERTY, PLANT & EQUIPMENT- NET 276,591 117,156 OTHER ASSETS 40,083 8,155 $ 1,067,283 $ 659,623 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY CURRENT LIABILITIES Current maturities of long-term obligations 12,174 249 Revolving credit borrowings 32,500 - Accounts payable 130,959 78,386 Accrued liabilities 138,747 78,171 Income taxes payable 19,324 9,525 Total current liabilities 333,704 166,331 LONG-TERM OBLIGATIONS 54,044 65,651 DEFERRED INCOME TAXES 7,665 3,246 STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY Common stock 881 422 Additional contributed capital 356,266 273,939 Retained earnings 312,492 148,617 ------------ ----------- 669,639 422,978 Cumulative translation adjustment 2,231 1,417 and other Total stockholders' equity 671,870 424,395 $ 1,067,283 $ 659,623 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 very best yet in its price range. 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 printout that's suitable for framing. Yes that's right! Suitable for Framing. Order this package. It'll be on special stock and be of superb quality. We obtained a mint copy of a 1927 COLOR ENGRAVER'S 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 (Exp, S&H only) Please, make checks or money orders payable to; Ralph Mariano. 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 CompuServe Drops WOW!,Retrenches After Loss IBM's New Mainframe San Diego Supercomputing Center Warns of Unix Flaw Finding Images In A Database SAIC Buys Bellcore AudioNet's Hoop Dreams Big Screen Laptops Steal The Show Year 2000 Problem Will Cause Lawsuits, Bankruptcies The Net's Impact On Voter Decisions Tapscott On The "N-Gen" (Net Generation) World Hello? Is This A Computer? Do I Place It Near My Face? Digital TV Accord ReachedAPEC Support (More Or Less) For Info Tech Free TradePower To Be FCC Does "Two-Step" Dance Against International Pricing Cartel Excite Takes Over As AOL Search Engine Intranets Are Lifeline For Some Companies New Borland Chief Executive Life After Bellcore Computer Attacks Show New Patterns COMPUSERVE DROPS WOW!, RETRENCHES AFTER LOSS After posting a $24.5-million loss, CompuServe announced it will pull the plug on Wow!, its novice- and family-oriented service launched eight months ago in an effort to compete with America Online's similar service. Early next year CompuServe will offer a separate service for business customers, who typically generate 30% to 50% more revenue than the home user market. CompuServe currently claims 3.3 million subscribers, compared with AOL's 7 million customers. (Investor's Business Daily 22 Nov 96 A17) IBM'S NEW MAINFRAME The new version of the IBM System 390 mainframe computer that will be introduced this week is expected to process information up to 10% faster than current versions. Apparently the company will be able to manufacture only a limited number of the new machines, because of inadequate supplies of the microprocessor chips needed to produce them. (New York Times 23 Nov 96 p21) SAN DIEGO SUPERCOMPUTING CENTER WARNS ABOUT UNIX FLAW The San Diego Supercomputing Center has issued a warning to system administrators that a flaw in software associated with Unix operating systems can be exploited by crackers, allowing them to gain "root access" to the computer, making it possible to alter or destroy data residing on the server. The flaw is in the "rpc.statd" part of the software that works with the "Network File System." For more information, check out: . (Chronicle of Higher Education 22 Nov 96 A23) FINDING IMAGES IN A DATABASE Software from Virage can compare images with a kind of visual template, in much the same way that the human brain functions. The Virage software reduces the essence of each image into a 1- kilobyte file called a feature vector, based on shapes, textures, colors and placement. (Forbes 2 Dec 96 p240) See < http://www.virage.com > for demo. SAIC BUYS BELLCORE Bellcore, the research group owned jointly by the seven Baby Bells, has been acquired by Science Applications International Corp., a government contractor that provides consulting, systems- integration, national-security, transportation and health-care services. Executives familiar with the deal have estimated the cost of the acquisition at about $700 million. (Wall Street Journal 22 Nov 96 B6) AUDIONET'S HOOP DREAMS AudioNet has been granted the rights to Internet carriage of radio broadcasts of the NCAA Men's College Basketball Tournament through 2001. The company, which received a total of $9 million in support from Motorola and Premiere Radio Networks in September, hopes to have 500 radio stations online by the end of next year: "It dawned on us that this was a tremendous way to reach a national audience. What we've done with AudioNet is to turn it into the third broadcast medium," says AudioNet's president. The company drew 9,000 listeners last month when it broadcast the first game of the American League Championship Series. (Broadcasting & Cable 18 Nov 96 p76) BIG SCREEN LAPTOPS STEAL THE SHOW One of the big hits at the Comdex show last week were the "big screen" laptop computers, sporting flat-panel LCDs measuring 13.3- to 14-inches. Digital Equipment