Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
Atari Online News, Etc. Volume 03 Issue 02
Volume 3, Issue 2 Atari Online News, Etc. January 12, 2001
Published and Copyright (c) 1999 - 2001
All Rights Reserved
Atari Online News, Etc.
A-ONE Online Magazine
Dana P. Jacobson, Publisher/Managing Editor
Joseph Mirando, Managing Editor
Rob Mahlert, Associate Editor
Atari Online News, Etc. Staff
Dana P. Jacobson -- Editor
Joe Mirando -- "People Are Talking"
Michael Burkley -- "Unabashed Atariophile"
Albert Dayes -- CC: Classic Chips
Rob Mahlert -- Web site
With Contributions by:
Carl Forhan
Kevin Savetz
Thomas Lotze
To subscribe to A-ONE, send a message to: dpj@delphi.com
and your address will be added to the distribution list.
To unsubscribe from A-ONE, send the following: Unsubscribe A-ONE
Please make sure that you include the same address that you used to
subscribe from.
To download A-ONE, set your browser bookmarks to one of the
following sites:
http://people.delphi.com/dpj/a-one.htm
http://www.icwhen.com/aone/
http://a1mag.atari.org
Now available:
http://www.atarinews.org
Visit the Atari Advantage Forum on Delphi!
http://forums.delphi.com/m/main.asp?sigdir=atari
=~=~=~=
A-ONE #0302 01/12/01
~ Europe Takes On Spam! ~ People Are Talking! ~ Xbox Is Unveiled!
~ Instant Translation! ~ Mac OS X Due In March ~ Songbird Update!
~ AOL Time Warner Final! ~ Rebates Or Rip-Offs?! ~ VeriCon! News
~ MS Pledges MacOffice! ~ Atari SAP Music Archive ~ Hybris Virus
-* States To Pursue Microsoft! *-
-* Yahoo! To Allow Nazi Stamps & Coins *-
-* Does MS Internet Explorer 6 Have A Future? *-
=~=~=~=
->From the Editor's Keyboard "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Well, the AOL, Time Warner deal is now official. I have to admit that I'm
astounded by it all. No, not that the deal was approved, but the fact that
an internet company would grow that fast, get that huge to be able to buy
such a company as Time Warner. The computer business has certainly grown
since I started using them in the late 80's!
And look how much computers and the internet is affecting us. They are
forcing us to change the way we look at things. One of Americans' rights to
free speech has recently come up again due to the internet. Will our
interpretations of that right, and others, be challenged anew?
What made me think of this was the recent new of France trying to stop the
sale of Nazi souvenirs on Yahoo. France was successful - whether Yahoo
decided to do so on its own or knuckled under pressure - who cares.
However, as mentioned in an article later in this issue, Yahoo has decided
that the selling of Nazi stamps and coins will remain.
What's the difference? Souvenirs, propaganda, books, stamps, coins, etc.;
it's all Nazi-related. I collect stamps, including Germany issues. I have
Nazi-topicals. I'm also Jewish. Am I offended by these stamps? No.
Should they be banned from online sales? No. What about all of the other
items? Again, I say let them be sold. Would I be offended seeing Nazi
propaganda items being sold - something that could perpetuate Nazism? Yes.
However, I also believe in free speech - whether it's on the street corner
or online. I don't have to like what you have to say, but I believe you
have the right to say it. And I expect the same.
So, the internet is just another form of media used to express old (and new)
ideas. We'll have to learn to accept it. Down off of my soapbox.
Until next time...
=~=~=~=
ASMA 1.8 (Pokey Music Archive)
The Atari SAP Music Archive (ASMA) is the greatest collection of Atari
Pokey Music in the net, it is always updated, constantly being corrected
and worked over and has now reached version 1.8.
The original archive requires a file system that can handle long filenames,
however, Paranoia offers the 1.6 archive plus 2 update packages to 1.7 and
1.8 renamed to 8+3 filenames.
The original ASMA can be obtained at http://asma.dspaudio.com
The 8+3 ASMA can be obtained at http://paranoia.atari.org
=~=~=~=
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
compiled by Joe Mirando
jmirando@portone.com
Hidi ho friends and neighbors. Yep, another week has come and gone....
Two down, fifty to go. The weather here in the northeast has been sort
of a mixed bag so far. Unseasonably cold, unseasonably warm, rain,
snow, wind... all the stuff that gives weather forecasters grey hair.
I'm one of those rare ducks that actually LIKES the cold. There's
something about the cold, crisp air that I find comforting. I can't
really explain why, but that's the way it is. I know, I know, it just
ain't normal. What can I say? That's me.
Heck, if I WAS normal, I probably wouldn't have bought that first 1040.
And I certainly wouldn't STILL be using the TT. So not being normal
doesn't have to be a bad thing. No one is getting hurt by my choices
(Other than Mr. Gates, of course. And I doubt that he'll miss the few
pennies that I'd add to his coffers), and I've met dozens... possibly
hundreds of people that have made at least some of the same choices
that I have. Many of them have become good friends. There is very
little chance that I would have met any of these folks had I not one
day decided to buy that 1040 instead of an IBM computer.
And then there is this little magazine of ours. Devoting the time to
put together a publication like this every week certainly isn't a
"normal" thing to do. But I enjoy the heck out of it, and I find that I
learn something new almost every week. Now THAT'S a bargain.
Well, let's get to the news and stuff from the UseNet.
From the comp.sys.atari.st NewsGroup
====================================
Andy Ball asks about networking a MegaSTE:
"I notice in some specs for the TT, MegaSTE and Falcon that they have a
'LocalTalk compatible' serial network port. Was there ever software
support for that port that would enable one to link these machines
together? Was there even AppleTalk compatible software that would let
you have a mixed network of Apple and Atari computers?"
Greg Goodwin tells Andy:
"Not really. The serial network port is simply a serial port, and
AppleTalk was never written for the Atari. That said, you can use the
port under STing (so I've heard) to set up a network of sorts."
Andy replies:
"I suspected that AppleTalk might never have been ported. I wonder
what sort of serial port it is though? I get the impression it might
be an RS-422 port like that traditionally on the Macintosh. Perhaps
it's RS-485 though.
I'm guessing it's a serial port with 'multi-drop' support then (several
computers hanging off the same wire). Or is some kind of external
adaptor needed?"
Greg replies:
"It is RS-422.
I don't know what 'multi-drop' means, so I can't help there. No
external adapter is needed as far as I know. In fact, I've
occasionally run a Macintosh external modem off that port. Just plug
and play!"
Dan Ackerman tells Greg:
"I think what he is talking about is with the LocalTalk adaptors.
These are little boxes on the mac that plug into this port and then you
run phone line between the boxes. Similar in principal to running a
Coax network as far as wiring goes. Terminators on the ends and all in
one chain etc. I have some of these boxes but have never got them
experimented with. Main reason being how this port shares the fast
serial port so it's an either or proposition. I'm sure I'll get around
to it some day when there are 5 other people left using these boxes."
Franck Martinaux asks about MagicPC video:
"Is it possible to get more than 256 colors on MagiC PC 6.1?
And how do you get TrueColor mode, if it is?"
Freek Munniksma tells Franck:
"You probably need NVDI 5 for that. Speeds up video as well. Highly
recommended."
Shiuming Lai adds:
"Yes, it will use whatever video modes your PC's graphics card can
support. Select "New" in the video mode selection and create a new
display mode."
Derryck Croker adds his thoughts to the mix:
"[Get] NVDI 5 as already suggested.
