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Silicon Times Report Issue 1326
Silicon Times Report
"The Original Independent Online Magazine"
(Since 1987)
June 27, 1997 No.1326
Silicon Times Report International Magazine
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R.F. Mariano, Editor
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The Publisher, Staff & Editors
1987-1997
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From the Editor's Desk...
Next week.. The USA will celebrate July Fourth, the birthday of our
Great Nation. Also next week, the world will be witness to the beginning
of the death of one of the most wonderful, magic filled cities in the
Orient. The blood encrusted jackboot of the Chinese Red Army will be so
firmly planted in the heart of Hong Kong that we will be able to hear the
moans `round the world. Oh, not immediately, that would embarrass the
connectionist who "gave away" Hong Kong to the beast known as Mao Tse
Tung's Red China. To those of you who wish to see Red China a world power,
all that can be said is either you are one of "them" or, you are among the
world's most uninformed. Then again, it may be that you are only another
in the long line of those who proclaim "peace at any price". Concessions
made unto tyrant nations have never resulted in "peace", they've resulted
in all out war. Anybody remember the last time concessions were made to a
tyrant nation which resulted in World War? Can you say Nazi Germany's
Adolph Hitler and the UK's Neville Chamberlain and now, because of Margaret
Thatcher's Hong Kong give-away concessions are we to see History's dark
side be repeated in a few short years?
Our own government's bestowing MFN (most favored nation) status for
trading purposes is a hypocrisy of the highest magnitude. We are offering
concessions to Red Chine for opportunity to enrich ourselves and fatten Red
China's treasury. This also sounds very familiar. Does anyone out there
know what became of the old, Third Avenue (BMT) Elevated Rail Line in
Manhattan? It like much other scrap steel available for sale from the US
was sold to Japan. It soon came back to haunt us and the world in the form
of new naval warships. Now, it appears we use the MFN status for China as
a cudgel over Japan in efforts to balance trade deficits.
MFN for a nation who is selling SCUD missiles to middle eastern
nations ready willing and able to use them against Israel, a faithful long
time ally of the US. Red China, a nation who has aided North Korea develop
its small but effective nuclear arsenal. Red China, a nation which at
every opportunity intimidates the Free Chinese in Taiwan and taunts the US
with aggressive displays of military might. Red China, a nation who
exports Nuclear Technology to enemies of the free world. Red China, a
nation who has slaughtered thousands of its citizens in Tienemen Square
when they protested the oppressive government they are forced to survive
under. So horrible was the slaughter Tienemen Square, World News telecast
videtapes of the tanks and other armored vehicles driving right over the
people and countless dead bodies in the square. Red China, in a massive
propaganda campaign, told the world the demonstration was "peaceful and
without major incident". While, at the same time, its agents were scouring
the world attempting to capture, arrest and return to China those protest
leaders who escaped the "police action" in the square. This is a nation
that the UK "GIVES" Hong Kong to? This is a nation that US plays kissy-
kissy with?? Red China is the nation that should, just like Iraq, Iran and
North Korea be embargoed until they shrivel up and either die or, their
populations replace the animals currently in power.
Here's an STReport prediction.. Within five years, the oppression,
subterfuge and human rights abuse emanating in Hong Kong at Red China's
direction will surpass much of what history has recorded worldwide in the
last decade. It becomes almost impossible to believe today's governments
are allowing History to embark upon the path of repetition. The World is,
once again, heading for a rude awakening. When will the goofy politicians
realize the "chasing of the almighty buck", coupled with "peace at any
price" and then topped off with "slaughter engendering concessions" make
for the "perfect formula" for another World Wide Conflagration?
Please enjoy your Fourth of July Weekend. I know we will. After all,
it's a double holiday for us. Its also mine and my son Ralph's birthday.
I pray to God . may we enjoy many, many more Fourth and Birthdays while
enjoying World Peace and for peace, prosperity and serenity for the City of
Hong Kong..
Ralph...
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Classics & Gaming Kid's Computing Corner
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STReport Headline News
LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS
Weekly Happenings in the Computer World
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
Court Backs Online Free Speech
In an historic decision, the U.S. Supreme Court today ruled the rights of
free speech are guaranteed in cyberspace. The high court says a
controversial federal law that attempted to restrict access to "smut" on
the Internet is unconstitutional. The 7-2 ruling marks the first time the
Supreme Court has granted full constitutional free-speech protections under the
First Amendment to the communications on the global Internet.
Within minutes of the ruling's announcement, praises of the court were
being sung by computer industry representatives, including CompuServe
Inc.'s Denny Matteucci, president of Interactive Services, who said, "The
court has placed the responsibility of online/Internet use with parents."
CompuServe, he said, has always been concerned about access by minors to
online materials deemed unsuitable by their parents and "we have been
providing the technological solutions to make these individual choices easy
to accomplish and will continue to do so."
Said Matteucci, "This precedent-setting victory also underscores the
court's understanding that the Internet is a global communications tool,
one not subject to regulation by any one government." Writing for the
Reuter News Service, reporter James Vicini notes the decision affirms last
year's ruling by a three-judge federal court in Philadelphia that all key
parts of the so-called "Communications Decency Act of 1996" violated
free-speech rights, amounting to illegal government censorship.
Today's decision, Vicini comments, also "dealt the Clinton administration a
major defeat by declaring unconstitutional the law that bans the
dissemination of sexually explicit material to anyone younger than 18."
Speaking for the court's majority in the 40-page opinion, Justice John Paul
Stevens wrote, "Notwithstanding the legitimacy and importance of the
congressional goal of protecting children from harmful materials, we agree
... that the statute abridges 'freedom of speech' protected by the First
Amendment."
The measure at issue would have levied fines of up to $250,000 and two-year
prison terms to those convicted of distributing to minors indecent or
"patently offensive" materials on the Internet. Actually, though, the CDA
never took effect because it was blocked by that three-judge panel.
Today's ruling is a major victory for the American Civil Liberties Union
and groups representing libraries, publishers and the computer online
industry, including CompuServe, all of which came together to bring the
suit challenging the law.
ACLU attorney Stefan Presser told Reuters, "Essentially the Supreme Court
of the United States took an idea from the 18th century -- that is, free
speech -- and said it has enduring quality, and will extend into the 21st
century, because government will not be allowed to censor what's on the
Internet." The court, citing cyberspace's unique characteristics as a
public forum for the exchange of ideas and information, said the Internet
deserved full First Amendment protection. The justices rejected arguments
that the Net is similar to the television and radio industries, where there
has been a history of extensive government regulation and where indecent
speech may be restricted.
Stevens wrote the CDA was "a content-based regulation of speech," adding,
"The vagueness of such a regulation raises special First Amendment concerns
because of its obvious chilling effect on free speech. As a matter of
constitutional tradition ... we presume that governmental regulation of the
content of speech is more likely to interfere with the free exchange of
ideas than to encourage it." Joining Stevens in the majority were justices
Antonin Scalia, Anthony M. Kennedy, David H. Souter, Clarence Thomas, Ruth
Bader Ginsburg and
Stephen G. Breyer.
Chief Justice William Rehnquist and Justice Sandra Day O'Connor agreed that
the law was unconstitutional in that it would restrict adults' access to
material they otherwise would be entitled to see. Vicini says O'Connor,
writing for the two, said they would invalidate the law only in those
circumstances. That part of the court's ruling was unanimous. However,
O'Connor also said for the two dissenters that she would uphold other
restrictions that prohibited the use of indecent speech in communications
between an adult and one or more minors.
Meanwhile, Associated Press writer Laurie Asseo quotes the Stevens majority
ruling as saying in online chat rooms "any person with a phone line can
become a town crier with a voice that resonates farther than it could from
any soapbox." The justice added the government's argument that offensive
material on the Internet was driving people away was "singularly
unpersuasive," adding that the growth of the Internet has been
"phenomenal."
Of course, the free-speech debate about "indecent" material online is not
over. There already is talk of a new "court-proof" bill being introduced by
Congress. Also, Cable News Network notes that the fight may be shifting to
the local arena. More than 20 state legislatures already have fashioned
their own legislation to regulate Internet speech, many of which face legal
challenges, of course, with the ACLU contending states cannot regulate
speech over the Internet, a global system. Finally, on that point, United
Press International finds significant in today's ruling the fact that the
Supreme Court is on the record with its first definition of the Internet as
global. Says the Stevens ruling, "The Internet is an international network
of interconnected computers." Justice Stevens further commented, "The
Internet is 'a unique and wholly new medium of worldwide human
communication.'"
Online Services Applaud Decision
The major online services are unanimously praising the Supreme Court
decision to overturn the Communications Decency Act. "The Court has placed
the responsibility of online/Internet use with parents," says Denny
Matteucci, president of interactive services for CompuServe Inc.
"CompuServe has always been concerned about access by minors to online
materials deemed unsuitable by their parents. We have been providing the
technological solutions to make these individual choices easy to accomplish
and will continue to do so. This precedent-setting victory also underscores
the court's understanding that the Internet is a global communications
tool, one not subject to regulation by any one government."
George Vradenburg, senior vice president and general counsel of America
Online Inc., notes, "The Court today emphasized three important points:
the roles of parents, technology and existing laws. We agree that the
court's reliance on parents and technology offers the best way for us to
protect children." Vradenburg adds, "This decision gives us an opportunity
to come together as an industry to work even harder on reaching our goal of
protecting children.
We're confident that our industry is well on the way to building solutions
that will ensure a safe, rewarding online experience for families and
children." Prodigy Inc. Vice President and General Counsel Marc Jacobson
notes, "This ruling represents a victory for the freedom of speech of every
American. We're pleased that the nation's highest court has confirmed
lower-court rulings that the CDA is unconstitutional and that the Internet
deserves the highest level of protection."
Senate Advances Computer Bill
A bill calling for continued regulation of computer encryption programs has
been moved ahead by the Senate Commerce Committee, drawing fire from
industry groups, including the powerful Business Software Alliance.
Reporting for The Associated Press, writer Cassandra Burrell notes that
over BSA objections, the committee sent the Senate a bill "that would give
makers of encryption devices strong incentives to provide law enforcement
with ways to crack their codes."
The BSA immediately called the vote a "significant step backwards," telling
AP the measure would endanger U.S. companies' ability to compete with
foreign businesses that export their most powerful privacy products without
restriction. Under the new bill, businesses would get permission to export
their most sophisticated products easier and quicker if they make available
decoding "keys" to law enforcement. Government investigators would not be
able to gain access to keys without subpoenas, under the bill.
"Products without keys would face a more extensive review by the Commerce
Department," says Burrell, adding, "Exceptions could be granted by the
president if similar foreign products are widely available." But the BSA
believes that although the bill's supporters say the key system is
voluntary, it effectively is not. In a written statement, the trade group
said, "If passed into law, it would further tie the hands of businesses and
individuals, forcing them to use a costly, unstable key recovery system
vulnerable to criminals and hackers, allowing potentially insecure
third-party access."
Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, and Sen. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, sponsors
of the bill, say the Clinton administration has threatened to veto other
bills moving through Congress that do not include a key system.
Said McCain, "It will be fruitless to move a bill that will never become
law. I am a supporter of a free market, but the free market cannot be
allowed to act in a manner that is contrary to our nation's security
needs."
However, an opponent, Sen. John Ashcroft, R-Missouri, likened the measure
to an attempt to "outlaw photography because somebody takes dirty
pictures." Burrell says a House bill that bars the government from
requiring a key system is expected to be taken up by a House subcommittee
next week.
Judge Slams Encryption Policy
A federal judge in San Francisco says government policies restricting
transmission of computer encryption programs are no better than the rules
she last year declared to be unconstitutional. United Press International
reports U.S. District Judge Marilyn Hall Patel did not issue a ruling at
the end of a hearing in San Francisco earlier this week, but did indicate
she will find the regulations to be in violation of free speech
protections.
At issue is a suit by professor Daniel Bernstein of the University of
Illinois at Chicago who wants to publish his encryption program on the
Internet, primarily affects software companies that seek to export the
technology. In April 1996, Judge Patel rocked government and computer
circles by ruling computer codes -- including encryption -- are a form of
expression. The wire notes encryption is often used to send computer
messages that scrambled so that they can be read only by someone with a
decoding program.
Feds Exempt Microsoft, Netscape
The federal government has given Microsoft Corp. and Netscape
Communications Corp. an important exception to export Internet software for
electronic banking that contains more powerful encryption capabilities than
had previously been allowed. Reporting in The Wall Street Journal this
morning, writers Dean Takahashi and David Bank notes the Commerce
Department approval means both companies will avoid the expense of
maintaining two versions of their Internet software, one for domestic use
and one for export.
"More significantly," they write, "it puts them on an even playing field
with foreign competitors, some of whom have won customers simply by adding
stronger encryption to U.S.-made products." These are the first to be
issued under a policy announced last month by William Reinsch,
undersecretary for export administration, that loosens export controls on
encryption technology for financial institutions as part of an effort to
spur international electronic commerce.
The new policy is limited to financial institutions and does not, for
instance, allow the export of technology to enable individuals to talk to
other individuals using the most sophisticated security technology. As
reported earlier, makers of those types of applications can receive
licenses to export strong encryption technology only if they include
measures to allow government authorities to recover the keys needed to
decode electronic messages.
Says the paper, "Financial institutions, which are not required to have
such 'key recovery' plans, have insisted they need more powerful encryption
to stay ahead of the code-breaking skills of hackers and criminals. The new
products from Netscape and Microsoft use keys for encoding and decoding
messages that are 128 bits, or characters, in length. Such keys are many
times more difficult to crack than 64-bit keys, the previous limit for
financial institutions."
House Advances Encryption Bill
The U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate appear to be on a
collision course in the data encryption debate. Late yesterday, the House
International Relations Subcommittee on International Economic Policy and
Trade approved a measure to lift most encryption export restrictions. The
action comes less than a week after a similar bill in the Senate to relax
encryption-export controls was torpedoed when the Senate Commerce Committee
approved a substitute, sponsored by Nebraska Democrat Bob Kerrey and
Arizona Republican John McCain. That bill would only modestly ease export
restrictions and would effectively allow the government to crack encrypted
messages in the United States by gaining access to the software keys.
Writing for the Newsbytes computer news service, reporter Bill Pietrucha
notes the House subcommittee voted 14-1 yesterday to okay the Security and
Freedom through Encryption (SAFE) Act of 1997, H.R. 695, which would allow
US manufacturers to freely export encryption products. Sponsored by Rep.
Bob Goodlatte (R-Virginia), the bill unanimously passed the House of
Representatives Courts and Intellectual Property subcommittee in early May,
clearing the way for a full House Judiciary Committee vote. With more than
133 co-sponsors, the House bill now is awaiting action by the full
International Relations Committee and the Intelligence Committee.
Says Pietrucha, "The legislation may receive a full court press from the
Clinton Administration, however, when it reaches the full International
Relations Committee after the Fourth of July Congressional recess . The
administration's strong arm tactics were evident last Thursday, June 19,
when a compromise bill on encryption exports, S. 909, the Secure Public
Networks Act, passed the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Committee." Pietrucha says the Senate bill "is an attempt to find the
middle road on encryption policy," adding, "The bill would relax encryption
controls to only a 56-bit key length, and would require encryption software
used by the federal government, or purchased with federal funds for public
use, to include key recovery software."
Judge Knocks Down N.Y. Net Law
A federal judge has decided that a New York state law threatening
cyberspace pedophiles with prison terms is well-intentioned but
unconstitutional. Blocking enforcement of the law in a temporary
injunction issued late yesterday, U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska said
the Internet cannot become cluttered by conflicting and confusing
state-by-state legislation. Associated Press writer Larry McShane says the
judge wrote in her decision, "The protection of children from pedophilia is
an entirely valid and laudable goal of state legislation. The New York
act's attempts to effectuate that goal, however, fall afoul of the
(federal) Commerce Clause." As noted earlier, the U.S. Supreme Court is
expected to rule this month on federal Internet legislation.
Signed into law by Gov. George Pataki nine months ago, the New York
legislation attempted to make it a crime to send sexually explicit
materials to children via computer:
ú Adults soliciting children for sex via the Internet faced felony
prosecution under the law.
ú Those convicted of such crimes faced up to seven years in prison. The
state has not prosecuted anyone for violating the statute.
Ann Beeson, national staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union,
which filed suit to overturn the law, praised the judge's decision, telling
AP, "This is a very important victory. It sends a really strong message out
to state legislatures that you can't pass laws to censor the Internet."
Meanwhile, also yesterday a federal judge ruled a Georgia law barring
people from using false identities on the Internet can be challenged in
court. AP says U.S. District Judge Marvin Shoob denied the state's motion
to
dismiss the suit filed by the ACLU and others. That law, which took effect
last July, makes it illegal to use pseudonyms in computer messages. ACLU
attorney Gerry Weber told the wire service, "This law is susceptible to
selective prosecution that will stifle the speech of those who need
anonymity the most -- people in support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous,
victims of domestic violence, people with AIDS." The law also makes it a
crime for someone to use a company's trademark or symbol without
permission. AP says the judge also prohibited the state from enforcing the
law until there is a trial.
Mayors Fight Net Tax Ban
Federal legislation that would prevent state and local governments from
slapping new taxes on Internet transactions is being opposed by the
nation's mayors. Meeting in San Francisco this week, the U.S. Conference
of Mayors has adopted without debate a policy resolution by Chicago Mayor
Richard Daley and Dallas Mayor Ronald Kirk that opposes establishment of an
unlimited moratorium on state and local government taxation of electronic
transactions.
The Reuter News Service reports the resolution also urges the Clinton
administration and Congress to delay taking action on the issue until
"thorough and impartial" studies were completed. As reported, Rep.
Christopher Cox, R-California, and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, earlier this
year introduced identical bills to impose an
indefinite moratorium on state and local taxation of commerce over the
Internet. (Their bill would not affect existing taxes on goods and services
ordered through the Internet, as long as the taxes were the
same as those on mail order goods.)
Last month, Deputy Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers told a congressional
hearing the administration strongly supports the "goals and underlying
objectives" of the legislation. However, U.S. mayors's resolution contends
the bill intrudes on their powers and create budget problems. "The U.S.
Conference of Mayors supports the growth of legitimate, wholesome commerce
on the Internet," says the resolution, but "the proposed federal
legislation would create a virtually unprecedented intrusion into
inherently local affairs."
Net Gambling Eyed With Alarm
Wisconsin's state attorney general says he is alarmed that widespread
Internet gambling could become reality soon, potentially raking in hundreds
of billions of dollars. Speaking to the National Association of Attorneys
General meeting this week in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, James
Doyle said rapid progress is being made in overcoming technological
barriers to gambling on the Net -- such as slow speed and problems with
exchanging money -- opening the prospect of home computers becoming
gambling machines.
Reporter Adrian Croft of the Reuter News Service quotes Doyle as saying,
"The great concern here is that in a very short period of time, people will
have in essence a video gambling machine in their own home and they can go
and lose $500, $1,000, $1,500 just as their evening's entertainment instead
of sitting down in front of a television set. "That's going to put
enormous pressures on us in the states," he added, "not only law
enforcement, but the kind of social problems, financial problems that that
creates. You will be able to play a video blackjack game sitting in your
home."
Doyle says if Internet gambling takes off, huge amounts of money could
change hands, adding, "I think there's no doubt you're dealing with
hundreds of billions of dollars ... The amount of money we're talking about
is just astronomical." Croft reports a report prepared for the attorney
general association by staff members says that in the last year,
technological advances had brought widespread gambling on the Internet -- a
global network of computer networks -- closer to reality.
Adds the report, "The question is no longer whether there will be gambling
available on the Internet, but when it will be available and what states
can and should do when it gets here." Reuters says Net gambling is illegal
in most states, "although some states' gambling laws are outdated and may
not apply to the Internet." Doyle, who co-chairs NAAG's Internet Working
Group, said that unlike traditional forms of gambling, Internet gambling is
difficult to detect and difficult to regulate, adding said there are only
limited forms of gambling on the Internet now, but "we think we are a very
short time away from having much more wide open gambling."
Vandal Shuts Down Microsoft Site
An intruder was able to briefly shut down Microsoft Corp.'s World Wide Web
site last week by apparently taking advantage of a flaw in the company's
Internet server software. The Wall Street Journal this morning quotes a
Microsoft spokesman at the Redmond, Washington, headquarters as saying this
is the first time the popular Internet site had ever been taken down
maliciously. The Journal reports the attack began Thursday, and the
intruder "was twice able to disrupt some of the server computers that run
the company's Web site."
The paper adds the disruption lasted only about 10 minutes, "but the
company said users also may have encountered problems because it currently
is upgrading its servers." Microsoft marketing director Mike Nash told the
paper that because of a flaw in the company's Internet server software,
someone could shut down a Web site using the software by typing in a
specific Web address, or URL.
"These disruptive URLs," says the Journal, "are very lengthy - between
8,000 and 14,000 characters long -- and vary from computer to computer.
Hackers can write programs to test many combinations and find the right
URL." The Journal notes Microsoft had posted software to fix the bug by
Friday, the day after the flaw was discovered. Nash said getting an
afflicted Web site running again involves simply rebooting the computer.
Chile Skirts Gag Order by Net
In Chile, a judge's widely criticized gag order in one of the country's
most sensational court cases is being skirted by a newspaper through use
of the Internet. "In a move unprecedented in Chile," says the Reuter News
Service in a report from Santiago, "La Tercera opened a site on the World
Wide Web to give readers the stories it would have published on its front
page if a judge had not barred the news media from reporting on a
money-laundering case."
At issue is the case of businessman Mario Silva Leiva -- known as the Horse
Racing Kid because of his penchant for betting on horses -- who is accused
of leading a multimillion-dollar drug trafficking and money-laundering
ring. La Tercera national editor Luis Alvarez told the wire service, "The
information we are including (on the Web site) is a journalistic coup that
would have been splashed over the paper but that we can't publish because
of the gag rule."
Reuters says Judge Beatriz Pedrals imposed the news blackout last week,
three months after Silva was arrested in what police called their biggest
blow against the drug trade in Chile. The country has so far been spared
the violence and corruption associated with drug-trafficking elsewhere in
Latin America. Alvarez said the newspaper had to create the Web site
(http://www.infochile.com/tercer a) through an intermediary in New York to
avoid legal tangles. The paper's lawyers believe "that the judge's
authority does not go beyond the border of Chile," he said.
Tornado Advanced Warning system Donated to Public Safety
Fort Smith, Arkansas, June 9, 1997; 12 Noon - Neutronics Technologies
Corporation, an international leader of Artificial Intelligence research,
is announcing the donation of its patent rights and claims to the Tornado
Advance Warning System, better known as TAWS, to the public, and the
donation of the experimental equipment designed in the TAWS research
process to the City of Fort Smith's, Old Fort Museum April 21, 1996 Tornado
Exhibit.
Neutronics Technologies Corporation CEO, Lee Kent Hempfling stated: "It has
always been our goal with TAWS to save lives. In order to speed up that
goal we have decided to give TAWS away. We will provide the method, the
process and the details of the TAWS system to any organization, domestic or
foreign, wishing to use it to save lives. We will cooperate fully in
helping whomever chooses to accept TAWS as a responsibility with the
development of the system and our company will provide teaching expertise
for the staff chosen to install and operate it. In addition, we will
permit our provisional patent application for TAWS to expire without
further activity on our part and we will grant the TAWS technology to
public domain".
NTC will provide the plans for the TAWS sensor and siren units to any
organization willing to manufacture them without paying license costs to
NTC. NTC's primary business is its CORE(tm) processor which will not be
included for use in the process. TAWS will function with relatively
primitive computer technology, even though it was designed to be used with
NTC's state of the art CORE(tm) processor. The CORE(tm) processor handles
a minimum of 3.24 trillion bits per second in a 28 hertz loop within a
logic system known as Triologic capable of an exponential increase in
processing power over and above the first generation of CORE(tm) products.
CORE(tm) stands for Correlational Opposition Ratio Enhanced Technology.
The company will however, assist with development of a less advanced
computer program, to be used with TAWS, should the CORE(tm) processor not
be used. NTC will retain its other patent procedures and technology, and
is requiring only that the system be called TAWS. However, NTC will not
exercise its trademark rights to the TAWS name, nor will any organization
be required to acknowledge or reference NTC for this privilege.
