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Atari Online News, Etc. Volume 02 Issue 39
Volume 2, Issue 39 Atari Online News, Etc. September 29, 2000
Published and Copyright (c) 2000
All Rights Reserved
Atari Online News, Etc.
A-ONE Online Magazine
Dana P. Jacobson, Publisher/Managing Editor
Joseph Mirando, Managing Editor
Atari Online News, Etc. Staff
Dana P. Jacobson -- Editor
Joe Mirando -- "People Are Talking"
Michael Burkley -- "Unabashed Atariophile"
Albert Dayes -- CC: Classic Chips
With Contributions by:
Kevin Savetz
Dan Ackerman
Carl Forhan
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Visit the Atari Advantage Forum on Delphi!
http://forums.delphi.com/m/main.asp?sigdir=atari
=~=~=~=
A-ONE #0238 09/29/00
~ FlexTrax Update Out! ~ People Are Talking! ~ AOL Takes Heat!
~ PlayStation2 Delayed! ~ STiK2 TCP/IP Stack! ~ Ms. Pacman!
~ Reluctant MSN Spammers ~ Songbird Lynx Update! ~ Sony's 'Airboard'!
~ Napster Pleads Monday! ~ Apple Takes Nosedive! ~ X-Men For PSX2!
-* Microsoft OEM Licenses Eased *-
-* Appeals Court Gets Microsoft Case! *-
-* California Governor Vetoes Web Sales Tax! *-
=~=~=~=
->From the Editor's Keyboard "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Things at work are still at a hectic level, but the stress has slightly
subsided. Even though the new fiscal year for us begins next week, the
budget is still a critical (and unfinished) matter. Healthcare is
apparently one of those "industries" in which our good economy doesn't
appear to affect positively. Forget "business" as the medical field will
never be hurting for lack of patients. It's the insurance companies and
reimbursement practices that's the problem. One way or another, we always
seem to be dependant on the insurance companies for something; they dominate
our lives at one point or another.
Around New England, the weather has quickly resorted to the season. I think
that summer is past, for what there was of it, and the cool weather is here.
Personally, I like this weather, with temperatures in the 60's and 70's
during the day. I may even order some more loam to attempt to finish what I
started this past spring and lay down some more lawn where I need it. Once
the leaves turn and fall, I'll never get another chance before spring again!
I can't believe September is almost over already! I keep wondering and
asking: where does the time go?!
Until next time...
=~=~=~=
FlexTrax v0.9 Soundtracker Released
Version 0.9 of FlexTrax, a soundtracker for Atari Falcon030 compatible
computers has been released.
Version 0.9 has support for both the AVR and WAV sample formats and the
sample editor has been greatly improved. FlexTrax supports the standard
MOD file format (up to eight channels) for compatibility reasons but
also features a new enhanced module format FLX. The FLX format is an
extended version of the standard MOD file format with support for
real-time sound effects like reverb and delay.
http://home.swipnet.se/newbeat/
STiK2 TCP/IP Stack Released
STiK2 and its source have been released under GPL.
It can be found at http://www.netset.com/~baldrick/stik2.html
STiK2 is the successor to STiK. Over several years a lot of programmers
have worked on it and many changes have been made. I personally finally
found the time to get the GPL notification added to the source. STiK2 has
been tested under the major OSes Aeses and emulators for the Atari.
For more information go to the STiK2 page.
Baldrick
aka Dan Ackerman
=~=~=~=
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
compiled by Joe Mirando
jmirando@portone.com
Hidi ho friends and neighbors. First off, let me apologize for missing
last week's edition. I did have a good reason, but it still annoys me
that I missed an issue. From the time when Dana and I were setting down
what this magazine should be I promised myself that, come hell or high
water, I'd have at least this column in EVERY issue. Unfortunately I
didn't say "come hell, high water, or root canals".
You probably remember that I like the show "The West Wing" a lot. Well
last week I sounded a lot like "CJ" on The West Wing... "I had a woot
canaw". I guess all that's left now is for me to "bweef the pwesident".
<grin>
Actually, the root canal itself wasn't a problem. I had a root canal at
the tender age of 11, so I knew what to expect. It's pretty much like
having a tooth filled... only there's none of that annoying tenderness
afterwards because the nerve in the tooth is gone. Anesthetics are
wonderful things and the procedure itself was a breeze. It's the damage
done before the root canal that knocked me for a loop. Take my word for
it folks, when confronted with a overwhelming need for a root canal, do
NOT hesitate. This is one of the few times that it's okay in my book to
be like the yuppies on that sneaker commercial... JUST DO IT! <grin>
On the Atari front, Fuji Linux is closer to release, there's a new
version of STiK available, and there are two peripherals just down the
road coming from Mario Becroft. Not bad for a computer platform that's
been "dead" by industry standards for years, huh?
Well, let's get to the news, hints, tips, and info from the UseNet.
From the comp.sys.atari.st NewsGroup
====================================
Tim Conrardy asks about exporting from Calamus:
"I just got Calamus. ( I answered that post a while back on that guy in
Sunnyvale, CA, USA who was giving away his Atari stuff. Calamus was
part of the package along with 4 monitors, a laser printer and a mega 2
and STf!)
I was wondering if there was a way to EXPORT a Calamus Document to
either HTML or RTF/Word Format.???
The reason being is that I would like to have the TRACKMAN DOCS
available for those that do not have Calamus, as they are available
only in Calamus format."
Edward Baiz tells Tim:
"In Calamus 2000 I can export out in regular ASCII text."
Ken Springer adds:
"Calamus has lots of export features, but I don't think
either one of these is possible. Go to
http://www.calamus.net/us/forum/ and post the question. Ulf
or someone more knowledgeable than me will probably reply."
Frank Eiche asks about emulating an ST:
"Does anyone know a good atari st emulator, that needs no
hardware parts (gemulator board or something like that)?"
Our old friend Simon Osborne tells Frank:
"If you want good GEM emulation, then you can use either Gemulator 2000,
TOSBox or STEmulator. If you want to play ST games, then use WinSTon v0.5
as it is quite simply the best ST games emulator.
Unfortunately, development of WinSTon stopped because of some little
toe-rag hacking into the authors PC to steal the source code, among other
things.
And look out for SainT in December if you like ST demos."
Frank tells Simon:
"Thanks for all the tips! I found everything I needed, I will have to try
the several emulators I found. As far as I've seen, they do their job quite
well."
Jose Olivera adds:
"You can download several good emulators from the Little Green Desktop
site. The URL is:
http://lgd.fatal-design.com/
I recommend WinSTon. Please note that some of the emulators might
require you to have a TOS ROM image. The site above also has them but
you should only download the ROM images if you actually have an actual
TOS as part of your Atari ST. The latest version of WinSTon (version
0.4) has a version of TOS built in."
John Garone posts:
"My VGA monitor died (boo hoo!) Is an SVGA compatible with the Falcon?"
Richard, "Heart of Dumbala", tells John:
"Yep, any SVGA monitor will work fine with the Falcon. You may need the
Falc-VGA adaptor if you are not already using this to connect up."
Tony Cianfaglione asks for help with an interesting problem on his Falcon:
"I set up NVDI on my Falcon and selected prx-->prg in auto. Now the Falcon
stops dead in mid-boot with 'can't find monochrome screen driver' STOP...
