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Atari Online News, Etc. Volume 02 Issue 29
Volume 2, Issue 29 Atari Online News, Etc. July 21, 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:
Carl Forhan
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=~=~=~=
A-ONE #0229 07/21/00
~ Songbird CGE2K Update! ~ People Are Talking! ~ Macworld Expo News!
~ Maxtor's 80 GB IDE HD! ~ AllAdvantage Layoff! ~ Test Strip 3.0!
~ 'Snake Oil' Web Scams! ~ BC To Rate Video Games ~ New iMacs!
~ Overwhelmed By E-Mail! ~ A-ONE Reader Feedback ~ Workplace Privacy!
-* House Passes Anti-Spam Bill! *-
-* New Internet Domain Names Approved! *-
-* Microsoft Woos Mac Users With "Office:Mac" *-
=~=~=~=
->From the Editor's Keyboard "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
What a gorgeous week, again! My only regret is that my vacation starts now
and the weather may not be as pleasant as the past two weeks. Then again,
now I'm on vacation rather than returning to work on Monday! Unlike my
counterpart, Joe, I get more than two weeks of vacation a year!
It's been really hectic the past few weeks at work; this vacation is just
what I've ordered for myself! It's budget time again where we are; and the
administrative focus is on that almighty dollar, as Joe so accurately points
out in his column. Spend less money and get more work done. Works for me!
Wrong! There are occasions when you can do more with less, if you try hard
enough. But eventually, there will be a peak before everything falls apart.
Try and tell that to those in charge of the purse strings!
So, here I am putting the finishing touches on this week's issue while
letting my mind wander to the things I hope to do during the next two weeks!
Definitely some golf is involved. Some work in the yard, most likely. Lots
of cold beer, some relaxing in the sun with a few good books, and a cool dip
in the pool when the heat gets too much. Now that's a vacation!
Until next time...
=~=~=~=
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
compiled by Joe Mirando
jmirando@portone.com
Hidi ho friends and neighbors. This is one of those times when I just
don't have a clue as to what I'm going to bring up in my column.
I know that, even at my best, I don't provide you with the heights of
either philosophy or comedy. But I try to make a point in my own humble
way most of the time. I had considered a "best of" compilation a while
back, but let's face it... There really isn't enough of the "best of"
to do it. <smile>
Why is it that we work all year with the only bright spot being our two
measly weeks of vacation and then, when it's finally here, it flies by
in the blink of an eye and we're left marking days off on the calendar
again?
Don't get me wrong... I'm not saying that I need to go someplace
special or expensive or exotic in order to enjoy myself. All I really
need is peace and quiet. All that packing and unpacking takes more out
of me than actually just working. And it seems that you just start to
relax, and it's time to pack everything up again to go home. That's
just the way we do it here in the states. I think Europe has the right
idea: If you're going to do it, do it BIG.The average vacation in
Germany is six to eight weeks. Other european nations have similar
timetables, but here in the U.S. we've just got to make that dollar.
Any more than two weeks might cost us a rung on the ladder or enable
someone else's light to shine it the darkness left by our absence.
Well guess what. No matter whether you're there or not, your boss is
going to be making money while paying you as little as he can and
complaining about even that. At least I work for a small company, so I
can put a face to the name 'Evil'. I pity the poor souls cursed with a
job at some mega corporation that gets sold every other week and has a
board of directors or some such nonsense. How could you ever know for
sure who to blame for your dire state?
By the way, can you tell that I'm back from vacation?? <sad grin>
Well, I guess that's enough of that, huh? Let's get on with the news,
hints, tips, and info available on the UseNet.
From the comp.sys.atari.st NewsGroup
====================================
Janka Gerhard asks about file name conventions:
"Several times now I downloaded zip files that included files with
blanks in their name. So after unzipping I have files that neither
can be renamed nor deleted. The only way to get rid of them I can
think of is to save everything else from the partition, then
deleting the whole partition and restoring the data.
Does anybody have a better idea ? Maybe some way to edit the
file name table on the HD ( the best possible solution since then
I could use the files )?"
John Garone tells Janka:
"If you're using ICD to boot your HD with, 'Cleanup.prg' will let you
re-name bad filenames. Note: bypass the sector test (it takes forever)
and if prompted to "reconstruct.....chains/files" click "NO" or you'll
need another program like Diamond Edge to rename files that start with a
"?" which Cleanup.prg creates!!!"