The continued loss of life and property due to tornado activity is proof
positive that the tornado warning systems currently in operation are
clearly inadequate. TAWS is unique in that it takes into account the fact
that in tornado prone areas of the country watches and warnings are sounded
frequently and many times are either false or not applicable to the part of
the county they are heard in.
Residents become accustomed to the false alarms. Soon, the sirens sound
and the residents are left wondering if it was just another false alarm or
if it was a warning intended for another part of the county. With the
present systems that are in place, residents have no way of knowing whether
they should or should not take action; whether their location is in danger
or whether it is not. Thus, many choose to do nothing and risk death. The
current systems reduce residents sense of urgency instead of heightening
it. What is needed is a system that takes into account these human
tendencies. TAWS provides a system of stepped awareness. When a watch is
issued nothing happens. Before an official warning is issued, level one
activates with beeping sounds that increase in volume as the threat
increases from all sensor arrays in the area. If an official warning is
issued TAWS will activate level two sounds from each sensor location. If no
rotation is present in the TAWS area, alarms do not increase to level
three. But, if rotation is sensed in the TAWS area, or nearly approaching
it, sensor sounds split and change to a level three siren sound with only
the zones effected by the rotation issuing level three sounds. The level
three siren sounds increase in volume as the threat increases. When there
is a vortex formation observed level four will sound from the sensors
effected by it in a high pitch warble with the initial design also
providing voice announcing ability for the areas effected so emergency
dispatchers can actually talk to the citizens. The residents in those
zones know it is THEIR home in danger not some false alarm and not some
other part of the county. All they have to do is drive toward a lower
level sound. After the recent tornado caused disasters it is clear to see
that what is needed is a more advanced warning system; a system that takes
human nature into account.
For more information about TAWS visit the NTC WEB site at
http://www.neutronicstechcorp.com National and international weather
organizations may acquire the TAWS process by writing on official
letterhead to TAWS , in care of Neutronics Technologies Corporation (USA)
523 Garrison Avenue , Fort Smith, Arkansas 72901, USA
For more information call 1-501-782-9999 or submit the request to
tawsinfo@neutronicstechcorp.com.
Neutronics Technologies Corporation (USA) is affiliated with Neutronics
Technologies Corporation Europe Limited, Birmingham, England.
Neutronics Technologies Corporation (USA)
523 Garrison Avenue Fort Smith, Ar 72901 admin@neutronicstechcorp.com
Voice: 501-782-9999 Toll Free: 1-888-ENTICY1 Fax:501-784-9520
World Wide Web: http://www.neutronicstechcorp.com
Educator Seymour Papert honored by Smithsonian Institution
and NEC
A lifetime spent making computers serve children
Seymour Papert, co-founder of the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at
MIT, has been named the 1997 winner of the Computerworld Smithsonian
Program's prestigious NEC Education Leadership Award. A record of
Papert's life and career will be included with those of other information
technology leaders in the Smithsonian's National Museum of American
History's archive of innovation.
Papert was born and educated in South Africa. After childhood years spent
in bush camps, his family moved to Johannesburg, where he became active in
the anti-apartheid movement. From 1954 to 1958 Papert pursued mathematical
research at the universities of Cambridge and Paris. He later worked with
Jean Piaget at the University of Geneva, which led him to consider using
mathematics in the quest to understand how children think and learn.
The Education Leadership Award was established in 1990 to ensure that the
National Museum of American History's archives included an accurate record
of the lives and achievements of the leaders of the information technology
revolution. "Without the partnership and support of private sector leaders
like NEC, we would not be able to record the dreams and achievements of
remarkable individuals like Seymour Papert who are leading change in our
times," said Dr. David Allison, chairman of the National Museum of American
History's Division of Information Technology and Society.
In the early 1960's, Papert co-founded the Artificial Intelligence
Laboratory at MIT with Marvin Minsky. He later helped launch the Media
Arts and Sciences Program and the MIT Media Laboratory. In 1970, he and
Minsky co-authored a seminal text on parallelism in computation, entitled
"Perceptrons." Since then, Papert has been a leader in research on the
creative applications of computers in education.
Papert invented the Logo computer language, the first and most important
effort to give children control over new technology. He founded the
Epistemology and Learning Group at the Media laboratory, and was named LEGO
Professor of Learning Research in 1988, a chair created for him. Papert
has written articles about mathematics, artificial intelligence, education,
learning and thinking. He has advised governmental agencies on the
application of technology in education in Africa, Latin America, Europe and
Asia. He has been called to testify before presidential commissions and
Congressional committees, and his work on education has received numerous
awards. Other Education Leadership Award Winners include: Governor Gaston
Caperton who developed a successful model for computer technology training
in the elementary schools of West Virginia; Linda Roberts, special advisor
to the Office of Education Technology, U.S. Department of Education;
Inabeth Miller, vice president of the Lightspan Partnership; Sharon McCoy
Bell, New Orleans School System; Ronald K. Thornton, Tufts University; Gail
Morse, a Christa McAuliffe Educator and science teacher; and Robert Tinker,
developer of the Technical Education Research Center.
Study Finds CompuServe Is Fastest
A new study sponsored by Boardwatch Magazine finds that CompuServe Inc.
operates the best-performing national Internet backbone. The study
measured the time it took to download a 50K Web page using a
56K bps modem. Measurements were taken from 27 cities every fifteen minutes
over a 30-day period from April 20 to May 20. The test was conducted by
Keynote Systems of San Mateo, California, which develops
software measurement agents.
CompuServe, with an overall download time of 1.543 seconds, led all other
national Internet backbone providers.The average download time for all
surveyed Internet providers was 9.928 seconds. GridNet, with a download
time of 2.949 seconds, was a distant second. AGIS at 3.267 seconds, UUNET
at 3.473 seconds and SAVVIS at 4.274 seconds rounded out the test's top
five performers. AT&T WorldNet had a download time of 4.921 seconds,
Sprint came in at 7.464 seconds and internetMCI was pegged at 9.851
seconds. The full results will be published in Boardwatch's July issue.
Web Site Name Auctioning Begins
How much would you pay for the rights to the World Wide Web address of
"program.com," do you think? Now, before you answer, consider that
"business.com" just went for a whopping $150,000. News of that sale has
encouraged Vertex Group, a Web site development company in Ashland, Oregon,
near the California border, to put a $75,000 price tag on "program.com."
Company officials tell Associated Press writer Jeff Barnard they hope to
sell the site to a software company or a publisher of software magazines.
Barnard notes, "In terms of physical property, program.com amounts to some
aging computer gear, a chair and a couple of tables in a small office with
a backyard view next to a grocery store. But the Web site is valuable as a
popular destination for computer programmers and software developers to
exchange information. It draws 10,000 visitors, or 'hits,' per month." He
says that when Vertex Group decided to sell program.com, business manager
Charles McHenry searched the Web and found two new firms started by former
real estate brokers who have started selling Web sites.
Instead, though, McHenry opted to solicit Globecomm Inc., a New York-based
company whose BestDomains subsidiary helps companies buy and sell Internet
intellectual properties such as site names. There, Globecomm Vice
President David Milligan comments that unlike traditional stocks," these
represent "a new wave of what you could call 'cyber-assets.'"
Privatization of Net Continues
The National Science Foundation has turned over to a non-profit
organization the assigning of numbers for Internet addresses, a move seen
as the continuation of its efforts to privatize the Net. Yesterday's
action will establish the American Registry for Internet Numbers that will
keep track of which numbers are assigned to what computers in the United
States, Canada and Mexico.
Reporter Elizabeth Weise of The Associated Press notes the NSF plan will
separate the assignment of names and numbers, as is already done in Asia
and Europe. "One reason to separate names and numbers," she adds, "is the
legal controversy over who has the right to assign and create Internet
domain names." Back when only scientists and researchers used the
Internet, no one much cared about who got which Net address, but now that
the Net has gone commercial, names are now worth thousands of dollars. For
instance, as reported, "business.com" recently sold for $150,000 and a
$75,000 price tag has been put on "program.com."
With those kinds of dollars involved, "exactly how and by whom they are to
be disbursed is in question," Weise notes. Until recently, the National
Science Foundation paid Virginia's Network Solutions Inc. to handle
numerical address assignments. But lately, as the Net has become more
commercial, the agency has sought to curtail its involvement and turn
functions over to the private sector.
Forum: CDROM Section: CD-Recordables
Subj: GO ADAPTEC Quits on 7/7
To : Jack Brown, 71333,2450 6/21/97 8:32 AM
From : Deirdre Straughan, 74431,2004 #141239
>> Companies like Adaptec that have multiple places for support split their
personnel between the support arenas and don't do any of them well! Their
take on it is that since the web is 'free', they should put their support
there. <<
I have learned why Adaptec made this decision. Apparently, CSi is requiring
companies to have _different_ content in their forums than they do on their
Web sites, as the price of having a forum at all. I understand CSi's desire
to offer something that people can't find on the open Web (and charge them
for it), but to us it would mean the creation and upkeep of two different
sets of drivers and help files. We just don't have the manpower to spare
for that (as far as CD-R content is concerned, yours truly is about the
_only_ person developing it for Adaptec). It makes no economic sense for us
to try, since everyone online, including CSi users, can easily access our
Web site.
I strongly agree that it's a pity to lose the interactive help that is
possible in a CSi forum, but at this point we can't afford the price of
admission. Personally, I strive to provide similar kinds of interactive
help on Usenet groups and in this forum, but there's a limit to what one
person can do, and Adaptec tech support reps don't have time to go out
surfing for trouble the way I do. I'll be on the lookout for some way to
create a forum on the Adaptec Web site, something tech support would be
willing and able to participate in. With regret, I must suppose that that
won't be CompuServe.
>>this emigration won't stop unless we send a message to the firms
leaving.<<
It's CSi you need to send the message to. I think that most firms would be
happy to maintain their forums as chat-and-help areas alone, and/or with
help files etc. duplicated from their Web sites. But by forcing us
to create separate content in order to reach CSi users (who can in any case
be reached by other means), they're making it too expensive for us to help
them keep CSi attractive.
As for Adaptec CD-R software issues, another forum is available:
About the Adaptec_CDR List
The Adaptec_CDR list (formerly known as the Easy-CD list) is a service of
the Adaptec Software Products Group. It is a moderated forum for users of
Adaptec CD-R software (and anyone else interested in CD-recordable
technology) to help each other with technical and general CD-R questions.
Topics for discussion include technical questions and problems, sales
information, suggestions for improvement, or anything else that relates to
CD-R. Adaptec will also from time to time use the list to announce new
releases, known bugs and fixes, etc. Representatives of Adaptec and other
companies in the CD-R field do respond to questions, but the primary
source of information in the list is you, the user. So feel free to respond
to other people's questions and comments; the exchange of ideas and
information helps all of us in the CD-R community.
IMPORTANT: This list is primarily an exchange of information among users.
Adaptec sponsors and moderates the list, but is not responsible for the
technical accuracy of information posted to the list (we do read
everything, and edit some things, but if we took the time necessary to
validate every statement, the list would slow down to the point of
uselessness). It is your responsibility to follow discussions to their end
and carefully weigh the opinions expressed and suggestions given. Please
don't call our tech support line and say, "Someone on the list said this
should work."
Where to Get More Information
Many frequently-asked questions you may want to ask in the list have
already been answered on the Adaptec Web site, specifically at
http://www.adaptec.com/cdrec. If you're new to CD-recordable technology,
you may want to visit there first.
For details and policies on the list itself, see
http://websvr1.adaptec.com/support/cdrec/ecdlist_policies.html
-------------------------------------------
To Subscribe
Send an e-mail message to
LISTSERV@LISTSERV.ADAPTEC.COM
with the following text in the body of the message:
subscribe adaptec_cdr
NOTE: This is a high-traffic list, often posting 50 messages per day. If
you prefer to receive them all in one lump, follow the instructions in the
Welcome message on how to set the digest option.
To Post Messages to the List
Post messages for the list to ADAPTEC_CDR@LISTSERV.ADAPTEC.COM. Messages
will be reviewed by the moderator and then distributed to all members on
the list.
Best regards, Deirdre' Straughan
Adaptec Software Products Group
"Largo al factotum del CD-R"
74431.2004@compuserve.com
http://www.adaptec.com/cdrec
21-Jun-97 at 10:19, in Iowa
tech support: support@adaptec.com
Gateway 2000 to Acquire ALR
Gateway 2000 Inc. has signed a definitive agreement to acquire PC maker
Advanced Logic Research Inc. for approximately $194 million. ALR, based in
Irvine, California, specializes in multiprocessor servers, with design,
manufacturing and marketing support targeted at the client/server and
high-end desktop markets. According to Gateway, ALR will operate as a
wholly-owned subsidiary and continue to market products under the ALR
brand through its established channels. Current ALR Chairman, CEO and
President Gene Lu will remain president of ALR and become a vice president
and officer of Gateway. "Combining Gateway and ALR represents a tremendous
opportunity, says Ted Waitt, chairman and CEO of Gateway 2000, which is
based in North Sioux City, South Dakota. "The new relationship gives
Gateway immediate access to established server technology, a key component
of the growth strategy for our Enterprise line."
Bill Gates, Kerry Packer Teaming Up
Two of the world's richest men -- Microsoft Corp.'s Bill Gates and
Australian media mogul Kerry Packer -- are teaming up to form an Internet
alliance between Packer's TV and publishing empire and Gates' software
business. Reporting from Sydney, Kevin Morrison of the Reuter News Service
says the joint venture Microsoft has formed with Packer's Publishing and
Broadcasting Ltd. will provide online news, sport, entertainment and
weather shows as well as financial and retail services.
"The venture," adds Morrison, "will utilize Microsoft's online technology
as well as draw content from the U.S. software giant's products and from
PBL's television arm Nine Network and magazine business Australian
Consolidated Press." Nine is Australia's highest rating TV network and ACP
is the country's largest magazine group, says Reuters, while ACP's
publications include the Australian Women's Weekly, Woman's Day, The
Bulletin, Cleo, Cosmopolitan, Dolly and Australian Personal Computer.
Look for the Australian online service to be launched in the next two to
four months and include Microsoft products, such as Microsoft Network.
entertainment guide Sidewalk, travel service Expedia and financial product
Investor. Reuters notes about 20 percent of Australian homes own
computers, one of the world's highest levels of home computer ownership and
making it one of MSN's fastest growing markets, according to MSN
International director Alan McGinnis.
Intel, Oracle Team on Database
A collaboration is being made between chipmaker Intel Corp. and software
publisher Oracle Corp. intending to optimize use of Oracle's new Oracle8
database software on Intel microprocessors. Reporting from Santa Clara,
California, the Reuter News Service quotes Intel Vice President John Miner
as saying the effort will focus on the next generation of Intel chips,
code-named Merced, including advanced cluster computing systems. "Intel's
Merced processor, expected to begin shipping in 1999, is a critical new
product family because it is based on a faster chip architecture," Reuters
adds.
Look for Oracle to formally introduce Oracle8 this week "with a flashy,
round-the-world event," says the wire service. Miner told Reuters the
widespread use of Intel processors and the early availability of Oracle's
flagship product for use on Intel platforms, he said, "should fuel even
more growth in this fast-moving, highest growth end of their business." In
addition, the collaboration marks what Reuters terms "the ever-increasing
power of Intel processors -- years ago databases were largely the province
of large, costly mainframe computers." Intel and Oracle also will work
together on cluster features for the Oracle Parallel Server and for a new
cluster communications standard known as VI Architecture.
Oracle Launches Net PC Blitz
Watch for Oracle Corp. to launch an all-out media blitz this week to
introduce Oracle8, the software said to be the key to the company's drive
to popularize the Network Computer, the new breed of bare-bones, Net-savvy
PCs. Business writer Patricia Lamiell of The Associated Press reports this
morning Oracle's new database software "is aimed at enabling large
companies to store information and manage data faster than before, but it
also is intended to help companies run 'network computers.'"
She says Oracle is spending $2.4 million to promote Oracle8 at a lavish
event today at Radio City Music Hall.
"As part of its initiative," says Lamiell, "Oracle is introducing the first
smart card that can be used with the network computers. The NC smart card,
a wallet-sized plastic card embedded with a silicon chip, enables users to
call up private computer files from any network computer. The technology
frees the user from carrying physical files or a laptop computer with files
in it, or even a floppy disk with information."
The NC Card, which carries information in encoded form, can be inserted
into any network computer that has been adapted to the new technology.
"After punching in a password," says the wire service, "the user can call
up desktop files linked to the network, read or send e-mail, perform
banking transactions, or purchase something on the Internet." The $5,000
software and cards are available immediately to companies and will be
offered for home use by the end of this summer, in the form of set-top
boxes made by RCA and Zenith Electronics. AP says the set-top boxes will
cost about $500 and can be hooked up to home television sets.
Corel Launches Spin-Off
Corel Corp. has launched a spin-off company incorporating its video and
network computing divisions.
The Ottawa-based software publisher says the new Corel Computer Corp., a
wholly-owned subsidiary, will offer corporate video conferencing and other
communications and network computing solutions. "The focus will be on
providing a complete computing and communications solution to clients,"
says Michael Cowpland, Corel's president and CEO and chairman of the new
company. "This new company will assemble a unique combination of knowledge
expertise and experience. New enterprises will now be able to use one
company to install an entire corporate computing and communications
infrastructure." Corel plans to make its new subsidiary a completely
independent company is about a year.
Compaq Buys Tandem
PC market leader Compaq Computer Corp. is buying Tandem Computers Inc. for
$3 billion in stock. The deal calls for Tandem to become a wholly owned
Compaq subsidiary. Tandem, based in Cupertino, California, specializes in
"business critical" computers for banks, insurance companies and other
major corporations that deal with massive amounts of information. "The
phenomenal rate of change in the IT industry demands a new business model,
one that depends on strategic partnering to stay competitive and to be a
market maker," says Roel Pieper, Tandem's CEO. "This merger is based on
this concept and will provide the added benefit of creating a broader range
of open customer solutions to the market." "We will truly offer complete
solutions, from handhelds and portables to networked desktops and
workstations, all the way to Windows NT servers and the Himalaya range of
massively parallel commercial systems," say Eckhard Pfeiffer, president and
CEO of Houston-based Compaq.
Unruh Resigns as Unisys Chief
James Unruh has resigned as chairman and CEO of Unisys Corp. after seven
tumultuous years leading the struggling computer maker. Unruh, 56, will
leave his CEO post once a successor has been named. He will remain chairman
until the company's next annual meeting in April 1998. "Unruh has overseen
four restructurings of Unisys," notes the Reuter News Service. "Under his
leadership, the company has laid off tens of thousands of employees, closed
plants, pared product lines and sold divisions, but has not been able to
consistently report revenue growth." Unisys, headquartered in Blue Bell,
Pennsylvania, was formed by the 1986 merger of Sperry Corp. and Burroughs
Corp. "It enjoyed a few years of growth, fueled mainly by cost-cutting, but
then entered a prolonged slump as mainframe computers, its chief product,
lost favor amid the rise of smaller, cheaper machines," observes Reuters.
Miniature Laptop Unveiled
A super-small laptop -- weighing just 1.8 pounds with a 6.1-inch display --
has been unveiled by Toshiba Corp. Called the $2,000 Libretto 50CT, the
"ultra-ultra portable... is brimming with color and fancy graphics," says
business writer David E. Kalish of The Associated Press. "The Microsoft
Windows 95 icon dances across the screen -- the same operating program that
runs most box-like computers on desks in workplaces and homes." Kalish
calls this "the latest step in the high-tech industry's relentless push to
make fancy computers ever lighter," adding, "While hand-held "palm-top"
computers tend to weigh less, most run on Microsoft's more basic Windows CE
operating system use a smaller keyboard and are limited in what they can
do." By contrast, the Libretto uses the same software as its bigger
cousins. However, Kalish doesn't advise trying any heavy-duty typing on
the cramped keyboard. The Libretto's keys are about 20 percent closer
together than a conventional laptop's keys.
DirecTV Japan Adding Data Service
DirectTV Inc. plans to add interactive data capabilities to its
direct-to-home satellite service in Japan. DirecTV Japan will use
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd.'s DVX (digital video eXtension)
technology for "InteracTV," an interactive multimedia data service.
DirecTV Japan expects to make ser
vices including news, sports and weather
reports; product information from home shopping channels; and concert
informationfrom music channels available to subscribers beginning next
year. The service will be available to subscribers automatically through
the satellite set-top box. "InteracTV is one of the interactive data
services that will allow DTVJ to stand apart from our competition," says
Gareth Chang, chairman of Tokyo-based DirecTV Japan. "The various
applications we are planning as part of this system will give subscribers
more program software and the only service of its kind in Japan at this
time."
HSN Inc. Forms Online Auction
An online auction site has been formed on the Web by HSN Inc.'s Internet
Shopping Network that is to go up against sites like Onsale Inc. for the
dollars of high-tech consumers. Reporting from Palo Alto, California, Sam
Perry of the Reuter News Service says the site is "further evidence of HSN
Chairman Barry Diller's commitment to electronic commerce. Internet
Shopping Network CEO Kirk Loevner told the wire service said the live First
Auction site (http://www.firstauction.com) should make more than $30
million to $35 million in revenues in its first year of operation, adding,
"Our focus is computers, consumer electronics and general merchandise."
Reuters says sales will include unique collectible goods as well as
sponsored promotions such as a "Great Maui Escape" sweepstakes currently on
offer. Partners in the deal AT&T's Worldnet Internet access service, Time
Warner Inc.'s Pathfinder Web site, the GeoCities Web site and Gannett Cos.
Inc.'s USA Today newspaper. ISN claims more than 120,000 members. The wire
service says ISN has invested more than $2 million in hardware, software
and technical expertise in building the site, Loevner said. It is the
company's second commerce site alongside (http://www.isn.com), an
electronic store it established in 1994.
Big Apple Gets Digital Clubhouse
A non-profit organization that's dedicated to supplying technology access
and education to youths, senior citizens, the disabled and other special
interest groups has opened a New York-based information center. The
Digital Clubhouse Network's New York Information Technology Center, located
at 55 Broad Street, aims to bring the organization's "digital literacy"
campaign to Manhattan's "Silicon Alley." "Information technology can be a
powerful tool for building a global community, provided everyone
understands and can fully utilize it," says Warren Hegg, co-founder and
principal evangelist for The Digital Clubhouse Network. "Today the computer
is not just for computation and calculation, it's about communication and
participation in the emerging Digital Age. It's about people of all ages
and backgrounds, learning how to use this technology productively, and in
turn, teaching others."
The New York location is the second site for the Digital Clubhouse Network.
The first center opened in Santa Clara, California, a year ago. The
organization wants to open centers in communities all around the world.
The Digital Clubhouse Network's sponsors include Iomega Corp.,
Hewlett-Packard Co., Adobe Systems Inc. and IBM Corp. Additional
information is available on the Web at http://www.digiclub.org
Online Services Lead Net Access
Commercial online services are the largest home-based providers of Internet
access, according to new research from PC Meter. The Port Washington, New
York, media measurement company collects its information digitally via
software that's installed on home PCs in 10,000 households. The households
are demographically balanced to represent the population of U.S. PC owners.
"The commercial online services are playing a key and complementary role in
the explosive growth of the Internet," says Doug McFarland, senior vice
president of PC Meter's advertising and media division.
Magazine Ranks PC Companies
PC Magazine has released its list of the most influential companies in the
personal computer industry. The list is led by Microsoft Corp., followed
by Intel Corp., IBM Corp., Netscape Inc., Sun Microsystems Inc., Compaq
Computer Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co. Rounding out the top 20 are Cisco
Systems Inc., Oracle Corp., Toshiba Corp., Dell Computer Corp., Apple
Computer Inc., Adobe Systems Inc, Gateway 2000 Inc., Novell Inc., 3Com
Corp., Corel Corp., AOL Inc, Pointcast Inc. and NEC Corp.
"This list is not based strictly on market share and annual revenue,"
states Michael Miller, PC Magazine's editor-in-chief. "These are the
companies that we feel are best positioned to lead the personal computing
industry in the coming year." The list was developed by three dozen
members of PC Magazine's editorial staff, who participated in a special
Lotus Notes discussion database. The magazine notes that the discussion was
supplemented by hundreds of e-mail messages and some heated disagreements.
Japan PCs Lag U.S. by 4-5 Years?