[To get TrueColor] You enter the resolution and colour depth you want
into the "Change Resolution" dialog box, it's that easy!"
Mark Friedman asks for help with his new Falcon:
"I've just got a Falcon from 1993, with Tos 4.02. I know that
the last tos for Falcons was 4.04. Can I update my TOS without buying
the chips. Is there a big advantage to TOS 4.4?
I really want to use Cubase or other HD recording programs on this
Falcon, I don't know if the TOS makes a difference in this respect."
Claes Holmerup tells Mark:
"There is the advantage that you won't trash the FAT of your
D:-partition when you fill up C:. An old bug that I believe wasn't
corrected until 4.04 - so an update makes life a little easier..."
Jonathan Tranter asks about using a PC mouse on his Falcon:
"I'm having a problem using a serial mouse with my Falcon using
Genmouse. I've tried three different mice: the Microsoft one just flies
around the screen randomly (at any speed setting) and activates the
left button occasionally, the second mouse sort of does the same but
slower, and the third one does nothing. Changing the mode through
Genmouse from MS to Logitec seems to make no difference.
Has anybody else had this trouble and come up with a solution, or are
there any other similar programs that I could try?"
Dan Ackerman tells Jonathan:
"There is an older program called serial mouse at the umich
archive. I've had great success with it on my STBook. The one problem
I've had with it is some games didn't recognize that it was there."
Edward Baiz adds his thoughts:
"You should do what I did. Get Mario Becroft's Serial Mouse Adapter. I
have one that I use with my Hades and I use a Logitech Mouse. Get more
information at: http://gem.win.co.nz "
Lyndon Amsdon asks Edward:
"I know I've been through this before, but what model is that and does
it come with a PS2 connector with an adaptor for PS2 to serial?"
Edward answers Lyndon:
"What model is what, the adapter?? There is only one adapter. He used
to have two kinds, but now only sells one kind. No, the adapter does
not come with a PS2 to Serial adapter. However, the Logitech mouse had
one included and that is what I am using to get it to work with the
adapter. Oh, where you talking about what model the mouse was?? If so,
the Logitech is model # MCV46 and is a MouseMan."
Mark Friedman asks for help with his TT's clock:
"My TT has started to give me the wrong date and time. Can anyone
tell me where the date and time are coming from. Is there a timer on
the hard drive, or is there an internal clock on the computer itself?
Perhaps there is a small battery that needs replacing?"
Dan Ackerman tells Mark:
"There is a small battery behind the internal hard drive. You can
replace it wit a mac battery but you will need to make a new holder for
it. I bought a AA battery holder and cut the middle out and taped it
up, then spliced the end wires to the original batteries cable. First
one ran for 3 years. Should really be better, but then again it was a
radio shack battery."
Steve Sweet adds:
"Its probably the internal battery pushing up daisies, but there's
another possibility, do you have an external Hard drive and does it
have an ICD adaptor. Its time for the batteries on these to die, they
are all quite old now."
'Mark' asks about playing DOOM on his Atari:
"I have found the site with the Atari conversions of Doom, Heretic, etc
but I can't get the thing to work. I get 2 bombs no matter what I try.
I am trying it on a TT with 4MB ST RAM and 14MB FastRAM, I have tried
it in a all colour resolutions, in both TOS and Magic 6.
When running the GTP program I have put in;
nothing
doom1.wad
-file doom1.wad
And a few others (xbios modes, etc)
Anyone have any ideas?"
'Mirko' asks Mark:
"Can you please post the URL of the site with the conversions?"
Mark Bedingfield tells Mirko:
"try, http://www.multimania.com/pmandin/index_e.html, works fine on all
my Falcon's. Very slow on a stock one. I hope one day Patrice will use
the DSP as well."
Martin Byttebier tells Mark:
"First you need to READ THE MANUAL. It's all explained
On my Hades is use this in the parameter box:
-zoomscreen -video vdi "
Well folks, that's it for this time around. Tune in again next week,
same time, same station, and be ready to listen to what they are saying
when...
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
=~=~=~=
->In This Week's Gaming Section - Songbird & Lynx Update! VeriCon!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Xbox Unveiled At CES! Is It Doomed?
RC Revenge! And more!
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE's Game Console Industry News - The Latest Gaming News!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Microsoft Unveils Xbox Video System
After years of development, Microsoft unveiled its highly anticipated Xbox
gaming console Saturday, promising three times the graphics performance of
its rivals and enough power to create real-time shadows, facial emotions
and images previously only seen in movies like ``Toy Story."
The demonstration brought whistles from the standing-room-only crowd at the
annual Consumer Electronics Show, where in past years Americans were
introduced to the VCR and the DVD player.
In an Xbox game called Malice, displayed on a jumbo screen for the crowd, a
little red-haired girl named Alice moved around to squash 3-D-like insects,
with her shadow following her and glare reflecting off her eyes.
``There's a revolution about to take place in game consoles," said
Microsoft chairman Bill Gates, the show's keynote speaker.
He said the Xbox, due out in the fall, would liberate game developers from
performance constraints they now face in other devices, putting ``the power
in the hands of the artist."
The sleek black machine, bearing a big lime-green Xbox logo, is Microsoft's
first foray into the gaming arena currently occupied by Sony Corp.,
Nintendo and Sega.
Sony, which recently released its PlayStation 2, leads the pack with more
than 75 million of its PlayStation machines sold worldwide, according to
the Gartner Group research firm. More than a quarter of American households
have a PlayStation, compared to Nintendo's 14 percent penetration and
Sega's 6 percent.
``Sony has a pretty loyal group, so Microsoft has its work cut out for
it," said Gartner senior analyst P.J. McNealy.
The Xbox is part of larger campaign by Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft to
develop peripheral products and programs that will make the personal
computer a central media unit for households.
Gates also demonstrated a sort of clock radio that can play weather,
traffic, news and music from the Internet by means of a wireless connection
to a PC; a compact flash memory disc loaded with compressed music that can
be used with a PC, portable players or home stereo system; and a personal
digital assistant that can use voice recognition technology to receive
commands and data - then automatically organize and store the data in the
correct files.
But the Xbox stole the limelight.
The Xbox features four ports for game controllers, a DVD tray, and an
Ethernet port for Internet access, allowing users to download new versions
of software or games. It also has a built-in ``rumble" feature that makes
the game controller vibrate in a player's hands to simulate the action in a
game.
Microsoft claims its 64 megabytes of memory, an Intel 733-megahertz
processor and an 8-gigabyte hard drive, make it the most powerful of any
gaming console.
``We're looking forward to having a formidable competitor in them," said
Molly Smith, a spokeswoman for Sony Computer Entertainment America. ``Sony
means entertainment, but Microsoft doesn't have that coming into the
console business. So it definitely will be an exciting year for games."
Time Is Xbox's Opponent
If bookmakers in Las Vegas are taking bets on Microsoft's entry into the
$10 billion videogame business, Bill Gates did nothing to change his odds.
Microsoft's chairman had the requisite celebrity--wrestling star The Rock--
o help him introduce Xbox on Saturday. The machine looks good enough. The
controls are comfortable. The Redmond, Wash.-based company announced
promises from a few more game developers.
But Microsoft's chances of delivering a winning game package by next
Christmas are still slightly worse than even. We know what Xbox will look
like, but we still don't know what its games will look like.
The software company may be able to throw all the parts of a stunning
machine into a box by next fall, but giving its developers enough time to
take advantage of them is another matter. It probably won't happen.
