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Silicon Times Report Issue 1226
Silicon Times Report
The Original Independent OnLine Magazine"
(Since 1987)
June 28, 1996 No. 1226
Silicon Times Report International OnLine Magazine
Post Office Box 6672
Jacksonville, Florida 32221-6155
STR Electronic Publishing Inc.
A subsidiary of
STR Worldwide CompNews Inc.
R.F. Mariano, Editor
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06/28/96 STR 1226 The Original Independent OnLine Magazine!
- CPU Industry Report - Corel News - QUAKE!
- Thumbs Plus 3 - Compaq & Pbell ok - Truth; AOL Probe
- Virtual Institute - Slate Debuts - Cracking Pays in UK
- HOT PC Parts - People Talking - Jaguar Nostalgia
UNIX Future ROSEY
MS Licenses McAfee!
CIA WARNS of INFO WARFARE
STReport International OnLine Magazine
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The Publisher, Staff &
Editors
Florida Lotto - LottoMan v1.35
Results: 6/15/96: 3 of 6 numbers with one 3 number match
From the Editor's Desk...
There comes a time in everyone's daily activities when the exercising of
true patience becomes the virtue of virtues.. We had that experience here,
this week, at STReport. STReport has five Internet Gateways. two of which
are reliable local access to ISDN; MSN and an excellent local ISP, Jax-
inter.net. Would you believe this series of events? Wednesday evening
(actually all night) we enjoyed a series of rather violent thunderstorms
passing through our area, doing their thing. By morning, one would think the
"best part" of the storms were over. Hah! No chance for such good fortune.
By eight thirty Thursday morning, mother nature was making certain we knew
exactly who was boss. The power went down in at least forty five percent of
the area. Naturally, we're in that area. So is one of our high speed ISP's.
Five hours or so later the power went back on. But in the meantime, the
storm that had passed through was doing a reversal! It was coming back to
finish the job. The ISP was feverishly re-installing a new Mail Server. and
software (it was seriously delayed by the storms and outtage), MSN's local
node was thoroughly hosed by a presumed lightning strike and the line between
our location and the main switching office were either wet or partially
damaged by some misfortune or another.. The line noise for analog usage was
murderous.
What does all this mean? Nothing except that the "lean issue" this week
is due to the linking of Murphy's Law and Mother Nature's power. `Tis a
formidable front to go up against. Next time I'll simply take a nap and let
nature have her way. She will anyway. Its now three pm on Friday and the
MSN node is STILL hosed. They're not too quick to effect repairs now are
they? Oh well, such is life.
The fourth is this Thursday and as it has been for the last fifty three
years, the third is my birthday and for the last thirty one years, my oldest
son's birthday too.. A nice long weekend.. BBQ, swimming in the cool waters
and enjoying the company of family and friends. Have a wonderful Fourth!
Ralph...
Of Special Note:
http//www.streport.com
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now have our very own WEB/NewsGroup/FTP Site and although its in its early
stages of construction, do stop by and have a look see. Since We've received
numerous requests to receive STReport from a wide variety of Internet
addressees, we were compelled to put together an Internet
distribution/mailing list for those who wished to receive STReport on a
regular basis, the file is ZIPPED, then UUENCODED. Unfortunately, we've also
received a number of opinions that the UUENCODING was a real pain to deal
with. So, as of October 01,1995, you'll be able to download STReport
directly from our very own SERVER & WEB Site. While there, be sure to join
our STR list.
STReport's managing editors DEDICATED TO SERVING YOU!
Ralph F. Mariano, Publisher - Editor
Dana P. Jacobson, Editor, Current Affairs
Section Editors
PC Section Mac Section Atari Section
R.F. Mariano J. Deegan D. P. Jacobson
Portable Computers & Entertainment Kid's Computing Corner
Marty Mankins Frank Sereno
STReport Staff Editors
Michael Arthur John Deegan Brad Martin
John Szczepanik Paul Guillot Joseph Mirando
Doyle Helms John Duckworth Jeff Coe
Steve Keipe Guillaume Brasseur Melanie Bell
Jay Levy Jeff Kovach Marty Mankins
Carl Prehn Paul Charchian Vincent P. O'Hara
Contributing Correspondents
Dominick J. Fontana Norman Boucher Daniel Stidham
David H. Mann Angelo Marasco Donna Lines
Ed Westhusing Glenwood Drake Vernon W.Smith
Bruno Puglia Paul Haris Kevin Miller
Craig Harris Allen Chang Tim Holt
Patrick Hudlow Leonard Worzala Tom Sherwin
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STReport Headline News
LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS
Weekly Happenings in the Computer World
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
AOL Confirms Federal Rates Probe
America Online has confirmed the Federal Trade Commission several states'
attorneys general have made inquiries into the way it signs up and bills
members, adding it is working to reach an agreement "as quickly as possible."
In an online letter to the Vienna, Va., online service's members, AOL
chairman Steve Case said the FTC and the attorneys general have sought
information about electronic funds transfer policies and the ways it tells
people how to try out and cancel the service.
As noted, AOL also is a defendant in suits in Pennsylvania and California
that accuse it of rounding up per- minute charges. The suit in Pennsylvania,
brought by First Mortgage Corp. of Ardmore, is being settled,
representatives of both sides have said. The Associated Press reports the
Pennsylvania suit questioned the billing method and whether AOL gave proper
notice that they were being charged when the computer was logging on and off
and unable to perform other functions.
In his letter, Case said, "We are working toward satisfactory resolution of
all these matters -- including reaching agreements with the plaintiffs in
the class action and the FTC -- as quickly as possible." As reported
earlier, New York newspaper Newsday recently reported the service was the
subject of a formal investigation by New York attorney general Dennis Vacco.
America Online President Quits
Saying he doesn't want to move his family from Memphis, Tennessee, to the
Washington, D.C., area, William Razzouk has resigned as president and chief
operating officer of America Online Inc. Steve Case, the online service's
chairman and CEO, will resume day-to-day control of the company. Razzouk
quit Federal Express in Memphis in February to join AOL.
"I leave with only good feelings for the people of America Online, and
especially for Steve Case," Razzouk said in a statement issued by America
Online. But family concerns may not be the only reason for Razzouk's
departure. In the same statement, Case is quoted as saying, "It has become
clear that my continued active involvement in major day-to-day business
decisions would be helpful to AOL, so I have taken on a growing role in
determining marketing strategies, pricing and product plans."
Markey Proposes Net Privacy Bill
Rep. Edward Markey, D-Massachusetts, has introduced a bill that would require
federal regulators to explore the need for tougher communications privacy
laws. Reporting from Washington, the Dow Jones News Service says the
measure would direct both the Federal Communications Commission and the
Federal Trade Commission to review existing consumer privacy protections on
the Internet and other communications networks, like cable-TV systems and
telephones.
Markey told reporters, "The same libertarian quality that has stimulated such
rapid growth of the Internet gravely threatens to cripple its promise. It is
chaotic -- free and open -- but has spawned an exponential increase in
commercial voyeurism that is tearing privacy rights asunder."
The wire service says it is unlikely the bill will be considered by Congress,
but Markey expects it to garner widespread bipartisan support, adding he
hopes it will spur industries to begin addressing privacy concerns. "At
issue," says DJ, "is the growing use of technology to track the personal
tastes and buying habits of consumers. Consumer groups say it is becoming
increasingly common for that kind of information to be compiled and sold,
often without the consumer knowing it. Particularly vulnerable are children,
who are targeted on the Internet by toy makers, cereal companies and others
who sell products to youngsters, they say."
The bill is backed by the Center for Media Education (which recently released
a study describing an "emerging pattern" of online marketing practices
designed to manipulate children) and the Consumer Federation of America,
"though that group suggested that an even stronger approach may ultimately be
needed," the wire service notes. Also among the supporters are the Center for
Democracy and Technology and the People for the American Way.
Markey's bill calls for the FCC and FTC:
ú First to see whether there are technological tools that could help
consumers and parents protect their privacy.
ú Examine whether industry standards were in place to protect consumers.
"Where technological tools don't exist or a particular industry refuses to
help, then the agencies would either adopt new protections or ask Congress to
do so," DJ reports.
Landers, Leahy Feud About Net
Advice columnist Ann Landers is feuding with Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) over
her recent criticism of the Internet as being a philanderers' tryst site.
Reporting from Burlington, Vt., The Associated Press reports that this week
Landers' column will feature a letter from Leahy to present his opposing
view. Writes Leahy, "As a 55-year-old who has been happily married for 33
years, I am living proof that the vast majority of we Internet fans use our
computers to browse newspapers, see the treasures of the Sistine Chapel,
check the weather in Vermont or read the latest Batman comic."
Leahy, who has been a congressional leader on technology issues, added,
"Neither should a few bored Web crawlers foul up the Internet for the rest
of us." In her reply to Leahy's letter, Landers still focused on the
seamier side of the Net, saying, "Granted, most Web crawlers are fairly
decent people, but many are not interested in the Sistine Chapel. ... The
Internet is tailor-made for con men, the lonely and the bored."
CD-ROM Copyright Ruling Overturned
The U.S. Court of Appeals has overturned a U.S. District Court decision that
allowed a company to place a CD-ROM phone directory's information on the
Internet. Last fall, Matthew Zeidenberg, a graduate student and sole
employee of Silken Mountain Web Services Inc., downloaded sections of Pro CD
Inc.'s Select Phone and offered the data free-of-charge over the Internet.
Pro CD sought to prevent Zeidenberg from using its database in violation of
the license agreement that accompanies its national telephone directory.
In the District Court decision, Judge Barbara Crabb held that software
licenses included inside a shrink-wrapped box are not enforceable because
the consumer does not have an opportunity to review the terms of the license
prior to purchase. In reversing this decision, Judge Frank Easterbrook,
writing for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, noted the
impracticality of printing license agreements in their entirety on the
outside of retail boxes. "Vendors can put the entire terms of a contract on
the outside of a box only by using microscopic type, removing other
information that buyers might find more useful (such as what the software
does and on which computers it works), or both."
"The landmark Pro CD decision has far reaching implications for the software
industry," says Thomas O'Connor, Pro CD's lead attorney. The court held that
commercially reasonable contracts reflecting modern commercial reality will
be enforced according to their terms, and are not preempted by federal law.
This case is a success not only for software manufacturers but also software
consumers. It encourages the creation and development of innovative and
valuable products by software and database companies such as Pro CD and
affords the manufacturers the legal protection necessary to allow them to
offer their products at affordable prices."
CD Pro's presentation was supported by a number of influential organizations,
including The Software Publishers Association, The Business Software
Alliance, the Information Industry Association, the American Medical
Association and the Association of American Publishers.
Compaq, Packard Bell Patch It Up
Computer makers Compaq Computer Corp. and Packard Bell have settled patent
suits against each other, ending a year and a half of wrangling. While
terms of the settlement were not released, Margaret Kane of PC Week Online
reports Packard Bell will pay an undisclosed amount to Compaq over the next
five years and neither company will admit fault.
As reported, Compaq sued Packard Bell in November 1994 in federal court. Last
month, Zenith Data Systems Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Packard Bell,
sued Compaq. Both cases are being dismissed, PC Week says. The initial
Compaq suit involved six patents, including one for a dual-mode screen that
displayed both graphics and text. Writes Kane, "The settlement with Packard
Bell will allow each company to license the other's patents. Packard Bell's
payments will make up the difference in value between the two."
TI Names New President, CEO
Thomas Engibous has been named president/CEO of Texas Instruments, replacing
William "Pat" Weber, who was designated to fill the job while the board of
directors considered Jerry R. Junkins' successor. And James Adams, who has
been a TI director for more than seven years and a former group president of
ABC Communications, follows Junkins as the company's chairman. (As reported,
Junkins, who was CEO for 11 years, died May 29 of a heart attack at 58
during a business trip to Europe on May 29.)
Business writer Katie Fairbank of The Associated Press notes the Dallas
chipmaker established an office of the chief executive in 1993, comprised of
Junkins and vice chairmen Weber and William B. Mitchell. "Weber, who will
continue as a vice-chairman, was considered as a replacement for Junkins,"
Fairbanks writes. "Ultimately the board decided on Engibous, who has served
as TI executive vice president and president of the semiconductor group, said
company spokesman Stan Victor."
Microsoft Licenses Antivirus Software
McAfee Associates Inc. has licensed portions of its anti-virus technology to
Microsoft Corp. Under the terms of the agreement, McAfee's anti-virus
technology will be incorporated into future Microsoft Internet software
products. Included in the licensing agreement are McAfee's Code Matrix
Scanning and Code Trace Scanning technologies. McAfee says its code detects
more than 8,000 viruses, including boot viruses; macro viruses; file viruses;
multi-partite viruses; stealth viruses; encrypted viruses; and polymorphic
viruses.
According to market researcher IDC, McAfee is the leading vendor of anti-
virus software, with a worldwide unit market share of 68 percent for stand-
alone DOS and Windows PC desktops. "We've found that customers are
increasingly concerned about the proliferation of Internet-borne viruses,"
says Dave Fester, product manager of Microsoft's Internet platform and tools
division. "The integration of McAfee's anti-virus technology into future
Microsoft Internet products will provide our customers with a safer and more
enjoyable Internet experience."
"The widespread use of the Internet has dramatically increased the incidence
of computer virus infections," adds Bill Larson, president, CEO and chairman
of McAfee. "Macro viruses, for example, hide in Internet email attachments
and are currently the most commonly reported virus at McAfee. We're extremely
pleased that Microsoft has chosen to partner with us to protect their
customers from these and other emerging virus threats."
CompuServe, Microsoft Forge Major Strategic Alliance Key Technology
Licensing, Business and Marketing Agreement Enables New Internet Services
Initiative
REDMOND, Wash., and COLUMBUS, Ohio - June 4, 1996 - CompuServe Inc. (NASDAQ
"CSRV") and Microsoft Corp. today announced a far-reaching strategic
alliance that includes a comprehensive technological partnership as well as
marketing, distribution and commercial opportunities. The alliance was
jointly announced today in Redmond, Wash., by Bob Massey, CompuServe's
president and chief executive officer, and Bill Gates,Microsoft's chairman
and chief executive officer.
Major Technology Licensing Agreement
Under the agreement, CompuServe will deploy Microsoft's new platform for
commercial Internet services, code-named "Normandy" (also announced today),
in its suite of online services, including the CompuServeR
Information Service, WOW! and SPRYNET, CompuServe's Internet-only service.
CompuServe becomes the first major online provider to license the MicrosoftR
Normandy technologies - the only Internet platform solution designed
specifically for Internet service providers and commercial Web publishers.
This agreement is the first major step in the evolution of CompuServe's
services from proprietary to open standards technology.
"This strategic alliance between two long-standing industry leaders puts
CompuServe in a position to rapidly implement our plans to strengthen our
core business and expand our world-class online services by using Internet
technologies," Massey said. "Microsoft's tradition of excellence and
commitment to Internet technology made this the right choice for CompuServe.
In combination with our existing features - communities, security, billing,
content and access - we gain an unmatched technical advantage in an industry
that demands the best."