The president of chipmaker Intel Corp. says Japan is lagging behind the
United States by four to five years in the extent to which personal
computers have become established in homes and small businesses. Speaking
at a Tokyo seminar on computers, Intel president Craig Barrett is quoted by
the Reuter News Service as saying, "For Japan to continue to grow (in PC
sales)...we have to see a rapid expansion in sales in small businesses and
homes." He also noted a gender gap in Japan, saying PCs are used mostly by
men at home. Barrett said the penetration of PCs in Japanese homes was
about 15 percent in 1996, compared to 40 to 45 percent in the United
States. "The penetration of PCs in homes with children is also relatively
low in Japan," adds Reuters, "while the penetration levels in other Asian
countries such as Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan are similar to that of
the United States due to the fact that PC networks have become a vital part
of education."
For Immediate Release
Corel Puts New Face On Enterprise Communications
Ottawa, Canada- June 25, 1997 - Corel Corporation today announced the
launch of its spin-off company, Corel Computer Corp. The new company will
be comprised of Corel's Video and Network Computing divisions and will
focus on offering a complete hardware and software solution to the
corporate environment. The company, which today opened the doors of its
new corporate offices, will initially be a wholly owned subsidiary of
Corel Corporation.
"This is an exciting new development for Corel," says Dr. Michael
Cowpland, president and chief executive officer of Corel Corporation.
"This new company will assemble a unique combination of knowledge expertise
and experience. The focus will be on providing a complete computing and
communications solution to clients. New enterprises will now be able to
use one company to install an entire corporate computing and communications
infrastructure."
The new company will offer corporate video conferencing as well as
other communications and network computing solutions. Corel Computer
Corp.'s product offering will initially be built around CorelVIDEOT and the
forthcoming Corel Video Network ComputerT and the CorelVIDEOT Compression
CAM. CorelVIDEO delivers the convenience of videoconferencing to the
desktop, with tools such as video on demand, corporate broadcasts, and
business television that make it great for education and information
distribution as well. The Corel Video Network Computer will leverage
Corel's wealth of JavaT experience and is a cornerstone in Corel Computer
Corp.'s strategy to marry communications and computing on the corporate
desktop. The CorelVIDEO Compression CAM offers users an entry into video
communications either over the LAN or Plain Old Telephone System (POTS).
"This move has been made possible by new technological developments
such as the rapidly increasing bandwidth of LANs, network dependability and
the new popularity of open-standards compliant software and hardware," says
Eid Eid, president of Corel Computer Corp. "Corel Computer Corp. is poised
to capture a large segment of the market tired of rising computing and
communications costs."
Corel Corporation will have a majority stake in the new company and
has no plans of abandoning any of its new technology. Although at this
point the new subsidiary will be wholly owned by Corel, it is expected that
within 12 months or less the company will gain enough revenue from video
product and development work in the Java arena to stand on its own.
Services such as human resources, marketing and design services will be
contracted to the new company through Corel's existing resources. The
relationship between Corel Computer Corp. and Corel will be a close one as
they will both share Dr. Michael Cowpland as their chairman . The line of
business at Corel Computer Corp. may require more regional offices and more
of a focus on direct sales. It will also have a different distribution
model to fit its unique product line.
However, it will operate under the same open-door philosophy as Corel
with a horizontal management structure - advanced products, sales and
engineering concentration. Approximately 80 Corel employees will move to
the new company, which will be located in Ottawa but outside of Corel's
headquarters. Some members of Corel's current management team will be
moving to Corel Computer Corp. , including Eid Eid, Corel's VP of
Technology, who will head the new company as president. Roger Bryanton,
Corel's Director of Video Technology, will direct the engineering team.
Corel's chief engineer and developer of CorelVIDEO, Pat Beirne, will also
participate in the new venture. Mike Cowpland will take on an active role
as chairman of the board, however his focus will remain on Corel Corp's
business.
Corel Corporation
Incorporated in 1985, Corel Corporation is recognized internationally as an
award-winning developer and marketer of productivity applications, graphics
and Internet software. Corel's product line includes CorelDRAWT, Corelr
WordPerfectr Suite, Corelr Office Professional, Corelr WebMaster Suite,
CorelVIDEOT and CorelCADT. Corel's products run on most operating systems,
including: Windowsr, Macintoshr, UNIX, MS-DOS, and OpenVMS and are
consistently rated among the strongest in the industry. The company ships
its products in over 17 languages through a network of more than 160
distributors in 70 countries worldwide. Corel is traded on the Toronto
Stock Exchange (symbol: COS) and the NASDAQ - National Market System
(symbol: COSFF). For more information visit Corel's home page on the
Internet at http://www.corel.com.
Corel, WordPerfect, Presentations, CorelDRAW, CorelVIDEO and CorelCAD are
registered trademarks or trademarks of Corel Corporation or Corel
Corporation Limited. Sylvan and Sylvan Learning Systems Centers are
registered trademarks and Authorized Prometric Testing Centers and Sylvan
Prometric are trademarks of Sylvan Learning Systems, Inc., in the U.S. and
Canada. All product and company names are trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective companies.
A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N
LEXMARK OPTRA C
COLOR
LASER PRINTER
For a limited time only; If you wish to have a FREE sample printout sent to
you that demonstrates LEXMARK Optra C SUPERIOR QUALITY 600 dpi Laser Color
Output, please send a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope [SASE] (business
sized envelope please) to:
STReport's LEXMARK Printout Offer
P.O. Box 6672
Jacksonville, Florida 32205-6155
Folks, the LEXMARK Optra C has to be the very best yet in its price range.
It is far superior to anything we've seen or used as of yet. It is said
that ONE Picture is worth a thousand words. The out put from the Lexmark
Optra C is worth ten thousand words! Send for the free sample now. (For a
sample that's suitable for framing, see below) Guaranteed. you will be
amazed at the superb quality. (Please.. allow at least a two week turn-
around).
If you would like a sample printout that's suitable for framing. Yes
that's right! Suitable for Framing. Order this package. It'll be on
special stock and be of superb quality. We obtained a mint copy of a 1927
COLOR ENGRAVER'S YEAR BOOK. Our Scanner is doing "double duty"! The
results will absolutely blow you away. If you want this high quality
sample package please include a check or money order in the amount of $6.95
(Costs only) Please, make checks or money orders payable to; Ralph Mariano.
Be sure to include your full return address and telephone number . The
sample will be sent to you protected, not folded in a 9x12 envelope. Don't
hesitate.. you will not be disappointed. This "stuff" is gorgeous!
A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N
Shareware Treasure Chest STR Feature "The Latest & Greatest"
Shareware Treasure Chest
By Lloyd E. Pulley
lepulley@streport.com
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
July '97 definition update for Norton AntiVirus 6/22/97 1.50mb Free
This file is a complete replacement for any previous definitions set for
all of the Norton AntiVirus products. The product list includes Norton
AntiVirus 3.0 (DOS/Win 3.1), Norton AntiVirus for Windows 95, Norton
AntiVirus Scanner for Windows NT, and Norton AntiVirus for NetWare 1.0 and
2.0.
Home Page Site - http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/index.html
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
SecurityPlus 32-bit 4.01 6/20/97 2.00mb Shareware $29.95
File viewer with on-the-fly encryption/decryption. Supports 24 different
file formats including Animated GIF files. Zoom, Full view, Auto-Hide, JPG
options, File Info including CRC, Full privacy of images and any other
files, runs in the tray, +more.
SecurityPlus! is an Encryption/Decryption utility program for Windows95 and
Windows NT4.0 It should not be confused with a password protection type
program. Password protection simply applies a password to a file where as
Encryption/Decryption modifies the file. Files such as company records,
accounting records, correspondence, images, CAD drawings, programming
source files. executable files, and many other types of files that you may
consider either "sensitive" or "private" in nature may be encrypted to
prevent viewing by others. SecurityPlus! is the ultimate security program
for your files. Unlike other programs of this type, SecurityPlus! uses the
key as the algorithm thus only one key will work. Different files of course
may have different keys applied to them. The keys are not saved as in other
programs.
Home Page Site - http://www.softbytelabs.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
WinTune 97 for Win95 1.0 6/20/97 995kb Freeware
The award-winning Windows Magazine benchmarking utility - now for Win95!
Home Page Site - http://www.winmag.com/software/wt97.htm
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Eudora Pro 32-bit 3.0.3 beta 2 6/22/97 5.00mb Shareware
One of the best email clients around. It features:
ú Enhanced message filtering
ú Multiple e-mail accounts
ú Plug-ins
ú Stylized text
ú "Drag and Drop" support and almost everything else you can think off.
Eudora Lite 32-bit 3.0.2 beta 5 6/22/97 4.10mb Free
The newest release of one of the best free email programs around.
Powerful Filters, Extended Message Services, Display stylized text, "Drag
and Drop" support, Active hot links and much more.
Home Page Site - http://www.eudora.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
MemSnoop 32 1.06 6/15/97 45kb Shareware $10.00
A fully configurable tool which displays all information you need to keep
your Windows 95 system running smoothly: first of all it includes a CPU
monitor, but it also displays the swapfile size, free memory, system
resources, and very important, the free space on your hardisks. Though all
information is displayed graphicaly, MemSnoop 32 is extremly small in size
and and does consume nearly no resources itself.
Home Page Site - http://www.stud.uni-hannover.de/~borsum/memsnoop32.html
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Creative Inspire 32-bit 1.0 6/20/97 5.00mb Freeware
Requires
Internet Explorer 3.0 or higher
Creative Inspire is a multimedia software that offers a unique Internet
Community for music, games and entertainment enthusiasts. This all-in-one
software supports the most popular multimedia and Internet technologies
like RealAudio, VDOLive, Java, Shockwave and OnLive! Inspire, an Internet
cable network, broadcasts the best mix of music, games and entertainment
events and programs to you! Put on your gear and battle with online gamers,
perform music for all to hear, shop at the comfort of your home, play DJ
and run your own Inspire Radio Station, watch a movie, let others sample
your 'home-made' Java game, invite friends over to your personal chat room,
host an online seminar and create your own Inspire programs - just like in
a real community!
Home Page Site - http://www.creativeinspire.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Synthetic Audio Library 1.03 6/18/97 534kb Shareware $60.00
Add digital music (MOD,S3M,XM) and sound (WAV) quickly and easily to your
32-bit Windows programs. Supports C/C++, Visual BASIC, and Delphi.
Automatically uses DirectSound if available for faster mixing.
Home Page Site - http://www.egerter.com/seal/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
File Dog 32-bit 1.3 pre-release 6/21/97 2.90mb Shareware $39
Now, you can download files from the internet in the middle of the night.
File Dog is the fully automated file retrieval program that does it for
you. Plus, File Dog includes fully functional FTP and Zip modules. All for
one low price.
ú Get all of the program updates, shareware, freeware, and other files
you want without wasting your time.
ú Retrieve files faster, and reduce connect time, by automatically
downloading files in the middle of the night.
ú End the hassle of trying to connect to overloaded files servers.
ú Free your internet connection during the day. Put it to work at three
in the morning when it isn't doing anything and you're asleep.
ú Download files from FTP servers, or HTTP (world-wide-web) pages and
much more.
Home Page Site - http://www.edgepub.com/fd/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Belarc Advisor for Win95 1.3 6/19/97 651kb Freeware
This Windows 95 Internet Utility works with any browser and helps you
shop for computer hardware and software products. Includes extensive system
information and benchmarking functions to do it's job automatically.
Home Page Site - http://www.belarc.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Personal Address Book 1.0 6/19/97 738kb Freeware
A simple database where you can store basic information (names
,addresses, phone numbers, e-mail, etc.) about other people. I tried to
make it as simple and intuitive as possible so you can easily enter and
quickly retrieve information from it. For people who don't have much
computer experience I also included a help file with the user manual.
Home Page Site - http://128.255.82.60/AddrBook.html
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Castanet Tuner 32-bit 1.1 beta 4 6/21/97 3.50mb Free
Castanet is a new technology for the distribution of channels over the
Internet and Intra-net. Each channel can be a stand-alone Java application,
a Java applet, or a Web site. Channels are stored locally, and can be used
repeatedly without waiting for them to reload every time. With the Castanet
Tuner you are able to subscribe, download, and update channels in an very
efficient and incremental manner. Once subscribed to a channel, it is
updated automatically, and it can be used even if you are currently not
connected! Castanet uses a new protocol to distribute and update channels
in a very scaleable manner. With the Castanet protocol it is possible to
distribute large, dynamic, and media-rich applications even over a slow
connection.
Home Page Site - http://www.marimba.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
McAfee Virus Scan Monthly Update Version June 6/22/97 1,060kb Freeware
This is the May update for Mcafee VirusScan version 3.0. Note: This will
not work with earlier versions of VirusScan.
Home Page Site - http://www.mcafee.com/down/dat.html
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Net Jumper 32-bit 2.5 plug-in 6/21/97 1.80mb Shareware
NetJumper is a first of its kind browser assistant that saves internet
users time surfing the net. The software lets you surf forward to what you
want to see, lets you build and share hot lists with others and allows
hands free viewing of sites using NetJumper's SlideShow Timer feature.
NetJumper is a compact toolbar. It loads all the links on a page and lets
you see them in the NetJumper Dropdown window or click to the next site on
the list using NetJumper's cool forward button.
Home Page Site - http://www.netjumper.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Connect 4 Version 1.1 6/20/97 880kb Shareware $5.00
A Windows 95 remake of the game in which the player who lines up four
counters together vertically, horizontally or diagonally first wins.
Includes 1 and 2 Player modes.
Home Page Site - http://indigo.ie/~barrett/c4home.html
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Mini Notetab 32-bit 2.62a 6/22/97 .43mb Freeware
Mini Notepad is not just another Windows Notepad replacement! It is a
feature-rich program with a selection of original productivity tools that
you will find in no other editor. Mini Notepad has been designed to use a
minimum amount of Windows system resources so you can safely keep the
editor open all the time. The program is capable of opening a very large
number of files (the actual limit is determined by the amount of free
system resources). Each document is displayed on a tabbed page making it
easy to switch between them. A separate window, called the Document
Selector, makes it easy to find a specific document when a large number of
them are open.
Home Page Site -
http://www.unige.ch/sciences/terre/geologie/fookes/mininote.htm
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Enigmacross for Windows 95 Version 4.0 6/20/97 956kb Shareware
$39.95
Solve and construct real acrostic puzzles on your windows 95 computer.
Just like the kind found in daily newspaper and magazines. Print acrostic
puzzles in a variety of formats and to most popular desktop publishing
programs. The registered version includes more than 50 challenging
acrostics.
Home Page Site - http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/crossdown/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
ShoveIt 32-bit 1.5 beta 6/22/97 .33mb Shareware $15
This little utility fixes a "bug" in Windows 95. The bug appears when the
taskbar is docked on the top of the screen (like a Mac) instead of the
bottom. The problem is that new application windows sometimes appear
underneath the taskbar so you can't click their caption bar. Since you
can't click their caption bar, you can't easily move the window to correct
this bug yourself. Well this will fix it for you.
Home Page Site - http://www.phord.com/shoveit.html
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Tray Temperature Version 1.0 6/24/97 2,710kb Shareware $9.95
Tray Temperature is one of the most important applications that was
mysteriously left out of Windows95. TrayTemp puts the current temperature
of your specific city at your fingertips by placing it in the system tray.
You can configure the city, interval of retrieval and even if you want it
to put a cloud in your tray if your forecast looks cloudy. TrayTemp is 32
bit shareware for Windows 95 and NT.
Home Page Site - http://www.futuresolution.com/TrayTemp/TrayTemp.htm
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
PointCast Network 32-bit 2.0 beta build 1290 6/22/97 3.30mb Freeware
The PointCast Network is a personalized news network and you're the head
of programming. PCN content is custom tailored to your needs and
automatically delivered to your desktop. You can either "tune in" to the
network whenever you need the latest breaking news, or when your computer
goes to "sleep", PointCast's patent-pending SmartScreen technology
automatically kicks in, replacing your screen saver with an up-to-the-
minute presentation of breaking headlines. It also acts as a plug-in for
Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer.
Home Page Site - http://www.pointcast.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
The People Keeper Version 1.1 6/24/97 6,800kb Shareware $10.00
A Family oriented Address manager. Keeps complete data for all family
members including multiple address books, both personal and business
addresses, multiple phone numbers, pictures, email/www data, a Wizard for
reports, and much more.
Home Page Site - http://rfs.simplenet.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Imperialism for Win95 6/23/97 23.00mb Commercial Demo
A highly addictive and challenging multi-player strategy game for those
who crave absolute power. Experience the vast technological advances
spanning the entire Industrial Revolution. Several paths to conquest
include: diplomatic, economic, and military - or whatever combinations the
player can devise. Plagued by indecision? Cabinet ministers provide advice
and direction, in amounts which vary according to difficulty level chosen.
Sophisticated Artificial Intelligence with a variety of strategic
personalities.
Home Page Site - http://www.imperialism.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
ChemBalance Wizard 32 Version 1.0 6/23/97 736kb Freeware
Accepts up to ten chemical species as input and produces one or more
balanced chemical equations. If no balanced equations exist for the given
species, the user is informed that none can be produced. The rapid
balancing of the chemical equations makes this program a useful tool for
students and teachers alike!
Home Page Site -
http://www.mines.edu/academic/chemistry/chembal/index.html
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Quick Color 32-bit 3.11 6/23/97 .30mb Shareware $20
The latest shareware release of QuickColor for Windows 95/NT is now
available, adding extended hotkey support, screen saving and DirectX
querying capabilities to an already rich feature set, including on-the-fly
color depth switching and support for over 500 monitors under NT. Up to 20
applications and shortcuts can be associated with specific display
settings, and launched from the Windows desktop, QuickColor toolbar or
system tray popup menu.
Home Page Site - http://www.entechtaiwan.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Turbo Browser 97 Version 5.3.15 6/23/97 1,749kb Shareware $59.00
This program is a significant addition to Windows 95 and NT4.0; replace
Explorer and a raft of utilities with one compact integrated program. It
looks and feels like Explorer - "97" style, so you can use it from day one.
The latest update supports ActiveX WYSIWYG HTML and Office 97 document
viewing, and more. Complete with zipping, unzipping, disk spanning, and
password. Macro processing with the Qbar.
Home Page Site - http://www.turbobrowser.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Snag-It 32-bit 4.0 6/23/97 .59mb $39.95
SnagIt allows users to capture all or a portion of the Windows display
using a "hotkey" combination. Once captured, SnagIt sends the image to the
printer, the clipboard, a file or as an e-mail attachment. Captured images
can be immediately pasted into other Windows applications, such as word
processors and desktop publishing programs, or saved to a graphic file for
future use. SnagIt/32 offers a variety of optional tuning parameters for
advanced screen capture needs. Automatic and manual image scaling,
adjustments to color balance and monochrome conversion parameters help
create the best possible graphic for the selected print device. SnagIt/32
saves captured images in a variety of popular graphic file formats.
Consecutive captures can be stored in automatically named files.
Home Page Site - http://www.techsmith.com/products/snagit/index.htm
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
DateChanger Version 1.00.0002 6/22/97 49kb Shareware
This application changes the date in the system clock of your computer.
It is knows how many days have passed since it did the change, therefore
the date which should have come if the change did not take place can be
restored. Useful for changing dates for only a short time!
Home Page Site - http://blue.nownuri.net/~wesley96/WDSoft/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
WinDownload 32-bit 3.41 6/24/97 1.80mb Shareware $20
WinDownload is a great utility that lets you schedule the download of
selected files. WinDownload is a 32 bit, multi-thread application which can
maximize bandwidth on any size pipe. Drag and drop a shortcut from Internet
Explorer or Netscape and keep browsing. You can download the files on
demand or schedule them to download anytime you want. Copy and paste a
valid URL from any file or copy shortcut from your browser or add a new URL
manually.
Home Page Site - http://mason.gmu.edu/~rmcclana/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Taskbar Smiley Version 1.0 6/23/97 1,217kb Shareware $10.00
A program that resides in your Windows system tray and plays the real,
soothing sounds of a Forest Stream, a Tropical Rainforest, an Ocean Surf,
and a Peaceful Night-time Surf sound.
Home Page Site - http://www.advancedaerials.com/plastic/index.htm
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Anonymous Cookie 32-bit 1.0 beta 1 6/24/97 1.40mb Free
Luckman's Anonymous Cookie for Internet Privacy is a free utility program
that lets you instantly disable all cookies in your browser's cookie
directory or file. This anonymous mode ensures total privacy since it hides
all your personal information from outside sources. Another mouse click re-
enables your user's cookies at any time during or after your Internet
session, again giving you total privacy control.
Home Page Site - http://www.luckman.com/anoncookie/anoncookiebody.html
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Xcell Version 4.0A 6/20/97 622kb Freeware
A game based on Microsoft's Freecell but offers many more features.
Home Page Site - http://huizen.dds.nl/~ren-hoek/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
FTP Voyager 32-bit 3.0.1.6 6/25/97 2.30mb Shareware $24.95
FTP Voyager is an FTP Client program for Windows 95/NT which allows you
to perform FTP operations in the same way you normally perform file
operations. FTP Voyager can connect to nearly any FTP Site, whether it's a
UNIX site or a Windows NT site. FTP Voyager looks and feels like the
Windows Explorer, in fact, you can even drag and drop files between them.
It features:
*Get, Put, and browse different sites at the same time
*Easy to use FTP Site Manager used to manage your favorite FTP sites
*Run, Open, and View files on an FTP site and more.
Home Page Site - http://www.rhinosoft.com/RhinoSoft/FtpVoyagerDesc.htm
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Address Book for WinWord 6.0 - 7.0 Version 5.6 6/20/97 226kb
Shareware $17.00
Store up to 8000 names, Addresses and phone numbers. Search for specific
record.Use filter. Insert the details directly to your document. The
desired details, in the way you want. Import and Export data. Create
reports. Normal report, and Wide report for mail merge. Automatically sort
after every change made. Included templates for creating letter, and
sending FAX.
Home Page Site - http://www.kagi.com/fuchs/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
WebVCR 6/25/97 1.70mb Shareware $19.95
WebVCR works like your home VCR: you program it with the sites you want,
it "records" the web sites using your preferences, and you view your sites
by "playing" them back on your favorite web browser. Unlike first
generation offline browsers, WebVCR has a powerful, wizard-driven Windows
95 interface that puts you in control of recorded content, allowing you to
specify exactly what you want to record and what you don't want to record.
Plus, WebVCR doesn't limit you to a single cache of downloaded web pages.
It allows you to create as many "Web Tapes" (recorded web pages stored in a
file) as you like in any location on any media (hard disk, Iomega Zip,
SyQuest SyJet, etc.) which makes it easy to archive, transfer, or
distribute the web content you've recorded.
Home Page Site - http://www.netresultscorp.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Graphcat Clip Art Cataloger for WordPerfect/Win95 Version 4.1
6/20/97 205kb Shareware $20.00
High-power graphics catalogs in WordPerfect 8, 7, 6.1, 6.0, 5.2,
5.2+/Win. New in 4.1: Adds support for Corel WP 8 /32-bit & WP7/16-bit.
Includes CD-ROM support, directory searching, uses all graphics supported
by WordPerfect. User has complete control of catalog page layout and image
options and size.
Home Page Site - http://www.graphcat.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
netWAR 32-bit beta 6/25/97 N/A Free
Requires DirectX
A new online action/shoot 'em up type game. In a way it's kind of similar
to the old console game Commando. Your an soldier and can either play
regular Deathmatch (you against everybody) or form small combat units to
attain your goals. The game takes a semi top down view of the action.
Home Page Site - http://www.net-wars.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Cookie Crusher 32-bit 1.5 6/26/97 .39mb Shareware $10
On the World Wide Web, 'cookies' can generate profiles of your visiting
habits. Many sites now utilize cookies and their use is expanding. Most web
users, when alerted to this, are very concerned about their browsing
privacy. Internet experts and analysts recommend against accepting cookies.
Protect yourself with Cookie Crusher! Cookie Crusher will automatically
reject cookies before they hit your hard drive. This true 32 bit program is
fully compatible with Netscape Navigator/Communicator and Microsoft
Internet Explorer under both Windows 95 and Windows NT.
Home Page Site - http://www.thelimitsoft.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Internet Touchtone 32-bit 1.2 plug-in 6/26/97 1.00mb Shareware
Internet Touchtone is a plug-in for use with Netscape Navigator/MSIE.
Users can create or convert hyperlinks that dial telephone numbers directly
from a web page. Users never have to dial from the telephone or manually
enter a telephone number into a dialer. Just point and click. Internet
Touchtone is ideal for keeping a list of frequently called numbers,
rosters, or creating address books consisting of friends and family.
