Silicon Times Report "The Original Independent Online Magazine" (Since 1987) June 27, 1997 No.1326 Silicon Times Report International Magazine Post Office Box 6672 Jacksonville, Florida 32205-6155 R.F. Mariano, Editor STR Publishing, Inc. Voice: 1-904-292-9222 10am-5pm EST FAX: 904-268-2237 24hrs STReport WebSite http://www.streport.com STR Publishing's FTP Support Server 10gb - Back Issues - Patches - Support Files (Continually Updated) ftp.streport.com Anonymous Login ok - Use your Email Address as a Password Check out STReport's NEWS SERVER NEWS.STREPORT.COM Have you tried Microsoft's Powerful and Easy to Use Internet Explorer? Internet Explorer is STReport's Official Internet Web Browser. STReport is prepared and published Using MS Office 97, Corel Office Perfect 8 & Adobe Acrobat Pro Featuring a Full Service Web Site http://www.streport.com Voted TOP TEN Ultimate WebSite Join STReport's Subscriber List receive STReport Via Email on The Internet Toad Hall BBS 1-617-567-8642 06/27/97 STR 1326 Celebrating Our Tenth Anniversary 1987-97! - CPU Industry Report - Corel NewsWire - Shareware Listings - Net Gambling Shakey - Gateway to Buy ALR - Compaq Buys Tandem - CISCO still BUYING - Digital Coupons - McAfee 6/22 Update - UnAbashed Atariophile - People Talking - Classics & Gaming CDA UN-Constitutional! `NET Censor Bills Nixed in NY & GA! Mayors Fight Net Tax Ban! STReport International Magazine Featured Weekly "Accurate UP-TO-DATE News and Information" Current Events, Original Articles, Tips, Rumors, and Information Hardware - Software - Corporate - R & D - Imports Adobe Acrobat Pro 3.0 Please obtain the latest issue from our Auto Subscription, Web Site or FTP Site. 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. 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 1987-1997 Florida Lotto - LottoMan v1.35 Results: 06/21/97: three of six numbers with four 2 number matches From the Editor's Desk... Next week.. The USA will celebrate July Fourth, the birthday of our Great Nation. Also next week, the world will be witness to the beginning of the death of one of the most wonderful, magic filled cities in the Orient. The blood encrusted jackboot of the Chinese Red Army will be so firmly planted in the heart of Hong Kong that we will be able to hear the moans `round the world. Oh, not immediately, that would embarrass the connectionist who "gave away" Hong Kong to the beast known as Mao Tse Tung's Red China. To those of you who wish to see Red China a world power, all that can be said is either you are one of "them" or, you are among the world's most uninformed. Then again, it may be that you are only another in the long line of those who proclaim "peace at any price". Concessions made unto tyrant nations have never resulted in "peace", they've resulted in all out war. Anybody remember the last time concessions were made to a tyrant nation which resulted in World War? Can you say Nazi Germany's Adolph Hitler and the UK's Neville Chamberlain and now, because of Margaret Thatcher's Hong Kong give-away concessions are we to see History's dark side be repeated in a few short years? Our own government's bestowing MFN (most favored nation) status for trading purposes is a hypocrisy of the highest magnitude. We are offering concessions to Red Chine for opportunity to enrich ourselves and fatten Red China's treasury. This also sounds very familiar. Does anyone out there know what became of the old, Third Avenue (BMT) Elevated Rail Line in Manhattan? It like much other scrap steel available for sale from the US was sold to Japan. It soon came back to haunt us and the world in the form of new naval warships. Now, it appears we use the MFN status for China as a cudgel over Japan in efforts to balance trade deficits. MFN for a nation who is selling SCUD missiles to middle eastern nations ready willing and able to use them against Israel, a faithful long time ally of the US. Red China, a nation who has aided North Korea develop its small but effective nuclear arsenal. Red China, a nation which at every opportunity intimidates the Free Chinese in Taiwan and taunts the US with aggressive displays of military might. Red China, a nation who exports Nuclear Technology to enemies of the free world. Red China, a nation who has slaughtered thousands of its citizens in Tienemen Square when they protested the oppressive government they are forced to survive under. So horrible was the slaughter Tienemen Square, World News telecast videtapes of the tanks and other armored vehicles driving right over the people and countless dead bodies in the square. Red China, in a massive propaganda campaign, told the world the demonstration was "peaceful and without major incident". While, at the same time, its agents were scouring the world attempting to capture, arrest and return to China those protest leaders who escaped the "police action" in the square. This is a nation that the UK "GIVES" Hong Kong to? This is a nation that US plays kissy- kissy with?? Red China is the nation that should, just like Iraq, Iran and North Korea be embargoed until they shrivel up and either die or, their populations replace the animals currently in power. Here's an STReport prediction.. Within five years, the oppression, subterfuge and human rights abuse emanating in Hong Kong at Red China's direction will surpass much of what history has recorded worldwide in the last decade. It becomes almost impossible to believe today's governments are allowing History to embark upon the path of repetition. The World is, once again, heading for a rude awakening. When will the goofy politicians realize the "chasing of the almighty buck", coupled with "peace at any price" and then topped off with "slaughter engendering concessions" make for the "perfect formula" for another World Wide Conflagration? Please enjoy your Fourth of July Weekend. I know we will. After all, it's a double holiday for us. Its also mine and my son Ralph's birthday. I pray to God . may we enjoy many, many more Fourth and Birthdays while enjoying World Peace and for peace, prosperity and serenity for the City of Hong Kong.. Ralph... Of Special Note: http://www.streport.com ftp.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/FTP Site, 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. You'll be pleased to know you are able to download STReport directly from our very own FTP SERVER or WEB Site. While there, be sure to join our STR AutoMailer list which allows a choice of either ASCII or Acrobat PDF. STReport's managing editors DEDICATED TO SERVING YOU! Ralph F. Mariano, Publisher - Publisher, Editor Dana P. Jacobson, Editor, Current Affairs Section Editors PC Section Mac Section Shareware Listings R.F. Mariano Help Wanted Lloyd E. Pulley Classics & Gaming Kid's Computing Corner Dana P. Jacobson Frank Sereno STReport Staff Editors Michael R. Burkley Joseph Mirando Victor Mariano Vincent P. O'Hara Glenwood Drake Contributing Correspondents Jason Sereno Jeremy Sereno Daniel Stidham David H. Mann Angelo Marasco Donna Lines Brian Boucher Leonard Worzala Please submit ALL letters, rebuttals, articles, reviews, etc., via E-Mail w/attachment to: Internet rmariano@streport.com STR FTP ftp.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 Court Backs Online Free Speech In an historic decision, the U.S. Supreme Court today ruled the rights of free speech are guaranteed in cyberspace. The high court says a controversial federal law that attempted to restrict access to "smut" on the Internet is unconstitutional. The 7-2 ruling marks the first time the Supreme Court has granted full constitutional free-speech protections under the First Amendment to the communications on the global Internet. Within minutes of the ruling's announcement, praises of the court were being sung by computer industry representatives, including CompuServe Inc.'s Denny Matteucci, president of Interactive Services, who said, "The court has placed the responsibility of online/Internet use with parents." CompuServe, he said, has always been concerned about access by minors to online materials deemed unsuitable by their parents and "we have been providing the technological solutions to make these individual choices easy to accomplish and will continue to do so." Said Matteucci, "This precedent-setting victory also underscores the court's understanding that the Internet is a global communications tool, one not subject to regulation by any one government." Writing for the Reuter News Service, reporter James Vicini notes the decision affirms last year's ruling by a three-judge federal court in Philadelphia that all key parts of the so-called "Communications Decency Act of 1996" violated free-speech rights, amounting to illegal government censorship. Today's decision, Vicini comments, also "dealt the Clinton administration a major defeat by declaring unconstitutional the law that bans the dissemination of sexually explicit material to anyone younger than 18." Speaking for the court's majority in the 40-page opinion, Justice John Paul Stevens wrote, "Notwithstanding the legitimacy and importance of the congressional goal of protecting children from harmful materials, we agree ... that the statute abridges 'freedom of speech' protected by the First Amendment." The measure at issue would have levied fines of up to $250,000 and two-year prison terms to those convicted of distributing to minors indecent or "patently offensive" materials on the Internet. Actually, though, the CDA never took effect because it was blocked by that three-judge panel. Today's ruling is a major victory for the American Civil Liberties Union and groups representing libraries, publishers and the computer online industry, including CompuServe, all of which came together to bring the suit challenging the law. ACLU attorney Stefan Presser told Reuters, "Essentially the Supreme Court of the United States took an idea from the 18th century -- that is, free speech -- and said it has enduring quality, and will extend into the 21st century, because government will not be allowed to censor what's on the Internet." The court, citing cyberspace's unique characteristics as a public forum for the exchange of ideas and information, said the Internet deserved full First Amendment protection. The justices rejected arguments that the Net is similar to the television and radio industries, where there has been a history of extensive government regulation and where indecent speech may be restricted. Stevens wrote the CDA was "a content-based regulation of speech," adding, "The vagueness of such a regulation raises special First Amendment concerns because of its obvious chilling effect on free speech. As a matter of constitutional tradition ... we presume that governmental regulation of the content of speech is more likely to interfere with the free exchange of ideas than to encourage it." Joining Stevens in the majority were justices Antonin Scalia, Anthony M. Kennedy, David H. Souter, Clarence Thomas, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen G. Breyer. Chief Justice William Rehnquist and Justice Sandra Day O'Connor agreed that the law was unconstitutional in that it would restrict adults' access to material they otherwise would be entitled to see. Vicini says O'Connor, writing for the two, said they would invalidate the law only in those circumstances. That part of the court's ruling was unanimous. However, O'Connor also said for the two dissenters that she would uphold other restrictions that prohibited the use of indecent speech in communications between an adult and one or more minors. Meanwhile, Associated Press writer Laurie Asseo quotes the Stevens majority ruling as saying in online chat rooms "any person with a phone line can become a town crier with a voice that resonates farther than it could from any soapbox." The justice added the government's argument that offensive material on the Internet was driving people away was "singularly unpersuasive," adding that the growth of the Internet has been "phenomenal." Of course, the free-speech debate about "indecent" material online is not over. There already is talk of a new "court-proof" bill being introduced by Congress. Also, Cable News Network notes that the fight may be shifting to the local arena. More than 20 state legislatures already have fashioned their own legislation to regulate Internet speech, many of which face legal challenges, of course, with the ACLU contending states cannot regulate speech over the Internet, a global system. Finally, on that point, United Press International finds significant in today's ruling the fact that the Supreme Court is on the record with its first definition of the Internet as global. Says the Stevens ruling, "The Internet is an international network of interconnected computers." Justice Stevens further commented, "The Internet is 'a unique and wholly new medium of worldwide human communication.'" Online Services Applaud Decision The major online services are unanimously praising the Supreme Court decision to overturn the Communications Decency Act. "The Court has placed the responsibility of online/Internet use with parents," says Denny Matteucci, president of interactive services for CompuServe Inc. "CompuServe has always been concerned about access by minors to online materials deemed unsuitable by their parents. We have been providing the technological solutions to make these individual choices easy to accomplish and will continue to do so. This precedent-setting victory also underscores the court's understanding that the Internet is a global communications tool, one not subject to regulation by any one government." George Vradenburg, senior vice president and general counsel of America Online Inc., notes, "The Court today emphasized three important points: the roles of parents, technology and existing laws. We agree that the court's reliance on parents and technology offers the best way for us to protect children." Vradenburg adds, "This decision gives us an opportunity to come together as an industry to work even harder on reaching our goal of protecting children. We're confident that our industry is well on the way to building solutions that will ensure a safe, rewarding online experience for families and children." Prodigy Inc. Vice President and General Counsel Marc Jacobson notes, "This ruling represents a victory for the freedom of speech of every American. We're pleased that the nation's highest court has confirmed lower-court rulings that the CDA is unconstitutional and that the Internet deserves the highest level of protection." Senate Advances Computer Bill A bill calling for continued regulation of computer encryption programs has been moved ahead by the Senate Commerce Committee, drawing fire from industry groups, including the powerful Business Software Alliance. Reporting for The Associated Press, writer Cassandra Burrell notes that over BSA objections, the committee sent the Senate a bill "that would give makers of encryption devices strong incentives to provide law enforcement with ways to crack their codes." The BSA immediately called the vote a "significant step backwards," telling AP the measure would endanger U.S. companies' ability to compete with foreign businesses that export their most powerful privacy products without restriction. Under the new bill, businesses would get permission to export their most sophisticated products easier and quicker if they make available decoding "keys" to law enforcement. Government investigators would not be able to gain access to keys without subpoenas, under the bill. "Products without keys would face a more extensive review by the Commerce Department," says Burrell, adding, "Exceptions could be granted by the president if similar foreign products are widely available." But the BSA believes that although the bill's supporters say the key system is voluntary, it effectively is not. In a written statement, the trade group said, "If passed into law, it would further tie the hands of businesses and individuals, forcing them to use a costly, unstable key recovery system vulnerable to criminals and hackers, allowing potentially insecure third-party access." Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, and Sen. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, sponsors of the bill, say the Clinton administration has threatened to veto other bills moving through Congress that do not include a key system. Said McCain, "It will be fruitless to move a bill that will never become law. I am a supporter of a free market, but the free market cannot be allowed to act in a manner that is contrary to our nation's security needs." However, an opponent, Sen. John Ashcroft, R-Missouri, likened the measure to an attempt to "outlaw photography because somebody takes dirty pictures." Burrell says a House bill that bars the government from requiring a key system is expected to be taken up by a House subcommittee next week. Judge Slams Encryption Policy A federal judge in San Francisco says government policies restricting transmission of computer encryption programs are no better than the rules she last year declared to be unconstitutional. United Press International reports U.S. District Judge Marilyn Hall Patel did not issue a ruling at the end of a hearing in San Francisco earlier this week, but did indicate she will find the regulations to be in violation of free speech protections. At issue is a suit by professor Daniel Bernstein of the University of Illinois at Chicago who wants to publish his encryption program on the Internet, primarily affects software companies that seek to export the technology. In April 1996, Judge Patel rocked government and computer circles by ruling computer codes -- including encryption -- are a form of expression. The wire notes encryption is often used to send computer messages that scrambled so that they can be read only by someone with a decoding program. Feds Exempt Microsoft, Netscape The federal government has given Microsoft Corp. and Netscape Communications Corp. an important exception to export Internet software for electronic banking that contains more powerful encryption capabilities than had previously been allowed. Reporting in The Wall Street Journal this morning, writers Dean Takahashi and David Bank notes the Commerce Department approval means both companies will avoid the expense of maintaining two versions of their Internet software, one for domestic use and one for export. "More significantly," they write, "it puts them on an even playing field with foreign competitors, some of whom have won customers simply by adding stronger encryption to U.S.-made products." These are the first to be issued under a policy announced last month by William Reinsch, undersecretary for export administration, that loosens export controls on encryption technology for financial institutions as part of an effort to spur international electronic commerce. The new policy is limited to financial institutions and does not, for instance, allow the export of technology to enable individuals to talk to other individuals using the most sophisticated security technology. As reported earlier, makers of those types of applications can receive licenses to export strong encryption technology only if they include measures to allow government authorities to recover the keys needed to decode electronic messages. Says the paper, "Financial institutions, which are not required to have such 'key recovery' plans, have insisted they need more powerful encryption to stay ahead of the code-breaking skills of hackers and criminals. The new products from Netscape and Microsoft use keys for encoding and decoding messages that are 128 bits, or characters, in length. Such keys are many times more difficult to crack than 64-bit keys, the previous limit for financial institutions." House Advances Encryption Bill The U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate appear to be on a collision course in the data encryption debate. Late yesterday, the House International Relations Subcommittee on International Economic Policy and Trade approved a measure to lift most encryption export restrictions. The action comes less than a week after a similar bill in the Senate to relax encryption-export controls was torpedoed when the Senate Commerce Committee approved a substitute, sponsored by Nebraska Democrat Bob Kerrey and Arizona Republican John McCain. That bill would only modestly ease export restrictions and would effectively allow the government to crack encrypted messages in the United States by gaining access to the software keys. Writing for the Newsbytes computer news service, reporter Bill Pietrucha notes the House subcommittee voted 14-1 yesterday to okay the Security and Freedom through Encryption (SAFE) Act of 1997, H.R. 695, which would allow US manufacturers to freely export encryption products. Sponsored by Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Virginia), the bill unanimously passed the House of Representatives Courts and Intellectual Property subcommittee in early May, clearing the way for a full House Judiciary Committee vote. With more than 133 co-sponsors, the House bill now is awaiting action by the full International Relations Committee and the Intelligence Committee. Says Pietrucha, "The legislation may receive a full court press from the Clinton Administration, however, when it reaches the full International Relations Committee after the Fourth of July Congressional recess . The administration's strong arm tactics were evident last Thursday, June 19, when a compromise bill on encryption exports, S. 909, the Secure Public Networks Act, passed the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee." Pietrucha says the Senate bill "is an attempt to find the middle road on encryption policy," adding, "The bill would relax encryption controls to only a 56-bit key length, and would require encryption software used by the federal government, or purchased with federal funds for public use, to include key recovery software." Judge Knocks Down N.Y. Net Law A federal judge has decided that a New York state law threatening cyberspace pedophiles with prison terms is well-intentioned but unconstitutional. Blocking enforcement of the law in a temporary injunction issued late yesterday, U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska said the Internet cannot become cluttered by conflicting and confusing state-by-state legislation. Associated Press writer Larry McShane says the judge wrote in her decision, "The protection of children from pedophilia is an entirely valid and laudable goal of state legislation. The New York act's attempts to effectuate that goal, however, fall afoul of the (federal) Commerce Clause." As noted earlier, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule this month on federal Internet legislation. Signed into law by Gov. George Pataki nine months ago, the New York legislation attempted to make it a crime to send sexually explicit materials to children via computer: ú Adults soliciting children for sex via the Internet faced felony prosecution under the law. ú Those convicted of such crimes faced up to seven years in prison. The state has not prosecuted anyone for violating the statute. Ann Beeson, national staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, which filed suit to overturn the law, praised the judge's decision, telling AP, "This is a very important victory. It sends a really strong message out to state legislatures that you can't pass laws to censor the Internet." Meanwhile, also yesterday a federal judge ruled a Georgia law barring people from using false identities on the Internet can be challenged in court. AP says U.S. District Judge Marvin Shoob denied the state's motion to dismiss the suit filed by the ACLU and others. That law, which took effect last July, makes it illegal to use pseudonyms in computer messages. ACLU attorney Gerry Weber told the wire service, "This law is susceptible to selective prosecution that will stifle the speech of those who need anonymity the most -- people in support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous, victims of domestic violence, people with AIDS." The law also makes it a crime for someone to use a company's trademark or symbol without permission. AP says the judge also prohibited the state from enforcing the law until there is a trial. Mayors Fight Net Tax Ban Federal legislation that would prevent state and local governments from slapping new taxes on Internet transactions is being opposed by the nation's mayors. Meeting in San Francisco this week, the U.S. Conference of Mayors has adopted without debate a policy resolution by Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and Dallas Mayor Ronald Kirk that opposes establishment of an unlimited moratorium on state and local government taxation of electronic transactions. The Reuter News Service reports the resolution also urges the Clinton administration and Congress to delay taking action on the issue until "thorough and impartial" studies were completed. As reported, Rep. Christopher Cox, R-California, and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, earlier this year introduced identical bills to impose an indefinite moratorium on state and local taxation of commerce over the Internet. (Their bill would not affect existing taxes on goods and services ordered through the Internet, as long as the taxes were the same as those on mail order goods.) Last month, Deputy Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers told a congressional hearing the administration strongly supports the "goals