Now I can't boot the Falcon to get to the auto folder so I can disable
NVDI until I get everything working correctly. IS there a bypass to boot
from a:\ instead? It keeps defaulting to the hd instead and then locks
up."
Mark Bedingfield tells Tony:
"I had a look through my database of old doc's, the fix is quite simple,
replace the assign.sys file."
Jim Logan adds:
"Try holding down Alt or Cntrl while it is booting. You might then
need to install C before opening it."
Tony replies:
"To answer my own question after some experimenting, hold down the Shift
and Control keys to boot into LowRes and it gives you access to your hard
drive. Thanks to anyone who might have been considering writing with a
solution."
Ken Kosut asks for help with floppy access:
"I am having problems accessing floppy A or B: The message reads: Data on
the disk may be damaged, or the disk is write protected. There is nothing
on the disk, and it is not write protected. I cannot format a new one
either.
When I view the disk structure of A through Diamond Edge, I get an error
message, DOS -14 boot sector not recognized. (It won't access the drive)
All other hard drive partitions work fine.
Is my floppy drive bad, or did I mess something up internally?"
Steve Stupple tells Ken:
"The power lines are pretty much standard, the schugart interface (the
data lead thing) won't do any damage if plugged in the wrong way.
All the odd pins are grounded so if plugged upside down the motor will
be constantly on, and the computer will not detect the drive.
The only problem may be if the STF drive is single sided and if the
other drive is double sided you aren't going to be able to access double
sided format disks!"
Kenneth Medin adds his own experiences:
"Also worth noting:
On my TT I get the same behaviour if I boot with the SLM605 laser
turned off. Hard disk is still accessible, though. When I turn the
laser on (without rebooting!) suddenly drive A can be read again."
Steve Stupple adds:
"I think it's safe to say that the drive has deceased! hang on a moment
though...
Have you cleaned the drive heads, I know this may sound silly but I have
come across drives that suddenly pack up due to the heads getting dirty.
The heads are quite easy to do, remove the drive and it's metal cover,
using a cotton wool bud (those things you clean babies parts with) with
some cleaning agent (I use after shave as this is alcohol based)
carefully clean the heads.
You should notice the buds will get e little dingy. Use a dry clean bud
to make sure the head is dry.
CAUTION: don't have the bud dripping as the electronic components won't
like it very much.
I also like to leave the drive 10-15 mins to allow any solution that
I've missed to evaporate before use."
Okay folks, here's the announcement we've all been waiting for... Dan
Ackerman posts:
"STiK2 finally released... only 3 years after the initial rumours
STiK2 and it's sources have been released under GPL and can be found at
http://www.netset.com/~baldrick/stik2.html
It has been tested under the major OS's, Aes's and clones.
For more information see the STiK2 page.
Dan Ackerman
aka baldrick
ps. I thought I could at least get this out to thank people for the
support they have shown me."
Jeff Armstrong tells Dan:
"I just installed STiK2 and I must say that I'm very impressed! I am
currently running AES4.1 on top of FreeMiNT 1.15.5 and it works like
a dream!
I have attempted to use STiNG and MiNTNet on my system before. STiNG
just hated MultiTOS, especially the Dialer. And the configuration
was very difficult and never quite worked. MiNTNet was impossible to
configure. I never once got MiNTNet to do anything at all. I worked
on it for weeks and it never once connected. Now I should state here
that I have little network experience. I really don't know exactly
what I'm doing.
But Stik2 I had running about 20 minutes after download. One single
file controls the entire configuration. and it was simple to set up.
Also, the dialer, Qdialer, is a phenomenal program. It's small and
very useful and reports my IP address (my favorite feature).
Furthermore, everything runs like a dream under MultiTOS!
I must recommend this program to everyone! STiK2 is a great and very
stable program. So far, it has worked with NEWsie, aMail, aFTP, and
CAB1.5 with the '030 and '000 binaries and overlays on my system! I'm
definitely sticking with STiK2!
(Just wanted to say that this is my first post ever from my TT! I'm
very excited!)"
Well folks, that's it for this week. Tune in again next week, same time,
same station, and be ready to listen to what they are saying when...
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
=~=~=~=
->In This Week's Gaming Section - PlayStation2 Delayed! Austin Powers!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Ms. PacMan! X-Men! NHL 2001!
'Destruction Derby Raw'! 'MTV Sports'!
And much more!
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE's Game Console Industry News - The Latest Gaming News!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Sony PlayStation 2 Delayed
Sony will deliver only half the number of PlayStation 2 video game consoles
it originally estimated at its U.S. debut next month, but says it should
catch up on shipments by Christmas.
Sony said Wednesday it can only ship 500,000 consoles by its North America
debut on Oct. 26, instead of the 1 million units initially projected.
The company blames production delays stemming from a component shortage. It
said the initial shipment will be followed by 100,000 units per week until
year's end.
Sony said the modified schedule will not affect availability of PlayStation
2 during the holiday season, anticipating there will be about 1.3 million
units in supply.
``We will be able to supply a flow of products, instead of a huge initial
spike," said Kaz Hirai, chief operating officer.
It is expected to be the year's hottest holiday item.
Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. also said Wednesday that it would
still meet its target of shipping 10 million units of the game worldwide,
including 3 million to North America, by March 2001.
In March, when PlayStation 2 was first released in Japan, the company had a
similar problem, delaying shipment of 260,000 units because of a shortage
of computer hardware.
Thousands of people lined up outside stores in Tokyo the day before the
game machines went on sale and, at most shops, the PlayStation 2 sold out
within an hour.
Sony is counting heavily on the sleek, black console to give it a boost in
its war against Japanese rivals Sega Enterprises, which makes the Dreamcast
console, and Nintendo, maker of the N64 console and the portable Game Boy.
PlayStation 2, the successor to the 5-year-old PlayStation, has vivid
graphics, an ability to connect to the Internet and can play DVD movies and
compact discs. It will cost about $300.
The company is expected to launch PlayStation 2 in Europe on Nov. 24.
Ms. Pac-Man Makes 3D Debut as Star of
"Ms. Pac-Man Maze Madness"
A year after Pac-Man's three-dimensional return, Namco Hometek announced
Ms. Pac-Man's new lead role in the outrageously fun, 3D action maze game,
``Ms. Pac-Man Maze Madness," available now for the PlayStation game
console, and this holiday season for Nintendo 64 and Sega Dreamcast.
Namco's latest Ms. Pac-Man title offers the original arcade version for the
nostalgic at heart, while its enhanced environments and challenging puzzles
will capture a new generation of Ms. Pac-Man fans.
With more than 180 mazes and a myriad of puzzles, ``Ms. Pac-Man Maze
Madness" offers endless exciting gameplay. Players can enjoy the game
solo, ``chilling" to its hypnotic grooves and mesmerizing state-of-the-art
3D graphics.
In multiplayer mode, ``Maze Madness" pumps up the volume by allowing up to
four players to engage in a variety of games, including Ghost Tag, where
one player is Ms. Pac-Man feasting on dots, while the other players are the
ghosts trying to feast on her; and Dot Mania, in which players compete to
eat all the dots in a maze.