What Gates demonstrated at the Consumer Electronics Show on Saturday was
only an approximation of the final console, and not a very dazzling one at
that. He has talked up the ``incredible graphics capabilities" of Xbox,
despite the fact that the machine's 250 megahertz graphics chip, which it
is designing with NVidia, won't be finished until late spring.
Gates has also told his staff not to let Xbox out the door until it has at
least three times the graphics performance as competing machines. No matter
how players interpret that, even Microsoft executives admit it doesn't
apply to the two game snippets they're showing off now.
Both demonstration games (Malice by Argonaut Games and Microsoft's
OddWorld: Munch's Oddysee) are titles that were originally developed for
the Sony PlayStation 2, but supposedly aborted because their developers
didn't think PlayStation was machine enough for them. Even on a
demonstration machine with 64 megabytes of memory and an 8 gigabyte hard
disk, the games don't look as good as either Sega or Sony's current
offerings.
The Xbox games will get better, of course. Even if Microsoft doesn't pair
up with Sega (which should do a major deal with either Microsoft or
Nintendo by year's end) the machine is living up to its promise as ``an
easy coder" for developers. And there's no denying the inherent promise of
a videogame console with a hard drive--the detail and remembered touches
from game to game, like tire skids that remain on a racetrack, could be
lovely.
The problem is that they probably won't get good enough, quickly enough.
Microsoft absolutely has to deliver the game console by fall, so it will
have to ship with mostly promises. If it doesn't, Sony will own game
hardware sales for the next holiday season, and capture even more of the
software licensing revenue that makes the console business worthwhile.
Microsoft has acquired several small software developers, and it has deals
with the big independent gamemakers like Activision and Electronic Arts.
But six to 12 months to develop isn't much time; Sega's Shenmue took four
years.
Microsoft's best bet is to price Xbox low for its parts; it will probably
sell it below Sony's current $300 for PlayStation 2. Although the company
estimates that Sony loses between $125 and $175 on each PlayStation 2, it
thinks its own hardware costs will be lower than Sony's were at first, even
with more memory, a slightly faster central processing unit and graphics
processor, and the hard drive.
``Our cost to produce Xbox will be significantly lower than Sony's, since
the components are off-the-shelf...but their costs may drop off more
rapidly than ours," says Robbie Bach, Microsoft's chief Xbox officer and a
senior vice president.
So Microsoft will lose money on the hardware like any self-respecting
videogame maker. Software revenue is nearly double the revenue for game
hardware--one reason that Microsoft had hoped to persuade another company
to bear the costs of the hardware.
With a $500 million worldwide marketing budget and a sure-to-be-everywhere
advertising campaign from McCann-Erickson, it won't be possible to ignore
Xbox. And if anyone knows how to carpet-bomb America with underpriced
products and recover money later, it's Microsoft.
But entering the games business for the first time is very different from
giving away browsers. The product may not look or feel like a PC, unlike
the disastrous Windows CE handheld software. But if Microsoft slides into
other PC software habits (like tardiness, or expecting developers worldwide
to instantly pledge their loyalty), it's doomed.
Sony lost some opportunity this holiday season, but it was doing battle
with struggling Sega. Microsoft cannot be even two months late here.
Assembly lines for the complex components in a game console are
unpredictable, and even Sony, the wizard of consumer electronics
manufacturing, sacrificed millions in PlayStation 2 holiday sales because
of a production problem. Sony has not disclosed the exact reason that it
was forced to cut shipments of PlayStation 2 this winter, but it probably
resulted from lower-than-expected yields for a part called the emotion
engine.
``There's a reason hardware starts with hard," says Robert Kotick,
president of Activision in San Francisco. ``There are always unforeseen
issues."
Activision has agreed to produce 12 titles for the Xbox, a few of which
will be exclusive. Electronic Arts, the other big independent gamemaker,
has committed to make ten Xbox games during its first ten months.
Microsoft was accused of besting its own record for arrogance when it first
decided to enter the $10 billion videogame business. But its assertion that
it has learned from Sony's mistakes is the nerviest yet. On Dec. 22, the
company announced, ``After analyzing the supply and logistics challenges
faced by the gaming industry this holiday season, we decided to clarify our
new manufacturing plans so that we successfully meet product demand."
The company is using Flextronics to manufacture the boxes in Mexico and
Hungary. Microsoft has also decided to delay shipments in Europe to give it
more time. The company stops short of saying that Sony's shipping problems
were caused because it tried to produce too many parts internally, but not
by much.
``We're trying really hard not to do things we're not qualified to do,"
says Microsoft's Bach. He admits he is ``humbled" by the task at hand.
The 1,000 people Microsoft has working on Xbox shouldn't plan on sleeping
much until the Electronic Entertainment Expo in May. If Microsoft doesn't
have some truly dazzling games by then, its Christmas will be over before
it begins.
Acclaim Ships RC Revenge Pro for PlayStation 2
Acclaim Entertainment announced that its remote-control racer, RC Revenge
Pro, shipped to national retail outlets for the PlayStation2 computer
entertainment system.
RC Revenge Pro allows players the thrilling experience of high speed racing
remote control cars and boats through all-new movie-themed worlds. Gamers
can race against each other in multi-player mode around twilight villages,
across desert islands, through lagoons, and over valleys. Drivers can
eliminate competitors by assaulting them with weapons such as water
balloons, oil slicks, and lightning bolts. The game features fully-animated
environments, taking advantage of the graphic capabilities of the
PlayStation 2. New vehicles are earned by completing challenge cup races
which occur in diverse environments including Jungle, Horror, Sci-fi,
Monster, and Cartoon Worlds and an exclusive Pirate World. The races take
place on water-specific and hybrid tracks so that boats can now race
against cars.
RC Revenge Pro boasts unique elements specifically designed to enhance game
play. These include the special track editor, allowing the player to create
their own racing tracks and save these custom tracks to a memory card. RC
Revenge Pro also features a handbrake giving the player the ability to
power-slide or perform super tight turns, as well as rear-view mirrors,
which allow drivers to see competing cars approaching from behind.
Acclaim has also dedicated a website to RC Revenge Pro in order to provide
additional information, artwork, and movies for the game. This site is
accessed at: http://www.acclaim.com/games/rcrevengepro/index.html.
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE Gaming Online - Online Users Growl & Purr!
"""""""""""""""""""
VeriCon!
VeriCon is the first SF/gaming convention at Harvard, put on by the
Harvard-Radcliffe Science Fiction Association. It's January 26-28, here
in Cambridge, and it should be tons of fun! Check out the web page for
the current schedule, or look below for highlights. 7:-)>
(for more info, see http://www.vericon.org)
VeriCon is the first SF/gaming convention at Harvard, put on by the
Harvard-Radcliffe Science Fiction Association. It's January 26-28, here
in Cambridge, and it should be tons of fun! Check out the web page for
the current schedule, or look below for highlights. 7:-)>
Date: January 26-28, 2001
Location: Harvard University
Sponsored by: The Harvard-Radcliffe Science Fiction Association
Will Kick: Ass
Message from the VeriCon Chairman:
"The time is drawing near...the time of VeriCon. The brainchild of the
Harvard-Radcliffe Science Fiction Association, we welcome everyone to
attend. A brief rundown of what we've got:
* A slew of amazing guests, including James Ernest, Margaret Weis,
and Pete Abrams!
* An official Quake III Arena tournament, sponsored by Trinarc!
* Full-size projection viewing rooms--no TV screens here
* The Gaming Olympics! A chance to go for the gold, and show just how good
you are.
