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Silicon Times Report Issue 1309
Silicon Times Report
"The Original Independent OnLine Magazine"
(Since 1987)
February 28, 1997 No.1309
Silicon Times Report International OnLine Magazine
Post Office Box 6672
Jacksonville, Florida 32221-6155
R.F. Mariano, Editor
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02/28/97 STR 1309 The Original Independent OnLine Magazine!
- CPU Industry Report - Croatian Hackers? - McAfee Updates
- Senate Nixes Net Fees - Corel NewsWire - CIS wins Suit
- Borland Lays Off 300 - SyQuest SyJet Ships - SmartSuite 97 Ships
- Modem Wars Heat Up - People Talking - Classics & Gaming
3Com, U.S. Robotics To Merge
HP to Acquire Symantec Unit
Feds Crack $2.8M Internet Scam
STReport International OnLine Magazine
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STReport's Tenth Anniversary
1987-1997
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From the Editor's Desk...
Not much going on this week. It seems like the whole world is waiting
to see Spring have a happening. STReport is now being done with Acrobat 3
instead of 2.1. We are producing the magazine in Microsoft's Office 97
Pro. The computing community is gearing up for Spring Comdex, so its
reasonable to expect a lull before the new products and updates begin to
hit.
I had a unique experience this past week. I decided to see how well a
consumer would fare in trying to obtain a new motherboard via the major
mass marketers. You know, like Comp USA and Computer City for example.
Much to my chagrin, both of these "joints" are a disgrace. They're
supposed to be the biggest and the best. They're a joke! I asked the "so-
called" guru at Comp USA and was promptly told "we only offer one type of
motherboard." I replied ok, tell me about it what are its specifications?
It's a Pentium motherboard and costs two hundred dollars and that's all the
information I have. Computer City (owned and operated by Radio Shack) was
worse! I was told they do not carry or offer motherboards. These big
chains sure do advertise a lot but really are nothing more than glorified
technology supermarkets that have nothing to offer in the way of real
service. I thought you'd like to hear of my experiences with the "big
boys". Why don't you tell us about your experiences in regard to shopping
for computers, parts, components and software. Good or whatever, we'd like
to hear from you.
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Ralph F. Mariano, Publisher - Editor
Dana P. Jacobson, Editor, Current Affairs
Section Editors
PC Section Mac Section Shareware Listings
R.F. Mariano Help Wanted Lloyd E. Pulley
Classics & Gaming Kid's Computing Corner
Dana P. Jacobson Frank Sereno
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Allen Harkleroad Vincent P. O'Hara Glenwood Drake
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STReport Headline News
LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS
Weekly Happenings in the Computer World
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
Junk E-Mail Soon to Get Boost
Expect more junk e-mail in your future.
Officials with Cyber Promotions Inc. -- the Philadelphia firm that has done
battle with all the major online services -- say the controversial mass
e-mailer next month will launch the nation's first bulk e-mail friendly
Internet provider. "It will allow computer users to send millions of
commercial ads - also known as 'spam' -- for a single monthly fee,"
reports Associated Press writer Jennifer Brown. Of course, most other
Internet providers now prohibit customers from sending unsolicited bulk
e-mail and will cancel a person's account if they are caught.
Says Cyber Promotion founder Sanford Wallace, "What people are doing is
jumping around from one (Internet provider) to another, and they don't
have a secure home. We're going to give them a home." Wallace's new bulk
e-mail friendly network, to be launched March 17, will have local dial-up
numbers in the Philadelphia area and 800 numbers for use around the
country and, says Brown, "customers will pay about $50 a month to send
unlimited amounts of mass unsolicited commercial e-mails."
AP notes critics contend junk e-mail costs recipients money to transmit,
store and read, unlike regular junk mail or phone sales that only use up a
recipient's time, quoting Ram Avrahami of Private Citizen, an anti-junk
mail group based in Naperville, Ill., as saying, "This is just an online
version of how your private life is being sold. And if it gets out of
control, the Internet will soon become worse than what our post office
boxes have become."
However, Cyber Promotions contends the service may encourage more
responsible spamming. Wallace says, "Our goal is to legitimize the bulk
e-mail industry and not abuse it," adding all Cyber Promotions network
customers must honor requests to remove a consumer's name from receiving
such ads. Cyber Promotions is an extension of the Internet advertising
service Wallace started in 1994. The company now sends up to 4 million
e-mail ads a day.
Nevada May Ban Unsolicited E-Mail
A bill now pending in the state legislature may make Nevada the first state
to bar unsolicited electronic mail advertising. Presented yesterday to the
state senate's judiciary committee, the bill would make it a misdemeanor
to send unsolicited ads directly to e-mail accounts, says The Associated
Press in a report from Carson City. Majority leader Bill Raggio told the
wire service, "Most e-mail users pay for their service, so unsolicited
e-mail is like receiving direct mail with postage due," adding the bill was
modeled on a previous measure that prohibits unsolicited advertising over
fax machines.
AP says that while Nevada is the closest to passing the bill, California,
Virginia and Connecticut are all considering similar e-mail advertising
bans. Testified in favor of the bill, Internet lawyer David Kramer of
Palo Alto, California, said the measure should apply only to individual
e-mail accounts and not to e-mail bulletin boards with multiple users. AP
adds, "The judiciary committee is considering proposed revisions of the
bill and has not set a timetable for a vote."
FTC Wins Order in Alleged Scam
The Federal Trade Commission has won a court order ending what it contends
is an Internet scam that lured customers with the promise of erotic
photographs and cost them thousands of dollars in overseas phone charges.
As reported here earlier this month, authorities in Canada first warned the
public about the operation, after complaints of excessive phone charges
that appeared after some computerists accessed such a World Wide Web site.
Now Associated Press writer Eun-Kyung Kim reports Net visitors to at least
three Web sites were told they could access erotic photographs by
downloading a free software program. "Unknown to the customers," adds AP,
"the program cut them off from local Internet providers and reconnected
them to a number assigned to Moldova, an eastern European country that
borders Romania. The calls then were routed to a Canadian site that charged
the much higher Moldova phone rates while the photos were transferred to
the user's computer.
Phone charges, up to $3 a minute, continued to mount until the computer was
turned off." Jodie Bernstein, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer
Protection, told the wire service, "It's a high-tech scam. The defendants
in this case are using software to hijack the computer's modem," adding
computer users didn't find out about the scam until their phone bills came,
"and then it was too late."
AT&T customers who were victimized are expected to pay their bills, which
reached several hundred dollars in some cases, company security manager
Richard Petillo told AP, saying, "The subscribers actually made the calls
and it would be unfair to other subscribers to offer those people the
option of not paying the charges."
And Eileen Harrington of the FTC's consumer protection bureau said a treaty
governing international phone systems requires AT&T to pay the Moldova
phone company for all calls made to the country. The treaty does not
distinguish calls made under fraudulent circumstances. AP says a temporary
restraining order shutting down the operation was issued under seal last
week by a federal judge in New York. It was made
public yesterday.
An FTC lawsuit on the matter accuses three people and two companies --
Promo Line Inc. and Audiotex Connection -- of false and deceptive
advertising, failing to disclose information about the computer program
and misrepresenting long-distance phone billing. The Reuter News Service
identifies the individuals as Anna Grella, William Gannon and David Zeng,
adding that the companies list addresses on Long Island near New York
City.
Defense attorney Joel Dichter told AP his clients voluntarily pulled their
Internet services at the end of January, several weeks before the FTC
action, adding accurate disclaimers were provided on each Web page. FTC
officials say the companies received part of the proceeds from the phone
company in Moldova and that the case came to the FTC's attention when AT&T
workers noticed an increase in calls to Moldova.
Writer David Lawsky of Reuters reports the FTC can bring only civil
charges, but that the agency's Bernstein said the matter may be referred
for criminal prosecution. Bernstein also told Reuters that for all the
problems it created, the scam was shut down in record time, lasting only
from mid-December to early February. She credited AT&T with helping track
down operators of the sites which included "www.beavisbutthead.com,"
"www.sexygirls.com" and "www.1adult.com."
Feds Crack $2.8M Internet Scam
Some $2.8 million that was wired to West Indian bank accounts as part of
allegedly fraudulent marketing scheme on the Internet has been recovered
by the U.S. Justice Department. In Washington today, federal officials
sai return of the money is part of a settlement in a case against the
Fortuna Alliance, a Washington state-based company that, according to
United Press International, "promised consumers in more than 60 countries
profits of more than $5,000 a month if they paid an 'enrollment fee' of
$500."
The Justice Department says that when the company received the money from
Internet users it immediately wired it to offshore trust accounts in the
Swiss American Bank Ltd. in St. John's, Antigua. Last May, the Federal
Trade Commission filed a suit against Fortuna in Seattle, and obtained a
court order forbidding the company from promoting the scheme over the
Internet. Acting on behalf of the FTC, says UPI, the Justice Department
then obtained an order from the High Court of Antigua freezing the funds.
Also named in the action were Augie and Monique Delgado, Libby Welch and
Donald Grant, who the Justice Department said ran the operation from
Bellevue, Wash. Justice Department officials say the recovered money is
being put into a fund to reimburse victims as they are identified, adding
the Fortuna case is the 12th Internet fraud investigation they have
pursued.
Senate Opposes Net Fees
Proposals that would require the Federal Communications Commission to levy
charges on firms that provide access to the Internet are being opposed by
the head of the Senate Commerce Committee. "The cure for telephone network
congestion isn't putting more toll booths on the Information Superhighway,"
Sen. John McCain, an Arizona Republican, said in a statement.
The Reuter News Service notes the FCC itself, as part of its proposal to
reform the complex set of charges that long-distance carriers pay to hook
up to local phone networks, has tentatively concluded against imposing such
fees on Internet service providers. On the other side of the question,
local carriers cite congestion on their networks from Internet traffic as a
reason for the FCC to impose the fees.
However, says McCain, "The solution is to provide incentives to telephone
comanies to install new data-friendly digital switches that will not only
alleviate congestion but also provide PC users with much higher-speed
access to the Internet."
Nebraska E-Mail Campaign Fails
Intent on swaying Nebraska state legislators against trying to regulate the
Internet, an electronic mail campaign may have backfired. Reporting from
Lincoln, United Press International says computer users fired off a
barrage of e-mail to other lawmakers seeking support for an anti-regulation
bill proposed by state Sen. Jerome Warner. However, says the wire service,
"a number of senators whose e-mail accounts were buried under hundreds of
messages say the mail campaign shows exactly why regulation is needed."