``It's fitting that Ms. Pac-Man, who turns 19 this year, has a new game
where she exudes her world-famous attitude for fun and proves once again
her awesome ability to conquer obstacles to get what she wants," said Mike
Fischer, Namco's director of marketing. ``The exotic and complex
environments she travels through in `Maze Madness' are sure to satisfy fans
of the original game and spur a new wave of maze mania."
Remaining true to the original game, no buttons are used in ``Ms. Pac-Man
Maze Madness," just directional keys. So that the game offers complex
challenges, each level introduces new mechanics such as lava rivers, where
Ms. Pac-Man must push ice blocks onto molten lava to save herself;
lightning corridors, where she uses lightning switches to divert bolts and
avoid being struck; explodable barrels, which allow Ms. Pac-Man to blow up
and pass through walls; rev wheels, which allow her to move faster; and
popper pads, which propel her to desired locations she can't get to on
foot. In all, more than 30 new mechanics are included.
Ms. Pac-Man journeys through four distinct worlds, facing 15 new enemies --
in addition to a gang of hungry ghosts -- on her path to the Witch's
Castle, where she must defeat her ultimate foe. Not only has the Witch
turned the Enchanted Palace into Haunted Halloween, she has kidnapped
Professor Pac and a beautiful princess.
In each world, Ms. Pac-Man must collect a virtue gem and several icons to
reverse the Witch's evil spells and gain entrance to another world.
A-maze-ing worlds include:
* Cleopactra -- Players must help Ms. Pac-Man avoid spell-casting
anubises, sphinxes, snappy alligators and marauding centipedes in her
quest to find the Generosity Gem.
* Crystal Caves -- Ms. Pac-Man has to watch out for the Neanderpacs, the
legendary Pac-Foot and hungry Saber-Pacs. As she travels further
inside the icy caverns, she will encounter deep molten lava rivers
which she can cross with the help of ice blocks in her quest for the
Truth Gem. Watch out for falling boulders and ice corridors!
* Pac Ping Harbor -- With the ghosts spreading gunpowder everywhere and
the fire-breathing dragons ready to set the whole place ablaze, Ms.
Pac-Man needs assistance finding the Gem of Wisdom. Avoiding Roman
candles, she can use rocket launchers to help clear a path through one
of the toughest and most challenging maze areas.
* Haunted Halloween -- This is Ms. Pac-Man's last chance to store up
lives before meeting the Witch. Here she must hunt for the Gem of
Courage, fending off Bat Draculas and Frankenpacs who charge their
powers on the numerous bolts of lightning. In this nightmarish castle,
lightning bolts threaten to destroy Ms. Pac-Man as she avoids evil
gargoyles and vicious Hellhounds.
``Ms. Pac-Man Maze Madness" contains 12 stages, four hidden stages, three
bonus round mini-games, a BOSS round and a secret BOSS round. Players earn
a gold star in every stage in which Ms. Pac-Man consumes all of the
pac-dots or all seven juicy pieces of fruit.
Upon defeating the Witch for the first time, players gain a Witch key that
opens previously locked areas of the game; gamers earn extra gold stars by
completing stages within a certain time limit, or by completing the bonus
games. Those who have gathered the required number of gold stars throughout
the game can then progress to the first hidden stage.
The more gold stars earned, the more likely one is to get to all four
secret stages and advance to the hidden BOSS level. Multiplayer mode
contains three different tournament games for up to four players, boasting
four maps, four characters, four hidden maps and two secret characters.
Activision Takes Mutant Franchise to the
PlayStation2 Computer Entertainment System
Marvel Comic's super-human mutant heroes will wield their brand of justice
on the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system when Activision, Inc.
brings the popular franchise to the next-generation console system. The
company confirmed today that it is in development on two X-MEN titles for
the new platform, a fighting game and an action-RPG. These titles are among
the 14 games that Activision has in development for the PlayStation 2
computer entertainment system.
The announcement follows Activision's successful release of X-Men Mutant
Academy for the PlayStation game console, which coincided with the opening
of Twentieth Century Fox's ``X-Men: The Movie" in mid-July.
``The success of X-Men Mutant Academy established Activision as a leader in
bringing super-hero characters to the console marketplace," states Ron
Doornink, President and COO, Activision. ``With the power of the
PlayStation 2 and the strength of the X-MEN franchise, Activision will be
able to deliver a new dimension to fighting games and launch the series
into the popular action-RPG genre."
Take-Two Interactive's Rockstar Games Ship Two New
Austin Powers Games for Nintendo Game Boy Color
Rockstar Games, Take Two Interactive Software, Inc.'s high end video game
publishing division ships two new games this week for Nintendo Color Game
Boy today based on the wildly popular Austin Powers movie franchise, Austin
Powers: Welcome To My Underground Lair and Austin Powers: Oh, Behave.
``We are extremely excited to bring all the signature humor, style, and wit
of the Austin Powers characters and film series to Nintendo's Game Boy
Color with Austin Powers: Oh, Behave and Austin Powers: Welcome To My
Underground Lair," said Sam Houser, president of Rockstar Games. ``These
utterly innovative games deliver all the charm of the Austin Powers
franchise and create new and exciting experiences on Game Boy Color."
Austin Powers: Oh, Behave and Austin Powers: Welcome To My Underground Lair
are two truly unique Game Boy Color games for swingers and potential secret
agents alike. The games very neatly transform Game Boy Color into a fully
functional PC, working under either the Austin Powers 2000, and FAB-DOS
operating systems or the Dr. Evil 2000 and EVIL-DOS operating systems.
Players are sure to have a blast with such hip and happening, fun mini
games as Mojo Maze, Evil Mojo, Rock, Paper, Scissors, Domination and He's
`Kin Evil. If Game Boy accessories such as the Game Link Cable and the Game
Boy Printer are your bag, baby, then you can definitely use them with both
games and play games head-to-head and even print out groovy little items!
Mike Myers wrote, produced and starred in Austin Powers: The Spy Who
Shagged Me, reprising the comic roles that turned the original film into a
cultural phenomenon. Since being introduced in May of 1997 the Austin
Powers franchise has generated more than $550 million in worldwide box
office, television and video sales and rentals. In addition, this week New
Line Cinema has shipped more than 10.5 million video and DVD units of
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me to national and local retailers. The
home entertainment launch is the largest direct-to-sell-thru video release
this year.
Infogrames Sends the Other White Meat to Stores
This Week With Hogs of War for PlayStation
This little piggy went to the market, this little piggy went home, this
little piggy had roast beef, and this little piggy went off into the
trenches...
Infogrames announced that Hogs of War, the only PlayStation game where pigs
are clad in Army uniforms, is shipping to most major retail stores this
week. Join the British, French, American, German, Japanese, and Russian
armies in a hilarious all-out fight to the finish! What are you waiting
for? Chop, chop!
Hog World is at war. Six mighty nations are struggling to overpower each
other in the pursuit of territorial and technological gains. Players are
thrown into a massive 3D battlefield with an army of three to six maniacal
oinkers armed with an arsenal of debilitating weapons. Limited by time,
players must quickly use their keen wits and cunning abilities to pummel
their opponent before the game automatically switches to the next team,
leaving them at the mercy of their adversary.
