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Atari Online News, Etc. Volume 01 Issue 19
Volume 1, Issue 19 Atari Online News, Etc. July 9, 1999
Published and Copyright (c) 1999
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
Carl Forhan
Remi Vanel
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To download A-ONE, set your browser bookmarks to one of the
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Visit the Atari Advantage Forum on Delphi!
http://forums.delphi.com/m/main.asp?sigdir=atari
=~=~=~=
A-ONE #0119 07/09/99
~ People Are Talking! ~ JagFest '99 Video News ~ DEF CON 7.0
~ 810 Chip Set Fixed? ~ 'Joe' HTML Editor Out ~ Elly 1.2 Released
~ AOL, Koop Alliance! ~ Corel In Patent Suit ~ Mountain Out!
~ GTI's 'Driver' Ships! ~ Quake II for N64! ~ D2D Sample Player
-* Does The Media Cause Hacking *-
-* Acclaim Forms New PSX Developer Unit *-
-* 'Monster Truck Madness' 64 - First for MS! *-
=~=~=~=
->From the Editor's Keyboard "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
One of the few "good" things about returning to work after a couple of weeks
of vacation is only having to work a shortened holiday week! I'll tell ya;
it's hard to be back, at all. Thankfully, the really hot and sticky weather
here in the Northeast has broken. My wife and I looked everywhere for an
air conditioner for my study (a.k.a. The Sauna in Hell!), to no avail.
Since last week's issue was larger than usual; and the fact that this is a
"short" week due to the July 4th holiday - this week's issue will not be
jam-packed. We did get a number of positive responses to the Milan
interview and Albert Dayes' column pertaining to hard drives. Thanks to
Albert and Bengy Collins for those interesting pieces!
I don't have a lot to say this week as I'm still trying to get back into the
swing of things with my "normal" routine. Additionally, if it appears that
this week's issue arrives "late", it's because I joined my fellow former
user group members on a night out to catch up on old times. This is
happening on Friday, the night A-ONE hits the streets. It will all depend
on when I finally finish the issue up. Regardless, you should be seeing
this sometime Friday night.
Until next time...
D2D Background Player 2.26 Released
From: Remi Vanel <vanel@club-internet.fr>
A new version of my D2D sample Player for Falcon/Magic Mac is available on
my web site: http://tntmag.atari.org/download.htm.
This is the 2.26 version with TTRam recognition and external
clock support (untested).
>> The New Team association <<
TNT Mag Online:
http://tntmag.atari.org
or
http://perso.club-internet.fr/vanel
Vanel Remi, (K woul / TNT) vanel@club-internet.fr
Elly 1.2 Released
Richard Gordon Faika has released a new version of his MOD-Player Elly.
It is completely GEM embedded and should run on every DMA sound
supporting Atari. New in this release: bug fixes, optimizations
and other changes.
http://atari-computer.de/rgfaika/
[ This news item courtesy of http://www.atari.org
and Jan Daldrup - http://xonline.atari.org ]
Mountain 0.90 Released
From: Remi Vanel <vanel@club-internet.fr>
Mountain version 0.90 is available on:
http://tntmag.atari.org/mounted.htm
Mountain is video editing software for all Atari >= 68030
With these new features :
+ It's now possible to set an intensity for all tracks
+ New rounded buttons
+ New effects "Rotation" and "Spiral"
(look at the end of the example)
+ New short-cuts for the viewer ('Enter', '0', '[Shift](', '[Shift])')
Olympia 1.00 Released
From: Kevin Savetz <savetz@northcoast.com>
Durs Locher has released the first version of Olympia. Olympia allows you
to control digital cameras via the serial port. It is a modern GEM
application with all the bells and whistles. It should work with Agfa,
Epson, Sanyo, Nikon, Sierra Imaging and probably Toshiba cameras as they
use similar communication protocols. Olympia has been successfully tested
with the following cameras: Olympus SR83, Nikon E900, Epson SR82, SR86.
It costs about 50 Euro.
http://melkor.unibe.ch:8080/evtheol/durs.locher.1/personel.html
[ This news item courtesy of http://www.atari.org
and Jan Daldrup - http://xonline.atari.org ]
Joe 1.45 HTML Editor Released
From: Kevin Savetz <savetz@northcoast.com>
Joe, the HTML editor, version 1.45 is out now. It is available in English,
German and French. The modules package (Joe's Good Tricks) has not
changed since version 1.42.