Sen. Owen Elmer told reporters the storm of anti-regulatory e-mail "just
completely jammed up the works." UPI says some senators received 64
letters in one day from the same person, and that the peak volume hit 300
messages per day. Speaking with The Omaha World-Herald, Sen. Gerald Matzke
termed the campaign "harassment," saying the practice -- sometimes called
"spamming" -- denied other constituents the benefits of contacting
lawmakers electronically. A hearing on Warner's bill is set for this week.
Croatians Accused of Hacking
Investigators say three Croatian teen-agers may have broken Pentagon
protection codes and copied highly classified files from U.S. military
bases. Checking in from Zagreb, writer Laura Lui of the Reuter News
Service says the local press is reporting the three high school students,
surfing the Internet on their home computer, broke into several U.S.
military installations' databases, including those of the Anderson nuclear
installation and an unnamed satellite research center.
However, Pentagon spokeswoman Lt-Col. Donna Boltz, told Lui, "There is no
way that anybody can tap into classified files via the Internet," adding
such files are almost always on closed systems without outside access.
Still, she acknowledged, invaders traveling the Net may be able to access
personal e-mail or other sensitive files. Lui says that following a report
in the Zagreb daily Vecernji List, local reporters flocked to the high
school in the Adriatic port of Zadar where the three teen-age hackers, aged
15 and 16, specialize in mathematics and information technology.
Adds Reuters, "One of the teenagers, identified only as V.M., told the
state news agency HINA he accessed the Pentagon database while surfing the
Net on Jan. 2. Despite a warning that he was not allowed to proceed, he
continued to browse the site until data fro the Anderson base were
displayed on the screen, HINA said." V.M. told the agency, "The data are
compressed and need to be extracted, so I don't really know everything they
contained, but it sure was very interesting," adding he was unaware of any
possible consequences.
Meanwhile, assistant Interior Minister Zeljko Sacic told state radio that
invaders broke into the U.S. Defence Department computer system of the
airbase on Guam island and several other bases. Vecernji List says the
U.S. Defense Department had contacted Croatian police through Interpol to
demand an investigation while local police searched the youngsters' flats
and confiscated their computer equipment. Adds Reuters, "Computer-hacking
is not illegal in Croatia, but the three may be banned for life from
accessing the Internet under the current Croatian penal code."
U.S. Says Vandals Got No Secrets
A report this week that high school computer users in Croatia had broken
Pentagon protection codes and copied highly classified files from U.S.
military bases has been flatly denied by the U.S. Defense Department. As
reported, Zagreb press is reporting the three students, surfing the
Internet on their home computer, broke into several U.S. military
installations' databases, including those of the Anderson nuclear
installation and an unnamed satellite research center. The papers say the
trio broke codes and copied highly classified files.
"They did not," Defense Department spokesman Ken Bacon told reporters in
Washington. "The Croatian newspaper was in error on that issue. They did
apparently get into some computers at Anderson Air Force Base in Guam. But
to the best of my knowledge, they did not get into any classified files. It
was entirely unclassified territory." Reporting for the Reuter News
Service, writer Charles Aldinger quotes Bacon as saying the matter is being
investigated by the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, but
"I'm not aware that action has been taken against these fellows, whom I
believe are teen-agers, at ths time."
U.S. defense officials say there is no way classified files could be broken
into via the Internet. They said such files were almost always on closed
systems without outside access, but that personal e-mail or other sensitive
files might be invaded by hackers on the Internet.
Malaysia's Web Hack-Attacked
Hacked twice this week by online vandals, Malaysia's site on the World Wide
Web has been taken down temporarily by the country's national
telecommunications company. Reporting from Kuala Lumpur, the Reuter News
Service quotes officials with Telekom Malaysia Bhd as saying its TMnet home
page was struck on Tuesday by someone who did not sabotage any data on the
site, but left a message on the page saying: "This site has been
hacked!!!"
Then on Thursday, the message, "This site has been hacked again!!!," was
seen on the TMnet page. Reuters says the perpetrator in the first
incident has been identified following an investigation, though Telekom has
note named the person. However, the second vandal "has used much more
sophisticated methods to bypass the log-in procedure and exploit what is
obviously a security vulnerability," a company statement said.
Web Virus Seeker Launched
An artificially intelligent software snoop called "Bloodhound" that
searches the Internet's World Wide Web for new and unknown viruses has been
introduced by Symantec Corp. In Cupertino, California, the Dow Jones news
service quotes the company as saying Bloodhound is based on two of its
advanced anti-virus technologies, the Symantec Seeker system and the new
Symantec AntiVirus Research Center Heuristic Scanner.
Southwestern Bell to Wire Schools
Southwestern Bell says it is launching a massive campaign called "Operation
SchoolNet" to wire nearly 6,200 classrooms in Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma,
Arkansas and Kansas for Internet access. The Baby Bell says it will rely
on the participation by as many as 5,000 members of the Southwestern Bell
Pioneers, one of the nation's largest volunteer organizations, and other
Southwestern Bell employee groups. Lucent Technologies Inc. is donating
equipment that will be necessary for schools to connect to the Internet.
The cabling kits include wiring, computer connectors and a central
connecting block.
"Southwestern Bell has a long tradition of leadership and investing in the
communities we serve, especially in the area of education," says Edward E.
Whitacre Jr., chairman and CEO of SBC Communications Inc., Southwestern
Bell's parent company. "We believe our children should have access to this
great educational resource to learn more about the world around them,
expanding their knowledge and encouraging their thirst for learning." Only
14 percent of the nation's 55 milion school children currently have
Internet access in their classrooms, according to the latest government
statistics.
HP to Acquire Symantec Unit
Hewlett-Packard Co. and Symantec Corp. have signed a non- binding letter of
intent for HP to purchase the assets of Symantec's networking business
unit and incorporate it into its OpenView system and network management
business. The deal's terms weren't disclosed. The companies say the move
will strengthen HP's position as a provider of information-technology (IT)
management software and services and allow Symantec to focus on its core
competencies in productivity and security software.
Symantec's networking business unit is responsible for Norton Administrator
Suite, which includes Norton Administrator for Networks, the Expose
server-management solution and Norton Desktop Administrator. These products
are designed to allow IT administrators to increase productivity and reduce
the total cost of ownership of networked PCs and servers. "Symantec has
achieved great success with its networked PC-management solutions," says
Olivier Helleboid, general manager of HP's network and system management
division. "The incorporation of Symantec products into OpenView will help
customers implement a well-managed environment, the secret to reducing the
total cost of ownership of networked computer systems. HP OpenView is
critical to HP's strategy to help customers successfully manage their
enterprise networked systems."
"In HP, we found a strong partner that could provide customers with the
best combination of management tools, services and support," says Mark
Bailey, senior vice president of business development and emerging
businesses for Symantec. "This move allows us to focus our strengths in
software applications that improve the reliability and productivity of
computers. The Norton Administrator product line complements HP's OpenView
system and network-management strategy, and the combination will bring even
more value to our mutual customers."
3Com, U.S. Robotics Announce Merger
Computer networking specialist 3Com Corp. and modem maker U.S. Robotics
Corp. have announced a definitive agreement to enter into the largest
merger in the history of the data networking industry. The combined
company, which will bear the 3Com name, will be a communications industry
powerhouse with more than $5 billion in annual revenues and over 12,000
employees in approximately 130 countries. The companies note that the
combined firm will have leading positions in each of its core markets and
an installed base of more customer connections to corporate intranets and
the Internet than any other company.
Under the agreement's terms, each share of U.S. Robotics stock will be
exchanged for 1.75 shares of 3Com stock. The transaction will be accounted
for as a pooling of interests. Based on the closing price of 3Com stock
Tuesday, the deal is valued at $6.6 billion. Subject to several conditions,
including regulatory approvals and approval of both companies'
shareholders, the transaction is expected to close this summer. There will
be a one-time charge against earnings during the quarter in which the deal
closes.
Eric Benhamou, 3Com's chairman and CEO will retain his posts after the
merger. U.S. Robotics' chairman and CEO, will join 3Com's board as vice
chairman. "The combination of 3Com and U.S. Robotics dramatically alters
the networking landscape with the industry's broadest set of innovative,
feature-rich network access solutions," says Benhamou. "Together, with an
installed base of over 100 million network connections, we can offer
network users the fastest access to their local and wide area networks.
The leadership and momentum we have will continue to define the next
dimension of networking. This combination will be good for customers, good
for shareholders, and good for our employees."
"3Com and U.S. Robotics share a common vision," adds Cowell. "By providing
faster, more intelligent and easier-to-use products for connecting the
broadest array of users to local and wide area networks, we can accelerate
the deployment of networking worldwide. The combination of 3Com and U.S.
Robotics' technology, products, brands and global distribution will allow
us to bring the power of networking to the widest possible range of
customers, including large enterprises, small businesses, telephone
carriers, network and Internet service providers and consumers."
Borland to Lay Off 300 Workers
Some 300 jobs -- or nearly 30 percent of its work force -- will be cut by
software publisher Borland International Inc. as part of a global
restructuring program aimed at restoring the company to profitability.
Reporting from Sotts Valley, California, the Reuter News Service quotes
officials with the firm as saying the restructuring plan involved
significant reductions in operational expenses, as well as the
implementation of new programs aimed at raising the company's revenues.
Borland Chairman Delbert Yocam said the restructuring is "the beginning of
a plan to grow Borland into a thriving company known for the value it
provides to organizations building client/server and Internet/intranet
applications. We plan to leverage Borland's rich heritage of high-quality
and high-performance software development tools to expand our business into
new markets."
Reuters says that after the restructuring, Borland will employ about 700
full-time employees worldwide. In addition, Borland says it aims to
achieve cost reductions through new marketing and support programs that
will replace programs that no longerfit its core business or strategic
focus.
Apple Dismisses Layoff Talk
A report that Apple Computer Inc. will lay off 40 percent of its workforce
when it announces a restructuring in late March is being dismissed by the
computer makers as speculation. Published on MSNBC's World Wide Web site,
the report yesterday cited "a well-placed Apple executive" as telling the
television net Apple will cut 4,400 of its 11,000 full-time employees and
take a charge for severance benefits of $300 to $350 million. However,
Apple spokeswoman Katie Cotton told the Reuter News Service, "Those numbers
are based on speculation, because we have not determined what the final
numbers will be."
As reported, Apple early this month announced a plan to consolidate its
marketing and development units into fewer groups to cut costs and
concentrate on key computer market. However, specifics of the plan --
including layoffs and possible charges -- won't be announced until next
month, Apple has said.