* Filk! MASS F.I.L.C will be coming; and singing, of course.
* Some of the coolest LARPS you've never played...
Revolutionary Girl Utena
Battle Beyond Infinity!!!
The Last Voyage of the Marie Celeste
* And, of course, all the random fun and games that comes from
plunking dozens of sci-fi fans and gamers in the same place.
"Convinced? Then get moving and register before prices go up! Also, if you
want to help publicize VeriCon (or just look at some cool pictures and
images), take a look at our new publicity page--it's got printable
posters, forms, banners, buttons, and more! "VeriCon's going to be some
great fun. Sign up, tell your friends, and we'll see you at the end of
January!" -- Thomas Lotze
New Events!:
*There will be a Quake III Arena tournament at VeriCon! Trinarc will
sponsor the tournament, including bringing in and setting up the
computers, with actual prizes! The catch is that we only have 64 spaces,
so people will have to pre-register for the tournament. So if you know
someone interested, encourage them to come and sign up quick!
(http://www.vericon.org/qsignup.html)
*Intercon A is running a LARP, Battle Beyond Infinity!!! at VeriCon, to
promote their con--essentially, an alien race has decided to see who the
strongest person is, plucking famous heroes from throughout history and
having them fight...unfortunately, they're not so up on their Earth
history, so instead of getting Gilgamesh, for example, they get
Gilligan...
*MASS FILC will be coming (and singing), which should be quite strange and
quite fun. 7:-)>
Registration Info!:
*The Harvard Box Office will accept credit card and phone orders for
VeriCon. [(617) 496-2222]. One small caveat, though--there's a $3
surcharge on phone orders, so people should be aware that they'd be paying
$3 extra for the convenience of ordering over the phone.
*The deadline for pre-registration (any registration after this will be
charged full admission) will be Friday, January 12th (two weeks before the
Con), so make sure to register before then!
-- VeriCon is coming... -- www.vericon.org -- January 26-28, 2001 --
Lynx Distant Lands Preview
Due to popular request, I have uploaded a preview of the upcoming overhead
fantasy RPG for the Atari Lynx on the Songbird homepage. I know ever since
the announcement of the "Guardians: Storms Over Doria" game many years ago,
Atari fans have been anxious for this genre to make an appearance on the
Lynx.
Chris Vick is the lead programmer, and the demos he's turned in so far have
been spectacular. Watch this space and the Songbird pages for progress
reports on this game!
--
Carl Forhan
Songbird Productions
http://songbird.atari.net
=~=~=~=
A-ONE's Headline News
The Latest in Computer Technology News
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
AOL Time Warner Is a Done Deal
Executives from the newly combined AOL Time Warner Inc. rang Friday's
opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange, beamed before TV cameras and
unveiled a new sign installed overnight at their corporate headquarters.
But champagne-popping aside, there's no escaping the fact that the merger
that closed on Jan. 11, 2001, faces a much different world than when it was
announced on Jan. 10, 2000.
As executives waited for federal approval, a stock slump shrank the value
of the deal from $165 billion to $106 billion. Slower ad growth threatens
several core businesses. Expectations have been scaled back for how quickly
new services such as interactive TV will be introduced.
Nonetheless, industry experts remain convinced that the driving premise
behind the merger - combining the Internet with traditional media - is
still a sound business idea. A behemoth the size of AOL Time Warner is best
positioned to take a leading role in bringing together the worlds of old
and new media.
Consumers are likely to see the first effects of the merger as the company
brings more of Time Warner's media properties online. AOL's sports sites
can draw on articles and pictures from Sports Illustrated; AOL's music
sites will have access to the Warner Bros. music library; and news sites
can draw on stories from Time magazine and CNN.
Christopher Dixon, media analyst at UBS Warburg, said the real challenge
for AOL Time Warner lies in creating new ways of packaging and delivering
media online that will entice consumers and the advertisers who want to
reach them.
The company's goal will be to ``develop new businesses that we can only
begin to think about," such as delivery systems for music, video and TV
programming over high-speed wires, Dixon said.
``If they can come up with a new way to deliver music in a very convenient
method, it will be like introducing Windows and Lotus 1-2-3 to a world that
only knew DOS and VisiCalc," he said.
The company has promised to develop such services but has not yet announced
specific plans.
Chief executive Jerry Levin said in an interview that one project being
developed is a video subscription service in which viewers could pick out
programs - such as HBO shows ``The Sorpranos" and ``Sex and the City" -
to view when they want.
Once in place, that kind of delivery model could be applied to other forms
of media. The idea is to exploit AOL Time Warner's relationships with
millions of customers who use subscription-based services such as AOL,
magazines and cable TV.
``This is a company that will be subscription-based," Levin said.
Yet even while it looks to the media of the future, AOL Time Warner has
some hard business realities to deal with.
CNN, whose ratings have been sinking, is expected to announce hundreds of
layoffs next week; the struggling WCW wrestling unit was sold off this
week; and last month, Time Warner said that poor box office and music sales
would drag down its yearly results.
A profit warning last month caught investors by surprise, and they punished
the company's stock. While the shares have since recovered, the new
management team is going to have to work hard to convince investors that it
can still deliver big profit gains.
Jessica Reif Cohen, an influential media analyst at Merrill Lynch, warned
investors in a note this week that the company faced a ``sluggish" fourth
quarter due to slowdowns in its movie and music businesses and slower
advertising. She also said ``confidence in the combined management team has
been damaged" by the profit warning.
The company is expected to detail how it expects to achieve savings and
make more money as a result of the merger at the end of the month.
Until then, many analysts are willing to give the new team time. ``Given
what they're planning to do, I'm willing to listen," Dixon said.
States Intend to Pursue Microsoft if Bush Does Not
State attorneys general say they are determined to pursue the antitrust
case against Microsoft Corp., even if the Justice Department, under
incoming President George W. Bush, tries to back away.
Microsoft is appealing a trial court ruling that it abused its monopoly
power and should be split in two to prevent further antitrust violations.
The U.S. Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments in February after top
posts in the Justice Department are filled by Republican appointees.
A top economic adviser to Bush has criticized antitrust enforcement under
President Clinton, but opposition to dropping the case from the states and
some in Congress would make it difficult to reverse course.
``We hope and assume that the Bush administration would fully pursue the
Microsoft case through all stages, including the Supreme Court, if that's
necessary," said Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller, leader of the 19 states
that are co-plaintiffs in the case with the federal government. "However,
if for some reason they don't, we have made a commitment to pursue this
case to the end."
The Clinton administration's last hurrah will come on Friday, when it files
a 150-page brief with the appeals court ahead of oral arguments on Feb. 27
and 28.
Until now, lawyer David Boies has argued the case for the Justice
Department. He is unlikely to continue in that role. Boies argued for Vice
President Al Gore before the U.S. Supreme Court and lost a 5-4 decision
that propelled Bush to the presidency.
Even before that, the Bush camp had few kind things to say about Justice
Department antitrust policy.
Bush's recently appointed assistant for economic affairs, Lawrence Lindsey,
said six months ago that the Clinton antitrust policy was ``radical" and
needed change.
Lindsey said at the Republican Convention in August that a Bush
administration would have ``greater sensitivity" to "respecting the
private sector and respecting the need for innovation and profitability
long-term," specifically mentioning Microsoft.
The states have a new obligation in light of such remarks, said one of the
leading state attorneys general in the case.
``I think the lead order has now shifted hands and the states have it,"
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said.