Jeff Armstrong asks about SCSI:
"Alright, I have a seemingly simple question. How can I force a boot
to strictly ROM TOS or a floppy before any hard disk bootloaders kick
in? I need to override AHDI before it turns on since I corrupted the
sectors on my boot HD.
At bootup, the actual AHDI bootloader bombs. Every time with every
configuration. SO I need to access the floppy to fix the drive. How
is this possible? Or is my disk gone?"
Dr. Uwe Seimet, the author of HD Driver, tells Jeff:
"Try pressing the Alternate key (and keep it pressed until the desktop
appears) right after switching on your machine. If this doesn't help
you'll have to disconnect the hard disk drive, switch on the computer,
then carefully connect the drive, start the driver from floppy disk and
clean up the mess."
Steve Sweet jumps in and adds:
"Hold down control or alternate, try either i cant remember which one, one
bypasses hard disk boot, the other bypass's AUTO folder loading.
If AHDI is not totally poxed holding SHIFT - SHIFT might sort it."
Trevor Spencer adds his thoughts:
"If you still have problems - email me and I'll send you a program that
will enable you to boot up with the hard drive off. You then switch it on
and access it hopefully, I find it very handy for the odd occasion when a
new program crashes the system for some reason. I use AHDI as well."
'Phantomm' asks about CPUs and stuff:
"Can anyone give me some advise on the best FPU to put into a
CT2B Falcon. Like what's the fastest one that I would need?
Also, can someone tell me what difference does it make if you
do the VGA Adapter Modification for the CT2B that the manual
recommends? What will I gain by doing this modification?"
Robert Schaffner tells Phantomm:
"I use an 68882-33 as long I've had the CT2... perfectly.
68882-16, falcon standard part, won't run.
The video modification allows you to use the higher pixel clock from
CT2 with falcon standard video adaptor. Falcon video adaptor had pin 15
normally connected to ground. Also you can remove one smt resistor below
mainboard with the same result.
Pin 15 video port is connected via smt resistor R49 straight to pin 14
video. If any video adaptor outside falcon pull down pin 15 to gnd also
pixel clock from CT2 goes to gnd."
Matthew Simpson-Morgan asks about customizing his desktop:
"I am wondering whether there is any way to customize the Gem desktop
with a background image, short of a replacement desk program... ie, can
the desktop.inf file on boot floppy be edited to load up a background
image?
I use a Mega ST4 without hard drive, so I'm looking for something that
can be easily customised on the boot disk. Any ideas???"
Martin-Eric Racine tells Matthew:
"Thing is the best replacement desktop around. It is shareware.
You can find out more at http://www.cix.co.uk/~inactive/ "
Mike Freeman jumps in and tells Martin-Eric:
"While I agree Thing is pretty good, I think he was asking about a
program that puts a picture in the background *without* a replacement
desktop. I suggested DeskPic, or WINX's background pattern program.
Does anyone else have any other suggestions I don't know about?"
Gergard Holscher adds:
"I don't know DeskPic, but anyway WINX would be good to install."
Mark Bedingfield asks Gerhard and Mike:
"Doesn't WINX need gemram to run? It put me off using it is it gobbles
up more ram."
Gerhard replies:
"Yes, but the amount of used memory is not big, around 60 KBytes."
John Oakes posts this about what is probably my LEAST favorite science
fiction movie:
"Last night on TV I saw Bladerunner probably for umteenth time.
Still in the background shots we still had our famous Atari symbol. After this
excellent film, they had a break down of what made the film unique,
describing various techniques.
Which got me thinking of the uniqueness of our own personal machine. I
feel we don't need to try and stick our heads above a parapet. As long
as the majority enjoy what are the best about your own individual
machine. Everyone's eye is always drawn to flashy gimmick, but as long
as you know that you have a safe ground too return to, that is the part of
enjoyment of the of seeing of Atari in the background."
Gerald Korner tells John:
"Yesterday in the cinema I saw a preview of the new movie "Road Trip".
One of the actors wears all the time a red t-shirt with the
ATARI-Logo. For me is this a reason, to watch this movie."
Eric McCormack adds:
"In the Italian movie Flight of the Innocent (1993) I'm not sure of the
Italian title though, when we finally see the kidnapped/murdered boys
bedroom, a 520/1040ST, monitor and mouse are on the desk."