"Microsoft and CompuServe are working together to deliver superior Internet-
based services to CompuServe's users," Gates said. "As a leader in Internet
services, CompuServe is evolving to meet the needs of a rapidly changing
marketplace. CompuServe's commitment to Microsoft Internet Explorer is the
latest demonstration of Microsoft Internet innovation and technology
leadership."The agreement enhances all of CompuServe's consumer and
commercial services. It enables CompuServe to aggressively drive the
implementation of its new technology initiative, announced May 21, to evolve
the technological underpinnings of its services from proprietary
architecture to Internet-based technology. It will allow users with a
CompuServe membership and an industry-standard Web browser such as Microsoft
Internet Explorer to access unique, value-added services.
In addition, CompuServe and Microsoft agreed to collaborate on future
commercial ventures. The Normandy platform that CompuServe is licensing is
built on the robust and secure Microsoft Windows NT Server operating system
and is integrated with Microsoft Internet Information Server. This open
platform technology is an advanced set of software tools used for delivering
interactive services and creating, managing and distributing content. It
enables the creation of compelling Internet services. The technologies
licensed today are the major components needed to run a commercial, fee-
based service, including value-added mail, forum areas, chat, news, indexing
and other content management services.Normandy offers the power to support
tens of thousands of concurrent users; the scalability to support millions of
users per day; the openness to work with applications and extensions
developed by Internet developers; and consistent and intuitive graphical
tools that provide easy, highly automated setup and administration.
Desktop Distribution Agreement for CompuServe and WOW!
Along with today's platform licensing announcement, CompuServe and Microsoft
agreed to offer access to both the CompuServe Information Service and WOW! on
Microsoft's industry-leading WindowsR 95 desktop
operating system. The agreement puts both CompuServe online services within a
click of the mouse for PC consumers.CompuServe strengthens its commitment to
market, promote and distribute Microsoft Internet Explorer as its primary
browser for CompuServe online services, including CompuServe Information
Service, WOW! and customized branded services.
Microsoft Internet Explorer will be the default Web browser distributed on
the installation CDs for the CompuServe Information Service and WOW! as well
as in CompuServe's packaged software offerings."Easy access to CompuServe
services from Windows 95 adds tremendous value for users of our operating
system," Gates added. "And, Microsoft Internet Explorer provides a rich and
interactive browsing experience for CompuServe users." "Microsoft will
implement icons within a desktop folder that can connect users to the
CompuServe Information Service and WOW!," added Massey. "This is a
significant opportunity for us to expand distribution channels and be part of
the most successful desktop operating system in the world."
Background
Last month, CompuServe announced the new technology initiative to embrace
open standards Internet technology; focus its development resources on
creating value-added services instead of proprietary systems; and launch a
world-class suite of fee-based services using open standards technology,
which will be available to members. By taking advantage of externally
developed technologies such as the Normandy platform, CompuServe will
decrease time to market, significantly cut development costs, and more
effectively deliver leading-edge information products and services to its
members.
Founded in 1969, CompuServe Inc. provides the world's most comprehensive
online services, business network and Internet access. Through CompuServe,
more than 4.9 million home and business users in more than 185 countries
access the Internet and 3,000-plus online information, education and
entertainment services and products. In addition, 982 corporate customers use
CompuServe's value-added network solutions. Among its many uses, the
CompuServe-owned network serves as the world's mailbox and check-out lane,
hosting millions of e-mail messages per month and more than 1 billion point-
of-sale transactions per year. With world headquarters in Columbus, Ohio,
CompuServe's offices include European centers in Munich, London and Paris.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in
software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products
and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of
making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full
power of personal computing every day.
Microsoft, Windows NT and Windows are either registered trademarks or
trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
CompuServe is a registered trademark of CompuServe Inc.
For online product information: CompuServe: http://www.wow.com/
Microsoft Internet Explorer Web page: http://microsoft.com/ie/
[Related feedback:]
CompuServe announced a couple of weeks ago that its proprietary access
protocols (HMI) are being replaced by Web protocols. They expect some
products to be changed over by the end of the year, and the majority by this
time next year. This was accompanied by the departure of some high level CIS
executives. So, although the changeover to HMI was only about 10% finished,
it's been superceded by a changeover to Web protocols, which probably makes
more sense. It will allow access by any Web browser, eventually to all parts
of CIS. A few areas will be free and available to outsiders, but most will
still require membership. The HMI protocols will continue to exist until it
is no longer being used by significant numbers of members. This may be
awhile, since so many offline readers / navigators use the protocol.
Netscape Users Top 38 Million
Well, you KNEW it was popular -- now you know HOW popular: there are more
than 38 million users of Netscape Communications Corp.'s Netscape Navigator
software now browsing the Internet's World Wide Web. From Netscape's
Mountain View, California, headquarters, United Press International quotes
company officials as proclaiming Navigator the world's most popular personal
computer application.
"The Navigator has been shipping commercially for 18 months," UPI observes,
"and has become the standard for communication over the Internet and World
Wide Web computer networks with an 84 percent market share." Adds the wire
service, "Despite efforts by Microsoft Corp. to take away share from
Navigator, its popularity has been assured by striking a wide variety of
alliances with major players in the field to assure that the software is
built into virtually all new personal computers."
Netscape says the number of users of Netscape Navigator now exceeds that of
software such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office and Lotus
1-2-3. President/CEO Jim Barksdale told the wire service, "The popularity
of Netscape Navigator is a clear indication that the Internet as a network
platform is a far greater phenomenon than any single operating system,
desktop application or desktop platform."
Saying the software's popularity stems from the need for users to learn,
communicate and collaborate, he added, "Netscape Navigator has achieved the
distinction of being the world's most popular software program precisely
because it allows people to easily do just that." Netscape also says its Web
site now receives more than 80 million hits a day, representing several
million individual daily visitors, and has received more than 10 billion
hits since its inception two years ago, "making it by far the most visited
site on the Internet," adds UPI.
[EDITOR NOTE] Our research concludes that while there may be a large number
of people using Netscape, it must be pointed out in all fairness to
Microsoft. Microsoft's Internet Explorer is morethan likely to be found on
just as many systems as many users have both MS IE, Netscape and Spry's
Mosaic all on the same system. RFM
Netscape Usage Claim 'Derided'
The feisty Computergram International daily says "chortles of derision" are
greeting Netscape Communications Corp.'s announcement that its Netscape
Navigator web browser software now has a user base of 38 million. "The
number may be solid as a rock," CI smirks this morning, "but only a fraction
of those are actually paid for, and many users have more than one browser
installed -- and many have two or three different beta releases of
Navigator."
As reported, the Mountain View, California, software publisher also says
Navigator now is the world's most popular personal computer application. On
this, the newsletter observes Netscape can make that claim "only by treating
Microsoft Corp.'s Word at 21 million users and Office at 22 million
separately, and we doubt that there are many Office users that never touch
the word processor it includes -- the word processor in Office is Word."
Ethernet Inventor Honored
Ethernet inventor Robert M. Metcalfe will receive the IEEE Medal of Honor
from the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) for his
leadership in the development and commercialization of the leading local
area network (LAN) technology, now connecting more than 50 million computers
worldwide. Metcalfe, vice president of technology for International Data
Group, will receive this award from the world's largest technical
professional society at the Institute's annual Honors Ceremony this Saturday
in Montreal.
Ethernet, an international LAN standard (IEEE 802.3), provides a high-speed
path for data to flow between computers. Recent versions have increased
operating speeds tenfold from 10 to 100 megabits per second. A low-cost
technology, Ethernet enabled the development of distributed systems and led
to the routine use of computer networks. Metcalfe invented Ethernet, on
which he shares four patents, in 1973 while at the Computer Science
Laboratory at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center.
In 1976, he moved to Xerox's Systems Development Division to manage
microprocessor and communication developments that led, some years later, to
the Xerox Star workstation. In 1979, Metcalfe left Xerox to promote PC LANs
and Ethernet. He helped bring the Digital Equipment, Intel and Xerox
corporations together to promote Ethernet as a standard. In 1979, he also
founded 3Com Corporation, now a multi-billion-dollar computer networking
company that ships more than a million Ethernet connections per month.
Xerox Introduces Teaching System
Xerox Corp. has taken the wraps off of BookWise 3.0, an interactive PC-based
reading system for teachers and students. The product scans books and other
printed materials and reads the text aloud as words are highlighted and
tracked on the screen. Xerox says the BookWise system reads scanned
documents aloud, the text is highlighted on a student's computer screen by
word, phrase, sentence or line, providing visual and verbal tracking
assistance. BookWise can be used as a tool in programs for dyslexia, learning
disabilities, adult
literacy, and English as a Second Language. BookWise's speaking user
interface runs on Windows 3.1 and Windows 95.
According to Xerox, BookWise 3.0 offers new editing capabilities that enable
students to write reports, edit text, take notes or answer test questions.
BookWise 3.0 will be available in July. It will be offered as a software-only
product or as a bundle with the company's new Bookedge scanner. "We are
proud to have the ability to offer innovative and exciting reading
technology to people with learning disabilities through our world-class OCR
technology," says Allen Frechter, director of sales and marketing for Xerox's
adaptive technologies unit.
Experts See PCs in Every Room
Experts at New York's recent PC Expo show told reporters that in the modern
home, every room may have a PC that runs a range of electronic devices.
"Convergence" is the buzz word of the hour, referring to the marriage of the
PC, the Internet communications network and a range of electronic
entertainment devices such as televisions, stereos and videocassette
recorders.
"Within a couple of years," Chairman Ben Rosen of Compaq Computers Corp. told
the French Agence France-Press International News Service, "we'll see a
server in every home and a computer in every room, with a central Internet
connection." These computers, Rosen adds, will be quite different from the
large, three-piece machines that are popular today.
Adds Carl Yankowski, president and chief operating officer of Sony
Electronics, today's machines are merely the first in a new generation of
computers that feature the "convergence of audio, video, computers and
communications," adding, "Computers have reached the point where they have
the potential to be powerful entertainment devices in the home." Susan
Vinci, director of Compaq market planning, said the first advanced products
should hit the market in 1997.
"Initially," says AFP, "it will be possible to manage all the electronic
equipment from a PC. But in the long term, it is envisioned that each room
will have special computers. The kitchen, for example, would be outfitted
with a computer that displays recipes and controls the oven and dishwasher,
while an office computer would handle banking transactions and accounting."
However, despite the expansion in computer utility, AFP also quotes
researchers at Dataquest as predicting the growth of the industry is expected
to stay below 20 percent this year.
Europe Sees Multilingual Web
Action by the European Union to ensure the English language does not
monopolize international computerized information networks is being urged by
the European Parliament. Reporting from Strasbourg, France, the Reuter News
Service quotes Greek singer and Euro-MP Nana Mouskouri as saying, "English-
only, this would create a danger for citizens of the EU being excluded from
the information society and the information highway."
Notes Reuters, "Mouskouri, who herself speaks and sings fluently in six
languages, said the predominance of English threatened to marginalize
smaller languages even more, increase the gulf between rich and poor and
damage Europe's cultural diversity." Mouskouri says, "I think it's essential
that we protect that cultural heritage and make sure that it's not destroyed
by the information society which would then be an information society with no
content."
The wire service notes the assembly has said it is prepared to go to court to
get more control over a 18- million-dollar plan drawn up by EUResearch
Commissioner and former French Prime Minister Edith Cresson to promote a web
of languages on the information highway. However, it now says the funds are
inadequate and the plan too focused on industry rather than culture and the
people who will live and work through computer information.
Strong Growth Seen for UNIX
Despite some predictions heralding the imminent demise of UNIX, a new survey
from the Datapro Information Services Group reveals that the global market
for UNIX-based software products continues to grow strongly. Datapro says a
number of key market drivers are helping to spur growth, including the
ascendance of UNIX as the top Web Server platform, mounting demand for
Internet and intranet systems and the continuing dominance of the UNIX
platform for database, file, and print services.
"UNIX is alive and well in the marketplace," says Mary Hubley, Datapro's
principal analyst for UNIX and open systems. "UNIX purchases overall will
grow at a healthy 8 percent clip through the end of the decade.
Surprisingly, this will be accompanied by an 8 percent decline in 'non-UNIX'
purchases, including those for Microsoft Windows and Windows NT systems.
This means that by the year 2000, global purchases will be
split evenly between UNIX and non-UNIX systems."
Among Datapro's other findings:
ú SunSoft's SunOS and Solaris remain the most prevalent UNIX systems
worldwide, used by 40 percent of the survey respondents. In 1996, an
additional 8 percent plan new installations, with another 6 percent planning
purchases by the year 2000. In close pursuit are Hewlett-Packard's HP-UX (36
percent), SCO Open Desktop/Open Server (34 percent), IBM's AIX (31 percent),
Digital Equipment Corp.'s Digital UNIX (18 percent), UNIX System V (17
percent) and Linux (11 percent).
ú The global UNIX marketplace is marked by significant regional
variations. While SunOS/Solaris predominates in the Americas, for example,
the European and Asia/Pacific markets prefer SCO UNIX and HP-UX,
respectively.
ú A significant shift is under way in the UNIX development tools
marketplace, fueled by the escalating demand for Internet products. C-based
development appears to have topped out at 61 percent, with only 7 percent
growth estimated for 1996. In contrast, Datapro projects skyrocketing
purchases of Java (26 percent) and HTML (20 percent) development products in
1996 alone, with significant increases projected through the year 2000.
Special Notice!! STR Infofile File format Requirements for
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STReport International Online Magazine
AOL users Get Told ALL? STR Focus
June 21, 1996
Dear Members:
In recent weeks, America Online has been responding to inquiries in the media
about various legal and regulatory actions facing the company. Although we
have been constrained by confidentiality agreements relating to some of these
matters, we feel that we owe you, our members, the fullest possible
explanation about what the issues are and what we have done, or will do, to
fully address them.
The issues relate to the business practices of online services in general,
and AOL in particular. Specifically, the issues involve matters such as how
we handle billing of AOL charges, and how we inform members and prospective
members about how to cancel the service.
As you know, our goal is to help build a new interactive medium that can
reach millions of people. To do that, we've always tried to put the needs
of consumers first, and do the right things in the right way. As the
industry and AOL have matured we have continuously refined our practices to
better meet the needs of consumers. As members have brought issues to our
attention, we've established a pattern of acting promptly to correct problems
and provide our members with important information that they need to know.
Some issues first surfaced almost a year ago when several law firms filed
what are called "class action" suits. At that time, in August we alerted
our members, in a community update, to the issues that surfaced, which were:
1) appropriate disclosure for the company's practice of billing in one-minute
increments; 2) appropriate disclosure of network connection charges during
sign-on and sign off; 3) isolated incidents of inaccurate billing for use in
a designated "free" area of America Online.
For more than a year the Company has been taking measures to enhance
disclosures and quality control to better meet consumer needs. The community
update we posted last August on the main welcome screen of America Online
highlighted many of the issues for members, and a special free billing area
on AOL (keyword: Billing) was expanded to include more detailed
explanations. Located in a free area (you are not charged while spending time
there), the Accounts & Billing area gives you quick access to all kinds of
information. For instance, click on Current Bill Summary and review or order
previous or current bills.
I am pleased to report that we have been in discussions with the individuals
who brought these matters to our attention, and are hopeful that this class
action suit can be settled in the near future. We will of course let you
know as soon as that happens.
As the online medium grows and reaches more consumers, it also attracts the
attention of regulatory agencies. For instance, we have been in
discussions with the Federal Trade Commission and the Attorneys General of
several states, who have inquired about general business practices in the
industry and how they might be refined to more closely meet consumer needs.