Corp., NEC Computer Systems, Compaq Computer, Toshiba, Sharp and Samsung all have plans to roll out the larger screen models in the early part of 1997, resulting in significantly lower prices for the smaller- screen laptops. "My forecast for 1997 is that you'll see a significant increase in sales of laptops as they gain the larger screens and can compete more functionally with desktops," says a computer consultant. "And then you'll see the price of existing laptops go way down." (InfoWorld Electric 18 Nov 96) YEAR 2000 PROBLEM WILL CAUSE LAWSUITS, BANKRUPTCIES At a recent meeting sponsored by the Electronic Banking Economics Society, one speaker predicted that a bankruptcy rate of between 1% and 5% could result directly from costs related to fixing the notorious "Year 2000 Problem." "If you have not yet begun a Year 2000 conversion today, you will not be able to convert by 2000," he said, noting that there are only 150 weekends left to work on systems affected by the problem. If companies choose to ignore the problem, they'll be liable for millions in lawsuits brought by shareholders when company stock prices begin to plummet. Only one third of U.S. companies are addressing the problem, with another third entering the preliminary discussion phase, and the other third doing nothing. Still, that's better than the rest of the world: "Britain is three steps behind the United States on this issue, Europe about 10 steps behind the United States on the issue, and Japan is about 15 steps behind the United States on the issue," the consultant said. (BNA Daily Report for Executives 20 Nov 96 A16) THE NET'S IMPACT ON VOTER DECISIONS An Election Day telephone poll of 1,030 voters contacted by Worthlin Worldwide, a political consulting group, found that about 9% of voters in the recent elections said that the Internet influenced their choice of candidates. (Atlanta Journal- Constitution 22 Nov 96 F2) TAPSCOTT ON THE "N-GEN" (NET GENERATION) WORLD Don Tapscott ("The Digital Economy") says that the importance of brand names is the Catch- 22 of the culture shared by the generation that has grown up the new digital media, especially the Internet. "The contradiction is formed in the gradual shift from broadcast dictatorship to interactivedemocracy. The brand appears important for now as they still have the need to belong to the familiar, but the axis of belonging is shifting. In sales, as it is in education, increased interactivity equals increased individualization. In the future you won't be cool because you wear Gap jeans. You'll be cool if you wear jeans I've never heard of" (Advertising Age 14 Oct 96 p31) HELLO? IS THIS A COMPUTER? DO I PLACE IT NEAR MY FACE? Hudson Institute Fellow Mark Helprin thinks not. "Terrified lest their children be computer illiterate, lemming parents have pushed the schools into a computer frenzy in which they spend years learning to use Windows and WordPerfect. This much like 'Sesame Street,' which, instead of waiting until a child is five and teaching him to count in an afternoon, devotes thousands of hours drumming it into him during his underdeveloped infancy. But while numbers will remain the same, fifth-graders will, when they get to graduate school, have no contact with Windows 95. The 'teaching' of computer in the schools may be likened to a business academy in the 1920s founded for the purpose of teaching the telephone: 'When you hear the bell, pick up the receiver, place it thusly near your face, and say 'Hello?'" (Forbes ASAP 2 Dec 96 p15) DIGITAL TV ACCORD REACHED The television and computer industries have reached a compromise on technical standards for the new generation of digital TV sets, smoothing the way for a transition to nationwide digital TV service. The agreement failed to specify a video format, one of the sticking points between the two industries, but instead lets companies choose formats they think will best suit consumers' needs. The agreement was hailed as a success by FCC Chairman Reed Hundt who said it "eliminates needless government regulation on technical issues better left to the marketplace." Television makers have said the new sets could be in stores within two years, priced at $1,500 to $3,000 each. (Wall Street Journal 26 Nov 96 B10) APEC SUPPORT (MORE OR LESS) FOR INFO TECH FREE TRADE At the conclusion of the APEC summit, the leaders of the APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) countries have agreed to support free trade for computers and other information technology products, substantially reducing tariffs by the year 2000. President Clinton described the agreement as "a big deal," but Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong of Singapore said the APEC members can interpret it as "anything they want it to be" and Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad of Malaysia said the year 2000 deadline has no binding force. (Financial Times 26 Nov 96) POWER TO BE Power Computing, the largest maker of Macintosh clones, will license the fast, simple operating system developed by Be, Inc., the Silicon Valley start-up company created by former Apple executive Jean-Louis Gassee. Beginning in 1997 all