Businesses with home pages can convert phone numbers on web pages into
hyperlinks so visitors can point, click, and be connected with a
salesperson or customer service representative in a matter of seconds.
Home Page Site - http://www.itserv.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
PureVoice Player-Recorder 32-bit 1.0 beta 4 6/26/97 1.30mb Free
Introducing PureVoice Technology and its first Internet application: A
Player-Recorder for voice messages that you can use with your email
software. There's a Plug-in specifically for Eudora software, and a
separate application for other email products. The sound quality is about
the same as you'd expect on a standard telphone call and are very small.
PureVoice files can be up to ten times smaller than comparable .wav files.
Home Page Site - http://www.eudora.com/eudorapro/purevoice.html/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Eddie's Yahtzee Version 1.0 6/20/97 500kb Freeware
Beautiful version of Yahtzee. This one features a very intuitive
interface, along with beautiful 16 bit graphics. And, most important of
all, it's fun! As an added bonus, it is also free, with no annoying nag
screens or guilt messages.
Home Page Site - http://www.tufts.edu/~esulliva/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
DiscPlay 32-bit 4.0.3 6/26/97 1.00mb Shareware $15
An audio CD player with some nice features such as: DiscPlay can search
your entire CD collection for tracks or albums; by title, artist, category,
owner, or user-defined information, DiscPlay offers five different window
sizes, and allows you to specify exactly what information will be displayed
in the window and on the title bar, and Editing playlists and disc
properties is as easy as dragging a track (or a file) onto a list. Web
browser integration, CDDB Internet database support, HTML document
generation, collection printing with visual template editor, and easy
collection management and statistical features, and more make Discplay a
great program.
Home Page Site - http://www.obvion.com/discplay/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Letter Rack Version 1.02 6/15/97 1,228kb Shareware $24.99
A challenging and traditional word board game written for Windows 95 / NT
for 1 - 4 players. Letter Rack has lots of new features and includes 7
dictionaries, the Official Letter Rack dictionary contains 190,000+ words,
other dictionaries are French, German, Portuguese and Spanish. Other 'bells
& whistles' are a user configurable board, a puzzle solver and a host of
other features.
Home Page Site - http://wkweb4.cableinet.co.uk/softspot.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
WinHacker 32-bit 2.02 6/26/97 1.10mb Shareware $18
WinHacker 95 is the best utility that you can use to configure the hidden
Windows 95 (and Windows NT) settings. Many of the settings that change the
way Windows 95 works and feels are hidden in the overwhelming registry, or
in configuration files. WinHacker 95 give you a easy way to configure those
settings through the GUI (graphical user interface)
Home Page Site - http://www.wojo.com/wedge/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Headliner 32-bit 1.2.0 6/26/97 2.80mb Free
HeadLiner automatically delivers and organizes your choice of news and
information from the Web. Structured, filtered, organized, updated and
presented just for you. Now you can manage the Web like it's never been
managed before! HeadLiner starts by asking you about your interests and
automatically providing sites for you. As your requirements change or
evolve, HeadLiner gives you a choice of hundreds of sites. Not just a few
like those other delivery tools. Hundreds. News. Business. Stock Quotes.
Sports. Weather. Lifestyles. The Arts. And more. In your home city and
around the world. You can subscribe to more sites at any time. And
HeadLiner will make sure you always have the latest news and information
when you need it. Without the irrelevant advertising.
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EDUPAGE STR Focus Keeping the users informed
Edupage
Contents
Internet Restrictions Overturned In
New York, Georgia
Study Confirms Intranet Payback
Gateway 2000 To Buy Advanced Logic
Research
Wireless Carriers, Utilities Join
Forces In Tower Issue
News News Everywhere
There'll Be Music In The Air ...
And Over The Wires
BellSouth Says AT&T's Is
Procrastinating For A Purpose
Virtual Immortality, At Carnegie
Mellon
Gates Creates Library
FoundationCompaq To Acquire
TandemDigital CouponsQuebec And The
InternetBuy It And They Will
LearnRecording Industry Puts
Internet Pirates On Notice
Microsoft Web Site Victim Of
Cracker
On The Net, Talk Is Cheap ...
... And It's Making Telecoms
Nervous
C/Net Unveils Snap! Online
We Interrupt Your Work To Bring You
This Message
Court Overturns Provision Of
Communications Decency Act
Government Loosens Up (A Little) On
Encryption Export Policy
Wireless Bidders Threaten To
Default
Microsoft Will Spend $80-Million On
Cambridge Lab
Four Bells Join In Online Yellow
Pages
Cisco Still Buying
Ellison Not To Be Outdone In The
Philanthropy Department
Nonprofit Takes Over Registration
Of Internet Addresses
Information Technology And The
Wealth Of Nations
INTERNET RESTRICTIONS OVERTURNED
IN NEW YORK, GEORGIA
State laws in New York and Georgia putting limits on free speech over the
Internet were overturned Friday. In the New York case, a law similar to
the federal Communications Decency Act was declared unconstitutional
because it sought to regulate transactions occurring outside the state's
borders, thereby violating the Constitution's interstate commerce clause.
"The judge was waiting to hear the Supreme Court's decision on the CDA,
but decided that in any event it doesn't matter because under this commerce
law, it is too burdensome for people to speak at all in this medium," says
an American Civil Liberties Union attorney. In Georgia, a federal judge
issued a preliminary injunction against a law that made it illegal to use
a name that "falsely identifies" the sender of an electronic message, such
as a pseudonym or an anonymous e-mail address. (WiredNews 20 Jun 97)
STUDY CONFIRMS INTRANET PAYBACK
A study released Thursday by Meta Consulting Group indicates that 80% of
the companies polled realized a positive return on their investment in a
corporate intranet. Participating companies ranged in size from $2-million
to $35-billion in sales revenue, but an organization's size had no
apparent relationship to the returns generated, which averaged about 38%
on the initial investment. "The market for intranet services is moving
rapidly, and to date there has been little expense or cost justification
data available," says a Meta VP. "What does exist is vendor-focused rather
than reflecting the need and actual experience of end users." (Electronic
Buyers News 20 Jun 97)
GATEWAY 2000 TO BUY ADVANCED LOGIC RESEARCH
Direct computer sales pioneer Gateway 2000 has agreed to purchase server-
maker Advanced Logic Research for $194 million. "Adding a server offering
to our product line... ties in very well as a natural extension of our
push into the corporate market," says Gateway EO Ted Waitt. (InfoWorld
Electric 19 Jun 97)
WIRELESS CARRIERS, UTILITIES JOIN FORCES IN TOWER ISSUE
With community zoning boards clamping down hard on where new cellular phone
towers may be sited, wireless carriers in some cases are turning to
utility companies to help them out f their dilemma. The PowerMount,
designed by FWT Inc. of Fort Worth, Texas, modifies the utility's
electrical transmission towers to accommodate the carrier's communications
antennas. By co-siting their antennas on already existing power poles, the
carriers are finding that community opposition is virtually eliminated.
(Wireless Business Technology Jun 97)
NEWS NEWS EVERYWHERE
Are many people watching all-news cable channels (the Fox Channel, MSNBC,
and the now- venerable CNN)? Not compared to their network rivals.
Ratings from the Nielsen Company indicate that Fox is watched in 10,000
homes, MSNBC in 24,000 homes, and CNN in 274,000 homes ... whereas NBC's
network news is watched in 8 million homes -- well over 300 times the
number reached by MSNBC. The president of NBC defends MSNBC's small viewer
numbers, saying: "I don't want to sound naive; we all want audience. But
what's difficult for some people to understand is that you can have a
pretty decent business with a very small audience." (New York Times 22
Jun 97)
THERE'LL BE MUSIC IN THE AIR ... AND OVER THE WIRES
The New York-based Jupiter consulting group predicts that about $1.6-
billion worth of recorded music (approx. 7.5% of the total market) will be
sold online in the U.S. five years from now. (Financial Times 21 Jun 97)
BELLSOUTH SAYS AT&T IS PROCRASTINATING FOR A PURPOSE
BellSouth chief executive F. Duane Ackerman is accusing AT&T of
deliberately staying out of the local phone market because, according to
government rules, the long-distance carrier's entry into that market would
lead to the ability of local service providers such as BellSouth to
compete with AT&T for long-distance phone customers. Saying that federal
law has given AT&T a "powerful and perverse set of incentives" to delay
offering local service to customers," Ackerman argues that "it profits
AT&T to stay out of residential service to the tune of $1.6 billion a year
in the nine states BellSouth serves." (Atlanta Journal-Constitution 20 Jun
97)
VIRTUAL IMMORTALITY, AT CARNEGIE MELLON
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University envision a huge multimedia
database that could store minute-by-minute details of your waking life,
all packed on a hard disk the size of a quarter. "Your great great
grandchildren will be able to ask your database about your life and
times," says Dr. Raj Reddy, dean of the School of Computer Science. As
hard- drive prices plummet, "storing all your visual experiences during
your 5,840 waking hours per year, including all your creative expressions,
will soon cost less than $1,000," predicts the director of CMU's new Human
Computer Interaction Institute, who predicts that in about 15 years,
storage costs will fall to about $50 for 100 years of life. Meanwhile,
making computers think more like people is the goal of the new Center for
the Neural Basis of Cognition: "Every man, woman and child will soon be
using information technology as an integral part of their daily lives,"
says Reddy. "So we're spending intellectual capital to understand how to
make IT like driving a car. Most people drive, yet they don't care much
about how the engine works. Whereas 90 years ago, you had to be your own
mechanic." (Business Week 23 Jun 97)
GATES CREATES LIBRARY FOUNDATION
Microsoft chief executive Bill Gates is making a personal contribution of
$200 million over five years (matched by a contribution from the Microsoft
Corporation of software with a retail value of $200) to give public
libraries in lower income areas computers, software, training, and
Internet access. As many as half of the country's public libraries may
eventually benefit from the newly established Gates Library Foundation,
which will have as its president Patty Stonesifer, a former Microsoft
senior vice president. Unlike many large gifts, the $200 million is not
an endowment set up to generate interest-income for the recipient, but
rather a five-year spending total. (New York Times 24 Jun 97)
http://www.nytimes.com
COMPAQ TO ACQUIRE TANDEM
In a $3-billion stock swap, Compaq Computer -- best known as a personal
computer company - is buying Tandem Computers, a manufacturer of large
"fault-tolerant" computer systems deliberately built with redundant
components so that they can survive hard disk crashes, power failures, or
other major disruptions. Compaq Chief Executive Eckardt Pfeiffer says:
"It just happened, like two people falling in love. Neither one knows who
starts it." Tandem will become a subsidiary of Compaq, and no staff
reductions or relocations are expected. Compaq is located in Houston,
Texas, and Tandem is located in Cupertino, California. The combined
company is expected to be a major player in the world computer market.
(San Jose Mercury News 24 Jun 97) http://www.sjmercury.com
DIGITAL COUPONS
Open Market Inc. has developed technology to produce and deliver digital
coupons over the Internet, allowing Web sites to "mark down" specific
items for discounted sales to their best customers. Online marketers will
also be able to send e-mail to customers with embedded coupons that can be
redeemed within a given timeframe. The new technology will be included in
the new version of Open Market's Transact Internet commerce software.
(Wall Street Journal 24 Jun 97) http://www.wsj.com
QUEBEC AND THE INTERNET
Quebec's Culture and Communications Minister Louise Beaudoin says the
province's jurisdiction over consumer protection and advertising take
precedence over the federal jurisdiction for telecommunications, giving
the Quebec government the right to control language content for
commercial Websites on the Internet. Beaudoin contends that if left up to
the federal Heritage Minister, there would be no French-language content on
the Internet. (Montreal Gazette 20 Jun 97)
BUY IT AND THEY WILL LEARN
More than 2,800 pieces of classroom computers, printers or terminals are
broken or neglected in Fairfax County (VA) public schools. A school
official says: "The focus of attention was on buying the equipment, and
the support of that equipment was not taken into account. It was assumed
the current support systems would be able to handle things and that has
not proven to be the case." The school board's budget panel chief says the
board's decision not to hire additional technicians for this fiscal year
was influenced by its budget policy to hire administrators only when
absolutely necessary. (Washington Times 24 Jun 97)
http://www.washtimes.com
RECORDING INDUSTRY PUTS INTERNET PIRATES ON NOTICE
The Recording Industry Association of America has filed three lawsuits on
behalf of its members against operators of Web sites that allegedly are
involved in pirating and distributing copyrighted songs for free over the
Internet. "We are serving notice to other sites that we are going to
vigorously protect our copyrights," says the association's president.
(Tampa Tribune 23 Jun 97) http://www.tampatrib.com
MICROSOFT WEB SITE INTERRUPTED BY CRACKER
Microsoft's Web site was disrupted briefly by a computer cracker who broke
into the site's server computers by exploiting a flaw in the Microsoft
Internet server software. The site was down only about 10 minutes, but
company officials say users may have experienced more problems because the
company currently is upgrading its servers. Microsoft has posted a fix
for the flaw on its Web site, and a marketing director says all that was
needed to get the machines going again was a reboot. (Wall Street Journal
23 Jun 97) http://www.wsj.com
ON THE NET, TALK IS CHEAP ...
Innomedia, a small company in Singapore, has developed a device that can be
attached to a regular phone and used to make calls over the Internet,
simply by pressing the # sign after dialing a number. Called InfoTalk,
the product will be introduced in Singapore in October, and is expected
eventually to be sold in the U.S. for about $300 retail. Financial Times
24 Jun 97) http://www.ft.com
... AND IT'S MAKING TELECOMS NERVOUS
"We're afraid they're going to just start banning it all over the place,"
says an executive of IDT, a New Jersey company that has sold its Internet
phone systems to clients in Portugal, Hungary, the Czech Republic and
Micronesia. His fear is based on the fact an increasing number of nations
are banning or blocking Internet calls to protect their state-owned phone
companies; they can do this by blocking internal access to the Web site,
preventing customers from beginning the process of dialing out. An
international call from any country placed through IDT's equipment costs 10
cents a minute vs. more than $2 a minute using regular phone lines. (USA
Today 24 Jun 97) http://www.usatoday.com
C/NET UNVEILS SNAP! ONLINE
C/Net, a producer of computer-related Web sites and television shows, has
developed a new service to organize and present Web content. Earthlink
Network has agreed to distribute at least 10 million CD-ROMs featuring
Snap! Online, and C/Net has reached agreements with most of the major
Internet access providers, including AT&T's WorldNet, MCI Internet and
Sprint's Internet Passport. Snap! will offer "channels," such as news and
entertainment, that will then point users toward Web sites related to the
topic selected. (Wall Street Journal 23 Jun 97) http://www.wsj.com
WE INTERRUPT YOUR WORK TO BRING YOU THIS MESSAGE
A Gallup-San Jose State University survey of 972 executives, managers and
administrative staff at Fortune 1000 companies found that half of those
questioned said they were interrupted by messages six or more times an
hour, leaving them overwhelmed by the number of messages they receive. An
executive of Pitney Bowes, the office products company that sponsored the
study, says: "This phenomenon is beginning to have a seismic affect on
people's professional and private lives. Technology is not the problem,
it's how we use and control it." (Reuters 24 Jun 97)
COURT OVERTURNS PROVISION OF
COMMUNICATIONS DECENCY ACT
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that a provision of the
Communications Decency Act passed by the Congress last year violated free-
speech rights when its efforts to protect children from sexually explicit
material had the additional effect of keeping such material from adults.
Writing for the Court, Justice John Paul Stevens said: "It is true that we
have repeatedly recognized the governmental interest in protecting children
from harmful materials. But that interest does not justify an unnecessarily
broad suppression of speech addressed to adults. The government may not
reduce the adult population ... to ... only what is fit for children.''
(San Jose Mercury News 26 Jun 97) http://www.sjmercury.com/
GOVERNMENT LOOSENS UP A LITTLE ON
ENCRYPTION EXPORT POLICY
The U.S. Commerce Department has granted Netscape and Microsoft licenses to
export more secure versions of the software they sell to financial
institutions, but has not changed its policies regarding exportation of
strong encryption software for e-mail and other electronic communications.
(New York Times 25 Jun 97) http://www.nytimes.com/
WIRELESS BIDDERS CAN'T PAY THEIR BILLS
Winners of the much-ballyhooed wireless spectrum auction held last year now
say they can't pay the billions of dollars that they bid for licenses and
are threatening to default if the government doesn't agree to restructure
their debt. The auction generated bids totaling $10.2 billion for 493
licenses to offer personal communications services. The FCC faces a
difficult decision, as any reduction of debt would result in an outpouring
of complaints from competing bidders who lost and market rivals who paid
full freight for their licenses. At the same time, if the bidders
default, they could seek the protection of bankruptcy court, where the FCC
can't easily reclaim the licenses for re-auction. The CEO of NextWave,
the largest bidder in trouble, says that instead of the $10.2 billion the
government was expecting, bidders now ought to pay "roughly $2.7 billion,
including the $1 billion they've already paid in If they re-auction the
licenses, they probably won't get $2.7 billion," and if the debt's not
restructured, "every one of the C-block players would go into bankruptcy,
and the licenses would be tied up in court." (Wall Street Journal 26 Jun
(97) http://www.wsj.com
MICROSOFT WILL SPEND $80-MILLION ON CAMBRIDGE LAB
Microsoft has confirmed that it plans to spend $80 million over the next
five years on its first foreign research center, to be located at
Cambridge University in England. "It's a big step to go beyond the United
States, but our view was there were greater opportunities for us if we did
that," says Microsoft Chief Technology Officer Nathan Myhrvold. "We
really wanted to broaden our perspective, and Europe was a high priority."
The company also plans to invest an additional $16 million in venture
capital for local high-tech firms in Cambridge. (Science Online 26 Jun
97) http://www.sciencemag.org
FOUR BELLS JOIN IN ONLINE YELLOW PAGES
Ameritech, BellSouth, U S West and Pacific Bell (now owned by SBC
Communications) have developed a "shared" Yellow Pages service, which will
be housed on the popular Yahoo! search engine Web site. Users will be
transported to a map of the U.S., where they can click on a specific state
to search business listings. For states in the Northeast, where none of
the companies operate, listings purchased from a third party will provided.
(Wall Street Journal 25 Jun 97) http://www.wsj.com
CISCO STILL BUYING
Cisco Systems is adding to its networking empire through the purchase of
two companies -- Global Internet Software Group, for $40 million, and
Ardent Communications, for $156 million. The Global deal makes Cisco a
provider of Windows NT network security software, and the Ardent purchase
gives Cisco access to Ardent's technology used to transmit voice across
computer networks. (Investor's Business Daily 25 Jun 97)
http://www.investors.com
ELLISON NOT TO BE OUTDONE IN
THE PHILANTHROPY DEPARTMENT
One day after Microsoft CEO Bill Gates announced his intention to spend
$200 million of his personal money in addition to donating $200 million
worth of Microsoft software to bring computers and Internet access to
public libraries, Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison has pledged $100 million
to help schools put network computers on every child's desk. "This is an
unbelievable coincidence," said Gates Library Foundation head Patty
Stonesifer, who noted Gates had been planning the library effort for the
past 18 months. Oracle executives prefer to think that Gates'
announcement was in response to an alert they distributed Monday afternoon
about the Oracle donation. Ellison joked that it took Microsoft a year to
respond to the Internet, six months to respond to the NC, and only six
hours to respond to Oracle's donation plans. (Wall Street Journal 25 Jun
97) http://www.wsj.com
NONPROFIT TAKES OVER REGISTRATION
OF INTERNET ADDRESSES
The National Science Foundation has decided to turn the job of assigning
Internet addresses for computers in North America over to a new not-for-
profit organization called American Registry for Internet Numbers. That
responsibility is currently handled by the Network Solutions Inc., a for-
profit company of Reston, Va., under contract to the NSF. Most Internet
users will be unaffected by the change and will continue to obtain their
Internet Protocol number assignments from their Internet service providers.
(AP 24 Jun 97)
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE WEALTH OF NATIONS
FCC Chairman Reed Hundt says that the information revolution is the key to
increasing world wealth
. "If it's possible to have the information
revolution lead to a general elevation in world wealth and a better
distribution of that wealth, then this is a very important thing...People
will vote on the Internet, get an education on the Internet ... watch TV
on computers, look for jobs on the Internet and just plain work on the
Internet. Communications technology will alter everyday living from dawn
to dusk, top to bottom." What should countries do to get richer faster?
"Deregulate like crazy... Those countries that adopt the competitive model
more quickly will be the ones that get richer faster." (AP 25 Jun 97)
Edupage is written by John Gehl (gehl@educom.edu) & Suzanne Douglas
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Inside the SAT and ACT
'97 Edition
Windows and Mac hybrid
Street Price: around $30
for college bound students
Princeton Review
50 Mail Road, Suite 210
Burlington, MA 01803
1-617-272-7027
http://www.review.com
Program Requirements
IBM Macintosh
OS: Windows 3.1, Windows 95 OS: System 7.0
CPU: 486DX/33 CPU: ?
HD Space: none HD Space:
none
Memory: 8 MB Memory: 8 MB
Graphics: 640 by 480 with 256 colors Graphics:
256 colors, 13" monitor
CD-ROM: Double-speed CD-ROM: Double-speed
Audio: 8-bit Windows compatible sound card
Other: mouse
review by Jason Sereno (jason.sereno@mules-ear.com)
Princeton Review has made many attempts to help students planning to attend
vocational school. One of its most worthwhile products is Inside the SAT
and ACT '97 Edition. The program features two separate CD-ROMS that
examine each tests thoroughly. Although each CD-ROM is separate, both use
QuickTime movies along with many great instructors to explain strategies
that make the tests easier to comprehend and increase your scores.
Students can evaluate their study plans and utilize certain lessons to
raise their scores. You can then be compare your scores with averaged
scores from over 1200 colleges. You can also access the colleges' web
pages directly through the program. Inside the SAT and ACT '97 Edition is
the key to unlocking the door of the SAT and ACT tests.
The programs have six separate sections. The main menu is a hallway that
you would see in an average high school. (Although this would seem to be a
sort of an out of control high school with kids smoking in the hallways and
others spray painting walls.) The six categories are represented as
classrooms that focus on the main parts of the tests. The SAT portion has
the following categories: Intro, Math, Verbal, General strategies, College
Counselor, and Tests. The ACT sections are: English, Guidance Counselor,
Science, Tests, Math, and Reading. Each section gives information and
strategies to make taking the tests seem simpler.
To explain the information and strategies, Inside the SAT and ACT '97
Edition uses many instructors. The instructors in the game are the same in
the ACT and SAT versions, despite changes in their clothing. They're
usually very vibrant and excited, but this is sometimes irritating. I
don't recall ever seeing a group of people so excited because they were
going to take a test. Seriously, the movie sequences are straight forward
and contain many useful hints to solve math equations, give responses
pertaining to a short passage, and answer scientific problems. There is
also a lot of useful information about the general questions.
To make Inside the SAT and ACT '97 Edition unique for each user, the person
using the software can alter their own study plan and make adjustments to
raise their overall grade. You can determine your estimated test grade for
the SAT by taking a practice test. It will be just like a real test, but
of course the same questions will not be on the test you will take for
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were on the separate categories of the two tests, they can put the scores
into the program when starting. You can then compare your before and after
scores to track your improvement with Inside the SAT and ACT.
You may also compare your scores with over 1200 colleges' averaged scores.
Also available is a detailed profile of the colleges. You'll be able to
see if you have what it takes to get into the college of your choice or if
you should apply to a more well known and challenging school. There is
also information about financial aid, the ratio of males to females on
campus, and other interesting facts and statistics. After you have found a
college that interests you, you are able to go directly to its web site,
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Inside the SAT and ACT '97 Edition is a great product for college bound
students. It contains many well-designed strategies and supplies you with
information that is definitely useful for attending college. The program
efficiently utilizes QuickTime movies. The instructors, although maybe
too excited, get their point across very effectively. I really enjoyed
this program and would recommend it to anyone that will take these tests in
the near future. Princeton Review has really out done themselves with
Inside the SAT and ACT '97 Edition!
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readers have nothing to worry themselves about. It looks like it is here
to stay.
Many grateful thanks in advance for your enthusiastic co-operation and
input.
Ralph F. Mariano, Editor
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!"