New since version 1.42 are, besides other things, the Kurzel feature
known from the ASCII editor qed, including automatic expansion, a
contextual menu (right mouse button click) and a ST-Guide help system.
For download of any version and a table of changes, a description etc.
see below; for downloading anything but Joe's Good Tricks, you can also
visit the temporary site of Pierre Tonthat (author of the program):
http://perso.club-internet.fr/ptonthat/
http://jhatlak.atari.org/english/joe.html
=~=~=~=
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
compiled by Joe Mirando
jmirando@portone.com
Hidi ho friends and neighbors. Another week has come and gone, and
Mother Nature has done her best to wreck my wishes for a gradual
build-up to summer. The Fourth of July weekend was a cast iron killer,
and it has only now started to lighten up.
The more I delve into the world of the Pee Cee, the more I'm convinced
that there is some sort of conspiracy to keep us busy with silly things
rather than the issues we should be concerning ourselves with. In the
past two weeks, I've been 'informed' five times while online that there
were updates available for programs that I was using. I'd never visited
their websites or contacted them by email (with the exception of
Netscape) but they nonetheless knew that I had a <gasp> dated version of
their software.
Just think about that... two weeks, four updates (five, actually. One
program got updated twice). Updates are fine and dandy, but there was
really nothing wrong with the versions I had. No conspicuous crashes
(none that weren't directly attributable to Windows, anyway), no amazing
new features, no conspicuous decrease in file sizes (now THERE's a
revolutionary idea... the same program in LESS space on a PC!!!).
After observing this, I'm more convinced than ever that the ranks of the
mindless two-legged sheep are growing. They graze wherever they find
themselves and, on occasion, look up and startle themselves by noticing
their surroundings. But don't worry, they usually just look back toward
the ground and go back to grazing and feel that all is right with the
world in short order. This is what's known as pacification (not to be
confused with PacifiST, which I'm in the process of evaluating, by the
way).
A program update might be a surprising event. But the effect wears off
quickly. The new version gets taken for granted after a few short
sessions. Don't be concerned. Another update will be along shortly to
keep you entertained.
With the ever-increasing file sizes, I wouldn't be surprised to find
that these companies somehow get a 'piece of the action' when you
download the updates. I have no idea of how, but I keep wondering.
While I'm mulling it over, let's take a look at what's going on with the
UseNet.
From the comp.sys.atari.st NewsGroup
====================================
John Gray asks:
"How does one upgrade the TT030's RAM when Atari only sent it out with a
4/4 configuration? Advice and strategies, please."
Theo Hopman tells John:
"See the TT030 homepage at http://www.megacom.net/~q-funk/TT030/TT/ .
The best solution is probably the Aixit Magnum TT RAM card. See
http://www.systemsfortomorrow.com who have it in stock at $170 US. It
uses standard FPM or EDO 72-pin SIMMs, and will handle up to 256MB.
A lower-initial-cost option is the Atari 4/16 meg TT RAM board. B&C
Computervisions sells (or sold) them for $100 US. It uses 30 pin SIMMs.
If you're interested, I've got one sitting around, and $100 Canadian will
take it. Why am I not using it? It doesn't work with the 4meg SIMMs I
have, although it does work with the 1meg SIMMs from my older,
non-upgradeable TT RAM card. I'm not sure if it's the SIMMs or if it's my
early-revision TT. Email me if you're interested."
Martin-Eric Racine adds:
"If you have the newer CA401059 ST-RAM card, it can be upgraded to 8 MB
if you have proper hot-air desoldering tools and skills, for a total of
10 MB of ST-RAM (2 MB on motherboard, 8 on card).
The TT-RAM card is also upgradeable, but if you have the older CA 400312
card, it requires trace-cutting and more work than people would bargain
for. The CA 401058 card already accepts 4 MB simms, you just have to
change some jumpers.
Everything is documented in the Memory section of my homepage."
Paul Mac asks for help with using HotMail:
"I'm having problems logging in to hotmail. There is no error message
from hotmail but when I press Enter I get a time-down and Transaction
Failed error message.
I looked at the help pages and they mentioned SSL , does CAB support
SSL?