Stephen Moss joins the discussion and asks:
"On a related note, what model Atari does John Connor (Edward Furlong) used
in Terminator 2 to raid the cash point machine? is it a Stylus?"
Tomas Berndtsson tells Stephen:
"It was a Portfolio, probably a bit Hollywood-enhanced."
Bob King brings the discussion around to the real world:
"Just to add to the story of the uniqueness of the Atari family, in my
job of determining the degree or otherwise of inventions, Atari software
and hardware has been used against some very big companies indeed.
Notably the 8-bit Atari Artist tablet and cartridge against the market
leaders in pre and post-production TV graphics and Tom Hudson's 3D-CAD
suite against market leaders in 3D CAD. The GEM desktop has been cited
against many 'new' GUIs. The Atari got there first in many areas, but
sadly that was then and this is now."
Edward Baiz asks about the latest version of STinG:
"I have been trying to get STING 1.26 to run. It does do well up to a point.
It gets all way to "initialising link" and goes no further. It does not
crash the Hades, it just sits there. Version 1.12 runs fine however. Any
ideas anyone?"
Don Wolfe tells Edward:
"I installed STING 1.26/DIALER 1.17 on my TT and it worked good,
except when in a big web site like Yahoo or Ebay and moved around
to much I would get 2 bombs & 68 or 69 error, or sometimes it would
say "program refused to except data". So I went back to STING 1.22
which seem to be rock solid....
Try copying your old working DIAL.SCR into the new DIALER and see
if that helps the "initialising link" problem...."
Berthold Woesle adds:
"I had exactly the same problem on my TT. Ronald Andersson gave me the tip to
totally reconfigure HSMODA07 with the setter.ttp of the hsmoda07 package. Do
you also use this for the serial ports of your Hades? Thanks to Ronald after
the reconfiguration of hsmoda07 everything works correctly."
Well folks, I know it's short, but that's all there is 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 - British Columbia To Rate Videogames!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Songbird CGE2K Updates!
'Threads of Fate'! And more!
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE Feedback! - The readers, "Saying it like it is!"
"""""""""""""""
In last week's issue, I got on one my typical soap boxes regarding the recent
decision by Canada's British Columbia to "regulate" videogames. As I've
done over the years on the same topic, I blew off steam by attacking this
decision, and the premise itself.
Personally, it's my opinion that violence in videogames is something that
the government should leave alone - it's not their responsibility. Well, at
least one of our readers disagrees with me and dropped me a line. The text
of that message is below. I'll include my response after the comments.
From: David L. Ormand
To: dpj@delphi.com <dpj@delphi.com>
Subject: Censorship? Parental Responsibilities?
Date: Monday, July 17, 2000 2:43 PM
In response to your editorial:
>What's the problem? I am so tired of hearing stories of attempts by the
>government - any government - getting involved in censorship and the
>apparent over-protection being meted out for the consumer public. Leave
>parental responsibilities to parents!
Please be careful with definitions. "Censorship" is eliminating public
access to certain materials. The Canadian government is NOT engaging in
"censorship", so defined, but rather limiting access to minors. This is
similar to limiting access to pornography, tobacco, alcohol, yes, even
voting and driving priviledges from minors. Some may disagree, but it is
generally accepted that children and teenagers should not have the "right"
to be involved in these. If the Canadian government, supposedly with the
support of the Canadian people, includes violent video games in this list
of "rights" restricted from minors, then that's another discussion, but
not "censorship".
Further, I would say such restrictions enable parents to exercise their
responsibilities! If Junior says, "I want 'Soldier of Fortune'" and his
parents can choose to go out and buy it for him, or not to, they are
exercising their authority. Circumventing this by allowing Junior to
obtain 'Soldier of Fortune' without his parent's knowledge and consent
reduces the reasonableness of this appeal to "parental responsibility."
The law doesn't say minors can't use this software, just that they can't
buy it themselves. I'm not real sure about the laws regarding alcohol
and tobacco, but I believe if a parent bought beer and cigarettes and
let his child imbibe and smoke (at home), there wouldn't be any more
said about it (well, not on legal grounds, anyway).