The game features single- and multi-player modes, allowing gamers to play
alone or to execute diabolical moves against their friends. An added bonus
to the pork fighting mayhem is a level generator, which enables players to
produce an endless number of levels, creating hours and hours of ridiculous
pig-battling fun.
``Hogs of War offers solid 3-D turn-based strategy and takes it over the
top with off-beat humor and hijinks," said David Riley, marketing director
for Infogrames' Action/Strategy Label. ``It's no surprise Hogs of War has
been the number one PlayStation title in Europe, it's a game that is not
only fun to play but is fun to watch! With the hilarious pig team options,
exotic weaponry, and comical on-screen action, Hogs of War has it all!"
Hogs of War also features a comprehensive training level for players to
develop their proper pig butt-kicking skills. Once players are up to speed,
they are ready to assault their enemies with a huge arsenal of such exotic
weaponry as sniper rifles, TNT, and jetpacks. In addition, the enormous 3D
playing levels provide the armies plenty of space to roam or hide.
Developed by Infogrames' Sheffield House, Hogs of War is available at an
estimated retail price of $29.99 and can be found at most major retail
outlets.
All-New `Destruction Derby Raw' Crashes Onto PlayStation
Midway Games Inc. announced that ``Destruction Derby Raw" for the
PlayStation game console is available at retail. The top-selling
``Destruction Derby" franchise has sold more than 3 million lifetime units
worldwide, with more than 1 million sold in the U.S.
``Destruction Derby Raw" maintains the heritage of the original
``Destruction Derby" while implementing new features like customizable
vehicles, new game modes like the Skyscraper mode and multiplayer games.
Crash through 31 tracks with 19 customizable vehicles designed for maximum
destruction. An enhanced collision system creates spectacular spins, flips
and rolls.
```Destruction Derby Raw' delivers hard-hitting, down-and-dirty,
smash-'em-up action fans crave with all-new features, stellar graphics and
action-packed gameplay," said Helene Sheeler, vice president of marketing,
Midway. ``This version is the best iteration, from the series that started
the demolition derby/racing category."
Racers enjoy car-crunching excitement like never before with the following
new modes: Skyscraper mode allows racers to shove their opponents off
rooftops or get shoved off; Destruction mode allows racers to incinerate
their opponents' cars; Assault mode allows racers to battle it out
head-to-head; and Crazy Tracks allows racers to perform death-defying
stunts.
``Destruction Derby Raw" Key Features
* Four-player multiplay
* All-new battle modes including Skyscraper mode, which allows racers to
shove opponents from rooftops or get shoved off; Destruction mode
allows racers to incinerate opponents' cars; Assault mode allows
racers to battle it out head-to-head; and Crazy Tracks allows racers
to perform death-defying stunts
* 31 tracks with jumps, crossovers, tunnels, multiple routes and the
``Incredible Squeeze"
* Controls have been altered to react more realistically; the addition
of a handbrake control allows gamers to perform spectacular spins
* Full upgrade car options
* New Cash/Car management upgrade system -- gamers can play ``Smash for
Cash" mode, earning money to purchase body parts
* Racers can earn extra points by using wrestling-inspired destruction
combination moves
3DO Ships World Destruction League: Thunder
Tanks For the PlayStation
The 3DO Company announced that it has begun shipping the World Destruction
League: Thunder Tanks game for the PlayStation game console, the most
intense vehicular combat title of the year, to retail outlets throughout
North America and online shopping sites.
Audiences of the future demand more from their entertainment, and it's up
to battle-hungry players to give the masses what they want in an
over-the-top televised gladiatorial tournament broadcast on the fictional
WDL network that'll have TV screens exploding with brutal, no-holds-barred
tank versus tank mayhem. It's pro wrestling meets demolition derby as the
World Destruction League: Thunder Tanks game brings home all the
adrenaline-pumping attitude of heated duels between 9 vicious contenders as
they compete in 9 monstrous armored vehicles reflecting their outrageous
personalities.
Five international arenas play host to the events, including Italy, Moscow,
and the lost continent of Atlantis each with recognizable and destructible
landmarks such as the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Ginza District of
Tokyo. Contestants champing at the bit to unleash their fury can do so
using terrifying weapons of mass destruction such as artillery strikes,
shock rings, death blossoms and the nano wall, though it'll take more than
firepower alone to survive the title's 20 different levels and ultimate
campaign play. A pair of boisterous, trash-talking announcers broadcast
their commentary as players rumble their way to the top in 5 types of match
ups like Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Frenzy, or Tournament, or take on
friends in a lethal, head-to-head, horizontal split-screen confrontation.
Compounding the title's deliciously action-intensive appeal to fans of all
ages are its non-stop style of play and instant level of accessibility,
thanks to special control settings ranging from ``Driver" for the
experienced hooligan to ``Family Mode" for the novice.
EA Ships 10th Anniversary Iteration of NHL Series: NHL 2001
Experience high-flyin', hard hittin', intense powerplay hockey as only
Electronic Arts (EA) can do it with NHL 2001 for The PlayStation and PC.
Skate for Lord Stanley's Cup with the latest installments of EA SPORTS'
widely popular NHL Series containing numerous new features allowing gamers
to live the experience.
Lace up the skates and play with or against any of the 30 NHL franchises,
including the expansion Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild or 20 (18
on PlayStation) of the best International teams. NHL 2001 also offers a
variety of game modes to choose from including: Quick Game, Season Play,
Career Mode, Playoffs, Shootout and Tournament. All are just a slap shot
away.
An exciting new addition to NHL 2001 for the PlayStation is the NHL
Challenge. With the NHL Challenge, gamers are able to unlock valuable bonus
points by completing tasks on the list of challenges for each level. The
higher the level accomplished, the more points received. Bonus points are
then used to boost the attributes of created players for skills like speed,
shot power, checking and others. Users can track of all challenges
accomplished and save them to a memory card, allowing gamers to create a
superstar, or a team of superstars, to help them bring home ``The Cup."
Gamers can create their own franchise with the Create-A-Team feature (PC
Only). Create-A-Team allows gamers to build a team that is truly their own
with customizable team logo, team jersey, city name, as well as players'
faces using EA's Face in the Game technology. With Face in the Game,
anyone can compete against the NHL's best by following simple instructions
that allow game players to take a digitized picture of a face, and place it
directly onto their own hockey player.
NHL 2001 for the PC features full online Internet play via EA.COMSM. Here
players can match up and compete against opponents around the world with as
many as eight players. Chat rooms and match-up servers provide gamers a
forum to congratulate opponents on a well-played match or discuss an
upcoming contest. In addition, the PC version allows gamers the ability to
customize numerous settings to their preference. With the ``Customize
Gameplay" option, players use sliders to adjust speed, scoring, checking,
shooting, fighting and more.
``From the beginning we set out to create the most fun, immersive, easy to
play and best looking interactive hockey games ever," said Rory Armes
executive producer of NHL 2001. ``On the PlayStation side, we are very
excited about the new NHL Challenge and think users will have a great deal
of fun trying to complete each challenge. On the PC side, playing solo, or
against somebody across the world on EA.COM, using their own franchise and
custom players with the Create a Team and Face in the Game features will
once again be a favorite among our users," Armes went on to add. ``Our
hope is that gamers will find NHL 2001 the most interactive and deep hockey
game available."