A couple of months ago logging into Hotmail was fine with CAB.
Any help would be much appreciated."
Andy Blakely tells Paul:
"A couple months ago Hotmail started using cookies... and if you had
cookies turned off, you couldn't get in. I'm not familiar with CAB, but
perhaps it doesn't support cookies?
For those who don't know what cookies are, I found this on the internet:
"Cookies are a general mechanism which server side connections (such as
CGI scripts) can use to both store and retrieve information on the client
side of the connection. The addition of a simple, persistent, client-side
state significantly extends the capabilities of Web-based client/server
applications."
Terry May tells Paul:
"[Does CAB support SSL??]... Nope."
Paul then asks:
"Does Dracnois support SSL? Accessing my hotmail account is vital.
Is there anyway I can do this without resorting to a flamin' PC?
Why does everything have to get so complicated , SSL , cookies ,
biscuits , kit-kats , marsbars who invents these blasted things?!"
Martin "Nightowl" Byttebier tells Paul:
"YES, cab, in fact the ovl does support SSL at least if you use the
cab-for-mintnet.ovl...
...install MiNT/MiNTnet and use the special SSL cab-for-mintnet.ovl
You can find this ovl at the Belgian ftp-site
ftp://193.190.204.128/atari/mint/www/cab-for-mint_ovl/ssl_18404.ovl.zip"
Katherine Ellis adds:
"CAB doesn't know about SSL or NOT, just displays html code "basically"
Now we are talking about the ovl. And yes, MiNTnet cab ovl does support
SSL. But of course, none of you use MiNT, so you wouldn't know.
Most people here are denying the directions Atari Corp was going.
Remember, as always, Atari Corp always was ahead of their times, MiNT
starts to prove ONCE again this theory."
While we're on the subject of internet problems, Djordje Vukovic posts:
"I have just unsuccessfully tried to find some earlier messages in Atari
newsgroups on Dejanews. I have tried it both via Hallvard's Launchpad
and directly, and in both cases I get the message in CAB that the
Dejanews "server does not respond".
Does anybody have problem contacting Dejanews news database? Has the URL
changed? Maybe I have missed some info on that item, as I was out of
touch with newsgroups and Internet in general for a couple of months.
Can somebody help, please?"
Liam Busey comes to the rescue and tells Djordje:
"Dejanews recently renamed themselves Deja. Along with a new website they
also changed their URL to <www.deja.com>. Otherwise it's pretty much the
same."
Louis Holleman asks for help with his new hard drive:
"well, today I finally got my replacement for the differential SCSI IBM-
0662 drive, a Seagate ST 12400N drive. 2 Gigs, hooked it up, partitioned
it and finally I have some space to breathe in... :-)
Next Q of course is: who knows about the jumpers on the front side.
Those on the side I suppose to be the ID ones. But the row on the
front...
None of them is jumpered, the drive works fine, can autoboot but
nevertheless I'd like some info.
And tomorrow I'll get this Mega-STe, and with it a (hopefully) nice
working keyboard so I can replace the TT one that won't let me use the
"l" key properly, and has a degrading spacebar, m-key and the "ENTER"
thing stopped working some months ago...(Am I glad there's a separate
"RETURN" key...)
Next job is repairing the mylar on the TT-kbd... I'm not looking forward
to that one!"
Martin Graiter asks Louis:
"Differential SCSI on the Atari? Isn't differential 12 Volts?"
Louis tells Martin:
"Nope: differential is different... all lines double and the layout on 50
or 68 pin connectors completely different. Usually used in mainframe
systems. If you want to use it on a regular SCSI bus you need adapters
at US$ 500 each...
You missed that part of the story, but quite some months ago I purchased
an IBM 0661 SCSI-2 disk, didn't manage to get it to work and
consequently sent it back to the vendor. I got a replacement drive, being
an 0662 type, which turned out to be differential SCSI. No go on the bus.
So I sent that one back too, phoned the guys about a dozen times and
yesterday (hurray) the postman delivered a parcel containing a Seagate
ST12400N 2 gig drive. Works flawlessly, is autobooting and thank God I
have some diskspace again (at 3.7 gigs now I wonder for how long).
Meanwhile I picked up a Mega STe, swapped the keyboard with my TT one so
at last I can type again normally, without using CTL-V to create an "l",
the m-key, spacebar and Enter stuff work OK again. Next job is upgrading
the mylar on the old keyboard... which now sits on the Mega STe.