If the administration tries a new tack, it may also face resistance on
Capitol Hill.
Orrin Hatch, the Utah Republican who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee,
gave strong backing to the former assistant attorney general for antitrust,
Joel Klein, when he decided to take the Microsoft case to trial.
The Judiciary Committee must approve Klein's permanent successor, and the
administration is expected to consult with Hatch before proposing a name
for him to review.
The administration could try to short-circuit matters by settling the case
before the appeals court rules, but Bill Baer, an antitrust lawyer with
Washington-based law firm Arnold & Porter, said that it was ``unlikely that
a Bush administration would pull down the appeals process."
Microsoft may find itself in a better negotiating position once the court
rules. In 1998, the Court of Appeals ruled for Microsoft in a related
Justice Department matter.
The appeals court may not entirely throw out the lower court ruling but
could dump the order to break Microsoft up.
``Given the Court of Appeals' history, it is likely to be skeptical about
accepting a breakup as the proper remedy," said Steve Sunshine of ``global
law firm" Shearman & Sterling.
If the court agrees that Microsoft violated the law, he said, ``the
question becomes what to do about it." That would most likely be the time
for settlement talks, but the states are concerned about the terms.
Iowa's Miller said there would have to be substantial change in the way
Microsoft used its monopoly in the marketplace for the states to agree to a
settlement.
``If there is something less than that, we are committed to pursue the
litigation," Miller said.
Some analysts have speculated that Microsoft might try to reach an
agreement that would remove any remaining legal liability. But an expert
says that will not happen.
``The parties have no power to vacate a court decision," said Andy Gavil,
a professor of law at Howard University. He said the government could ask
the court to reverse the finding of liability as a condition of a
settlement, ``but it's pretty unimaginable."
Thomas Penfield Jackson, the trial judge, found in June that Microsoft
illegally used monopoly power in the market for personal computer operating
systems to exclude competitors, in effect placing an ``oppressive thumb on
the scale of competitive fortune."
Jackson, who has granted media interviews on the case on several occasions,
was quoted as saying in the Jan. 15 issue of The New Yorker, released on
Sunday, that company Chairman Bill Gates ``has a Napoleonic concept of
himself and his company, an arrogance that derives from power and unalloyed
success, with no leavening hard experience, no reverses."
The magazine quoted Jackson as saying about Microsoft executives, ``They
don't act like grown-ups!"
Microsoft, in appealing Jackson's ruling, has pointed out that it considers
his remarks to reporters inappropriate.
U.S., States Want Microsoft Split Order Upheld
The Justice Department and states that brought the Microsoft Corp.
antitrust case urged an appeals court on Friday to uphold findings that
the software powerhouse broke the law and should be split in two to
prevent future violations.
In the U.S. Court of Appeals filing, the government said the Microsoft
matter was ``a classic case of monopolization" in which market dominance
was used to sustain or extend that power.
``The district court acted properly in imposing the structural and conduct
remedy for Microsoft's wide-ranging course of illegal actions," said part
of the 150-page brief.
District Court Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson found that Microsoft holds
monopoly power in the market for personal computer operating systems with
its Windows product and illegally used that power, including integrating
its Web-browser into Windows to combat Netscape.
On June 7, Jackson ordered that the company be broken up to prevent future
antitrust violations and set other remedies, all of which he suspended
pending appeal.
Microsoft told the appeals court in November that the trial court
proceeding was ``infected with error" and described the breakup order as
radical relief.
But the government said the breakup and various conduct remedies were
designed to end unlawful conduct and prevent its recurrence.
``The structural relief wisely relies on ordinary market incentives,
rather than long-term judicial oversight...," the filing said.
``We continue to believe our decision to integrate browsing technology
into the operating system is pro-competitive and good for consumers,"
said Microsoft spokesman Vivek Varma.
The company had a partial victory over a collection of private suits
arising from the main case when a federal judge in Baltimore late on
Friday dismissed 38 claims for monetary damages.
The government had wanted the Supreme Court to directly hear the company's
appeal, but the high court sided with Microsoft and sent the case to the
lower appellate court, which ruled for the company in a related case in
1998.
Microsoft has drawn the appeals court's attention to Judge Jackson's many
comments on the case both during and after the trial as sufficient grounds
to vacate the judgement.
Jackson may also have offended the judges on the appeals court with
remarks about his 1998 reversal quoted in a recently released book about
the trial by New Yorker magazine writer Ken Auletta.
``...(T)hey went ahead and made up about 90 percent of the facts on their
own," Jackson is quoted as telling Auletta.
But the Department of Justice, 19 states and the District of Columbia that
brought the case said Microsoft could not establish any prejudice from the
out-of-court statements.
``Those statement provide no grounds for inferring bias or partiality, nor
establish a basis for setting aside the judgement or removing him from
subsequent proceedings," they said.
Friday's filing could be the final word for senior Justice Department
antitrust officials, who will likely be replaced by the incoming
Republican administration of President-elect George W. Bush before oral
arguments scheduled to take place Feb. 26-27.
The states have said they are prepared to carry the case forward on their
own should the Bush administration try to back away.
The State Attorneys General on Friday named John Roberts of Hogan & Hartson,
formerly with the Solicitor General's office, and Harry First in the New
York State Attorney General's office, to argue their case next month.
In other developments Friday, an industry trade group representing rivals
of Microsoft said it had hired former Whitewater prosecutor Kenneth Starr
to help support the government.
Starr, whose credentials include a stint on the U.S. Court of Appeals
that is hearing the case, has been engaged by Procomp, an organization
that includes AOL Time Warner, Sun Microsystems Inc. and Oracle Corp. .
Starr, who probed President Clinton's investment in a failed Arkansas land
deal called Whitewater, is best known for his pursuit of Clinton's affair
with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. He stepped down as Whitewater
prosecutor in 1999.
Judge Dismisses Antitrust Cases Vs Microsoft
A federal judge handed Microsoft a partial victory against its legal
adversaries on Friday by dismissing 38 cases accusing the software giant of
overcharging on its Windows operating system.
U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz dismissed the private antitrust
lawsuits mainly because the plaintiffs had not purchased Windows directly
from Microsoft, but from personal computer makers such as Compaq Computer
Corp. and Dell Computer Corp.
The judge based his ruling on a legal precedent set down in a 1977 U.S.
Supreme Court ruling which restricts damage claims against ``antitrust
violators" by parties who are not direct customers of the defendant.
``We are very pleased," said Microsoft spokesman Jim Cullinan. ``We
believe these lawsuits were not brought on behalf of consumers but rather
by a few plaintiffs' attorneys going after a successful company. We think
it's clear Microsoft's actions have benefited consumers."
The 38 cases were among 61 antitrust suits against Microsoft that have been
consolidated in Motz's court. More than 130 civil antitrust cases have been
filed against the software maker.
A plaintiffs' attorney said the ruling would be appealed to the 4th U.S.
Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia. Microsoft had no immediate
comment on the ruling.
Europe Tries To Take On Spammers
Having won the fight against telemarketers, European lawmakers turned their
sights Wednesday on one of the banes of the new media age: spam.
But at the first public hearing to increase Internet privacy by, among
other things, banning the sending of unsolicited e-mails, the European
Union commissioner charged with ``information society" initiatives
conceded that the Web's global nature made a crackdown difficult.
``Questions of law enforcement still need to be addressed," Commissioner
Erkki Liikanen said.