The issues being discussed include electronic funds transfer policies
(allowing consumers who pay through automatic withdrawals from their checking
accounts to get online upon request before a hardcopy payment authorization
is received), and expanded advertising disclosures about service trial and
cancellation policies.
We are working toward satisfactory resolution of all these matters --
including reaching agreements with the plaintiffs in the class action and the
FTC -- as quickly as possible. The agreements will not have an adverse
impact on the company, and we do not believe the changes we have made or will
make to business practices will hamper our ability to serve our membership.
The theme of all of the discussions we are having with these various groups
is the same, which is that we want to make online services accessible not
just to the 11% presently using them but to the 89% of households who are not
yet using them.
More than anything, what we want AOL to stand for is simple, easy to use,
reliable and affordable services. The key to our success has been
positive word of mouth -- we are totally committed to do whatever it takes to
protect our reputation of leadership in this emerging industry.
For example, we felt that it was critical that we make a significant
investment in improving customer service. We have been hard at work
enhancing our customer service operations as we strive to achieve world class
status -- a commitment I outlined in my January letter. I am happy to report
that we've already accomplished some major milestones. First, we've
increased the number of employees to handle your account or technical
questions. With the addition of our new support center in Oklahoma City, we
now have four facilities across the country employing more than 3,000
professionals to offer assistance. Second, our "on hold" time for telephone-
related questions has dropped dramatically, due to increased staffing up and
better training. Third, we've improved our turnaround time in answering your
e-mail questions through new management techniques and increased staffing.
We consider ourselves fortunate that the interactive nature of our service
allows us to develop an ongoing dialogue with our members, and to get member
feedback on a very timely basis. As a result of member feedback, many types
of issues, like our billing procedures, have been brought to our attention
and have been addressed. We will continue to refine both our services and
our policies based on your feedback, with the understanding that earning
your trust and confidence is critical to our ability to deliver a truly
extraordinary online experience.
Thanks again for your support, and I hope you continue to enjoy America
Online.
Steve Case
Chairman and CEO
America Online, Inc.
For Immediate Release
Adaptec Purchases Corelr CD Creator
MILPITAS, California - June 26, 1996 - Adaptec, Inc. and Corel
Corporation announced an agreement today providing for the sale of Corel's
popular Corelr CD Creator software program and PD optical recording
technology to Adaptec in a $12 million (US) cash transaction. All versions
(including localized versions) of Corel CD Creator, the leading software
for compact disk recordable (CD-R) drives, will be included in the deal.
Adaptec publishes Easy-CD Pror Software, the leading choice of CD-R
peripheral OEMs.
"High function and performance I/O software is a major strategic business
for Adaptec; and optical recording technology, the key to CD-R and DVD,
will play a big part in that effort," said S. Sundaresh, Adaptec vice
president and general manager of the Personal I/O business unit. "We will
support customers of both products," continued Sundaresh. "CD-R is poised
to move into the mainstream. With this new technology, we're in an even
better position to deliver the software solutions the new market demands."
"Our strategic vision is to move forward in pursuing our interests in the
field of productivity application software and the vast opportunities
presented by the Java-based operating system. This transaction fits in
with that vision," said Dr. Michael Cowpland, president and chief executive
officer of Corel Corporation. "We are confident Adaptec will continue to
provide the very best in 32-bit CD authoring to our loyal customer base."
The acquisition will be accounted for under the purchase method of
accounting. Adaptec will evaluate the allocation of the purchase price to
the assets acquired, which may include in-process technology that will be
written off, and goodwill, which will be amortized over the benefit period.
Adaptec
Adaptec provides bandwidth management technologies for organizations
building the global information infrastructure. Its high performance I/O,
connectivity, and network products are incorporated into the systems and
products of major computer and peripheral manufacturers. Founded in 1981
and headquartered in Milpitas, California, Adaptec (NASDAQ:ADPT) employs
2500 people worldwide in design, manufacturing, sales, service and
distribution. Adaptec's home page is http://www.adaptec.com.
Corel Corporation
Incorporated in 1985, Corel Corporation is recognized internationally as an
award-winning developer and marketer of productivity applications, graphics
and multimedia software. Corel's product line includes CorelDRAWT, the
Corelr WordPerfectr Suite, Corelr Office Professional, CorelVIDEOT and over
30 multimedia software titles. Corel's products run on most operating
systems, including: Windows, Macintosh, UNIX, MS-DOS, OpenVMS and OS/2 and
are consistently rated among the strongest in the industry. The company
ships its products in over 17 languages through a network of more than 160
distributors in 70 countries worldwide. Corel is traded on the Toronto Stock
Exchange (symbol: COS) and the NASDAQ--National Market System (symbol:
COSFF). For more information visit Corel's home page on the Internet at
http://www.corel.com. Adaptec and Easy-CD Pro are registered trademarks of
Adaptec, Inc. Corel and WordPerfect are registered trademarks of Corel
Corporation or Corel Corporation Limited. CorelDRAW, CorelVIDEO, Corel
VENTURA and Corel Click & Create are trademarks of Corel Corporation.
Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and
other countries under license. Macintosh is a registered trademark of Apple
Computer, Inc. used under license. All products mentioned are trademarks
or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
Corel Corporation Reports 1996 Second Quarter Results
OTTAWA, ONTARIO - June 26, 1996. Corel Corporation today announced results
for its second quarter of fiscal 1996. Total revenue for the quarter ended
May 31, 1996 was $87.5 million, an increase of 148% from the $35.2 million
posted for the second quarter of fiscal 1995. This also represents an
increase of 140% over 1996's first quarter sales of $36.4 million. After-tax
net income was $506,000 or earnings per share of $.01. The Company reported
a break-even quarter for the same period in 1995.
"This quarter includes the first sales of our new productivity application
products, which include Corelr WordPerfectr Suite, Corelr Office
Professional, Corelr Quattror Pro and Corelr PresentationsT," commented
Charles Norris, Corel's director of finance and chief financial officer.
"Given the effort required to absorb the WordPerfect acquisition, we are
very pleased with the revenue generated from this new division. This
diversion of resources to accelerate the transition has temporarily impacted
sales in the graphics software division. We expect sales from the graphics
software products will improve next quarter with the launch of Corel
VENTURAT 7 and the Macintoshr version of CorelDRAWT 6."
"I think our financial results confirm the quality of and user interest in
the WordPerfect products", added Mr. Norris. "Corel's commitment to the
product line has firmly resolved the product uncertainties providing the
needed confidence level for WordPerfect users, both old and new."
"We're pleased that the marriage between Corel and the WordPerfect products
has been this successful," said Dr. Michael Cowpland, president and chief
executive officer of Corel Corporation. "We were able to meet the challenge
of delivering the WordPerfect products on schedule. This is quite an
achievement if you consider the short transition period and the outstanding
quality of products that were delivered. Now that we have accomplished a
smooth integration, we are ready to focus all our efforts on marketing and
distributing our world class graphics and business application products."
"It appears we're not the only ones excited about the release of the
WordPerfect products," added Dr. Cowpland. "The new offerings have received
highly favorable reviews from reputable industry publications such as
InfoWorld, PC World and PC Magazine. We are also extremely encouraged by the
initial sell-through figures for the WordPerfect products, which bodes well
for their future. We at Corel are excited by the quality and extent of our
expanded family of products and in the upcoming months will be intensifying
our concentration on these core products."
Incorporated in 1985, Corel Corporation is recognized internationally as an
award-winning developer and marketer of productivity applications, graphics
and multimedia software. Corel's product line includes CorelDRAWT, the
Corelr WordPerfectr Suite, Corelr Office Professional, CorelVIDEOT and over
30 multimedia software titles. Corel's products run on most operating
systems, including: Windows, Macintosh, UNIX, MS-DOS and OS/2 and are
consistently rated among the strongest in the industry. The company ships
its products in over 17 languages through a network of more than 160
distributors in 70 countries worldwide. Corel is traded on the Toronto Stock
Exchange (symbol: COS) and the NASDAQ--National Market System (symbol:
COSFF). For more information visit Corel's home page on the Internet at
http://www.corel.com.
For more information, please contact Corel's Investor Relations Department,
at (613) 728-8200 ext. 4500, fax (613) 761-9350. Corel, Quattro and
WordPerfect are registered trademarks of Corel Corporation or Corel
Corporation Limited. Presentations, CorelDRAW, VENTURA and CorelVIDEO are
trademarks of Corel Corporation.
Datasvar begins Support
for Corel Customers in the Nordic Countries
Ottawa, Canada June 24, 1996- Corel Corporation and Datasvar Support AB of
Sweden announced today that the technical support center that will service
the Nordic market is now taking calls from Swedish Corel customers. It is
expected that the center will be ready to handle calls from Denmark, Norway
and Finland commencing July 1, 1996.
This begins a new chapter for Corel in the Nordic countries. Just two weeks
after the Nordic launch of Corelr WordPerfectr Suite 7 for Windowsr 95 in
Stockholm, Datasvar is ready to begin it's commitment to providing the best
possible support to Corel customers. Datasvar is confident that it can meet
the support demand that will be placed on them and is looking forward to
July when all the Nordic countries will be up and running.
The telephone numbers for the Swedish clients are 06 80 711 750 for Corelr
WordPerfectr and 06 80 711 751 for CorelDRAWT. The number for technical
support for Corelr WordPerfectr and CorelDRAWT products in Denmark is 35 25
80 09. Norwegian Corelr WordPerfectr and CorelDRAWT customers can call
22 97 19 09 and customers from Finland can receive support for Corelr
WordPerfectr and CorelDRAWT by calling 90 229 060 09.
Corel Corporation
Incorporated in 1985, Corel Corporation is recognized internationally as an
award-winning developer and marketer of productivity applications, graphics
and multimedia software. Corel's product line includes CorelDRAWT, the
Corelr WordPerfectr Suite and Corelr WordPerfectr Suite 7, Corelr Office
Professional, CorelVIDEOT and over 30 multimedia software titles. Corel's
products run on most operating systems, including: Windows, Macintoshr,
UNIX, MS-DOS and OS/2 and are consistently rated among the strongest in the
industry. The company ships its products in over 17 languages through a
network of more than 160 distributors in 70 countries world-wide. Corel is
traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (symbol: COS) and on NASDAQ-National
Market System (symbol:COSFF). For more information visit Corel's home page
on the Internet at http://www.corel.com.
Corelr Goes Fishing With The Bungalo BoysT
Ottawa, Canada - June 25, 1996 - Corel Corporation has begun shipping The
Bungalo BoysT: The Big Fish Wish, a multimedia CD-ROM title based on the
popular Bungalo Boys book series. This interactive story is targeted at
youngsters aged four to 10 and is available for a suggested retail price of
$59 US.
"The Bungalo Boys: The Big Fish Wish has excellent entertainment value for
children," said Dr. Michael Cowpland, president and chief executive officer
of Corel Corporation. "The fishing segments alone, which require some
skill to master, will entertain them for hours."
The Big Fish Wish is a tale of two cousins, Shorty and Carlotta, who
venture out one day to catch their first fish with the older Bungalos,
Johnny Bob and Curly. Children are able to join in this adventure through
the fishing simulation, a segment which allows them to cast in their line
and haul out their catch in one of five different fishing holes. The
ultimate goal is to reel in Mighty Millie, the biggest, meanest muskie on
earth. Children also get a chance to jump into the driver's seat. By
using the left, forward and back arrows, they can drive a pick-up truck
with boat in tow down to the dock and practice launching the boat.
This fun-filled and educational CD-ROM contains over 240 animations, 21
narrated story book pages, and eight interactive story book pages with more
than 10 hot spots per page. Children may also record their voice for
playback during the narration, and a paint program offers 12 different
story pages to color. At any time, children can click on Old Rufus Bungalo
to hear the narration again, or click on the swimming dog to return to the
main menu.
Development and System Requirements
The Bungalo Boys: The Big Fish Wish was developed for Corel Corporation by
Amtex Software Corporation and John Bianchi of Bungalo Books. Minimum
system requirements include Windowsr 95, an IBM-compatible PC 486 66, 8 MB
of RAM, 640x480, 256 color graphics display, 8-bit Sound Blaster or 100%
compatible sound card, 31 MB of hard drive space*, a double-speed CD-ROM
drive, a mouse, and, if you want to record your voice, a microphone.
Amtex Software Corporation
Specializing in the development of realistic simulations of entertainment
and educational software since 1991, Amtex Software Corporation has
produced international award-winning products through their commitment to
creating non-violent, family-oriented titles. Recognized for their classic
pinball games - Tristan, Eight Ball Deluxe and Royal Flush - as well as for
their fishing simulation entitled Gone Fishin', Amtex has recently
announced its foray into the development of commercial flight simulation
products. Amtex products are distributed worldwide through a network of
over 30 distributors in 10 countries, and is a privately held Canadian
Corporation.
Bungalo Books
Bungalo Books was formed in 1986 by editor Frank B. Edwards and freelance
cartoonist John Bianchi, collaborators who met through Harrowsmith, a back-
to-the-land magazine in 1979. After several years of working together on
both scientific and humorous projects for Camden House Publishing, the pair
decided to launch their own comp
any. Naming their company after the
characters from their first book, they proceeded to charm children and
parents alike with a series of quirky and crazy stories about the bumbling
Bungalo Boys. With four Bungalo Boy adventures in print, along with 17
other books, Edwards and Bianchi's collaborations have sold a total of 1.2
million copies. The Bungalo Boys: The Big Fish Wish is their first
interactive CD-ROM.
Corel Corporation
Incorporated in 1985, Corel Corporation is recognized internationally as an
award-winning developer and marketer of productivity applications, graphics
and multimedia software. Corel's product line includes CorelDRAWT, the
Corelr WordPerfectr Suite, Corelr Office Professional, CorelVIDEOT and over
30 multimedia software titles. Corel's products run on most operating
systems, including: Windows, Macintosh, UNIX, MS-DOS, OpenVMS and OS/2 and
are consistently rated among the strongest in the industry. The company
ships its products in over 17 languages through a network of more than 160
distributors in 70 countries worldwide. Corel is traded on the Toronto Stock
Exchange (symbol: COS) and the NASDAQ--National Market System (symbol:
COSFF). For more information visit Corel's home page on the Internet at
http://www.corel.com.
*31 MB of hard disk space is required to take full advantage of the
sophisticated sound and animation.
Corel Announces a Technical Support Partner
for the Nordic Market
Ottawa, Canada - May 16, 1996 - Corel Corporation announced today that it
has entered into an agreement with Datasvar Support AB, of Sweden. This
agreement will further solidify Corel's presence in the Nordic market. The
recent acquisition of WordPerfect and it's importance in the Nordic
market, combined with the success of Corel's other products, made providing
local technical support a priority.
"Datasvar is a successful and respected company that is already suppling
quality technical support to Nordic customers" said Dr.Micheal Cowpland,
president and chief executive officer, upon the signing of the contract.
"We are pleased to join into this agreement and are confident that this
positive step, will better service our clients and strengthen our
marketing position in the Nordic market."
Datasvar is an independent Swedish company that was founded in 1991. At
present they supply technical support in all four Nordic languages. They
have support centers in Sveg and Jrvs, and a head office in Stockholm.
As the leading technical support company in the Nordic region, Datasvar
will offer support for the WordPerfect family of products and a range of
other Corel products.