Power computers will be shipped with the BeOS operating system in addition to the Mac operating system. This development will not affect ongoing discussions between Apple and Be regarding a possible acquisition or some other form of alliance with Be. (New York Times 26 Nov 96 C4) FCC DOES "TWO-STEP" DANCE AGAINST PRICING CARTEL The Federal Communications Commission will issue an order intended to bring international phone rates closer to actual phone-company costs. Foreign telephone companies currently charge U.S. phone companies fees, which on average are 50% higher than cost. The FCC plans to let American companies negotiate fees with foreign carriers rather than rely on the present system of government tariff agreements -- but permission to negotiate will be granted only if the FCC determines that the foreign carrier's country is open to competition. FCC Chairman Reed Hundt says the order is "the first step in a two-step dance we're doing that we hope will celebrate the end of the international telephone pricing cartel." Next month the Commission plans to set "benchmark" limits on what U.S. companies will pay foreign carriers to complete calls. (Washington Post 26 Nov 96) EXCITE TAKES OVER AS AOL SEARCH ENGINE Excite Inc. will buy America Online's Internet directory for about $15 million in stock, securing its position as AOL's only search engine and acquiring an instant audience of more than 7 million. The move will give Excite's service the second largest exposure on the Internet, after Netscape, according to PC-Meter, an Internet measurement service. (Investor's Business Daily 26 Nov 96 A9) INTRANETS ARE LIFELINE FOR SOME COMPANIES Just a year or so after companies started using Web technology to exchange information internally, intranets have taken hold, and are transforming their organizations. Rockwell International has created home pages for the plant's computer-controlled machine tools and linked them to the company's intranet. Quality-control managers can check the status of any machine by calling up that page and seeing how many pieces the machine made that day, what percentage of an order that represents, and how the machine is performing. Human Genome Sciences, a genetic research firm, uses its company intranet to process and transfer information on DNA sequencing. "All the lab equipment is connected to the network," says Mike Fannon, director of bioinformatics. "We use the whole computational structure as a research tool." (Information Week 18 Nov 96 p106) NEW BORLAND CHIEF EXECUTIVE Former Apple and Tektronix executive Delbert Yocam is the new chairman and CEO of Borland International, the Scotts Valley, California, company that became 3rd-largest software company by selling spreadsheet, database, and other applications programs, before refocusing two years ago on its software development tools and database software for large organizations. The company has been hurt by the increasing interest by programmers in Sun's Java programming language, but Yocam says that "there are still a lot of people enamored of Borland products." (New York Times 26 Nov 96 C1) LIFE AFTER BELLCORE Some industry watchers are wondering who'll take over the standards-setting fun admirably executed by Bellcore all these years, once it's acquired by SAIC. If nobody picks up the reins, the nation's network could deteriorate over the next few years, says a manager at Shiva Corp. "When you call California and North Dakota answers the phone, there will be lots of complaints." Although most observers think things won't get quite that bad, there is general concern over the situation, and some Bellcore insiders are hoping they'll be allowed to continue their tradition as standards-setter for the industry: "If you don't have someone writing standards, it's a problem, but that problem is a business opportunity for us." (tele.com Nov 96 p26) COMPUTER ATTACKS SHOW NEW PATTERNS The major trends in computer break-ins involve denial of service and data-driven attacks, says a Department of Justice lawyer. Denial of service occurs when an attacker "bombs" an Internet service provider with so many e-mail messages that the server becomes overloaded and shuts down. Data-driven attacks occur when a virus program is disguised as a data-only file. The file can be hidden in a Java program on a Web page, and when a visitor clicks on the site, he or she unwittingly downloads the virus. A computer crime consultant with SAIC warns that these attacks can be launched on an innocent party's Web server, but once that happens, the server can become the subject of a wiretap and a search warrant. "The title of your computer vests with the government as soon as a hacker uses it to commit a crime," he says . (BNA Daily Report for Executives 25 Nov 96 A20) 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: GEMvelope 2.96 Finally, quick and easy printing of envelopes on your printer! GEMvelope allows you to print envelopes on almost any printer. Laser (and most other) printers will not feed an envelope so that you may print across it. GEMvelope solves this problem allowing you to print even legal size envelopes on virtually all laser