and underlying objectives" of the legislation. However, U.S. mayors's resolution contends the bill intrudes on their powers and create budget problems. "The U.S. Conference of Mayors supports the growth of legitimate, wholesome commerce on the Internet," says the resolution, but "the proposed federal legislation would create a virtually unprecedented intrusion into inherently local affairs." Net Gambling Eyed With Alarm Wisconsin's state attorney general says he is alarmed that widespread Internet gambling could become reality soon, potentially raking in hundreds of billions of dollars. Speaking to the National Association of Attorneys General meeting this week in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, James Doyle said rapid progress is being made in overcoming technological barriers to gambling on the Net -- such as slow speed and problems with exchanging money -- opening the prospect of home computers becoming gambling machines. Reporter Adrian Croft of the Reuter News Service quotes Doyle as saying, "The great concern here is that in a very short period of time, people will have in essence a video gambling machine in their own home and they can go and lose $500, $1,000, $1,500 just as their evening's entertainment instead of sitting down in front of a television set. "That's going to put enormous pressures on us in the states," he added, "not only law enforcement, but the kind of social problems, financial problems that that creates. You will be able to play a video blackjack game sitting in your home." Doyle says if Internet gambling takes off, huge amounts of money could change hands, adding, "I think there's no doubt you're dealing with hundreds of billions of dollars ... The amount of money we're talking about is just astronomical." Croft reports a report prepared for the attorney general association by staff members says that in the last year, technological advances had brought widespread gambling on the Internet -- a global network of computer networks -- closer to reality. Adds the report, "The question is no longer whether there will be gambling available on the Internet, but when it will be available and what states can and should do when it gets here." Reuters says Net gambling is illegal in most states, "although some states' gambling laws are outdated and may not apply to the Internet." Doyle, who co-chairs NAAG's Internet Working Group, said that unlike traditional forms of gambling, Internet gambling is difficult to detect and difficult to regulate, adding said there are only limited forms of gambling on the Internet now, but "we think we are a very short time away from having much more wide open gambling." Vandal Shuts Down Microsoft Site An intruder was able to briefly shut down Microsoft Corp.'s World Wide Web site last week by apparently taking advantage of a flaw in the company's Internet server software. The Wall Street Journal this morning quotes a Microsoft spokesman at the Redmond, Washington, headquarters as saying this is the first time the popular Internet site had ever been taken down maliciously. The Journal reports the attack began Thursday, and the intruder "was twice able to disrupt some of the server computers that run the company's Web site." The paper adds the disruption lasted only about 10 minutes, "but the company said users also may have encountered problems because it currently is upgrading its servers." Microsoft marketing director Mike Nash told the paper that because of a flaw in the company's Internet server software, someone could shut down a Web site using the software by typing in a specific Web address, or URL. "These disruptive URLs," says the Journal, "are very lengthy - between 8,000 and 14,000 characters long -- and vary from computer to computer. Hackers can write programs to test many combinations and find the right URL." The Journal notes Microsoft had posted software to fix the bug by Friday, the day after the flaw was discovered. Nash said getting an afflicted Web site running again involves simply rebooting the computer. Chile Skirts Gag Order by Net In Chile, a judge's widely criticized gag order in one of the country's most sensational court cases is being skirted by a newspaper through use of the Internet. "In a move unprecedented in Chile," says the Reuter News Service in a report from Santiago, "La Tercera opened a site on the World Wide Web to give readers the stories it would have published on its front page if a judge had not barred the news media from reporting on a money-laundering case." At issue is the case of businessman Mario Silva Leiva -- known as the Horse Racing Kid because of his penchant for betting on horses -- who is accused of leading a multimillion-dollar drug trafficking and money-laundering ring. La Tercera national editor Luis Alvarez told the wire service, "The information we are including (on the Web site) is a journalistic coup that would have been splashed over the paper but that we can't publish because of the gag rule." Reuters says Judge Beatriz Pedrals imposed the news blackout last week, three months after Silva was arrested in what police called their biggest blow against the drug trade in Chile. The country has so far been spared the violence and corruption associated with drug-trafficking elsewhere in Latin America. Alvarez said the newspaper had to create the Web site (http://www.infochile.com/tercer a) through an intermediary in New York to avoid legal tangles. The paper's lawyers believe "that the judge's authority does not go beyond the border of Chile," he said. Tornado Advanced Warning system Donated to Public Safety Fort Smith, Arkansas, June 9, 1997; 12 Noon - Neutronics Technologies Corporation, an international leader of Artificial Intelligence research, is announcing the donation of its patent rights and claims to the Tornado Advance Warning System, better known as TAWS, to the public, and the donation of the experimental equipment designed in the TAWS research process to the City of Fort Smith's, Old Fort Museum April 21, 1996 Tornado Exhibit. Neutronics Technologies Corporation CEO, Lee Kent Hempfling stated: "It has always been our goal with TAWS to save lives. In order to speed up that goal we have decided to give TAWS away. We will provide the method, the process and the details of the TAWS system to any organization, domestic or foreign, wishing to use it to save lives. We will cooperate fully in helping whomever chooses to accept TAWS as a responsibility with the development of the system and our company will provide teaching expertise for the staff chosen to install and operate it. In addition, we will permit our provisional patent application for TAWS to expire without further activity on our part and we will grant the TAWS technology to public domain". NTC will provide the plans for the TAWS sensor and siren units to any organization willing to manufacture them without paying license costs to NTC. NTC's primary business is its CORE(tm) processor which will not be included for use in the process. TAWS will function with relatively primitive computer technology, even though it was designed to be used with NTC's state of the art CORE(tm) processor. The CORE(tm) processor handles a minimum of 3.24 trillion bits per second in a 28 hertz loop within a logic system known as Triologic capable of an exponential increase in processing power over and above the first generation of CORE(tm) products. CORE(tm) stands for Correlational Opposition Ratio Enhanced Technology. The company will however, assist with development of a less advanced computer program, to be used with TAWS, should the CORE(tm) processor not be used. NTC will retain its other patent procedures and technology, and is requiring only that the system be called TAWS. However, NTC will not exercise its trademark rights to the TAWS name, nor will any organization be required to acknowledge or reference NTC for this privilege. The continued loss of life and property due to tornado activity is proof positive that the tornado warning systems currently in operation are clearly inadequate. TAWS is unique in that it takes into account the fact that in tornado prone areas of the country watches and warnings are sounded frequently and many times are either false or not applicable to the part of the county they are heard in. Residents become accustomed to the false alarms. Soon, the sirens sound and the residents are left wondering if it was just another false alarm or if it was a warning intended for another part of the county. With the present systems that are in place, residents have no way of knowing whether they should or should not take action; whether their location is in danger or whether it is not. Thus, many choose to do nothing and risk death. The current systems reduce residents sense of urgency instead of heightening it. What is needed is a system that takes into account these human tendencies. TAWS provides a system of stepped awareness. When a watch is issued nothing happens. Before an official warning is issued, level one activates with beeping sounds that increase in volume as the threat increases from all sensor arrays in the area. If an official warning is issued TAWS will activate level two sounds from each sensor location. If no rotation is present in the TAWS area, alarms do not increase to level three. But, if rotation is sensed in the TAWS area, or nearly approaching it, sensor sounds split and change to a level three siren sound with only the zones effected by the rotation issuing level three sounds. The level three siren sounds increase in volume as the threat increases. When there is a vortex formation observed level four will sound from the sensors effected by it in a high pitch warble with the initial design also providing voice announcing ability for the areas effected so emergency dispatchers can actually talk to the citizens. The residents in those zones know it is THEIR home in danger not some false alarm and not some other part of the county. All they have to do is drive toward a lower level sound. After the recent tornado caused disasters it is clear to see that what is needed is a more advanced warning system; a system that takes human nature into account. For more information about TAWS visit the NTC WEB site at http://www.neutronicstechcorp.com National and international weather organizations may acquire the TAWS process by writing on official letterhead to TAWS , in care of Neutronics Technologies Corporation (USA) 523 Garrison Avenue , Fort Smith, Arkansas 72901, USA For more information call 1-501-782-9999 or submit the request to tawsinfo@neutronicstechcorp.com. Neutronics Technologies Corporation (USA) is affiliated with Neutronics Technologies Corporation Europe Limited, Birmingham, England. Neutronics Technologies Corporation (USA) 523 Garrison Avenue Fort Smith, Ar 72901 admin@neutronicstechcorp.com Voice: 501-782-9999 Toll Free: 1-888-ENTICY1 Fax:501-784-9520 World Wide Web: http://www.neutronicstechcorp.com Educator Seymour Papert honored by Smithsonian Institution and NEC A lifetime spent making computers serve children Seymour Papert, co-founder of the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at MIT, has been named the 1997 winner of the Computerworld Smithsonian Program's prestigious NEC Education Leadership Award. A record of Papert's life and career will be included with those of other information technology leaders in the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History's archive of innovation. Papert was born and educated in South Africa. After childhood years spent in bush camps, his family moved to Johannesburg, where he became active in the anti-apartheid movement. From 1954 to 1958 Papert pursued mathematical research at the universities of Cambridge and Paris. He later worked with Jean Piaget at the University of Geneva, which led him to consider using mathematics in the quest to understand how children think and learn. The Education Leadership Award was established in 1990 to ensure that the National Museum of American History's archives included an accurate record of the lives and achievements of the leaders of the information technology revolution. "Without the partnership and support of private sector leaders like NEC, we would not be able to record the dreams and achievements of remarkable individuals like Seymour Papert who are leading change in our times," said Dr. David Allison, chairman of the National Museum of American History's Division of Information Technology and Society. In the early 1960's, Papert co-founded the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at MIT with Marvin Minsky. He later helped launch the Media Arts and Sciences Program and the MIT Media Laboratory. In 1970, he and Minsky co-authored a seminal text on parallelism in computation, entitled "Perceptrons." Since then, Papert has been a leader in research on the creative applications of computers in education. Papert invented the Logo computer language, the first and most important effort to give children control over new technology. He founded the Epistemology and Learning Group at the Media laboratory, and was named LEGO Professor of Learning Research in 1988, a chair created for him. Papert has written articles about mathematics, artificial intelligence, education, learning and thinking. He has advised governmental agencies on the application of technology in education in Africa, Latin America, Europe and Asia. He has been called to testify before presidential commissions and Congressional committees, and his work on education has received numerous awards. Other Education Leadership Award Winners include: Governor Gaston Caperton who developed a successful model for computer technology training in the elementary schools of West Virginia; Linda Roberts, special advisor to the Office of Education Technology, U.S. Department of Education; Inabeth Miller, vice president of the Lightspan Partnership; Sharon McCoy Bell, New Orleans School System; Ronald K. Thornton, Tufts University; Gail Morse, a Christa McAuliffe Educator and science teacher; and Robert Tinker, developer of the Technical Education Research Center. Study Finds CompuServe Is Fastest A new study sponsored by Boardwatch Magazine finds that CompuServe Inc. operates the best-performing national Internet backbone. The study measured the time it took to download a 50K Web page using a 56K bps modem. Measurements were taken from 27 cities every fifteen minutes over a 30-day period from April 20 to May 20. The test was conducted by Keynote Systems of San Mateo, California, which develops software measurement agents. CompuServe, with an overall download time of 1.543 seconds, led all other national Internet backbone providers.The average download time for all surveyed Internet providers was 9.928 seconds. GridNet, with a download time of 2.949 seconds, was a distant second. AGIS at 3.267 seconds, UUNET at 3.473 seconds and SAVVIS at 4.274 seconds rounded out the test's top five performers. AT&T WorldNet had a download time of 4.921 seconds, Sprint came in at 7.464 seconds and internetMCI was pegged at 9.851 seconds. The full results will be published in Boardwatch's July issue. Web Site Name Auctioning Begins How much would you pay for the rights to the World Wide Web address of "program.com," do you think? Now, before you answer, consider that "business.com" just went for a whopping $150,000. News of that sale has encouraged Vertex Group, a Web site development company in Ashland, Oregon, near the California border, to put a $75,000 price tag on "program.com." Company officials tell Associated Press writer Jeff Barnard they hope to sell the site to a software company or a publisher of software magazines. Barnard notes, "In terms of physical property, program.com amounts to some aging computer gear, a chair and a couple of tables in a small office with a backyard view next to a grocery store. But the Web site is valuable as a popular destination for computer programmers and software developers to exchange information. It draws 10,000 visitors, or 'hits,' per month." He says that when Vertex Group decided to sell program.com, business manager Charles McHenry searched the Web and found two new firms started by former real estate brokers who have started selling Web sites. Instead, though, McHenry opted to solicit Globecomm Inc., a New York-based company whose BestDomains subsidiary helps companies buy and sell Internet intellectual properties such as site names. There, Globecomm Vice President David Milligan comments that unlike traditional stocks," these represent "a new wave of what you could call 'cyber-assets.'" Privatization of Net Continues The National Science Foundation has turned over to a non-profit organization the assigning of numbers for Internet addresses, a move seen as the continuation of its efforts to privatize the Net. Yesterday's action will establish the American Registry for Internet Numbers that will keep track of which numbers are assigned to what computers in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Reporter Elizabeth Weise of The Associated Press notes the NSF plan will separate the assignment of names and numbers, as is already done in Asia and Europe. "One reason to separate names and numbers," she adds, "is the legal controversy over who has the right to assign and create Internet domain names." Back when only scientists and researchers used the Internet, no one much cared about who got which Net address, but now that the Net has gone commercial, names are now worth thousands of dollars. For instance, as reported, "business.com" recently sold for $150,000 and a $75,000 price tag has been put on "program.com." With those kinds of dollars involved, "exactly how and by whom they are to be disbursed is in question," Weise notes. Until recently, the National Science Foundation paid Virginia's Network Solutions Inc. to handle numerical address assignments. But lately, as the Net has become more commercial, the agency has sought to curtail its involvement and turn functions over to the private sector. Forum: CDROM Section: CD-Recordables Subj: GO ADAPTEC Quits on 7/7 To : Jack Brown, 71333,2450 6/21/97 8:32 AM From : Deirdre Straughan, 74431,2004 #141239 >> Companies like Adaptec that have multiple places for support split their personnel between the support arenas and don't do any of them well! Their take on it is that since the web is 'free', they should put their support there. << I have learned why Adaptec made this decision. Apparently, CSi is requiring companies to have _different_ content in their forums than they do on their Web sites, as the price of having a forum at all. I understand CSi's desire to offer something that people can't find on the open Web (and charge them for it), but to us it would mean the creation and upkeep of two different sets of drivers and help files. We just don't have the manpower to spare for that (as far as CD-R content is concerned, yours truly is about the _only_ person developing it for Adaptec). It makes no economic sense for us to try, since everyone online, including CSi users, can easily access our Web site. I strongly agree that it's a pity to lose the interactive help that is possible in a CSi forum, but at this point we can't afford the price of admission. Personally, I strive to provide similar kinds of interactive help on Usenet groups and in this forum, but there's a limit to what one person can do, and Adaptec tech support reps don't have time to go out surfing for trouble the way I do. I'll be on the lookout for some way to create a forum on the Adaptec Web site, something tech support would be willing and able to participate in. With regret, I must suppose that that won't be CompuServe. >>this emigration won't stop unless we send a message to the firms leaving.<< It's CSi you need to send the message to. I think that most firms would be happy to maintain their forums as chat-and-help areas alone, and/or with help files etc. duplicated from their Web sites. But by forcing us to create separate content in order to reach CSi users (who can in any case be reached by other means), they're making it too expensive for us to help them keep CSi attractive. As for Adaptec CD-R software issues, another forum is available: About the Adaptec_CDR List The Adaptec_CDR list (formerly known as the Easy-CD list) is a service of the Adaptec Software Products Group. It is a moderated forum for users of Adaptec CD-R software (and anyone else interested in CD-recordable technology) to help each other with technical and general CD-R questions. Topics for discussion include technical questions and problems, sales information, suggestions for improvement, or anything else that relates to CD-R. Adaptec will also from time to time use the list to announce new releases, known bugs and fixes, etc. Representatives of Adaptec and other companies in the CD-R field do respond to questions, but the primary source of information in the list is you, the user. So feel free to respond to other people's questions and comments; the exchange of ideas and information helps all of us in the CD-R community. IMPORTANT: This list is primarily an exchange of information among users. Adaptec sponsors and moderates the list, but is not responsible for the technical accuracy of information posted to the list (we do read everything, and edit some things, but if we took the time necessary to validate every statement, the list would slow down to the point of uselessness). It is your responsibility to follow discussions to their end and carefully weigh the opinions expressed and suggestions given. Please don't call our tech support line and say, "Someone on the list said this should work." Where to Get More Information Many frequently-asked questions you may want to ask in the list have already been answered on the Adaptec Web site, specifically at http://www.adaptec.com/cdrec. If you're new to CD-recordable technology, you may want to visit there first. For details and policies on the list itself, see http://websvr1.adaptec.com/support/cdrec/ecdlist_policies.html ------------------------------------------- To Subscribe Send an e-mail message to LISTSERV@LISTSERV.ADAPTEC.COM with the following text in the body of the message: subscribe adaptec_cdr NOTE: This is a high-traffic list, often posting 50 messages per day. If you prefer to receive them all in one lump, follow the instructions in the Welcome message on how to set the digest option. To Post Messages to the List Post messages for the list to ADAPTEC_CDR@LISTSERV.ADAPTEC.COM. Messages will be reviewed by the moderator and then distributed to all members on the list. Best regards, Deirdre' Straughan Adaptec Software Products Group "Largo al factotum del CD-R" 74431.2004@compuserve.com http://www.adaptec.com/cdrec 21-Jun-97 at 10:19, in Iowa tech support: support@adaptec.com Gateway 2000 to Acquire ALR Gateway 2000 Inc. has signed a definitive agreement to acquire PC maker Advanced Logic Research Inc. for approximately $194 million. ALR, based in Irvine, California, specializes in multiprocessor servers, with design, manufacturing and marketing support targeted at the client/server and high-end desktop markets. According to Gateway, ALR will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary and continue to market products under the ALR brand through its established channels. Current ALR Chairman, CEO and President Gene Lu will remain president of ALR and become a vice president and officer of Gateway. "Combining Gateway and ALR represents a tremendous opportunity, says Ted Waitt, chairman and CEO of Gateway 2000, which is based in North Sioux City, South Dakota. "The new relationship gives Gateway immediate access to established server technology, a key component of the growth strategy for our Enterprise line." Bill Gates, Kerry Packer Teaming Up Two of the world's richest men -- Microsoft Corp.'s Bill Gates and Australian media mogul Kerry Packer -- are teaming up to form an Internet alliance between Packer's TV and publishing empire and Gates' software business. Reporting from Sydney, Kevin Morrison of the Reuter News Service says the joint venture Microsoft has formed with Packer's Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd. will provide online news, sport, entertainment and weather shows as well as financial and retail services. "The venture," adds Morrison, "will utilize Microsoft's online technology as well as draw content from the U.S. software giant's products and from PBL's television arm Nine Network and magazine business Australian Consolidated Press." Nine is Australia's highest rating TV network and ACP is the country's largest magazine group, says Reuters, while ACP's publications include the Australian Women's Weekly, Woman's Day, The Bulletin, Cleo, Cosmopolitan, Dolly and Australian Personal Computer. Look for the Australian online service to be launched in the next two to four months and include Microsoft products, such as Microsoft Network. entertainment guide Sidewalk, travel service Expedia and financial product Investor. Reuters notes about 20 percent of Australian homes own computers, one of the world's highest levels of home computer ownership and making it one of MSN's fastest growing markets, according to MSN International director Alan McGinnis. Intel, Oracle Team on Database A collaboration is being made between chipmaker Intel Corp. and software publisher Oracle Corp. intending to optimize use of Oracle's new Oracle8 database software on Intel microprocessors. Reporting from Santa Clara, California, the Reuter News Service quotes Intel Vice President