The European proposal would extend the strict privacy protections adopted
in 1997 against unsolicited phone calls to e-mail, advertisements sent to
mobile phones or any other form of ``electronic communications."
Companies would not be allowed to send mass-mailings to an e-mail account
unless that person had agreed in advance to receive them - a so-called
``opt-in" system.
That would relieve consumers of the burden of having to notify often
ethereal senders to stop sending spam - the ``opt-out" method, which is
often used now.
Liikanen, who said his own e-mail inbox is often stuffed with spam,
experimented over the Christmas holidays with trying to get off the mailing
lists of six companies, only to find ``it's not that simple.
``You have to find the form, someone to write to," he said. ``I think the
arguments in favor of the opt-in system are stronger."
The United States has adopted regulations regarding data protection in
limited areas such as financial services and medical information. But
generally, it leans more toward self-regulation by industry in such areas
than Europe, where many countries have entire agencies set up just to
enforce data protection laws.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce Gregory Rohde said there are still
unresolved questions about adopting a blanket ban on spam.
For example, systems are being developed in the United States to provide
public safety warnings by e-mail about severe weather approaching or
chemical spills.
``Now the directive says there'll be an exemption for emergency services,
but how does that work?" asked Rhode, the Clinton administration's main
adviser on telecommunications and information systems issues. ``There's a
lot of ambiguity."
The difficulties in resolving such issues were evident in a separate
EU-U.S. privacy program known as ``Safe Harbor," which is meant to ensure
U.S. firms could do business in Europe without breaking any of the
continent's stricter data protection laws.
After years of negotiation, it took effect Nov. 1, but only a dozen U.S.
companies have signed up, with others reportedly still unsure about the
legal implications.
Apple Sets March Release for New Operating System
Apple Computer Inc. will release its new operating system on March 24 and
bundle the software with computers starting in July, chief executive Steve
Jobs said on Tuesday.
The company also unveiled new multimedia applications that promise to allow
Apple users to better manage music collections and create their own digital
video discs (DVDs), part of a strategy of making its computers ``the
digital hub" of increasingly networked households.
Jobs, speaking at the Macworld exposition here, said the new operating
system OS X would be both more powerful and easier to use, with
improvements in the treatment of menus, toolbars and user preferences.
``We think we've got something really, really good here," said Jobs,
saying that 350 software developers have pledged to work with Apple to
develop applications tailored to OS X.
The company also announced that an ultrathin, lightweight laptop, the
PowerBookG4, was in production now and would be on sale by the end of
January.
The PowerBookG4 weighs in at just over five pounds, features a 15.2 inch
screen, a built-in DVD player and is encased in titanium, ``like the spy
planes," joked Jobs, who called the offering ``the most revolutionary
portable ever created."
Jobs said that ``hundreds" of the new applications would be released for
its new operating system this spring, but added "the avalanche (of
releases) is going to be this summer," just as Apple begins to bundle the
new operating system as its default standard.
Some analysts have questioned whether Apple can stay the course on its own
given the way recent product releases have fizzled and the way other
personal computer makers have branched out into high-end servers and
Internet appliances.
But Jobs, who has made the Macworld show his preferred forum for unveiling
strategy and new products, said Apple is positioned to take advantage of
the personal computer's evolution into the hub for digital households.
``We don't think the PC is dying at all. We think it's evolving," he said,
adding that the computer would become ``the digital hub" of the home
connecting products ranging from camcorders to stereos to Internet
appliances.
Jobs also used the Macworld stage to unveil a new, free application called
``iTunes" that he said would make it easier for Apple users to download
and write music CDs, organize a personal library of music and transfer
music to digital MP3 players.
``There is a music revolution happening now," said Jobs. "We're late to
this party and we're about to do a leapfrog."
Jobs announced that PowerMac G4s equipped with the new SuperDrive that can
read and write both CDs and DVDs would come bundled with a new multimedia
tool, iDVD.
Apple said the software, which goes on sale separately for just under
$1,000, would allow users to create and edit DVDs which could be played
back on consumer players.
Microsoft to Make Office for New Apple System
Microsoft pledged on Wednesday to make a version of its popular Office
business software for Apple Computer Corp.'s new operating system, giving a
big boost to the new software as Apple struggles with lackluster sales.
Office for Apple's Macintosh OS X operating system would be available this
fall, Kevin Browne, general manager of Microsoft's Macintosh unit, told an
audience at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco.
``Microsoft loves OS X, at least our division does. Other divisions might
be sweating a bit," Browne said, in a joking reference to Microsoft's
Windows operating system that competes with Apple products.
Office includes applications such as the Word document creator, Excel
spreadsheet and PowerPoint presentation software. It is Microsoft's
second-biggest profit generator, after Windows, and is deemed crucial to
the survival of Apple's machines because there are few popular
alternatives.
``Microsoft is really critical to Apple building a fire behind this. Apple
couldn't do this without Microsoft," said Rob Enderle, an analyst with the
Giga Information Group, a technology consultancy.
Browne's comments marked the first time that Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft
has promised to support the new Apple system, which is a drastic departure
from its earlier software.
Unveiled for release in March by Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs on
Tuesday, OS X, pronounced ``OS ten", will be the next-generation platform
that the company hopes will help it recover from projected financial losses
this quarter and set the stage for a decade of fresh software development.
Office 2001, the current version for Macintosh systems, would run on OS X
in the so-called ``classic" environment that enables older programs to
work with the new system, Browne said. Office 2001 has sold about 250,000
copies since it hit shelves in October, topping Microsoft's expectations.
But the upcoming version of Office would be written specifically for OS X,
Browne said.
``This (OS X) is going to give us both the requirement and the opportunity
to rework our applications so they work much, much better," Browne said.
Browne said several times that Microsoft was ``committed" to supporting
Apple, apparently trying to lay to rest fears that the software giant would
back away, a move that analysts said could sink its smaller rival.
``We are spending money in a huge way ... please set out of your mind the
question of whether or not we are committed," Browne said.
Apple and Microsoft have competed since the early 1980s, when Jobs and
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates went head-to-head for control of the
budding personal computer market.
By the mid-1990s, however, Windows had locked up an estimated 90 percent
market share in PC operating systems as Apple teetered on the verge of
collapse.
At the 1997 Macworld, in a scene that outraged many Mac enthusiasts and
became legendary in the industry, Jobs stood under a looming video screen
showing Gates, who announced that Microsoft would invest $150 million in
Apple.
But Gates also pledged to continue cranking out Macintosh software, a
commitment that many analysts credited with helping to pull Apple back from
the brink.
IBM Introduces Instant Online Translation
IBM on Monday unveiled a new software that instantly translates Web pages,
office e-mail and online chat from English into a host of languages.
The IBM WebSphere Translation Server will allow Internet Service providers,
corporations and other entities running their own servers to translate in
real time English communications into Spanish, German, French and Italian
and from those languages back to English. It also can translate English
into traditional Chinese, simplified Chinese, Japanese and Korean but does
not have the reverse capability.
The words are translated at a rate of 500 per second and the software has
the tools that enable subject-specific vocabulary, such as words used in
finance or science, to be added.
``The demand is very simple," said Ozzie Osborne, general manger of IBM
Voice Systems. ``Its for people who want to translate quickly and easily,
who can't get translation. Much of the content of the Web is in English,
but population using the Web is becoming non-English speaking."
Osborne said the WebSphere translation server, which has been tested by
businesses such as Deutsche Bank and will be available in March, will
provide global entities with the ability to allow their workforce to
communicate. It also will open up new markets for English language
e-commerce sites.