printers and dot matrix printers. GEMvelope was developed to work hand in hand with most word processors and databases to provide a complete solution. GEMvelope Features: ú Import allows extracting an address from a letter in almost any work processor format (or from the GEM/Atari clipboard). ú Mail merge/browse allows printing one or many envelopes with an address imported from a database file such as CardFile by Gribnif Software. ú Adjustable positioning for different size envelopes. ú Load-able and save-able addresses and configurations. ú POSTNET bar code printing for speeding your mail. (Will also save two cents per letter on the future according to the United States Post Office). ú A desk accessory version ideal for using from within program like Tracker/ST. ú GEMvelope uses GDOS and includes FontGDOS with drivers for the following printers: Atari SLM804/605, HP Laserjet compatibles, HP DeskJet, Epson FX80/LX compatible 9 pin, Epson/Panasonic compatible 24 pin, NX1000, Okimate 20. ú Includes Swiss, Dutch, and Typewriter fonts. Fully compatible with scalable and bit-mapped GDOS fonts. ú Compatible with all Atari ST(e)/Mega ST(e)/TT/Falcon030 computers with 1 megabyte of RAM. Atari SLM laser printers require 2 megabytes of RAM. Purchasing and Upgrade information: New owners: $30.00 plus $3.00 shipping and handling. CardFile 4 owners: $20.00 plus $3.00 shipping and handling. Please send original CardFile 4 disk. The disk will be returned with your GEMvelope package. From previous versions: $5.00 plus $1.00 shipping and handling. This includes versions by Synergy Software. Please include your original disk. If you would like a printed manual add $5.00 plus $2.00 shipping and handling. BRiSK Software 8702 Switzer Road Overland Park, KS 66214-1924 (913) 541-0311 phone/fax Internet Email: cysco@tyrell.net -or- J.KRZYSZTOW@genie.com GEnie Email: J.KRZYSZTOW World Wide Web: http://www.tyrell.net/~cysco/brisk.htm?z (C) 1996 BRiSK Software List of new features and problems corrected in GEMvelope 2.96 1) Under Geneva, it is now possible to get to the other windows as well as GEMvelope's menu. 2) When pasting from the clipboard, if the last line doesn't end with the carriage-return line-feed sequence, the last character will no longer be entered twice. 3) Can now be setup with the Install Application feature of most Desktops (including Atari's built-in Desktops). The extension to use for the desktop should be GLP. Please consult your user manual for the Desktop you are using for instructions on how to Install Application. 4) With Cursor to Address selected, the cursor will go to the first line of the address instead of the Return Address. This feature is saved into the GLP file, so you must load, set the option, and save any GEMvelope GLP you wish this option to be enabled for. 5) Added a Clear button to clear the address or the return address. If the cursor is in the return address, it is cleared, and the cursor goes to the first line of the return address. If the cursor is in the address, it is cleared, and the cursor goes to the first line of the address. 6) When deselecting Print Return Address, if the cursor is in the return address it will be moved to the first line of the address. If the cursor is already in the address, it will not move. 7) Changed all the arrows used to change the various offsets to either a plus or a minus, depending on whether the value will increment (+) or decrement (-). 8) Added a communication protocol for other programs to communicate with GEMvelope. This has been added to Gribnif's CardFile as of version 4.08. 9) When pasting, GEMvelope will paste in the return address, if the cursor is in the return address, or it will paste in the address, if the cursor is in the address. 10) All menu items under Edit are now functional. ú Copy will copy either the return address or the address based on the cursor position, to the clipboard. This makes it possible to get addresses out of GEMvelope. ú Cut will copy either the return address or the address based on the cursor position, to the clipboard. This makes it possible to get addresses out of GEMvelope. Then, whatever was copied to the clipboard will be cleared and the cursor will be placed on the first line. ú Paste will paste in the return address if the cursor is in the return address or it will paste in the address if the cursor is in the address. This works like the Paste button. ú Delete will clear the address or the return address. If the cursor is in the return address, it is cleared, and the cursor goes to the first line of the return address. If the cursor is in the address, it is cleared, and the cursor goes to the first line of the address. This works like the Clear button. TRADEMARKS: ATARI ST, MEGA, STE, TT, and TOS are trademarks of registered trademarks of Atari Corporation. GEM and GEM Desktop are trademarks of registered trademarks of Digital Research Inc. All other brand and product names mentioned are trademarks of their respective holders and are acknowledged. Entertainment Section Nintendo News! Bubsy 3D! Tobal 1 Does Battle! And more.... From the Editor's Controller - Playin' it like it is! I talked enough