CompuServe KOs Infringement Suit
CompuServe has won in a patent infringement case brought against it by Elk
Industries Inc. in U.S. District Court in Florida. Frm its Columbus, Ohio,
headquarters, CompuServe released a statement noting Elk sued it in early
1996, alleging infringement of a patent entitled "Audio Storage and
Distribution System." Elk alleged CompuServe was liable for infringement
when CompuServe subscribers retrieved audio files from its service or from
the Internet. CompuServe denied liability and filed a counterclaim seeking
attorneys fees.
Now Elk Industries has agreed to withdraw its suit and CompuServe has
agreed to withdraw its counterclaim and request for attorneys fees. To
avoid potential disputes between Elk and CompuServe, CompuServe obtained a
license under Elk's other patents for a nominal fee of $7,500. The parties
will finalize the dismissal and license in the near future. The Dow Jones
news service notes Elk had filed suit against Netscape Communications
Corp., alleging that company's Internet browser software also infringed the
patent. Elk is closely held by inventor Robin Elkins.
Robotics Delays Modem Shipment
U.S. Robotics Corp. hopes to ship its new high-speed modems by the end of
the week. This is about a week later than some retailers had expected,
notes the Reuter News Service, which quotes a company spokeswoman in
Skokie, Illinois, as saying, "We're shooting for either later today or
tomorrow, but I can't guarantee that at this point."
The wire service notes retailers had been expecting the new modems, which
can download information from the Internet at a rate of 56 kilobits a
second, in stores last weekend. "Though the company did inform retailers
of the delay, one retailer was unable to pull an advertising circular
featuring the new modems," Reuters says. The spokeswoman added, "We're
working with them to make sure everybody's happy."
The U.S. Robotics spokeswoman downplayed the delay, saying, "We feel a few
days one way or another is not going to make a difference," the spokeswoman
said. Meanwhile, Motorola Inc. has said it has formed an alliance with
Rockwell International Corp. to develop a 56-kilobit modem it expects to
introduce early next month.
U.S. Robotics Begins x2 Shipments
U.S. Robotics Inc. reports that it has begun shipping its x2 56K bps
modems. The Skokie, Illinois, company notes that x2 is a breakthrough in
modem technology that provides Internet and online connections, over
standard telephone lines, at speeds nearly twice as fast as 28.8 Kbps
modems. "x2 is here now and consumers will be thrilled when they begin to
use this high-speed technology to connect to their online service provider
and the World Wide Web," says Casey Cowell, chairman and CEO of U.S.
Robotics. "We're delivering the technology that will enable online users
to download all the Web's complicated graphics faster than ever before."
Lotus Ships SmartSuite 97
Lotus Development Corp. has begun shipping SmartSuite 97 Edition for Windws
95 and Windows NT 4.0, the latest version of its personal productivity
software suite. SmartSuite 97 features new collaborative tools and
enhanced Internet integration, including customized delivery of Net-based
information such as news, weather and stock quotes from the Web, or
company news from the corporate intranet. The package also provides 1-2-3
97 Edition, an updated version of the venerable spreadsheet program.
Other features include new editions of the Word Pro word processor,
Freelance Graphics presentation application, Approach database, Organizer
personal information manager, ScreenCam multimedia tool and the SmartCenter
command center. "In what is becoming a two-player, $5 billion office suite
market, we're number two, so we try harder when it comes to delivering
better value for business users," says Lotus President Jeff Papows.
SmartSuite 97 is priced at $399. Current users will be able to upgrade for
$149.
ClarisWorks for Kids Readied
Claris Corp. will target younger computer users with ClarisWorks for Kids,
a productivity software package designed specifically for kids in grades
K-5. The all-in-one product incorporates writing, painting, graphing,
list-making and educational software. Users can also create graphs, slide
shows and pictures or form a thematically-organized collection of clip art
images, sounds, movies and templates that mirror what they're learning in
school. The software is compatible with ClarisWorks 4.0.
ClarisWorks for Kids is scheduled to become available this summer for Mac
OS and later this year for Windows 95. It will sell for about $49. A free,
time-limited beta test Mac OS version will be available for downloading
from the new ClarisWorks for Kids Web site (www.claris.com/kids) this
spring. "There is a great need for an integrated software solution for
younger kids," says Richard Zwetchkenbaum, director of consumer computing
and educational markets for market researcher IDC/LINK. "ClarisWorks for
Kids provides the tools younger kids can relate to and enjoyusing, helping
them learn and excel."
New Aptiva Offers Remote Control
IBM Corp. is offering a remote control designed for Web surfing on its
upgraded Aptiva S line. The company notes that the device allows users to
browse the Internet as well as launch programs at the touch of a button.
The remote control also lets users navigate around the desktop, eliminating
the need to sit directly in front of the computer and click on icons, pull
down menus and open folders with a mouse.
"IBM will continue to meet the growing demands of Aptiva customers for
quick and easy access to the Web. Simple buttons on the remote control
make it easier to perform a variety of functions, including specialized
Aptiva telephony functions and Internet access," says Elaine Lack, director
of marketing, operations and services for IBM's consumer desktop systems
group. "With the remote control, consumers have a new and unique way to
interact with their IBM Aptivas and the Internet."
SyQuest Ships Hard Disk Drives
SyQuest Technology Inc.'s new SyJet removable cartridge hard drive, with a
storage capacity of 1.5 gigabytes, are now being shipped. Reporting from
Fremont, California, the Reuter News Service quotes the company as saying
it already has a company record $26 million backlog of orders for the new
product. Also, Syquest now is shipping its EZFlyer 230 drives and
cartridges, as well as the SyJet drives, to Chinese computer distributor
Legend Group.
CyberMalls Discontinued
The firm incorporated last year to prepare, develop and sell virtual
shopping malls on the Internet has been discontinued. The CyberMalls
subsidiary of CyberAmerica Corp. has folded because it "had large
unanticipated start up costs and its revenues did not meet projections,"
says the Reuter News Service in a report from Salt Lake City. Reuters
notes CyberMalls President Nathan Tippetts resigned on Feb 7, but the
company said he would remain with CyberAmerica as an independent consultant
while CyberAmerica focuses its operations primarily on its real estate and
financial consulting divisions. The wire service says Cyberalls also was
developing the product-specific Internet search engine called WebSafari.
Feds Worry About Year 2000
A congressional investigator has warned that some U.S. government computer
systems failures are likely when the year 2000 begins. Speaking yesterday
before a House of Representatives Government Reform Committee hearing, Joel
Willemssen, the General Accounting Office's director of information
resources management, said, "I think there is a high probability that
there will be some failures," adding, "Every government program that
provides benefits in any way is subject to these problems, from Social
Security and veterans' benefits to student loans and subsidized housing.
This is not simply a government issue, it is something that will touch us
all."
Robert Green of the Reuter News Service notes the problem would occur when
the date changes from Dec. 31, 1999 to Jan. 1, 2000. As reported, many
computers that only use the last two digits of a year will read the date as
1900. Willemssen told Congress the problem could be corrected but would
need major action by all departments and agencies because the government
uses a wide variety of computer systems, many with computer languages that
are old or obsolete. "It will take long, hard effort, but it can and must
be done," he said.
And the GAO's Keith Rhodes says some problems already are happening. He
said a three-year defense contract awarded last month for completion in
January, 2000 caused a computer to issue a 97-year delinquency notice to
the contractor.
Digital Camera Boom Steadfast
Dataquest Inc. is forecasting that the worldwide digital still camera
market will reach 5.9 million units by the year 2000. But the San Jose,
California, market research firm warns that while the market will show
positive growth, it's not likely to become the consumer bonanza that many
manufacturers anticipate before the end of the century. "Digital cameras
will be used primarily as a computer peripheral for at least the next three
years," says Jonathan Cassel, a Dataquest analyst.
According to Cassell, a major reason why these cameras won't replace
traditional film cameras by the year 2000 is price. He says consumer
purchases will increase when the camera's price drops into a more
affordable price range. The average selling price (ASP) for manufacturers
of digital still cameras was $315 in 1995. Dataquest forecasts the
manufacturers' ASP of digital still cameras will drop to $177 by the year
2000. "Because of their digital nature and large semiconductor
content,digital still cameras will settle into a price dynamic similar to
that found in the PC market, with features steadily improving at fixed
price points,"
says Cassell.
IBM Sells Used PCs on the Web
IBM Credit Corp. has started selling used PCs over the Internet with the
debut of the IBM Refurbished Computer Warehouse
(http://mer.shop.ibm.com/shopping/ibmcredit.) The company says the site
offers visitors the opportunity to purchase refurbished IBM PCs
electronically with a credit card. It notes that card transactions are
secured by encryption/decryption software. Customers will also be able to
place orders via e-mail or an 800 number.
According to IBM Credit, U.S. customers can order a wide variety of PCs
from low-end '486 machines up through PCs with Pentium processors. The
availability of systems and models changes routinely. Once a PC is
ordered, it will be shipped to a U.S. site within 48 hours. Each system
comes with a seven-day money back guarantee and a 90-day quality
guarantee.
Study Finds Workforce Shortage
The Information Technology Association of America says its new "Help
Wanted" survey finds a labor shortage of over 190,000 technically-skilled
jobs in mid- and large-sized U.S. companies -- firms both inside and
outside the information technology industry. The actual number of openings
is thought to be even larger because the organization's random survey of
2,000 respondents doesn't include small companies, not-for-profit
organizations or government agencies - all highly dependent on such
workers.
"The `Help Wanted' study is a wake up call to the nation," says ITAA
President Harris Miller. "We can no longer take our leadership in high
tech markets for granted. For many years, our industry has been concerned
about the declining erollments in computer science departments and the
difficulty employers have in finding appropriately skilled IT workers. Now,
for the first time, we have the systematically generated data to
substantiate these concerns and to demonstrate that `business as usual'
solutions are not getting the job done."
Among the study's other major findings:
ú One in ten information technology job openings goes unfilled.
ú Eighty-two percent of respondents expect to increase the number of IT
workers.
ú Seventy-one percent of respondents see a greater demand for IT workers
than for other types of skilled employees.
ú Sixty-eight percent of respondents see the labor shortage as a barrier
to growth.
ú Increased recruiting and training remain partial solutions.
ú Universities are not doing an adequate job of graduating appropriately
skilled students in sufficient numbers.
ú Labor shortages will slow economic growth as companies curtail plans
to meet implementation realities.
A report summary is available on the ITAA Web site at www.itaa.org/helpwanted.htm.