The WebSphere Translation Server will be priced at about $10,000 per
processor.
``Machine translation allows for dynamic business content to be created at
a fraction of the cost of professional translation services," Steve
McClure, vice president, Speech and Natural Language Software, IDC, said in
a statement. ``At present, the machine translation industry consists mainly
of small segmented players, with no clear leader. IBM's entry signifies a
major turning point and will help validate and accelerate the adoption of
machine translation, a software market projected to reach $378 million by
2003."
Microsoft Debates Future of IE 6
Standalone product, or integrated? And integrated with what? The answers
are far from clear regarding the next major IE update.
"Where do you want to go today?" may be a Microsoft catch phrase--but the
company seems unsure about where it wants to go with Internet Explorer.
Not so long ago, Microsoft viewed its browser as being so key to its
success that it went to court with the Department of Justice over the
company's rights to bundle it with the Windows operating system. With
Microsoft's marketing might behind it, and a price tag of free, Internet
Explorer (IE) quickly grew to eclipse Netscape's Navigator as the No. 1
browser in market share.
Now, while Microsoft is continuing to add new features and functions to
IE, there is much rethinking internally at the company about how and where
to position the product, according to a variety of industry sources close
to Microsoft.
That's in part because IE isn't Microsoft's only browser. There's also the
more consumer-oriented MSN Explorer, launched last October. And on the
drawing books there is the more "knowledge-worker" kind of interface that
Microsoft is designing into its stealth Netdocs product.
"MSN Explorer is being positioned as the premiere platform for the
consumer. Netdocs is being positioned as the business platform with a
business browser. So there's no room left for IE," said a source close to
Microsoft. "It's being squeezed."
IE 6.0, the newest version of Microsoft's browser, still has yet to be
released officially to beta. A technical preview of IE 6.0 went to a
subset of testers who agreed to nondisclosure agreements last fall. And
beta testers of Microsoft's next version of Windows, code-named Whistler,
also are dabbling with technical preview IE builds that have been
integrated into Whistler.
The first widespread beta of IE 6.0 will come out simultaneously with the
release of Whistler beta 2, according to sources close to the company. IE
6.0 beta 1 will be embedded in Whistler beta 2, which is expected in
February.
But as it looks right now, Microsoft isn't planning to release a
standalone beta of IE 6.0. And it is uncertain whether or not Microsoft
will make even the final IE 6.0 code available as a separate product that
can be downloaded or installed by CD.
Instead, sources said, Microsoft is strongly considering making IE 6.0
only available as part of Whistler.
A Microsoft spokeswoman declined to talk about IE 6.0 in any way, saying
it was "too early to talk about features or deliverables."
There are more clouds on IE's horizon.
Some at Microsoft are arguing that IE should not be the default interface
for all of the flavors of Whistler that Microsoft is developing, according
to sources.
Microsoft is thought to be developing 32-bit Personal, Professional,
Server, Advanced Server and Datacenter versions of Whistler, plus 64-bit
versions of Advanced Server and Datacenter. The Personal and Professional
versions of Whistler are expected to ship before the end of 2001, with the
others to follow in 2001 to 2002.
Some involved with Windows development are said to be advocating that MSN
Explorer, instead of IE, be included as the integrated browser for the
Personal release of Whistler, which is aimed at consumers, said sources.
There is also a push by some to make the Netdocs interface the default on
the business-oriented Professional Whistler flavor.
Netdocs, which is shaping up to be a competitor to Microsoft Office, is
expected to be a single, integrated application that will include a full
suite of functions, including e-mail, personal information management,
document-authoring tools, digital-media management, and instant messaging.
Microsoft is expected to make Netdocs available in the next year or two,
only as a hosted service over the Internet, not as a shrink-wrapped
application or software that's preloaded on the PC. The Netdocs interface
is based on a piece of Microsoft .Net technology known as the "Universal
Canvas."
But there could be pushback on these plans--at least on the MSN Explorer
idea--by some of the more technical users. A number of these techies
believe Microsoft has gone too far to make Windows palatable to new users.
"In some ways, Whistler Personal is the OS they should have come out with
in 1995," said one tech-savvy Whistler tester, who requested anonymity."
In this day and age, enough people are comfortable with their PC that
these performance/productivity sapping 'improvements' are going to be seen
as offensive. It's like the Office Paperclip team took over the Whistler
Personal project!" The so-called Clippy feature was an animated help
system reviled by many users.
One Whistler tester, who requested anonymity, said that with Whistler
Personal beta build 2410, Microsoft added the MSN Explorer icon to the
desktop, but left IE 6.0 as the default interface.
"Advanced users like me will just go to IE 6.0 cause we can't stand the
MSN Explorer interface," said the tester. But "it's clear that Personal is
being aimed at users like my mom who don't have a clue about computers and
just want to get e-mail and do some simple tasks."
Currently, Microsoft markets IE as the browser for more computer-savvy
users, and MSN Explorer as the interface for newer users. Microsoft
currently offers IE as both an integrated element of its Windows
Millennium Edition and Windows 2000 products, and as a standalone product.
MSN Explorer is the front-end for Microsoft's MSN Internet service.
IE 6.0, according to the Windows enthusiast Web site ActiveWin, will
include a number of user-interface enhancements, as well as compliance
with several, critical W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) standards.
ActiveWin has cited technical beta testers as saying the next-generation
browser will include built-in Explorer bars, such as the Media Bar, which
will provide access to Windows Media Player as an integrated part of the
browsing experience. It also will include a "My Pictures" area for
viewing, saving and mailing photos over the Internet. Microsoft also is
integrating new dynamic HTML features for content developers, as well as
support for the Cascading Style Sheets, Level 1 (CSS1) and Document Object
Model (DOM) Level 1 standards.
MSN Explorer, the most recent version of which Microsoft launched last
fall, looks like a combination browser/portal. MSN Explorer integrates
Hotmail, MSN Messenger, MSN Calendar, MSN eShop Windows Media Player and
MoneyCentral into a single interface. MSN Explorer competes with America
Online's AOL 6.0 product.
Are Internet Service Rebates Legit?
Q.: I was in a big electronics store recently and noticed a new flat-screen
television for sale. A sales associate said I could get $400 off the
purchase price immediately if I signed up for three years of Internet
access. What's going on?
A.: Many national electronics retailers are partnering with some of the
better known Internet service providers, including Microsoft's MSN.com and
America
Online's CompuServe unit, to attract new customers by offering an
immediate, tangible benefit - a discount.
While they're not giving away cold, hard cash, they are forgoing as much as
$400 in the hope you'll subscribe to their service for at least three
years. They've been doing the same thing on computer sales for several
years.
Up front, it's a clever incentive. What was a $500 32-inch stereo color
television is now just $100, excluding tax. But over the long haul, it will
cost you more than $400.
The Microsoft Network, for example, asks that you subscribe for 36 months
at $21.95 a month. After three years, that comes to $790, or nearly 50
percent more than the price break. CompuServe offers a similar deal.
If 36 months is too long a commitment for you, there's the option of
signing up for just 24 months and getting a $200 rebate, or 12 months and
getting a $100 rebate. In both cases, again, the Web access costs more than
what you save at the cash register.
Whether it's a good deal depends on your needs. You do pay less for pricey
merchandise, but you'll be forking over the amount saved and more later.
But with Internet access a necessity for a growing number of Americans,
you're going to have to pay something each month anyway to get access, and
MSN and CompuServe rates aren't out of line with other ISPs.