NHL 2001 Cross-Platform Feature Set:
* 10-year Career Mode, where gamers become the General Manager, has been
upgraded. As the GM, gamers can trade players or draft picks, retire
players, sign free agents, or even draft rookies to replace departed
players. Career Mode allows gamers the chance to be the architect of
the next great hockey dynasty.
* New to NHL 2001 is a Momentum Meter that fluctuates during the
game according to each teams performance on the ice. Scoring key goals
and comebacks all increase team moral resulting in better team
performance, while the opposite adversely affects the team and
decreases momentum.
* Big Shot and Big Hitter icons add to ease of play. These icons, in the
shape of a hockey stick blade for Big Shots and a hammer for Big
Hitter, allow newcomers the ability to easily identify their
goal-hungry snipers and check-happy defenders with a single glance.
* Real player physics and over 900 new motion-capture moves from actual
NHL players and new checks performed by Hollywood stuntmen.
* All new artificial intelligence, new camera close-ups, exciting new
ways to score such as, cannon shots from the point, and one-footed
wristers make NHL 2001 the most intuitive and realistic interactive
hockey experience to date.
NHL 2001 is rated ``E" (Everyone). NHL 2001 for the PlayStation will ship
September 26, while the PC version will hit shelves September 29. Both are
analog controller compatible and support up to eight players. Consumers may
purchase the game directly at the EA Store SM (http://www.eastore.ea.com)
or by calling EA Direct Sales at 1.877.324.2637. Both titles have a
suggested retail price of $39.95.
Infogrames Races Into the Holidays With `Moto Racer World Tour'
The thrills and spills of motorcycle racing crashes home for play on the
Sony PlayStation game console and PC as Infogrames readies Motor Cross
World Tour for release this November.
Developed by Delphine Software, Moto Racer World Tour offers a wide variety
of realistic motorcycle racing challenges on tracks across the globe.
``Moto Racer World Tour is one of the most well-known motorcycle game
franchises ever introduced and an ideal game for the holidays," said
Martin Currie, Director of Marketing for Infogrames. ``What separates Moto
Racer World Tour from other games is its unprecedented depth as it is the
only game to include all six disciplines of motorcycle racing and should
please even the most ardent fans."
Developed by Delphine, Moto Racer World Tour provides one of the most
in-depth and feature-rich games available. In addition to advanced game
physics and 3D graphics, Moto Racer World Tour features:
* Six Types of Racing -- such as Speed Racing, Supercross and Motocross,
Time Trials, Dragster, Freestyle and Traffic;
* Five Different Modes of Play -- including Practice, Single Race, Time
Attack, Arcade Mode, Championship Mode;
* Customized Motorcycles -- players can customize their bike's engine,
suspension and transmission;
* Force Feedback Control -- provides players with controller feedback so
they can feel all the jolts and jumps.
* Replay Mode -- gives players the ability to watch their entire race
from start to finish.
Moto Racer World Tour for the PlayStation game console is shipping in
November for a suggested retail price of $49.95, while the PC version is
expected to ship in the spring. Additional information can be found on the
World Wide Web at www.us.infogrames.com.
THQ Ships "MTV Sports: Pure Ride"
THQ Inc. announced the release of ``MTV Sports: Pure Ride" for the Sony
PlayStation game console.
A true free-ride experience, ``MTV Sports: Pure Ride" boasts wide open
terrain in locations scattered throughout the world, thousands of trick
combinations and a Create-A-Park feature that allows players to actually
design their own runs. ``MTV Sports: Pure Ride" is now available at major
retail outlets nationwide.
Developed by Radical Entertainment, ``MTV Sports: Pure Ride" will give
gamers the freedom they've been longing for in a snowboarding title,
without sacrificing a single thrill. Big air, exciting speed and intense
competition all help to make this the snowboarding title PlayStation owners
have been waiting for.
``Snowboarding is more than just a winter sport," stated Peter Dille, vice
president, marketing, THQ. ``It's a lifestyle. From the music to the
licensed equipment to the exhilaration of executing any number of
incredible tricks, we've captured the very essence of snowboarding with
'MTV Sports: Pure Ride,' and it shows. Initial reaction from the gaming
press has been very positive."
``MTV Sports: Pure Ride" sets a new standard for interactive snowboarding
experiences by delivering vast open terrain that, for the first time ever
in a snowboarding video game, allows players to pick their own lines down
the mountain. Players can launch from huge kickers and rails and perform
thousands of unique trick combinations in this true free-ride experience.
The Create-A-Park feature gives players the freedom to place rocks, trees,
jumps and rails over long open runs on three different mountains. Players
will ride boards licensed from MLY, M3, Sims, Salomon and more, through
Canada, France, Japan, South America, Sweden and the United States.
All of this is set to the sounds of hot, up-and-coming bands ranging from
hardcore to hip-hop. Additionally, the game's professional riders will
boast the unique tricks and styling that have made them top competitors in
one of the fastest-growing sports in the country.
Snowboarding has quickly become one of the biggest individual sports in the
country with more than 100 percent growth in the past three years. In 1999
alone, there were more than 6 million snowboarders nationwide, with roughly
80 percent under the age of 24.
``MTV Sports: Pure Ride" is also scheduled for release on Game Boy Color
in November of this year.
THQ Ships ``Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue" for
PlayStation and Nintendo 64
THQ Inc. and Saban Entertainment Inc. announced the release of ``Power
Rangers Lightspeed Rescue" for Sony PlayStation and Nintendo 64.
Powered by one of the strongest kids' television and action figure
properties, ``Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue" will challenge kids to save
the world from evil monsters and natural disaster. These action adventure
games are now available at major retail outlets nationwide.
``We are thrilled with the ongoing success of `Power Rangers Lightspeed
Rescue' for Game Boy Color, which hit retail in June of this year," stated
Alison Locke, executive vice president of North American Publishing, THQ.
``Now kids will have an exciting opportunity to assume the role of their
favorite `Power Rangers' hero on PlayStation and Nintendo 64."
``We are delighted to be releasing more `Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue'
video games with THQ," said Elie Dekel, president, Saban consumer
products. ``It's terrific to see retail demand steer the already successful
`Power Rangers' brand into the growing kids console arena."
In ``Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue," kids can play as their favorite
``Power Ranger" hero as members of the elite ``Power Rangers Lightspeed
Rescue" team. The game will include authentic music, sound effects and
actual voice over from the actors in the ``Power Rangers" television
series.
Through multiple environments, including hidden bonus levels, players will
battle to save the world from evil monsters and natural disasters. Both
games feature single- or two-player mode, giving gamers the opportunity to
play as their favorite Ranger and favorite Megazord as they battle
creatures from the ``Power Rangers" television series. In-game story
sequences provide a completely immersive gameplay experience.
For more information on ``Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue" for the
PlayStation and Nintendo 64 game console and the rest of THQ's 2000
line-up, visit www.thq.com.
THQ Ships "Disney's The Little Mermaid II" for PlayStation
THQ Inc. and Disney Interactive Monday announced the release of ``Disney's
The Little Mermaid II" for the PlayStation game console.