"This is an important agreement for Datasvar Support" said Johan Callert,
product manager of Datasvar. "We have succeeded in establishing cooperation
with another major player in the computer software industry. The
concentration on support for IT (information technology) companies, in
Scandinavia, has made Datasvar a market leader in telephone support. The
acquisition of WordPerfect has made Corel a more visible company and we are
happy to be a part of Corel's future plans in the Nordic market."
This contract provides Nordic users of Corel products local support. Corel
customers can make local calls during regular business hours and receive
technical support in their native language. Corel has enhanced support for
WordPerfect customers. End users and corporate accounts will receive free
unlimited support on a toll line for the life of the product. All other
Corel customers will receive the same support that they were offered prior
to the purchase of WordPerfect and the signing of this agreement with
Datasvar.
Corel Corporation
Incorporated in 1985, Corel Corporation is recognized internationally as an
award-winning developer and marketer of productivity applications, graphics
and multimedia software. Corel's product line includes CorelDRAWT, the
Corelr WordPerfectr Suite, Corelr Office Professional, CorelVIDEOT and over
30 multimedia software titles. Corel's products run on most operating
systems, including: Windows, Macintosh, UNIX, MS_DOS and OS/2 and are
consistently rated among the strongest in the industry. The company ships
its products in over 17 languages through a network of more than 160
distributors in 70 countries worldwide. Corel is traded on the Toronto
Stock Exchange (symbol: COS) and the NASDAQ - National Market System
(symbol: COSFF). For more information visit Corel's home page on the
Internet at http://www.corel.com.
All products mentioned are trademarks or registered trademards of their
respective companies. Corel, WordPerfect and Quattro are registered
trademarks of Corel Corporation and its subsidiaries. CorelDRAW, CorelFLOW
and Presentations are trademarks of Corel Corporation. GroupWise and Envoy
are trademarks of Novell, Inc. *All pricing information is current as of
March 29, 1996. AT&T reserves the right to modifythe pricing for the AT&T
WorldNet Services at any time.
Corel, WordPerfect, Quattro, Presentations, and CorelFLOW are
either trademarks or registered trademarks of Corel Corporation or Corel
Corporation Limited. All products and publications mentioned are trademarks
or registered trademarks of their respective companies and publishing
houses.
EDUPAGE STR Focus Keeping the users informed
Edupage
Contents
Hitachi Boasts World's Fastest Supercomputer
AOL Tells Its Members Of FTC Inquiry
Firefly Agents Deliver Serendipity, Too
Flashlight On Technology And Student Outcomes
Microsoft's Big Plans For China
MCI And Intel Want To Weave Your Web
Intranets From EDS And Netscape
Peer Review And The Internet
Center Targets Other Countries'
Information Infrastructures
Information Warfare
Cracking Pays In Great Britain
Boston's Agora Connection
AT&T Sells New Media Services To Industry.Net
Virtual University Groundbreaking Ceremony
Schools Need Choice In Universal Service Options
Developing Nations See Bright Future In Smart Cards
The Future Of The University
Greener Lithium Ion Batteries
Boston's Agora Connection
Slate Debuts
Two Apple Veterans Head For Microsoft
CIA Director Warns Of Information Warfare
Petition Filed On Net Telephony
James Clark's Healtheon Signs Blue Cross Massachusetts
Online Satellite Service For Japan
Lucent Teams With Mitsubishi On HDTV Chips
100,000 Computers For Schools
Speeding Up Phone Lines
Canadian Phone Numbers Online
How To Build A Popular Web Site
Virtual Institute
Stolen Computer Parts
HITACHI BOASTS WORLD'S FASTEST SUPERCOMPUTER
The Hitachi Corporation's SR2201 has been pronounced by Oak Ridge Labs and
University of Tennessee computer scientist Jack Dongarra to be the fastest
supercomputer in the world, using 1,024 microprocessors linked through
"massively parallel computing" to reach computing speeds of more than 220
billion floating point operations per second. Intel is developing a $45
million massively parallel computer, to be located at Sandia National
Laboratories, and which will use 9,000 Pentium Pro microprocessors to reach
teraflop speeds (a trillion floating point operations per second). (New
York Times 22 Jun 96 p18)
AOL TELLS ITS MEMBERS OF FTC INQUIRY
America Online has informed its subscribers that it is working with the
Federal Trade Commission to resolve the FTC's questions about the company's
billing practices, including complaints that its charges for time spent
online are rounded up to the nearest minute. AOL chairman Steve Case
described inaccurate billing problems as "isolated instances" and indicated
that the company would do "whatever it takes to protect our reputation of
leadership in this emerging industry." (Atlanta Journal-Constitution 22 Jun
96 E12)
FIREFLY AGENTS DELIVER SERENDIPITY, TOO
"The problem with agents that simply learn and narrow down the information
they give you is that there isn't any element of serendipity. It's hard to
find out about new topics," says one of the founders of Agents, Inc., an
outgrowth of MIT's Media Lab. Agents is working to solve that problem with
its Firefly technology, which delivers value-added information by allowing
Firefly agents to "talk" with each other to find out what other agents
working for owners with similar interests have found. The inquiring agent
then weighs each response according to how reliable that particular agent's
responses have been in the past. If the reliability score is high, the
inquiring agent will pass more information on to its owner. (Forbes 1 Jul
96 p79)
FLASHLIGHT ON TECHNOLOGY AND STUDENT OUTCOMES
The Flashlight Project, funded by Annenberg/CPB, is examining the influence
of technology on student outcomes, enrollment and attrition, shifts in
teaching and learning patterns, and changing faculty roles. Indiana
University Purdue University is working on a cost model for estimating the
changes in total educational costs attributable to the use of technology,
and the first workshop connected with the project will be held this fall.
For more information, contact RobinZuniga@wiche.edu. (Communique 2 Jun 96
p3)
MICROSOFT'S BIG PLANS FOR CHINA
In an apparent paradox, Microsoft is pursuing an extensive technology-
sharing strategy in China, a country known for its software piracy
problems. The company is spending $2 million a year to train Chinese
technicians and programmers and is plowing millions more into a number of
cooperative arrangements with government ministries, local computer makers
and universities. "The pirates are actually helping Microsoft greatly,"
says a Dataquest analyst. "They are creating a huge installed base of
customers." In a country where copies of Chinese-version Windows sell for
about $5 before they're even officially released, Microsoft is looking to
the long term, figuring that with China's burgeoning technology needs,
they'll make their money back on sales of applications, upgrades and
service contracts. (Business Week 24 Jun 96 p52)
MCI AND INTEL WANT TO WEAVE YOUR WEB
MCI and Intel are teaming up to offer networkMCI Webmaker, a $10,000
hardware package aimed at small- to-mid-sized businesses with Web
aspirations. The package includes an Intel Pentium Pro chip on a Windows
NT platform, an integrated Cisco router, a Netscape communications server
and other applications. The companies also plan to work together to
develop applications, possibly including real-time videoconference
recording and playback, streaming real-time audio/video and stereo via the
Internet, video e-mail and news on demand. (Broadcasting & Cable 17 Jun 96
p64)
INTRANETS FROM EDS AND NETSCAPE
EDS, the computer services company, has licensed Netscape software products
to build "high-performance intranets for corporate communication,
collaboration and data access." (Computer Industry Daily 24 Jun 96)
PEER REVIEW AND THE INTERNET
Scientists attending a conference in Denmark sponsored by the Organization
for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) were almost unanimous in
dismissing electronic challenges to the tradition of peer review for
scientific publications, although there was also wide agreement about the
benefits of the Internet for the exchange of scientific information
(through the speeding up of peer review and the developing use of the
Internet for distribution of "preprints" that allow "open peer
commentary"). (The Economist 22 Jun 96)
CENTER TARGETS OTHER COUNTRIES'
INFORMATION INFRASTRUCTURES
The Washington, D.C.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies is
developing an "Information Intelligence Quotient" to use as a framework for
"the comparative measurement of three critical factors: infrastructure,
access and use relating to electronic communications." Traditional analyses
have focused on telephone penetration, says a senior CSIS official, but
those measurements are "misleading, as well as inadequate... Electronic
communications infrastructure now reaches far beyond traditional telephone
networks and content providers. Strategic planners and policy makers need
to start benchmarking the expanding ingredients involved." These new
criteria include cellular, paging, cable and satellite networks, telephone
booths and voice mailboxes, and access issues such as costs, tariffs,
licensing and interconnection agreements. (BNA Daily Report for Executives
19 Jun 96 A7)
INFORMATION WARFARE
A report from the U.S. General Accounting Office describing an information
war games exercise developed for the Defense Department by the Rand
Corporation says that more than 120 countries have some form of computer
attack capabilities. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution 22 Jun 96 F1) Meanwhile,
the FBI's special agent in charge of the San Francisco division says that
in a recent survey of companies, "42% of those who responded said they'd
experienced some unauthorized intrusion into their computer system in the
last 12 months. Also, it found that 47% of those surveyed felt it could
have been a foreign competitor or foreign government. We feel that's a
very significant problem, one the FBI is particularly interested in."
(Investor's Business Daily 24 Jun 96 A6)
CRACKING PAYS IN GREAT BRITAIN
A recent issue of the London Sunday Times reports that banks in Great
Britain have been paying hush money to computer crackers who penetrated
their systems, in exchange for their silence about their conquests. Payments
have totaled 400 million pounds ($619 million US) so far, and victims
include the Bank of London. The crackers reportedly sent encrypted
messages such as, "Now do you believe we can destroy your computers?" and
used "logic bombs," which can be remotely detonated and other sophisticated
information warfare techniques. (Information Week 10 Jun 96 p32)
BOSTON'S AGORA CONNECTION
Boston College's Project Agora is a campuswide, cable TV-based electronic
community that connects 2,500 classrooms, 400 administrative offices, and
6,000 dorm rooms at the university. Agora also offers full work- at-home
network access for select students, faculty and administrators. Services
offered over the network include data transport over an ATM backbone, high-
speed data access to residence halls, and student and faculty access to
library resources. Further information about the project is available at
< http://infoeagle.bc.edu/agora/agora.html >. (The Heller Report Jun 96)
AT&T SELLS NEW MEDIA SERVICES TO INDUSTRY.NET
Industry.Net, an Internet commerce firm headed by former Lotus chairman Jim
Manzi, will purchase AT&T's New Media Services unit in return for an
undisclosed stake in Manzi's company. "It's a very interesting
combination," says a Yankee Group analyst. The move is seen as the first
indication of what direction Manzi plans to take with his new company. The
AT&T unit, which began life as Ziff-Davis's Interchange service, focuses on
providing businesses with Web- and Internet-related expertise and services.
(Wall Street Journal 25 Jun 96 B6)
VIRTUAL UNIVERSITY GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY
The governors of 10 Western states have pledged to raise funds for the
establishment of their "virtual university," and say the first students
should be enrolled by next year. Their move is spurred by a burgeoning
population and an anticipated enrollment boom, which they hope to meet
through electronically facilitated learning. Next steps will focus on
breaking down bureaucratic barriers to the "virtual" concept: "It's not the
technology that slows you down, it's the sociology," says Utah's Governor
Leavitt. ""While there is resistance, it is more caution than resistance.
People rightly want to be assured that the quality is there." (New York
Times 25 Jun 96 A9)
SCHOOLS NEED CHOICE IN UNIVERSAL SERVICE OPTIONS
The director of the Missouri Interactive Telecommunications Education
Network told the FCC Universal Service Board that schools need uniform
access to the same services, and suggested that whatever pricing scheme the
FCC comes up with should be based on three factors: the district's wealth
as reflected by housing values; the district's per-student education
budget; and its population density. "Any system of vouchers or fund caps
based on per pupil allotments (whether adjusted or not) fails to recognize
the premise behind the Universal Service Fund, that is, to equalize the
cost factors associated with providing services in low density, high cost
areas. The FCC's goal should be to ensure equity of access, not parity in
technology implementation." (BNA Daily Report for Executives 20 Jun 96
A12)
DEVELOPING NATIONS SEE BRIGHT FUTURE IN SMART CARDS
When it comes to full-scale trials of smart card technology, developing
countries such as Zambia and Thailand are way ahead of the U.S. The new
payment systems are finding greater acceptance in countries where
traditional banking practices are not so firmly entrenched. "No one's in a
hurry for a new payment system here because our system already works," says
a U.S. programmer who designed Zambia's smart card system. "Our country is
expanding, and we don't have enough banks and no automated teller
machines... The lines are very long," says a spokesman for the Zambian
embassy in Washington. And smart cards provide valuable access to other
technological advances: "Developing nations are using smart cards to
leapfrog the need to build telecommunications infrastructures," says a Visa
VP. (Investor's Business Daily 25 Jun 96 A8)
THE FUTURE OF THE UNIVERSITY
Eli Noam, director of Columbia University's Institute for Tele-Information,
says in the new issue of Educom Review that "many of the physical mega
universities ... are not sustainable, at least not in their present
duplicative variations." Noam predicts that "ten years from now a
significant share of conventional mass education will be offered
commercially and electronically." The home page for CITI is
< http://www.ctr.columbia.edu/vii >. The home page for the Virtual
Institute, a project of CIT that helps users locate communications and mass
media information is < http:www.ctr.columbia.edu/vii >. (Educom Review
Jul/Aug 96 p38, "Eli Noam on the Future of the University)
GREENER LITHIUM ION BATTERIES
Rechargeable lithium ion batteries last twice as long as conventional nicad
models, but have one big environmental drawback -- the cobalt compounds in
the negative electrode. Researchers at the University of St. Andrews in
Scotland may have an answer, though -- they're working on a negative
electrode that uses manganese in place of cobalt, reducing both costs and
toxicity, while maintaining performance. (Business Week 1 Jul 96 p103)
SLATE DEBUTS
The debut this week of "Slate," < http://www.slate.com >, a Web-based
magazine developed for Microsoft by political commentator Michael Kinsley,
is being derided by some Internet critics and competitors for not taking
full advantage of hyperlinks, which Kinsley disdains as being disturbing to
readers who want to follow a writer's logic. Rival "Feed" <
http://www.feedmag.com >, one of Kinsley's main critics, is beginning a
"dialog on Web journalism" this Friday. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution 25
Jun 96 B4)
TWO APPLE VETERANS HEAD FOR MICROSOFT
Apple researchers Steve Capps and Walter Smith are leaving Apple to join
Microsoft's development team. The two plan to turn their talents to make
computers communicate more easily over the Internet. Microsoft's Bill
Gates "told me that computers are going to become more complex, but we've
got to make them look simpler," says Capps, whose goal is to develop
products that are "simpler to use, hand-held," with built-in Internet
connections. (Wall Street Journal 25 Jun 96 B6)
CIA DIRECTOR WARNS OF INFORMATION WARFARE
Central Intelligence Agency Director John Deutch says the trend toward
increased reliance by companies on telecommunications and computer networks
is making the U.S. more vulnerable to other countries' "information
warfare" tactics. "The electron, in my judgment, is the ultimate precision-
guided munition. Virtually any single `bad actor' can acquire the hardware
and software needed to attack some of our critical information-based
infrastructures... We have evidence that a number of countries around the
world are developing the doctrine, strategies and tools to conduct
information attacks." Deutch predicts that the threat of cyber attacks
will be "very, very close to the top" of the CIA's list of worries,
"especially if you ask me to look 10 years down the road." (Wall Street
Journal 26 Jun 96 B6)
PETITION FILED ON NET TELEPHONY
The Voice on the Net coalition has filed comments with the FCC, protesting
that recent attempts by the America's Carriers Telecommunications
Association to persuade lawmakers to regulate Internet telephony "are
designed to protect the economic self-interest of a narrow group of
companies at the cost of a variety of beneficial new services."