A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N
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A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N
For Immediate Release
Corel Develops Corel WordPerfect Suite 7
Construction Edition
OTTAWA, Canada -- February, 1997 -- Corel Corporation has released a new
and innovative version of its Corel WordPerfect Suite -- the Construction
Edition for Windows 95. This edition provides companies in the
construction business with a complete and fully integrated package of
office programs. This specially designed suite includes such applications
as Corel WordPerfect 7, Corel Visual CADD 2.04, Corel Quattro Pro 7, Corel
Presentations 7, Corel Time Line and InfoCentral 7. The Construction
Edition delivers all the software that a builder, architect, engineer or
other professional in the construction business requires.
"Corel recognizes that professionals on the cutting edge of the
construction industry require a CAD program as well as a Word processor,
spreadsheet and scheduling program," said Dr. Michael Cowpland, president
and chief executive officer of Corel Corporation. "Corel WordPerfect Suite
7 - Construction Edition offers some of the world's most innovative CAD and
business software in a new integrated environment at an affordable price."
Corel WordPerfect Suite 7 - Construction Edition includes the following
applications:
ú Intuitive, task oriented Wizards which link all of the programs and
features.
ú Corelr WordPerfectr 7: Innovative key features such as Guidelines,
Make It FitT and
ú Spell-As-You-GoT as well as Internet capabilities, continue to make
this the word processor of choice.
ú Corelr Visual CADDT 2.04: A professional design and drafting program
that allows both new and experienced users to complete any project quickly
and efficiently. Includes powerful drawing and editing tools, multiple
line and dimension types, Symbol Manager and on-screen Wizards.
ú Corelr Quattror Pro 7: This award-winning spreadsheet contains new
chart styles, a new mapping feature, QuickTemplates, Internet connectivity,
and right mouse-button support for fast access to formatting options.
ú Corelr PresentationsT 7: This presentations graphics program includes
the ability to move from a slide to an Internet site or to other slides
with a single click, as well as the ability to convert slide shows to HTML
format, and the option to combine multiple backgrounds, graphics, text,
video and sound within one presentation.
ú Corelr Time Liner: Makes staying on top of work effortless, allows
users to manage multiple projects simultaneously by creating a network of
related projects.
ú InfoCentralTM 7: A powerful database information manager.
ú EnvoyT 7: The perfect workgroup electronic publishing tool for CD-ROM
and the Internet.
ú Netscape NavigatorT 2.01 Internet Browser: Obtain access to the
Internet through a
ú best-of-breed Internet browser.
ú CorelFLOWT 3: Powerful business graphics.
ú Starfish Software's SidekickT 95: The most popular personal
information manager and scheduler
ú DAD: Desktop Application Director
ú 150 top quality fonts
ú 10,000+ clip art images
ú 400+ house plans in VCD format, 350+ house plans from HDA in bitmap
format
ú 7,000 CAD symbols
ú Construction forms
ú Building specifications with macros that automate standard editing
procedures
Unique Integration
The task oriented Wizards integrate the many programs and features in the
package. Included are wizards which sort the house plans by user specified
criteria and make it easy for users to extract information from a Visual
CAD drawing into Corel WordPerfect or Corel Quattro Pro. Using Corel
QuickTasks makes it possible to automatically complete entire projects in
several applications.
Putting the Internet to Work
Make the most of full Internet connectivity by converting core application
files to and from HTML in a single step. Other features include:
ú Link information directly to Corel WordPerfect Suite 7 documents
through URL cell support.
ú Import and export to and from HTML in Corel WordPerfect 7 and Corel
Quattro Pro 7.
ú EnvoyT 7 electronic publishing solution for sharing Internet documents
with all fonts, graphics and formatting intact.
ú QuickConnectT instantly connects users to Bookmarks in Netscape
NavigatorT 2.01 or favorite places in America Onliner, CompuServer or
Microsoftr Network.
ú Envoy 7 document viewing directly from Internet browser.
ú Create web-ready Corel WordPerfect documents that can be directly
exported to HTML.
ú Link InfoCentral records to Internet sites using URL fields.
System Requirements and Pricing
The minimum system requirements for Corel WordPerfect Suite 7 -
Construction Edition are a PC 486/25 processor, Windows 95 or Windows NT
4.0, at least 8 MB of RAM (16 recommended), 200 MB of hard disk space (for
a typical installation) a VGA monitor, and a double-speed CD-ROM drive.
The Corel WordPerfect Suite - Construction Edition will ship for a
suggested retail price of $449 U.S., with upgrades available for $229 U.S.
(Dealers may sell for less.)
Corel Corporation
Incorporated in 1985, Corel Corporation is recognized internationally as an
award-winning developer and marketer of productivity applications, graphics
and multimedia software. Corel's product line includes CorelDRAWT, Corelr
WordPerfectr Suite, Corelr Office Professional, CorelVIDEOT, CorelCADT 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. Corel is traded on
the Toronto Stock Exchange (symbol: COS) and on NASDAQ-National Market
System (symbol:COSFF). For more information visit Corel's home page on the
Internet at http://www.corel.com. Corel and WordPerfect are registered
trademarks and CorelDRAW, CorelVIDEO and CorelCAD are trademarks of Corel
Corporation or Corel Corporation Limited. All products mentioned are
trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
EDUPAGE STR Focus Keeping the users informed
Edupage
Contents
Borland Cuts Staff, Changes Focus
CompuServe Pares Down To Get Ready For Spinoff
High-Speed Wireless Communications
Back To The Future With Paper Post-It Notes
Password-Sharing Thwarts Web Revenues
Gov't Committee Chair Calls For Duty-Free Internet Trade Zone
Discovery Invests In New Photo Technology
Nerve-Wracking Demo News From U.S. State Department
Russians Buy IBM Supercomputer Through Middleman
AOL Sued Over Accounting Practices
Modem Wars Escalate
Rupert's Reach For The Sky
Jobs On Top Of Things At Apple
Academics Challenge Indecency Law
Auctioning Off Extra Ad Space On Web
IBM & NTT Collaborate On Network Project
C-Cube's Decoder Chip Could Mean Cheaper DVD Players
Virtual Intranet
3Com Acquires U.S. Robotics
AOL And Tel-Save Strike Big Marketing Deal
AT&T Unveils Wireless Link To Long-Distance Network
Scholars Propose Strengthening Peer Review Electronically
Silicon Graphics Sold Supercomputers To Chinese
AT&T Ends Free WorldNet Service
SEC Settles Internet Fraud Case
Net Hate
Taxing The Net
Drucker Says "Universities Won't Survive
BORLAND CUTS STAFF, CHANGES FOCUS
Reducing its staff by 30% (to 700 people), Borland International, the
company now best known for its Delphi, dBase and Turbo products, is
refocusing its efforts on helping organizations build client-server
applications and Intranet applications. Some industry analysts believe the
company is reorganizing itself for sale to the highest bidder. (New York
Times 21 Feb 97)
COMPUSERVE PARES DOWN TO GET READY FOR SPINOFF
Several days after the resignation of its chief executive, CompuServe has
cut 14% of its workforce through resignations and other voluntary means.
The online service provider is hoping that the cuts will allow it to
become profitable enough to allow parent company H&R Block to spin off its
remaining 80% stake in CompuServe to shareholders. (USA Today 21 Feb 97)
HIGH-SPEED WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS
Israel-based New Media Communications has licensed its high-speed wireless
modems to CellularVision Technology & Telecommunications, which plans a
commercial rollout of its wireless communications service in Manhattan in
about six months. The modems, which are linked to little 6-inch-by-6-inch
antennas, can download at speeds up to 54 megabits per second, although
users won't be able to take advantage of those speeds right away. Most of
today's PCs can handle only about 10 megabits per second, but as technology
improves, the higher capacity will come in handy, say CellularVision execs.
The modems use local multipoint distribution service technology to provide
connectivity. (Business Week 24 Feb 97)
BACK TO THE FUTURE WITH PAPER POST-IT NOTES
3M's ubiquitous little paper Post-it Notes changed the way offices
communicate 20 years ago, and recently the company issued an electronic
version that allows you to attach notes to electronic files. But 3M's Post-
it Software Notes 1.5 for Windows now lets you print out your electronic
Post-its, insert a date and time stamp, and even personalize them with
clip art. "We don't have paperless offices," says a 3M software
specialist. "Customers want tools to bridge the two environments."
(Information Week 10 Feb 97)
PASSWORD-SHARING THWARTS WEB REVENUES
Web entrepreneurs who charge subscription fees for accessing their Web
sites are finding their customers are passing along their passwords to
friends, relatives, etc., thus diminishing Web operators' potential for
making their venture pay off. "Everybody on the Internet who sell
subscriptions has this problem to one degree or another," says a producer
for SportsZone. A technical fix is possible, but Web site operators are
reluctant to make things more difficult for legitimate subscribers to log
on. Meanwhile, Internet Billing offers software that allows Web sites to
limit how many times the same password may be used each day -- a solution
that would probably keep some of the piracy down, but runs the risk of
alienating paying customers who just want to log on a lot. (Wall Street
Journal 21 Feb 97)
GOV'T COMMITTEE CHAIR CALLS FOR
DUTY-FREE INTERNET TRADE ZONE
In a statement entitled "A Global Free Trade Zone on the Internet,"
Representative Christopher Cox (R- Calif.) advocates a duty-free Internet
trade zone, noting that "the idea, if implemented, would benefit the
Internet, the United States, and the cause of free trade everywhere... by
creating a comparative advantage for people and firms that produce
competitive, high-quality services and goods that will be in demand without
protective tariffs." Cox chairs a House Policy Committee now examining
Internet taxation issues. (BNA Daily Report for Executives 19 Feb 97)
DISCOVERY INVESTS IN NEW PHOTO TECHNOLOGY
Discovery Communications has bought a multi-million dollar stake in
Omniview Inc., which has developed a technology that enables Web site
designers to create 360-degree photo images of environments that can be
explored online in real time. Discovery used the technology when it
explored the remains of the Titanic last August, and plans to incorporate
it when it previews its Planet Explorer CD-ROM on Istanbul. "It will help
us bring down the cost of field production," says the VP for Discovery
Online. "And we can create these wonderfully engaging and immersive
environments." (Broadcasting & Cable 17 Feb 97)
NERVE-WRACKING DEMO NEWS FROM
U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright was positioned at her terminal in the
American Library in Moscow, ready to chat via the Internet with high
school students in 48 countries, when the screen appeared to freeze up.