John Miner as saying the effort will focus on the next generation of Intel chips, code-named Merced, including advanced cluster computing systems. "Intel's Merced processor, expected to begin shipping in 1999, is a critical new product family because it is based on a faster chip architecture," Reuters adds. Look for Oracle to formally introduce Oracle8 this week "with a flashy, round-the-world event," says the wire service. Miner told Reuters the widespread use of Intel processors and the early availability of Oracle's flagship product for use on Intel platforms, he said, "should fuel even more growth in this fast-moving, highest growth end of their business." In addition, the collaboration marks what Reuters terms "the ever-increasing power of Intel processors -- years ago databases were largely the province of large, costly mainframe computers." Intel and Oracle also will work together on cluster features for the Oracle Parallel Server and for a new cluster communications standard known as VI Architecture. Oracle Launches Net PC Blitz Watch for Oracle Corp. to launch an all-out media blitz this week to introduce Oracle8, the software said to be the key to the company's drive to popularize the Network Computer, the new breed of bare-bones, Net-savvy PCs. Business writer Patricia Lamiell of The Associated Press reports this morning Oracle's new database software "is aimed at enabling large companies to store information and manage data faster than before, but it also is intended to help companies run 'network computers.'" She says Oracle is spending $2.4 million to promote Oracle8 at a lavish event today at Radio City Music Hall. "As part of its initiative," says Lamiell, "Oracle is introducing the first smart card that can be used with the network computers. The NC smart card, a wallet-sized plastic card embedded with a silicon chip, enables users to call up private computer files from any network computer. The technology frees the user from carrying physical files or a laptop computer with files in it, or even a floppy disk with information." The NC Card, which carries information in encoded form, can be inserted into any network computer that has been adapted to the new technology. "After punching in a password," says the wire service, "the user can call up desktop files linked to the network, read or send e-mail, perform banking transactions, or purchase something on the Internet." The $5,000 software and cards are available immediately to companies and will be offered for home use by the end of this summer, in the form of set-top boxes made by RCA and Zenith Electronics. AP says the set-top boxes will cost about $500 and can be hooked up to home television sets. Corel Launches Spin-Off Corel Corp. has launched a spin-off company incorporating its video and network computing divisions. The Ottawa-based software publisher says the new Corel Computer Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary, will offer corporate video conferencing and other communications and network computing solutions. "The focus will be on providing a complete computing and communications solution to clients," says Michael Cowpland, Corel's president and CEO and chairman of the new company. "This new company will assemble a unique combination of knowledge expertise and experience. New enterprises will now be able to use one company to install an entire corporate computing and communications infrastructure." Corel plans to make its new subsidiary a completely independent company is about a year. Compaq Buys Tandem PC market leader Compaq Computer Corp. is buying Tandem Computers Inc. for $3 billion in stock. The deal calls for Tandem to become a wholly owned Compaq subsidiary. Tandem, based in Cupertino, California, specializes in "business critical" computers for banks, insurance companies and other major corporations that deal with massive amounts of information. "The phenomenal rate of change in the IT industry demands a new business model, one that depends on strategic partnering to stay competitive and to be a market maker," says Roel Pieper, Tandem's CEO. "This merger is based on this concept and will provide the added benefit of creating a broader range of open customer solutions to the market." "We will truly offer complete solutions, from handhelds and portables to networked desktops and workstations, all the way to Windows NT servers and the Himalaya range of massively parallel commercial systems," say Eckhard Pfeiffer, president and CEO of Houston-based Compaq. Unruh Resigns as Unisys Chief James Unruh has resigned as chairman and CEO of Unisys Corp. after seven tumultuous years leading the struggling computer maker. Unruh, 56, will leave his CEO post once a successor has been named. He will remain chairman until the company's next annual meeting in April 1998. "Unruh has overseen four restructurings of Unisys," notes the Reuter News Service. "Under his leadership, the company has laid off tens of thousands of employees, closed plants, pared product lines and sold divisions, but has not been able to consistently report revenue growth." Unisys, headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, was formed by the 1986 merger of Sperry Corp. and Burroughs Corp. "It enjoyed a few years of growth, fueled mainly by cost-cutting, but then entered a prolonged slump as mainframe computers, its chief product, lost favor amid the rise of smaller, cheaper machines," observes Reuters. Miniature Laptop Unveiled A super-small laptop -- weighing just 1.8 pounds with a 6.1-inch display -- has been unveiled by Toshiba Corp. Called the $2,000 Libretto 50CT, the "ultra-ultra portable... is brimming with color and fancy graphics," says business writer David E. Kalish of The Associated Press. "The Microsoft Windows 95 icon dances across the screen -- the same operating program that runs most box-like computers on desks in workplaces and homes." Kalish calls this "the latest step in the high-tech industry's relentless push to make fancy computers ever lighter," adding, "While hand-held "palm-top" computers tend to weigh less, most run on Microsoft's more basic Windows CE operating system use a smaller keyboard and are limited in what they can do." By contrast, the Libretto uses the same software as its bigger cousins. However, Kalish doesn't advise trying any heavy-duty typing on the cramped keyboard. The Libretto's keys are about 20 percent closer together than a conventional laptop's keys. DirecTV Japan Adding Data Service DirectTV Inc. plans to add interactive data capabilities to its direct-to-home satellite service in Japan. DirecTV Japan will use Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd.'s DVX (digital video eXtension) technology for "InteracTV," an interactive multimedia data service. DirecTV Japan expects to make services including news, sports and weather reports; product information from home shopping channels; and concert informationfrom music channels available to subscribers beginning next year. The service will be available to subscribers automatically through the satellite set-top box. "InteracTV is one of the interactive data services that will allow DTVJ to stand apart from our competition," says Gareth Chang, chairman of Tokyo-based DirecTV Japan. "The various applications we are planning as part of this system will give subscribers more program software and the only service of its kind in Japan at this time." HSN Inc. Forms Online Auction An online auction site has been formed on the Web by HSN Inc.'s Internet Shopping Network that is to go up against sites like Onsale Inc. for the dollars of high-tech consumers. Reporting from Palo Alto, California, Sam Perry of the Reuter News Service says the site is "further evidence of HSN Chairman Barry Diller's commitment to electronic commerce. Internet Shopping Network CEO Kirk Loevner told the wire service said the live First Auction site (http://www.firstauction.com) should make more than $30 million to $35 million in revenues in its first year of operation, adding, "Our focus is computers, consumer electronics and general merchandise." Reuters says sales will include unique collectible goods as well as sponsored promotions such as a "Great Maui Escape" sweepstakes currently on offer. Partners in the deal AT&T's Worldnet Internet access service, Time Warner Inc.'s Pathfinder Web site, the GeoCities Web site and Gannett Cos. Inc.'s USA Today newspaper. ISN claims more than 120,000 members. The wire service says ISN has invested more than $2 million in hardware, software and technical expertise in building the site, Loevner said. It is the company's second commerce site alongside (http://www.isn.com), an electronic store it established in 1994. Big Apple Gets Digital Clubhouse A non-profit organization that's dedicated to supplying technology access and education to youths, senior citizens, the disabled and other special interest groups has opened a New York-based information center. The Digital Clubhouse Network's New York Information Technology Center, located at 55 Broad Street, aims to bring the organization's "digital literacy" campaign to Manhattan's "Silicon Alley." "Information technology can be a powerful tool for building a global community, provided everyone understands and can fully utilize it," says Warren Hegg, co-founder and principal evangelist for The Digital Clubhouse Network. "Today the computer is not just for computation and calculation, it's about communication and participation in the emerging Digital Age. It's about people of all ages and backgrounds, learning how to use this technology productively, and in turn, teaching others." The New York location is the second site for the Digital Clubhouse Network. The first center opened in Santa Clara, California, a year ago. The organization wants to open centers in communities all around the world. The Digital Clubhouse Network's sponsors include Iomega Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co., Adobe Systems Inc. and IBM Corp. Additional information is available on the Web at http://www.digiclub.org Online Services Lead Net Access Commercial online services are the largest home-based providers of Internet access, according to new research from PC Meter. The Port Washington, New York, media measurement company collects its information digitally via software that's installed on home PCs in 10,000 households. The households are demographically balanced to represent the population of U.S. PC owners. "The commercial online services are playing a key and complementary role in the explosive growth of the Internet," says Doug McFarland, senior vice president of PC Meter's advertising and media division. Magazine Ranks PC Companies PC Magazine has released its list of the most influential companies in the personal computer industry. The list is led by Microsoft Corp., followed by Intel Corp., IBM Corp., Netscape Inc., Sun Microsystems Inc., Compaq Computer Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co. Rounding out the top 20 are Cisco Systems Inc., Oracle Corp., Toshiba Corp., Dell Computer Corp., Apple Computer Inc., Adobe Systems Inc, Gateway 2000 Inc., Novell Inc., 3Com Corp., Corel Corp., AOL Inc, Pointcast Inc. and NEC Corp. "This list is not based strictly on market share and annual revenue," states Michael Miller, PC Magazine's editor-in-chief. "These are the companies that we feel are best positioned to lead the personal computing industry in the coming year." The list was developed by three dozen members of PC Magazine's editorial staff, who participated in a special Lotus Notes discussion database. The magazine notes that the discussion was supplemented by hundreds of e-mail messages and some heated disagreements. Japan PCs Lag U.S. by 4-5 Years? The president of chipmaker Intel Corp. says Japan is lagging behind the United States by four to five years in the extent to which personal computers have become established in homes and small businesses. Speaking at a Tokyo seminar on computers, Intel president Craig Barrett is quoted by the Reuter News Service as saying, "For Japan to continue to grow (in PC sales)...we have to see a rapid expansion in sales in small businesses and homes." He also noted a gender gap in Japan, saying PCs are used mostly by men at home. Barrett said the penetration of PCs in Japanese homes was about 15 percent in 1996, compared to 40 to 45 percent in the United States. "The penetration of PCs in homes with children is also relatively low in Japan," adds Reuters, "while the penetration levels in other Asian countries such as Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan are similar to that of the United States due to the fact that PC networks have become a vital part of education." For Immediate Release Corel Puts New Face On Enterprise Communications Ottawa, Canada- June 25, 1997 - Corel Corporation today announced the launch of its spin-off company, Corel Computer Corp. The new company will be comprised of Corel's Video and Network Computing divisions and will focus on offering a complete hardware and software solution to the corporate environment. The company, which today opened the doors of its new corporate offices, will initially be a wholly owned subsidiary of Corel Corporation. "This is an exciting new development for Corel," says Dr. Michael Cowpland, president and chief executive officer of Corel Corporation. "This new company will assemble a unique combination of knowledge expertise and experience. The focus will be on providing a complete computing and communications solution to clients. New enterprises will now be able to use one company to install an entire corporate computing and communications infrastructure." The new company will offer corporate video conferencing as well as other communications and network computing solutions. Corel Computer Corp.'s product offering will initially be built around CorelVIDEOT and the forthcoming Corel Video Network ComputerT and the CorelVIDEOT Compression CAM. CorelVIDEO delivers the convenience of videoconferencing to the desktop, with tools such as video on demand, corporate broadcasts, and business television that make it great for education and information distribution as well. The Corel Video Network Computer will leverage Corel's wealth of JavaT experience and is a cornerstone in Corel Computer Corp.'s strategy to marry communications and computing on the corporate desktop. The CorelVIDEO Compression CAM offers users an entry into video communications either over the LAN or Plain Old Telephone System (POTS). "This move has been made possible by new technological developments such as the rapidly increasing bandwidth of LANs, network dependability and the new popularity of open-standards compliant software and hardware," says Eid Eid, president of Corel Computer Corp. "Corel Computer Corp. is poised to capture a large segment of the market tired of rising computing and communications costs." Corel Corporation will have a majority stake in the new company and has no plans of abandoning any of its new technology. Although at this point the new subsidiary will be wholly owned by Corel, it is expected that within 12 months or less the company will gain enough revenue from video product and development work in the Java arena to stand on its own. Services such as human resources, marketing and design services will be contracted to the new company through Corel's existing resources. The relationship between Corel Computer Corp. and Corel will be a close one as they will both share Dr. Michael Cowpland as their chairman . The line of business at Corel Computer Corp. may require more regional offices and more of a focus on direct sales. It will also have a different distribution model to fit its unique product line. However, it will operate under the same open-door philosophy as Corel with a horizontal management structure - advanced products, sales and engineering concentration. Approximately 80 Corel employees will move to the new company, which will be located in Ottawa but outside of Corel's headquarters. Some members of Corel's current management team will be moving to Corel Computer Corp. , including Eid Eid, Corel's VP of Technology, who will head the new company as president. Roger Bryanton, Corel's Director of Video Technology, will direct the engineering team. Corel's chief engineer and developer of CorelVIDEO, Pat Beirne, will also participate in the new venture. Mike Cowpland will take on an active role as chairman of the board, however his focus will remain on Corel Corp's business. Corel Corporation Incorporated in 1985, Corel Corporation is recognized internationally as an award-winning developer and marketer of productivity applications, graphics and Internet software. Corel's product line includes CorelDRAWT, Corelr WordPerfectr Suite, Corelr Office Professional, Corelr WebMaster Suite, CorelVIDEOT and CorelCADT. Corel's products run on most operating systems, including: Windowsr, Macintoshr, UNIX, MS-DOS, and OpenVMS and are consistently rated among the strongest in the industry. The company ships its products in over 17 languages through a network of more than 160 distributors in 70 countries worldwide. Corel is traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (symbol: COS) and the NASDAQ - National Market System (symbol: COSFF). For more information visit Corel's home page on the Internet at http://www.corel.com. Corel, WordPerfect, Presentations, CorelDRAW, CorelVIDEO and CorelCAD are registered trademarks or trademarks of Corel Corporation or Corel Corporation Limited. Sylvan and Sylvan Learning Systems Centers are registered trademarks and Authorized Prometric Testing Centers and Sylvan Prometric are trademarks of Sylvan Learning Systems, Inc., in the U.S. and Canada. All product and company names 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. 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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 Shareware Treasure Chest STR Feature "The Latest & Greatest" Shareware Treasure Chest By Lloyd E. Pulley lepulley@streport.com Name/Version Release Date Size Price July '97 definition update for Norton AntiVirus 6/22/97 1.50mb Free This file is a complete replacement for any previous definitions set for all of the Norton AntiVirus products. The product list includes Norton AntiVirus 3.0 (DOS/Win 3.1), Norton AntiVirus for Windows 95, Norton AntiVirus Scanner for Windows NT, and Norton AntiVirus for NetWare 1.0 and 2.0. Home Page Site - http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/index.html Name/Version Release Date Size Price SecurityPlus 32-bit 4.01 6/20/97 2.00mb Shareware $29.95 File viewer with on-the-fly encryption/decryption. Supports 24 different file formats including Animated GIF files. Zoom, Full view, Auto-Hide, JPG options, File Info including CRC, Full privacy of images and any other files, runs in the tray, +more. SecurityPlus! is an Encryption/Decryption utility program for Windows95 and Windows NT4.0 It should not be confused with a password protection type program. Password protection simply applies a password to a file where as Encryption/Decryption modifies the file. Files such as company records, accounting records, correspondence, images, CAD drawings, programming source files. executable files, and many other types of files that you may consider either "sensitive" or "private" in nature may be encrypted to prevent viewing by others. SecurityPlus! is the ultimate security program for your files. Unlike other programs of this type, SecurityPlus! uses the key as the algorithm thus only one key will work. Different files of course may have different keys applied to them. The keys are not saved as in other programs. Home Page Site - http://www.softbytelabs.com/ Name/Version Release Date Size Price WinTune 97 for Win95 1.0 6/20/97 995kb Freeware The award-winning Windows Magazine benchmarking utility - now for Win95! Home Page Site - http://www.winmag.com/software/wt97.htm Name/Version Release Date Size Price Eudora Pro 32-bit 3.0.3 beta 2 6/22/97 5.00mb Shareware One of the best email clients around. It features: ú Enhanced message filtering ú Multiple e-mail accounts ú Plug-ins ú Stylized text ú "Drag and Drop" support and almost everything else you can think off. Eudora Lite 32-bit 3.0.2 beta 5 6/22/97 4.10mb Free The newest release of one of the best free email programs around. Powerful Filters, Extended Message Services, Display stylized text, "Drag and Drop" support, Active hot links and much more. Home Page Site - http://www.eudora.com/ Name/Version Release Date Size Price MemSnoop 32 1.06 6/15/97 45kb Shareware $10.00 A fully configurable tool which displays all information you need to keep your Windows 95 system running smoothly: first of all it includes a CPU monitor, but it also displays the swapfile size, free memory, system resources, and very important, the free space on your hardisks. Though all information is displayed graphicaly, MemSnoop 32 is extremly small in size and and does consume nearly no resources itself. Home Page Site - http://www.stud.uni-hannover.de/~borsum/memsnoop32.html Name/Version Release Date Size Price Creative Inspire 32-bit 1.0 6/20/97 5.00mb Freeware Requires Internet Explorer 3.0 or higher Creative Inspire is a multimedia software that offers a unique Internet Community for music, games and entertainment enthusiasts. This all-in-one software supports the most popular multimedia and Internet technologies like RealAudio, VDOLive, Java, Shockwave and OnLive! Inspire, an Internet cable network, broadcasts the best mix of music, games and entertainment events and programs to you! Put on your gear and battle with online gamers, perform music for all to hear, shop at the comfort of your home, play DJ and run your own Inspire Radio Station, watch a movie, let others sample your 'home-made' Java game, invite friends over to your personal chat room, host an online seminar and create your own Inspire programs - just like in a real community! Home Page Site - http://www.creativeinspire.com/ Name/Version Release Date Size Price Synthetic Audio Library 1.03 6/18/97 534kb Shareware $60.00 Add digital music (MOD,S3M,XM) and sound (WAV) quickly and easily to your 32-bit Windows programs. Supports C/C++, Visual BASIC, and Delphi. Automatically uses DirectSound if available for faster mixing. Home Page Site - http://www.egerter.com/seal/ Name/Version Release Date Size Price File Dog 32-bit 1.3 pre-release 6/21/97 2.90mb Shareware $39 Now, you can download files from the internet in the middle of the night. File Dog is the fully automated file retrieval program that does it for you. Plus, File Dog includes fully functional FTP and Zip modules. All for one low price. ú Get all of the program updates, shareware, freeware, and other files you want without wasting your time. ú Retrieve files faster, and reduce connect time, by automatically downloading files in the middle of the night. ú End the hassle of trying to connect to overloaded files servers. ú Free your internet connection during the day. Put it to work at three in the morning when it isn't doing anything and you're asleep. ú Download files from FTP servers, or HTTP (world-wide-web) pages and much more. Home Page Site - http://www.edgepub.com/fd/ Name/Version Release Date Size Price Belarc Advisor for Win95 1.3 6/19/97 651kb Freeware This Windows 95 Internet Utility works with any browser and helps you shop for computer hardware and software products. Includes extensive system information and benchmarking functions to do it's job automatically. Home Page Site - http://www.belarc.com/ Name/Version Release Date Size Price Personal Address Book 1.0 6/19/97 738kb Freeware A simple database where you can store basic information (names ,addresses, phone numbers, e-mail, etc.) about other people. I tried to make it as simple and intuitive as possible so you can easily enter and quickly retrieve information from it. For people who don't have much computer experience I also included a help file with the user manual. Home Page Site - http://128.255.82.60/AddrBook.html Name/Version Release Date Size Price Castanet Tuner 32-bit 1.1 beta 4 6/21/97 3.50mb Free Castanet is a new technology for the distribution of channels over the Internet and Intra-net. Each channel can be a stand-alone Java application, a Java applet, or a Web site. Channels are stored locally, and can be used repeatedly without waiting for them to reload every time. With the Castanet Tuner you are able to subscribe, download, and update channels in an very efficient and incremental manner. Once subscribed to a channel, it is updated automatically, and it can be used even if you are currently not connected! Castanet uses a new protocol to distribute and update channels in a very scaleable manner. With the Castanet protocol it is possible to distribute large, dynamic, and media-rich applications even over a slow connection. Home Page Site - http://www.marimba.com/ Name/Version Release Date Size Price McAfee Virus Scan Monthly Update Version June 6/22/97 1,060kb Freeware This is the May update for Mcafee VirusScan version 3.0. Note: This will not work with earlier versions of VirusScan. Home Page Site - http://www.mcafee.com/down/dat.html Name/Version Release Date Size Price Net Jumper 32-bit 2.5 plug-in 6/21/97 1.80mb Shareware NetJumper is a first of its kind browser assistant that saves internet users time surfing the net. The software lets you surf forward to what you want to see, lets you build and share hot lists with others and allows hands free viewing of sites using NetJumper's SlideShow Timer feature. NetJumper