International Data Corp. predicts that the customer base for Net-based
telephony will increase to 16 million users by the end of 1999, generating
an estimated $560 million. Internet telephony brought in about $3.5
million in revenues last year. (Information Week 17 Jun 96 p33)
JAMES CLARK'S HEALTHEON
SIGNS BLUE CROSS MASSACHUSETTS
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Massachusetts, which already has an extensive
online enrollment and transaction processing operation, has become the
first healthcare provider to sign on with Healtheon, the new company formed
by Netscape Chairman James Clark. Blue Cross will use Healtheon's expertise
to move many of its electronic functions to the Internet. (Wall Street
Journal 26 Jun 96 B6)
ONLINE SATELLITE SERVICE FOR JAPAN
Nintendo, Microsoft and Japan's Nomure Research Institute are collaborating
to deliver a high-speed online service that will beam content such as
sports news, online shopping and entertainment via a TV broadcasting
satellite system . Users will need a satellite dish and special modem to
access the service. "The PC is becoming a communications tool," says
Microsoft's Bill Gates. "I think the venture really draws on the strengths
of all three companies." Microsoft is working with DirecTV on a similar
project in the U.S., scheduled for launch early next year. (Financial
Times 27 Jun 96 p15)
LUCENT TEAMS WITH MITSUBISHI ON HDTV CHIPS
Lucent Technologies will work with Mitsubishi Electric Corp. to develop a
set of electronic chips designed for high definition television sets that
will hit the market beginning in 1998. The new chips will receive and
process the HDTV signals and display the video on a special screen. (Wall
Street Journal 26 Jun 96 B6)
100,000 COMPUTERS FOR SCHOOLS
Quebec will spend $229 million over five years to buy 100,000 computers for
primary and secondary schools. (Montreal La Presse 27 Jun 96 A1).
SPEEDING UP PHONE LINES
Bell Canada is testing Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line (ASDL)
technology that will give PC users high- speed access to the Internet and
other online services while diverting Net users off the regular phone system
and onto a separate data network. Phone companies currently use only 1% of
the capacity of existing copper wires to transmit information. (Ottawa
Citizen 25 Jun 96 C1)
CANADIAN PHONE NUMBERS ONLINE
The Canadian government launched an electronic version of its telephone
directory yesterday, giving Internet users access to the phone numbers of
tens of thousands of public servants. The Government Electronic Directory
can be reached through < http://canada.gc.ca/ >. (Toronto Globe & Mail 27
Jun 96 A4)
HOW TO BUILD A POPULAR WEB SITE
Companies such as A&B Studios of Salt Lake City have figured out how to
generate more hits on their Web site -- they've incorporated the words
"Barney," "fun," "sex," and numerous dirty words into the border of their
home page, thus generating hits from search engines such as Webcrawler and
Alta Vista. (Wall Street Journal 27 Jun 96 B1)
VIRTUAL INSTITUTE
The home page for the Virtual Institute, a project of Columbia Institute of
Tele-Information that helps users locate communications and mass media
information is < www.ctr.columbia.edu/citi >. (Amended from Edupage 25 Jun
96)
STOLEN COMPUTER PARTS
Federal indictments and civil lawsuits filed by Tandem Corporation are the
first filed in Silicon Valley under federal racketeering law; the
defendant companies are charged with stealing parts from Tandem and
reselling them to a used-parts broker that would hide the origin of the
stolen goods by erasing visible serial numbers or falsifying paperwork.
Some of the customers who were sold stolen goods were May Department Stores,
Bell Atlantic Systems Leasing, First Data Health Systems, The Miami Herald,
and E&P Financial. (New York Times 27 Jun 96 D4)
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,
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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE
The CAUSE organization's annual conference on information technology in
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Educom -- Transforming Education Through Information Technology
Quake from Id Software STR Infofile They did "it" again!
QUAKE!
The long wait is over! One of the most highly anticipated action/arcade games
of all time is finally here--id Software's QUAKE. And you can download the
shareware version right now in the Games Site area on the WEB and ZD Net!
This fast-paced thriller comes from the creators of DOOM and features all new
core technology, true 3-D environments and texture-mapped polygonal
characters to bring excitement to a new level. Client server technology
allows multi-player modem and network play, too.
Quake is the ultimate near-death experience! Bigger weapons and smarter
monsters make for an experience that really does live up to the hype. You can
look down from ledges, lob grenades on ogres' heads, and submerge yourself in
pools of water. GO QUAKE to download your copy from the Games Site area, or
GO ZDNET and click on the "Quake is here!" icon to download it from ZD Net.
(ZD Net carries additional membership fees.
Looking for up-to- the-minute tips, tricks, exciting enhancements, and
discussion on this hot new game? GO GSITE to access the Games Site Forum and
GO MODEMGAMES to check out the Modem Games Forum.
The Secrets of Quake-Episode 1
By Bowfonz
I've been known to be a little long winded, so you shouldn't have any problem
following these directions.
E1M1-Slipgate Complex
1) At the beginning of this level the walls on either side of you are set
back a little. The one on the right is flashing. Jump up there and find the
wall that is different. Shoot it.
2) Continue on through the door and down the elevator. You come to a
bridge over water. Jump into the water. Go through the hole on the wall and
follow the cave to the steps. When you get on the steps you get a secret
credit.
3) There is a bridge that you create when you press a switch. On the wall
opposite the switch is a switch. Shoot it. Turn left. See the door open.
4) There is what I like to call the Bridge Switch Path. As you walk down
it the lights come on and there are yellow switches in each corner that turn
to red when switched. Well go back<g>. Right before you get on the Path
there is a discolored wall on your right. Shoot it.
5) Ok. At the end of the path is a sort of arch. Hidden on the right side
is a bio suit. Get it. Walk to the other side of the bridge and jump in.
Turn around and go right. Follow the underwater hallway until you come to
the end. Do the only thing you can do, go up through the hole.
6) Back on the path again. Go to the third switch. Jump on the lamp and
get on top of the switch. See the room with the window from which that SOB
was shooting you. There are steps there. Jump to the lowest one. Jump up
to the secret room.
E1M2-Castle of the Damned
1) At the very beginning, jump in the water. The outside wall on the right
has a discolored green square on it. Shoot it and follow the underwater
cave.
2) Ok, let's say you're on the bridge leading to the blue key. Jump in the
water. Walk out of that room and see a door open in front of you.
3) From the start, cross over the center bridge, turn right, go through the
door. Go straight up the stairs. Behind the center column on your right, a
brick is sticking out. Fix that. Turn right and see the door open.
E1M3-The Necropolis
1) Take the stairs down. When you come to the bridge, jump. But first<g>
kill the bad guys. There is a secret room down here.
2) Get the gold key and walk to the door. Turn right and walk straight.
Drop down for a ring of shadows and a secret.
3) Kill the two monsters above you on the platforms to get rid of the bars
blocking access to the yellow armor. Get the armor and shoot the back wall.
Walk through the gate. Duh.
E1M4-The Grisly Grotto
1) At the very beginning, shoot the two red switches on either side of the
room. Not very secret for a secret if you ask me, but anyway.....
2) Let's say you're standing on the bank of the lake with the blue key in
front of you on the bridge in the middle of the lake. Walk into the water.
Turn right. See the hole in the wall across the lake. Well, somewhere
between you and that hole is a small square hole. Go in it.
3) Eventually you'll come to a room with five floor switches. After
stepping on all the switches, two holes will open up on either side of the
room. Pick one, drop down. Press the switch on the wall. Go back up and
drop down the other hole. Again, press the switch on the wall. It tells you
that a cave has opened up. Alright, go back to the lake the way you got
here. Swim out to the open water and turn right. Follow the outside wall.
The cave is huge, you can't miss it. Now you must make the choice of taking
this exit the secret level or go back to the regular, boring exit. I'll be
taking the secret exit.
E1M?-Ziggurat Vertigo
1) In front of the pyramid is a Pentagram of Protection. Get it. WALK
into the lava and drop down. It's very hard to see down here, but it's down
here. Move forward some and turn towards the ouside wall away from the
pyramid above. Swim up and you're there. (I shot every wall in this level
at least a hundred times before I found this one)
2) When you come to the door requiring the key, go through. Walk straight
ahead through the door. On your right there is a funky looking wall. Shoot
it.
E1M5-Gloom Keep
1) At the very beginning, turn to your right, and jump in the water.
Forward a little on the outside wall to your right is a small cave. Go in
there.
2) Where you come out of the water is a door, take that door. Jump on the
wall adjoining the stairs. Then jump over to the tall skinny wall. Now you
can get on top of the brick structure where the chainsaw guy was hassling
you.
3) Eventually you'll came to a dark room that is open on one side. There
is a lit up column in the center. On the side of the column facing out
there is a flame on the wall. Walk up to the column and jump up to hit the
flame holder with your head. Now look behind the column. A room has opened.
4) There is a teleport gate that is set away from the wall enough for you
to walk behind it. Enter the gate from the back side.
5) At the end, opposite the final gate is a section of wall with a skewed
texture. Shoot it.
E1M6-The Door to Chthon
1) When you first start this level you'll step on a floor plate in the
main room that opens a door down a hallway in the distance. When you go
that way, you'll come to a room with two yellow lights on the floor in the
corners. Stop. Look up. Shoot the red switch on the wall above. This
opens a door in front of you. Go up the elevator. At the top count the
lights in the floor. Stop at the third one and turn around. Look down.
See the ledge below. Jump on it. There you are.
2) You'll come to a spiked wall that comes towards you down the hallway.
Get behind it and enter the gate there.
3) Eventually you'll drop into a room with a short set of steps leading to
a door. Facing that door, on your left is a door on the other side of some
water. To your right, a pillar. behind the pillar a room with a switch.
When you hit that switch, the pillar will now have a red switch on it. Shoot
the switch. That lowers the stairs there, revealing a secret room. Go into
that room and wait.
4) When the stairs rise. Another secret room is revealed with a gate in
it.
E1M7-The House of Chthon
This level has no secrets.......or so they would have us believe.
I might as well include the directions to the nightmare skill and give you
all the cheat codes I've found so far as long as I'm here. Also, I'll try
to describe the way to the Super Secret.
To get to the Nightmare skill level choose any skill level(duh) and take the
path to the fourth episode. When you fall into the water swim backwards
against the wall. Do this in the water. When you fall out of the water
you'll land on a wooden beam. Follow it to the Nightmare gate. Anyone
figured out what that message means when you shoot the switch near the gate
yet?
These are the directions to the "Super Secret". I did not find this. I'm
just telling you what I saw in the demo I downloaded. Mind you, you cannot
access the Super Secret, unless, of course, you've been to the newsgroups
lately.<G> The Shareware version contains no Super Secret. To get to the
Super Secret, choose your skill level. Take the path to the fourth episode.
Fall through the water. At the bottom, stand facing the two doors that lead
to the exit gate. Go to the console and type "noclip". Turn slightly to the
right and walk forward. See the gate in the distance. Walk to it.
Unclip(un-unclip?) by typing "noclip" in the console again. Walk up the
stairs and back down again. You'll get some type of message. The hole is
apparently the entrance to the Super Secret. Jumping in the hole with
Shareware Quake will lock you up, trust me.
Here's my list of codes so far:
god
impulse 9
fly
noclip
notarget
That's it. I hope you found this thing of some use. I spent a lot of time
finding the secrets and writing this text. Ok, ok, I would've been playing
Quake anyway and writing this was a good break when my eyes were on fire
from staring at the monitor for so long, but you get my point.
Bowfonz 102375.524@Compuserve.com
HOW TO PLAY NIGHTMARE ON QUAKE
This is for all you people/psycos out there that have completed all the
levels on the other difficulty settings and found it easy.
The entrance to the nightmare section is located inside the portal to the
forth episode.
What you do is start up a new game, go into any of the difficultys, and drop
though the water into the forth episode entrance. Then you call up the
console by pressing ` and type in FLY. Use D and C to fly up and down. Fly
into the hole about halfway up the wall to the left of the gate to the forth
episode. When you are in there call up the console again and type in FLY
again to disable fly mode. Walk round the corner and into NIGHTMARE.
Have fun. If you find a way to get to the nightmare section without cheating
then please e-mail me.
Written by The Griffin: 100602,470 (100602.470@compuserve.com)
ThumbsPlus 3.0!
Reprinted with Permission
Previously Published in
cIEx. The Official Online Magazine of Club IE.
by David Boles
June 22, 1996
Welp. Today I had one of those rare "How have I lived this long without this
program?" epiphanies. The program is from Cerious Software and it's called
ThumbsPlus 3.0 and it's a Godsend if you work with, track, and store a lot of
graphics files. Since every major software program comes with some sort of
clipart or other graphics, you can keep an eye on them much easier when you
employ ThumbsPlus 3.0 to shadow their whereabouts.
If you're a serious graphics artist, or if you do a lot of web site design,
you must get a copy of ThumbsPlus 3.0. Here's what it does in a nutshell:
ThumbsPlus 3.0 searches your hard drive for file types it recognizes (all
standard graphics formats, UUE, PNG, .WAV and .AVI are but a few) and then
creates a thumbnail view of each file so you can see in a finger snap
precisely which file you want to use.
But the ThumbsPlus 3.0 information powerhouse doesn't stop at just an image
thumbnail. You can also have the dimension, resolution, name, date and other
file information shown right along with the thumbnail. Having the name of the
file and the dimension listed right there in front of you makes setting WIDTH
and HEIGHT tags in your HTML code extremely breezy and easy! Here's how
ThumbsPlus 3.0 read the directory for my other publication: boles: the mag!
If you want to edit a file, simply click on the eyeball icon in the toolbar
and ThumbsPlus 3.0 will snap it open for a full range of editing from
histogram manipulation to setting color depth and tone. In the screenshot
below, I've clicked on the boles: the mag! thumbnail and ThumbsPlus 3.0
opened it to its full size for editing.
There you have it. ThumbsPlus 3.0 in a nutshell. Simple. Quick. It scans your
hard drive in moments and gives you a lifetime of image management support.
Can't live without it.
Having the right tool for the job is the Holy Grail of computing and
ThumbsPlus 3.0 from Cerious Software has quenched my thirst and filled a
niche it created for itself. If you're interested in trying out ThumbsPlus
3.0, you can download the shareware version and try it out for 30 days. Or
you can pull down the full shabang version right online in a secure web
transaction. Point your favorite browser to: http://www.cerious.com and
you'll finally know what you've been missing.
The registered version of ThumbsPlus 3.0 costs ~$70 and adds support for DXF
(AutoCAD Exchange format [in 2d only]) and ATM: Adobe Type 1 fonts. The
registered version also gets you TWAIN32 scanning, digital image filtering
(sharpen, blur, emboss, median, etch, edge detection...), Histograms and ZIP
files shown as directories.
I use the registered version of ThumbsPlus 3.0 and I can't recommend it
enough for helping you keep your thumb on the ganglia of graphics files that
are bundled with every software program riding on your hard drive today and
for managing the most important pieces of your plethora of pages on the web
tomorrow: The eye candy, baby!
Portable Computers Section
Marty Mankins, Editor
EDITOR'S NOTES - June 28, 1996
CATCHING UP
Last month, we were talking about how things are going in the video game and
portable computing industries. Big changes have happened since then. And
it's only fair to cover it for your reading. Then we can get to what we have
here in this section for you this issue.