The Mega came with a 40 meg Seagate, partitioned into 4 (!) parts, with
AHDI so much on it. I wiped out the whole contents, removed AHDI,
repartitioned into 2 parts and now I boot from the external SCSI drive
with Hushi. The Seagate boots by means of Hushi on the SCSI drive, and
since it has ID 0 I use the C-partition to boot from... no probs at all.
Drats, I just missed a cheap TT with 6 megs, no HD, incl. VGA monitor...
would have been a nice spare parts machine."
Don Schoengarth posts:
"Since I cant find out how to install a second drive into my TT on the
net I need some help.
Here is what I have.
TT terminated
IBM WDS-3160 NOT terminated
Quantum 160 Terminated
Why does this not work what am I doing wrong. It will only boot from the
last drive and that is the Quantum. Yes they are both working drive and
I have booted from both."
Martin-Eric Racine tells Don:
"First, check that both drives have different SCSI ID numbers. The
bootable one normally has ID #0.
Second, termination. Typically, the internal drive _should_ be
terminated, plus the last external device on the SCSI chain also.
Last, some recent drives use "initiator ID" which most drivers cannot
provide. HD-Driver handles those well, but they cannot be used as the
boot drive, only as secondary drives."
Well folks, that's it for this week. Tune in again next time around,
same time, same station, and be ready to listen to what they are saying
when...
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
=~=~=~=
->In This Week's Gaming Section - JagFest '99 Video News!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" MS Releases 1st Video Game!
'Quake II 64'! Acclaim News!
And much more!
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE's Game Console Industry News - The Latest Gaming News!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
The Awesome Force of QUAKE II Launches onto the Nintendo 64
Get ready to experience the adrenaline-pumping force of QUAKE II on the
Nintendo 64 when the game hits more than 10,000 retail outlets throughout
the United States and Canada the week of June 28, 1999. QUAKE II for the
N64 delivers heart pounding, non-stop action as players carry out
reconnaissance missions deep within enemy territory. Executive produced
and directed by Id Software Inc. and distributed by Activision, the title
will carry a suggested retail price of $59.95.
``QUAKE II delivers a powerful new gaming experience to the Nintendo 64
with its action-packed gameplay and multi-player mayhem," stated Mitch
Lasky, executive vice president, Activision Studios. ``The game's killer
effects, stunning graphics, new levels and increased multi-player
capabilities make this a must have title for QUAKE fans and newcomers
alike."
``QUAKE II for the Nintendo 64 proves as gut-wrenching as the PC version,"
stated Todd Hollenshead, CEO, id Software. ``With eye popping new levels
and the utter insanity of QUAKE's legendary multi-player experience, QUAKE
II is as intense as it gets."
In QUAKE II, the future of humanity is at stake as earth launches its final
assault against alien aggressors. As a Special Operations Space Marine,
gamers are sent in to infiltrate and destroy the aliens' heavily fortified
military installations. As they carry out their reconnaissance, players
must dodge enemy fire, crawl through shafts, navigate through murky water
and explore the dangerous shadows of moody, immersive 3D environments in an
attempt to obliterate the enemy.
As they blast their way through 19 mission-based levels designed
specifically for the N64, players are pitted against an array of vicious
enemies -- from the cybernetic Gunner to the deadly Tank -- that
relentlessly hunt them down. Gamers can arm themselves with an arsenal of
powerful weapons, including grenade launchers, hyperblasters and railguns,
to deliver mortal blows the flesh-hungry monsters.
Developed by Raster Productions, QUAKE II features wicked multi-player
capabilities allowing two to four players to compete head-to-head. Gamers
can play against up to three of their friends in Deathmatch, FragTeams,
FlagWars or DeathTag. Each game has its own unique rules, scoring, and
method for winning. Any of the multi-player games can be played with two to
four players in any of the ten specially designed multi-player arenas.
Now You are the Wheelman! GT Interactive and Reflections
Ship One Million Units of 'Driver' Worldwide
In one of the largest and most anticipated launches in company history, GT
Interactive Software Corp. has shipped one million units of the
PlayStation game console version of Driver worldwide.