Well, I was just going to post a "Gone Fishin'" sign up on this week's
column, but I have to make a brief comment about this week's Supreme Court
decision: Bravo! While I don't like the idea of pornography (_my_ idea of
what pornography is) being available to children, I believe that it's not a
legal issue, but a parental one. People need to stop making excuses for
why they cannot monitor/prevent their children's online habits. That's
utter balderdash! For one thing, teach your children. And then hope that
they will do the right thing. If not, you can curb their online
activities. Be there when they're online; or, un-plug them when you
cannot. Be ingenious, and remember that kids are just as innovative.
After all, weren't you and I at these ages?
So much for my soapbox! I'm enjoying my vacation so far. Played some
golf, saw some more (lots more) houses, and the suds are flowing! Michael
Burkley is also on vacation, but he managed to send up another terrific
column before he left. Enjoy! In the meantime, I'm goin' fishin'!
Until next time...
The Unabashed Atariophile
by Michael R. Burkley
I'm on my way to New Hampshire and Maine for vacation, fun, and work. The
vacation and fun part I'm looking forward to, but the work.... Oh well, it
needs to be done. My wife's family has a camp on Lake Winnipesaukee in New
Hampshire. Part of the time there I'll be lazing around, swimming in the
Lake, enjoying the Loons, climbing Red Hill, and the like. But I'm also
going to be pulling out brambles, chopping up wood, and moving rocks. Oh
well, it will have all been fun once I'm done with it!
Susan (my wife) has asked me pointedly if I intend to take my computer with
me. I asked her (innocently, of course), did she want me to bring it. If
so I'd be glad to do so. Otherwise I'd be leaving it home. Guess what?
I'm leaving it home.
Last issue I talked about the software and helps available on Genie. This
time I'd like to talk about Delphi. Delphi has always been a place for me
and many others to find a helping hand. Put a question on the Atari Forum
and come back a day later to find a multitude of answers. Of course,
that's been true of many places online, but I've just found Delphi the most
comfortable of them all. One thing I like is that Delphi has only one
forum area for all of the different topics. You may choose to ignore
different topics (each message has a topic area) or you may just read it
all (which is what I do). I find it's an educational experience just to
read through the forum. I found out things that I didn't know that I
needed to know.
I've also gotten to "know" a lot of people there. It's a friendly place.
It's getting even cheaper too. I'll soon be moving into program that
allows you to Telnet into Delphi for only about $33 a year when using
another Internet provider. Sounds pretty good to me!
Finally, there are lots of good files I've found here and nowhere else.
Some of them are listed below. Check them out!
FAMT227A is Family Tree v.2.27A by Ian and Mark Baker (date early 1997).
Family tree is a genealogy program (as if you could not tell from the
name...) for the Atari ST. It uses the GEM graphical user interface, so is
fairly easy to use (fool-proof is too strong a word, but the programmers
tried!). Even if you don't know what information to record about your
family down through the years, the excellent docs (ASCII format though a
Papyrus formatted doc file - FT227MAN - is also available separately) will
guide you along the way. I want to warn you though, genealogical work is
very addictive. My mother started out doing some research just for fun.
Soon it became a hobby. In the end she published a book! I used to think
that it was foolish to focus so much on the past. Now, the older I get the
more I am beginning to think that I'll just do a bit of research for
fun.... Family Tree will work with any ST-Falcon, Multi-TOS, Geneva
computer in ST medium through Falcon True color. The program will print
details of the people you have entered and their family trees on any
standard printer that you would use for word processing. It can also
produce better presented printouts and family trees using GDOS or one of
its clones (Speedo, NVDI, etc.) if you have this installed. Family Tree
will run from a floppy or hard drive. I like how many newer programs are
using Holger Weets' ST-Guide .ACC to provide online help. Family Tree
stands in that tradition. You must get ST-Guide yourself as it is not
included in this archive. The only difference between this version (2.27A)
and v.2.27 is that the complete ASCII manual is included with the archive
and the medium resolution resource file (which was incorrect in v.2.27) has
been replaced with a working copy.
FT227MAN is the Papyrus formatted manual for Family Tree v.2.27, the
genealogical research program by Ian and Mark Baker. To find the program
that goes along with this check out FAMT227A.ZIP.
GEM360 is the complete version of GEMulator v.3.6 from Derek Mihocka's
Emulators Inc. (formerly Branch Always Software). Derek has released this
version as freeware (just goes to show you how much better the current
versions are!). This version doesn't require a ROM card and TOS chips, but
it does require a TOS image (none of which should be available online as
they are illegal to copy without a physical TOS chip legally owned by you),
or with MagiC. There are no docs in this program, but I'll give you a
hint: remember that you have a right mouse button, and see what happens
when you press both right and left mouse button at the same time. Also,
remember your control and shift keys and the F-10, 11, and 12 keys (one of
those, but I can't remember which!). Requires the fastest PC clone you can
find (I have a 120 MHz Pentium clone and my newer, commercial, version is
over twice as fast as my TT, though the mouse and screen refresh isn't as
fast). Check this out on at EMULATORS.COM (you add all the WWW...stuff,
and I think this is the Web address) or on Delphi.
SOFTPC is a software only emulator for a DOS machine for all of you TT and
Falcon owners out there. On a Falcon it will yield a Norton rating of 1
while a TT will be faster (I assume this though it is not mentioned). The
program and official docs are all in German, though two brief machine
generated translation of the original docs (posted by John Hechtman). But
all is not lost. Also included in this archive is a detailed, step by step
set of instructions by Raymond Lohengrin on setting up this program (things
like: "don't panic when this message comes up" I really appreciate things
like that because I _would_ panic!). You must also have a copy of DOS to
boot from floppy or hard drive (DOS 3.20 and 3.30 has been tested and
work). The program sets up a virtual drive on whatever Atari partition you
designate. Any file writes are to that virtual drive. It yields a
CGA Graphic display, with text display near 640x400 in 16 colors. Utilities
and games both work. This is not Microsoft Windows compatible.
CATNAPPC is an FLC animation originally by Gary Johnson and converted to
this PC style format (though you can also use it with the ST line with the
appropriate player!) is a wonderful winter animation. This file tells the
story of a dog and a cat in front of a TV one winter night. The cat has
all sorts of strange, transforming, adventures, but at least ends up warm
and snug. The dog is not so lucky! This version doesn't include any sound
within the animation. If you want the original version, complete with
sound files, get CAT_NAP and CAT_NAP2 for the ST-Falcon version played with
AVSPLAYR.PRG (with sound and animation) or ANIMATE4 (just the animation).
GUITAR is an .FLC animation by Barry Summer. It combines two .SEQ
animations using Apex Media. This animation shows a scene in outer space
with a huge electric guitar and an exploration space craft being refueled.
View using a Falcon or "PC" for best results.
ACCROUT is ACCFOLDR v.1.13 by Dave Murphy, one of the programmers at Black
Scorpion Software (dated 1997). This is a freeware utility which allows
you to load your accessories from a folder. Simply copy ACCFOLDR.PRG into
your AUTO folder and place all your accessories in a folder called ACCS on
your boot disc. This utility is completely "clean." It only redirects
access to accessories on boot up and after a res change. Some other
rerouters interfere with file copying and/or do not work after a res
change. ACCFOLDR now let's you set up your environment too. Simply use
your favorite text editor to create a file called ACCFOLDR.ENV in the root
of your boot drive containing you environment variables. Docs included.
ST-Falcon Compatible.
BG_BORG is a Degas .PI1 picture showing "Gatescutus" (Bill Gates in Borg
garb) with the usual text below, suitably modified for Microsoft (I could
tell you what he's saying, but I won't. It's more fun to see it onscreen!)
STP105BE is STOOP v.1.05, a Boot Manager for the Falcon by Phil Hodgkins
(dated April 2, 1995). It has its own graphical interface and uses the
mouse for most operations though it does make some use of the keyboard.
STOOP requires a Falcon with 4Mb RAM. A VGA or SVGA display is
recommended, but it can be used with an RGB monitor (the screen resolution
needed for Stoop is a minimum 640 x 480 by 16 colors). I won't begin to
tell you all of the features of STOOP. Trust me, if you boot up your
Falcon you will find STOOP very helpful. The uploader says that this has
now been released as freeware, but I see no indication of that in the
program documentation. It's presented as shareware there. Indeed, a more
recent beta version (STOOP2B1) still presents the program as shareware.
Bye the way, you really shouldn't be seeing the STOOP2B1 version floating
around as the author limited it to ONLY his beta testers, but see it you
might. Apparently one of them uploaded it. What a trustworthy fellow.
VIDELITY is an evaluation version of Videlity, the resolution enhancer for
Falcon systems from Black Scorpion Software and Titan Designs. This
software only utility (though you can do even better when connecting it
with hardware from Blowup Hard II and ScreenBlaster, when in its full
version), will allow you to take your Falcon to practically any resolution
your monitor will handle. Want to fit more on your screen at one time?
Well, then Videlity is for you (it's cheap, too!). Docs included. This
demo version is limited in some ways, but not enough to hinder your use
(just enough to make you want to buy the whole program!).
CENTI102 is CENTI v.1.02 by R. Boettcher. This is a Centipede clone for the
ST/Mega ST/TT computers (I haven't tested it on an STE, but I assume it
works). According to the author it runs best in mono, though it works just
fine on a color monitor as far as I can tell (it just gets a bit slower the
more colors you use). You can adjust the speed of the descending centipede
(necessary on my TT!) to make it easier or to give you a greater challenge,
as you see fit. You can configure it to run with or without music. Docs
in German, but there aren't that much need for the docs anyway. Mouse
controlled.
JAGCHEAT is the Atari Jaguar "CONCISE COMPENDIUM OF FREQUENTLY ASKED CODES,
MOVES, AND CHEATS (FACMAC)" compiled by Lonnie M. Smith (dated March 10,
1997). This archive contains information about the Jaguar and fifty games.
It's the most recent I know. Interesting stuff! My son loves the cheats!
RUM50025 is the TOS 2.05 demo version of Red Cat Rummy 500+ by Thomas J.
Starace of YAM Software. Until now, if you wanted to play Rummy 500 you
needed a deck of cards, a table, maybe a rainy day, and most importantly,
another human being. Well now you can play Rummy 500 any time you want with
this, the only Rummy 500 game program for Atari Computers! Red Cat Rummy
500+ features high quality graphics, sound, gameplay and the ability to
Load and Save extended games against the computer. And with the 'plus'
feature you can actually play Rummy 1 Million if you want! For those who
really like a challenge, play on the hardest setting to see how good you
really are. Red Cat Rummy 500+ features an easy to use interface that
allows you to handle the cards intuitively. And if you still prefer to play
against another human being, (always more fun), you can play online via
modem with another person! This demo version doesn't include the Load or
Save game feature, the ability to set the score total which wins, and plays
for 15 moves and then quits (you can re-start it again to play anew, if you
wish). Red Cat Rummy 500+ comes in versions for TOS 1.xx, TOS 2.05 and
2.06, TOS 3.xx, and the Falcon. You must get the program for your specific
machine. Requires at least one meg RAM, a color monitor, and a DS floppy
or hard drive.
SUBDEMO is the playable demo of Substation by Unique Development of Sweden
(the programmers of the excellent commercial pinball game "Obsession").
SubStation runs on any Color Atari STE 1Mb+ or Falcon (not TT compatible)
with an RGB or a VGA monitor. SubStation is a 1st person perspective game
in which the player moves freely in an extremely fast (25 frames per
second!) real-time gouraud-shaded 3D world with more than 2000 different
locations, a vast number of fearsome enemies, multiplayer mode (up to four
players linked via MIDI), secret rooms & booby traps, real-time light
sourced sprites, 25 kHz sound quality, more than 30 colors, "Trial and
error" monster A.I, more than 32 action-packed levels, end-of-level bosses,
and too much scary action for me (but not for you!). Your character is
controlled using the keyboard. You can run, walk, sidestep, pick up items,
choose between a six different weapon types, open doors, access elevators
between the different sublevels, and even sidestep, rotate, run and fire
your gun at the same time, giving you total control of your actions! I
really found the "DD Audio" (Distance & Direction) captivating. It gives
you a feel for where those monsters are lurking (you can hear them sneaking
up on you!). The combined effect of foggy colors and the pit-pat of tiny
monster feet from the far left (or right, or even behind you!) could give
anyone nightmares. Detailed docs included.
SUPTETRI is Super Tetris from HAPPY HIPPY PRODUCTIONS. This Tetris clone
is a demo, but you can still get some nice play out of it on your ST/STE
(it doesn't seem to be compatible with the TT or Falcon). It has some nice
features like; a screen shake, sampled sound effects, special bricks to
make the game more interesting, etc. The full version has 99 levels plus
10 bonus levels and options that the demo hasn't. Ordering information
included. ST Low res. only.
UTOPOS15 is Utopos v.1.5 by Aggression (dated Nov. 11, 1993). Utopos is an
excellent multi-player (two people in the demo and four in the registered
version) shoot 'em up game. This game is colorful with pleasing graphics,
excellent sound, and smooth control. The goal of this game is to shoot the
other person down (the reg. version has a one player mode). Joystick or
keyboard controlled, your rocket ship is moved about through reaction
thrust and gravity (similar to Oids, Thrust, and Rayoid--I like Rayoid,
too). This game takes full advantage of the smooth hardware scrolling of
the STE and so will only work with the STE Mega STE (the docs say that if
there is enough interest a Falcon version will be created--I don't know if
that means that this game won't work with a Falcon or that it just doesn't
take full advantage of the Falcon potential). If you have an 8 MHz machine,
you will have a display with the upper and lower borders removed giving you
a resolution of 320*285. Because of some programming magic there can be up
to 48 colors on screen at once! The display is -smooth- being updated 50
times per second. On top of all this you get 8 channels of 25KHz sampled
sound effects. I recommend this game. Low Rez Color only. Demo version
requires re-boot to quit (the registered version doesn't). Requires at
least one meg of RAM. Shareware. Docs (in English, German, and French)
included.
XA_6B030 is XaAES - XaAES ain't AES beta 6 by Craig Graham of Data
Uncertain Software (dated Oct. 19, 1996). NOTE: BETA 6 is now released on
Craig's Website. Check out the address below. This freeware program (a
labor or love, it looks to be, from the constant work he does on it!) is
his original AES clone designed specifically around MiNT. It's fast and
compatible, and not yet complete, though usable. This version is for 68030
machines only. Since I don't understand it I'll repeat what the author has
said in the docs: The major points about XaAES are (or will be):
o It works only with MiNT - the architecture was designed to use MiNT,
and so you must have it.
o Being written especially for MiNT, it is a real MultiTasking GUI
that can run GEM programs, not a slow & unwieldy kludge like MultiTOS.
o Groovy sculpted 3D interface.
o Colour icon support for all machines.
o Client-Server architecture.
o No busy waiting in the AES - the GUI server blocks itself if it has
nothing to do.
o The source is freely available. Anyone can change the code, if they send
patches to me with descriptions I'll included them into the next
version.
o Built with a 'real' C compiler (Lattice) not GNU.
o Extended fast interface for use by XaAES aware programs.
Extended call interface allows XaAES aware applications to make AES
calls without blocking to wait for replies they don't want, and to make
multiple AES calls (calls to the AES server are queued).
o As it runs under MiNT, you get a fully pre-emptive system.
o Window widgets are coloured and animated, not just dull characters.
o It's free.
I tried to download a more recent version of XaAES from the author's Web
page (http://www.i-way.co.uk/~c_graham/) but was unable to connect with the
file. I you want more information about XaAES write a letter to
aaes-request@rand.thn.htu.se with 'subscribe' as the subject.
CONN95 is the Connect v.95.00 telecommunications program demo (released
Nov. 24, 1996). Connect by Wolfgang Wander is a very full-featured GEM
based telecommunications program for the ATARI ST/STE/TT series, which will
run under (nearly) any resolution. Compatible with TOS, MultiTOS, Geneva,
and probably any TOS enhancement, Connect will allow you to use all serial
and midi ports on your computer--even at the same time (multiple modems
downloading from different services!). It has well-done emulations of
VT52, VT100, VT102/ANSI, VT220 and TEK4014 Terminals. The program has a
very powerful internal command shell name COSHY which will allow you to do
all sorts of things automatically. The version of the program is
completely in German so I would also suggest that you get a previous
version (CONNE246 is one I've seen) that has been translated into English
so that you might get some understanding of the program before you jump
into the German version (that is, unless you read German already!). This
version updates the Feb., 1994 v2.46 which had some severe bugs in the
z-modem downloading routines. All fixed now! I have heard many people rave
about this program. I would say that this program might be difficult for
some to learn to use (me included), but when learned would be powerful
indeed. Shareware (previous versions had a 30 hour limit of use before
Connect starts limiting itself--I assume that that's stayed the same).
I've heard lots of people raving about Connect. Check it out for yourself!
ST-Falcon compatible.
FS_WIDEB is the complete version of Foresight BBS v.0.47 Wide Beta,
maintenance release (dated March 24, 1996) by Brian Hauer. Foresight is an
awesome donation-ware BBS program for your Atari ST-TT (at least) from TSO
Software. Features galore: messages, e-mail, f-mail, QWK/REP, full ANSI,
UBT, and VT52, great doors support, voting booths, FSN networking of
messages and e-mail, uni- and bi-directional protocol support, much more
(you want it, it's probably here!). Requires 2+ megs of RAM, a color
monitor, hard drive, and AT compatible modem. Detailed docs included.
HTML_SPE is a PostScript file that shows the current HTML 2.0
specifications with lots of examples. Currently HTML standards are up to
3.2 so why have a doc with 2.0 standards? The Atari browsers currently
available only follow the 2.0 standard plus some Netscape extensions. Even
in the PC and Mac world, only the latest programs support 3.2 So make your
web pages Atari friendly! You need a postscript printer or Ghostscript to
use this file!
TVT200 is TelVT102 v.2.00, a VT102 Telnet client by Prof. Boris D. Cahan
(dated March 22, 1997). This is a Telnet client for STiK which provides
(almost) full VT102 emulation (minus things like blinking characters and
Tek 4014 emulation). The programmer has designed this to be used on any ST
in any resolution. That means that you must have GDOS or one or its
enhanced versions (Speedo, NVDI) to use this program as the program fonts
must be used. If you don't have GDOS get Jim Baumgarten's TELNET which is
VT-52 compatible. Detailed docs are included which show you how to install
this with STiK and CAB.
HAUNTED1 is an awesome Calamus Vector Graphic (.CVG) of a haunted house.
It surely looks creepy with eyes peering out from every window of that
rickety old house. Watch out for the bats, too! What is even more amazing
is that is was created using Avant Vector (distributed by CodeHead
Technologies) from a bit-mapped original. Avant Vector is really an
amazing program. It "intelligently" analyzes the contours of blocky
bit-image graphics, and converts them to smooth, scalable vector
objects...automatically! These picture is unedited so you can see just how
good of a job A.V. does without any help. Can be viewed and printed with
Calamus or PageStream 2.2.
HOPPER is a series of 10 Edward Hopper paintings in JPEG format taken from
the gallery at sunsite.unc.edu/louvre/. Get ready for a non-artist's
description of the files:
TOURIST shows a view of a 20's styled home with a hedge in front.
A sign declares "Rooms <for Rent>" (I think). It is in the
evening and greens predominate. The lights are on in the house.
SUNMORN is a painting showing the view of a downtown business
district early Sunday morning - empty. The Barberpole and
fire hydrant show the low angle of the sun. Yellows and greens
with orange red brick upper floors dominate the scene.
CIRCTHTR is a view of a downtown theater (I suppose). A traffic
light and subway exit are in the foreground. The building is
painted brick. Green and yellows predominate.
DRUGSTOR is a painting of Silber's Pharmacy, a corner drugstore,
at night. "Prescription Drugs Ex-Lax" so the sign above the
lighted window reads. Again, greens and yellows predominate.
SUNDAY depicts a bald man in a white shirt, vest, and arm cuffs
as he sits on a raised board sidewalk. The sidewalk runs in front
of several building, forming, in effect, the front porches of the
businesses. In the window of one building, just behind the man, a
faint image of a woman may be seen. Greens and yellows
predominate.
PROSPECT shows the view down a street set on a hill. Nicely kept
wooden homes line the street. Autos (antique types) are parked on
the street and a church is visible in the distance. Again, greens
and yellows predominate.
PALACIO shows a view from the rooftops of a city street (mostly
hidden by the roofs). A "Ford" sign is visible along with
another, larger, sign that reads, "Palacio." Hills form the
background of the city. Greens and yellows predominate.
PACOALTN shows a bald headed man in long sleeves and vest raking
his side yard. It's a narrow "city" side yard with a wooden
house.
NITEHAWK is a familiar painting showing four people at an all
night coffee shop. The view is from outside looking through the
full glass windows. Greens and yellows again, but this time the
bar is mahogany, the woman is wearing a red dress and has red
hair, and other color changes are evident as well.
GAS shows a country gas station (actually, just the three
old-style red pumps) and a man standing next to them. Oil is for
sale as well. Reds, Greens, and Yellows predominate.
HUSTLER is the demo version Hollywood Hustler, The American Classic by
Desert Star Software (dated 1995). This is the best Five Card Draw Poker
computer game I've ever seen (this demo plays very well indeed). Most
computer card games can be fun for a while, but eventually they become
predictable and boring. Hollywood Hustler certainly never becomes
predictable (well, I can't really say that -- it is predictable --
predictable that I lose with great regularity! Remember: the house always
wins! and if you don't play then you can't lose!). But back to the
description! Each time you play, your computer opponents Joe, Chuck and
the one and only Montana Slim provide you with a fresh challenge, starting
every new game in a different mental state to the last - more or less
confident, more or less likely to bluff etc.. No two games are ever the
same! There are some excellent digitized pictures and sound on this demo,
and even more in the commercial version (distributed by Toad Computers here
in the US and available through your local Atari store--there are some of
those left--support them!). I enjoy the occasional banter between the
players and their grunts as they play the game. You are included right
along with the rest of the players. They don't know what cards you have,
and you don't know theirs. You're the one who needs to "know when to hold
'em, and know when to fold 'em" (docs and poker instructions included)
Color only. Joystick controlled. The full game comes on three floppy
disks. If you wish to read an excellent and detailed review of the full
commercial version of Hollywood Hustler check out the August, 1995 (?)
issue of ST Informer.
ROAD is a beautiful .JPG ray traced picture by Steve Deitz. This shows an
antique car (30's/40's) sitting on top of a wilderness hilltop. Squatting
in front of the car, examining it, is a silvery-sheened raytraced mercury
man. He is examining the car. The scenery if beautiful, the car very well
done, and the whole scene gives forth a sense of mystery.
CATWRKS2 is the docs, source code (C and Assembler), and other utilities
designed to show programmers how best to take advantage of the CyReL
CaTTamaran '030 Accelerator for the Atari TT030, v.1.02b (dated July 1994).
Like the CaTTamaran itself, this is good stuff!
CATT0295 is the February 1995 update to the Cattamaran software. The
Cattamaran is the TT acceleration board that ups your TT's speed from 33
MHz to 48 MHz. This file includes the AUTO folder program that
automatically accelerates the TT on bootup as well as the .ACC that allows
you to configure your acceleration (and show ST and TT RAM usage) at any
time. If you have a TT and have a chance to get a Cattamaran board DO SO!
I have one and it is wonderful!
S_DIG406 is SONDIGIT v.4.06, the Sound Digitizer/Editor for all Ataris by
Mequignon Didier (dated Nov. 1996). With the Falcon you may record
directly through the microphone input and with the ST-TT you need a sampler
cart such as ST-Replay. You may also load sound files in the .SPL (and SPL
compressed which is .SPC), .AVR, and .WAV. When you want to save your
creations you may choose to do so in any of the following formats: AVR,
DVS, WAV, AIF, or SP?. If you happen to need a formatted disk and don't
have any you may format both DS and High Density disks from within the
program. This looks like an excellent program. The program and docs are
in French, but the directions are pretty clear even to a non-French reader
like me. If you're a sound person (pun intended) You can probably figure
this one out! Geneva compatible.
GEMHEXED is GEMHEXED v.1.00 (dated Aug. 1995) by Mark Slagell, the author
of SilkMouse, my favorite utility. This freeware program will allow you to
create, edit, and view any type of file in an easy-to-use windowed
environment (open as many windows as your TOS allows). The HEX values are
displayed on the left side of the window and the ASCII values on the right.