PLAYSTATION PRICE DROPPED $100!!!
Well, it was denied by many people who associated themselves with Sony who
said the price of the PlayStation would never drop too low. And "too low"
meant no lower than $249, of which the $50 lower price is pretty standard for
video game console price drops. But, instead, the new price is $199. And
not just in some places, but everywhere. I knew it would happen, although I
tended to keep my mouth shut, not offending those who may be easily offended.
So now, at $199, the Sony PlayStation is almost a bargain for everyone.
Those who still do not consider it a bargain are those who think that a video
game console is only worth $99.95. Those who purchased the Atari Jaguar, the
Sega Genesis and the Nintendo Super NES at that magical $99 price, thought to
get the biggest bargain in video gaming. But there are those who will
consider the price of $199 the best thing that's happened. And this for a
system that's only been out almost 10 months. Not even it's first birthday
has past and already the PlayStation has sold over 1 million units, sold even
more games and displaced the Jaguar, Saturn and 3DO to be the market leader
in 32-bit gaming. So if you've been wanting a PlayStation, but were afraid
to spend $300 for the console only, then here's you're chance. If you want,
you can try waiting for the next price drop, but it's going to be that much
longer you'll be without a PlayStation.
LAPTOPS GETS THINNER
The trend in portable computing is also slimming, but not just in prices, but
also in size. The latest laptop to hit the market is the IBM ThinkPad 560.
At just over 1" in thickness, it's a pretty nice machine. Up to a Pentium
133, with IrDA and other expansion options, it's shaping up to a be a real
winner. Of course, there is the Digital HiNote Ultra II with its Pentium 100
or 133 processor and thin size. Of course, it's still about $4000 for a
loaded unit, compared to the new IBM 560 which is about $200 cheaper. And
people said that subnotebooks were dead. Poo-poo on them for thinking that
laptop buyers would want to forever drag around 6-7 pound computers when
traveling.
And speaking of traveling, not only do people fly with their laptops, I've
seen more at parks, meetings, in cars and other local-to-home places. It
seems that the thin and light notebooks are making their way back into our
lives. From someone who loves a great subnotebook, this is great news.
GAME REVIEWS
Ok, enough of the hate mail!! I only got a few messages from readers who
want PlayStation game reviews. As I mentioned in my long and exhaustive
article on my network consulting activities, things are winding down as we
speak. And I've had at least three games done or close to being done for a
month now. It's just getting the time to taking care of them and getting
them into the issue. And just yesterday, I received one of the most
anticipated PlayStation games. It's called Top Gun: Fire At Will. And you
better believe I'm going to make time for this one. It looks really nice and
the PlayStation version is supposed to be different from the PC version.
Also, I am looking at reviewing other games for other systems like the
forthcoming N64 from Nintendo, still due to ship on September 30th. Also,
I've received a good number of e-mail over the last 6 months asking about PC
game reviews. Our Kids Korner editor, Frank Sereno, handles the educational
titles. But as for PC games, I think we'd be open to do a few to see how
people feel. There are already a ton of reviews in other publications and I
think it would be nice to have them here in STReport. The first that I would
like to review is Monopoly, which has a really cool feature - it can be
played across the Internet for up to five people. This is something I need
to try. The ultimate coolness factor. And Hasbro Interactive, the maker of
Monopoly (and owner of Parker Brothers) is also converting many other titles
over to the PC. The ones I know about are Risk, Othello and Battleship (of
which it can play over the Internet). So we'll try some PC and Macintosh
game reviews over the next little while to see how it goes. Expanding our
entertainment value is something we hope pleases all.
As always, if there are any questions or comments or suggestions, feel free
to e-mail me at 75300.1770@compuserve.com.
Marty
[Personal Info on Marty: owner of Perfection Applied, offering publishing and
freelancing services. Our web site is currently under development, as is our
new World Wide Web publication, Megafone Expressus. Stay tuned for web site
updates. Also co-owner of InfoStream, providing network consulting and web
site management, as well as publishers of printed and on-line periodicals.
Check us out at http://www.info-stream.com ]
Atari: Jaguar/Computer Section
Dana Jacobson, Editor
From the Atari Editor's Desk "Saying it like it is!"
It's one of those weeks in which I've decided to forego my usual editorial
remarks and bring you a glimpse of items from days "of yesteryear" ( a year
or two years ago today). It's interesting to see what was happening at this
time last year or even further back.
From Issue #1027, June - 1994, comes these comments about Atari's showingat
the Summer CES show. Interesting re-reading this material, especially
because it reminds me of what could have been... Enjoy.
From the Atari Editor's Desk "Saying it like it is!"
The Summer Consumer Electronics Show is over for another year. From all
reports that I've seen, whether from our own staff here at STReport, or via
various messages online, Atari had a successful show. Depending on your
perspective, "successful" is certainly a subjective term.
If your definition of success is an imminent large selection of new Jaguar
games, you may be right. Other than the two games already in production
(Wolfenstein 3D and Brutal Sports Football), there are no new games ready.
But hold on. There are quite a few titles that are close. You'll see a list
of titles announced at the CES of upcoming titles, either done or in some
stage of completion, further along in this issue.
If your definition of success is a wide assortment of publicity for Atari,
you may be right again. The media certainly covered Atari's presence.
If you listen to those who attended the show, the press and other visitors,
you'll note that the various reports have been glowing. That would include
those from STReport staffers.
So what are the aspects of the show for Atari that doesn't show success?
There really isn't anything except for the fact that there's been no
"breakthrough" announcements; everything is essentially status quo. The
difference from pre-CES and post-CES is that Atari has gained much-needed
publicity. For Atari, this was a critical point to be made at this year's
show. Atari had to show that they were serious; I think that they managed to
do just that.
STReport had two staff members at CES: Paul Charchian and Craig Harris. We
had hoped to have reports in last week's issues, but circumstances beyond our
control didn't let it happen. However, we will have those reports this week
and in upcoming issues; they kept themselves quite busy talking with Atari
personnel, Jaguar developers, and more! Craig is also busy putting together
the CES video that he shot while at the show, including footage from a number
of CES participants. We hope that you enjoy the coverage and find it
informative.
Until next time...
MiST AtariFest
Saturday, July 13
10:00am - 3:00pm Eastern STANDARD Time
(as opposed to Eastern Daylight Savings Time)
Best Western Waterfront Plaza (again)
For room reservations call (317) 299-8400 Ex. 393 ask for special Atari MiST
room rates.
For more information call (during reasonable evening hours):
Charlie Sears
(317) 535-4829
For those of you interested in the now Canada-based CURRENT NOTES magazine
for all Atari/TOS/C-LAB/MagiCMac/GEMulator users, we've now got a Web Page!
Totally CAB-compatible, and full of interesting information about the
magazine, its writers, etc. Also includes links to places of interestaround
the Web.
Check us out at:
http://www.io.org/~hcarson/cnpage.htm
Let us know what you think!
Dan Dreibelbis, news editor/alt.info.everything column/sometimes
productreviewer, CURRENT NOTES magazine.
Jaguar Section
This Week In History - June 1994
From the Editor's Controller - Playin' it like it is!
As above, we'll take a look back at this time two years ago. Who would have
thought that things would turn out as poorly as they did, as quickly as they
did.
In the issue from this week a year ago, the big news was the hiring of Ted
Hoff. Two years ago, Atari had a good showing at the SCES, Star Battle (aka
Battlesphere) was officially announced (and reported as a 4th quarter, 1994
release!), and tons of games were announced for release during the remainder
of that year. Other than the great publicity generated at the show, not much
else ever came to fruition. Regardless, it's interesting to see what was
happening at this time that year, and what might have been. We hope that you
enjoy this trip down memory lane.
From STReport Issue #1027:
Special SCES Update for the Jaguar!! STR Show Report! - "Live From CES"
by Paul Charchian
Everyone expected a bevy of surprises at SCES. I refused to get overly
optimistic even as I took the 6:00 am flight from Minneapolis to Chicago to
attend the first day of SCES, Thursday. For those not familiar with
McCormick Place, Chicago's convention center, let me explain the layout. Most
of the larger shows, such as CES, must be held in two different buildings
connected by a cavernous tunnel running under Lake Shore Drive. Oddly, the
3D0 was the *only* game company in the West building. The impact of this
decision left only Atari and Nintendo as the only major system manufacturers
in the North building, along with countless software publishers.
Immediately upon entering the convention hall, the very large Atari display
area was present. I was shocked at the magnitude of the Atari area. Atari
employees later confirmed that this was their largest showcase ever.
Nevertheless, Atari's area paled in comparison to the Nintendo vista that
claimed almost a quarter of the hall by itself.
Ignoring all else, I quickly headed for the field of Jags. Like a kid in a
candy store, I didn't know where to begin. I took a quick glance at each
machine and found that an amazing number of them offered titles that I had
never even heard of. Ah ha! Atari had been keeping some secrets, and as
you'll see in a second, some good ones.
I visited each game numerous times and came up with the follow synopsis of
each game present:
Kasumi Ninja - By now most of us have heard enough to know quite a bit about
the game, but I want to shed some light on some features that I wasn't aware
of until know. The background sports very vivid parallax
scrolling backgrounds. Backgrounds include digitized scenes from the Grand
Canyon, an oriental motif and a Comanche Indian round of teepees. Of course,
if you take a even a second to enjoy them, you'll be decapitated. The
characters are large and very detailed. You can even discern the creases in
the clothing. Blood stays on the ground during each fight. It doesn't
magically disappear as it does in other games. The amount of blood has been
reduced since earlier versions, although it is still a very bloody game.
Shadows are rendered for each character in real-time. The shadows matched
player movements wonderfully. There were four or five working characters
with another 3-5 coming. Included in these are a Comanche Indian, a Goth,
and standard ninja-types.
Because Project Manager Ted Tahquechi is of Comanche background, everything
about the Comanche character and background is authentic. His uncle, an
actor, was used in video taping the role. It is nice to know that everything
from the clothing to the insignias on the teepees are real. (For more on
Ted, be sure to check out my interview with him in the next STR!) Ted
confirmed that there will be many secret characters and Easter eggs. Many
of the characters come with projectile weapons. The Indian throws a knife
and the ninjas can cast fireballs.
There are unique fatalities as well. When the Goth lost to a ninja, the
ninja jumped on his skull pushing his gray matter out of his brain pan. The
crowds around the two machines demonstrating KN were wide-eyed and excited.
I asked Andrew Lundstad of St. Paul, MN about KN: "It doesn't feel as fast
as the arcade version of Mortal Kombat, but the graphics are prettier.
Mortal Kombat was tougher to learn at first. KN has a lot of special moves.
I'd pay to play it in the arcade. I wouldn't be surprised if I saw it in an
arcade." While I promised not to get into details, one of the most exciting
aspects of KN is its plot. That's right, a fighting game with a plot, and a
cool one at that. It will really help KN stand out from the pack of fighting
games. I'd estimate that KN is 90 - 95% finished.
Rayman - Like many of you, I hadn't even heard of Rayman before. I was
pleasantly surprised. This UBI Soft game stars a bird-like creature,
presumably Rayman, dressed in a cape and purple outfit. The game is very
reminiscent of Mickey Mouse's Castle of Illusion for the Genesis in theme.
Of all of the games present, this one may have had the best graphics. The
color was breathtaking. I was stunned by the graphics. Rayman has over 50
different animations that he can perform such as dancing, walking on his
hands and sticking out his tongue. It is already moving at 25 fps, however
collision detection hasn't been worked out yet. I'd estimate that this game
is 50% finished.
Arena League Football - This one was the first dog of the show. It barely
had a heartbeat of code in its poor little EPROM frame. All that was
present in this title was a big green blob to represent the field (no white
lines or yard markers), along with the 6 on 6 characters. They sorta ran a
play, but when they did it was numbingly slow. I'd estimate that this game
is 5% finished.
Ruiner - Another title I hadn't heard of, I was surprised to see a functional
pinball game for the Jag. A company called High Voltage Software was on
hand to help demonstrate the game. Unfortunately, it suffered from SNES
graphics and a remarkably barren playing area. There were, a grand total of
zero targets to shoot at. I can only assume that they will be coming. The
game contains a horror motif as the ball is a skull, and there is a haunted
house in the playing field. I'd estimate that this game is 30% completed.
Blue Lightning - I was surprised to see this title because I was under the
impression it would be a CD title. I'd guess it will be on CD by the time
it gets to stores, but it was on cart for the SCES. I loved the Lynx
version of Blue Lightning, and the Jag version is faithful in feel to the
original. If you can imagine the Lynx version with souped-up graphics,
you'd pretty much have it. Collision detection already was in working
order, but not all of the graphics were in place. Much of the graphics were
bit-mapped. I'd estimate that it is 40% finished.
Brutal Sports Football - I'm a football nut, so I was really hoping that this
would be a sports title of some merit, but after trying hard to like it, I
was resigned to feeling as though the Jag had been reduced to a SNES. It
fits in better with the first four Jag titles than the fifth. The term
"football" shouldn't be in the title. There is no similarity to football,
American or otherwise, to be found in this cart. It is reminiscent of the
computer game "Speedball." Featuring unending six on six action, your goal
is to throw the ball through a soccer-style goal without getting tackled
first. The game lacks the brutality that its title suggests it should have.
I wanted to see limbs falling off, and heads rolling, but the only thing
rolling were my eyes. BSF is 100% finished, and in manufacturing.
Checkered Flag - Despite being a polygon-based product , CF has some nice
attributes that suggest that it could be a decent title. There are plenty
of user-definable options such as the weather (fog, rain or sun), car color,
size of air foils, manual or automatic shifting and tightness of the steering
wheel. The game's motion was still jerky and a tad slow. The polygons left
the game feeling antiseptic. There were no fun billboards or scenery. Just
blocks, and not that many at that. I'd estimate that CF is 55% done.
Bubsy - Why Atari chose to make this the first Accolade title instead of a
sports title (Hardball III) I'll never know. Bubsy is similar to the
aforementioned Rayman, but not as graphically stunning. You control Bubsy
(he's a bobcat if anyone cares; I'm not sure why I asked, but I did) around
desert-style scenery that reminded me of Taz Mania for the Genesis. I was
able to kill Bubsy by drowning him in quicksand a number of times. An Atari
rep said that the game was 15% done, and probably wouldn't be available by
Christmas.
Wolf 3d - When you start up the Jag version of Wolf 3D, you are treated to a
big spinning ball with pictures of Hitler, bosses, the Fuji symbol and id's
logo. The cart in the Jag was a finished product, with shell and labeling
as it will appear on the shelves. The cart allows for saving 3 different
games, as well as an option to automatically pull-up your last game played.
As soon as you start the game, it is clear that the graphics are much
better. There are noticeably more colors and virtually no pixelization even
with your nose to the wall. The layout of the castle is similar to the PC
version, but not identical. Like the PC version, there is no floor or
ceiling. The controls of the game were the most difficult part because it
runs soooooo darn fast. Much faster than my 486/66 runs the PC version.
While it was hard to hear from all of the background noise, it sounded as
though the voice was clearer, while the sound was about the same as the PC
version. I also noticed that you can now have more than 100 pieces of ammo.
While there are other guns available, I wasn't able to play it long enough
to earn one of the non-standard arms. Wolf 3D is 100% completed.