The game combines the stories of both ``Disney's The Little Mermaid" and
``The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea" movies in addition to
featuring more than 30 minutes of movie footage. Joining original
characters Ariel, Flounder, Ursula, Sebastian and Triton are newly
introduced Melody, Ariel's daughter, and Morgana, Ursula's evil sister.
This land and sea adventure is now available at major retail outlets
throughout the United States and Canada.
In ``Disney's The Little Mermaid II" for PlayStation, players can assume
the role of either Ariel or Melody. With 15 3-D underwater and land-based
levels and tons of secret areas to explore, gamers will have the
opportunity to solve puzzles, collect treasures, avoid enemies and interact
with friends. Players will find bonus mini-games throughout, such as
``Sebastian's Orchestra." Authentic music, footage, original character
voices and sound effects from ``Disney's The Little Mermaid" feature film
and ``Disney's The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea" direct-to-video
release are also featured in the game.
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE Gaming Online - Online Users Growl & Purr!
"""""""""""""""""""
New Lynx and Jaguar items!
CHAMPIONSHIP RALLY COMING SOON FOR THE LYNX
If you're hungry for a multiplayer overhead racer for the Lynx, with
tons of tracks and player options, check out Championship Rally coming
this Christmas from Songbird! The web site was recently updated with the
latest screen shots, and the game is currently in final beta test.
EXPERIENCE RAPID FIRE ON THE JAGUAR
Songbird has a limited supply of Rapid Fire Controllers for the Jaguar
available for $39.95 each. These awesome modified controllers breathe
new life into games like Raiden and Zero 5!
YOU MUST PROTECT THE REMNANT
Take on the role of the last fighter pilot fending off waves of alien
invaders in this instant classic for the Lynx! Incredible 3D scaling and
big explosions make this game a must-have for Lynx fans. Available now,
$39.95.
DIGGING FOR GOLD
Crystal Mines II will never be the same! Get CM2: Buried Treasure today,
and start designing and downloading new levels to your Lynx. Features
over 50 brand new levels, plus all the original levels viewable in the
included editor. (Lynx/PC serial cable also required, not included).
Available now, $29.95.
WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS...
Songbird is always pursuing more Lynx and Jaguar titles. Expect more
releases well into 2001, and as always, stay tuned to
http://songbird.atari.net for all the latest on Songbird Productions and
the Jaguar and Lynx!
And be sure to pick up the October issues of GameFan and Next
Generation, for great coverage of new Jaguar products and CGE2K,
respectively.
Sincerely,
Carl Forhan
Songbird Productions
http://songbird.atari.net
=~=~=~=
A-ONE's Headline News
The Latest in Computer Technology News
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
California Governor Vetoes Internet Sales Tax Bill
California Gov. Gray Davis vetoed an Internet tax bill on Monday that
sought to require retailers with stores in the state to collect taxes for
online sales, saying he did not want to stifle e-commerce.
But the Democrat, who said policy makers still needed to review the matter,
signed two other measures to create a commission to examine sales tax
issues in ``the New Economy" and another calling for a three-year
moratorium on Internet access taxes.
``Imposing sales taxes on Internet transactions at this point in its young
life would send the wrong signal about California's international role as
the incubator of the dot-com community," Davis said in announcing his
veto.
The veto of the sales tax bill, which supporters in the nation's most
populous state said merely clarified state law regarding the taxation of
Internet purchases, comes as lawmakers across the country grapple with
similar issues regarding online sales.
The measure would have raked in an estimated $14 million a year for a state
whose economic good times have been largely fueled by high-tech. But foes
worried the bill would have burdened out-of-state business and harmed the
state's Internet-friendly reputation.
The legislation would have precluded taxing the sales of companies with no
brick and mortar stores or warehouses in the state. But for firms that did
have stores or warehouses in California, some sort of tax would have
applied.
The measure would have affected businesses like book retailers Borders
Group Inc. and Barnes & Noble Inc., which currently do not charge online
customers sales tax in California.
Appeals Court Acts Swiftly on Microsoft, Sets Date
The U.S. Court of Appeals acted swiftly to take control of the Microsoft
antitrust appeal Tuesday, ordering the two sides to propose schedules for
the appeals process by Oct. 2.
The court said it wanted ``a proposed briefing schedule and format by 4
p.m. on Monday, Oct. 2." It said that if the two sides disagreed, replies
could be filed on Oct. 5 and further replies on Oct. 10.
But the appeals court suggested the two sides get together and work out a
schedule, as they have at times in the past: "The parties may, if
practicable, submit a joint proposal."
The appeals court acted within hours of getting the case back from the
Supreme Court, which decided that the Court of Appeals -- which is a lower
court -- should hear it before the Supreme Court considers the matter.
Microsoft is appealing a trial court decision which found it violated
antitrust law and should be split in two.
Apple Shocks With Earnings Warning
The fairy tale turnaround may be over. Apple sees slowing in all of its
geographies and slower-than-expected sales of G4 cube. Stock price
plummets.
Apple Computer Inc. became the latest big-name technology firm to warn of
disappointing sales and earnings in its fourth quarter Thursday. The PC
maker said it will miss analysts' estimate by 12 cents to 15 cents a share
in the quarter.
Apple shares fell 46 percent in after-hours trading following the
company's earnings warning. According to Island ECN, Apple's shares
recently were down $25, or 46 percent, to $29. The shares had been halted
on release of the news, Dow Jones News Service reported.
Apple officials said it will report sales of between $1.85 billion to $1.9
billion, just slightly better than $1.83 billion it recorded in what most
analysts considered a disappointing third quarter.
Apple now expects earning to fall between 30 cents to 33 cents a share in
the quarter, well below the First Call Corp. consensus estimate of 45
cents a share.
Apple blamed slow sales of its Power Mac G4 cube PCs as well as sluggish
sales in all geographies and in its education business.
Its shares closed up $4.56 to $53.50 ahead of the warning.
"We've clearly hit a speedbump, which will result in our earning, before
investment gains, approximately $110 million rather than the expected $165
million for the September quarter," said CEO Steve Jobs in a prepared
release. "Though this slowdown is disappointing, we have so many wonderful
new products and programs in the pipeline -- including Mac OS X early next
year -- and remain positive about our future."
Sanford Bernstein analyst Vadim Zlotnikov said he wouldn't characterize
the fourth-quarter profit warning as a "speedbump," pointing out that
Apple's recently battled through two or three major upgrade cycles for its
popular powerbook and iMac machines.
"Overall consumer demand doesn't appear to be as low as Apple's numbers
indicate," Zlotnikov said. "It looks like sales of its G4 cubes haven't
taken off they way they expected. At least so far."
Apple's string of impressive quarterly earnings reports came to halt last
quarter when it managed to top the Street's profit estimate but fell short
of revenue targets.
In the quarter, it earned $200 million, or 55 cents a share, on sales of
$1.83 billion.
"I have a great deal of admiration for what Apple has accomplished lately,
but they can't keep constantly redefining themselves," Zlotnikov said.
"Every time Apple stumbles it hurts a bit more because they define their
own market."
Tim Bajarin, industry analyst with Creative Strategies in San Jose,
Calif., predicted better things for Apple as it enters the holiday season.