Developed by Reflections, a GT Interactive internal studio, Driver has just
released in the U.K. where it instantly skyrocketed to number one on the
sales charts. Following that lead, several U.S. retail outlets, which have
begun receiving shipments, have already reported sell-outs within as little
as five minutes.
Driver's launch is being supported by a comprehensive multi-million dollar
marketing campaign. The company's high-energy TV spot, featuring Antonio
Fargas a.k.a. Huggy Bear from Starsky and Hutch, premiers July 12 on
national cable and syndication and runs until September.
``We are pleased with the preliminary feedback from retail, and are
expecting even greater impact once the game reaches full distribution and
the TV spot airs," said Tony Kee, Director of Marketing for GT
Interactive. ``We anticipate Driver becoming one of our cornerstone
franchises for many years to come."
Driver has already garnered praise from leading mainstream and industry
publications:
o ``Buy it!" Maxim, July/August 1999;
o ``...a wild ride that gamers won't want to miss" GamePro, June 1999;
o ``...one of the more memorable PlayStation driving experiences" PS
Extreme, May 1999;
o ``Though its impressive physics and eye-popping graphic effects are
almost worth the price of admission alone, Driver's innovative gameplay
should give it a leg-up on traditional driving games`` PC Gamer,
February 1999.
Driver for the PlayStation is currently available at a suggested retail
price of $49.95, while the PC version is scheduled for September.
Additional information regarding Driver can be found at
http://driver.gtgames.com.
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.'s Rockstar Games to Release
Microsoft's Monster Truck Madness 64 for Nintendo 64 On July 30
First Ever Microsoft Gaming Property to be Released On a Video Game Console
Rockstar Games, the high-end console division of Take-Two Interactive
Software, Inc., announced that it has begun manufacturing Microsoft, Inc.'s
Monster Truck Madness 64 for the Nintendo 64. The title, the first ever
Microsoft property to be released on a video game console system, will be
released as scheduled on July 30th of this year.
Monster Truck Madness 64 was developed by Edge of Reality, Inc., and based
on the popular Microsoft PC franchise, Monster Truck Madness, which has
sold over 500,000 copies to date. The game utilizes the two driving modes
available in the PC version of the game, while adding five new game modes
and a host of new features that further exploit the multi-player
capabilities of the Nintendo 64 system. The game features many of the
world's most famous Monster Trucks, including BIGFOOT and The WCW/nWo
WrestleTrucks. A national television advertising campaign will run
throughout August, featuring two of the WCW wrestlers whose trucks are
featured in the game.
Monster Truck Madness 64 is the first Nintendo game released by Take-Two's
Rockstar Games, with more titles to follow later this year.
``We are hopeful that Monster Truck Madness 64 will follow the retail
success of Microsoft's PC Monster Truck Madness games, and become one of
the strongest selling Nintendo 64 games of the summer," said Sam Houser,
President of Rockstar Games.
Ed Fries, General Manager of Microsoft's Entertainment Business Unit,
commented, ``This is the first time any Microsoft title has been released
on a console system, so it is a very exciting event for us. Rockstar has
produced an excellent Nintendo 64 title, which will help expose our
franchise to a new gaming audience."
Acclaim Forms New PlayStation Development Powerhouse
Acclaim Entertainment announced the formation of a new studio, Acclaim
Studios Stroud (UK), comprised of top creative talent in the PlayStation
development arena. Former Psygnosis teams join the Company further
strengthening Acclaim Studios' formidable internal development resources
and provide additional backbone to the commitment on building its
PlayStation portfolio.
``Our internal development is one of the key strengths of our organization
generating more than 68 percent of our revenues and growing," said Greg
Fischbach, co-chairman and CEO, Acclaim Entertainment. ``The newly added
Stroud studio is the perfect fit as we ramp-up our product development for
the PlayStation and its successor over the next 12 months. Stroud's
significant experience developing for the platform will help us do just
that."
The new studio, which consists of 26 former Psygnosis employees, is formed
from one of the premier development houses for the PlayStation platform. As
Psygnosis, the studio was responsible for some of the PlayStation's
significant titles including G-Police, G-Police 2, and other titles. With
the formation of the new studio, Acclaim adds a talented core of game
designers, artists, programmers, and engineers that will help realize
Acclaim's desire to build one of the strongest internal creative force in
the industry. The new studio will be headed by Harvey Elliott, formerly
Acclaim's Director of Product Development, Europe.