is a compact toolbar. It loads all the links on a page and lets you see them in the NetJumper Dropdown window or click to the next site on the list using NetJumper's cool forward button. Home Page Site - http://www.netjumper.com/ Name/Version Release Date Size Price Connect 4 Version 1.1 6/20/97 880kb Shareware $5.00 A Windows 95 remake of the game in which the player who lines up four counters together vertically, horizontally or diagonally first wins. Includes 1 and 2 Player modes. Home Page Site - http://indigo.ie/~barrett/c4home.html Name/Version Release Date Size Price Mini Notetab 32-bit 2.62a 6/22/97 .43mb Freeware Mini Notepad is not just another Windows Notepad replacement! It is a feature-rich program with a selection of original productivity tools that you will find in no other editor. Mini Notepad has been designed to use a minimum amount of Windows system resources so you can safely keep the editor open all the time. The program is capable of opening a very large number of files (the actual limit is determined by the amount of free system resources). Each document is displayed on a tabbed page making it easy to switch between them. A separate window, called the Document Selector, makes it easy to find a specific document when a large number of them are open. Home Page Site - http://www.unige.ch/sciences/terre/geologie/fookes/mininote.htm Name/Version Release Date Size Price Enigmacross for Windows 95 Version 4.0 6/20/97 956kb Shareware $39.95 Solve and construct real acrostic puzzles on your windows 95 computer. Just like the kind found in daily newspaper and magazines. Print acrostic puzzles in a variety of formats and to most popular desktop publishing programs. The registered version includes more than 50 challenging acrostics. Home Page Site - http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/crossdown/ Name/Version Release Date Size Price ShoveIt 32-bit 1.5 beta 6/22/97 .33mb Shareware $15 This little utility fixes a "bug" in Windows 95. The bug appears when the taskbar is docked on the top of the screen (like a Mac) instead of the bottom. The problem is that new application windows sometimes appear underneath the taskbar so you can't click their caption bar. Since you can't click their caption bar, you can't easily move the window to correct this bug yourself. Well this will fix it for you. Home Page Site - http://www.phord.com/shoveit.html Name/Version Release Date Size Price Tray Temperature Version 1.0 6/24/97 2,710kb Shareware $9.95 Tray Temperature is one of the most important applications that was mysteriously left out of Windows95. TrayTemp puts the current temperature of your specific city at your fingertips by placing it in the system tray. You can configure the city, interval of retrieval and even if you want it to put a cloud in your tray if your forecast looks cloudy. TrayTemp is 32 bit shareware for Windows 95 and NT. Home Page Site - http://www.futuresolution.com/TrayTemp/TrayTemp.htm Name/Version Release Date Size Price PointCast Network 32-bit 2.0 beta build 1290 6/22/97 3.30mb Freeware The PointCast Network is a personalized news network and you're the head of programming. PCN content is custom tailored to your needs and automatically delivered to your desktop. You can either "tune in" to the network whenever you need the latest breaking news, or when your computer goes to "sleep", PointCast's patent-pending SmartScreen technology automatically kicks in, replacing your screen saver with an up-to-the- minute presentation of breaking headlines. It also acts as a plug-in for Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer. Home Page Site - http://www.pointcast.com/ Name/Version Release Date Size Price The People Keeper Version 1.1 6/24/97 6,800kb Shareware $10.00 A Family oriented Address manager. Keeps complete data for all family members including multiple address books, both personal and business addresses, multiple phone numbers, pictures, email/www data, a Wizard for reports, and much more. Home Page Site - http://rfs.simplenet.com/ Name/Version Release Date Size Price Imperialism for Win95 6/23/97 23.00mb Commercial Demo A highly addictive and challenging multi-player strategy game for those who crave absolute power. Experience the vast technological advances spanning the entire Industrial Revolution. Several paths to conquest include: diplomatic, economic, and military - or whatever combinations the player can devise. Plagued by indecision? Cabinet ministers provide advice and direction, in amounts which vary according to difficulty level chosen. Sophisticated Artificial Intelligence with a variety of strategic personalities. Home Page Site - http://www.imperialism.com/ Name/Version Release Date Size Price ChemBalance Wizard 32 Version 1.0 6/23/97 736kb Freeware Accepts up to ten chemical species as input and produces one or more balanced chemical equations. If no balanced equations exist for the given species, the user is informed that none can be produced. The rapid balancing of the chemical equations makes this program a useful tool for students and teachers alike! Home Page Site - http://www.mines.edu/academic/chemistry/chembal/index.html Name/Version Release Date Size Price Quick Color 32-bit 3.11 6/23/97 .30mb Shareware $20 The latest shareware release of QuickColor for Windows 95/NT is now available, adding extended hotkey support, screen saving and DirectX querying capabilities to an already rich feature set, including on-the-fly color depth switching and support for over 500 monitors under NT. Up to 20 applications and shortcuts can be associated with specific display settings, and launched from the Windows desktop, QuickColor toolbar or system tray popup menu. Home Page Site - http://www.entechtaiwan.com/ Name/Version Release Date Size Price Turbo Browser 97 Version 5.3.15 6/23/97 1,749kb Shareware $59.00 This program is a significant addition to Windows 95 and NT4.0; replace Explorer and a raft of utilities with one compact integrated program. It looks and feels like Explorer - "97" style, so you can use it from day one. The latest update supports ActiveX WYSIWYG HTML and Office 97 document viewing, and more. Complete with zipping, unzipping, disk spanning, and password. Macro processing with the Qbar. Home Page Site - http://www.turbobrowser.com/ Name/Version Release Date Size Price Snag-It 32-bit 4.0 6/23/97 .59mb $39.95 SnagIt allows users to capture all or a portion of the Windows display using a "hotkey" combination. Once captured, SnagIt sends the image to the printer, the clipboard, a file or as an e-mail attachment. Captured images can be immediately pasted into other Windows applications, such as word processors and desktop publishing programs, or saved to a graphic file for future use. SnagIt/32 offers a variety of optional tuning parameters for advanced screen capture needs. Automatic and manual image scaling, adjustments to color balance and monochrome conversion parameters help create the best possible graphic for the selected print device. SnagIt/32 saves captured images in a variety of popular graphic file formats. Consecutive captures can be stored in automatically named files. Home Page Site - http://www.techsmith.com/products/snagit/index.htm Name/Version Release Date Size Price DateChanger Version 1.00.0002 6/22/97 49kb Shareware This application changes the date in the system clock of your computer. It is knows how many days have passed since it did the change, therefore the date which should have come if the change did not take place can be restored. Useful for changing dates for only a short time! Home Page Site - http://blue.nownuri.net/~wesley96/WDSoft/ Name/Version Release Date Size Price WinDownload 32-bit 3.41 6/24/97 1.80mb Shareware $20 WinDownload is a great utility that lets you schedule the download of selected files. WinDownload is a 32 bit, multi-thread application which can maximize bandwidth on any size pipe. Drag and drop a shortcut from Internet Explorer or Netscape and keep browsing. You can download the files on demand or schedule them to download anytime you want. Copy and paste a valid URL from any file or copy shortcut from your browser or add a new URL manually. Home Page Site - http://mason.gmu.edu/~rmcclana/ Name/Version Release Date Size Price Taskbar Smiley Version 1.0 6/23/97 1,217kb Shareware $10.00 A program that resides in your Windows system tray and plays the real, soothing sounds of a Forest Stream, a Tropical Rainforest, an Ocean Surf, and a Peaceful Night-time Surf sound. Home Page Site - http://www.advancedaerials.com/plastic/index.htm Name/Version Release Date Size Price Anonymous Cookie 32-bit 1.0 beta 1 6/24/97 1.40mb Free Luckman's Anonymous Cookie for Internet Privacy is a free utility program that lets you instantly disable all cookies in your browser's cookie directory or file. This anonymous mode ensures total privacy since it hides all your personal information from outside sources. Another mouse click re- enables your user's cookies at any time during or after your Internet session, again giving you total privacy control. Home Page Site - http://www.luckman.com/anoncookie/anoncookiebody.html Name/Version Release Date Size Price Xcell Version 4.0A 6/20/97 622kb Freeware A game based on Microsoft's Freecell but offers many more features. Home Page Site - http://huizen.dds.nl/~ren-hoek/ Name/Version Release Date Size Price FTP Voyager 32-bit 3.0.1.6 6/25/97 2.30mb Shareware $24.95 FTP Voyager is an FTP Client program for Windows 95/NT which allows you to perform FTP operations in the same way you normally perform file operations. FTP Voyager can connect to nearly any FTP Site, whether it's a UNIX site or a Windows NT site. FTP Voyager looks and feels like the Windows Explorer, in fact, you can even drag and drop files between them. It features: *Get, Put, and browse different sites at the same time *Easy to use FTP Site Manager used to manage your favorite FTP sites *Run, Open, and View files on an FTP site and more. Home Page Site - http://www.rhinosoft.com/RhinoSoft/FtpVoyagerDesc.htm Name/Version Release Date Size Price Address Book for WinWord 6.0 - 7.0 Version 5.6 6/20/97 226kb Shareware $17.00 Store up to 8000 names, Addresses and phone numbers. Search for specific record.Use filter. Insert the details directly to your document. The desired details, in the way you want. Import and Export data. Create reports. Normal report, and Wide report for mail merge. Automatically sort after every change made. Included templates for creating letter, and sending FAX. Home Page Site - http://www.kagi.com/fuchs/ Name/Version Release Date Size Price WebVCR 6/25/97 1.70mb Shareware $19.95 WebVCR works like your home VCR: you program it with the sites you want, it "records" the web sites using your preferences, and you view your sites by "playing" them back on your favorite web browser. Unlike first generation offline browsers, WebVCR has a powerful, wizard-driven Windows 95 interface that puts you in control of recorded content, allowing you to specify exactly what you want to record and what you don't want to record. Plus, WebVCR doesn't limit you to a single cache of downloaded web pages. It allows you to create as many "Web Tapes" (recorded web pages stored in a file) as you like in any location on any media (hard disk, Iomega Zip, SyQuest SyJet, etc.) which makes it easy to archive, transfer, or distribute the web content you've recorded. Home Page Site - http://www.netresultscorp.com/ Name/Version Release Date Size Price Graphcat Clip Art Cataloger for WordPerfect/Win95 Version 4.1 6/20/97 205kb Shareware $20.00 High-power graphics catalogs in WordPerfect 8, 7, 6.1, 6.0, 5.2, 5.2+/Win. New in 4.1: Adds support for Corel WP 8 /32-bit & WP7/16-bit. Includes CD-ROM support, directory searching, uses all graphics supported by WordPerfect. User has complete control of catalog page layout and image options and size. Home Page Site - http://www.graphcat.com/ Name/Version Release Date Size Price netWAR 32-bit beta 6/25/97 N/A Free Requires DirectX A new online action/shoot 'em up type game. In a way it's kind of similar to the old console game Commando. Your an soldier and can either play regular Deathmatch (you against everybody) or form small combat units to attain your goals. The game takes a semi top down view of the action. Home Page Site - http://www.net-wars.com/ Name/Version Release Date Size Price Cookie Crusher 32-bit 1.5 6/26/97 .39mb Shareware $10 On the World Wide Web, 'cookies' can generate profiles of your visiting habits. Many sites now utilize cookies and their use is expanding. Most web users, when alerted to this, are very concerned about their browsing privacy. Internet experts and analysts recommend against accepting cookies. Protect yourself with Cookie Crusher! Cookie Crusher will automatically reject cookies before they hit your hard drive. This true 32 bit program is fully compatible with Netscape Navigator/Communicator and Microsoft Internet Explorer under both Windows 95 and Windows NT. Home Page Site - http://www.thelimitsoft.com/ Name/Version Release Date Size Price Internet Touchtone 32-bit 1.2 plug-in 6/26/97 1.00mb Shareware Internet Touchtone is a plug-in for use with Netscape Navigator/MSIE. Users can create or convert hyperlinks that dial telephone numbers directly from a web page. Users never have to dial from the telephone or manually enter a telephone number into a dialer. Just point and click. Internet Touchtone is ideal for keeping a list of frequently called numbers, rosters, or creating address books consisting of friends and family. Businesses with home pages can convert phone numbers on web pages into hyperlinks so visitors can point, click, and be connected with a salesperson or customer service representative in a matter of seconds. Home Page Site - http://www.itserv.com/ Name/Version Release Date Size Price PureVoice Player-Recorder 32-bit 1.0 beta 4 6/26/97 1.30mb Free Introducing PureVoice Technology and its first Internet application: A Player-Recorder for voice messages that you can use with your email software. There's a Plug-in specifically for Eudora software, and a separate application for other email products. The sound quality is about the same as you'd expect on a standard telphone call and are very small. PureVoice files can be up to ten times smaller than comparable .wav files. Home Page Site - http://www.eudora.com/eudorapro/purevoice.html/ Name/Version Release Date Size Price Eddie's Yahtzee Version 1.0 6/20/97 500kb Freeware Beautiful version of Yahtzee. This one features a very intuitive interface, along with beautiful 16 bit graphics. And, most important of all, it's fun! As an added bonus, it is also free, with no annoying nag screens or guilt messages. Home Page Site - http://www.tufts.edu/~esulliva/ Name/Version Release Date Size Price DiscPlay 32-bit 4.0.3 6/26/97 1.00mb Shareware $15 An audio CD player with some nice features such as: DiscPlay can search your entire CD collection for tracks or albums; by title, artist, category, owner, or user-defined information, DiscPlay offers five different window sizes, and allows you to specify exactly what information will be displayed in the window and on the title bar, and Editing playlists and disc properties is as easy as dragging a track (or a file) onto a list. Web browser integration, CDDB Internet database support, HTML document generation, collection printing with visual template editor, and easy collection management and statistical features, and more make Discplay a great program. Home Page Site - http://www.obvion.com/discplay/ Name/Version Release Date Size Price Letter Rack Version 1.02 6/15/97 1,228kb Shareware $24.99 A challenging and traditional word board game written for Windows 95 / NT for 1 - 4 players. Letter Rack has lots of new features and includes 7 dictionaries, the Official Letter Rack dictionary contains 190,000+ words, other dictionaries are French, German, Portuguese and Spanish. Other 'bells & whistles' are a user configurable board, a puzzle solver and a host of other features. Home Page Site - http://wkweb4.cableinet.co.uk/softspot.com/ Name/Version Release Date Size Price WinHacker 32-bit 2.02 6/26/97 1.10mb Shareware $18 WinHacker 95 is the best utility that you can use to configure the hidden Windows 95 (and Windows NT) settings. Many of the settings that change the way Windows 95 works and feels are hidden in the overwhelming registry, or in configuration files. WinHacker 95 give you a easy way to configure those settings through the GUI (graphical user interface) Home Page Site - http://www.wojo.com/wedge/ Name/Version Release Date Size Price Headliner 32-bit 1.2.0 6/26/97 2.80mb Free HeadLiner automatically delivers and organizes your choice of news and information from the Web. Structured, filtered, organized, updated and presented just for you. Now you can manage the Web like it's never been managed before! HeadLiner starts by asking you about your interests and automatically providing sites for you. As your requirements change or evolve, HeadLiner gives you a choice of hundreds of sites. Not just a few like those other delivery tools. Hundreds. News. Business. Stock Quotes. Sports. Weather. Lifestyles. The Arts. And more. In your home city and around the world. You can subscribe to more sites at any time. And HeadLiner will make sure you always have the latest news and information when you need it. Without the irrelevant advertising. Home Page Site - http://www.lanacom.com/freedownload.html EDUPAGE STR Focus Keeping the users informed Edupage Contents Internet Restrictions Overturned In New York, Georgia Study Confirms Intranet Payback Gateway 2000 To Buy Advanced Logic Research Wireless Carriers, Utilities Join Forces In Tower Issue News News Everywhere There'll Be Music In The Air ... And Over The Wires BellSouth Says AT&T's Is Procrastinating For A Purpose Virtual Immortality, At Carnegie Mellon Gates Creates Library FoundationCompaq To Acquire TandemDigital CouponsQuebec And The InternetBuy It And They Will LearnRecording Industry Puts Internet Pirates On Notice Microsoft Web Site Victim Of Cracker On The Net, Talk Is Cheap ... ... And It's Making Telecoms Nervous C/Net Unveils Snap! Online We Interrupt Your Work To Bring You This Message Court Overturns Provision Of Communications Decency Act Government Loosens Up (A Little) On Encryption Export Policy Wireless Bidders Threaten To Default Microsoft Will Spend $80-Million On Cambridge Lab Four Bells Join In Online Yellow Pages Cisco Still Buying Ellison Not To Be Outdone In The Philanthropy Department Nonprofit Takes Over Registration Of Internet Addresses Information Technology And The Wealth Of Nations INTERNET RESTRICTIONS OVERTURNED IN NEW YORK, GEORGIA State laws in New York and Georgia putting limits on free speech over the Internet were overturned Friday. In the New York case, a law similar to the federal Communications Decency Act was declared unconstitutional because it sought to regulate transactions occurring outside the state's borders, thereby violating the Constitution's interstate commerce clause. "The judge was waiting to hear the Supreme Court's decision on the CDA, but decided that in any event it doesn't matter because under this commerce law, it is too burdensome for people to speak at all in this medium," says an American Civil Liberties Union attorney. In Georgia, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction against a law that made it illegal to use a name that "falsely identifies" the sender of an electronic message, such as a pseudonym or an anonymous e-mail address. (WiredNews 20 Jun 97) STUDY CONFIRMS INTRANET PAYBACK A study released Thursday by Meta Consulting Group indicates that 80% of the companies polled realized a positive return on their investment in a corporate intranet. Participating companies ranged in size from $2-million to $35-billion in sales revenue, but an organization's size had no apparent relationship to the returns generated, which averaged about 38% on the initial investment. "The market for intranet services is moving rapidly, and to date there has been little expense or cost justification data available," says a Meta VP. "What does exist is vendor-focused rather than reflecting the need and actual experience of end users." (Electronic Buyers News 20 Jun 97) GATEWAY 2000 TO BUY ADVANCED LOGIC RESEARCH Direct computer sales pioneer Gateway 2000 has agreed to purchase server- maker Advanced Logic Research for $194 million. "Adding a server offering to our product line... ties in very well as a natural extension of our push into the corporate market," says Gateway EO Ted Waitt. (InfoWorld Electric 19 Jun 97) WIRELESS CARRIERS, UTILITIES JOIN FORCES IN TOWER ISSUE With community zoning boards clamping down hard on where new cellular phone towers may be sited, wireless carriers in some cases are turning to utility companies to help them out f their dilemma. The PowerMount, designed by FWT Inc. of Fort Worth, Texas, modifies the utility's electrical transmission towers to accommodate the carrier's communications antennas. By co-siting their antennas on already existing power poles, the carriers are finding that community opposition is virtually eliminated. (Wireless Business Technology Jun 97) NEWS NEWS EVERYWHERE Are many people watching all-news cable channels (the Fox Channel, MSNBC, and the now- venerable CNN)? Not compared to their network rivals. Ratings from the Nielsen Company indicate that Fox is watched in 10,000 homes, MSNBC in 24,000 homes, and CNN in 274,000 homes ... whereas NBC's network news is watched in 8 million homes -- well over 300 times the number reached by MSNBC. The president of NBC defends MSNBC's small viewer numbers, saying: "I don't want to sound naive; we all want audience. But what's difficult for some people to understand is that you can have a pretty decent business with a very small audience." (New York Times 22 Jun 97) THERE'LL BE MUSIC IN THE AIR ... AND OVER THE WIRES The New York-based Jupiter consulting group predicts that about $1.6- billion worth of recorded music (approx. 