You can edit in hex or direct ASCII key modes; do search/replace,
cut/copy/paste between windows from ram or disk, save and merge blocks,
etc. This program is based on XXED 1.2 by Jim Charlton. Docs included
(lots of bells and whistles here). ST-Falcon compatible.
QED_380 is the QED GEM based text editor v.3.80 by Tom Quellenberg (dated
April 27, 1996). Note: QED is now up to v.3.9, and I recommend that one,
which is even better than this--I just haven't reviewed it yet!) This was
previously a shareware program, but it is now free for you to use. This is
an excellent text editor which allows you to edit multiple windows of text,
cut and paste between them, reduce the open windows to icons on the desktop
(at least with Geneva and NeoDesk 4 which I am using at the moment), search
for specific text, change capitalizations in your text, record and use
Macros, format and transpose paragraphs, and much, much more. This program
will be useful to all of you programmers out there, but also for everyone
else. One nice thing is that this program allows you to use abbreviation
files (Kurzel's) that are standard in many programs. Sets for "C" and
Modula programmers, LaTEX and STG users are included. This can save you
piles of time! The docs are in German, but the program is in English (an
English resource file is included).
STNODEMO is the demo of the STeno Text Editor from Gribnif Software. STeno
is a wonderful program/accessory editor that I use all of the time. I do
most of my writing on it, importing my files into Calamus SL when they need
fancying up or into STalker when I want to send them out online. The demo
allows you to access all of STeno's features except that you can't save
your files or your configurations and that only the first 4K or 14K of a
file will be loaded in the .ACC or .PRG form, respectively. STeno has word
wrap, formatting, tabs, search and replace, and much more. I can't
recommend it highly enough to you. ST-Falcon in all res. Docs included.
STENO211 is the STeno? 2.10 to 2.11 Patch Program from Gribnif Software.
This program will upgrade STeno version 2.10 to version 2.11. It will ONLY
upgrade version 2.10. You will need an un-modified STeno 2 Master Disk
v.2.10 to use this upgrade. STeno is another one of those programs (and
accessories) that I don't want to do without. I do most of my writing
using STeno and I recommend it to you highly. If you have it, and you
haven't upgraded, do so, today! Also be sure to check out STENO212 for the
upgrade to version 2.12 (you need to do the v.2.11 upgrade first, though).
STENO212 is the STeno 2.11 to 2.12 Patch Program from Gribnif Software.
This program will upgrade STeno version 2.11 to version 2.12. It will ONLY
upgrade version 2.11. See STENO211 for more information if you need it.
1STGUIDE is 1stGuide release May 19, 1997 by Guido Vollbeding. 1stGuide is
the shareware .prg/.acc file viewer/player which will display the following
standard file formats in GEM windows on all Atari machines, all system
configurations, in all screen resolutions and color depths (1 Bit
Monochrome up to 32 Bit TrueColor):
.IMG GEM-(X/T)-Image picture files, Level-1/2/3
(1 Bit Monochrome up to 12 Bit RGB XIMG Colormap,
RGB-TrueColor/Gray/Alpha TIMG direct pixel)
.IFF Interchange File Format: ILBM - Interleaved Bitmaps
(1 Bit Monochrome up to 12 Bit RGB Colormap)
.GEM GEM-Metafiles (including bezier curves under
appropriate VDI, e.g. NVDI >= 2.12)
.RSC GEM-Resource files
(simple up to 64 K and extended > 64 K)
.PNG Portable Network Graphics, all 'flavors'
according to the current specification
.JPG
.JPE
.JPEG Joint Photographic Experts Group - pictures:
JPEG/JFIF-Standard (24 Bit TrueColor, 8 Bit Gray),
Baseline/Multiscan/Progressive Support
.MPG
.MPE
.MPEG Moving Picture Experts Group - movies:
MPEG-1-Video-Standard (24 Bit TrueColor),
MPEG-1-System (Video+Audio interleaved)
.SAM
.SND
.AVR Sound-Sample files
(8 Bit Mono only at the moment)
.DOC
.OUT
* Textfiles (including attributes)
Furthermore, hypertext-like links can be defined between files in a simple
manner, which provides the possibility to create large information systems
to be used interactively with 1stGuide. See in the program description for
details. This release doesn't contain all of the "extras" you get when you
register (just about everything else you could imagine to make this even
more useful). This archive contains excellent English and German docs. If
you use this remember to register it! Support shareware authors! Future
versions may be found on his WEB page:
http://www.esc.de/homes/guivol/1stguide/
FRDM115E is the Freedom File Selector v.1.15e Demo (English) by Christian
Kruger & Kolja Koischwitz. This is a *non modal* file selector. What that
means is that when you call up this file selector it doesn't completely
take over your screen and shut everything else out. You can have it
visible and still use whatever else is currently on screen. Freedom allows
you to have at least 8 non modal file selectors or alerts at them same time
under Mag!C, MiNT and single TOS! Selectric compatible, XAcc2, AV and
MultiTOS Drag&drop, (ICFS)Iconify, Unix masks, Clipboard export, file
delete. Copy/move via AV server or Kobold_2. ST-Falcon, MagicMac and
Gemulator compatible. Fully configurable, fonts, icons, etc. English docs
included. A number of bug fixes and enhancements are found in this
version. More of its features are:
- Freedom alert boxes can optionally be placed in windows
- Any program which understands the VA_START protocol is no longer
blocked!
- Long filename support
- User definable font and size
- Drag&drop font protocol support
- Keyboard layout 99% Selectric compatible
- Multiple file selection (naturally Selectric compatible)
- Up to 40 user definable filenames, paths and extensions
- History Popup to select from last 20 selected files
- The ultimate in intuitive interface design using Enhanced GEM
featuring Short paths, minimal clicks, shortcuts and Popups
- Left handed mode!
- Unix masks (*,?,[]) and extension lists (*.TOS,*.PRG)
- Icons representing files/folders
- Drag&drop support (paths and files and be dragged to the file
selector (AV, MultiTOS, Drag&drop) and vice versa
- Messages concerning directory changes evaluated using SH_WDRAW,
AV_PATH_UPDATE, SC_CHANGED
- Fuzzy file location! Freedom tries everything possible to
ascertain a reasonable application name even under single TOS.
Freedom looks for XAcc, AV and even Menutitle0 if the string looks
promising (not the Atari symbol or Desk).
- File delete, new file/folder creation and file/folder info
- Search using mask to select or deselect files
- Export paths or selected files as ASCII listing to the Clipboard
- Full communication with available AV Server (eg Thing/Gemini)
- File delete, copy, move via Drag&drop, using an AV Server or
Kobold 2 running in parallel using the KOBOLD_PATH environmental
variable
The following restrictions apply to the demo version:
- Only the first four characters in editable fields can be changed.
- The filesize in the file selector and 'Object Info' dialog is
replaced with the string '<Demo!>'
LOOKNC95 is the .ACC/.PRG 'Look'n See' v.0.95 file viewer/editor by Reiner
Rosin (dated July 21, 1995 with an English release of Jan. 27, 1996). Most
file viewers simply display/play files but with Look'n See a whole range of
options are available depending on the format of the file you are viewing.
Included in this archive are 99 plug-in modules covering just about every
picture format (bit and vector), font (Calamus, GDOS), FAX, text type, Hex
dumps (for everything else), sounds, resource files, and even files larger
than available memory. There are comprehensive ST-Guide hypertext and ASCII
documentation included. Oh, by the way, the version number, 0.95, doesn't
really have to do with the status of the program. It has more to do with
"looking and seeing" what you can do on your Atari in relation to Windows
95. Another shareware program supported by InterActive, the shareware
registration people (Look 'n See is restricted very slightly in this
shareware version). ST-Falcon, Geneva, MagiC, and MagiCMac compatible.
This program supports all of the bells and whistles of the new AES's, so it
even looks pretty (and some of those features not
only look pretty but are very useful as well).
STGCREA4 is the set of Tools for ST-Guide, Release 4 by Gregor Duchalski
and translated by Joe Conner of InterActive (dated October 23, 1994). Some
of these tools you might never use, but others might be lifesavers
(figuratively speaking, that is). Shareware, and you may register directly
with the author of through InterActive. Here's what this archive contains:
TXT2STG -Generates an ST-Guide STG format text from an ASCII file.
Text attributes, title generation and hierarchical chapter
referencing can be automatically added.
STGALIAS -Generates alias names for pages.
APPEND -Appends one file to another.
UFP2STG -Changes the PC UFP format Star Trek data to ST-Guide format.
TELE2STG -Converts the Tele Office handbook into STG format. [German]
STWT104E is Stewart v1.04e by John McLoud. This shareware program is a
utility to customize the look and feel of MagiC. Here are some of the
options you might choose when you have Stewart.
- Drop down menus may have a grey background
- The corners of the displayed screen may be rounded
- Clicking anywhere on the desktop tops (brings to the foreground) the
desktop and all desktop windows
- The GEM grow and shrink boxes are replaced by much sexier spinboxes
(rotating rectangles)
- The 'Nicelines' option offered by some programs changes the dotted line
drop down menu separators with nice lines
- A menu bar clock may be activated (digital or fuzzy text display),
because most clocks cannot cope with grey menu bar background color
- 3D menu text -the same as MagiC v4 uses for window title bars
- The MagiC logo can be switched off conveniently
- The MagiC logo can be replaced with a custom icon
- If StIc is installed, Stewart can replace the MagiC logo with an
application dependent icon
Stewart is a MagiC application and doesn't run under TOS. Any version of
MagiC >= v3.0 or MagiC Mac is supported. No special hardware is required
but Stewart only kicks in when you're running at least 640x480 in 16
colors. Detailed English docs (both ASCII and ST-Guide Hypertext)
included. You may register this with the author or through Joe Connor's
InterActive.
CDI_110D is the CDI v.1.10 Compact disk interface for BBS programs by Mark
Southron (dated Jan. 6, 1997). This is an exciting program for me, as it
will allow you to use any BBS ready or NON-BBS Ready CD-ROM along with any
BBS that supports external programs. Features include batch downloading,
carrier detection, file searching, hidden and private file areas, and more.
New in this release is a stripped down version of the program that allows
it to be used with CD's, EZ-SyQuest Drives, Zip Drives, etc. that do not
include the index data file that "BBS Ready" disks usually have, and CDI
formerly required. The CDI(stripped) version allows you to browse
directories, download files, batch mark and download files, and generally
just explore any hard drive, CD, or removable media. That means you can
access any disk online (including the new Suzy B's CD which has all of the
files in both compressed and uncompressed format!). Also new with this
program is that it is no longer shareware, but freeware! The Key file is
now included, by the generosity of the programmer (I called him and asked
if he would release it and he said yes!). I won't begin to describe all of
the features of this program, which are quite comprehensive. Suffice to
say that if your BBS needs it this program probably has it. The docs are
very detailed. Everything you need to run this program (except those
obvious things like a BBS program, a CD ROM drive and disk, etc.) are
included.
CHEAT_M is The ST Cheat Machine v.3.00 by Martin Pugh (dated Nov. 24,
1996). The ST Cheat Machine is a program that allows you to "cheat" on
those games (over 100!) which you would otherwise not normally play. By
simply selecting a program file and entering a few 8 character alphanumeric
codes (included in the docs) you can add new life to those games gathering
dust in your disk box. The type of cheat is not just limited to the boring
infinite lives, wherever possible I have made the cheats a lot more useful,
infinite lives alone doesn't always make games more 'user friendly'! In
fact some of the games featured have their own cheat modes which are put
to shame!! Over 40 different "packers" are supported, so even if the
program is packed you may still use this program. The original disk is not
changed, only the program in memory. This full version only requires that
you e-mail the author to tell him what you think of the program. He's put
a lot of work into creating this program, so be sure to let him know if you
use it! ST-TT (at least). Docs included.
CLI_SEC is the Secrets of the Batch File: Using command-line interpreters
(CLI) and batch files on your Atari, by Al Fasoldt. This excellent article
continues his "Secrets of..." service to the Atari community. Why learn
about command-line interpreters and Batch files? After all, our computers
use GEM (and all of the added utilities that make it even more useful)?
Well, a CLI _is_ one of those added utilities that can make some tasks MUCH
easier for you. The key is finding those applications, writing the batch
file once, and doing the task again and again, whenever you need to. This
article tells you just how to do that.
CONVERT is a program by Frank Vuotto of F10 Software which will convert an
HTML document to ASCII. This is an excellent program! It takes an HTML
file which is a jumble of text and special characters, a file which is
readable, but only with difficulty, and turns it into a nicely formatted
ASCII text, readable from the desktop or from within any text editor. Very
useful. Double Click on the program and the Item Selector appears. Click
on the HTML file you wish to convert and the converted file is written to
disk with the .TXT extension. The original file is not altered. This works
fine on my TT in TT High, though the author thinks that it probably won't
(he must have programmed better than he thought!). So...ST-TT compatible
at least (and if it works on my TT it should work on a Falcon).
COPS106E is COPS v.1.06 by Thomas Huch and Swen and Wilfried Behne. COPS is
the COntrol Panel Server, an alternate XCONTROL for use with MagiC and
Geneva. This .ACC and docs (in ST-Guide format - use ST-Guide to view, and
in HTML format - use CAB15 or CAB2DEMO to view or puzzle your way through
the extra characters with an ASCII text editor) have been translated into
English. All of your CPS's are shown in the display window and may be
activated or deactivated at will. It will also shrink down into an icon on
your desktop when you wish. Included is the program WDIALOG.PRG, which
must be run from the AUTO folder (MagiC or standard TOS versions) or from
the Desktop (Geneva) prior to COPS being loaded. COPS may also be installed
as an application under MagiC, so that it runs whenever a .CPX file is
double clicked. This looks like a very nice XCONTROL replacement.
ELF_PGS is a set of PageStream drivers from E.L.F Software. Included is a
driver for the Packard Bell 9500 printer, and color and B&W drivers for any
of the HP Deskjet 600 and 800 series of printers. The DeskJet drivers
implement all 4 raster compression methods to minimize print time. Docs are
included for you to modify the printout for a variety of paper sizes
(envelopes, too). Thanks to that busy big Elf!
FAXCONGR is a listing (dated 1996) that has an almost complete listing of
the FAX numbers of our US House and Senate Representatives. While some of
these numbers no longer apply (as the people are no longer in Congress!),
these FAX numbers will provide you with a good starting point in
participating in your national government. Now for the hard work:
figuring out how to fix everything, writing it down in a lucid and
compelling manner, and then sending it off!
FLAYSID is FlaySID (Falcon Plays SID) player v.1.0 by David Carrere and
Mikhael Myara (dated Nov. 28, 1996). This GEM-based program (or .ACC) is a
C64 soundchip emulator for Atari Falcon 030 computers. The Commodore 64
was a small but powerful computer developed in the middle of the 1980's.
There are lots of music files in its own .SID format that are excellent,
but there was no way to play them on the Falcon, until now. This program
makes use of the Falcon's DSP chip to emulate the SID (C64's Soundchip
processor). Some music files are included, and this program is also able
to read the PlaySID (on the Amiga) or SIDPlay (on a "PC") files. Magic and
NVDI compatible. The program is in English and complete English docs
(French, too) are included. Postcardware.
FLDRICON is a NeoDesk 4 .NIC file that contains the default NeoDesk 4
folder icon in seventy-two new colors by Damien M. Jones. These colors
were obtained by mixing various combinations of the 16 available colors in
50-50 proportions, as you will see if you open the icons in NeoDesk's icon
editor. Several combinations of colors will produce the same overall shade
(i.e. you can mix either red and white or yellow and purple to get pink);
when this happens the author has chosen the mix that makes the dithering
least obvious. Now you can have colored folders on your desktop and make
it even prettier! Docs on using this file and creating your own are
included.
FLIPL25 is the FLIplayer v.2.5 by Kai Bode (dated March 16, 1994). This
German language program (but don't worry about that) will allow you to play
.FLI animations (Autodesk-Animator format) on your ST-TT (perhaps Falcon?)
with a mono monitor. It does an excellent job dithering down color
animations to a mono screen. It is also very fast, allowing you to play
the animations much faster than normal (on my TT, but an ST should be
decent, too) if you so wish (you can also play them at a slow rate, or even
at their designed speed!). It comes in a .PRG form, but just change the
name to an .ACC and it will work as an accessory. This works fine on my TT
in TT High as well. Geneva compatible. German docs, that tell a lot more
to do than I can understand, but it's easy to play animation files just as
is.
GLP296 is the demo of GEMvelope!, the envelope printer v.2.96 from Jeffrey
A. Krzysztow of BRiSK Software (dated Nov. 1996). Laser (and most other
printers) will not feed an envelope in the standard horizontal orientation
for printing across it. GEMvelope! allows you to print an envelope, fed
the long way, on almost any printer, Atari Laser, Deskjet, dot matrix, etc.
GEMvelope uses GDOS/FontGDOS (included with the full
version)/SpeedoGDOS/NVDI because they has font rotation built in and there
are nice fonts available. GEMvelope features:
- Import allows extracting an address from a letter in almost any word
processor format (or from the GEM/Atari clipboard).
- Mail merge allows printing many envelopes, each with a different
address imported from any database or text file you create.
- Database browse feature for pasting one address from any database.
- Adjustable positioni
ng for different size envelopes.
- Load-able and save-able addresses and configuration.
- HP DeskJet specific support.
- POSTNET bar code printing.
- A desk accessory version.
This demo is fully functional except that you cannot Save or Load addresses
and setups. Some other minor limitations also are included but not enough
to hinder your review of the program. ST/STe/TT compatible. Color or mono.
Docs included.
GT970101 is GrafTool v. 01.01.97 (dated Jan. 1, 1997). This is an
excellent graphics and animation program which will display all sorts of
graphic and animation types. It will display .BMP, GEM (GEM vector
graphics), .IMG, GIF, JPEG, MSX II, Midimaz -> Bitmap, PBMPLus, PCD, PCX,
PNG, Targa, TIFF (save and load), ASCII, and also .DL and FLI/FLC
animations (I did have some problems with some .FLI animation files on my
TT high monitor, but others displayed just fine). Also included in this
are a number of tools with which you may manipulate your pictures.
ST-Falcon compatible in any resolution (including all res. of the Nova card
and most likely other graphics cards as well). The program and docs are
all in German, but with some play time you can figure it out. Geneva,
MagiC, and MultiTOS, Warp 9 and NVDI compatible. Registerware, but it
appears that all you need to do is send the author some e-mail to get a
registered copy. This is an awesome program that I highly recommend to
you. I do wish that the author would be able to provide an English
Resource file and English docs, but just maybe we all should work on our
German!
HDCPX13E is the Hard Disk CPX v.1.31 by Carsten Setje-Eilers (dated Feb.
26, 1995). With this CPX you may easily tell the free disk space on your
hard drives and check the amount of Free RAM you have available (ST and TT
RAM) on your system. This CPX has now been translated into English, though
the docs are still in German (but you really don't need the docs).
JAG_RGB is a diagram of the Jaguar's A/V port by Bill Faanes with much help
from Tom of ICD. Using this information will allow you to tap into the
_true_ RGB output of the Jaguar. If you want to understand what signal
comes out of your Jag from where, then this file is for you.
MPEGFEVR is MPEG Fever v.1.0 by MDB Software (Laurent Chaussy). This is a
very nice shell program that will run the following MPEG players/encoders:
MPEG-2 Video Decoder, Version 1.1, June 1994; the MPEG-2 Video Encoder,
v.1.1, June 1994; and the MpegUtil v.1.0 by Phillip Lougher, 1995 (a
utility to analyze and edit MPEG animations). Versions of the above are
included for the following systems (68000,68030,680** with math
coprocessor). Also included is InfoMPEG v.1.0, by Dennis Lee. This is a
small utility to parse MPEG-1 compatible video streams, and return the file
information that is easily attainable (virtually no processing of data
beyond start codes). Finally, there is a folder named VISU in this archive
which contains a TTP file named MPEGDSP.TTP, so from the DSP in the file
name it appears that this might be a DSP based MPEG player. No docs, of
course). The menus and the docs of the shell program are in French, but the
docs of the MPEG utilities are in English. This appears to be a pretty
robust program, running peacefully with all sorts of added
utilities present on your computer. It appears to change screen res & sync
when the program runs the MEG player. I'm not too certain that I've gotten
this description correct. If not, please let me know! Postcardware.
Geneva compatible.
MULTIPLX is MultiPlex, the Falcon DMA Data-Path Configuration by J.
Lietzow. It seems that some Falcons have a bit of problem when playing MOD
music files using programs like Paula, STormTracker, etc. One channel has
very fuzzy sound in it. If you notice this problem on your Falcon too,
load this program/ accessory and check out the bottom left corner of the
program where there is a box labeled "ADC Input". There are two buttons in
this box labeled "Chip" and "Micro". Make sure the "Micro" button is
selected, and this will immediately clear up the fuzzy sound. Of course
this MultiPlex program does a lot more than just this fix, as it allows you
to configure various options of he Falcons sound system, but since the
person who wrote the English file description didn't mention those, I won't
either! Color or mono. C Source included.
NU is NU v.2.00 by Ric Kalford (dated Feb 19, 1986). This program (TTP)
numbers lines from a disk file. Why bother? Well, some compilers report
errors in reference to a line number, but don't display the referenced line
and the author has never enjoyed counting lines to locate a specific error.
The output may be to the screen, printer, or to a disk file. Docs
included. ST-TT compatible.
OBNXIOUS is Obnoxious v.1.1r, a Falcon only demo from Inter Development.
This demo is full of well-worked out effects. Watch it to see texture
mapped tunnels, image distortions, morphing dots, RGB Balls and Splitter,
and even a texture mapped Wolfenstein clone.Copy all of the files into one
folder and double click on the program. This demo will only run on
RGB-monitors, TV (PAL, no NTSC!) and some ultisync-monitors (e.g. NEC
3D). You are required to have at least 3.6 meg of RAM free. Since this
demo is hard disk intensive, you will only find everything working
correctly and in sync if your hard drive is fast enough (a pretty easy
thing given the speed of most hard drives today, but if your drive is
heavily fragmented you will find you need to optimize it as drive
fragmentation slows drives down a lot. I use Diamond Edge on my hard
drives). Docs included.
SOKOBAN2 is Sokoban - the Bobby the Hippie Ghost edition by Johan Sprang
(Pluto of ICE) and Mandus Skon. Oh, poor Bobby the hippie ghost. The
Tellus Ghost Investigation Agency is going to pay him a visit, and he who
has all those peace signs all over his place. He might lose his ghost
licence because of those. You must help Bobby to cover all his peace signs
with the stones that lies around his place. You can only move one stone at
a time so you have to plan ahead and not work yourself "into a corner." You
may have seen this game in the past (as an ASCII only version), but it was
nothing like this. This version has improved graphics (colorful,
attractive, and pleasing) and gameplay. All of the 42 classic levels are
included along with a few new ones. A level editor is included so you can
create as many great levels as you wish. Designed for the STE but you may
play it on the Falcon too (color monitor, RGB or VGA, required). Johan has
gotten tired of coding great demos and he wanted to do something else.
This was his first attempt and first success (both at the same time!). I
look forward to finding more PD games from him. This is excellent! Online
docs. Geneva and NeoDesk compatible.
GUITSCAL is a set of two .GIF files (by Ray Johnson) of all the keys of the
major and minor guitar scales (more below), the Watch It picture viewer by
Stefan Bock (which will allow you to view those GIF files from within
another program), and a copy of DC Reserve by Keith Gerdes and Michael
Vederman. The GIF pictures show the frets of the guitar and show spots on
each spot that when you play will provide an on key note. So all you need
to do is to look at these pictures (the correct key and scale for your
improvisational song) and play away, using only those indicated notes. You
can't go wrong! Great for improvising from within your favorite sequencer,
etc. Detailed docs are included. The author has even volunteered to
produce GIFs of other scales, if only you ask him. This is also available
via the Internet (I think on UNI-KL or Hensa, but I don't remember).
I have some room left in this article, so I'll tell you about
some other files you may find elsewhere. Some of the below files
I know were I got them from, others I don't. If they sound
interesting you'll just have to go hunting for them!