``We are extremely pleased to be joining Acclaim Studios," said Neil
Duffield, Director, Acclaim Studios Stroud. ``The ability to draw from and
contribute to the pool of technology and digital assets stemming from all
of the studios worldwide is an exciting prospect. We look forward to
creating the next great PlayStation games under our new label."
In the coming weeks, Acclaim will announce additional information regarding
Acclaim Studios Stroud.
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE Gaming Online - Online Users Growl & Purr!
"""""""""""""""""""
JagFest '99 Video Orders Now Being Taken!
It will still be several weeks before the video is finished, but I am
accepting pre-orders now, so I can accurately plan for how many tapes,
mailers, etc. I will need.
The JagFest '99 video will include:
* Live footage from JagFest '99
* Brief interviews with a number of well-known Atari fans, like
Kevin Manne, Clay Halliwell, Scott Walters, and more
* Direct video feeds of Protector, BattleSphere, Skyhammer,
Soccer Kid, Hyper Force, and a few other unfinished goodies...
* Direct feeds of rare 2600 games like Edtris and Oystron
The cost of the video will be $19.95 plus shipping ($3.20 in the USA).
Please fill out the order form on http://songbird.atari.org and include
this form with your payment. Also, email me if you have not done so
already to reserve your copy.
I will post updates to this list as I make progress on the video. Feel
free to ask any questions.
Thanks,
Carl Forhan
Songbird Productions
JagFest '99 - http://jagfest.atari.org
=~=~=~=
A-ONE's Headline News
The Latest in Computer Technology News
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
Does The Media Cause Hacking?
Could the media be the cause of the recent rash of hacker outbreaks? The
answer may come at DEF CON 7.0, the world's biggest hacking spectacle,
which kicks off this coming weekend.
DEF CON, an annual strange brew of security experts, law enforcement
officials, hackers and, yes -- "The Media" -- descends upon Las Vegas this
Friday.
The event will be televised. It will also be streamed on the Web, reported
upon for newspapers and Web sites, and written about in magazines for
months to come.
And all that attention has some media analysts questioning whether the
media's coverage of hacking and cyber vandalism promotes more of the same.
"Every step in the evolution of hackers, the media has gotten the story
wrong," said Jon Katz, a media critic with Slashdot.org and Wired
Magazine.
"When the media uses the term 'hacker,' they are really talking about
vandals. It doesn't help that the media falls into the trap every time."
Graffiti on the NetOne indication of the media's effect on hacking: Such
unwelcome Web intrusions, at least anecdotally, are on the rise.
Boston-area security consultant B. K. DeLong says there have been more than
1,300 incidences of Web-page defacements so far this year (he only began
tracking the number of hacks late last year).
They're certainly gaining in prominence: Several Web site hacks, including
the WhiteHouse.gov, Senate.gov and Army.mil, were covered extensively by
major media such as CNN and the New York Times, as well as by the
electronic media, including ZDNet subsidiary ZDNN.
Whether you call them cyber vandals or hackers, they have the run of the
Web, said DeLong.
"I personally think that 75 to 85 percent of sites are hackable," he said.
DeLong believes that if hackers leave these sites alone, it stems more from
fear of potential legal repercussions than problems breaking in.
One old-school hacker agrees that media publicity and the notoriety it
guarantees keeps the hacks coming. Like Katz, he doesn't view page
defacements as hacks.
"Web-page defacing is not hacking," said Space Rogue, a long-time hacker.
Hackers have traditionally plied their trade in part to gain knowledge
about computer systems. In a Web page defacement, "there is really little
knowledge gained [about the network], and no other motives besides fame."
Space Rogue works with the security group L0pht Heavy Industries and runs
the Hacker News Network, an underground information site.
Members of the Keebler Elves, a cybergang that hacked the National
Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's Storm Prediction Center
site last week, disagree.
"Defacing a site to me is showing the admins, government [and others] that
go to the site that we own them," wrote "soupnazi," one of the founding
members of the Keebler Elves, in a chat with ZDNN. "They wouldn't even know
we were in [their systems], if we didn't deface [them]."
Only when they want to send a message do they deface a page, soupnazi said.
"I've told the Keebler members that I'm not a big fan of defacing pages,"
he said. "I'd rather have root [complete access] to someone's account."