While waiting for technicians to resolve the problem, she chatted live with
on-site reporters about the degree of her personal technological
readiness. "I do know how to type. I am not good at the mouse. People of
a certain age do not have very good eye-hand coordination." When a new
terminal was brought in, the chat session resumed, and the Secretary
answered a few questions about such things as the weather in Moscow and
what she had for dinner. (Washington Post 20 Feb 97)
RUSSIANS BUY IBM SUPERCOMPUTER THROUGH MIDDLEMAN
To conduct computer simulations of nuclear tests, Russia's Ministry of
Atomic Energy Affairs has paid a European middleman $7 million for an IBM
RS/6000 SP supercomputer capable of performing 10 billion calculations per
second. Last year, the U.S. government rejected requests by IBM and
Hewlett-Packard to sell supercomputers to the Russians, and a senior
American official says: "We have made a policy decision not to assist the
Russians in their stockpile stewardship program. Even though relations
with the Russians are good, we are potentially a target for their nuclear
forces if relations change." (New York Times 25 Feb 97)
AOL SUED OVER ACCOUNTING PRACTICES
Unhappy shareholders have filed a lawsuit against America Online, alleging
that directors and outside accountants violated federal securities laws
when the company took a $385 million charge for marketing expenses last
October. The suit claims the write-off "instantly eliminated in its
entirety the largest single asset on its balance sheet (capitalized
subscriber acquisition costs), reduced its shareholders' equity by 80% and
wiped out by five times over the total pre-tax net income it had ever
reported... It is now clear that AOL had never earned any profits and, in
fact, had been incurring huge operating losses in prior years rather than
the profits it had claimed." The plaintiffs, who are seeking class-action
status for their lawsuit, have also named Ernst & Young, AOL's
accountants, and 18 AOL insiders in their suit, claiming that top execs
"took advantage of the artificial inflation in AOL's stock... to pocket
$95 million in illegal insider trading profits." An AOL spokeswoman says,
"We're confident that we acted in full compliance with all applicable
securities laws." (Wall Street Journal 25 Feb 97)
MODEM WARS ESCALATE
The race between Motorola and U.S. Robotics to get the first 56-Kbps modems
to market is heating up, in the wake of U.S. Robotics' acknowledgment that
it couldn't meet its shipping deadline last week. Because the products
from the two companies will not be compatible until a world standard is set
sometime in 1998, pressures are mounting on both sides to sell as many
devices as possible in the hope of establishing a de facto standard via
the market. (Tampa Tribune 24 Feb 97) U.S. Robotics announced it has now
shipped the first of its 56-Kbps modems, after postponing shipment earlier
so it could fix some bugs in the software. Motorola plans to introduce its
products in a couple of months. (Wall Street Journal 25 Feb 97)
RUPERT'S REACH FOR THE SKY
Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. will spend $1 billion for 50% ownership of
Denver-based Echostar Communications and will sell more than 500 channels
of digital TV service in all 50 states beginning in 1998 under the brand
name Sky, offering serious competition both to cable TV operators and to
such direct broadcast satellite (DBS) operators as DirecTV. In contrast
with other DBS systems, Sky will have enough satellite capacity to offer
local television programs, and the company will use "spot beams" that
target local signals down toward small geographic areas. (Washington Post
25 Feb 97)
JOBS ON TOP OF THINGS AT APPLE
Steve Jobs, who returned to Apple Computer in December after an 11-year
hiatus, is rapidly becoming the focal point for the computer company's
revival strategies, say analysts. "It may not be official, but Jobs is
the guy," says a market researcher at Dataquest
Inc. "He will -- either
through influence or direct control -- have a say in what happens to this
company." Meanwhile, a number of top Apple executives have left over the
past couple of months, and several Next executives have assumed key posts -
Avie Tevanian now runs Apple's software unit while Jon Rubinstein manages
the hardware unit. "When you are running hardware and software -- that
doesn't leave much left over," says an analyst with Wasserstein Perella
Securities. (St. Petersburg Times 24 Feb 97)
ACADEMICS CHALLENGE INDECENCY LAW
A group of 25 individuals and organizations has filed a brief with the U.S.
Supreme Court, urging it to overturn a federal law restricting "indecent"
content in cyberspace. The Communications Decency Act (CDA) specifies
punishment for anyone who knowingly provides "indecent" material to minors.
One of the signers, the American Association of University Professors,
wrote that it "is concerned that the CDA will chill online expression and
discussion on a wide variety of academic subjects (e.g., medicine, biology,
anatomy, social work, art, and journalism), impairing use of this promising
new medium for legitimate pedagogical and research purposes." (Chronicle
of Higher Education 28 Feb 97)
AUCTIONING OFF EXTRA AD SPACE ON WEB
FlyCast Communications Corp. is aiming to become the Web's advertising
liquidator, selling unused ad space through an electronic auction system.
The company estimates that most Web sites fill only about 50% of their
allotted space, often using the remainder for house ads or giving it away
free to steady customers. FlyCast doesn't see its business as dominated
by blue light specials at rock-bottom prices, however. It's setting up
its system so that agencies can snap up highly targeted ad space on short
notice, for premium prices. (Wall Street Journal 24 Feb 97)
IBM & NTT COLLABORATE ON NETWORK PROJECT
IBM and Japan's Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) will work
together to develop computer network products and services in Japan, using
NTT's communication and IBM's "middleware" software (probably Lotus
Notes). The ultimate goal of the collaboration will be to develop
technological standards for corporations that want to use data networks to
offer commercial services such as electronic shopping. (AP 24 Feb 97)
C-CUBE'S DECODER CHIP COULD MEAN CHEAPER DVD PLAYERS
A new digital video disk (DVD) chip from C-Cube Microsystems could drop the
price of DVD players below $500 -- the price point at which the new
devices are more likely to experience significant market success. C-Cube
says its new chip can do the work of six chips installed in existing DVD
players, and analysts say machines containing C-Cube's chips will appear
later this summer in the U.S. Hollywood is expected to begin releasing
their first DVD titles in the next several weeks, with computer software
makers expected to follow suit eventually. (Wall Street Journal 24 Feb
97)
VIRTUAL INTRANET
A virtual intranet created by Netscape for a fictitious company allows
visitors to see the kinds of things an Intranet can do and then choose to
accept a free download of the Netscape AppFoundry applications used to
create the intranet. (Financial Times 24 Feb 97)
<http://home.netscape.com/comprod/at_work/vip/index.html>
3COM ACQUIRES U.S. ROBOTICS
3Com Corporation is buying modem-maker U.S. Robotics for $6.6 billion,
creating a combined company with $5 billion in annual revenues and more
than 12,000 employees. 3Com's move will make it one of the two top
competitors in the networking business, the other being Cisco Systems.
(Washington Post 26 Feb 97)
AOL AND TEL-SAVE STRIKE BIG MARKETING DEAL
Tel-Save, a reseller of long-distance phone service, will spend $100
million marketing its services through America Online. The deal will
allow Tel-Save to save on marketing costs and administrative costs, and
will make AOL less reliant on subscriber revenue as it switches its
business model to offer flat-rate pricing -- a strategy that has enabled
it to keep its huge numbers of subscribers, thereby attracting advertisers
and online commercial enterprises. (New York Times 26 Feb 97)
AT&T UNVEILS WIRELESS LINK TO LONG-DISTANCE NETWORK
AT&T has developed what it calls the "communications medium for the 21st
century" -- a wireless system that bypasses the local phone network to
link residential and business phones directly to the company's long-
distance network. The system, which operates via a small transceiver
attached to the side of a house or building, provides at least two phone
lines and data transmission at twice the speed available over Bell company
lines. "When we call this a breakthrough, we're placing it in the same
category as satellite and fiber-optic transmission and electronic
switching," says AT&T President John Walter. The company claims its new
system, nicknamed Project Angel during the development phase, will beat
regular wired service in call quality and error-free data transmission.
(Wall Street Journal 26 Feb 97)
SCHOLARS PROPOSE STRENGTHENING
PEER REVIEW ELECTRONICALLY
An editor at The Journal of the American Medical Association and an adjunct
professor of medicine at the University of California at San Francisco
have recommended an electronic peer-review system that would allow
researchers to have ready access to all comments related to a particular
paper through a consolidated database. Editors could review readers'
comments, request responses from authors, and update the database on a
quarterly basis. Journals could make publishing a work conditional upon
such participation, and people who submit comments would be required to
disclose any conflicts of interest or affiliations that might affect their
response. (Chronicle of Higher Education 28 Feb 97)
SILICON GRAPHICS SOLD SUPERCOMPUTERS TO CHINESE
On the heels of their admission that they sold supercomputers to a Russian
nuclear weapons lab without the required export license, Silicon Graphics
has now acknowledged that it sold two similar computers to China's Academy
of Sciences, which also is involved in nuclear weapons and missiles
research. The company says the China deals were conducted "in full
compliance with U.S. export regulations," but records show it was sold in
June 1996 without an export license. The Clinton administration began its
policy of requiring licenses for the export of supercomputers to foreign
entities involved in nuclear weapons research in January 1996. The
computer sold to the Chinese is twice as powerful as the one recently sold
to the Russians and will be used as a "backbone" for "hundreds of
institutes" in the Chinese academy. (Wall Street Journal 27 Feb 97)
AT&T ENDS FREE WORLDNET SERVICE
AT&T is ending its introductory offer for long-distance customers of five
free hours a month on its WorldNet Internet access service. After March
31, a new pricing plan kicks in, at a flat-rate of $19.95 a month, or
$4.95 for the first five hours. (Investor's Business Daily 27 Feb 97)
SEC SETTLES INTERNET FRAUD CASE
The Securities and Exchange Commission has settled the case it brought
against a Florida-based online investment newsletter. George Chelekis and
two companies he controls -- KGC Inc. and Hot Stocks Review Inc. - have
agreed to pay fines totaling $162,727. The SEC alleged that Chelekis
knowingly made "false and misleading statements" about six companies:
Luminart Inc., Nona Morelli's II Inc., Urban Resource Technologies Inc.,
Advanced Viral Research Corp., Canmine Resources Corp., and Quest
International resources Corp. Some 150 companies had paid Chelekis to
promote them on the Internet, and he was charged with failing to disclose
those payments. (Wall Street Journal 26 Feb 97)
NET HATE
The Anti-Defamation League's annual report says that "electronic hate is
the dark side of technology, and anti-Semites have particularly taken to
the medium." In 1996 anti-Semitic incidents in traditional forms declined
by 7% from 1,843 to 1,722 incidents, but "anti-Semites and Holocaust
deniers" shifted to the Net. The report says that, because the Internet
is unregulated, "bigots can spew their hatred without ever running the
risk of being identified." (USA Today 26 Feb 97)
TAXING THE NET
Advising state and local governments not to consider the Internet as a
potential source for new tax revenue, the technology director of the
American Electronics Association says that the imposition of a multitude of
state and local taxes would "degrade and demean the technology." At the
federal level, the Clinton Administration, the U.S. Treasury, and House
Republicans have all indicated rejection of the idea of taxing sales on
the Internet, but at the state level, Connecticut, Massachusetts,
Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Texas, Ohio and Wisconsin are taxing some
Internet services. New York Governor George Pataki made his the first
state to exempt Internet service providers from state taxes. (AP 26 Feb 97)
DRUCKER SAYS "UNIVERSITIES WON'T SURVIVE"
Renowned management consultant and author Peter Drucker says: "Thirty
years from now the big university campuses will be relics. Universities
won't survive. It's as large a change as when we first got the printed
book. Do you realize that the cost of higher education has risen as fast
as the cost of health care? ... Such totally uncontrollable expenditures,
without any visible improvement in either the content or the quality of
education, means that the system is rapidly becoming untenable. Higher
education is in deep crisis... Already we are beginning to deliver more
lectures and classes off campus via satellite or two-way video at a
fraction of the cost. The college won't survive as a residential
institution. " (Forbes 10 Mar 97)
Edupage is written by John Gehl (gehl@educom.edu) & Suzanne Douglas
(douglas@educom.edu).