7.5% of the total market) will be sold online in the U.S. five years from now. (Financial Times 21 Jun 97) BELLSOUTH SAYS AT&T IS PROCRASTINATING FOR A PURPOSE BellSouth chief executive F. Duane Ackerman is accusing AT&T of deliberately staying out of the local phone market because, according to government rules, the long-distance carrier's entry into that market would lead to the ability of local service providers such as BellSouth to compete with AT&T for long-distance phone customers. Saying that federal law has given AT&T a "powerful and perverse set of incentives" to delay offering local service to customers," Ackerman argues that "it profits AT&T to stay out of residential service to the tune of $1.6 billion a year in the nine states BellSouth serves." (Atlanta Journal-Constitution 20 Jun 97) VIRTUAL IMMORTALITY, AT CARNEGIE MELLON Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University envision a huge multimedia database that could store minute-by-minute details of your waking life, all packed on a hard disk the size of a quarter. "Your great great grandchildren will be able to ask your database about your life and times," says Dr. Raj Reddy, dean of the School of Computer Science. As hard- drive prices plummet, "storing all your visual experiences during your 5,840 waking hours per year, including all your creative expressions, will soon cost less than $1,000," predicts the director of CMU's new Human Computer Interaction Institute, who predicts that in about 15 years, storage costs will fall to about $50 for 100 years of life. Meanwhile, making computers think more like people is the goal of the new Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition: "Every man, woman and child will soon be using information technology as an integral part of their daily lives," says Reddy. "So we're spending intellectual capital to understand how to make IT like driving a car. Most people drive, yet they don't care much about how the engine works. Whereas 90 years ago, you had to be your own mechanic." (Business Week 23 Jun 97) GATES CREATES LIBRARY FOUNDATION Microsoft chief executive Bill Gates is making a personal contribution of $200 million over five years (matched by a contribution from the Microsoft Corporation of software with a retail value of $200) to give public libraries in lower income areas computers, software, training, and Internet access. As many as half of the country's public libraries may eventually benefit from the newly established Gates Library Foundation, which will have as its president Patty Stonesifer, a former Microsoft senior vice president. Unlike many large gifts, the $200 million is not an endowment set up to generate interest-income for the recipient, but rather a five-year spending total. (New York Times 24 Jun 97) http://www.nytimes.com COMPAQ TO ACQUIRE TANDEM In a $3-billion stock swap, Compaq Computer -- best known as a personal computer company - is buying Tandem Computers, a manufacturer of large "fault-tolerant" computer systems deliberately built with redundant components so that they can survive hard disk crashes, power failures, or other major disruptions. Compaq Chief Executive Eckardt Pfeiffer says: "It just happened, like two people falling in love. Neither one knows who starts it." Tandem will become a subsidiary of Compaq, and no staff reductions or relocations are expected. Compaq is located in Houston, Texas, and Tandem is located in Cupertino, California. The combined company is expected to be a major player in the world computer market. (San Jose Mercury News 24 Jun 97) http://www.sjmercury.com DIGITAL COUPONS Open Market Inc. has developed technology to produce and deliver digital coupons over the Internet, allowing Web sites to "mark down" specific items for discounted sales to their best customers. Online marketers will also be able to send e-mail to customers with embedded coupons that can be redeemed within a given timeframe. The new technology will be included in the new version of Open Market's Transact Internet commerce software. (Wall Street Journal 24 Jun 97) http://www.wsj.com QUEBEC AND THE INTERNET Quebec's Culture and Communications Minister Louise Beaudoin says the province's jurisdiction over consumer protection and advertising take precedence over the federal jurisdiction for telecommunications, giving the Quebec government the right to control language content for commercial Websites on the Internet. Beaudoin contends that if left up to the federal Heritage Minister, there would be no French-language content on the Internet. (Montreal Gazette 20 Jun 97) BUY IT AND THEY WILL LEARN More than 2,800 pieces of classroom computers, printers or terminals are broken or neglected in Fairfax County (VA) public schools. A school official says: "The focus of attention was on buying the equipment, and the support of that equipment was not taken into account. It was assumed the current support systems would be able to handle things and that has not proven to be the case." The school board's budget panel chief says the board's decision not to hire additional technicians for this fiscal year was influenced by its budget policy to hire administrators only when absolutely necessary. (Washington Times 24 Jun 97) http://www.washtimes.com RECORDING INDUSTRY PUTS INTERNET PIRATES ON NOTICE The Recording Industry Association of America has filed three lawsuits on behalf of its members against operators of Web sites that allegedly are involved in pirating and distributing copyrighted songs for free over the Internet. "We are serving notice to other sites that we are going to vigorously protect our copyrights," says the association's president. (Tampa Tribune 23 Jun 97) http://www.tampatrib.com MICROSOFT WEB SITE INTERRUPTED BY CRACKER Microsoft's Web site was disrupted briefly by a computer cracker who broke into the site's server computers by exploiting a flaw in the Microsoft Internet server software. The site was down only about 10 minutes, but company officials say users may have experienced more problems because the company currently is upgrading its servers. Microsoft has posted a fix for the flaw on its Web site, and a marketing director says all that was needed to get the machines going again was a reboot. (Wall Street Journal 23 Jun 97) http://www.wsj.com ON THE NET, TALK IS CHEAP ... Innomedia, a small company in Singapore, has developed a device that can be attached to a regular phone and used to make calls over the Internet, simply by pressing the # sign after dialing a number. Called InfoTalk, the product will be introduced in Singapore in October, and is expected eventually to be sold in the U.S. for about $300 retail. Financial Times 24 Jun 97) http://www.ft.com ... AND IT'S MAKING TELECOMS NERVOUS "We're afraid they're going to just start banning it all over the place," says an executive of IDT, a New Jersey company that has sold its Internet phone systems to clients in Portugal, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Micronesia. His fear is based on the fact an increasing number of nations are banning or blocking Internet calls to protect their state-owned phone companies; they can do this by blocking internal access to the Web site, preventing customers from beginning the process of dialing out. An international call from any country placed through IDT's equipment costs 10 cents a minute vs. more than $2 a minute using regular phone lines. (USA Today 24 Jun 97) http://www.usatoday.com C/NET UNVEILS SNAP! ONLINE C/Net, a producer of computer-related Web sites and television shows, has developed a new service to organize and present Web content. Earthlink Network has agreed to distribute at least 10 million CD-ROMs featuring Snap! Online, and C/Net has reached agreements with most of the major Internet access providers, including AT&T's WorldNet, MCI Internet and Sprint's Internet Passport. Snap! will offer "channels," such as news and entertainment, that will then point users toward Web sites related to the topic selected. (Wall Street Journal 23 Jun 97) http://www.wsj.com WE INTERRUPT YOUR WORK TO BRING YOU THIS MESSAGE A Gallup-San Jose State University survey of 972 executives, managers and administrative staff at Fortune 1000 companies found that half of those questioned said they were interrupted by messages six or more times an hour, leaving them overwhelmed by the number of messages they receive. An executive of Pitney Bowes, the office products company that sponsored the study, says: "This phenomenon is beginning to have a seismic affect on people's professional and private lives. Technology is not the problem, it's how we use and control it." (Reuters 24 Jun 97) COURT OVERTURNS PROVISION OF COMMUNICATIONS DECENCY ACT The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that a provision of the Communications Decency Act passed by the Congress last year violated free- speech rights when its efforts to protect children from sexually explicit material had the additional effect of keeping such material from adults. Writing for the Court, Justice John Paul Stevens said: "It is true that we have repeatedly recognized the governmental interest in protecting children from harmful materials. But that interest does not justify an unnecessarily broad suppression of speech addressed to adults. The government may not reduce the adult population ... to ... only what is fit for children.'' (San Jose Mercury News 26 Jun 97) http://www.sjmercury.com/ GOVERNMENT LOOSENS UP A LITTLE ON ENCRYPTION EXPORT POLICY The U.S. Commerce Department has granted Netscape and Microsoft licenses to export more secure versions of the software they sell to financial institutions, but has not changed its policies regarding exportation of strong encryption software for e-mail and other electronic communications. (New York Times 25 Jun 97) http://www.nytimes.com/ WIRELESS BIDDERS CAN'T PAY THEIR BILLS Winners of the much-ballyhooed wireless spectrum auction held last year now say they can't pay the billions of dollars that they bid for licenses and are threatening to default if the government doesn't agree to restructure their debt. The auction generated bids totaling $10.2 billion for 493 licenses to offer personal communications services. The FCC faces a difficult decision, as any reduction of debt would result in an outpouring of complaints from competing bidders who lost and market rivals who paid full freight for their licenses. At the same time, if the bidders default, they could seek the protection of bankruptcy court, where the FCC can't easily reclaim the licenses for re-auction. The CEO of NextWave, the largest bidder in trouble, says that instead of the $10.2 billion the government was expecting, bidders now ought to pay "roughly $2.7 billion, including the $1 billion they've already paid in If they re-auction the licenses, they probably won't get $2.7 billion," and if the debt's not restructured, "every one of the C-block players would go into bankruptcy, and the licenses would be tied up in court." (Wall Street Journal 26 Jun (97) http://www.wsj.com MICROSOFT WILL SPEND $80-MILLION ON CAMBRIDGE LAB Microsoft has confirmed that it plans to spend $80 million over the next five years on its first foreign research center, to be located at Cambridge University in England. "It's a big step to go beyond the United States, but our view was there were greater opportunities for us if we did that," says Microsoft Chief Technology Officer Nathan Myhrvold. "We really wanted to broaden our perspective, and Europe was a high priority." The company also plans to invest an additional $16 million in venture capital for local high-tech firms in Cambridge. (Science Online 26 Jun 97) http://www.sciencemag.org FOUR BELLS JOIN IN ONLINE YELLOW PAGES Ameritech, BellSouth, U S West and Pacific Bell (now owned by SBC Communications) have developed a "shared" Yellow Pages service, which will be housed on the popular Yahoo! search engine Web site. Users will be transported to a map of the U.S., where they can click on a specific state to search business listings. For states in the Northeast, where none of the companies operate, listings purchased from a third party will provided. (Wall Street Journal 25 Jun 97) http://www.wsj.com CISCO STILL BUYING Cisco Systems is adding to its networking empire through the purchase of two companies -- Global Internet Software Group, for $40 million, and Ardent Communications, for $156 million. The Global deal makes Cisco a provider of Windows NT network security software, and the Ardent purchase gives Cisco access to Ardent's technology used to transmit voice across computer networks. (Investor's Business Daily 25 Jun 97) http://www.investors.com ELLISON NOT TO BE OUTDONE IN THE PHILANTHROPY DEPARTMENT One day after Microsoft CEO Bill Gates announced his intention to spend $200 million of his personal money in addition to donating $200 million worth of Microsoft software to bring computers and Internet access to public libraries, Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison has pledged $100 million to help schools put network computers on every child's desk. "This is an unbelievable coincidence," said Gates Library Foundation head Patty Stonesifer, who noted Gates had been planning the library effort for the past 18 months. Oracle executives prefer to think that Gates' announcement was in response to an alert they distributed Monday afternoon about the Oracle donation. Ellison joked that it took Microsoft a year to respond to the Internet, six months to respond to the NC, and only six hours to respond to Oracle's donation plans. (Wall Street Journal 25 Jun 97) http://www.wsj.com NONPROFIT TAKES OVER REGISTRATION OF INTERNET ADDRESSES The National Science Foundation has decided to turn the job of assigning Internet addresses for computers in North America over to a new not-for- profit organization called American Registry for Internet Numbers. That responsibility is currently handled by the Network Solutions Inc., a for- profit company of Reston, Va., under contract to the NSF. Most Internet users will be unaffected by the change and will continue to obtain their Internet Protocol number assignments from their Internet service providers. (AP 24 Jun 97) INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE WEALTH OF NATIONS FCC Chairman Reed Hundt says that the information revolution is the key to increasing world wealth. "If it's possible to have the information revolution lead to a general elevation in world wealth and a better distribution of that wealth, then this is a very important thing...People will vote on the Internet, get an education on the Internet ... watch TV on computers, look for jobs on the Internet and just plain work on the Internet. Communications technology will alter everyday living from dawn to dusk, top to bottom." What should countries do to get richer faster? "Deregulate like crazy... Those countries that adopt the competitive model more quickly will be the ones that get richer faster." (AP 25 Jun 97) 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: " (I think). It is in the evening and greens predominate. The lights are on in the house. SUNMORN is a painting showing the view of a downtown business district early Sunday morning - empty. The Barberpole and fire hydrant show the low angle of the sun. Yellows and greens with orange red brick upper floors dominate the scene. CIRCTHTR is a view of a downtown theater (I suppose). A traffic light and subway exit are in the foreground. The building is painted brick. Green and yellows predominate. DRUGSTOR is a painting of Silber's Pharmacy, a corner drugstore, at night. "Prescription Drugs Ex-Lax" so the sign above the lighted window reads. Again, greens and yellows predominate. SUNDAY depicts a bald man in a white shirt, vest, and arm cuffs as he sits on a raised board sidewalk. The sidewalk runs in front of several building, forming, in effect, the front porches of the businesses. In the window of one building, just behind the man, a faint image of a woman may be seen. Greens and yellows predominate. PROSPECT shows the view down a street set on a hill. Nicely kept wooden homes line the street. Autos (antique types) are parked on the street and a church is visible in the distance. Again, greens and yellows predominate. PALACIO shows a view from the rooftops of a city street (mostly hidden by the roofs). A "Ford" sign is visible along with another, larger, sign that reads, "Palacio." Hills form the background of the city. Greens and yellows predominate. PACOALTN shows a bald headed man in long sleeves and vest raking his side yard. It's a narrow "city" side yard with a wooden house. NITEHAWK is a familiar painting showing four people at an all night coffee shop. The view is from outside looking through the full glass windows. Greens and yellows again, but this time the bar is mahogany, the woman is wearing a red dress and has red hair, and other color changes are evident as well. GAS shows a country gas station (actually, just the three old-style red pumps) and a man standing next to them. Oil is for sale as well. Reds, Greens, and Yellows predominate. HUSTLER is the demo version Hollywood Hustler, The American Classic by Desert Star Software (dated 1995). This is the best Five Card Draw Poker computer game I've ever seen (this demo plays very well indeed). Most computer card games can be fun for a while, but eventually they become predictable and boring. Hollywood Hustler certainly never becomes predictable (well, I can't really say that -- it is predictable -- predictable that I lose with great regularity! Remember: the house always wins! and if you don't play then you can't lose!). But back to the description! Each time you play, your computer opponents Joe, Chuck and the one and only Montana Slim provide you with a fresh challenge, starting every new game in a different mental state to the last - more or less confident, more or less likely to bluff etc.. No two games are ever the same! There are some excellent digitized pictures and sound on this demo, and even more in the commercial version (distributed by Toad Computers here in the US and available through your local Atari store--there are some of those left--support them!). I enjoy the occasional banter between the players and their grunts as they play the game. You are included right along with the rest of the players. They don't know what cards you have, and you don't know theirs. You're the one who needs to "know when to hold 'em, and know when to fold 'em" (docs and poker instructions included) Color only. Joystick controlled. The full game comes on three floppy disks. If you wish to read an excellent and detailed review of the full commercial version of Hollywood Hustler check out the August, 1995 (?) issue of ST Informer. ROAD is a beautiful .JPG ray traced picture by Steve Deitz. This shows an antique car (30's/40's) sitting on top of a wilderness hilltop. Squatting in front of the car, examining it, is a silvery-sheened raytraced mercury man. He is examining the car. The scenery if beautiful, the car very well done, and the whole scene gives forth a sense of mystery. CATWRKS2 is the docs, source code (C and Assembler), and other utilities designed to show programmers how best to take advantage of the CyReL CaTTamaran '030 Accelerator for the Atari TT030, v.1.02b (dated July 1994). Like the CaTTamaran itself, this is good stuff! CATT0295 is the February 1995 update to the Cattamaran software. The Cattamaran is the TT acceleration board that ups your TT's speed from 33 MHz to 48 MHz. This file includes the AUTO folder program that automatically accelerates the TT on bootup as well as the .ACC that allows you to configure your acceleration (and show ST and TT RAM usage) at any time. If you have a TT and have a chance to get a Cattamaran board DO SO! I have one and it is wonderful! S_DIG406 is SONDIGIT v.4.06, the Sound Digitizer/Editor for all Ataris by Mequignon Didier (dated Nov. 1996). With the Falcon you may record directly through the microphone input and with the ST-TT you need a sampler cart such as ST-Replay. You may also load sound files in the .SPL (and SPL compressed which is .SPC), .AVR, and .WAV. When you want to save your creations you may choose to do so in any of the following formats: AVR, DVS, WAV, AIF, or SP?. If you happen to need a formatted disk and don't have any you may format both DS and High Density disks from within the program. This looks like an excellent program. The program and docs are in French, but the directions are pretty clear even to a non-French reader like me. If you're a sound person (pun intended) You can probably figure this one out! Geneva compatible. GEMHEXED is GEMHEXED v.1.00 (dated Aug. 1995) by Mark Slagell, the author of SilkMouse, my favorite utility. This freeware program will allow you to create, edit, and view any type of file in an easy-to-use windowed environment (open as many windows as your TOS allows). The HEX values are displayed on the left side of the window and the ASCII values on the right. You can edit in hex or direct ASCII key modes; do search/replace, cut/copy/paste between windows from ram or disk, save and merge blocks, etc. This program is based on XXED 1.2 by Jim Charlton. Docs included (lots of bells and whistles here). ST-Falcon compatible. QED_380 is the QED GEM based text editor v.3.80 by Tom Quellenberg (dated April 27, 1996). Note: QED is now up to v.3.9, and I recommend that one, which is even better than this--I just haven't reviewed it yet!) This was previously a shareware program, but it is now free for you to use. This is an excellent text editor which allows you to edit multiple windows of text, cut and paste between them, reduce the open windows to icons on the desktop (at least with Geneva and NeoDesk 4 which I am using at the moment), search for specific text, change capitalizations in your text, record and use Macros, format and transpose paragraphs, and much, much more. This program will be useful to all of you programmers out there, but also for everyone else. One nice thing is that this program allows you to use abbreviation files (Kurzel's) that are standard in many programs. Sets for "C" and Modula programmers, LaTEX and STG users are included. This can save you piles of time! The docs are in German, but the program is in English (an English resource file is included). STNODEMO is the demo of the STeno Text Editor from Gribnif Software. STeno is a wonderful program/accessory editor that I use all of the time. I do most of my writing on it, importing my files into Calamus SL when they need fancying up or into STalker when I want to send them out online. The demo allows you to access all of STeno's features except that you can't save your files or your configurations and that only the first 4K or 14K of a file will be loaded in the .ACC or .PRG form, respectively. STeno has word wrap, formatting, tabs, search and replace, and much more. I can't recommend it highly enough to you. ST-Falcon in all res. Docs included. STENO211 is the STeno? 2.10 to 2.11 Patch Program from Gribnif Software. This program will upgrade STeno version 2.10 to version 2.11. It will ONLY upgrade version 2.10. You will need an un-modified STeno 2 Master Disk v.2.10 to use this upgrade. STeno is another one of those programs (and accessories) that I don't want to do without. I do most of my writing using STeno and I recommend it to you highly. If you have it, and you haven't upgraded, do so, today! Also be sure to check out STENO212 for the upgrade to version 2.12 (you need to do the v.2.11 upgrade first, though). STENO212 is the STeno 2.11 to 2.12 Patch Program from Gribnif Software. This program will upgrade STeno version 2.11 to version 2.12. It will ONLY upgrade version 2.11. See STENO211 for more information if you need it. 1STGUIDE is 1stGuide release May 19, 1997 by Guido Vollbeding. 1stGuide is the shareware .prg/.acc file viewer/player which will display the following standard file formats in GEM windows on all Atari machines, all system configurations, in all screen resolutions and color depths (1 Bit Monochrome up to 32 Bit TrueColor): .IMG GEM-(X/T)-Image picture files, Level-1/2/3 (1 Bit Monochrome up to 12 Bit RGB XIMG Colormap, RGB-TrueColor/Gray/Alpha TIMG direct pixel) .IFF Interchange File Format: ILBM - Interleaved Bitmaps (1 Bit Monochrome up to 12 Bit RGB Colormap) .GEM GEM-Metafiles (including bezier curves under appropriate VDI, e.g. NVDI >= 2.12) .RSC GEM-Resource files (simple up to 64 K and extended > 64 K) .PNG Portable Network Graphics, all 'flavors' according to the current specification .JPG .JPE .JPEG Joint Photographic Experts Group - pictures: JPEG/JFIF-Standard (24 Bit TrueColor, 8 Bit Gray), Baseline/Multiscan/Progressive Support .MPG .MPE .MPEG Moving Picture Experts Group - movies: MPEG-1-Video-Standard (24 Bit TrueColor), MPEG-1-System (Video+Audio interleaved) .SAM .SND .AVR Sound-Sample files (8 Bit Mono only at the moment) .DOC .OUT * Textfiles (including attributes) Furthermore, hypertext-like links can be defined between files in a simple manner, which provides the possibility to create large information systems to be used interactively with 1stGuide. See in the program description for details. This release doesn't contain all of the "extras" you get when you register (just about everything else you could imagine to make this even more useful). This archive contains excellent English and German docs. If you use this remember to register it! Support shareware authors! Future versions may be found on his WEB page: http://www.esc.de/homes/guivol/1stguide/ FRDM115E is the Freedom File Selector v.1.15e Demo (English) by Christian Kruger & Kolja Koischwitz. This is a *non modal* file selector. What that means is that when you call up this file selector it doesn't completely take over your screen and shut everything else out. You can have it visible and still use whatever else is currently on screen. Freedom allows you to have at least 8 non modal file selectors or alerts at them same time under Mag!C, MiNT and single TOS! Selectric compatible, XAcc2, AV and MultiTOS Drag&drop, (ICFS)Iconify, Unix masks, Clipboard export, file delete. Copy/move via AV server or Kobold_2. ST-Falcon, MagicMac and Gemulator compatible. Fully configurable, fonts, icons, etc. English docs included. A number of bug fixes and enhancements are found in this version. More of its features are: - Freedom alert boxes can optionally be placed in windows - Any program which understands the VA_START protocol is no longer blocked! - Long filename support - User definable font and size - Drag&drop font protocol support - Keyboard layout 99% Selectric compatible - Multiple file selection (naturally Selectric compatible) - Up to 40 user definable filenames, paths and extensions - History Popup to select from last 20 selected files - The ultimate in intuitive interface design using Enhanced GEM featuring Short paths, minimal clicks, shortcuts and Popups - Left handed mode! - Unix masks (*,?,[]) and extension lists (*.TOS,*.PRG) - Icons representing files/folders - Drag&drop support (paths and files and be dragged to the file selector (AV, MultiTOS, Drag&drop) and vice versa - Messages concerning directory changes evaluated using SH_WDRAW, AV_PATH_UPDATE, SC_CHANGED - Fuzzy file location! Freedom tries everything possible to ascertain a reasonable application name even under single TOS. Freedom looks for XAcc, AV and even Menutitle0 if the string looks promising (not the Atari symbol or Desk). - File delete, new file/folder creation and file/folder info - Search using mask to select or deselect files - Export paths or selected files as ASCII listing to the Clipboard - Full communication with available AV Server (eg Thing/Gemini) - File delete, copy, move via Drag&drop, using an AV Server or Kobold 2 running in parallel using the KOBOLD_PATH environmental variable The following restrictions apply to the demo version: - Only the first four characters in editable fields can be changed. - The filesize in the file selector and 'Object Info' dialog is replaced with the string '' LOOKNC95 is the .ACC/.PRG 'Look'n See' v.0.95 file viewer/editor by Reiner Rosin (dated July 21, 1995 with an English release of Jan. 27, 1996). Most file viewers simply display/play files but with Look'n See a whole range of options are available depending on the format of the file you are viewing. Included in this archive are 99 plug-in modules covering just about every picture format (bit and vector), font (Calamus, GDOS), FAX, text type, Hex dumps (for everything else), sounds, resource files, and even files larger than available memory. There are comprehensive ST-Guide hypertext and ASCII documentation included. Oh, by the way, the version number, 0.95, doesn't really have to do with the status of the program. It has more to do with "looking and seeing" what you can do on your Atari in relation to Windows 95. Another shareware program supported by InterActive, the shareware registration people (Look 'n See is restricted very slightly in this shareware version). ST-Falcon, Geneva, MagiC, and MagiCMac