AvP - Along with Kasumi Ninja, Alien vs Predator stole the show. There
wasn't a moment when someone wasn't playing this game, and at times, there
were crowds surrounding the monitors. Easily, AvP sports the best 3D
effects that I've ever seen. The interior of the ship is unbelievably
realistic. The ceiling lighting and bit-mapped walls were absolutely
stunning. I can't help but wonder if there has ever been a more intensely
realistic setting in a video game, home or arcade. The gameplay is
fundamentally fine, with one sticking point. When playing the marine or
Predator, the game feels like it is reacting a hair too slow. However, as
the Alien, you can rip down the corridors at fast speeds. In light of the
Jag showcase that AvP has become, I'd rather h
ave all of the characters be
able to move quickly, and find a different advantage to give the Alien
instead of speed. This is a very minor critique for an otherwise fine game.
When you shoot the Alien, he explodes in a disgusting mash of yellow and
green blobs. Look out for face-huggers. The little buggers adhere
themselves onto your head and only a vigorous attack on the directional will
get him off. Much like shaking a tackler in many football games. AvP will
not be linkable in any way. Jason Poggioli of Franklin Park, IL had this
to say about it: "AvP is very excellent. It scrolls very smoothly without
any pixelation on the sides. It really shows off its power. I'd give it a
7 with potential for higher depending on what happens between now and when
it is released. It's better than DOOM." I also asked Kevin Lehning, of Park
Ridge IL about it: "The graphics are outstanding. I can really feel the 3D
effect. The game is easy so far." However, he did add that "The hardware
felt sluggish in parts, and lacks the elements of action that are present in
Wolf 3D." I'd estimate that AvP is 90-95% completed.
Double Dragon 5 - Next to Kasumi Ninja and Ultra Vortex, this one is easy to
forget. It features cartoon characters rather than digitized images. The
total number of moves is limited and you have to use the numeric pad to
perform some of the specials. I'd love to see this game come out at a
reasonable price ($30- 40) to give people a better option. You'd never know
you weren't on a SNES. I'd estimate that the game is 75% done.
Doom - After reading stories that Doom was running slowly, I was braced for
the worst. I was surprised to see it running pretty damn fast. Not at
486/66 speed, but quickly nonetheless. The frame rate seemed okay as well.
The knock on it was that the resolution was noticeable worse than on the PC.
I was informed that Atari hadn't yet received a current version of Doom from
id, so they were showing an older one. People attending the show over the
weekend may find different results than what I saw. As most of you already
know, Doom is going to be voice/modemable.
Club Drive - Surprisingly, Club Drive is slated to work with the voice modem
as well. Purple Hampton tried to get the unit working without success while
I was there. Like, Checkered Flag, it is a polygon game, with few if any
bit-maps. I found that the game was much more enjoyable when the camera was
moved out of the cockpit. The overhead was especially fun when the car was
buzzing around the house (and into the fireplace!). The game is in need of
optimization. I'd estimate that the game is 65% finished.
Troy Aikman Football - Reports of this game's summer arrival are grossly
exaggerated. Based on the demo cart that was shown, this game has a LONG
way to go. There were only three different plays being shown in the demo
and they were running very slowly. The graphics were in need of improvement
as well. The play selection area looked solid, as did the title screen.
All 28 teams and logos are accounted for, but it will not sport real
players. I'd estimate that this game is 10% done.
Ultra Vortex - In my eyes this product was the most pleasant surprise of the
show. Ultra Vortex is another fighting game ala Mortal Kombat. Get this,
of the people that I talked to half of them actually preferred UV to KN! And
KN is great! If you love fighting games, you are going to flip out over
these two. The backgrounds are especially intense, featuring really
twisted, demented imagery. We were able to see 3 working characters. My
favorite was the mechanical man called "Buzzsaw" whose torso can spin with
his arms extended to turn his upper body into his monicker. According to
the reps that I talked to, virtually all of the code is done. They just
need to add more characters. I'd estimate that this game is 85% completed.
Wonderfully, both KN and UV smoke the 3D0's 'Way of the Warrior.'
Iron Soldier - I hadn't heard of this title before, but get used to hearing
about it. It is going to be turning a lot of heads in the next months. It
is a battletech type of game. You are inside a huge armored mech blowing up
anything that moves (and a lot of things that don't!). The city that you
tromp on is largely polygon, but the enemies are bit mapped. One of the
really cool effects happens when you blow up a building. It explodes into a
hundred cubes that come back to earth and bounce in the most amazingly
lifelike way. You are so large in your mech outfit that you can stomp on
small buildings, trees and cars. It is somewhat reminiscent of Crush,
Crumble and Chomp. As you are doing these things you take fire from
choppers, planes and ground-based missiles. The Atari staff loved this game,
and seemed intent on sharing their enthusiasm. More than one person walked
away feeling like it was going to be a big hit. I'd estimate that it is 50%
completed.
Zool 2 - This game is a blend of Sonic the Hedgehog with Mickey Mouse's
Castle of Illusion where you travel through a land of candy. It is side
scrolling like those two, but features a character that looks a little like
Marvin the Martian from Warner Brothers cartoons. One unique feature that I
really liked was the ability to play either a male or female zool. The
graphics were very nice and worthy of a 64-bitter. The game will greatly
appeal to kids, but also to adults, much as Sonic has. Collision detection
was operable, so I'd guess that this product is 60% done.
Space War - I recently read that Star Raiders had been split into two. If
that is true, then this must be one of the two. The scrolling stars are
right out of the Atari 800 version of Star Raiders. Space War is a two-
player, split-screen shooter that puts you in the place of a gunner on a
space ship. It is reminiscent of Chewbacca shooting Tie Fighters from the
Millennium Falcon in Star Wars. It was still in the early stages, with very
little depth yet. I'd estimate that this product is 10% done.
Rally - Another title that I had never heard of, Rally is reminiscent of
Super Sprint. It is an off-road racing game that puts you behind the wheel
of a 4x4 in the desert. The view is overhead, making your car look a little
like a Matchbox car in a sandlot. There are some nice touches in this game
including billboards and on- lookers. This game appears to be about 25%
completed.
Overall I think that Atari did a fine job at the show. With Sega having only
a minimal presence and 3D0 being stuck in a different building, it gave
Atari a great chance to show their continuing support for the Jaguar.
In our next issue be sure to check out my interview with Jeff Minter as he
talks about his new Virtual Light Machine, Tempest and his future with
Atari. We'll also be talking about everything that I've missed up
until this point.
Star Battle! STR InfoFile! - New Jaguar Developer, 4Play
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Star Battle(TM) Announced for Atari Jaguar
4Play Among Atari Jaguar Developers
Gaming Will Never Be The Same!
For more information, contact:
Thomas D. Harker, 4Play (815) 968-2228 ext. 222
Fax 815-968-6888
CHICAGO, IL -- June 23, 1994 -- Consumer Electronics Show -- A talented New
design group, called 4Play, today announced their first title which will
fully exploit Jaguar's 64-bit capabilities.
Six hundred years in the future, several spacefaring races are battling for
domination of the galaxy. To avoid unnecessary loss of life and
destruction, it is agreed that the best warriors and military minds will be
sent to a small uninhabited quadrant of the galaxy to settle the score. Some
of the races have endured years of torment and oppression and with the
galaxy at stake, nothing short of eradication of the enemy is acceptable.
Star Battle is a first person perspective game designed to put fun back into
gaming. Star Battle's multi-player action allows head to head challengers
over modem or network. The Jaguar makes this possible with 64-bit power and
outstanding connectability.
Tom Harker, president of 4Play, commented, "Our custom game tools afford no
compromises. With advanced features like a warp polygon engine, gouraud
shading, texture mapping, networking and modem support, Star Battle will be
setting new standards in excellence for a long time to come".
"Look for Star Battle to be released on cartridge in the 4th quarter of
1994."
Star Battle is a trademark of 4Play. Other products named may be trademarks
or registered trademarks of their owning companies.
Jaguar '94 Titles! STR InfoFile! - Prospective Games For 1994!
Below is a list of software titles planned for release in 1994 by Atari or
third party. Data obtained from printed sources provided at the Summer
Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held June 23 through June 25 in Chicago
(1994). Titles marked by "*" were demonstrated as complete or "work in
progress" at the show.
Clearly, all of this will not meet our 1994 release goals, however, much of
it will and the remainder will follow soon thereafter.
-- Don Thomas
Atari Corporation
*Alien vs. Predator (AvP) Atari Corporation
*Battlezone Atari Corporation
Battlemorph Atari Corporation
*Blue Lightning (CD-ROM) Atari Corporation
*Bubsy Atari Corporation
*Checkered Flag (was Red Line) Atari Corporation
*Club Drive (voice/modem) Atari Corporation
*Cybermorph Atari Corporation
Demolition Man (CD-ROM) Atari Corporation
*Dino Dudes Atari Corporation
Doom (Network, Voice/Modem) Atari Corporation
Highlander (CD-ROM) Atari Corporation
*Iron Soldier Atari Corporation
*Jack Nicklaus Cyber Golf (CD) Atari Corporation
*Kasumi Ninja Atari Corporation
*Raiden Atari Corporation
*Space War Atari Corporation
*Tempest 2000 Atari Corporation
*Trevor McFur/Crescent Galaxy Atari Corporation
*Wolfenstein 3D Atari Corporation
Pinball Dreams 21st Century
*Starbattle (working title) 4-Play
Hosenose and Booger All Systems Go
BIOS Fear All Systems Go
BattleWheels Beyond Games Inc.
*Ultra Vortex Beyond Games Inc.
Nanoterror (working title) Delta Music Systems
Droppings (working title) Delta Music Systems
Lester the Unlikely DTMC
*Zool 2 Gremlin Graphics
*Ruiner High Voltage Software
Kickoff 3/World Cup Imagineer
Valus Force JVC Muc\sical Undustrie Inc.
Gunship 2000 Microprose UK
Commando Microids
Evidence Microids
Air Cars MidNite Entertainment Inc.
Dungeon Depths MidNite Entertainment Inc.
Assault MidNite Entertainment Inc.
World Cup Soccer Millenium/Teque
Ape Sh_t (working title) Ocean Software Ltd.
Lobo Ocean Software Ltd.
Theme Park Ocean Software Ltd.
Soccer Kid Ocean Software Ltd.
Syndicate Ocean Software Ltd.
Galatic Gladiators Photosurealism
Neurodancer PIXIS Interactive
*Rally (working title) Rage
Dragon's Lair Readysoft
Robinson's Requiem Silmarils
*Brutal Sports Football Telegames
Ultimate Brain Games Telegames
*World Class Cricket Telegames
*White Men Can't Jump Trimark Interactive
Flashback U.S. Gold Ltd.
*Rayman UBI Soft
Horrorscope V-Real
*Arena Football V-Real
Cannon Fodder Virgin Interactive
Creature Shock Virgin Interactive
Extreme Skiing/Snowboard Virtual Studios
Zozziorx (working title) Virtual Experience
Indiana Jags (working title) Virtual Experience
*Double Dragon V Williams Entertainment Inc.
*Troy Aikman NFL Football Williams Entertainment Inc.
All titles are trademarks of their owning companies.
Industry News STR Game Console NewsFile - The Latest Gaming News!
Nintendo's 64-Bit Unit Rolls Out
Hitting the Japanese market today is Nintendo Co.'s new 64-bit video game
machine, which the company contends will vastly outperform front-running 32-
bit machines launched in late 1994.
Reporting from Kyoto, the Japanese Jiji press service notes the Nintendo 64
will challenge Sega Enterprises Ltd.'s Saturn, whose cumulative domestic
sales reached 3 million units at the end of may, and Sony Computer
Entertainment Inc.'s Playstation, which claims sales of 2.7 million units.
"Nintendo,' says Jiji, "aims at selling 3.6 million units of the new product
in Japan and 1.4 million units abroad by the end of next march. The new
machine sells for 25,000 yen, compared with 20,000 yen for the Saturn and
19,800 yen for the Playstation."
As reported earlier, Nintendo, whose 8-bit Nintendo entertainment system and
16-bit super NES machines used to dominate Japan's video game market, has
twice postponed the release of the Nintendo 64, citing delays in software
development. The new machine features a controller stick that allows game
characters to be moved smoothly in any direction in a simulated three-
dimensional environment.
"Like its predecessor products," adds Jiji, "the Nintendo 64 uses read-only
memory cartridges for software distribution, compared with the compact disc
read-only memories used by Sega and Sony."
Officials have said the Nintendo 64 will be sold in the U.S. staring in
September and in Europe by year's end.
Jaguar Online STR InfoFile Online Users Growl & Purr!
In the category of well-intentioned but unlikely proposals:
This message came from the Jaguar list...
Gamewire's report about
"THE UNDERGROUND"
In the wake of the Atari Jaguar's commercial death (Jag owners can expect 2
more commercially released games: BattleSphere and Towers II,) it seems that
the Atari community is going to pick up where the corporation left off.
Certain dedicated members of the community are in the process of making
history. A group of game designers and programmers that calls itself The
Underground is working on the idea of shareware for the Jaguar. The movement
is currently in a learning state: all the coders figuring out the tricks of
assembly on the Jaguar. The group is also requesting rights from various
corporations to program certain titles. If successful, this would be the
first major shareware movement on a console, and it could very well change
the face of the video game industry.
Recently GameWire was able to get in touch with some members of The
Underground to find out how this project is developing:
"The final form of the shareware has not yet been determined. Most of this is
in it's infancy. If only (Atari) realized how many people would write games
for them from this underground, the Jag may still be formidable. Fact is the
Jag can do all those nice tricks the PSX can and better, with more color. We
simply want to put out games for a system that we all love and realize a
great potential for."
"Just so everyone understands who reads this, we in no way intend to violate
anybody or their copyrights, Atari included. If (they) had half a market
brain, they would bring back the Consumer Program Exchange where home
hackers produced a lot of the 8 bit computer software (Star Raiders I
believe, one of the best games ever, was one of these)."
The Underground has mentioned a few titles and it seems some of Atari's
broken promises of 'classics' may be fulfilled through this. Bally, Stern,
and other classics are all possibilities, pending approval, of course, from
their respective companies.
Overall, the shareware movement is alive and well on the Jaguar. The game
descriptions that have been shared with us thus far sound extraordinary. We
wish the best of luck to The Underground and will continue to cover this
development as it progresses, so stay tuned into GameWire for exclusive
interviews and coverage. In the meantime, if you have any comments,
questions, or concerns about The Underground, please email GameWire's Senior
Web Editor, Brian C Bessemer. Messages will be forwarded to The Underground
and we will attempt to answer all concerns, if not personally, in future
updates.
ONLINE WEEKLY STReport OnLine The wires are a hummin'!
PEOPLE... ARE TALKING
On CompuServe
compiled by
Joe Mirando
CIS ID: 73637,2262
Hidi ho friends and neighbors. Well, I'm baaaack. I'm glad to report that I
passed the course that I told you about two weeks ago and am well on my way
to putting the things I learned into practice. I'll tell you, even though
the machines with '486's and Pentiums out there are faster and "sexier" than
our lowly 68000-based ST computers, they sure don't have the same
personality... or a personality at all for that matter.
I've been acquainted with DOS/Windows machines for years, so it's not just
that I'm not used to them, but there is simply something missing. Computing
on one of them is just not fun. As I said, I did well in the training
program. One of the folks who was taking the course along with me started up
a conversation during one of our breaks. "So, what kind of computer do you
have?", he asked.