ATAR1MOV is a .MOV animation and sound file of a Jaguar TV commercial. It
shows a view of an experimental lab with a human subject hooked up to an
instrument by a number of electrodes on his head. The narrator says that
different stimuli effect different parts of the brain (emotions, hunger,
sexuality). The final stimuli effects the intellect and shows the subject
looking very smart and saying "Why would I buy a 32-bit system for $300
when I could buy a 64-bit Atari Jaguar for $149?" Then a series of scenes
from a number of Jaguar games flash onscreen. Hmmm...I wonder how many
times this was shown! Compliments of Travis Guy and his Atari Explorer
Online Homepage (now found on Delphi, too).
ATAR2MOV is a .MOV animation and sound file of a Jaguar TV commercial. It
shows a side view of an Australiopithicus. The narrator's voice says that
over the years the brain capacity has increased to the point where rational
thought is possible. The figure then begins talking, "You mean that you
want me to spend $300 for a 32-bit system when I could buy a 64-bit Atari
Jaguar for $149? What do I look like, a moron?" Then a series of scenes
from a number of Jaguar games flash onscreen. Hmmm...I wonder how many
times this was shown! Compliments of Travis Guy and his Atari Explorer
Online Homepage (now found on Delphi, too).
TK2 is a set of seven .MOD files from the Tempest 2000 Jaguar game. People
have raved about this music since the Jaguar game came out. Now you can
listen to it too, compliments of Travis Guy and his Atari Explorer Online
Homepage (now found on Delphi, too). Together these MODs last almost 21
minutes.
Here are some files from Alexander Claus' Homepage. This guy has
done a lot of programming. Thanks to him! His homepage:
http://www.student.informatik.th-darmstadt.de/~aclauss/
CAB2DEMO is the Crystal Atari Browser (CAB) v.2.0a demo by Alexander Clauss
(dated March 1997). CAB allows you to read HTML documents offline. If you
wish to use CAB as an online browser for the WWW you need another module
such as STiK or STing. This version of CAB is now a commercial product
from the producers of MagiC OS (Application Systems Heidelberg), though all
previous versions of CAB are still freeware. CAB now supports HTML 3.2,
all HTML extensions of Netscape Navigator 3.0 and many extensions of
Microsoft Internet Explorer. This means that CAB 2.0 now supports frames
(may be turned off if you wish). CAB is also an OLGA client. Together with
an editor which supports the OLGA protocol (for example QED) it is very
easy to write HTML files. CAB will automatically reload the page as soon
as the file is saved in the editor. A simple HTML validator in CAB helps to
find errors in the HTML files (of course, YOU wouldn't need that!). CAB
will work with any ST-Falcon (a multi-tasking system such as Geneva, MagiC,
MultiTOS is recommended), Medusa, Hades, Macintosh (using MagiCMac), PC
(with one of the Atari emulators such as
GEMulator). You may use it in any screen res, though ST mono or higher is
best. Background picture and sound support included. NVDI (CAB uses vector
fonts and some special functions of NVDI) or SpeedoGDOS/GDOS recommended
but you can run it without this. This demo version doesn't allow you to
save your favorite WWW locations, doesn't have "BubbleGEM helps" and a few
other minor items are missing. It's almost as good as the commercial
version (I think it's almost too good to be a demo!). German docs and
German and English .RSC files included.
CDPLR14A is CD-Player v.1.4a by Alexander Clauss (dated Nov. 12, 1996).
This .PRG/.ACC will allow you to listen to your audio CD's and to export
the music to your hard drive. All of the standard CD Player commands are
implemented (like skip, back, fast forward, programmable track play, etc,).
You can choose the playback quality so as to not overstrain your CPU.
Multitasking with a multitasking OS such as Geneva, MagiC, or MultiTOS. It
will save the sounds in the following formats: DVS (WinRec) AVR (SAM),
WAVE, SND/AU (UNIX, Mac). It will allow you to save the DVR and SND/AU
files in a packed format yielding disk savings of about 50%. Lots more
options. The docs (text and online .HYP) are in German, but there are
German, English, French, Spanish, Swedish, and Italian .RSC files included
as well. You must have an ST-Falcon (probably the Medusa and Hades would
work, too), a CD-ROM drive that supports audio commands, and a CD-ROM
driver such as MetaDOS, Steffen Engels' SCSI driver or ExtenDOS. Freeware.
DITHER is Dither v.1.6b by Alexander Claus (dated Aug. 1994). This
.PRG/.ACC is a utility to be used in conjunction with GEMView, the picture
viewer/manipulator tool by Dieter Fiebelkorn. GEMView uses Dithermatrices
to convert color or grayscale pictures to monochrome. The process might
seem complex, but Dither allows you to custom design the GEMView
dithermatrice so that you may get the specific effects you wish with the
pictures you convert. The program comes with English and German .RSC files
and matching documentation. Freeware. ST-Falcon and Medusa, Hades, Mac
(using MagicMac) or PC compatible.
OCR14E is OCR v.1.4e by Alexander Claus (dated April 25, 1997). This
program will allow you to load in a scanned image (.IMG or .PCX) of a text
and train the software to recognize the letters and transform them into
straight ASCII text. Create font dictionaries for each of the fonts you
regularly experience and save them for future use. That way you don't need
to "train" the software each time. Sometimes your scanned images have lots
of blobs and blemishes in them. Using the included image editor you may
clean them up to yield a better scan. It will allow you to convert pictures
directly from a scanner or from a stored image (this means you don't have
to have a scanner yourself, just images from someone else's scanner.
ST-Falcon, GEMulator compatible, color or mono, and requiring at least 500K
free RAM, this program works as advertised. It certainly works well on the
supplied text image file (which looked like a regular hand scan, i.e.,
pretty cruddy). I recommend this file to you. The author writes that this
is freeware, but that if you use it regularly you should send him some
money (or at least a postcard). That sounds like a good idea to me! A.
Claus is also the author of CAB, the Crystal Atari Browser (for the
Internet and HTML docs in general), the CD Player (CDPLR14A) which will
allow you to play audio CDs on your Atari (and lots more), and several
other programs. He's one talented guy! German and English docs and .RSC
files in German, English, French, Dutch, and Spanish.
This file is on my hard drive in a folder named "Berlin" so I
assume that it came from an internet site that's in Berline!
OLEDIDEM is a set of two demos from the Soft Arts Quick Line of midi-sound
managers and editors for the ST-Falcon (in all res). As the docs say:
Facilities of MROS and SOFT LINK are also supported: Sequencers can be
controlled on all screen pages; parameter changes can be recorded by
MROS/SL-Sequencers. May be run as .ACC or programs. The managers all use
a single sound library, so that library files that are made once may be
used by all the programs of this line. They are so memory efficient that
you may have five or more QUICK STEPS installed on ONE MByte at the same
time. This archive includes the Quick Step 01/W Editor v.1.31 demo, a
manager and Editor for KORG 01/W, 01/W FD, 01R/W, 01/W pro, and 01/W pro X,
and the QUICK STEP GS Controller v.1.11, a Controller-Editor for ROLAND
GS-instruments (e.g. Sound Canvas). These programs look very nice when I
run them, but since I'm not a musician I can't tell you more about them!
Here are some files I've had lying around for a long time. I
have no idea where they came from.
CONVERT (a program by the same name as Frank Vuotto's of F10 Software
above, but completely different) is a program which will convert
DEGAS-Fonts into GEM-Fonts (GDOS) and (if possible) GEM-Fonts in
DEGAS-Fonts. You may always convert the DEGAS fonts into the GDOS format,
but you may only convert the GDOS fonts into DEGAS format if the first 128
characters of the font are 16 Pixels high and 8 pixels wide. The program
works fine in all ST-TT computers. German docs and an English doc telling
what the program will do are included. Mouse controlled.
FONTEDIT is the Font-Editor FONTEDIT v.2.4 by Jens-Peter Haack. This
program is a full-featured GDOS font creator and editor. It has piles of
features you would want in such an editor, so I won't bother telling you
about them. It must run in ST-Mono or higher. The program and docs are in
German (though a file telling the features of the program is in a rough
English).
PGSFE_08 is v.0.8 of the PageStream Font Editor from the creators of the
PageStream Desktop Publishing program, Soft-Logik Publishing. This program
(dated 1990) is a bit-map and outline font editor/creator which you can use
to create or modify your own fonts for PageStream. Originally written for
versions of PageStream up to v.1.8, this program creates fonts that are
usable even on newer versions of PageStream. Lots of docs and hints on
creating your own fonts. ST-TT compatible. Mono only. At least one meg
of RAM required. SHAREWARE. Really, there are PILES of PageStream fonts
available, so you can probably find a font to suit your need rather than
creating one on your own!
PPCNVT is a file you likely won't need, but if you do need it, you will!
Make sense? Sure! It is a program which will convert your old Publishing
Partner DTP files to PageStream files. Just run it and it will prompt for
files to convert and names to save the converted file as. Because of MAJOR
differences of the handling of routed columns of text, any routed columns
will convert to unrouted columns. The text will be in the correct columns,
but they will not automatically flow back and forth. All you need do is
set the routing manually. Not bad! Docs included. Unfortunately the
author does not record his name!
SIGTOGEM is SIGTOGEM PD v.1.0 by Christoph Zwerschke (dated 1989). This
program will allow you to convert Signum! font files into GEM-font files
(GDOS). So if you have lots of Signum! fonts that you wish to use in GDOS,
SpeedoGDOS, NVDI, etc. then this program is for you. Program and docs are
in German, and there is a Ruftrade2 machine generated translation of the
docs (good enough once you try the program). ST-TT and Geneva compatible
(at least).
BOMBSQAD is the Falcon-only game Bomb Squad v.1.0 by Yiannis Paschalidis
(ALIAS "X"), dated October 2, 1996. Not many games allow up to four people
to cooperate together to achieve the game goal, but Bomb Squad does (of
course, there is a practice mode where you can try to do each other in as
well!). You may run Bomb Squad from a floppy or hard drive, but you must
have at least 4 meg of RAM, an RGB/VGA monitor or TV, joysticks and/or
Atari Powerpad controllers, and some friends to blow up! Bomb Squad is
based on the coin-op machine called "Super Dynablasters". At the beginning
of the game you find yourself and your partners (if any) on a 19 by 13
square playing surface. You're surrounded by deadly robots out to get you.
Your task is to simply destroy them without getting killed yourself. You
have to drop bombs on selected squares thus blowing up the robots while NOT
blowing up yourself. Along the way you will discover a variety of powerups
which will give you more bombs, enhanced powers, and more lives. Work your
way up through the levels to Mr. Flibben's lair (the big bad guy), and
destroy him before he gets you! Passwords provide you with the option of
not having to play every level again when you start a new time. You can
replay your game to hone your strategy for the next time. Bomb Squad
contains over forty levels of arcade action over with eight different types
of scenery. There are fifteen types of enemies to blow up as well as nasty
end-of-level guardians. For all of you sound fans out there it has 10+
50KHz, 4-channel soundtracks and many sampled sound effects. Bomb Squad is
fully playable shareware. Docs included. Support shareware authors!
CDREC is CD-Recorder v.1.00 by Dirk Haun (dated Dec. 4, 1994). This
program will allow you to pull sound off of your audio CD's and save it as
either AVR or WAV, stereo or mono, 8/16 bit samples, and 22050 or 44100 Hz.
The docs say that it requires MetaDOS, but it also works with ExtenDOS from
Anodyne Software (which I have). Of course, you need a CD player and an
audio CD, too! The docs are in German, but the program is mostly in
English (and it's very simple to use).
Finally, I've just downloaded the complete set of STReport from the
STReport FTP site (FTP//FTP.STREPORT.COM), if I remember correctly. It's a
treasure! I've been downloading them over the years, but I lost all of my
issues in a hard drive crash in 1995. Since then I've been collecting
them, but have been unable to find them all (Genie used to have them, but
they deleted them all, for one reason or another). Anyway, you can find
the whole range of STR there from when it was STReport focused on the Atari
line to when it began branching out to cover other computers (and when the
editor would still say, "ps; we still use Atari Computers to do STReport.
Not some 'stiiiinking pee cee'! -- R.M." in the June 14, 1991 issue) to
the point where we are today. Thanks Dana for your continued plugging away
supporting us Atari users!
That's all for this issue. Enjoy your software hunting! I'll enjoy my
vacation!!
Take care, and drop me a line to say hello. I'm always glad to get mail!
May God Bless,
--Michael R. Burkley
The Unabashed Atariophile
p.s.: You may contact me at MRBURKLEY@DELPHI.COM,
MICHAEL-R-BURKLEY@WORLDNET.ATT.NET, or at
M.BURKLEY1@GENIE.GEIS.COM
Michael is a former Polyurethane
Research Chemist, the co-owner of
Suzy B's Software, and currently
the Pastor of the Niagara
Presbyterian Church
Gaming Section
More E3 News! Nintendo Suit!
Hercules! Wave! And more!
From the Editor's Controller - Playin' it like it is!
"Gone Fishing!"
Industry News STR Game Console NewsFile - The Latest Gaming News!
E3 - Almost 40,000 Experience E3 Sights And Sounds
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1997 JUN 20 (Newsbytes) -- By Patrick McKenna.
The third annual Electronic Entertainment Expo has packed in approximately
40,000 people who create the world's video games, distribute and sell them,
package the games and perhaps those who just play them. Intel's
[NASDAQ:INTC] booth; Rage's new game, Incoming; Broderbund's Myst sequel,
Riven; Diamond Multimedia's DVD drive, and plenty of Internet multi-player
"experiences" are headlining this show.
The game console companies, Nintendo, Sony and Sega, showed up with
multimillion dollar booths.
Word in the hall is Nintendo will include titles with the Nintendo 64, is
be busy making more new titles for its 64-bit console and will make those
games more affordable. Sony's PlayStation has a new generation of games and
continues to outsell Nintendo and Sega. The latter came to E3 with new
titles and a price drop, but a clearly defined last place in the console
race. One source told Newsbytes that Sega Internet connection, plug-in
device, has only sold 17,000 units, a figure far less than the 100,000 Sega
hoped to place in homes where Sega fans wait for each new game.
Intel, on the other hand, took E3 by storm. Every attendee had to pass by
an ear-shattering Intel MMX demonstration before reaching any exhibit. The
company's chief executive officer, Andy Grove, stunned a keynote audience
when he revealed himself as one of the costumed dancers in an opening
routine. In a space separate from the main show floor, Intel demonstrated
every piece of new technology the company will either ship or support
during the upcoming holiday season. On the fun side, motion picture and
television star Bruce Willis appeared at Planet Hollywood to promote
Activision's PlayStation release Apocalypse. Professional sports stars and
other entertainment celebrities made brief appearances to promote a number
of related games.
On the show floor, the place where the action takes place, attendees
participate in Quake tournaments, sit in car-like devices to race, lie in a
hang-glider for virtual flights, collect free t-shirts and gadgets, get
turned upside down in virtual worlds while strapped to a gyroscope and
wander from booth to booth in a blast of sounds from hundreds of games.
Show producer and president of the International Digital Software
Association (IDSA), Douglas Lowenstein, told Newsbytes, "We knew the
industry was ready for a show like this, but no one expected it to be this
large." Last year, Lowenstein ran out of room in Los Angeles and decided to
take E3 to Atlanta where it will also take place next year. By 1999, he
hopes to have a permanent home for E3.
While Lowenstein goes out of his way to make E3 an exciting and
entertaining experience, he is clear about the goals of E3. "This is a
business-to-business show," he added. "We are here so the professionals in
this industry can meet one another, see what others are doing, and make
deals." E3 is not open to the public. You have to be somehow involved
with the software gaming industry as a programmer, producer, distributor,
marketer, retail seller, or peripherals manufacturer, to get through the
doors. "If we opened this show to the public, we would have hundreds of
thousands of attendees," continued Lowenstein. "This is a show for people
in the business of gaming software."
E3 - Andy Grove Attacks Game Consoles...
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1997 JUN 20 (Newsbytes) -- By Patrick McKenna.
The Electronic Entertainment Expo is filled with 100-plus decibels sounds,
wild costumes, crowds and fast, powerful video. Andy Grove, Intel
[NASDAQ:INTC] chairman and chief executive officer, epitomized the E3 theme
when he started his keynote address dancing with a troop of dancers in
iridescent clean room suits. The "silicon-like" colored suits are the same
as those used in the Superbowl commercial. The keynote opened with a loud,
short, high-spirited dance. When Grove pulled off his head covering, the
audience went wild with applause.
The costumed dance served as an introduction to a keynote, which in very
simple terms was Grove saying the personal computer with new technologies
such as Pentium II microprocessors, DVD technology, multi-player Internet
games and more, is positioned to overtake the gaming experience from game
consoles companies such as Nintendo, Sega and Sony. "The game console
market is based on a male population of 8 to 17-year-olds," began Grove.
"That market is a pretty constant size market." To Grove, that audience is
just the top of the shaft he plans to mine as he takes what he calls "the
Visually Connected PC," a PentiumII-based system, to everyone watching
television.
Grove appealed to games developers to no longer think about developing
software games. "I challenge you to think in terms of interactive
entertainment." Pointing to a narrow-mindedness in targeting 8 to
17-year-old males, Grove quoted a source, "Girls don't think boys' games
are too hard. They think they are stupid." According to Grove, the personal
computer market consists of 55 percent male and 45 percent female.
His keynote, back-dropped with an elaborate "living room" spread across the
entire stage, focused on a young girl creating a compiled video on DVD.
Later in the keynote she brought him the finished video on a writeable
video disk. Holding up the disk, he said, "This is our future ladies and
gentleman; the writeable video disk." After a display of multi-player
Internet action and an arcade-like hang gliding experience, Grove visited
with rock artist Beck in a real-time video conference through a Pentium
II-based, home entertainment center.
"We are in a war for eyeballs," continued Grove. "The PC is gaining on the
sales of televisions and before the end of the century we will cross over
and sell more PCs than televisions." Saying the average television time in
the US is five hours per day, Grove said this is where the gaming industry
will find new users. He promised to deliver the necessary new technologies,
but he needs developers to bring a new level of "interactive entertainment"
to deliver the next generation of home entertainment. His address was
received far better than yesterday's address by Tom Brokaw. "I don't know
why Brokaw was at this show," said one attendee. "He did not address game
developers. To me it sounded like a commercial for MSNBC." Grove on the
other hand delivered a fast-paced, rich video and audio, Pentium II
demonstration which called for help of the games development community.
The audience repeatedly roared with laughter and applause for Grove.
The Epic Hero, Hercules, Heads Home to Families
Interactive Adventures From Disney Interactive Products Feature Celebrity
Voices From the Film Including James Woods, Danny Devito, Tate Donovan and
More
BURBANK, Calif., June 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Offering not just one, but three
unique ways for families to bring the excitement and adventures of
"Hercules" home, Disney Interactive debuts three interactive products in
conjunction with Walt Disney Studio's 35th full-length animated feature
film, "Hercules." Featuring the voices of James Woods, Danny Devito, Tate
Donovan and more, each product offers entertainment for the entire family.
Disney Interactive's "Hercules" titles include "Disney's Animated
StoryBook, Hercules" on CD-ROM, "Disney's Hercules Action Game" for Sony
Playstation and CD-ROM and "Disney's Print Studio, Hercules" on CD-ROM.
"Disney's Animated StoryBook, Hercules" is Disney Interactive's seventh
title in its successful Animated StoryBook line. The interactive reading
journey, which follows the adventures of Hercules, features five exciting
learning activities, original celebrity voices, captivating music and an
introduction to Greek mythology. "Disney's Animated StoryBook, Hercules"
CD-ROM will be available in a Windows/Macintosh hybrid format for an
estimated retail price of $35.
"Disney's Hercules Action Game" for Sony Playstation and, in September, for
CD-ROM, is an exciting challenge of mythological proportions. Players
become Hercules and must prove themselves true heroes in order to take
their rightful place in the Realm of the Gods by defeating a host of
earthly monsters, defending Mt. Olympus from the Titans and beating Hades
in the Underworld. "Disney's Hercules Action Game" is available now for
Playstation (published by Virgin Interactive) and in September for Windows
95 CD-ROM.
"Disney's Print Studio, Hercules" CD-ROM is a unique print program that
allows families to create projects on the computer using images of the
"Hercules" characters. Featuring more than 100 images of Disney
characters, along with colorful backgrounds and borders, children can try
their hand at 19 different print projects, including stationery, calendars,
greeting cards and more. Children will love the new sticker program that
lets them create customized stickers with all the characters from the
feature film. "Disney's Print Studio, Hercules" will be available on
Windows CD-ROM for $20.
Supreme Court Backs Nintendo
The U.S. Supreme Court today let stand a ruling for Nintendo Co. Ltd. that
overturned a earlier jury's award of more than $208 million in damages
against it in a patent infringement case over home video games. The
decision by the high court rejects an appeal by bankrupt Alpex Computer
Corp., which filed the patent infringement lawsuit in New York in 1986,
contending Nintendo's Entertainment System video game violated its 1977
patent for a device that shows video images on a screen.
The Reuter News Service notes that after a four-week trial, a federal court
jury awarded damages of more than $208 million, but a U.S. appeals court
last year threw out the judgment of patent infringement. In its petition,
Alpex asked the Supreme Court to hear the case and reverse the appeals
court decision, saying the justices at a minimum should set aside the
appeals court decision and send the case back for more hearings in view of
a Supreme Court patent law ruling in March. However, notes Reuters, "the
high court sided with Nintendo and denied Alpex's appeal without any
comment or dissent."
Supreme Court Upholds Nintendo Verdict Reversal
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1997 JUN 24 (Newsbytes) -- By Bill Pietrucha.
Nintendo doesn't have to pay. The US Supreme Court has refused to review an
lower court's decision in favor of Nintendo of America Inc., upholding the
appellate court's ruling to overturn a jury verdict of more than $253
million in damages against Nintendo in a patent infringement case over home
video games. The Supreme Court also rejected an appeal by Alpex Computer
Corp., which is in bankruptcy liquidation, which filed the patent
infringement lawsuit in New York in 1986. Alpex claimed Nintendo's
Entertainment System video game violated its 1977 patent for a device that
shows video images on a screen.
After a four-week trial, a federal court jury awarded damages of more than
$208 million, but a US appeals court last year threw out the judgment of
patent infringement. Alpex asked the Supreme Court to hear the case and
reverse the appeals court decision. It said the justices at a minimum
should set aside the appeals court decision and send the case back for more
hearings in view of a Supreme Court patent law ruling in March. But the
high court sided with Nintendo and denied Alpex's appeal without any
comment or dissent.
The high court's decision, however, leaves intact a determination by the US
Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit that Nintendo did not infringe on
a patent owned by Alpex. In its ruling, the appeals court concluded that
Nintendo's patented technology for producing complex video game graphics
was substantially different than the image generation technology disclosed
in the Alpex patent (No. 4,026,555), issued in 1977.
"Nintendo is gratified that the Supreme Court refused to disturb the
decision of the court of appeals," Howard Lincoln, chairman, Nintendo of
America Inc., the US subsidiary of Nintendo Company Ltd. of Kyoto, Japan,
said. "From the outset of this case, Nintendo was convinced that it did not
infringe Alpex's patents. Today's decision once again vindicates Nintendo's
position never to settle patent lawsuits when we firmly believe that we
have not infringed another party's patent."
Wave Aims To Be Blockbuster Video Of E-Commerce
LEE, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1997 JUN 25 (Newsbytes) -- By Linda Dailey
Paulson. Wave Systems Corp. [NASDAQ:WAVX] plans to bundle hundreds of
software titles with major PC manufacturers' products using its proprietary
WaveMeter technology. Wave Systems is creating a series of encrypted
CD-ROM and DVD-ROM discs, the content of which can be purchased at the
micro-transaction level through the Internet. The company says this
technology is "creating a new distribution paradigm for the PC industry" by
making pay-per-use schemes technologically possible.
The WaveMeter technology is both a physical chip as well as a software
package that simulates the chip's usage metering capabilities, according to
Mark Marinovich, Wave Systems spokesperson. The chip will enable
participating software publishers "to charge a fee based on consumer usage,
like a 900 phone number," he said. "We will be able to support any number
of business models." The company is in negotiations with "a major
personal computer manufacturer" which would bundle the WaveMeter and 10
encrypted CD-ROM
discs with at least two million PCs. Marinovich expected some announcement
to be made within the month as well as concurrent deals to be made public
through the fall.