Another hacker, who claims responsibility for the Army.mil defacement, also
defended the tactic. "Messages can be gotten across, if you hit the right
machines," said "t1edown" in a chat with ZDNN.
The hacker theorizes that the seeming increase in defacements is partially
due to media coverage, which he thinks makes more kids want to learn to
hack.
But he also thinks that gaping security holes are part of the problem.
For example, the Army.mil attack came through a known hole in the security
of a Web server tool, Allaire Corp.'s ColdFusion. Though a patch is
available, and L0pht says it informed the Army of the weakness in its
security, the Army failed to update all its servers.
But not everyone thinks Web defacement is necessarily bad.
Alex Fowler, director of strategic initiatives at the cyber-rights
organization Electronic Frontier Foundation, does not advocate hacking, but
stresses that there can be valid reasons for graffiti.
Fowler paraphrased an African-American woman who attended a recent EFF
panel on public spaces in cyberspace, saying, "Graffiti is about a space
for the disenfranchised to cry out and inform those around them, even when
anonymity has been forced upon them."
He added that graffiti -- cyber and otherwise -- is visible to those who
may not agree with the sentiments involved, unlike a Web page.
"Building AOLsux.com only preaches to the choir," he said. "You are not
actually talking to the people who like AOL or the ones that have not
thought about the issue."
Slashdot's Katz believes there is no danger in the defacements, and hardly
any reason for media coverage.
In fact, he blames journalists for confusing vandals with hackers, and
turning them into Orwellian villains.
"Ever since the end of the Cold War, law enforcement and the media have
been short of bad guys," he said.
"The people that the media calls hackers have done very little damage to
the Net," he said. "They are kids that like to show anonymous power. To
make them into a serious menace, a danger to society, is ludicrous."
Intel Issues Fix For Another 810 Chip Set Glitch
It's not good timing.
Intel Corp. confirmed today it has delivered to OEMs a fix for another
glitch with its 810 chip set for Celeron-based PCs.
The glitch -- or erratum, as Intel calls it -- can cause the chip set's
real-time clock to display incorrect date and time, officials said.
The real-time clock, which is a part of the chip set, updates the time once
per second, but during the update alerts the system that it is doing so.
Because of the erratum, a signal that is supposed to be sent from the clock
alerting the rest of the system it is busy may not get sent. As a result,
incorrect data can be displayed.
"If it occurs, it may result in invalid data being read in the date and
time display fields of the real-time clock," said Intel spokesman Dan
Francisco. "However, the actual values themselves wouldn't change."
Some applications get their time information from the real-time clock,
which also supplies timing information to a PC's BIOS software.
The fix consists of updated BIOS software, which ensures that a system
knows the clock is being updated. As a result of the glitch and its
resulting fix, which OEMs are in the process of implementing, some
810-based products may be delayed.
The reason? OEMs are concerned that the glitch could be picked up by some
year 2000 testing tools, which would list an affected PC as non-Y2K
compliant, sources said. Intel, however, lists the chip set as a compliant
product.
For OEMs like Dell Computer Corp., it's better to err on the side of
caution than to send customers into year 2000 compliance frenzy.
"We are taking some extra due diligence due to this erratum," said Dell
spokesman John Thompson. "Regardless of the real or imagined issue with the
real-time clock, because of year 2000 ... people are more sensitive to
timing issues."
The fix may delay Dell's new 810-based Dimension desktop PC, announced June
15 and expected to ship in late July, by a few weeks.
Last month , Intel had to address a glitch that could cause a system to
hang if a Pentium III processor and the 810 chip set were put together.
Software Maker Corel Draws Patent Lawsuit
Canadian software developer Corel Corp. has been hit with a lawsuit by
Advanced Software Inc. of California that alleges word processing patent
infringement.
Ottawa-based Corel, which develops graphics and office automation software,
and the U.S. unit of Anglo-Dutch joint venture Reed Elsevier Inc. are being
sued by Advanced Software, which claims Corel's WordPerfect software Reed
Elsevier's CompareRite infringe on its patent.
Advanced Software said a 1989 patent and 1998 patent reissue cover an
invention by employee Cary Queen that allows the comparison of documents in
original and modified versions in split-screen format.
``Our lawyers have been served," said Corel spokeswoman Nicole Sanford.