compatible. This program supports all of the bells and whistles of the new AES's, so it even looks pretty (and some of those features not only look pretty but are very useful as well). STGCREA4 is the set of Tools for ST-Guide, Release 4 by Gregor Duchalski and translated by Joe Conner of InterActive (dated October 23, 1994). Some of these tools you might never use, but others might be lifesavers (figuratively speaking, that is). Shareware, and you may register directly with the author of through InterActive. Here's what this archive contains: TXT2STG -Generates an ST-Guide STG format text from an ASCII file. Text attributes, title generation and hierarchical chapter referencing can be automatically added. STGALIAS -Generates alias names for pages. APPEND -Appends one file to another. UFP2STG -Changes the PC UFP format Star Trek data to ST-Guide format. TELE2STG -Converts the Tele Office handbook into STG format. [German] STWT104E is Stewart v1.04e by John McLoud. This shareware program is a utility to customize the look and feel of MagiC. Here are some of the options you might choose when you have Stewart. - Drop down menus may have a grey background - The corners of the displayed screen may be rounded - Clicking anywhere on the desktop tops (brings to the foreground) the desktop and all desktop windows - The GEM grow and shrink boxes are replaced by much sexier spinboxes (rotating rectangles) - The 'Nicelines' option offered by some programs changes the dotted line drop down menu separators with nice lines - A menu bar clock may be activated (digital or fuzzy text display), because most clocks cannot cope with grey menu bar background color - 3D menu text -the same as MagiC v4 uses for window title bars - The MagiC logo can be switched off conveniently - The MagiC logo can be replaced with a custom icon - If StIc is installed, Stewart can replace the MagiC logo with an application dependent icon Stewart is a MagiC application and doesn't run under TOS. Any version of MagiC >= v3.0 or MagiC Mac is supported. No special hardware is required but Stewart only kicks in when you're running at least 640x480 in 16 colors. Detailed English docs (both ASCII and ST-Guide Hypertext) included. You may register this with the author or through Joe Connor's InterActive. CDI_110D is the CDI v.1.10 Compact disk interface for BBS programs by Mark Southron (dated Jan. 6, 1997). This is an exciting program for me, as it will allow you to use any BBS ready or NON-BBS Ready CD-ROM along with any BBS that supports external programs. Features include batch downloading, carrier detection, file searching, hidden and private file areas, and more. New in this release is a stripped down version of the program that allows it to be used with CD's, EZ-SyQuest Drives, Zip Drives, etc. that do not include the index data file that "BBS Ready" disks usually have, and CDI formerly required. The CDI(stripped) version allows you to browse directories, download files, batch mark and download files, and generally just explore any hard drive, CD, or removable media. That means you can access any disk online (including the new Suzy B's CD which has all of the files in both compressed and uncompressed format!). Also new with this program is that it is no longer shareware, but freeware! The Key file is now included, by the generosity of the programmer (I called him and asked if he would release it and he said yes!). I won't begin to describe all of the features of this program, which are quite comprehensive. Suffice to say that if your BBS needs it this program probably has it. The docs are very detailed. Everything you need to run this program (except those obvious things like a BBS program, a CD ROM drive and disk, etc.) are included. CHEAT_M is The ST Cheat Machine v.3.00 by Martin Pugh (dated Nov. 24, 1996). The ST Cheat Machine is a program that allows you to "cheat" on those games (over 100!) which you would otherwise not normally play. By simply selecting a program file and entering a few 8 character alphanumeric codes (included in the docs) you can add new life to those games gathering dust in your disk box. The type of cheat is not just limited to the boring infinite lives, wherever possible I have made the cheats a lot more useful, infinite lives alone doesn't always make games more 'user friendly'! In fact some of the games featured have their own cheat modes which are put to shame!! Over 40 different "packers" are supported, so even if the program is packed you may still use this program. The original disk is not changed, only the program in memory. This full version only requires that you e-mail the author to tell him what you think of the program. He's put a lot of work into creating this program, so be sure to let him know if you use it! ST-TT (at least). Docs included. CLI_SEC is the Secrets of the Batch File: Using command-line interpreters (CLI) and batch files on your Atari, by Al Fasoldt. This excellent article continues his "Secrets of..." service to the Atari community. Why learn about command-line interpreters and Batch files? After all, our computers use GEM (and all of the added utilities that make it even more useful)? Well, a CLI _is_ one of those added utilities that can make some tasks MUCH easier for you. The key is finding those applications, writing the batch file once, and doing the task again and again, whenever you need to. This article tells you just how to do that. CONVERT is a program by Frank Vuotto of F10 Software which will convert an HTML document to ASCII. This is an excellent program! It takes an HTML file which is a jumble of text and special characters, a file which is readable, but only with difficulty, and turns it into a nicely formatted ASCII text, readable from the desktop or from within any text editor. Very useful. Double Click on the program and the Item Selector appears. Click on the HTML file you wish to convert and the converted file is written to disk with the .TXT extension. The original file is not altered. This works fine on my TT in TT High, though the author thinks that it probably won't (he must have programmed better than he thought!). So...ST-TT compatible at least (and if it works on my TT it should work on a Falcon). COPS106E is COPS v.1.06 by Thomas Huch and Swen and Wilfried Behne. COPS is the COntrol Panel Server, an alternate XCONTROL for use with MagiC and Geneva. This .ACC and docs (in ST-Guide format - use ST-Guide to view, and in HTML format - use CAB15 or CAB2DEMO to view or puzzle your way through the extra characters with an ASCII text editor) have been translated into English. All of your CPS's are shown in the display window and may be activated or deactivated at will. It will also shrink down into an icon on your desktop when you wish. Included is the program WDIALOG.PRG, which must be run from the AUTO folder (MagiC or standard TOS versions) or from the Desktop (Geneva) prior to COPS being loaded. COPS may also be installed as an application under MagiC, so that it runs whenever a .CPX file is double clicked. This looks like a very nice XCONTROL replacement. ELF_PGS is a set of PageStream drivers from E.L.F Software. Included is a driver for the Packard Bell 9500 printer, and color and B&W drivers for any of the HP Deskjet 600 and 800 series of printers. The DeskJet drivers implement all 4 raster compression methods to minimize print time. Docs are included for you to modify the printout for a variety of paper sizes (envelopes, too). Thanks to that busy big Elf! FAXCONGR is a listing (dated 1996) that has an almost complete listing of the FAX numbers of our US House and Senate Representatives. While some of these numbers no longer apply (as the people are no longer in Congress!), these FAX numbers will provide you with a good starting point in participating in your national government. Now for the hard work: figuring out how to fix everything, writing it down in a lucid and compelling manner, and then sending it off! FLAYSID is FlaySID (Falcon Plays SID) player v.1.0 by David Carrere and Mikhael Myara (dated Nov. 28, 1996). This GEM-based program (or .ACC) is a C64 soundchip emulator for Atari Falcon 030 computers. The Commodore 64 was a small but powerful computer developed in the middle of the 1980's. There are lots of music files in its own .SID format that are excellent, but there was no way to play them on the Falcon, until now. This program makes use of the Falcon's DSP chip to emulate the SID (C64's Soundchip processor). Some music files are included, and this program is also able to read the PlaySID (on the Amiga) or SIDPlay (on a "PC") files. Magic and NVDI compatible. The program is in English and complete English docs (French, too) are included. Postcardware. FLDRICON is a NeoDesk 4 .NIC file that contains the default NeoDesk 4 folder icon in seventy-two new colors by Damien M. Jones. These colors were obtained by mixing various combinations of the 16 available colors in 50-50 proportions, as you will see if you open the icons in NeoDesk's icon editor. Several combinations of colors will produce the same overall shade (i.e. you can mix either red and white or yellow and purple to get pink); when this happens the author has chosen the mix that makes the dithering least obvious. Now you can have colored folders on your desktop and make it even prettier! Docs on using this file and creating your own are included. FLIPL25 is the FLIplayer v.2.5 by Kai Bode (dated March 16, 1994). This German language program (but don't worry about that) will allow you to play .FLI animations (Autodesk-Animator format) on your ST-TT (perhaps Falcon?) with a mono monitor. It does an excellent job dithering down color animations to a mono screen. It is also very fast, allowing you to play the animations much faster than normal (on my TT, but an ST should be decent, too) if you so wish (you can also play them at a slow rate, or even at their designed speed!). It comes in a .PRG form, but just change the name to an .ACC and it will work as an accessory. This works fine on my TT in TT High as well. Geneva compatible. German docs, that tell a lot more to do than I can understand, but it's easy to play animation files just as is. GLP296 is the demo of GEMvelope!, the envelope printer v.2.96 from Jeffrey A. Krzysztow of BRiSK Software (dated Nov. 1996). Laser (and most other printers) will not feed an envelope in the standard horizontal orientation for printing across it. GEMvelope! allows you to print an envelope, fed the long way, on almost any printer, Atari Laser, Deskjet, dot matrix, etc. GEMvelope uses GDOS/FontGDOS (included with the full version)/SpeedoGDOS/NVDI because they has font rotation built in and there are nice fonts available. GEMvelope features: - Import allows extracting an address from a letter in almost any word processor format (or from the GEM/Atari clipboard). - Mail merge allows printing many envelopes, each with a different address imported from any database or text file you create. - Database browse feature for pasting one address from any database. - Adjustable positioning for different size envelopes. - Load-able and save-able addresses and configuration. - HP DeskJet specific support. - POSTNET bar code printing. - A desk accessory version. This demo is fully functional except that you cannot Save or Load addresses and setups. Some other minor limitations also are included but not enough to hinder your review of the program. ST/STe/TT compatible. Color or mono. Docs included. GT970101 is GrafTool v. 01.01.97 (dated Jan. 1, 1997). This is an excellent graphics and animation program which will display all sorts of graphic and animation types. It will display .BMP, GEM (GEM vector graphics), .IMG, GIF, JPEG, MSX II, Midimaz -> Bitmap, PBMPLus, PCD, PCX, PNG, Targa, TIFF (save and load), ASCII, and also .DL and FLI/FLC animations (I did have some problems with some .FLI animation files on my TT high monitor, but others displayed just fine). Also included in this are a number of tools with which you may manipulate your pictures. ST-Falcon compatible in any resolution (including all res. of the Nova card and most likely other graphics cards as well). The program and docs are all in German, but with some play time you can figure it out. Geneva, MagiC, and MultiTOS, Warp 9 and NVDI compatible. Registerware, but it appears that all you need to do is send the author some e-mail to get a registered copy. This is an awesome program that I highly recommend to you. I do wish that the author would be able to provide an English Resource file and English docs, but just maybe we all should work on our German! HDCPX13E is the Hard Disk CPX v.1.31 by Carsten Setje-Eilers (dated Feb. 26, 1995). With this CPX you may easily tell the free disk space on your hard drives and check the amount of Free RAM you have available (ST and TT RAM) on your system. This CPX has now been translated into English, though the docs are still in German (but you really don't need the docs). JAG_RGB is a diagram of the Jaguar's A/V port by Bill Faanes with much help from Tom of ICD. Using this information will allow you to tap into the _true_ RGB output of the Jaguar. If you want to understand what signal comes out of your Jag from where, then this file is for you. MPEGFEVR is MPEG Fever v.1.0 by MDB Software (Laurent Chaussy). This is a very nice shell program that will run the following MPEG players/encoders: MPEG-2 Video Decoder, Version 1.1, June 1994; the MPEG-2 Video Encoder, v.1.1, June 1994; and the MpegUtil v.1.0 by Phillip Lougher, 1995 (a utility to analyze and edit MPEG animations). Versions of the above are included for the following systems (68000,68030,680** with math coprocessor). Also included is InfoMPEG v.1.0, by Dennis Lee. This is a small utility to parse MPEG-1 compatible video streams, and return the file information that is easily attainable (virtually no processing of data beyond start codes). Finally, there is a folder named VISU in this archive which contains a TTP file named MPEGDSP.TTP, so from the DSP in the file name it appears that this might be a DSP based MPEG player. No docs, of course). The menus and the docs of the shell program are in French, but the docs of the MPEG utilities are in English. This appears to be a pretty robust program, running peacefully with all sorts of added utilities present on your computer. It appears to change screen res & sync when the program runs the MEG player. I'm not too certain that I've gotten this description correct. If not, please let me know! Postcardware. Geneva compatible. MULTIPLX is MultiPlex, the Falcon DMA Data-Path Configuration by J. Lietzow. It seems that some Falcons have a bit of problem when playing MOD music files using programs like Paula, STormTracker, etc. One channel has very fuzzy sound in it. If you notice this problem on your Falcon too, load this program/ accessory and check out the bottom left corner of the program where there is a box labeled "ADC Input". There are two buttons in this box labeled "Chip" and "Micro". Make sure the "Micro" button is selected, and this will immediately clear up the fuzzy sound. Of course this MultiPlex program does a lot more than just this fix, as it allows you to configure various options of he Falcons sound system, but since the person who wrote the English file description didn't mention those, I won't either! Color or mono. C Source included. NU is NU v.2.00 by Ric Kalford (dated Feb 19, 1986). This program (TTP) numbers lines from a disk file. Why bother? Well, some compilers report errors in reference to a line number, but don't display the referenced line and the author has never enjoyed counting lines to locate a specific error. The output may be to the screen, printer, or to a disk file. Docs included. ST-TT compatible. OBNXIOUS is Obnoxious v.1.1r, a Falcon only demo from Inter Development. This demo is full of well-worked out effects. Watch it to see texture mapped tunnels, image distortions, morphing dots, RGB Balls and Splitter, and even a texture mapped Wolfenstein clone.Copy all of the files into one folder and double click on the program. This demo will only run on RGB-monitors, TV (PAL, no NTSC!) and some ultisync-monitors (e.g. NEC 3D). You are required to have at least 3.6 meg of RAM free. Since this demo is hard disk intensive, you will only find everything working correctly and in sync if your hard drive is fast enough (a pretty easy thing given the speed of most hard drives today, but if your drive is heavily fragmented you will find you need to optimize it as drive fragmentation slows drives down a lot. I use Diamond Edge on my hard drives). Docs included. SOKOBAN2 is Sokoban - the Bobby the Hippie Ghost edition by Johan Sprang (Pluto of ICE) and Mandus Skon. Oh, poor Bobby the hippie ghost. The Tellus Ghost Investigation Agency is going to pay him a visit, and he who has all those peace signs all over his place. He might lose his ghost licence because of those. You must help Bobby to cover all his peace signs with the stones that lies around his place. You can only move one stone at a time so you have to plan ahead and not work yourself "into a corner." You may have seen this game in the past (as an ASCII only version), but it was nothing like this. This version has improved graphics (colorful, attractive, and pleasing) and gameplay. All of the 42 classic levels are included along with a few new ones. A level editor is included so you can create as many great levels as you wish. Designed for the STE but you may play it on the Falcon too (color monitor, RGB or VGA, required). Johan has gotten tired of coding great demos and he wanted to do something else. This was his first attempt and first success (both at the same time!). I look forward to finding more PD games from him. This is excellent! Online docs. Geneva and NeoDesk compatible. GUITSCAL is a set of two .GIF files (by Ray Johnson) of all the keys of the major and minor guitar scales (more below), the Watch It picture viewer by Stefan Bock (which will allow you to view those GIF files from within another program), and a copy of DC Reserve by Keith Gerdes and Michael Vederman. The GIF pictures show the frets of the guitar and show spots on each spot that when you play will provide an on key note. So all you need to do is to look at these pictures (the correct key and scale for your improvisational song) and play away, using only those indicated notes. You can't go wrong! Great for improvising from within your favorite sequencer, etc. Detailed docs are included. The author has even volunteered to produce GIFs of other scales, if only you ask him. This is also available via the Internet (I think on UNI-KL or Hensa, but I don't remember). I have some room left in this article, so I'll tell you about some other files you may find elsewhere. Some of the below files I know were I got them from, others I don't. If they sound interesting you'll just have to go hunting for them! ATAR1MOV is a .MOV animation and sound file of a Jaguar TV commercial. It shows a view of an experimental lab with a human subject hooked up to an instrument by a number of electrodes on his head. The narrator says that different stimuli effect different parts of the brain (emotions, hunger, sexuality). The final stimuli effects the intellect and shows the subject looking very smart and saying "Why would I buy a 32-bit system for $300 when I could buy a 64-bit Atari Jaguar for $149?" Then a series of scenes from a number of Jaguar games flash onscreen. Hmmm...I wonder how many times this was shown! Compliments of Travis Guy and his Atari Explorer Online Homepage (now found on Delphi, too). ATAR2MOV is a .MOV animation and sound file of a Jaguar TV commercial. It shows a side view of an Australiopithicus. The narrator's voice says that over the years the brain capacity has increased to the point where rational thought is possible. The figure then begins talking, "You mean that you want me to spend $300 for a 32-bit system when I could buy a 64-bit Atari Jaguar for $149? What do I look like, a moron?" Then a series of scenes from a number of Jaguar games flash onscreen. Hmmm...I wonder how many times this was shown! Compliments of Travis Guy and his Atari Explorer Online Homepage (now found on Delphi, too). TK2 is a set of seven .MOD files from the Tempest 2000 Jaguar game. People have raved about this music since the Jaguar game came out. Now you can listen to it too, compliments of Travis Guy and his Atari Explorer Online Homepage (now found on Delphi, too). Together these MODs last almost 21 minutes. Here are some files from Alexander Claus' Homepage. This guy has done a lot of programming. Thanks to him! His homepage: http://www.student.informatik.th-darmstadt.de/~aclauss/ CAB2DEMO is the Crystal Atari Browser (CAB) v.2.0a demo by Alexander Clauss (dated March 1997). CAB allows you to read HTML documents offline. If you wish to use CAB as an online browser for the WWW you need another module such as STiK or STing. This version of CAB is now a commercial product from the producers of MagiC OS (Application Systems Heidelberg), though all previous versions of CAB are still freeware. CAB now supports HTML 3.2, all HTML extensions of Netscape Navigator 3.0 and many extensions of Microsoft Internet Explorer. This means that CAB 2.0 now supports frames (may be turned off if you wish). CAB is also an OLGA client. Together with an editor which supports the OLGA protocol (for example QED) it is very easy to write HTML files. CAB will automatically reload the page as soon as the file is saved in the editor. A simple HTML validator in CAB helps to find errors in the HTML files (of course, YOU wouldn't need that!). CAB will work with any ST-Falcon (a multi-tasking system such as Geneva, MagiC, MultiTOS is recommended), Medusa, Hades, Macintosh (using MagiCMac), PC (with one of the Atari emulators such as GEMulator). You may use it in any screen res, though ST mono or higher is best. Background picture and sound support included. NVDI (CAB uses vector fonts and some special functions of NVDI) or SpeedoGDOS/GDOS recommended but you can run it without this. This demo version doesn't allow you to save your favorite WWW locations, doesn't have "BubbleGEM helps" and a few other minor items are missing. It's almost as good as the commercial version (I think it's almost too good to be a demo!). German docs and German and English .RSC files included. CDPLR14A is CD-Player v.1.4a by Alexander Clauss (dated Nov. 12, 1996). This .PRG/.ACC will allow you to listen to your audio CD's and to export the music to your hard drive. All of the standard CD Player commands are implemented (like skip, back, fast forward, programmable track play, etc,). You can choose the playback quality so as to not overstrain your CPU. Multitasking with a multitasking OS such as Geneva, MagiC, or MultiTOS. It will save the sounds in the following formats: DVS (WinRec) AVR (SAM), WAVE, SND/AU (UNIX, Mac). It will allow you to save the DVR and SND/AU files in a packed format yielding disk savings of about 50%. Lots more options. The docs (text and online .HYP) are in German, but there are German, English, French, Spanish, Swedish, and Italian .RSC files included as well. You must have an ST-Falcon (probably the Medusa and Hades would work, too), a CD-ROM drive that supports audio commands, and a CD-ROM driver such as MetaDOS, Steffen Engels' SCSI driver or ExtenDOS. Freeware. DITHER is Dither v.1.6b by Alexander Claus (dated Aug. 1994). This .PRG/.ACC is a utility to be used in conjunction with GEMView, the picture viewer/manipulator tool by Dieter Fiebelkorn. GEMView uses Dithermatrices to convert color or grayscale pictures to monochrome. The process might seem complex, but Dither allows you to custom design the GEMView dithermatrice so that you may get the specific effects you wish with the pictures you convert. The program comes with English and German .RSC files and matching documentation. Freeware. ST-Falcon and Medusa, Hades, Mac (using MagicMac) or PC compatible. OCR14E is OCR v.1.4e by Alexander Claus (dated April 25, 1997). This program will allow you to load in a scanned image (.IMG or .PCX) of a text and train the software to recognize the letters and transform them into straight ASCII text. Create font dictionaries for each of the fonts you regularly experience and save them for future use. That way you don't need to "train" the software each time. Sometimes your scanned images have lots of blobs and blemishes in them. Using the included image editor you may clean them up to yield a better scan. It will allow you to convert pictures directly from a scanner or from a stored image (this means you don't have to have a scanner yourself, just images from someone else's scanner. ST-Falcon, GEMulator compatible, color or mono, and requiring at least 500K free RAM, this program works as advertised. It certainly works well on the supplied text image file (which looked like a regular hand scan, i.e., pretty cruddy). I recommend this file to you. The author writes that this is freeware, but that if you use it regularly you should send him some money (or at least a postcard). That sounds like a good idea to me! A. Claus is also the author of CAB, the Crystal Atari Browser (for the Internet and HTML docs in general), the CD Player (CDPLR14A) which will allow you to play audio CDs on your Atari (and lots more), and several other programs. He's one talented guy! German and English docs and .RSC files in German, English, French, Dutch, and Spanish. This file is on my hard drive in a folder named "Berlin" so I assume that it came from an internet site that's in