"I still expect them to be pretty strong with sales of the iMac in Q4," he
said. "Cube sales may continue to be an issue into Q4, but consumer sales
going into Christmas should make the next quarter pretty strong anyway.
The holiday season "is always one of their better quarters," Bajarin said.
"Keep in mind that they've introduced a whole slew of new products. Sounds
like this [quarter] was a bit of a blip. The next one at least should be
better for them."
Apple shares moved up to a 52-week high of $75.19 in March after falling
to a low of $28.69 last September.
Seventeen of the 19 analysts following the stock rate it either a "buy" or
"strong buy."
AOL Takes Heat on Instant Messaging
The Internet's two leading instant messaging services, both owned and run
by America Online, Inc. and used by tens of millions, have taken at least
a nominal step toward compatibility.
Users of AOL's ICQ instant messaging service can now access that network by
entering their password into AOL's AIM instant messenger - as long as the
ICQ user also has a recent version of AIM's software.
Competitors whose users have been consistently shut out by AOL contend the
new feature heralds eventual interoperability, though it doesn't allow ICQ
subscribers to chat with AIM subscribers, or vice versa.
AOL says the feature is merely a byproduct of some testing. It allows ICQ
users - 73 million are registered - to use an AIM interface, or messaging
screen, if they choose. There are 66 million registered AIM users. The next
closest competitor, Microsoft's MSN, has about 18 million users.
The change is of virtually no practical use to any normal instant-messaging
user.
But AOL competitors say it shows the online giant is positioning itself to
maintain market dominance, something that has concerned federal antitrust
regulators reviewing AOL's proposed acquisition of Time Warner Inc.
``What it means is that there is not a fundamental technical problem to
achieving interoperability," said Margaret Heffernan, president of iCast,
a Woburn, Mass.-based instant message provider with about 500,000 users.
``It's simply a business decision to keep us (and other competitors) out."
``This seems to be the proof that the security and privacy concerns that
AOL talks about are just a smoke screen," said Alexander Diamandis, vice
president of marketing for New York-based Odigo, which has 1.6 million
customers.
AOL spokeswoman Tricia Primrose said the feature under scrutiny was
research-related and had nothing to do with making the two systems
compatible.
She said Chantilly-based AOL has been working with an industry task force
that is developing technical standards to allow interoperability -
standards she said are about a year away.
Primrose also said AOL would not make its two services compatible ahead of
competitors.
In practical terms, AOL's competitors offer more compatibility with AOL's
two services than each has with the other.
Heffernan said iCast users have had access to the AOL networks about 50
percent of the time since March.
Programmers from iCast, Odigo and several other competitors constantly find
ways around AOL's firewalls, only to have AOL develop new countermeasures.
Diamandis said Odigo has been on the winning end of its cat-and-mouse game
with AOL for the last week. The two sides have wrested control from each
other 20 times in the last few months, he said.
AOL's Primrose said iCast's and Odigo's efforts are nothing but illegal
hacking.
MSN Turns Users Into Spammers
A change of address notification for new users generates MSN Explorer
endorsements to colleagues and friends. Make that former friends.
Users of the MSN Explorer beta may inadvertently be sending their friends
seemingly personal e-mail gushing praise over the new Microsoft program.
The catch is, the spam was written by Microsoft and attached to
change-of-address e-mails sent by some users who have signed up for MSN
Explorer.
Users can opt out of the message, but many have not been aware of the
problem.
"I recently began using a new product from Microsoft called MSN Explorer,"
the message begins. "With MSN Explorer, you can send and receive e-mail,
exchange instant messages with me and the millions of other people who use
MSN Explorer, browse the Web and much more. MSN Explorer even offers an
exciting new look for using the Web and makes it easy to find and play
music online. Want to try it out? It's FREE! Just click on the link below
and follow the download instructions." The letter is generated by the
beta-version of Microsoft Network's Explorer, according to Woody's Office
Watch.
Three innocent clicks -- or three presses of the Return key -- turn
Explorer users into spammers.
It works like this: During installation, the MSN Explorer setup program
asks whether users would like to import their Outlook address book. Next,
users who press the "return" key are asked if they would like to notify
the people in their address book of a change in e-mail.
For users who select "yes," the set-up program creates an e-mail with the
line: "I am writing to let you know that I have a new e-mail address:
"(new e-mail)." The short message is followed by the endorsement. Clicking
"send" results in the e-mail going out to every one listed in the user's
Outlook address book.
A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed the ads were being sent out and that
users could not edit the wording. It's not automatic, by any means, but
many users trying the beta have inadvertently sent the messages to others.
Several users of the beta software have complained to Microsoft in a
public forum, requesting that the company pull the ad-based e-mail before
the software goes gold.
Recipients of the e-mail pitchers aren't happy either.
But, in one reply to an angry customer who received the e-mail, Hotmail --
a Microsoft subsidiary -- denied that the message was spam.
"The e-mail you received was an invitation from MSN Explorer, sent on
behalf of an existing user who changed their e-mail address and wants you
to try MSN Explorer," said Microsoft customer support in a letter that
appeared to be an official statement.
Nevertheless, even Hotmail may be ready to pull the plug on such messages
in the future.
"We have been in discussion with the MSN Explorer Team about these
invitations," the letter continued. "And they are considering revising
them so as not to confuse users."
Microsoft Terms Sting Small Shops
While large enterprises are freed from reimaging license fees, small
businesses aren't
Angry Microsoft Corp. customers have forced the company to relax the terms
of its OEM Windows license for enterprise users, but many small- business
customers aren't so lucky.
Microsoft this month backed down on its long-standing insistence that
enterprise users cannot reimage, or copy, their workstations under the
terms of the OEM Windows license that comes preinstalled on their
hardware.
Many small Windows shops are still being penalized by the licensing
provisions that remain in place, however. This means that small businesses
that acquire desktops from an OEM with a version of Windows preinstalled
may not use an imaging tool to duplicate a company-specific configuration
on other machines without buying an additional upgrade license.
Microsoft did not enforce this little-known volume license condition-which
has applied to all Windows systems since 1993-until earlier this year,
when it stated that the reimaging of Windows workstations by any customer
was an advanced operating system usage right not allowed under the OEM
Windows license. The Redmond, Wash., company had insisted that these users
buy an upgrade license, which costs $96 to $171 per workstation, if they
want to reimage. That attitude left many users fuming.
"We have received numerous complaints from customers over the past two
months about the fact that they were unable to use the OEM-licensed copy
of Windows to reimage their other workstations. We actively encouraged
them to complain to Microsoft, which they did," said Michael Silver, an
analyst with Gartner Group Inc., in Stamford, Conn.
Such user pressure forced Microsoft to backpedal until it decided that
customers with a Select License or an Enterprise Agreement would be
allowed to reimage workstations without having to buy an upgrade license.
But while the move lets larger corporations off the hook-those with 500 or
more seats typically have Select License or Enterprise Agreements with
Microsoft-it leaves smaller businesses that have a standard Open License
vulnerable to be cited for violations.
Outback Steakhouse Inc., of Tampa, Fla., is one such user. The restaurant
chain has some 35,000 employees but fewer than 1,000 desktops and has no
Select License or Enterprise Agreement with Microsoft. Robert Sunderland,
Outback's senior system administrator, said Microsoft "harassed" Outback
for license noncompliance and attempted to pressure him into buying a
license upgrade.