turkey above so I'll dispense with more. It's been a fairly quiet news week. The bit of Jaguar news out there tells us that Breakout 2000 and Towers II are delayed a few more days before they'll start shipping. Jaguar owners having to face delays? Gee, what a novel occurrence! My impression is that these games are going to be short on supply. It's still a battle to get a review copy of each from Telegames word is that there are few eeproms available. It's my guess that we'll have to wait for production copies - if I read between the lines from my latest communications from Telegames. I should have better news sometime next week. Meanwhile, the "official" holiday shopping season starts today and there should be plenty of games, for other systems other than the Jaguar and Nintendo 64, to go around. Enjoy them. Until the next time... Industry News STR Game Console News The Latest Gaming News! Nintendo Says US Dominance Regained TOKYO, JAPAN, 1996 NOV 22 (Newsbytes) -- By Martyn Williams. Despite launching a next generation games console a year after its competitors, and extra competition in the video console market, Nintendo said it has attained a 62 percent share of the next generation games console market in the United States. The data, which the company admits is based on its own data, covers the first six weeks during which the Nintendo 64 was on sale. During the period sales of the system were strong due to its long awaited appearance. While not enough to support a claim of market dominance in the long term, it shows the company has proved many of its critics wrong who said the delays in launch would mean low sales for the company. The company sold 750,000 units in the United States since it launched the Nintendo 64 on September 30, over a year after Sony launched its PlayStation on September 9, 1995. First to market in the US, and Japan, was Sega which launched its Saturn system in May 1995. In total the company said it has sold 2 million units in Japan and the US. This makes Japanese sales of 1,250,000 units since it's June launch. To keep up demand Nintendo is now concentrating on offering new software titles for the system. Over 40 new games are currently on show at "Shoshinkai," a Tokyo exhibition of Nintendo related software and hardware. The company also said Time Magazine had named the Nintendo 64 its "1996 Machine of the Year," a category that covers the entire consumer electronics industry. Nintendo said the magazine judged its console, "has done to video-gaming what the 707 did to air travel." Move Over 2D Arcade Games, Bubsy's Back in 3D! SAN JOSE, CALIF. (Nov. 25) BUSINESS WIRE -Nov. 25, 1996--Jump, fly, climb,run, warp, swim and glide as Bubsy Bobcat, Accolade's wise-cracking star of the Bubsy series, returns in his latest adventure, Bubsy 3D. Bubsy 3D, which starts shipping this week, is the first and only true 3D action platform game on the PlayStation. "Bubsy 3D has more levels, environments, puzzles, animations, characters, moves, and gameplay experiences than any other game of its kind," said Jim Barnett, CEO of Accolade. "With over 80 hours of gameplay, it's certain to be a favorite for the holiday season." Bubsy 3D takes place on the planet Rayon to which Bubsy has been abducted. In order to finish the game, Bubsy must travel through six worlds and 16 huge levels filled with 24 challenging enemies, while collecting his lost rocket parts! Bubsy runs, jumps, swims, flies and soars through a variety of land, air and sea levels, all in true 3D. There are 64 hidden areas,six bonus levels and four bosses for players to encounter along the way. Bubsy 3D offers a cartoon-rich, "go anywhere" 3D environment with unlimited camera angles. All of Bubsy 3D's enemies are also rendered in true 3D. Not available in any other PlayStation platform game, Bubsy 3D offers a one-of-a-kind, first-ever two- player experience. By using a "deathmatch" style of play, players can compete against one another in five speciallevels. Bubsy 3D will be available this week for the Sony PlayStation game console at an estimated street price of $59.95. Mad Catz Receives Sony License for Its Analog Steering Wheel for PlayStation San Diego, CA, November 1996- Mad Catz, Inc. announces Sony Computer Entertainment has officially licensed the Mad Catz Analog Steering Wheel for the Sony PlayStation. The Mad Catz Analog Steering Wheel is the only true analog steering wheel designed with a circular rotating range of 270 degrees. For an incredible driving experience, the Mad Catz Steering Wheel includes True Analog Brake and Accelerator pedals, 8 Activator Buttons, a Stick Shift for action moves and a Directional pad. Rubber Feet on the base of the steering wheel and the foot petals prevent sliding. For aggressive players the Analog Steering Wheel includes suction cups too. The Analog Steering Wheel adds a new dimension of control and realism to PlayStation racing and flight games. The present list of games that recognize the analog wheel are: Ridge Racer, Ridge Racer Revolution, Ridge Rave, Need for Speed, Wipeout, Wipeout XL,Cyber Sled, Air Combat, Formula 1, Monster Truck, Andretti, Die Hard Trilogy, Destruction