"Actually," I replied, "I don't have an Intel machine at all." I could see
the confusion on his face for a moment until the obvious explanation came to
him. "Oh, so how do you like the Mac?" "It's worse than that," I told him,
"I've got an Atari ST." Now he was really at a loss. He had no idea that
Atari had ever made anything other than game machines.
"But how do you keep up with technology?" he asked, all in a tizzy. This was
a completely unforseen turn of events for him and he was having trouble
getting his bearings back. "What in the hell makes you think you can keep
up with technology?" I asked him. "I suppose you've got a '486?" "Pentium."
he said with a note of disdain in his voice.
Now it was my turn to have fun. "Gee, that's a shame. The Pentium Pro is
out already. You're falling behind in the technology race." "Well," he
replied, "my Pentium 90 does everything I need it to do. And I hear that,
for some things, the Pro is slower than the Pentium."
"That's true." I told him. "The Pentium Pro is getting away from the code
that has limited Intel chips since the 8086. That means that lots of
programs will be upgraded to take advantage of the 'Pro' way of doing things.
Pentiums and below will slowly see support from vendors and developers
dwindle. The Technology Race goes on."
The poor guy didn't know what to say. He was so used to being "on top" that
he didn't even realize that there _could_ be something above what he had.
To be fair, software for the 486 and Pentium will be around for quite a
while. But just as those who live by the sword shall die by the sword, so
shall those who ride the crest of technology be left in its trough. It's a
tried-and-true law of physics: The higher the crest, the lower the trough.
By the time that guy is lamenting the "unfair" demise of his processor's
popularity, I'll probably still be using my ST. I've never been caught up
in the glitz and glitter of keeping up with the Gates's, so I'll never miss
the celebrity that comes with the latest processor, the latest suck-up-that-
memory, slow-down-that-processor, fill- up-that-hard-drive software. It
seems kind of unfair, doesn't it?... Naaaaah. <evil grin>
Okay, that's it for my soap-box speech. Now I've got some truly good news!
Do you remember our friend and neighbor from Costa Rica, Alejandro Aguilar?
Well he e-mailed me this very day to tell me that his wife just had a baby.
Here's what he said:
I T' S A G I R L ! ! !
Hello Joe,
My first daughter born on Thursday, June 20, at 10:55 pm. (babies always find
a way to come at the worst moments). The time here in Costa Rica is the same
as Chicago's in Winter. If I could find a way to send you a cigar via E-
Mail . . . oh well... Oh well. My little daughter is doing the impossible by
keeping me away from my Atari. . . Bye for now, and keep in contact,
neighbor!
Thanks for the e-mail, Alejandro. He had more to say folks, but I haven't
had time to read it yet (I received the email just before I began putting
this column together. I'll fill you in on what else he had to say in next
week's column. If you'd like to offer congratulations to Alejandro and
family, he can be reached via the internet at: sayodint@sol.racsa.co.cr
Okay, let's get on with the reason for this column, all the great news,
hints, tips, and info available every week right here on CompuServe.
From the Atari Computing Forums
On the subject of an Atari HMI program, Steven Van Rossen (the driving force
behind the project) posts:
"As far as the Atari HMI project is concerned: it is stalled because
Compuserve does not wish to help by providing the necessary information.
Officially they do not want to start up new 3d party HMI developments and
advised us to look into internet technologies..."
Steven went on to post the text of the CIS/Microsoft "Normandy" press release
which, I believe, we re-printed in last week's issue. Sysop (and a really
cool guy) Jim Ness tells Steven:
"CompuServe announced a couple of weeks ago that its proprietary access
protocols (HMI) are being replaced by Web protocols. They expect some
products to be changed over by the end of the year, and the majority by this
time next year. This was accompanied by the departure of some high level CIS
executives. So, although the changeover to HMI was only about 10% finished,
it's been superceded by a changeover to Web protocols, which probably makes
more sense. It will allow access by any Web browser, eventually to all parts
of CIS. A few areas will be free and available to outsiders, but most will
still require membership. The HMI protocols will continue to exist until it
is no longer being used by significant numbers of members. This may be
awhile, since so many offline readers / navigators use the protocol."
Steven asks Sysop Keith Joins:
"So will CIS finally offer SLIP access to the internet instead of PPP?
Because quite a few of 'standard type web browsers', especially on non
Windows machines do not support PPP..."
The Big Kahuna himself, Sysop Ron Luks, tells Steven:
"No. I have not heard of any plans to offer SLIP access. The rest of the
world is upgrading to PPP and I doubt very, very much that CIS will add a
less capable protocol just to pick up access for lesser capable systems."
Richard Lawson asks:
"Does anynoe have a version of QCIS that works? I'm using v1.72 Beta 3, and
it gets confussed when going to the mail area, and doesn't work in the
forums either. Is there a later version I haven't seen, or a bug
fix?"
Sysop Jim Ness, who also happens to be the author of QuickCIS, tells Richard:
"There is no later version of QuickCIS than the one you have. I stopped
working on the program long ago. But, there ARE people who use it daily, so
maybe they will chime in with their work arounds. I know that the mail
workaround involves making sure you always have incoming mail. Either you
send yourself one, or turn off QuickCIS' auto-deletion. Over the years,
CompuServe has continued to make minor changes to its prompts. Since
QuickCIS is not being updated anymore, it has not kept up with those
changes."
Jack Hughes adds:
"Like Jim said, what it takes is to _always_ have some mail in the box! I
have a 3-word "test" always available for EdHak to use. Sometimes I forget
that I had already put up a test and get 2. But once the mail is downloaded
every thing goes smoothly. Also, according to Jim, the file download no
longer works due to CIS changes. I fall back on Stalker for that."
My friend Myles Cohen adds his own trick to the list:
" My workaround for that involves EditPlus... After reading all my messages
and library choices...I QUIT QCIS... I load EDITPLUS...and I then using
EDITPLUS'S LOAD command...I go into QCIS's SUPPORT FOLDER and load in the
ATARICOM.LBS (if there were files that I wanted in it) Next, I erase
everything but the names of the files I want...then I add to the front of
each name the proper numbers for the Forum and Library... Finally, I save
this into the QCIS SUPPORT folder as FILES.LST... The next time I call CIS
using QCIS...the selected files download without a hitch..."
Myles went on to list several files from his capture and showed how it was
done, but our magazine formatting made it look quite confusing. Jack
Hughes tells Myles:
"Very interesting. If memory serves EditPlus is the new name for the
upgraded EdHak. So it should probably work with EdHak. Kept a hard copy of
your msg and will give it a try."
Proving that even the best of us can have problems with our computers, our
own Atari Section Editor, Dana Jacobson posts:
"I'm still having problems calling out on the Falcon at speeds higher than
9600 baud. I've configured HSMODEM according to an article in Atari World
(thanks again, Mitch!), but all I get is garbage when I connect here, or
elsewhere. Is there anyone here using a Falcon and getting in at 14,400 or
higher? I'm using Flash II. I've tried the Control Panel modem settings at
19,200 and RTS/CTS enabled. Same with RS232 settings in Flash II. 9600
baud works fine, but nothing higher. When I ran SETTER.TTP to configure
HSMODEM, here are the settings I used, per the article:
M2TT: U
M1EMU: U
LANBIT: N
LANEXT: N
LAN_S2: U
DTRM2: Y
DTRS2: Y
?: Y
RBLM2: 16384
TBLM2: 8192
RBLS2: 16
TBLS2: 16
I'm using HSMODEM 6E.
If you can help, please drop me a line ASAP - this is driving me crazy!"
John Trautschold of Missionware Software tells Dana:
"With Flash II you need no external serial port program to operate at speeds
higher than 9600. Although I don't regularly use the Falcon (I still use
the TT most of the time) when I have tested F2 on the Falcon it's worked
fine here on CIS up to 28800. (I connect to the modem at 115200 usually.)
You may want to try dropping and serial port programs out of your auto
folder as well as any DAs that affect the serial port, to see what happens.
Which version of F2 are you using? You are up to 3.01, aren't you?"
Dana tells John:
"Once I switched over to the Falcon, I cannot go above 9600 and use Flash II
(3.0x) and Zmodem. I haven't tried other programs, but I don't think that's
the problem. I have no serial port programs in my AUTO folder other than
(recently) HSMODEM. I was told that it would "fix" my problem with the
Falcon. I'll try a "newer" version of Flash II as an experiment."
John tells Dana:
"If you have 3.01, you've got the latest version (and you should have a copy
of 3.01, being a beta tester and all). I can guarantee you that HSMODEM is
*NOT* needed when using F2 on the Falcon or any other Atari computer. If
you're having problems doing Zmodem transfers, it's possible that you've got
something set wrong in F2 or in your modem's internal settings."
Now, Dana asks the first question that popped into my mind:
"Will using HSMODEM cause problems if I keep it enabled?"
John tells Dana:
"Using HSMODEM *probably* won't cause any problems, but there's really no
need to have that program wasting your memory. Just blow it out. For F2,
it buys you nothing."
Jim Ness gives Dana another thing to think about:
"Make sure that your cable truly supports RTS/CTS. There need to be extra
wires in it for that purpose. Some of the cheaper serial cables only have
three or four wires in them."
Dana asks Jim:
"How would I be able to tell? Also, another possibility is that perhaps my
modem configuration was changed somehow. I have had power outages here over
the past 6 months and I know at least one setting was changed as a result
(modem speaker became set "on"). If I posted my settings, would anyone be
able to tell if something's not right? BTW, the cable that I have is a
Radio Shack 6' RS-232 cable, male db25 to female db9. I have the pin
connections, per what's listed on the box; but there is no documentation."
John tells Dana:
"Without having to cut the cable to count the wires, you can often tell by
how heavy or thick the cable is. Naturally, one with only 4 wires is
thinner than one with the full complement of 25. You can get by with about
7 or 8 wires, but most cables either have the minimum of 3-4 or the maximum
of 25."
Dana tells John:
"The cable appears to be a thick one - about the same thickness as any of the
other cables/cords attached to the machine. I tested another one of my
theories although I don't know what, necessarily, I've proven. Since I run
a BBS using the same type modem, I decided to test calling out on the BBS
modem, attached to a Falcon also. I had no problem calling a system at
19,200. I printed out the stored configs. of both modems - there are
differences. However, I have no idea which settings to change (I'm sure that
the BBS has specific modem settings that's been stored). My theory was that
something was inadvertently altered in my modem settings during a power
outtage, and saved (I know the speaker was changed to 'on', at the least).
Does anyone know how to interpret the settings and would be able to tell me
what I should change? I'll post the settings and maybe someone has an idea
or three.....
Modem settings (can't dial out above 9600):
ACTIVE PROFILE: B1 E1 L2 M0 N0 Q0 T V1 W0 X4 Y0 %C1 %E0 %G0 \N1 &C0 &D0
&K0 &Q0 &R0 &S0 &X0 &Y0 S00:000 S01:000 S02:043 S03:013 S04:010 S05:008
S06:002 S07:050 S08:002 S09:006 S10:014 S11:095 S12:050 S18:000 S23:059
S25:005 S26:001 S36:007 S37:000 S38:020 S40:085 S46:138 S48:007 S95:000
S109:062 S110:001
STORED PROFILE 0: B1 E1 L2 M0 N0 Q0 T V1 W0 X4 Y0 %C1 %E0 %G0 \N1 &C0
&D0 &K0 &Q0 &R0 &S0 &X0 S00:000 S02:043 S06:002 S07:050 S08:002 S09:006
S10:014 S11:095 S12:050 S18:000 S23:055 S25:005 S26:001 S36:007 S37:000
S38:020 S40:085 S46:138 S48:007 S95:000
STORED PROFILE 1: B1 E1 L2 M0 N0 Q0 T V1 W0 X4 Y0 %C1 %E0 %G0 \N1 &C0
&D0 &K0 &Q0 &R0 &S0 &X0 S00:000 S02:043 S06:002 S07:050 S08:002 S09:006
S10:014 S11:095 S12:050 S18:000 S23:055 S25:005 S26:001 S36:007 S37:000
S38:020 S40:085 S46:138 S48:007 S95:000
TELEPHONE NUMBERS: 0= 1= 2= 3=
OK
Current BBS modem settings - _can_ dial out at 19,200:
ACTIVE PROFILE: B1 E1 L3 M1 N1 Q0 T V1 W0 X4 Y0 %C1 %E0 %G1 \N3 &C1 &D2
&K3 &Q5 &R0 &S0 &X0 &Y1 S00:000 S01:000 S02:043 S03:013 S04:010 S05:008
S06:002 S07:060 S08:002 S09:006 S10:014 S11:055 S12:050 S18:000 S23:061
S25:005 S26:001 S36:007 S37:000 S38:020 S40:087 S46:138 S48:007 S95:041
S109:062 S110:001
STORED PROFILE 0: B1 E1 L3 M1 N1 Q0 T V1 W0 X4 Y0 %C1 %E0 %G1 \N3 &C1
&D2 &K3 &Q5 &R0 &S0 &X0 S00:000 S02:043 S06:002 S07:060 S08:002 S09:006
S10:014 S11:055 S12:050 S18:000 S23:055 S25:005 S26:001 S36:007 S37:000
S38:020 S40:087 S46:138 S48:007 S95:041
STORED PROFILE 1: B1 E1 L2 M1 N1 Q0 T V1 W2 X4 Y0 %C1 %E0 %G1 \N3 &C1
&D2 &K3 &Q5 &R1 &S0 &X0 S00:000 S02:043 S06:002 S07:050 S08:002 S09:006
S10:014 S11:095 S12:050 S18:000 S23:061 S25:005 S26:001 S36:007 S37:000
S38:020 S40:087 S46:138 S48:007 S95:000
TELEPHONE NUMBERS: 0=T9876543210 1= 2= 3=
OK
Suggestions welcomed!!"
(I've included the modem settings for those of you who may be having the same
kind of problem) jm
John, feeling that "the game is afoot", tells Dana:
"Ah-Ha! Good sleuthing! You've now narrowed the problem down to the modem.
And right off the bat I can see some problems. Compare the first line
(Active Profile) for each modem. Specifically:
> Modem settings (can't dial out above 9600):
> ACTIVE PROFILE:
> &C0 &D0 &K0 &Q0
Those settings are most definitely wrong for high-speed use. They need to be
set as follows:
&C0 = &C1 - Tells F2 to follow the true state of the carrier (Carrier
Detect)
&D0 = &D2 - Sets up proper operation of Data Terminal Ready (now turned
off!)
&K0 = &K3 - Most important! Your modem is not doing *ANY* handshaking in
this mode! This *MUST* be set to &K3, which turns on hardware handshaking
(RTS/CTS).
&Q0 = &Q5 - Error correction is turned off. &Q5 turns it back on.
There may be some other settings you need to set as well. Your best bet is
to set your "bad" modem's settings to match your "good" modem's settings....
You want to store those settings to Profile 0, at least. When your modem
first wakes up, it loads Profile 0. Your best bet is to store the setting to
both profiles though.
I see you *did* have some luck, based on your message on Delphi! Things are
looking up, eh?"
Dana tells John:
"I did save them to Profile 0 already - seemed the logical thing to do after
awhile. <g> Yep, some luck - here and Delphi. No go on my own board yet."
Well folks, that's about it for this week. Tune in again next week, same
time, same station, and be ready to listen to what they are saying when...
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
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