Berline! OLEDIDEM is a set of two demos from the Soft Arts Quick Line of midi-sound managers and editors for the ST-Falcon (in all res). As the docs say: Facilities of MROS and SOFT LINK are also supported: Sequencers can be controlled on all screen pages; parameter changes can be recorded by MROS/SL-Sequencers. May be run as .ACC or programs. The managers all use a single sound library, so that library files that are made once may be used by all the programs of this line. They are so memory efficient that you may have five or more QUICK STEPS installed on ONE MByte at the same time. This archive includes the Quick Step 01/W Editor v.1.31 demo, a manager and Editor for KORG 01/W, 01/W FD, 01R/W, 01/W pro, and 01/W pro X, and the QUICK STEP GS Controller v.1.11, a Controller-Editor for ROLAND GS-instruments (e.g. Sound Canvas). These programs look very nice when I run them, but since I'm not a musician I can't tell you more about them! Here are some files I've had lying around for a long time. I have no idea where they came from. CONVERT (a program by the same name as Frank Vuotto's of F10 Software above, but completely different) is a program which will convert DEGAS-Fonts into GEM-Fonts (GDOS) and (if possible) GEM-Fonts in DEGAS-Fonts. You may always convert the DEGAS fonts into the GDOS format, but you may only convert the GDOS fonts into DEGAS format if the first 128 characters of the font are 16 Pixels high and 8 pixels wide. The program works fine in all ST-TT computers. German docs and an English doc telling what the program will do are included. Mouse controlled. FONTEDIT is the Font-Editor FONTEDIT v.2.4 by Jens-Peter Haack. This program is a full-featured GDOS font creator and editor. It has piles of features you would want in such an editor, so I won't bother telling you about them. It must run in ST-Mono or higher. The program and docs are in German (though a file telling the features of the program is in a rough English). PGSFE_08 is v.0.8 of the PageStream Font Editor from the creators of the PageStream Desktop Publishing program, Soft-Logik Publishing. This program (dated 1990) is a bit-map and outline font editor/creator which you can use to create or modify your own fonts for PageStream. Originally written for versions of PageStream up to v.1.8, this program creates fonts that are usable even on newer versions of PageStream. Lots of docs and hints on creating your own fonts. ST-TT compatible. Mono only. At least one meg of RAM required. SHAREWARE. Really, there are PILES of PageStream fonts available, so you can probably find a font to suit your need rather than creating one on your own! PPCNVT is a file you likely won't need, but if you do need it, you will! Make sense? Sure! It is a program which will convert your old Publishing Partner DTP files to PageStream files. Just run it and it will prompt for files to convert and names to save the converted file as. Because of MAJOR differences of the handling of routed columns of text, any routed columns will convert to unrouted columns. The text will be in the correct columns, but they will not automatically flow back and forth. All you need do is set the routing manually. Not bad! Docs included. Unfortunately the author does not record his name! SIGTOGEM is SIGTOGEM PD v.1.0 by Christoph Zwerschke (dated 1989). This program will allow you to convert Signum! font files into GEM-font files (GDOS). So if you have lots of Signum! fonts that you wish to use in GDOS, SpeedoGDOS, NVDI, etc. then this program is for you. Program and docs are in German, and there is a Ruftrade2 machine generated translation of the docs (good enough once you try the program). ST-TT and Geneva compatible (at least). BOMBSQAD is the Falcon-only game Bomb Squad v.1.0 by Yiannis Paschalidis (ALIAS "X"), dated October 2, 1996. Not many games allow up to four people to cooperate together to achieve the game goal, but Bomb Squad does (of course, there is a practice mode where you can try to do each other in as well!). You may run Bomb Squad from a floppy or hard drive, but you must have at least 4 meg of RAM, an RGB/VGA monitor or TV, joysticks and/or Atari Powerpad controllers, and some friends to blow up! Bomb Squad is based on the coin-op machine called "Super Dynablasters". At the beginning of the game you find yourself and your partners (if any) on a 19 by 13 square playing surface. You're surrounded by deadly robots out to get you. Your task is to simply destroy them without getting killed yourself. You have to drop bombs on selected squares thus blowing up the robots while NOT blowing up yourself. Along the way you will discover a variety of powerups which will give you more bombs, enhanced powers, and more lives. Work your way up through the levels to Mr. Flibben's lair (the big bad guy), and destroy him before he gets you! Passwords provide you with the option of not having to play every level again when you start a new time. You can replay your game to hone your strategy for the next time. Bomb Squad contains over forty levels of arcade action over with eight different types of scenery. There are fifteen types of enemies to blow up as well as nasty end-of-level guardians. For all of you sound fans out there it has 10+ 50KHz, 4-channel soundtracks and many sampled sound effects. Bomb Squad is fully playable shareware. Docs included. Support shareware authors! CDREC is CD-Recorder v.1.00 by Dirk Haun (dated Dec. 4, 1994). This program will allow you to pull sound off of your audio CD's and save it as either AVR or WAV, stereo or mono, 8/16 bit samples, and 22050 or 44100 Hz. The docs say that it requires MetaDOS, but it also works with ExtenDOS from Anodyne Software (which I have). Of course, you need a CD player and an audio CD, too! The docs are in German, but the program is mostly in English (and it's very simple to use). Finally, I've just downloaded the complete set of STReport from the STReport FTP site (FTP//FTP.STREPORT.COM), if I remember correctly. It's a treasure! I've been downloading them over the years, but I lost all of my issues in a hard drive crash in 1995. Since then I've been collecting them, but have been unable to find them all (Genie used to have them, but they deleted them all, for one reason or another). Anyway, you can find the whole range of STR there from when it was STReport focused on the Atari line to when it began branching out to cover other computers (and when the editor would still say, "ps; we still use Atari Computers to do STReport. Not some 'stiiiinking pee cee'! -- R.M." in the June 14, 1991 issue) to the point where we are today. Thanks Dana for your continued plugging away supporting us Atari users! That's all for this issue. Enjoy your software hunting! I'll enjoy my vacation!! Take care, and drop me a line to say hello. I'm always glad to get mail! May God Bless, --Michael R. Burkley The Unabashed Atariophile p.s.: You may contact me at MRBURKLEY@DELPHI.COM, MICHAEL-R-BURKLEY@WORLDNET.ATT.NET, or at M.BURKLEY1@GENIE.GEIS.COM Michael is a former Polyurethane Research Chemist, the co-owner of Suzy B's Software, and currently the Pastor of the Niagara Presbyterian Church Gaming Section More E3 News! Nintendo Suit! Hercules! Wave! And more! From the Editor's Controller - Playin' it like it is! "Gone Fishing!" Industry News STR Game Console NewsFile - The Latest Gaming News! E3 - Almost 40,000 Experience E3 Sights And Sounds ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1997 JUN 20 (Newsbytes) -- By Patrick McKenna. The third annual Electronic Entertainment Expo has packed in approximately 40,000 people who create the world's video games, distribute and sell them, package the games and perhaps those who just play them. Intel's [NASDAQ:INTC] booth; Rage's new game, Incoming; Broderbund's Myst sequel, Riven; Diamond Multimedia's DVD drive, and plenty of Internet multi-player "experiences" are headlining this show. The game console companies, Nintendo, Sony and Sega, showed up with multimillion dollar booths. Word in the hall is Nintendo will include titles with the Nintendo 64, is be busy making more new titles for its 64-bit console and will make those games more affordable. Sony's PlayStation has a new generation of games and continues to outsell Nintendo and Sega. The latter came to E3 with new titles and a price drop, but a clearly defined last place in the console race. One source told Newsbytes that Sega Internet connection, plug-in device, has only sold 17,000 units, a figure far less than the 100,000 Sega hoped to place in homes where Sega fans wait for each new game. Intel, on the other hand, took E3 by storm. Every attendee had to pass by an ear-shattering Intel MMX demonstration before reaching any exhibit. The company's chief executive officer, Andy Grove, stunned a keynote audience when he revealed himself as one of the costumed dancers in an opening routine. In a space separate from the main show floor, Intel demonstrated every piece of new technology the company will either ship or support during the upcoming holiday season. On the fun side, motion picture and television star Bruce Willis appeared at Planet Hollywood to promote Activision's PlayStation release Apocalypse. Professional sports stars and other entertainment celebrities made brief appearances to promote a number of related games. On the show floor, the place where the action takes place, attendees participate in Quake tournaments, sit in car-like devices to race, lie in a hang-glider for virtual flights, collect free t-shirts and gadgets, get turned upside down in virtual worlds while strapped to a gyroscope and wander from booth to booth in a blast of sounds from hundreds of games. Show producer and president of the International Digital Software Association (IDSA), Douglas Lowenstein, told Newsbytes, "We knew the industry was ready for a show like this, but no one expected it to be this large." Last year, Lowenstein ran out of room in Los Angeles and decided to take E3 to Atlanta where it will also take place next year. By 1999, he hopes to have a permanent home for E3. While Lowenstein goes out of his way to make E3 an exciting and entertaining experience, he is clear about the goals of E3. "This is a business-to-business show," he added. "We are here so the professionals in this industry can meet one another, see what others are doing, and make deals." E3 is not open to the public. You have to be somehow involved with the software gaming industry as a programmer, producer, distributor, marketer, retail seller, or peripherals manufacturer, to get through the doors. "If we opened this show to the public, we would have hundreds of thousands of attendees," continued Lowenstein. "This is a show for people in the business of gaming software." E3 - Andy Grove Attacks Game Consoles... ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1997 JUN 20 (Newsbytes) -- By Patrick McKenna. The Electronic Entertainment Expo is filled with 100-plus decibels sounds, wild costumes, crowds and fast, powerful video. Andy Grove, Intel [NASDAQ:INTC] chairman and chief executive officer, epitomized the E3 theme when he started his keynote address dancing with a troop of dancers in iridescent clean room suits. The "silicon-like" colored suits are the same as those used in the Superbowl commercial. The keynote opened with a loud, short, high-spirited dance. When Grove pulled off his head covering, the audience went wild with applause. The costumed dance served as an introduction to a keynote, which in very simple terms was Grove saying the personal computer with new technologies such as Pentium II microprocessors, DVD technology, multi-player Internet games and more, is positioned to overtake the gaming experience from game consoles companies such as Nintendo, Sega and Sony. "The game console market is based on a male population of 8 to 17-year-olds," began Grove. "That market is a pretty constant size market." To Grove, that audience is just the top of the shaft he plans to mine as he takes what he calls "the Visually Connected PC," a PentiumII-based system, to everyone watching television. Grove appealed to games developers to no longer think about developing software games. "I challenge you to think in terms of interactive entertainment." Pointing to a narrow-mindedness in targeting 8 to 17-year-old males, Grove quoted a source, "Girls don't think boys' games are too hard. They think they are stupid." According to Grove, the personal computer market consists of 55 percent male and 45 percent female. His keynote, back-dropped with an elaborate "living room" spread across the entire stage, focused on a young girl creating a compiled video on DVD. Later in the keynote she brought him the finished video on a writeable video disk. Holding up the disk, he said, "This is our future ladies and gentleman; the writeable video disk." After a display of multi-player Internet action and an arcade-like hang gliding experience, Grove visited with rock artist Beck in a real-time video conference through a Pentium II-based, home entertainment center. "We are in a war for eyeballs," continued Grove. "The PC is gaining on the sales of televisions and before the end of the century we will cross over and sell more PCs than televisions." Saying the average television time in the US is five hours per day, Grove said this is where the gaming industry will find new users. He promised to deliver the necessary new technologies, but he needs developers to bring a new level of "interactive entertainment" to deliver the next generation of home entertainment. His address was received far better than yesterday's address by Tom Brokaw. "I don't know why Brokaw was at this show," said one attendee. "He did not address game developers. To me it sounded like a commercial for MSNBC." Grove on the other hand delivered a fast-paced, rich video and audio, Pentium II demonstration which called for help of the games development community. The audience repeatedly roared with laughter and applause for Grove. The Epic Hero, Hercules, Heads Home to Families Interactive Adventures From Disney Interactive Products Feature Celebrity Voices From the Film Including James Woods, Danny Devito, Tate Donovan and More BURBANK, Calif., June 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Offering not just one, but three unique ways for families to bring the excitement and adventures of "Hercules" home, Disney Interactive debuts three interactive products in conjunction with Walt Disney Studio's 35th full-length animated feature film, "Hercules." Featuring the voices of James Woods, Danny Devito, Tate Donovan and more, each product offers entertainment for the entire family. Disney Interactive's "Hercules" titles include "Disney's Animated StoryBook, Hercules" on CD-ROM, "Disney's Hercules Action Game" for Sony Playstation and CD-ROM and "Disney's Print Studio, Hercules" on CD-ROM. "Disney's Animated StoryBook, Hercules" is Disney Interactive's seventh title in its successful Animated StoryBook line. The interactive reading journey, which follows the adventures of Hercules, features five exciting learning activities, original celebrity voices, captivating music and an introduction to Greek mythology. "Disney's Animated StoryBook, Hercules" CD-ROM will be available in a Windows/Macintosh hybrid format for an estimated retail price of $35. "Disney's Hercules Action Game" for Sony Playstation and, in September, for CD-ROM, is an exciting challenge of mythological proportions. Players become Hercules and must prove themselves true heroes in order to take their rightful place in the Realm of the Gods by defeating a host of earthly monsters, defending Mt. Olympus from the Titans and beating Hades in the Underworld. "Disney's Hercules Action Game" is available now for Playstation (published by Virgin Interactive) and in September for Windows 95 CD-ROM. "Disney's Print Studio, Hercules" CD-ROM is a unique print program that allows families to create projects on the computer using images of the "Hercules" characters. Featuring more than 100 images of Disney characters, along with colorful backgrounds and borders, children can try their hand at 19 different print projects, including stationery, calendars, greeting cards and more. Children will love the new sticker program that lets them create customized stickers with all the characters from the feature film. "Disney's Print Studio, Hercules" will be available on Windows CD-ROM for $20. Supreme Court Backs Nintendo The U.S. Supreme Court today let stand a ruling for Nintendo Co. Ltd. that overturned a earlier jury's award of more than $208 million in damages against it in a patent infringement case over home video games. The decision by the high court rejects an appeal by bankrupt Alpex Computer Corp., which filed the patent infringement lawsuit in New York in 1986, contending Nintendo's Entertainment System video game violated its 1977 patent for a device that shows video images on a screen. The Reuter News Service notes that after a four-week trial, a federal court jury awarded damages of more than $208 million, but a U.S. appeals court last year threw out the judgment of patent infringement. In its petition, Alpex asked the Supreme Court to hear the case and reverse the appeals court decision, saying the justices at a minimum should set aside the appeals court decision and send the case back for more hearings in view of a Supreme Court patent law ruling in March. However, notes Reuters, "the high court sided with Nintendo and denied Alpex's appeal without any comment or dissent." Supreme Court Upholds Nintendo Verdict Reversal WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1997 JUN 24 (Newsbytes) -- By Bill Pietrucha. Nintendo doesn't have to pay. The US Supreme Court has refused to review an lower court's decision in favor of Nintendo of America Inc., upholding the appellate court's ruling to overturn a jury verdict of more than $253 million in damages against Nintendo in a patent infringement case over home video games. The Supreme Court also rejected an appeal by Alpex Computer Corp., which is in bankruptcy liquidation, which filed the patent infringement lawsuit in New York in 1986. Alpex claimed Nintendo's Entertainment System video game violated its 1977 patent for a device that shows video images on a screen. After a four-week trial, a federal court jury awarded damages of more than $208 million, but a US appeals court last year threw out the judgment of patent infringement. Alpex asked the Supreme Court to hear the case and reverse the appeals court decision. It said the justices at a minimum should set aside the appeals court decision and send the case back for more hearings in view of a Supreme Court patent law ruling in March. But the high court sided with Nintendo and denied Alpex's appeal without any comment or dissent. The high court's decision, however, leaves intact a determination by the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit that Nintendo did not infringe on a patent owned by Alpex. In its ruling, the appeals court concluded that Nintendo's patented technology for producing complex video game graphics was substantially different than the image generation technology disclosed in the Alpex patent (No. 4,026,555), issued in 1977. "Nintendo is gratified that the Supreme Court refused to disturb the decision of the court of appeals," Howard Lincoln, chairman, Nintendo of America Inc., the US subsidiary of Nintendo Company Ltd. of Kyoto, Japan, said. "From the outset of this case, Nintendo was convinced that it did not infringe Alpex's patents. Today's decision once again vindicates Nintendo's position never to settle patent lawsuits when we firmly believe that we have not infringed another party's patent." Wave Aims To Be Blockbuster Video Of E-Commerce LEE, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1997 JUN 25 (Newsbytes) -- By Linda Dailey Paulson. Wave Systems Corp. [NASDAQ:WAVX] plans to bundle hundreds of software titles with major PC manufacturers' products using its proprietary WaveMeter technology. Wave Systems is creating a series of encrypted CD-ROM and DVD-ROM discs, the content of which can be purchased at the micro-transaction level through the Internet. The company says this technology is "creating a new distribution paradigm for the PC industry" by making pay-per-use schemes technologically possible. The WaveMeter technology is both a physical chip as well as a software package that simulates the chip's usage metering capabilities, according to Mark Marinovich, Wave Systems spokesperson. The chip will enable participating software publishers "to charge a fee based on consumer usage, like a 900 phone number," he said. "We will be able to support any number of business models." The company is in negotiations with "a major personal computer manufacturer" which would bundle the WaveMeter and 10 encrypted CD-ROM discs with at least two million PCs. Marinovich expected some announcement to be made within the month as well as concurrent deals to be made public through the fall. "The anticipated incorporation of the WaveMeter in 1998 models by several major PC manufacturers will enable us to reach millions of users, who can pay for usage credits once a month and let the meter take care of the rest, " said Steven Sprague, president and chief operating officer of Wave, in a released statement. "We aim to be the Blockbuster Video of Internet commerce." The company's micro-transaction technology enables publishers to rent titles in many different ways. The consumer may opt to use the title on a "per--use" basis, either by the game or by the hour; as a "rent--to--own" titles with the fees applied to the eventual purchase of the product; on an annual subscription basis; or the consumer can simply purchase the title and pay for it online. Wave says its research indicates there has been "a broad decline of retail sales in the CD-ROM arena this past year," but was unable to quantify that decline. The company did state its research indicated 70 percent of all Nintendo titles are rented first and that 35 percent of all CD-ROM purchases are returned or else the user is dissatisfied with their purchase. Wave said this "rent-to-own model will represent a boon for consumers" as someone who would typically spend $200 each year on four or five premium game titles could try 10 to 15, then purchase three or four they like best. Marinovich says software publishers save a whole array of fees from packaging or maintaining employees and servers. They can operate a publishing venture as a turnkey operation, he says, using this technology. Ultimately, the chips can also be used for DVD and broadband. "We see broadband as the ultimate utilization of the chip because of the convergence of television and computers." For more information about Wave, visit them online at http://www.wave.com World Tour Racing Sb: WTR Impressions Fm: Tony Talarico 73065,364 To: All After playing World Tour Racing for several days, I've decided to give everyone here my impressions of it. THE INTRO: You take the all-black (ALL the CD's should've been black!) CD-R from the unmarked jewel case, pop it into the Jaguar CD toilet-thingie, turn on the machine (and TV/monitor) and are greeted with a rendered Teque logo animation of a woman that jumps out of a beam of light, starts spinning, and turns into the familiar Teque logo. The screen fades and then comes back with the WTR title screen. This then cuts to a very nicely rendered and T-mapped animation of cars racing around a track interspersed with some of the 'cut' scenes from the game itself. This animation ends and you get the World Tour Racing title screen again. This then cuts to _another_ animation. This new animation looks like the real-time rendering from the game itself - not nearly as nice as the first anim. To actually get to the main menu, you have to bypass both animations. THE GAME: From the main menu, you can pick from three modes of racing - Single Race, Championship, and Arcade - or view the game credits (which also can show you Teque's email address). All three racing modes have the same control feel, Arcade mode just scores differently. Single Race and Arcade - but NOT Championship - allow 2-player split screen for head-to-head racing. Single Race allows you to pick from any of the 16 tracks. Championship and Arcade take you through all of them. In Arcade Mode, you have to finish a in specified position or better to get to the next track. In either Single Race or Championship, you have your choice of Free Practice, Qualify, or Race options. Free Practice and Qualify give you only five laps, no matter what race length is set to, or what the manual says. If you choose not to Qualify and go straight to Race, you start at the back of the starting grid. Championship mode also allows you to save your progress by using a 32 number password. Keep a lot of paper handy. The game totally ignores the Memory Track. Arcade mode starts with a little animation of an arcade machine crashing through a living room wall with what looks like two golden eyes with a word in red underneath on the screen, but making a sound eerily similar to an old Eugene Jarvis game. At the end of the game, if you don't finish high enough to continue, another cute animation pops up showing your car getting crushed by The game options are: Race length - 15, 10, 8, 5, or 3 laps. Gearbox - Automatic or manual. There's 6 gears either way. Change Keys - A strange name for the controller setup. There are 6 different A, B, and C button setups to choose from. Difficulty - 3 levels - I'M SLLOOWWW, NOT TOO FAST, and EAT MY DUST Change