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The CAUSE organization's annual conference on information technology in
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MCAFEE DISCOVERS SHAREFUN VIRUS
FIRST MACRO VIRUS TO AUTOMATICALLY EMAIL ITSELF TO UNSUSPECTING VICTIMS
SANTA CLARA, CALIF. (February 24, 1997) -- McAfee (Nasdaq: MCAF), the
world's leading vendor of anti-virus software, today announced that its
Anti-Virus Emergency Response Team (AVERT) has discovered the first macro
computer virus to specifically target users of Microsoft's popular
Microsoft Mail (MS-Mail) email software. The virus, which is called
ShareFun, searches through a user's email directory and automatically
generates and transmits email messages with virus-infected attachments.
"ShareFun is the first macro virus to commandeer an electronic mail program
and use that program to accelerate its own spread," said Jimmy Kuo,
director of McAfee's Anti-Virus Response Team. "The virus is especially
pernicious in that it tricks its recipients into believing they were sent
the file by a trusted friend."
How ShareFun Works
ShareFun is a macro virus which infects Word for Windows versions 6 and 7.
A user becomes infected with ShareFun when they open an infected Word
document. Once an infected document is opened, the virus infects the user's
Microsoft Word environment and then runs a self-contained random number
generator which results in a 25% probability of the virus taking a second
action. During this second action, the virus searches the user's hard disk
for the presence of MS- Mail, an electronic mail program which is bundled
with the popular Microsoft Office suite. If the virus does not find MS-mail
present, then it takes no action.
If the virus finds MS-Mail present, it accesses the MS-Mail email
directory, chooses three random email addresses out of the directory, and
generates an email message to each of the recipients. As part of the email
generation process, the virus attaches a ShareFun-infected Word document to
the email and creates an email subject line that reads "You have GOT to
read this!" The attached document is the same ShareFun-infected Word
document that was launched by the user.
Once the ShareFun virus finishes composing the email, it automatically
transmits the virus to the three recipients, often without the knowledge of
the originating user. Upon arrival of the email, recipients will find a
blank message. What they will see is an attachment, which will have arrived
from a trusted friend or associate, with the subject line message, 'You
have GOT to read this!'". When the recipient double-clicks on the attached
document, the virus will activate and infect the recipient's Microsoft Word
environment.
In addition to leveraging MS-Mail as a replication and transmission
vehicle, ShareFun also infects all subsequent Word documents that are
opened by the user from within Word. These infected documents can in turn
infect other Microsoft Word documents as they are shared over a corporate
network, transmitted via email over the Internet or corporate intranet, or
shared via floppy disk.
McAfee Customer Discovers ShareFun
Researchers at McAfee's Anti-Virus Research Center (AVERT) discovered the
virus the evening of Tuesday, February 18, after a McAfee customer, a major
international retailer, submitted a sample which the customer believed to
be a virus. Upon receipt of the sample, AVERT researchers began working
with Microsoft to investigate the sample, confirm its identity as a virus,
and characterize its behavior. McAfee posted a special detector for the
ShareFun virus on its web site on Wednesday, February 19.
"Microsoft is committed to working with McAfee and other anti-virus
software vendors to make sure our customers have the best information and
the best tools to prevent the spread of macros viruses," said Tom Williams,
Microsoft's Product Manager for Microsoft Office. "This new virus does not
harm data and customers should use the same precautions they've used in the
past to protect themselves: never open an attachment if you're uncertain of
its origin, use the built-in tools in Microsoft Word to screen for
potential viruses, and use an NCSA-certified anti-virus application at all
times."
McAfee Develops World's First ShareFun Virus Scanner
As a public service, McAfee has developed a special update of its VirusScan
software which provides an antidote for the virus. The free working
evaluation version of the product can be downloaded from McAfee's web site
at http://beta.mcafee.com/public/dosscan/betascan.zip. McAfee has also
shared the virus sample with other anti-virus researchers, so that they too
can develop solutions to protect their customers.
McAfee Anti-Virus Researchers Provide Rapid Response to Virus Outbreaks
According to market researcher IDC, McAfee's VirusScan is the world's most
popular anti-virus software, selling more units that all other titles
combined. As the world's leading vendor of anti-virus software, McAfee is
considered the computer industry's Center for Disease Control.
AVERT researchers, which are located in the U.S., Japan, France and the
Netherlands, work 24 hours a day to analyze approximately 1,000 suspect
files submitted each month by McAfee customers. In order to provide rapid
response to emerging virus threats, AVERT now posts hourly beta updates for
detectors of new viruses on the Internet at beta.mcafee.com. McAfee is the
industry's only anti-virus vendor to provide this level of protection.
McAfee provides the industry's most comprehensive line of anti-virus
software solutions designed to protect against computer viruses on all
major desktop and network computing platforms. VirusScan is just one
component in McAfee's multi-tiered virus defense family, in with McAfee has
developed specialized anti-virus solutions for each potential point of
network virus penetration. McAfee's anti-virus solutions include:
VirusScanProtects DOS, Windows 3.x, Windows 95, Windows NT, Unix, Linux,
OS/2 and Macintosh desktops.NetShield Protects Windows NT and NetWare
servers.WebShield Protects firewall and Internet gateway environments by
scanning all HTTP, FTP, and SMTP traffic.GroupScan and GroupShield Provides
native anti-virus protection for Lotus Notes environments.WebScan Protects
Windows 95 and Windows NT desktops from downloading virus- infected files
over the Internet.
VirusScan 3.0 for Windows95
better than ever!
VirusScan 3.0 now offers the highest level of virus detection rates in the
industry as well as fast scanning performance with its new Hunter engine
technology. The Hunter engine achieves its stellar performance through a 32-
bit, multithreaded implementation designed to utilize the latest advances
in memory and I/O management. All virus types including Word and Excel
macros, boot-sector infections, file, multi-partite, stealth, polymorphic
and encrypted viruses are detected. The Hunter engine even stops viruses
written in Visual Basic 5.0 and Office97 file formats, offering users
maximum defense against the newest threats to data.
ú Price: $65 USD electronic delivery
ú System Requirements: CPU capable of running Windows 95
ú Disk space: 3 MB
The McAfee Mall offers downloadable software products from many software
vendors as well as McAfee's own award winning software. For multiple
license pricing of McAfee products, please call 408-988-3832.
McAfee Associates
2710 Walsh Avenue
Santa Clara, CA USA
95051-0963
Phone: (408) 988-3832
Fax: (408) 970-9727 If you have any questions about the McAfee Mall please
send electronic mail to ordermaster@cc.mcafee.com
Founded in 1989, McAfee is a leading worldwide vendor of Network Security
and Management products for enterprise networks. The Company is also a
leader in Internet and Web-based electronic software distribution. McAfee
is headquartered in Santa Clara, California and can be reached by phone at
(408) 988-3832 or by fax at (408) 970-9727. McAfee's Web address is
http://www.mcafee.com. McAfee is a registered trademark of McAfee
Associates, Inc. Other product names and various content (including but not
limited to audio, video, and graphics) are trademarks of their respective
owners. (c) McAfee. All rights reserved, 1997.
Kids Computing Corner
Frank Sereno, Editor
fsereno@streport.com
The Kids' Computing Corner
Computer news and software reviews
from a parent's point of view
Travel Talk Spanish
Windows CD-ROM
$54.00 Street price
ages 12 and up
The Learning Company
6493 Kaiser Drive
Fremont, CA 94555
1-800-227-5609
http://www.learningco.com
Program Requirements
OS: Windows 3.1
CPU: 486DX
HD Space: ? MB
Memory: 8 MB
Graphics: 640 x 480, 256 colors
CD-ROM: Double-speed
Audio: 16-bit sound card
Optional: microphone
review by Jason Sereno (jason.sereno@mules-ear.com)
Travel Talk Spanish is a new release from The Learning Company. This
program is for people who go on trips of work or play to Spanish-speaking
countries and unfamiliar with the Spanish language. The program uses the
QuickTime movie format and a 3D interface. The audio and the video in this
program are remarkable and it presents information in many different and
exciting ways. There is also an option that allows you to respond to
characters using a microphone.
Travel Talk Spanish uses a 3D interactive interface. First, you arrive on
a plane into a Spanish-speaking resort. Bill Harvey greets you as you begin
your language journey. He will be your guide through most of the program.
You can enter three different rooms from the main lobby of the resort. This
program then puts you in real situations that you could experience while on
a trip in a Spanish-speaking country. It uses games and activities from
the three different rooms that can be accessed from the lobby: the game
room, travel lab, and language studio. Each room has its own
characteristics and activities that help you to learn and comprehend the
language.
The language studio is the first room that you should enter when using this
program. It has vocabulary words and phrases in interactive sections that
deal with subjects anywhere from arrival to any unexpected events that may
occur. This is the most important section in the program. It teaches you
the fundamentals of Spanish and phrases that may come in handy for you.
The virtual travel lab is the place where you can put your newly learned
vocabulary to work. It has simulations that you respond to using a
microphone. This is a very useful section. The interface lets you feel
like you are right there with the person on the screen. There are really
no limits as to what you can say. As long as you speak clearly and you are
using the words that are in the Spanish dictionary, the computer can give
you multiple answers. You can also ask the person on the screen to repeat
what they have just said and they can also ask you to repeat yourself if
they do not understand you. You can also watch slideshows on different
aspects Spanish culture.
The game room features a juke box that displays the words to some favorite
Spanish lyric songs. It also has a video matching game. You must match
the question that to the correct response. There is a conquest game
available, too. You can be play against the computer and it is a fun way
to brush up on your Spanish vocabulary skills.