The use of the incentives is gaining ground with retailers across the
United States.
Already chains like Best Buy, Circuit City, OfficeMax, RadioShack, Sears
and Office Depot offer the deal. While there is no barometer of whether it
helps boost sales at individual stores, the ISPs are getting more customers
as a result.
MSN has seen its subscriber base grow by more than 1 million since November
1999 because of the promotion. MSN counts more than 3.5 million people as
subscribers. Since CompuServe began offering rebates in July 1999 it has
added more than 1.5 million new customers.
The programs don't tend limit themselves to just one type of product,
either.
At a Best Buy in Staten Island, N.Y., recently, customers were buying
big-screen TVs, high-end DVD players and even refrigerators and taking a
$400 price cut by signing up for MSN service.
The sign-up process is usually done right at the register, so if you do
plan to get it, spend your time in line thinking of a clever username and
password.
And if you decide you don't like the service, you can always cancel it, but
it won't be cheap. MSN requires you to pay a termination fee equal to 70
percent of the monthly service fee multiplied by the number of remaining
months left on the contract.
A first-month CompuServe cancellation will bring you a bill for the $400
rebate, plus a $50 cancellation fee. If you cancel later, the rebate will
be prorated depending on how long you subscribed.
Yahoo! Will Allow Nazi Stamps, Coins
Internet powerhouse Yahoo! Inc. has removed thousands of hate items from
its online auctions, but will continue to permit sales of Nazi coins and
stamps issued by Germany.
Brian Fitzgerald, Yahoo's senior auction producer, said computer software
and Yahoo staff caught most of the items prohibited under a new ban. The
procedures, he said, will be tweaked in the coming weeks and months.
``We always knew it's not going to be 100 percent foolproof," Fitzgerald
said Thursday.
Ygal El Harrar, president of the Union of Jewish Students of France,
estimated that the number of Nazi items dropped to 400 from 1,900 when
the ban took effect at 3:01 a.m. Eastern.
Most of the Nazi items that remain are stamps, coins and bank notes issued
before and during World War II. Because they were issued by the government,
Fitzgerald said, they are permitted.
Yahoo also left alone sales of Adolf Hitler's ``Mein Kampf" as an
educational resource. Three copies were on sale as of midday Thursday.
A search for KKK turned up 15 items, down from 40 on Tuesday. The remaining
items were generally books, videotapes and other references that mention
the Ku Klux Klan.
The new ban covers items associated with promoting or glorifying Nazis,
the Klan and other hate groups. It took effect as Yahoo also began imposing
fees to list items for sale.
Yahoo officials insist the ban had nothing to do with a November court
ruling from Paris requiring Yahoo to block French users from such auctions.
The company, based in Santa Clara, Calif., plans to continue challenging
that ruling and has asked a federal judge in California to declare that
France has no jurisdiction over content produced by an American business.
Nazi materials are banned in France and at least three other European
countries. The Union of Jewish Students of France and the International
League Against Racism and Anti-Semitism, or LICRA, filed the lawsuits in
France.
Hybris Virus: Sleeper Hit of 2001
The 3-month-old computer worm that uses encrypted plug-ins to update
itself is showing unusual staying power. Experts say it could be the
year's worst worm.
Hybris, a computer worm that uses encrypted plug-ins to update itself,
could be the sleeper hit of 2001, anti-virus experts say.
"It's not a fast mailer or a mass mailer. It's slow and subtle," said
Roger Thompson, technical director of malicious code research for security
firm TruSecure. "(But) slow and steady wins the race."
The spread of most computer worms tends to spike quickly and just as
quickly die out. But the 3-month-old Hybris worm shows no sign of dying
anytime soon, Thompson said.
He compared the virus with Happy99.exe, also known as Win32/Ska, a
malicious program that started spreading in January 1999 and remained a
threat to the unwary for more than a year.
Like Happy99, the Hybris worm spreads by monitoring a PC's network
connection for e-mail messages. When a message is detected, the worm will
add the addresses found in the e-mail's header to a list. Later, Hybris
selects destinations from the list to which it sends copies of itself.
Instead of the avalanche of e-mail messages created by viruses such as
Melissa and LoveLetter, Hybris produces a steady trickle of virulent
e-mail, making it less noticeable.
Another point in the worm's favor: It's written as a 32-bit Windows
program, not in a scripting language as was LoveLetter or Melissa, said
Vincent Gullotto, director of the anti-virus emergency research team at
security firm Network Associates.
"It is a hard one to kill, like most Win32 infectors," he said. "Anything
that uses Win32 infects the PC very quickly. It can infect hundreds of
files in a matter of seconds."
Hybris's combination of slow spread and fast infection seems to have
worked.
First detected in October 2000, the worm has remained on the top-10 list
of worldwide infectors, according to statistics from Trend Micro's
Worldwide Virus Tracking page. For the past week, the virus has been rated
as the No. 4 most prevalent virus in the United States, as measured by the
number of PCs infected, and No. 9 worldwide.
While Trend's statistics only take into account a small percentage of
incidences worldwide, it is one of the few quantitative gauges of virus
activity.
One factor that hasn't helped Hybris spread itself widely is its use of
encrypted plug-ins, anti-virus experts said.
Like the Babylonia virus, LoveLetter, and MTX, the Hybris virus can access
information across the Internet--in this case, from the alt.comp.virus
Usenet group--and modify itself. That makes it different from the other
viruses, said Nick FitzGerald, a New Zealand-based security consultant and
virus researcher.
"Hybris changes shape by finding and incorporating different extensions
into its code and mailing that new form to other potential victims," he
said.
Typically, the anti-virus community would shut down the site that hosted
such plug-ins, but because their own newsgroup is being used to publish
the code, they can't shut it down without hurting their own ability to
fight viruses.
Anti-virus experts believe the author of the virus is the same one who
created the Babylonia virus, a concept virus that "phoned home" to a
Japanese Web site known as the Source of Chaos and updated itself using
files found on the site.
Known as Vecna, the author's name appeared in a copyright notice in
Hybris. Security firm Aladdin Knowledge Systems announced on Tuesday that
they had proof that the virus had been created by the so-called VX-BRAZIL
group. They claim that Vecna is a member of that group.
Hybris' ability to change how it works and its signature makes the worm
potentially very dangerous.
Depending on which plug-ins it downloads, the worm could morph into a
backdoor through a PC's security or into a malicious program that corrupts
data. At present, at least eight plug-ins are known to exist.
"At some point, (the writer) could easily have control of a large number
of PCs," said TruSecure's Thompson, who added that companies don't have
much to worry about, as their network administrators usually update virus
definitions often enough to keep up with any changes to Hybris.
Home computer users need to update their virus scanners frequently and
treat e-mail attachments with suspicion, he said.
=~=~=~=
Atari Online News, Etc.is a weekly publication covering the entire
Atari community. Reprint permission is granted, unless otherwise noted
at the beginning of any article, to Atari user groups and not for
profit publications only under the following terms: articles must
remain unedited and include the issue number and author at the top of
each article reprinted. Other reprints granted upon approval of
request. Send requests to: dpj@atarinews.org
No issue of Atari Online News, Etc. may be included on any commercial
media, nor uploaded or transmitted to any commercial online service or
internet site, in whole or in part, by any agent or means, without
the expressed consent or permission from the Publisher or Editor of
Atari Online News, Etc.
Opinions presented herein are those of the individual authors and do
not necessarily reflect those of the staff, or of the publishers. All
material herein is believed to be accurate at the time of publishing.