Names - Here you can change all 10 drivers' names. You can't change team names, though. Use Up and Down, then press B to select a name. A and C change the letters, left and right moves the cursor left and right, and B accepts the name. There are some quirks with letter selection here. Sometimes you can only get uppercase, sometimes lowercase, and sometimes all letters and special characters. It all depends on what letter is to the left of the one you're changing. THE TRACKS: I noticed a couple of surprises in the tracks that were put in the game. The first surprise is that the tracks are all essentially flat. This removes the wonderful drop at Loew's corner in Monaco. The second surprise is in some of the tracks selected for the game. The tracks, in game order, are: USA!!! --- Well, it doesn't _hurt_ to have a US track B-{). This one is the old Phoenix circuit that Formula 1 last used to run on before they left the US. Hungary Germany Brazil San Marino Monaco Mexico Canada France Britain Portugal Italy Egypt!!! --- Do they even watch F1 racing in Egypt? Australia --- I have no idea where the track design came from. It's not Adelaide, which is where F1 used to race, or Melbourne, where they raced this year, or even Surfer's Paradise where the CART cars race. Japan --- Like Australia, the track layout escapes me. It's definitely _NOT_ Suzuka, or the old Fuji track (see Namco's Pole Position). India!!! --- See Egypt. This one also has a slight hill on the back half of the track, showing that it was possible. The tracks are fairly well designed. There are some minor inconsistencies, but the overall 'feel' of the actual track layouts is there. GRAPHICS: The graphics are acceptable, given the limited memory of the Jag. Screen resolution appears to be low, around 320 by 200, like the old 8-bits and C64s, but there are plenty of colors. Nearly everything is texture mapped. There is also an option that someone here mentioned to turn on track textures ('8' on the Jag pad), but it slows down frame rate and doesn't look all that nice anyway. Due to the low resolution, I don't always see the braking markers when approaching a corner. They probably should have been made a little bigger. The frame rate is not the greatest, maybe 10-15 fps (IMO) but it doesn't detract from controlling the car or in determining when to turn in to the corner. It's definitely better than the frame rate on Supercross 3D. Cars are Gouraud shaded with some minor color details. There are multiple types of walls on the track - mostly the normal concrete barriers, but also some high stone walls in some locations. Also, there are bridges over the tracks and a few tunnels. There are 3D buildings and vehicles and even people (these might be flat sprites) on the other side of the walls. There is also an overabundance of trees which also appear to be sprites. SOUNDS: The car has a nice engine sound to it. It also echoes slightly inside the tunnels. There is also a tire squeal sound. The background music is a poorly done (IMO) techno beat. I find it somewhat obnoxious so I turn it way down. Sounds are adjusted as in other Jaguar games by hitting Pause, then A, B, or C. DRIVING: The steering of the car has a little bit of a 'twitchy' feel to it. What I mean by this is that quick taps left or right don't seem to do anything, but press a little bit too long and turn-in can be more than you expected, although nowhere near as bad as Checkered Flag. Actually, the control is pretty easy to get used to. Also, the car responds well to proper turn-in and braking technique (clipping the apex, in other words). The other drivers, on the other hand, can all go rot in a pit of used, hot motor oil. Actually, they're really a bunch of very nice guys, and are very pleasant when they boot you off the racing line just because it's where _they_ want to be. The computer control seems to be unfinished. The other drivers don't go around you when they want to pass. They go through you. Bumping another car can twist your car sideways a little. Hitting a wall at high speed will cause your car to leap straight up in the air while spinning around. DAMAGE: The game does seem to take into account damage to the car. The cornering ability of the car seems to get less as the car takes on damage or tire wear. The only visual indicator of damage, though, is when a message pops up in the middle of the screen: "NO FRONT WING" or "NO REAR WING". CAR SETUP: I haven't tried using different setups yet, so I can't say whether they accomplish anything. The setup menu is reached by pressing Option during either Free Practice or Qualifying. Tires --- Tires can be Hard, Medium, or Soft Wings --- First the front wing, then rear wing is adjusted by pressing Left and Right. I don't know which way the wing is adjusted because there are no labels on this or any of the other scales in car setup. The manual doesn't help, either. Gearbox --- Up/Down selects which gear to adjust. Left/Right adjusts ratio. Brakes --- Left/Right selects brake balance between left and right brakes. OVERALL: I don't have any set rating system like others do, but in general I like this game. It sits well above the 16-bit games like Outrun or Top Gear, but falls short of the next-gen racing games like Ridge/Rage Racer, Wipeout, or even Cruisin' USA. The nice 3D graphics, decent frame rate, and ease of control make this the best racing game on the Jaguar. Being that I'm a sucker for racing games, I will probably be spending a lot of time with this game. On the other hand, the repetitive music, lack of hills, and bad computer driving technique make me think that this game wasn't actually finished, but enough of it was there so that it was able to be produced. I would like to see what Teque actually had in mind, but I'm not going to hold my breath waiting. MY ELECTRONIC RACING BACKGROUND: I have been playing driving games for over 27 years. I started on an upright arcade game (I have no idea what the name is) that used rear projection and 2 lanes of cars that you had to dodge. I later graduated to Atari's Trak 10 and Trak 20 and then the sit-down Night Driver and the table-like Indy 800 (I never could find 7 friends who liked driving games B-{)). Then came Namco's -wonderful- Pole Position and Coleco's Monaco Gran Prix (#$@* fire truck!) and driving games would never be the same again. I have played most of the arcade driving games since then. In the future, I plan on trying the VR driving games, once SOMEBODY decides to make them. I currently own all three of the major PC driving sims: Indycar Racing 2, Nascar 1 (so far) and Grand Prix 2. I also have the old World Circuit (F1GP to non-Americans) and Indy 500 on my Amiga. I also have Pole Position, Night Driver and Indy 500 for the 2600, Pole Position 7800, Checkered Flag for Lynx, and ALL games for the Jaguar. Gaming Online STR InfoFile - Online Users Growl & Purr! From SCEA's (Sony) Don Thomas, regarding the recent E3 show: Well, E3 was quite a show. I was able to see John Skruch, Garry Tramiel, J Patton, Leonard Herman, John Hardie and quite a few others. Aside from the personalities, it looks like there's no stopping to the great software coming up for the popular systems. Tomb Raider II looks GREAT! --Don Thomas ONLINE WEEKLY STReport OnLine The wires are a hummin'! PEOPLE... ARE TALKING On CompuServe Compiled by Joe Mirando jmirando@streport.com Hidi ho friends and neighbors. I guess we all know what time it is... Time to take a look at what's going on here on CompuServe. Heck, we've been doing the same thing for years now, so if you _don't_ know what time it is, don't blame it on me! Before we do take a look at CompuServe though, I'd like to say a few words about what I think is a disturbing trend in the computer world in particular, and the entire world in general: The inability of some people to 'grant' others the right to be different. While this trend has been making itself more and more apparent to me over the past three or four years, it's only been in the past six months or so that I've begun to find it intolerable. And then, last week as I was flipping through the available cable channels (now I have 76 channels of stuff that I really don't care anything about), I happened upon a "cablevangelist" preaching to an audience about how right he was and how wrong science was, and that if they'd only agree with everything that he said, they'd be fine. I can see a few of you already squirming in your seats, saying "Oh jeez, now he's going to tell us about his religious beliefs". Well, sort of. But don't worry, it dove-tails nicely with what I'm going to say afterwards, and I don't expect you to either agree or disagree with any of it (although you are always more than welcome to send me email on any subject I cover in this column). I have seen this preacher's show before and watched him brow-beat everything from mass transit to the extinction of the dinosaurs. This day however, he had set his sights on evolution. Charles Darwin, he said, would burn in the everlasting fires of hell for coming up with the theory of evolution. Mussolini and Hitler were both big fans of evolution and they were, of course, very bad people. Therefore, he decided, evolution must also be bad. Of course the fact that it clashed with his views of God and His place in the universe only confirmed it. Now, I have no problem with someone _not_ believing in evolution. Evolution is not like people are... it will work for you even if you don't believe in it. The problem I have is that people like this preacher discard evolution without even knowing what it actually is. From his attack on it, it was clear that he had a decent working knowledge of sciences such as biology and chemistry, but it was also apparent that he chose to put a 'spin' on them so that they sounded 'wrong'. This is the part that bothers me. If you can't stand to have someone (or a large number of someones) believe something different than you do, then at least argue with facts instead of catch-phrases, half-truths, and guilt-by- association. Otherwise your high ideals loose all of their meaning and you become one of the people that you wish to ridicule. There's also the fact that, to me, a universe in which a supreme being sets things like the fundamental forces and evolution in motion is far more wondrous than one in which he simply snaps his fingers and makes things appear. I strongly feel that your religious beliefs are yours alone and that you should not have to answer to anyone else for them (unless, of course, they hurt someone else), and the same holds true for your choices in computing (this is the 'dove-tail' part that I was talking about). Someone recently tried to brow-beat me for still using an Atari computer on the internet. 'It's not as good'... 'you're missing out'... 'you've never experienced the other way', and my personal favorite, 'you don't know what you're talking about' were recurrent themes. For the record, I use several Intel/Microsoft systems throughout the day ranging from a 33 MHz '486 to a 166 MHz Pentium. I write Data Acquisition Software, Man-Machine interfaces, Statistical Process Control applications, deal with inventory, order, shipping and receiving, and cost estimation on occasion, and I often surf the internet with one or the other of these machines using the latest offerings from both Netscape and Microsoft. So I _do_ 'know what I'm missing', I just don't miss it all that much. I surf the net with my Atari more often than I do with the PCs at work because I'm more comfortable with it. I've always found Windows to be cumbersome and a bit awkward for my tastes, and disapprove of the huge amounts of memory, hard drive space, and processor time that it takes up to do things that come so easily to my trusty ST (my 16 MHz MegaSTE's screen still updates about three or four times faster than the office's 166 MHz Pentium does). Is this a reason to swear off PCs? No. Only a reason to not strain my checkbook to get one for home at the moment. People like this PC user and that preacher would like us to believe that their way is the only true way and that anyone who believes anything else is inferior in some fundamental way. Folks, it just ain't so. If God had meant Microsoft to be the only way to go, then he would have made Bill Gates good looking. The fact is that you _can_ get on the net with your ST, you _can_ view graphics, you _can_ read newsgroups, and you _can_ chat. It's also true that you cannot at this time make use of all those neat JAVA applets that are becoming more common now, or that you will have to wait a while longer if you only have access to a provider that supports only PPP protocol. I've never said that using an ST on the net was easy, or that it was as colorful, or as fast, but you _can_ do it. If you prefer to use a PC for accessing data and entertainment, that is your choice. But what I use to do the same is my choice, and even though some may use, or may have used, an ST thinking that it was the last word in computing (mostly because it was _their_ choice), I have no such delusions. Let's start judging people on _what_ they do, not what they do it _with_, huh? Well, I'll give the soap box back to that cablevangelist now and get to what I probably should have given you in the first place... all the news, hints, tips, and info available on CompuServe. From the Atari Computing Forum Diana Maunder posts: "I have an Atari 1040 ST with disk drive and Screen. I want to know if I can get it working for wordprocessing and general computer use. Where can I get advice?" David James tells Diana: "You should be able to use your Atari for word processing and general computer use without any major problems. I think you will probably find some PD wordprocessing programs in the file areas here." Sysop Bob Retelle adds: 'We have some very good Public Domain and Shareware software for your Atari ST here in our software libraries. In particular, one you might want to take a look at is STWriter, a Freeware word processing package. You didn't mention whether you have the color or monochrome monitor for your system. Most software works on both, although some (like wordprocessing applications) may work better on a monochrome (for higher screen resolution) and others (like games) are better on color. In general, you can use your Atari ST for pretty much any computing application, but you should be aware that there is little, if any, official support for either the hardware or any of the software applications left in the world. The hardware was excellent, and "cutting edge" in its day, but may seem dated by contemporary standards now. It all depends on what you're interested in doing. One tip to get you started... the floppy disk format the Atari system uses is almost exactly the same as that used on IBM PC systems. That means you can download Atari software from our software libraries here on CompuServe into an IBM style system, then save it on a floppy disk to transfer into your Atari ST. The secret to making this work is to remember to format the floppy disk ON THE IBM system, and to be sure to specify formatting it as a LOW DENSITY, 720K DISK when you format it. And, remember that this Forum is one of your best resources for support and information..!" (Actually Bob, 720K is Double-Density. PCs never used "low density" for 3.5 inch disks, which is 360K.) When someone asks about the growing number of forums on CompuServe that do not allow ASCII access, Rick Detlefsen posts: "I was going to ask that very question. More and more areas are becoming inaccessable. I looks like Atari (and any text) access here is coming to a close. Even if CIS goes internet, there still isn't a good, easy browser, after several years." Since no one has replied to Rick yet, let me just say that CompuServe's "Project Red Dog" will eventually replace the current HMI (CIS's proprietary system used in WinCIM software). Eventually you will be able to access anything on CompuServe with a browser like Netscape Navigator/Communicator, Microsoft's Internet Explorer, or dare I say it, an Atari-based browser such as WENsuite or CAB. On the subject of the aforementioned WENsuite and getting it to access CompuServe's 7-bit login settings, sysop Jim Ness posts: "You can solve the problem in one of two ways. The Microsoft Explorer login script solves it by momentarily changing to 7 data bits, until login is complete, then switching back to 8 bit. The other choice would go something like this, if scripted: wait for: "CONNECT " send: CR character wait for: "Host Name:" send: "+CPS" <-- the plus is what is important wait for: "User ID:" send: userid\password/GO:PPPCONNECT During login, CompuServe is always 7 bit, until it knows who you are and can change to your personal settings. If you put a + sign in front of the host name response, the remainder of the login will switch to 8 bit, and all the apparent garbage will go away." Sysop Ron Luks asks Jim: "Is the response to "Host Name:" supposed to be +CIS or +CPS ???" Jim tells Ron: "Either one. I don't know why they have more than one, unless there is a load sharing issue." Ben @ TOC Oz. tells Jim: "Thanks... for the previous ideas, but the node comes back garbled before '+CIS' can be logged in. It happens at the code 0XXJBZ. 'xx' being any decimal no. The above is interspersed with extended character set characters, and bluffs the log-in. I'll keep trying. Mark Kelling adds: "You might want to [amend] your login to look like this: 3. User ID: 100247.3112/noint/go:pppconnect 4. Password: your+password Stop there. The PPP system will start trying to communicate so quickly after your password is sent that the PPP string can be missed." Stefan Grunenberg posts to someone who had asked for help in transferring data files from Atari to PC: "I read about your problem transfering data from your pc on disks for Atari. May be the problem is that you formated a HD-disk on your PC.... Take a dd-disk. this will work. The dd-disks are different in mostly 2 ways: they cost more (why...???) and they just get one windowhole for ereasing-protection. hd's got a second hole. When you format the hd's, they get 1.4Mb capacity on it (high density!!). If you want to format dd's you have to tell it the computer in the e.g. disk-and-copy-manager under windows (simply click under something like density:720kb/1.4Mb). If you want to reformat hd's to 720kb (the only understandable format for ataris), you have to put a sticker around the second hole (uper and lower side of the disk). Frank Heller jumps in and clarifies (if only a bit): "more correctly: for non-Falcon Ataris. The Falcon reads and writes 1.4mb disks." For everyone's information, TTs and some Mega STEs also make use of High Density (1.44 meg) disks. Meanwhile, Gary Partington posts with... "A slight problem with my disk drive I need advice on. 520ste with one floppy I keep getting the CANCEL/RETRY message far too often and yesterday three disks were corrupted on the same track when trying endlessly to save a DTP doc. Track 00 on sides one and two were affected but nothing else. Once this happened the disk could not be accessed at all but it seems to read OK on re-boot and save most of the time with no problem. I've taken the drive out, cleaned and degaussed the heads but the problem, although not quite as bad, is still there. If it is mis-alignment how can I check it?" Albert Dayes tells Gary: "It might also be timing problems. Check your glue, shifter and dma chips to make sure they are firmly seated in their sockets. Also check the cables for the floppy drive and see that they are well connected. Another possibility is a virus ... try running a virus scanner and see if that helps. Also run a utilitiy program like Diamond Edge v2.x on your floppies to see if the corruption can be corrected." Sysop Bob Retelle asks Gary: "Can you format a new disk and then read and write to it OK? If the problem is nothing more than the drive becoming misaligned over time, you should still be able to format, but older disks may be difficult (or increasingly impossible) to read or write to. It's possible to replace the drive mechanism with a standard IBM style 3 1/2 inch drive, although it's getting almost impossible to find 720K mechanisms. You can try using a 1.44Meg IBM floppy drive, but you may have to jumper the drive to Low Density (if you can find any documentation on the drive that is). One possible problem using such a replacement drive is that Atari used a somewhat non-standard way of detecting when the floppy disk is replaced, so you may find that with an IBM style drive mechanism you might have to maually force a re-read of the disk's directory when you change disks. The importance of this is that if you change disks and the computer doesn't detect it properly you'll be writing to the new disk with the directory information from the old disk and undoubtedly destroy the new disk. Other things to try with your current system include reseating all the socketed chips on the motherboard. Intermittant problems, and ones that can be cured by rebooting are often caused by integrated circuits which have begun to "creep" out of their sockets, causing poor electrical contact. Some models of the ST had their floppy disk controller chips socketed, and all the older designs had their TOS ROMs in sockets. These chips can possibly cause symptoms like you described. Unplug your ST and open the case and metal RF shield under the keyboard. Then gently but firmly press all the ICs in sockets back down. You'll hear and feel a "crunch" as they re-seat in their sockets. To do a more thorough job of it, you can carefully lift one end of the chip very slightly with a tiny screwdriver, then press that end back down, and repeat with the other end. Also, if yours is a model with an internal floppy drive, carefully remove and replace the ribbon cable connectors to re-seat them." Paul Westerman tells Sysop Bob: "... [as for forcing a re-read of the disks directory when you change disks]... There is a public domain utility called Force Media Change or FMC that takes care of this. I've searched for it in the library but can't find it, but I've got it on a magazine cover disk." Sysop Bob tells Paul: "If you get a chance, could you upload that "force media change" program to our libraries? It sounds like it would be a real help to anyone in the situation of having to baby an IBM floppy drive along in their ST." Dana Jacobson tells Sysop Bob: "FMC is on the way up!! It was written by one of our local guys, so I happen to have it handy!" I'll second that! I used to use it on an Atari that was part of a LAN network because it wouldn't check the directories on remote drives before it tried reading from or writing to them... worked like a charm! Gary Partington comes back and tells Sysop Bob: "Since placing the message I have removed the drive and checked it again but when it was reconnected and the machine reassembled the drive didn't work atall so I took it apart again and after a quick check discovered the power connection, although plugged in, was not making a proper contact. I pushed this tight home and now the problem of writing seems (fingers crossed) to have gone away. Maybe this was the fault all along!" Sysop Bob replies to Gary: "Congratulations on having exorcised your floppy problems..! Yes indeed, a flaky power connection can cause real headaches like you described. Sometimes it's almost like the hardware wants to be touched and know it's still appreciated. Just unplugging and replugging a connector will often work miracles..!" Well folks, this installment has gotten quite a bit longer than we're used to (mostly from my epigram at the beginning of the column, I'm afraid), so we'll end here and take up the cause again next week. Hey! I've got an idea. I'll probably be talking a little bit about Roswell, New Mexico and the upcoming 50th anniversary of the supposed UFO crash next week, so why don't you drop me some email and tell me what you think about all of the media coverage, hope, hype, myth, and fact? It seems that no one is without an opinion on the subject (myself included), so why not join the party? Perhaps someone who's now reading this will even end up going to Roswell for the festivities and may be nice enough to drop us an 'on-the- scene' report. I don't know of anyone yet, but who knows. Well, until next week, remember to listen to what they are saying when... PEOPLE ARE TALKING EDITORIAL QUICKIES Happy Fourth of July! STReport International Magazine [S]ilicon [T]imes [R]eport HTTP://WWW.STREPORT.COM OVER 200,000 Readers WORLDWIDE All Items quoted, in whole or in part, are done so under the provisions of The Fair Use Law of The Copyright Laws of the U.S.A. Views, Opinions and Editorial Articles presented herein are not necessarily those of the editors/staff of STReport International OnLine Magazine. Permission to reprint articles is hereby granted, unless otherwise noted. Reprints must, without exception, include the name of the publication, date, issue number and the author's name. STR, CPU, STReport and/or portions therein may not be edited, used, duplicated or transmitted in any way without prior written permission. STR, CPU, STReport, at the time of publication, is believed reasonably accurate. STR, CPU, STReport, are trademarks of STReport and STR Publishing Inc. STR, CPU, STReport, its staff and contributors are not and cannot be held responsible in any way for the use or misuse of information contained herein or the results obtained therefrom. STReport "YOUR INDEPENDENT NEWS SOURCE" June 27, 1997 Since 1987 Copyrightc1997 All Rights Reserved Issue No. 1326