If you would prefer just to build your vocabulary, you can visit the lobby
and use the dictionary and grammar books. The dictionary contains the
basic words that you will need to know. The program presents these words
in Spanish-to-English or English-to-Spanish format. You can browse for the
word that you are looking for also. This can be helpful if you wish to
take your laptop with you and find words quickly and easily. The grammar
book shows some basic verb conjugation, and uses example sentences for you
to study.
The software contains upbeat music that really adds to the fun. Travel
Talk Spanish has great sound along with the QuickTime movies. The movies
are not the same all the time because different situations can occur based
on what you say in the interactive section. I really enjoyed the use of a
microphone in the travel lab room. It is an excellent addition to the
program. All these factors add to the overall fun level of Travel Talk
Spanish.
This program teaches you Spanish by giving you phrases. If you are buying
this program for your child, you should reconsider. Travel Talk Spanish is
not designed for younger children nor is it a full language course. The
program is most useful to business people or travelers who are planning
trips to Spanish-speaking countries. People can quickly brush up on
Spanish vocabulary and learn some useful phrases. If you want your child
to learn the language efficiently and correctly, then they should learn the
meaning of each word in a phrase. Knowing phrases in Spanish is little
help in the long run, because when someone speaks a phrase that you do not
understand then you can no longer speak with them. However, if you can
identify each word by its definition, then you can talk to that person
without interruption. If you are looking for a good program for teaching
your child Spanish the more correct way, you should consider picking up
Practice Makes Perfect Spanish. It is another fine product from The
Learning Company.
Travel Talk Spanish is a great program for people that are planning a trip
to a Spanish speaking country. With this program you will learn vocabulary
and phrases that will be useful to you during your travels. This is a
great program to use. It never gets repetitive or boring because of the
many different scenarios that you can experience. If you or someone you
know is planning a trip to a Spanish speaking country, pick up a copy of
Travel Talk Spanish today. It's simpatico por negocios gente usar para
hablar en espanol.
Nickelodeon 3D Movie Maker
Windows 95 CD-ROM
around $40
ages 8 and up
Microsoft
http://www.microsoft.com
Program Requirements
OS: Windows 95 or NT 3.51
CPU: 486/50mhz
HD Space: 12 MB
Memory: 8 MB
Graphics: 640 x 480, 256 colors
CD-ROM: Double-speed
Audio: 16-bit sound card
Optional: microphone
review by Frank Sereno (fsereno@streport.com)
Nickelodeon 3D Movie Maker from Microsoft is one of the coolest creativity
programs available for children. It combines many beloved cartoon
characters from "Nick" with eye-popping graphics and powerful animation
tools. With this potent program, your children will have no limits as they
create their own amazing cartoons.
Stick Stickly is the amiable and helpful host for the program. Your
children know and love him from his day job as the host for Nickelodeon's
afternoon programming. He'll explain the steps needed to produce original
animated shorts. Stick is available to assist your budding director
whenever he needs help using the numerous tools and gadgets included with
the program.
The program includes some of your child's favorite characters including Ren
and Stimpy, Rocko, Heffer and Real Monsters. Each has a wide array of
facial expressions and action modes. The characters are in 3D so you can
view them from any angle. Nickelodeon 3D Movie Maker also includes many
recorded dialogs using the voices from the animated series. If these
aren't enough to satisfy your child's script, he can create original
recordings provided he has a microphone and sound card.
To further spur your child's creativity, the program includes some pre-
recorded movies. These short movies can provide many ideas that your child
can include in his own projects. He can also use the Choosometer to gain
inspiration. It works like a slot machine for ideas. Pull a handle to
change scenes, characters or music. If an interesting scene comes up on
the screen, you can click on an icon to immediately begin work with that
setting.
Nickelodeon 3D Movie Maker can be a bit daunting at first. The program has
many tools and the learning curve can be steep. Just remember that any
time your child needs assistance, Stick is only a mouse click away. In a
matter of only a few hours, your child can be creating original animations
starring some world-famous characters. Even adults will be fascinated by
this powerful and engaging program. It's backed by Microsoft's 30-day
moneyback guarantee and it has a very reasonable price. If you are looking
for a fun and powerful program to encourage your child to be more creative,
Nickelodeon 3D Movie Maker is your ticket to stardom.
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issue is running approximately 15 to 1 over the ASCII edition. Besides,
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rmariano@streport.com
STReport International Online Magazine
Classics & Gaming Section
Editor Dana P. Jacobson
dpj@streport.com
From the Atari Editor's Desk "Saying it like it is!"
This week has flown by quickly; I feel like I've missed a few days
somewhere along the way!
I could excuse such a feeling if it occurred the past few weeks. After
all, I was "consumed" with the challenge of working on some web pages and
getting the bugs worked out. Now, it's some occasional "maintenance" and
the addition of newly-found sites. I guess time just flies by these days!
Speaking of adding new sites, I want to thank all of the people that have
sent me sites to add up to now - the response has been terrific. Most of
the response has been garnered from my posts on the Usenet, but a few also
came about from the readership here. Keep them coming; I hope to have a
comprehensive list of web sites available. Don't worry about sending me
ones that I might have already (in case you haven't been to my pages), or
the ones that you feel I should already likely have. It's usually the
"obvious" ones that are missed along the way.
I'd like to especially add those sites that belong to dealers and
developers. I feel it's important to provide such information to keep the
Atari userbase as informed as possible, at the source. Also, user groups
and BBSs, even if they don't have a web site. An e-mail address or a BBS
phone number will suffice. We need to keep supporting those who help to
keep supporting us.
I saw a posting on Delphi this week regarding CAB. Apparently, and this
hasn't been verified yet, CAB will become a commercial product. Here's the
post, courtesy of Greg Evans:
"Someone in the Afterburner 040 email list mentioned that Applications
Systems Heidelberg has bought CAB and will be releasing it as a commercial
product. That's all he wrote, but I'll try to track down some more
information."
Interesting news, if true. With the coming of Termite from Oregon
Research, and possible others, CAB has a good head start and a good
following. It should do well if the reported enhancements and fixes make
it to the next release. We'll keep you posted as we learn more. No
articles for you this week, just my ramblings. We're waiting for Michael
Burkley's next "Unabashed Atariophile" column as well as some other
projects in the making. So, stay tuned!
Until next time...
Gaming Section
"Iron Soldier II" To Ship!
"Spider"!
Reviews, and more...
From the Editor's Controller - Playin' it like it is!
Well, the word on the streets is that the Jaguar's 'Iron Soldier II' will
be going on sale March 7. The game was scheduled for February, but I guess
a week or two delay at this point can't be much of a problem. 'World Tour
Racing' is slated for March; we'll see if it arrives on time. As mentioned
in a past issue, we've finally received the recent releases from Telegames.
Both of these games are now in reviewers' hands and we hope to have these
reviews soon. I'm waiting to hear about IS2, also. There's not much
happening on the gaming front, typical for this time of year. We'll keep
our eyes and ears alert, however.
Until next time...
Industry News STR Game Console NewsFile - The Latest Gaming News!
BMG Interactive and Boss Game Studios Unveil Spider
SAN FRANCISCO (Feb. 25) BUSINESS WIRE -Feb. 25, 1997--BMG Interactive, one
of the world's most sought-after publishers of entertainment software, and
Boss Game Studios, the game development arm of Academy Award-winning Boss
Film Studios, today unveiled Spider, a visually-compelling, 3-D action
title for the Sony PlayStation.
Available now from BMG Interactive, Spider demonstrates Boss Game Studios'
mastery of creative game development that leverages the same advanced tools
and technology used to create spectacular special effects in major motion
pictures such as Species, True Lies, Multiplicity, and Cliffhanger, to name
a few.
Understanding that it takes much more than striking imagery to create a
great game, Boss has combined visual depth and complexity with incredibly
fun game play action that is both engaging and easy to grasp. Summing up
Boss Game Studios approach to game development, Colin Gordon, the company's
vice president of product development states, "cool graphics, features and
a great story are important extras, but the bottom line is game play -- and
our mission is to create titles that are challenging, highly re-playable,
and really, really fun."
In Spider, players are enslaved inside the body of a cybernetic tarantula
and travel through six 3-D, real-world environments. Relentlessly searching
for the kidnappers of their original human body, they will indulge in over
30 levels of rich and challenging action -- climbing walls and underneath
objects to battle deadly cybernetic beasts, including phase bats, mecha
wasps, giant rats, and other artificial life experiments.
Loaded with an arsenal of cybernetic weaponry, Spider provides the player
with nearly 15 power-ups such as lethal flame throwers, devastating
boomerangs and homing missiles, which can be used during travel through
sewer pipes, down wells, across city streets, in the museum, and in
factories and labs. The Spider can also use its head, abdomen and legs as
defense mechanisms against a multitude of deadly enemies.
Technical and Creative Edge
With Spider, Boss Game Studios' development acumen shines through with the
use of advanced 3-D computer animation, proprietary motion capture
technology and in the creation of extraordinary characters.
Every detail contributes to the visually commanding, life-like look and
feel of the game, from the fully-textured images and sharper-edge
characters, to the richly-animated backgrounds and seamless integration of
motion in a virtual environment. The game's use of a "floating camera"
further engages players as it continuously tracks motion to ensure that the
player stays at the center of the action.
An Accomplished Team of Experts
Although Boss Game Studios is a young start-up operation, the creative and
development team behind Spider boasts over 100 game credits to date,
including Disney's Lion King, Fever Pitch and Dune II. The game's
compelling soundtrack was also developed by an industry veteran, Barry
Leitch, Boss Game Studios' music director, who has composed music for over
80 titles across all platforms. The entire group, from the designers,
animators to technical specialists, comprise a development dream team.
Spider, a first release for both Boss and BMG Interactive, will illustrate
their talents.
Operating under the studio model, BMG Interactive continues to attract and
foster the abilities of some of the industry's most innovative game
developers worldwide, providing the ideal environment where they can
produce great games.
In addition to Boss Game Studios, BMG Interactive's current roster of
independent game developers includes BLAM!, Delphine Softwae International,
DMA Design Ltd., EAI, Interactive Studios, NMS Software, New Level
Software, Pixel Multimedia, Z-AXIS, and Zombie.
Boss Game Studios is the sister company of Academy Award-winning Boss Film
Studios, recognized for its remarkable contributions to special effects in
motion pictures. Leveraging its technical and creative acumen, the company
will produce break-through video games for leading, next generation
platforms. Boss Game Studios is based in Redmond, Washington.