"The anticipated incorporation of the WaveMeter in 1998 models by several
major PC manufacturers will enable us to reach millions of users, who can
pay for usage credits once a month and let the meter take care of the rest,
" said Steven Sprague, president and chief operating officer of Wave, in a
released statement. "We aim to be the Blockbuster Video of Internet
commerce." The company's micro-transaction technology enables publishers
to rent titles in many different ways. The consumer may opt to use the
title on a "per--use" basis, either by the game or by the hour; as a
"rent--to--own" titles with the fees applied to the eventual purchase of
the product; on an annual subscription basis; or the consumer can simply
purchase the title and pay for it online.
Wave says its research indicates there has been "a broad decline of retail
sales in the CD-ROM arena this past year," but was unable to quantify that
decline. The company did state its research indicated 70 percent of all
Nintendo titles are rented first and that 35 percent of all CD-ROM
purchases are returned or else the user is dissatisfied with their
purchase. Wave said this "rent-to-own model will represent a boon for
consumers" as someone who would typically spend $200 each year on four or
five premium game titles could try 10 to 15, then purchase three or four
they like best.
Marinovich says software publishers save a whole array of fees from
packaging or maintaining employees and servers. They can operate a
publishing venture as a turnkey operation, he says, using this technology.
Ultimately, the chips can also be used for DVD and broadband. "We see
broadband as the ultimate utilization of the chip because of the
convergence of television and computers." For more information about Wave,
visit them online at http://www.wave.com
World Tour Racing
Sb: WTR Impressions
Fm: Tony Talarico 73065,364
To: All
After playing World Tour Racing for several days, I've decided to give
everyone here my impressions of it.
THE INTRO:
You take the all-black (ALL the CD's should've been black!) CD-R from the
unmarked jewel case, pop it into the Jaguar CD toilet-thingie, turn on the
machine (and TV/monitor) and are greeted with a rendered Teque logo
animation of a woman that jumps out of a beam of light, starts spinning,
and turns into the familiar Teque logo.
The screen fades and then comes back with the WTR title screen. This then
cuts to a very nicely rendered and T-mapped animation of cars racing around
a track interspersed with some of the 'cut' scenes from the game itself.
This animation ends and you get the World Tour Racing title screen again.
This then cuts to _another_ animation. This new animation looks like the
real-time rendering from the game itself - not nearly as nice as the first
anim. To actually get to the main menu, you have to bypass both animations.
THE GAME:
From the main menu, you can pick from three modes of racing - Single Race,
Championship, and Arcade - or view the game credits (which also can show
you Teque's email address).
All three racing modes have the same control feel, Arcade mode just scores
differently. Single Race and Arcade - but NOT Championship - allow 2-player
split screen for head-to-head racing.
Single Race allows you to pick from any of the 16 tracks. Championship and
Arcade take you through all of them. In Arcade Mode, you have to finish a
in specified position or better to get to the next track.
In either Single Race or Championship, you have your choice of Free
Practice, Qualify, or Race options. Free Practice and Qualify give you only
five laps, no matter what race length is set to, or what the manual says.
If you choose not to Qualify and go straight to Race, you start at the back
of the starting grid.
Championship mode also allows you to save your progress by using a 32
number password. Keep a lot of paper handy. The game totally ignores the
Memory Track.
Arcade mode starts with a little animation of an arcade machine crashing
through a living room wall with what looks like two golden eyes with a word
in red underneath on the screen, but making a sound eerily similar to an
old Eugene Jarvis game. At the end of the game, if you don't finish high
enough to continue, another cute animation pops up showing your car getting
crushed by The game options are:
Race length - 15, 10, 8, 5, or 3 laps.
Gearbox - Automatic or manual. There's 6 gears either way.
Change Keys - A strange name for the controller setup. There are 6
different A, B, and C button setups to choose from.
Difficulty - 3 levels - I'M SLLOOWWW, NOT TOO FAST, and EAT MY DUST
Change Names - Here you can change all 10 drivers' names. You can't change
team names, though. Use Up and Down, then press B to select a name. A and C
change the letters, left and right moves the cursor left and right, and B
accepts the name. There are some quirks with letter selection here.
Sometimes you can only get uppercase, sometimes lowercase, and sometimes
all letters and special characters. It all depends on what letter is to the
left of the one you're changing.
THE TRACKS:
I noticed a couple of surprises in the tracks that were put in the game.
The first surprise is that the tracks are all essentially flat. This
removes the wonderful drop at Loew's corner in Monaco. The second surprise
is in some of the tracks selected for the game.
The tracks, in game order, are:
USA!!! --- Well, it doesn't _hurt_ to have a US track B-{). This one is the
old Phoenix circuit that Formula 1 last used to run on before they left the
US.
Hungary
Germany
Brazil
San Marino
Monaco
Mexico
Canada
France
Britain
Portugal
Italy
Egypt!!! --- Do they even watch F1 racing in Egypt?
Australia --- I have no idea where the track design came from. It's not
Adelaide, which is where F1 used to race, or Melbourne, where they raced
this year, or even Surfer's Paradise where the CART cars race.
Japan --- Like Australia, the track layout escapes me. It's definitely
_NOT_ Suzuka, or the old Fuji track (see Namco's Pole Position).
India!!! --- See Egypt. This one also has a slight hill on the back half of
the track, showing that it was possible.
The tracks are fairly well designed. There are some minor inconsistencies,
but the overall 'feel' of the actual track layouts is there.
GRAPHICS:
The graphics are acceptable, given the limited memory of the Jag. Screen
resolution appears to be low, around 320 by 200, like the old 8-bits and
C64s, but there are plenty of colors. Nearly everything is texture mapped.
There is also an option that someone here mentioned to turn on track
textures ('8' on the Jag pad), but it slows down frame rate and doesn't
look all that nice anyway.
Due to the low resolution, I don't always see the braking markers when
approaching a corner. They probably should have been made a little bigger.
The frame rate is not the greatest, maybe 10-15 fps (IMO) but it doesn't
detract from controlling the car or in determining when to turn in to the
corner. It's definitely better than the frame rate on Supercross 3D.
Cars are Gouraud shaded with some minor color details.
There are multiple types of walls on the track - mostly the normal concrete
barriers, but also some high stone walls in some locations. Also, there are
bridges over the tracks and a few tunnels. There are 3D buildings and
vehicles and even people (these might be flat sprites) on the other side of
the walls. There is also an overabundance of trees which also appear to be
sprites.
SOUNDS:
The car has a nice engine sound to it. It also echoes slightly inside the
tunnels. There is also a tire squeal sound. The background music is a
poorly done (IMO) techno beat. I find it somewhat obnoxious so I turn it
way down. Sounds are adjusted as in other Jaguar games by hitting Pause,
then A, B, or C.
DRIVING:
The steering of the car has a little bit of a 'twitchy' feel to it. What I
mean by this is that quick taps left or right don't seem to do anything,
but press a little bit too long and turn-in can be more than you expected,
although nowhere near as bad as Checkered Flag. Actually, the control is
pretty easy to get used to. Also, the car responds well to proper turn-in
and braking technique (clipping the apex, in other words).
The other drivers, on the other hand, can all go rot in a pit of used, hot
motor oil. Actually, they're really a bunch of very nice guys, and are very
pleasant when they boot you off the racing line just because it's where
_they_ want to be. The computer control seems to be unfinished. The other
drivers don't go around you when they want to pass. They go through you.
Bumping another car can twist your car sideways a little. Hitting a wall
at high speed will cause your car to leap straight up in the air while
spinning around.
DAMAGE:
The game does seem to take into account damage to the car. The cornering
ability of the car seems to get less as the car takes on damage or tire
wear. The only visual indicator of damage, though, is when a message pops
up in the middle of the screen: "NO FRONT WING" or "NO REAR WING".
CAR SETUP:
I haven't tried using different setups yet, so I can't say whether they
accomplish anything. The setup menu is reached by pressing Option during
either Free Practice or Qualifying.
Tires --- Tires can be Hard, Medium, or Soft
Wings --- First the front wing, then rear wing is adjusted by pressing
Left and Right. I don't know which way the wing is adjusted because there
are no labels on this or any of the other scales in car setup. The manual
doesn't help, either.
Gearbox --- Up/Down selects which gear to adjust. Left/Right adjusts
ratio.
Brakes --- Left/Right selects brake balance between left and right brakes.
OVERALL:
I don't have any set rating system like others do, but in general I like
this game. It sits well above the 16-bit games like Outrun or Top Gear, but
falls short of the next-gen racing games like Ridge/Rage Racer, Wipeout, or
even Cruisin' USA. The nice 3D graphics, decent frame rate, and ease of
control make this the best racing game on the Jaguar. Being that I'm a
sucker for racing games, I will probably be spending a lot of time with
this game.
On the other hand, the repetitive music, lack of hills, and bad computer
driving technique make me think that this game wasn't actually finished,
but enough of it was there so that it was able to be produced. I would like
to see what Teque actually had in mind, but I'm not going to hold my breath
waiting.
MY ELECTRONIC RACING BACKGROUND:
I have been playing driving games for over 27 years.
I started on an upright arcade game (I have no idea what the name is) that
used rear projection and 2 lanes of cars that you had to dodge. I later
graduated to Atari's Trak 10 and Trak 20 and then the sit-down Night Driver
and the table-like Indy 800 (I never could find 7 friends who liked driving
games B-{)).
Then came Namco's -wonderful- Pole Position and Coleco's Monaco Gran Prix
(#$@* fire truck!) and driving games would never be the same again. I have
played most of the arcade driving games since then. In the future, I plan
on trying the VR driving games, once SOMEBODY decides to make them.
I currently own all three of the major PC driving sims: Indycar Racing 2,
Nascar 1 (so far) and Grand Prix 2. I also have the old World Circuit (F1GP
to non-Americans) and Indy 500 on my Amiga.
I also have Pole Position, Night Driver and Indy 500 for the 2600, Pole
Position 7800, Checkered Flag for Lynx, and ALL games for the Jaguar.
Gaming Online STR InfoFile - Online Users Growl & Purr!
From SCEA's (Sony) Don Thomas, regarding the recent E3 show:
Well, E3 was quite a show. I was able to see John Skruch, Garry Tramiel, J
Patton, Leonard Herman, John Hardie and quite a few others. Aside from the
personalities, it looks like there's no stopping to the great software
coming up for the popular systems. Tomb Raider II looks
GREAT!
--Don Thomas
ONLINE WEEKLY STReport OnLine The wires are a hummin'!
PEOPLE... ARE TALKING
On CompuServe
Compiled by Joe Mirando
jmirando@streport.com
Hidi ho friends and neighbors. I guess we all know what time it is...
Time to take a look at what's going on here on CompuServe. Heck, we've
been doing the same thing for years now, so if you _don't_ know what time
it is, don't blame it on me! <grin>
Before we do take a look at CompuServe though, I'd like to say a few
words about what I think is a disturbing trend in the computer world in
particular, and the entire world in general: The inability of some people
to 'grant' others the right to be different.
While this trend has been making itself more and more apparent to me
over the past three or four years, it's only been in the past six months or
so that I've begun to find it intolerable. And then, last week as I was
flipping through the available cable channels (now I have 76 channels of
stuff that I really don't care anything about), I happened upon a
"cablevangelist" preaching to an audience about how right he was and how
wrong science was, and that if they'd only agree with everything that he
said, they'd be fine.
I can see a few of you already squirming in your seats, saying "Oh
jeez, now he's going to tell us about his religious beliefs". Well, sort
of. But don't worry, it dove-tails nicely with what I'm going to say
afterwards, and I don't expect you to either agree or disagree with any of
it (although you are always more than welcome to send me email on any
subject I cover in this column).
I have seen this preacher's show before and watched him brow-beat
everything from mass transit to the extinction of the dinosaurs. This day
however, he had set his sights on evolution. Charles Darwin, he said,
would burn in the everlasting fires of hell for coming up with the theory
of evolution. Mussolini and Hitler were both big fans of evolution and
they were, of course, very bad people. Therefore, he decided, evolution
must also be bad. Of course the fact that it clashed with his views of God
and His place in the universe only confirmed it.
Now, I have no problem with someone _not_ believing in evolution.
Evolution is not like people are... it will work for you even if you don't
believe in it. The problem I have is that people like this preacher
discard evolution without even knowing what it actually is. From his
attack on it, it was clear that he had a decent working knowledge of
sciences such as biology and chemistry, but it was also apparent that he
chose to put a 'spin' on them so that they sounded 'wrong'. This is the
part that bothers me. If you can't stand to have someone (or a large
number of someones) believe something different than you do, then at least
argue with facts instead of catch-phrases, half-truths, and guilt-by-
association. Otherwise your high ideals loose all of their meaning and you
become one of the people that you wish to ridicule. There's also the fact
that, to me, a universe in which a supreme being sets things like the
fundamental forces and evolution in motion is far more wondrous than one in
which he simply snaps his fingers and makes things appear.
I strongly feel that your religious beliefs are yours alone and that
you should not have to answer to anyone else for them (unless, of course,
they hurt someone else), and the same holds true for your choices in
computing (this is the 'dove-tail' part that I was talking about). Someone
recently tried to brow-beat me for still using an Atari computer on the
internet. 'It's not as good'... 'you're missing out'... 'you've never
experienced the other way', and my personal favorite, 'you don't know what
you're talking about' were recurrent themes.
For the record, I use several Intel/Microsoft systems throughout the
day ranging from a 33 MHz '486 to a 166 MHz Pentium. I write Data
Acquisition Software, Man-Machine interfaces, Statistical Process Control
applications, deal with inventory, order, shipping and receiving, and cost
estimation on occasion, and I often surf the internet with one or the
other of these machines using the latest offerings from both Netscape and
Microsoft. So I _do_ 'know what I'm missing', I just don't miss it all
that much.
I surf the net with my Atari more often than I do with the PCs at work
because I'm more comfortable with it. I've always found Windows to be
cumbersome and a bit awkward for my tastes, and disapprove of the huge
amounts of memory, hard drive space, and processor time that it takes up to
do things that come so easily to my trusty ST (my 16 MHz MegaSTE's screen
still updates about three or four times faster than the office's
166 MHz Pentium does). Is this a reason to swear off PCs? No. Only a
reason to not strain my checkbook to get one for home at the moment.
People like this PC user and that preacher would like us to believe that
their way is the only true way and that anyone who believes anything else
is inferior in some fundamental way. Folks, it just ain't so. If God had
meant Microsoft to be the only way to go, then he would have made Bill
Gates good looking. <grin>
The fact is that you _can_ get on the net with your ST, you _can_ view
graphics, you _can_ read newsgroups, and you _can_ chat. It's also true
that you cannot at this time make use of all those neat JAVA applets that
are becoming more common now, or that you will have to wait a while longer
if you only have access to a provider that supports only PPP protocol.
I've never said that using an ST on the net was easy, or that it was as
colorful, or as fast, but you _can_ do it. If you prefer to use a PC for
accessing data and entertainment, that is your choice. But what I use to
do the same is my choice, and even though some may use, or may have used,
an ST thinking that it was the last word in computing (mostly because it
was _their_ choice), I have no such delusions. Let's start judging people
on _what_ they do, not what they do it _with_, huh?
Well, I'll give the soap box back to that cablevangelist now and get
to what I probably should have given you in the first place... all the
news, hints, tips, and info available on CompuServe.
From the Atari Computing Forum
Diana Maunder posts:
"I have an Atari 1040 ST with disk drive and Screen. I want to
know if I can get it working for wordprocessing and general
computer use. Where can I get advice?"
David James tells Diana:
"You should be able to use your Atari for word processing and
general computer use without any major problems. I think you will
probably find some PD wordprocessing programs in the file areas
here."
Sysop Bob Retelle adds:
'We have some very good Public Domain and Shareware software for
your Atari ST here in our software libraries. In particular, one
you might want to take a look at is STWriter, a Freeware word
processing package.
You didn't mention whether you have the color or monochrome
monitor for your system. Most software works on both, although
some (like wordprocessing applications) may work better on a
monochrome (for higher screen resolution) and others (like games)
are better on color.
In general, you can use your Atari ST for pretty much any computing
application, but you should be aware that there is little, if any,
official support for either the hardware or any of the software
applications left in the world. The hardware was excellent, and
"cutting edge" in its day, but may seem dated by contemporary
standards now. It all depends on what you're interested in doing.
One tip to get you started... the floppy disk format the Atari
system uses is almost exactly the same as that used on IBM PC
systems. That means you can download Atari software from our
software libraries here on CompuServe into an IBM style system,
then save it on a floppy disk to transfer into your Atari ST.
The secret to making this work is to remember to format the floppy
disk ON THE IBM system, and to be sure to specify formatting it as
a LOW DENSITY, 720K DISK when you format it.
And, remember that this Forum is one of your best resources for
support and information..!"
(Actually Bob, 720K is Double-Density. PCs never used "low density" for
3.5 inch disks, which is 360K.)
When someone asks about the growing number of forums on CompuServe that
do not allow ASCII access, Rick Detlefsen posts:
"I was going to ask that very question. More and more areas are
becoming inaccessable. I looks like Atari (and any text) access
here is coming to a close. Even if CIS goes internet, there still
isn't a good, easy browser, after several years."
Since no one has replied to Rick yet, let me just say that CompuServe's
"Project Red Dog" will eventually replace the current HMI (CIS's
proprietary system used in WinCIM software). Eventually you will be
able to access anything on CompuServe with a browser like Netscape
Navigator/Communicator, Microsoft's Internet Explorer, or dare I say it,
an Atari-based browser such as WENsuite or CAB.
On the subject of the aforementioned WENsuite and getting it to access
CompuServe's 7-bit login settings, sysop Jim Ness posts:
"You can solve the problem in one of two ways. The Microsoft
Explorer login script solves it by momentarily changing to 7 data
bits, until login is complete, then switching back to 8 bit.
The other choice would go something like this, if scripted:
wait for: "CONNECT "
send: CR character
wait for: "Host Name:"
send: "+CPS" <-- the plus is what is important
wait for: "User ID:"
send: userid\password/GO:PPPCONNECT
During login, CompuServe is always 7 bit, until it knows who you
are and can change to your personal settings. If you put a + sign
in front of the host name response, the remainder of the login will
switch to 8 bit, and all the apparent garbage will go away."
Sysop Ron Luks asks Jim:
"Is the response to "Host Name:" supposed to be +CIS or +CPS ???"
Jim tells Ron:
"Either one. I don't know why they have more than one, unless
there is a load sharing issue."
Ben @ TOC Oz. tells Jim:
"Thanks... for the previous ideas, but the node comes back garbled
before '+CIS' can be logged in. It happens at the code 0XXJBZ.
'xx' being any decimal no. The above is interspersed with extended
character set characters, and bluffs the log-in. I'll keep trying.
Mark Kelling adds:
"You might want to [amend] your login to look like this:
3. User ID: 100247.3112/noint/go:pppconnect
4. Password: your+password
Stop there. The PPP system will start trying to communicate so
quickly after your password is sent that the PPP string can be
missed."
Stefan Grunenberg posts to someone who had asked for help in
transferring data files from Atari to PC:
"I read about your problem transfering data from your pc on disks
for Atari. May be the problem is that you formated a HD-disk on your
PC....
Take a dd-disk. this will work. The dd-disks are different in mostly 2
ways: they cost more (why...???) and they just get one windowhole for
ereasing-protection. hd's got a second hole. When you format the hd's,
they get 1.4Mb capacity on it (high density!!). If you want to format
dd's you have to tell it the computer in the e.g. disk-and-copy-manager
under windows (simply click under something like density:720kb/1.4Mb). If
you want to reformat hd's to 720kb (the only understandable format for
ataris), you have to put a sticker around the second hole (uper and lower
side of the disk).
Frank Heller jumps in and clarifies (if only a bit):
"more correctly: for non-Falcon Ataris. The Falcon reads and
writes 1.4mb disks."
For everyone's information, TTs and some Mega STEs also make use of High
Density (1.44 meg) disks.
Meanwhile, Gary Partington posts with...
"A slight problem with my disk drive I need advice on. 520ste with
one floppy I keep getting the CANCEL/RETRY message far too often
and yesterday three disks were corrupted on the same track when
trying endlessly to save a DTP doc. Track 00 on sides one and two
were affected but nothing else. Once this happened the disk could
not be accessed at all but it seems to read OK on re-boot and save
most of the time with no problem. I've taken the drive out, cleaned
and degaussed the heads but the problem, although not quite as
bad, is still there. If it is mis-alignment how can I check it?"
Albert Dayes tells Gary:
"It might also be timing problems. Check your glue, shifter and
dma chips to make sure they are firmly seated in their sockets.
Also check the cables for the floppy drive and see that they are
well connected.
Another possibility is a virus ... try running a virus scanner and
see if that helps. Also run a utilitiy program like Diamond Edge
v2.x on your floppies to see if the corruption can be corrected."
Sysop Bob Retelle asks Gary:
"Can you format a new disk and then read and write to it OK?
If the problem is nothing more than the drive becoming misaligned
over time, you should still be able to format, but older disks may
be difficult (or increasingly impossible) to read or write to.
It's possible to replace the drive mechanism with a standard IBM
style 3 1/2 inch drive, although it's getting almost impossible to
find 720K mechanisms. You can try using a 1.44Meg IBM floppy
drive, but you may have to jumper the drive to Low Density (if you
can find any documentation on the drive that is).
One possible problem using such a replacement drive is that Atari
used a somewhat non-standard way of detecting when the floppy disk
is replaced, so you may find that with an IBM style drive mechanism
you might have to maually force a re-read of the disk's directory
when you change disks.
The importance of this is that if you change disks and the
computer doesn't detect it properly you'll be writing to the new
disk with the directory inform
ation from the old disk and
undoubtedly destroy the new disk.
Other things to try with your current system include reseating all
the socketed chips on the motherboard. Intermittant problems, and
ones that can be cured by rebooting are often caused by integrated
circuits which have begun to "creep" out of their sockets, causing
poor electrical contact. Some models of the ST had their floppy
disk controller chips socketed, and all the older designs had their
TOS ROMs in sockets. These chips can possibly cause symptoms like
you described.
Unplug your ST and open the case and metal RF shield under the
keyboard. Then gently but firmly press all the ICs in sockets back
down. You'll hear and feel a "crunch" as they re-seat in their
sockets. To do a more thorough job of it, you can carefully lift
one end of the chip very slightly with a tiny screwdriver, then
press that end back down, and repeat with the other end.
Also, if yours is a model with an internal floppy drive, carefully
remove and replace the ribbon cable connectors to re-seat them."
Paul Westerman tells Sysop Bob:
"... [as for forcing a re-read of the disks directory when you
change disks]...
There is a public domain utility called Force Media Change or FMC
that takes care of this. I've searched for it in the library but
can't find it, but I've got it on a magazine cover disk."
Sysop Bob tells Paul:
"If you get a chance, could you upload that "force media change"
program to our libraries?
It sounds like it would be a real help to anyone in the situation
of having to baby an IBM floppy drive along in their ST."
Dana Jacobson tells Sysop Bob:
"FMC is on the way up!! It was written by one of our local guys,
so I happen to have it handy!"
I'll second that! I used to use it on an Atari that was part of a LAN
network because it wouldn't check the directories on remote drives
before it tried reading from or writing to them... worked like a charm!
Gary Partington comes back and tells Sysop Bob:
"Since placing the message I have removed the drive and checked it
again but when it was reconnected and the machine reassembled the
drive didn't work atall so I took it apart again and after a quick
check discovered the power connection, although plugged in, was not
making a proper contact. I pushed this tight home and now the
problem of writing seems (fingers crossed) to have gone away. Maybe
this was the fault all along!"
Sysop Bob replies to Gary:
"Congratulations on having exorcised your floppy problems..!
Yes indeed, a flaky power connection can cause real headaches like
you described. Sometimes it's almost like the hardware wants to be
touched and know it's still appreciated. Just unplugging and
replugging a connector will often work miracles..!"
Well folks, this installment has gotten quite a bit longer than we're
used to (mostly from my epigram at the beginning of the column, I'm
afraid), so we'll end here and take up the cause again next week.
Hey! I've got an idea. I'll probably be talking a little bit about
Roswell, New Mexico and the upcoming 50th anniversary of the supposed UFO
crash next week, so why don't you drop me some email and tell me what you
think about all of the media coverage, hope, hype, myth, and fact? It
seems that no one is without an opinion on the subject (myself included),
so why not join the party? Perhaps someone who's now reading this will
even end up going to Roswell for the festivities and may be nice enough to
drop us an 'on-the- scene' report. I don't know of anyone yet, but who
knows.
Well, until next week, remember to listen to what they are saying when...
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
EDITORIAL QUICKIES
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