Sunderland also claims he's been harassed by a third party working for
Microsoft and received numerous letters insisting he get his licenses in
order.
"Microsoft's sales staff paid me a courtesy visit and then proceeded to
tell me that I had to buy an upgrade license if I wanted to reimage. When
I complained, they told me there was nothing they could do. They are using
scare tactics to make people like me run around and buy licenses we don't
need," he said.
Because Outback has a large number of restaurants across the country, it
makes sense for it to ghost disk images from one computer to another.
Ghosting takes less than half an hour, whereas reconfiguring each system
individually takes up to 4 hours, Sunderland said.
Simon Hughes, a program manager in Microsoft's business licensing group,
admitted that the company has received complaints from its enterprise
clients about this licensing restriction. After considering all the
technical and legal implications, Microsoft decided to amend the
agreement.
Hughes said, however, that Microsoft has not received complaints from
smaller users working under the Open License. While he conceded that
allowing larger clients usage rights that were denied to smaller customers
could be perceived as unfair, he countered that there are other technical,
legal and practical issues that come into play for these users.
"We are aware of the concerns relating to the use of the OEM license by
our open-agreement customers, and we are looking at potential solutions,"
he said.
Napster In Court to Plead for Future
The music-sharing site and its millions of users are fighting an order to
shut down. A court will take up the case Monday.
Napster Inc. heads back to court Monday to plead for its life before a
panel of appeals court judges.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is in the process of deciding whether
to uphold a lower court ruling that would shut down the controversial
file-swapping site.
Monday morning attorneys
from both Napster and the Recording Industry
Association of America (RIAA), which is suing the company, will get about
20 minutes to present oral arguments to the panel, followed by rebuttals
and a chance to answer the judges' questions.
The panel can rule anytime after that. Traditionally, judges take anywhere
from a few days to a few months to issue rulings.
The RIAA -- which represents music labels including Warner Music Group,
Sony Music Group and Universal Music Group -- sued Napster in December,
alleging the company promotes illegal activity by allowing people to swap
copyrighted music for free.
The 9th Circuit has already given Napster a temporary reprieve. During a
hearing in July, U.S. District Judge Marilyn Hall Patel issued a surprise
ruling from the bench, ordering the company to stop the swapping of
major-label music, a move that in effect would shut the site down.
But just hours before Patel's ruling was set to take effect, a two-judge
appeals court panel delayed it. They said the case raises new questions
about topics such as fair use in the digital age, and gave each side a
chance to argue their case.
Attorneys for both sides already have submitted paper filings to the
appeals court, and now they'll have a chance to present their positions in
person.
In its filings, Napster has argued that it doesn't have the ability to
differentiate major label songs from other musical pieces, and would only
be able to comply with the ruling by closing the site, a move that would
lead to job cuts.
Furthermore, throughout the case, the company has argued that people have a
right to use a service such as Napster under the same legal concepts that
allow you to tape programs on a VCR or make multiple copies of a music CD
for personal use.
Napster also has the support of a wide range of groups that include
doctors, librarians and consumer electronics makers. In a flurry of legal
filings with the 9th Circuit in recent weeks, the groups argued that the
anti-Napster ruling could quash new technology or threaten free speech.
Meanwhile the RIAA has made the same arguments that worked so successfully
in Patel's courtroom -- namely, that Napster aims to make money by
promoting the stealing of copyrighted work. The RIAA has had the support of
software makers, the U.S. Patent Office and even the National Basketball
Association.
Monday's hearing comes while major shifts are taking place in the online
music arena, as copyright holders seek to maintain control over the
distribution of music, and new technology companies experiment with
innovative ways to transmit music online.
Some of the new technology companies are biting the bullet and pairing with
traditional record labels.
Napster competitor Aimster reportedly is in talks with RIAA member EMI
Group plc to develop a file-sharing concept amenable to copyright holders.
Meanwhile, MP3.com, a music locker company that was forced to pay millions
after losing a huge legal dispute with Universal, is asking federal
lawmakers for help.
Some Congressmen have introduced a bill that would basically legalize
MP3.com's MyMP3 service -- which is at the heart of the Universal dispute
-- by letting people store and access digital copies of songs they already
own on CD. MP3.com has organized a "Million E-Mail March" to support the
bill.
And at least one company has buckled under the threat of a music industry
suit. Scour Inc., which has a service allowing the swapping of music, video
and other files, laid off most of its staff in August, saying an RIAA suit
similar to the Napster litigation has scared off investors.
New Sony Device Puts Net And TV in Your Hand
Ever wanted to trade stocks and watch TV while sitting on the toilet?
Then Sony Corp's latest wireless gadget could be for you.
The Japanese high-tech giant on Thursday launched a portable screen that
can be used to surf the Internet, send e-mails and watch TV, billing it as
the digital era's answer to its revolutionary Walkman personal stereo. The
Airboard, a sleek, lightweight 10.4 inch (26 cm) monitor that comes with a
base station to receive information, enables users to roam around the house
and as far as the garden while staying connected and entertained.
Trading stocks while visiting the bathroom was listed as one of the
Airboard's possible uses, as well as browsing the Net or watching a video
while cooking dinner.
``There has been nothing like this in the world," Shizuo Takashino, a
director in charge of Sony's home electronics division, told a news
conference.
``Without using a PC, users can access information from anywhere,
effectively solving the so-called digital-divide problem."
The ``digital divide" refers to the gap between those who have access to
Web and those who can't afford to. However, with a likely price tag of
around 120,000 yen ($1,100), the machine is not much cheaper than a basic
laptop computer.
``Like the Walkman, this device will create a new lifestyle," Takashino
added, describing the Airboard as a "personal IT television."
The Airboard, which will go on sale in Japan on December 1, avoids the need
for a keyboard by incorporating a touchpad in the screen.
By allowing simultaneous display of different content, users can watch a
movie while keeping in touch with an e-mail conversation on a sub screen.
The Airboard can also hook up with other audio-visual products, acting as a
remote control for a CD player, for example.
The launch of the high-tech device came as Sony shares suffered their
biggest one-day slide in six months, falling 6.42 percent to close at
10,640. The fall came after Sony announced a halving of its initial
roll-out of PlayStation 2 game consoles in North America.
Sony is hoping it will tap into the growing popularity in Japan of devices
that offer users Internet access without a personal computer.
Dominant wireless carrier NTT DoCoMo has attracted a massive 12 million
subscribers to its ``i-mode" service, which enables users to access
thousands of web sites and access e-mail with their mobile phones.
The latest video game machines made by Sony and other leading makers also
offer Internet and e-mail access without the costs and complications of
computers.
Analysts said the Airboard was Sony's latest attempt to integrate home
audio and visual equipment into a single system, but said it was unclear
whether it would be put into mass production.
Yukihiko Shimada, an electronics analyst at Credit Lyonnais Securities,
said a more affordable price would suggest that Sony is serious about mass
producing the device.
``In many ways this is still a trial product," he said. "Flat-panel
screens are not optimal for televison viewing, mainly because they aren't
bright enough, but that may not matter as people will be looking at the
screen from a close distance, like a PC.
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