Derby 2, Hardcore 4*4, Starblade Alpha, NASCAR racing. ....More on the way. The suggested retail price is $69.99 and is available at all fine retail stores throughout the U.S. Mad Catz's goal is to design and manufacture the highest quality products while remaining the low price leader. www.madcatz.com for sales: sales@madcatz.com for technical: tech@madcatz.com PlayStation Competition Brings "Tobal No. 1" FOSTER CITY, CALIF. (Nov. 27) BUSINESS WIRE -Nov. 27, 1996-PlayStation goes head to head with World Championship Wrestling in national tournament. Savage skills, brute strength, hand-to-hand combat requiring monster power and agility -- prowess in the fighting arena where only the strongest survive. Is this an in-your-face brawl between World Championship Wrestling superstars like Hulk Hogan and Randy "Macho Man" Savage, or is it a match from "Tobal No. 1," the new 3-D fighting game created by Squaresoft exclusively for the PlayStation game console? Actually, it's both. Sony Computer Entertainment America and WCW are teaming up in an exciting competitive promotion titled, "WCW/PlayStation Tournament of Champions," which features "Tobal No. 1," the new brawler for the PlayStation game console. "At the core of the promotion is a nationwide sweepstakes in which consumers will have the opportunity to compete in the ultimate PlayStation/Tobal No. 1 challenge," said Jeffrey Fox, senior director, public relations and promotions, Sony Computer Entertainment America. "At the 'Tournament of Champions,' contestants will engage their fellow finalists in virtual combat to determine the ultimate victor in 'Tobal No. 1'." Interested participants will have the opportunity to enter the drawing for the "WCW PlayStation Tournament of Champions" by submitting entry forms at local WCW wrestling events where PlayStation game console kiosks will offer hands-on sampling of the "Tobal No. 1" game. Consumers can also enter by watching participating Turner Broadcast networks for information on how to write-in and win, or by entering either through the WCW Web site at www.wcwwrestling.com or the PlayStation Web site at www.sony.com. Ten lucky winners and their guests, drawn at random from a national pool of entries, will be flown to San Francisco for the WCW SuperBrawl event on Feb. 23, 1997. In addition to the all- expense paid trip, each national dinner will receive a PlayStation game console, plus PlayStation and WCW branded premiums. The grand prize winner will receive a Sony camcorder, a library of 10 PlayStation titles and a private lunch with a member of the world famous WCW team. "Tobal No. 1" is one of the most complex winner-takes-all fighting games in the video game arena. This title marks Squaresoft's first venture into the "fighting" world. "Tobal No. 1" features a full 360-degree movement Battle System which allows gamers to have absolute control within a 3-D environment, offering a full range of motions and the ability to attack opponents from all angles. The game's unique Grappling technique redefines the meaning ofhand-to-hand combat that enhances the tournament's physical nature, as competitors head-butt, body slam and knee bash their way to the championship title. 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. Well, I did it again this year... I gorged myself on turkey and all the trimmings (I just love turkey! The trimmings you kind of have to eat to keep from hurting anyone's feelings ) and now I sit here feeling like I'm going to explode. Oh well, I'll feel better tomorrow. Then I can start on cold turkey sandwiches and turkey soup and hot open- faced turkey sandwiches (or just 'turkey-face' sandwiches, as my youngest sister used to call them when she was younger)... and, well, you get the idea. I hope that your Thanksgiving Day was special or, at least, safe. It seems that every year during the holidays I see more and more people on the road that really shouldn't be. I'm not talking about people who are driving under te influence of alcohol or some psycho-active chemical, I'm talking about people just plain not paying attention to what they, or anyone else, are doing. Please, please, please, for the next four weeks or so pay attention not only to what you are doing, but to what the other guy is doing as well. We'll all be a lot happier if you do. Well, I'll jump down off of my soapbox now and get to all the news, hints, tips, and info available every week right here on CompuServe. From the Atari Computing Forums Gene Douglass asks for tech info: "I have an Atari 8 bit system, and I want to upgrade my monitor and set up a Pentium system to run next to it, are there any high quality SVGA Monitors that can also hook up separated video Chroma-Lumina, sound to it as well as the Pentium, I want to run both systems on the same monitor with just the flick of a switch. Thanks very much. I have no room on my desk for another monitor. I plan on getting a Tower Pentium to go under my desk." Albert Dayes tells Gene: "The only monitors I can think of are the multi-media type which accept composite video as input in addition to RGB. They usually cost quite a bit and usually only support 640 x 480 resolution on the computer side which is usually not acceptable in most situations. You look at multi-media monitors from Sony, Panasonic, Mitsubishi, Philips, for those type of features. The other issue is these monitors are usually are very high priced...Another method you might consider is a TV/card for the PC which can accept composite video as input. Then you can run composite video in a window on your PC." Last week, Mark Showalter asked: " Two other questions: 1: How do I set up LOGIN.SCR for TYMNET? This under the LOGIN VIA on the config set-up screen. I treid this before w/o this option, but couldn't find any way to make the necessary modem changes, as in 8/n/1 from 7/e/1 from accessing TYMNET. 