Video games come of age - UPI Computer Comment
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 24 (UPI) -- The year is 2073 and the World Federation has
gone to war against the might of the Drakken, a conglomeration of the
world's biggest businesses. You have to wonder, at this point, if Sony
Entertainment might just be one of those mega-conglomerates. Sony Computer
Entertainment America is the place where the Drakken come from. They're the
bad guys in the company's new CD for the PlayStation game system, Carnage
Heart.
This new battle simulation/strategy game is part of a new breed of video
game, designed for present-day technology game systems, that require a lot
of skill and savvy to win. This is not a kid game. The packaging says the
skill level is intermediate to difficult and Sony says it is targeting this
particular CD at males ages 17-28.
Older games shared a very similar interface for almost all titles, but the
improved technology in machines like the PlayStation and the Nintendo 64
allows software engineers and programmers a lot more room to experiment.
Carnage Heart requires users to pick options from a menu and battle robotic
combatants who possess simulated skills rivaling those of a human.
Sony expects this title to sell for between $40 and $60, which is a bit
more than previous generation video games. The PlayStation is also the
platform of choice for Spider, another of the new-generation action
adventure games. As a player, you find yourself imprisoned in the body of
a cybernetic tarantula, required to navigate six worlds in search of your
old body. Along the way, you do battle with phase bats, mecha wasps and
giant rats. Working in your favor are your access to such non-spiderly
devices as flame throwers and homing missiles.
A lot of effort in this particular title went into designing the artificial
environments and a "floating camera" to provide perspective to users as
they play along. Three dimensional environments are also featured in the
new version of 3-D Kart Racing from Nintendo, which plays on the immensely
popular Nintendo 64 game system.
Unlike a lot of other games being introduced this spring by the big game
makers, this one isn't a lot different from earlier games. And there's a
good reason for this. 3-D Kart Racing already exists for the Super Nintendo
game system, and a lot of people like it. They're also likely to appreciate
the game on the new platform.
ONLINE WEEKLY STReport OnLine The wires are a hummin'!
PEOPLE... ARE TALKING
On CompuServe
Compiled by Joe Mirando
jmirando@streport.com
Hidi ho friends and neighbors (jeez, I've just got to find an new
opening line... any suggestions?). Another week has come and gone, and
it's time to check out what's happening on CompuServe. But before we do,
let's talk a little bit about this program for copying your ST's TOS to a
file that others can use to 'upgrade' their machine.
In my view, it's piracy unless you are the owner of the machine that
the "image" was taken from. TOS is a copyrighted product. The fact that
the old copyright holder no longer exists is irrelevant, as is the fact
that the new copyright holder doesn't seem interested in making the product
available. When you bought an ST, Mega, Falcon, or TT, you also purchased
the rights to use the TOS included in the product. It's not the chips that
contain the code that is important, it is the code itself... and that's
still owned by the copyright holder. The 'product' is the code itself.
The chips are simply a convenient medium. You OWN the chips because you
bought them with the computer, you can only LICENSE the code. I don't have
a problem with someone who has an old ST that's been in the closet for a
year who 'clones' TOS from it to run on his or her GEMulator. If you still
own the Atari, in my view, you still have the right to use the TOS.
MY problem is with the folks who use circular reasoning to support
their collecting and trading TOS versions with others. One intellectual
giant put out a public call for someone to send him a copy of their TOS
for him to use with his GEMulator because he no longer had an ST that he
could take the TOS image from and, even if he did, his ST had an older
version of TOS and he was looking for 2.06. When someone pointed out that
the rights to TOS were still owned by someone, he got quite indignant and
said that he surely wasn't going to pay for TOS since it was such trash.
The thought that sprang to my mind was, "if it's such
Trash. do without it".
Now I have, in the past, supplied other writers here at STReport with
one TOS version or another for testing programs and comparing versions. To
be honest, this too is piracy, but the the image was used for testing
software for review and not for profit or as a means of getting around
something. The people I have supplied these images to do not have PCs,
and therefore will not be using the TOS for an emulator. And since it is
both easier and more compatible to run the version of TOS on the ROM chips
of your own machine, I know the TOS images won't be used for long or for a
purpose other than just testing.
But as I said, this is still piracy. That makes me _almost_ the same
as our rocket scientist friend with the attitude. The difference is that
_I_ understand the concept of someone besides myself owning the rights to
something. In a perfect world JTS would release TOS to the public so that
we could all enjoy and benefit from it. But this is not a perfect world
and the fact that you CAN do something does not mean that you have the
right to do it. Okay, I'll step down off of my soap box now. <grin> Let's
take a look at "The CIS Files"...
From the Atari Computing Forums
In response to a question about booting MagiC from GEMulator Rob Rasmussen
posts:
"I asked similar questions as your friend did recently about Gemulator, and
got a reply from Derek M who wrote the program. He told me-
"Boot up MagiC from floppy, create a C: drive icon on the GEM desktop, open
in, and then copy MagiC's GEMSYS folder to that C: drive. Then reboot and
it'll boot up from the virtual C: drive."
I had problems trying to create a C drive with MagiC, and thats why I'm
anxious to talk to any others who use Gemulator/MagiC... Does anyone know
if I can have Speedo installed on my PC so I can print documents from
AtariWorks under Gemulator? I don't know whether to try installing Speedo
from the installation disk or copy the files from my Atari to the PC, and
I'm kinda afraid of it crashing my PC.
Also if anyone else is using Gemulator I would love to discuss how to do
certain things - like how to have access to the hard drive instead of only
floppy disks."
Steve Wilson posts:
" that it could well come in handy transporting stuff between my old ST and
the PC. I tried searching the library here for a driver/installation
program, but to no avail. Can anyone help??"
Albert Dayes tells Steve:
"ICD has a driver for the ZIP drive. I am not sure of what the cost for it
is unfortunately. ICD or another forum member will probably post more
info."
Steve tells Albert:
"Thanks for the info... How are things in the Atari camp, by the way? I
originally bought my ST (in 88) for midi, and was using it for all sorts
up until a year ago when I finally succumbed to PC fever :) I read that ST
/ Falcon technology had been sold to a German co called CLab, but then I
lost touch. Are CLab actively investing? Is the Atari story on-going, or
are we talking epilogue here?"
Ben at TOC OZ tells Steve:
"C-Lab Falcons are alive, and well. Check out the Frankfurt music show. New
peripherals are coming out, and prices are gradually comming down."
Albert adds:
"C-lab Falcons are still being made and there are some other clones as
well. I believe one of the previous issues of ST Report had more extensive
specifics on one of the new Falcon clones."
Dennis Larson tells Steve:
"I also bought my Atari (in about '87?) for use with midi and have been
happy for the most part. I presently use Notator LOGIC for most of my
work. Due to compatibility problems with work and telecommunications I'm
considering switching platforms <ugh!>. How has the pc platform worked out
for you with MIDI applications? I'm particularly interested in notation
software (FINALE, etc.) but have heard about midi timing problems, card
compatibility, etc. What can you tell me about it?"
Back to the original topic, James Spielman asks Steve:
"Is your Zip parallel or SCSI? ICD does indeed make both an adapter and
utility s/w (it supports the ZIP) that allows a SCSI connection through
the DMA port on the ST. As for a parallel ZIP, I'm not sure if the ST's
parallel port coudl be used this way. It _should_, but I don't know if any
s/w is available that would support the parallel connection for disks."
Gary Parkington asked last week about his keyboard, which tends to
"sizzle" when he turns the computer on. Our pal Simon Churchill gave him
some pointers about troubleshooting the problem.
Gary now tells Simon:
"I am quite capable of taking the thing apart and have done a few times. My
problem is I am not an engineer but like messing - sometimes this can be a
mistake! What is the 'power rail'? The noise could be coming from the
board beneath the keyboard but if you imagine me sitting typing away at the
moment I can hear the noise to my left and in the region of the letter 'D'
This may not be where it is but I have already replaced one keyboard when
the letters M,N,<,>,? & the SPACE bar stopped working. This may also be
unrelated to the noise...
I've taken the computer to pieces but not applied power as yet. There are a
few capacitors in the general area of the noise, one is marked C216 or it
could be the larger one to the right. As I explained I am not an engineer
so need advice on purchasing a replacement. What do the markings mean on
the capacitor and would a replacement look exactly the same or not if it
had the same values? The power supply doesn't get any warmer than I would
expect but this is my ST and I've only had it a few months."
Sysop Bob Retelle jumps in and tells Gary:
"Simon will probably get back to you about the capacitors, but just in case
you want to take a look this weekend, there are two values you need to get
from the old capacitor (if that indeed turns out to be the
problem).
One is the "capacitance" of the part, and the other is the voltage. Neither
is absolutely critical that you match them exactly, a general rule is that
you can replace a capacitor (in this type of application, where the
capacitor is being used to filter the power supply) with one of slightly
higher value with no problem. The only thing you would have to be careful
of is to find one of similar physical size so the new part will fit between
the motherboard and the keyboard. The capacitance will be (hopefully!)
clearly marked as something like 100uf (where uf means microfarads, the
unit of capacitance measurement). The voltage should be also clearly
marked as something like 25vdc.
Again, you could use (in this example) a 150uf, 50vdc replacement, as long
as it fits in the same space. Radio Shack should probably have suitable
capacitors, and since they're all "blister packaged", you can check out
their physical size easily. This kind of capacitor uses a liquid as part
of its "dilectric", or insulator, and with age and heat this liquid can
begin to leak and may cause the kind of "sizzle" sound you've been
hearing. Usually (although not always) there'll be some sign of leakage
(or actual bubbling if the power is on) around the base of the capacitor.
You can safely operate your ST with the covers off, to try to localize the
sound, as long as you stay away from the area of the built-iin power
supply. Some parts ot the power supply (notably the heat sinks) may be
electrically "live" with high voltages that may be harmful.
Oh.. the "power rails" that Simon mentioned are the +5 volt and ground
power buses... Simon's from England, and probably thinks we talk kind of
funny here in the US..."
Kevin Sheridan takes the opportunity to ask Bob a question:
"As long as you're on the subject of keyboards... My control key stopped
working about 8 months ago. I've had the keyboard completely apart but
couldn't see any obvious problems with it. Any ideas what I sould be
looking for?"
Bob tells Kevin:
"The ST keyboards are usually pretty reliable, but a key that gets a lot of
use, like the Control key, can some times be a problem... Did you try to
clean the place under the actual key where the key makes contact?
Unfortunately there's really not much that can be done for a single
intermittant or non-working key, other than making sure there's no foreign
substances under the key..."
Well folks, that's about it for this episode. Tune in again next
week, same time, same station, and be ready to listen to what they are
saying when...
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
EDITORIAL QUICKIES
Spring is Coming..
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