``They're just reviewing the complaint right now."
Neither firm named in the suit yet has filed a reaction, said a spokeswoman
from the U.S. District Court in Wilmington, De., where the suit was filed
June 16.
Nutmeg Securities Ltd. analyst Jean W. Orr said she understands the suit
may refer to a feature that allows the comparison of two legal documents
with different wording.
``This is a feature that WordPerfect has had for several versions now,"
said the analyst, who has followed Corel for several years.
Reed Elsevier, a joint venture of Reed International and Elsevier N.V.
which operates the online LEXIS-NEXIS information service, is targeted in
the suit for its software program CompareRite.
In its complaint, Advanced Software is seeking unspecified damages, legal
fees, and asking the court to stop Corel and Reed Elsevier from using the
technology.
History shows that victory with software patent lawsuits is extremely
difficult, said Mark Pavan, software analyst at Yorkton Securities in
Toronto. ``For every example of a successful lawsuit affecting the
operations of a company, there are 50 examples of where it hasn't," he
said.
Despite a spate of high-profile lawsuits slapped on Corel over the last
year, analysts who follow Corel were largely unaware of the Advanced
Software action.
Corel stock made gains Friday markets, likely buoyed by upcoming initial
public offerings for firms such as Red Hat Software Inc., which also
support the free Linux operating system.
Corel stock closed Friday at C$6.65, up C$1.05, on the Toronto Stock
Exchange in heavy trade. On Nasdaq, the stock rose 75 cents to close at
$4.56.
($1-$1.46 Canadian)
AOL, Koop in $89 Million Alliance
In a move to expand its reach, the Internet health care site led by former
Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop agreed Tuesday to pay $89 million to
form an alliance with America Online Inc., the dominant provider of
Internet access.
The four-year agreement gives AOL a link to a widely respected name in
medicine and an opportunity to buy stock in one of the most popular Web
health sites, drkoop.com. The deal gives drkoop.com a chance to build up
advertising and electronic sales through AOL's millions of users.
The deal between drkoop.com and AOL is not exclusive; drkoop.com also is
found on the GO Network, owned by The Walt Disney Co.
Still, investors cheered the announcement, bidding up the stock of
drkoop.com by 56 percent and sending AOL shares rising almost 5 percent.
Even with the reach of AOL and its CompuServe and Netscape Netcenter
brands, however, some analysts wondered whether the health care service
would be able to produce enough business to meet the four-year schedule for
paying AOL $89 million.
AOL will sell ads for drkoop.com, which, like many Internet ventures
popular on Wall Street, has yet to turn a profit. The company lost $4.1
million on revenue of $404,000 in the three months ended March 31.
Even so, health care is a $1 trillion industry and more consumers will look
to the Internet for help and savings, said Donald Hackett, president and
CEO of drkoop.com.
``We believe this partnering enables us to reach critical mass," Hackett
said.
Visitors to Koop's site can get information on a range of products and
services such as insurance, interactive support groups, vitamins and drugs.
``More and more people are turning to the Internet for health
information," AOL spokesman Tom Ziemba said, adding that Koop is the most
``widely recognized and trusted" voice for this information.
The primary competition will come from Healtheon, which recently bought
WebMD. Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq:MSFT - news) has pledged to invest $250
million in the new venture.
Although Internet health care ventures have unlimited potential because the
market applies to everyone, it remains to be seen whether the public will
flock to drkoop.com and other such sites, said Emily Meehan, an analyst
with the Yankee Group in Boston.
``There's been a lot of hype," she said. ``But right now, two-thirds of
American homes are not using the Internet.
The question is whether drkoop.com will be able to generate the revenue
needed make its payments to AOL, Ms. Meehan said.
Retail sales over the Internet have expanded rapidly, but the sale of
health products by computer is still relatively untested and is considered
an emerging market, she said.
``The opportunity is certainly there," Ms. Meehan said.
Koop, 82, who has a 7 percent stake in the company, spent seven years as
surgeon general in the Reagan and Bush administrations.
Shares of drkoop.com, which began trading early last month, rose $13.25 to
close at $36.871/2 Tuesday in heavy trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market. AOL
was up $5.683/4 to close at $120.933/4 a share as the most active issue on
the New York Stock Exchange.
=~=~=~=
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