2: Is there a particular editor to use for the editor option? I would like to be able to write all my e-mail & post messages offf-line, then let ol' QUICKCIS do it's stuff. Is this possible?" Our friend Myles Cohen tells Mark: "I am unable to answer [about TYMNET] since I have never had the need...I was under the impression that this was covered in the program docs...but if not...suggest that you contact Jim Ness again... Particular editor? Absolutely...Right now I use EDITPLUS 3.13 which was formerly known as EDHAK in previous versions...and a usable (with QuickCIS) demo can be downloaded from CIS...Look for EDITPLUS or EDHAK... Another program that improves the ease of use of QCIS is QCMSG 2.41a. It is another program that can be downloaded from these LIBS on CIS... If you are not using version 1.72 Beta 3 of QuickCIS...I suggest you download and use that..." Alvin Baligad tells Myles: "Thank you for the info...Is this in the library now? Does it allow graphic interface with CServe that the other guys have? Or is it still ASCII? Sorry for all the Q's, but this is the first time I"ve heard of this and I am very interested.... Is the ATari Web browser in the library, too?" Myles tells Alvin: "Yes...But since CIS adopted new protocols, it takes a few work arounds to get it working up to snuff...For instance: I have to load in a special MAIL.CNF file with just one Section in it (MAIL)...because once it visits MAIL, QuickCis will just hang there and not go on to the other sections in the CNF file...the nice thing is that QCIS allows you to load in different CNF files...You may not know what I am talking about but perhaps this clue might be of help to others who are having the problem... Another work-around that I have to sometimes do when there are files to be downloaded that have those long names...is to load the FILES.LST into a word processor after I have chosen the ones I want and type the names in correctly and then save it back to my SUPPORT file before I try to download...else I get the unable- to-find message... Still only ASCII but it does do that beautifully... Web Browser? I think so...but I don't know if it is perfected yet...I think my very good friend, Joe Mirando, has been fooling around with that...and can tell you more...I'm sure he'll be reading this and will give you a reply... What I do know is that there seems to be a new version coming out every six minutes and that the configuration is a royal pain..." You know, Thanksgiving has always been a special holiday for me. It's the holiday when you get to see old friends and relatives. It is especially fitting then that Myles' post appears in this issue, since I consider him one of my best online friends. I do, as Myles said, find the message and reply: "...You are quite correct about the current incarnations of the web browsers available right now... they are a royal pain. In the first place, none of them now support a PPP connection, and a PPP connection is exactly what you need to surf the web CompuServe-style. One of them does allow a workaround, but you must use MiNTnet instead of TOS. This is a first- class pain to use and slows the system down by a noticeable amount. In short, none of the currently available browsers is a really good bet right now. The program you mentioned that seems to have a new configuration coming out every six minutes is CAB (Crystal Atari Browser).. I can only assume that they picked the name because, if you don't handle it just right, it'll shatter! There is one bright spot however. Oxo Concept of Switzerland is now promoting their program, WebMaster, which is supposed to work on any Atari ST(e)/TT/Falcon with one meg or more of memory. There is a demo available, but it is compiled for 68030 processors only (TT and Falcon). This move didn't make sense to me, so I sent email to the authors to ask why the put out a demo for 68030s instead of 68000 CPUs. The TT and Falcon would be able to make use of the same 68000 version that would enable the rest of us to check it out. I've received no answer from them yet, and to be honest, I don't expect to. I've sent them several pieces of email since they announced WebMaster and have not received a reply to any of them. If anyone else would like to check out the demo I can upload it here, or if you have access to the web elsewhere you can get it from the CNAM.FR FTP site (FTP.CNAM.FR). Their web address is: http://www.oxo.ch The primary page is in french, but there is a link to take you to an english version burried in the "products" page. I _will_ keep everyone informed of any progress that I hear about, so if you don't hear from me and wonder if you missed it, drop me email and ask! There are also one or two north american developers that I've tried to interest in disigning a web browser for the ST, but it's a huge undertaking and very few developers have the manpower to put into a project like this... But I'm still hammering at them anyway! " Jonathan Moberly asks for internet/Atari help: "We are trying to get a Mega4 running with some basic internet software. The problem is, we have no way of getting even basic COMMS software into the machine except via floppy disc. We can get the COMMS software from the internet. But we can only access the internet to do this via a MAC or a PC. So we want to download the Mega4-ST compatible COMMS software from the internet onto the MAC or PC and then transfer it via floppy disc to the Mega4. This means EITHER the Mega4 should read MAC or PC floppies, OR the MAC or PC should be able to format and write to ST-TOS format. We do not think that the Mega4 will read MAC or PC (although we are still testing this - maybe there is a way built into the OS??). So... does anyone here know of any software for the MAC or PC that can read/write/format for the ST???" Myles Cohen tells Jonathan: 1. Format a 720K disk on your PC... 2. Copy the files to that disk.. 3. Now use that disk to move files between your PC and your Atari..." That's right folks, it's as simple as that. Now Jack Hughes asks for info on file transfer errors: "Attempts to d/l a rather large file today have consistently been plagued with CRC errors. Four on the ~ 700000 byte file. And of course it would not unzip! Am I correct in assuming that it is phone line noise that is the problem? or is it a problem with the file? The errors do not occur at the same place in the file. For the record it is the CAB file, WWW130.ZIP @ 700416 bytes. My understanding of error correction is that the modem did that. Maybe not. I have a Cardinal 14.4 which I think supports V.42." Albert Dayes asks Jack: " I assume you are using STZIP v2.06 to unzip the file? What protocol are you using? I assume compuserve B+?" Jack tells Albert: "I am using STZIP v2.06, but Y-modem. Have to do some study to get B+ going. Is it faster?" Albert replies: "I have found CIS B protocol to be more reliable than the others on Compuserve. It seems very fast for what I need it for. I have not compared the different protocols except for ones that did not cause me too many errors. I have not had any problems except for minor ones that were user error." Sysop Jim Ness adds this bit about error correction: "The modem does error correction, but only if your modem and CompuServe's agree to do so. Sometimes, noise is bad enough that the modem's can't negotiate properly. Depending on your modem's command set, there is usually a command that requires error correction, or no connection. That's the way mine is set up. In my case, I would put \N2 in the init or dial string." Dan Parrish tells Jack: "If I am not mistaken (from what I remember) using CIS B+ with Stalker is the easiest thing in the world. It is built into Stalker (for all practical purposes that is). I believe you just need to click on CIS B+ and Z-modem. and the rest is automatic. Also, I believe for the CIS B+ download it will automatically set your on-line session at 8N1 if you aren't using that configuration already. But switch over to CIS B+ and try again. Also the Stalker manual is quite good with explaining those things." Well folks, that's it for this week. I think I'm going to hit the kitchen and see if there's anything to eat like maybe....TURKEY! C'mon back next week, same time, same station, and be ready to listen to what they are saying when... PEOPLE ARE TALKING EDITORIAL QUICKIES IT'S THE HOLIDAY SEASON. USE A DESIGNATED DRIVER! THEY REALLY ARE LIFESAVERS!! STReport International OnLine Magazine [S]ilicon [T]imes [R]eport HTTP://WWW.STREPORT.COM AVAILABLE through the Internet and OVER 200,000 BBS SYSTEMS All Items quoted, in whole or in part, are done so under the provisions of The Fair Use Law of The Copyright Laws of the U.S.A. Views, Opinions and Editorial Articles presented herein are not necessarily those of the editors/staff of STReport International OnLine Magazine. Permission to reprint articles is hereby granted, unless otherwise noted. Reprints must, without exception, include the name of the publication, date, issue number and the author's name. STR, CPU, STReport and/or portions therein may not be edited, used, duplicated or transmitted in any way without prior written permission. STR, CPU, STReport, at the time of publication, is believed reasonably accurate. STR, CPU, STReport, are trademarks of STReport and STR Publishing Inc. STR, CPU, STReport, its staff and contributors are not and cannot be held responsible in any way for the use or misuse of information contained herein or the results obtained therefrom. STReport "YOUR INDEPENDENT NEWS SOURCE" November 29, 1996 Since 1987 Copyrightc1996 All Rights Reserved Issue No. 1248