On the other hand, you might argue that this law could lull parents into
a false sense of complacency. Junior might (and certainly could, if
determined enough) obtain 'Soldier of Fortune' and install it on the
peecee in his bedroom, and all the while his parents would be relaxed,
confident that it would be "against the law" and therefore "impossible"
for him to be exposed to this material they disagree with.
But in general, my opinion is that we can't hold parents responsible for
what their children do if we object to reasonable means they have of
exerting this responsibility! Kind of goes along with the outcry against
parents wanting certain books removed from school libraries. Those
evil parents! "Censorship!" is the cry. Nonsense.
So here's a vote against an emotional reaction over "censorship" which
isn't happening.
David, I appreciate your comments but overall I disagree with them. The
great thing is that you have the right to an opinion, as do I. Here's where
I disagree:
From Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition:
Censorship:
To examine in order to suppress or delete anything considered
objectionable.
Suppress:
Definition #5 - To restrain from a usual course or action.
While I will admit that I briefly struggled to come up with an adequate word
to describe what I felt the British Columbia Attorney General recommended,
the word "censor" seemed appropriate. As shown in the above definition, I
believe that I used the appropriate term. By definition, it appears that
this is exactly what was done in British Columbia.
If I might take the liberty of responding to your points individually (and
an apology to our readers for repeating what you've already written above):
Please be careful with definitions. "Censorship" is eliminating
public access to certain materials. The Canadian government is
NOT engaging in "censorship", so defined, but rather limiting
access to minors. This is similar to limiting access to
pornography, tobacco, alcohol, yes, even voting and driving
priviledges from minors. Some may disagree, but it is generally
accepted that children and teenagers should not have the "right"
to be involved in these. If the Canadian government, supposedly
with the support of the Canadian people, includes violent video
games in this list of "rights" restricted from minors, then
that's another discussion, but not "censorship".
By your own definition, the British Columbia Attorney General IS denying
public access to "Soldier of Fortune" by those under 18. They've
categorized the game under the same umbrella as pornography in order that
they can defend the action. This is ridiculous! As far as I'm concerned,
there's nothing wrong with "pornography" as long as the topic reflects
consenting adults - whatever the definition of "adult" might be. Any other
depiction is likely exploitive and an illegal activity. But we're getting
off the subject!
Tobacco and alcohol are illegal to minors because of health issues. Once a
person becomes an "adult", they can make their own choices in those regards.
Voting is a right and driving is a privilege. Neither is germane to this
discussion. Videogames have no place being lumped into these same
categories.
Further, I would say such restrictions enable parents to exercise
their responsibilities! If Junior says, "I want 'Soldier of
Fortune'" and his parents can choose to go out and buy it for him,
or not to, they are exercising their authority. Circumventing
this by allowing Junior to obtain 'Soldier of Fortune' without
his parent's knowledge and consent reduces the reasonableness of
this appeal to "parental responsibility." The law doesn't say
minors can't use this software, just that they can't buy it
themselves. I'm not real sure about the laws regarding alcohol
and tobacco, but I believe if a parent bought beer and cigarettes
and let his child imbibe and smoke (at home), there wouldn't be
any more said about it (well, not on legal grounds, anyway).
Why do we need these restrictions to enable parents to exercise their
responsibilities? If your 'Junior' says he wants "Soldier of Fortune" I
will agree with you that the parents can buy it or not as they so choose.
And if Junior says he's going to buy it himself, the parents can still say
yea or nay. If Junior doesn't ask, or chooses to buy it anyway - whose
fault is it? The parents and Junior. If the parents set proper guidelines,
this should not even be an issue. I'll grant you that there will always be
kids who will circumvent their parents' direction. Sorry, but government
should not be the world's babysitter.
Alcohol and tobacco - not even the same ballpark. A minor cannot buy or
possess alcohol - it's illegal. Can a parent let a child have a drink?
Legally, no. If it's discovered a parent has allowed a child alcohol, it's
child endangerment, or some such offense. Tobacco cannot be purchased by
minors, but it's not illegal to possess it. Terrific law, right? Big deal.
What's the point of the law, then? It's stupid and does little to deter
tobacco use.
On the other hand, you might argue that this law could lull
parents into a false sense of complacency. Junior might (and
certainly could, if determined enough) obtain 'Soldier of
Fortune' and install it on the peecee in his bedroom, and all
the while his parents would be relaxed, confident that it would
be "against the law" and therefore "impossible" for him to be
exposed to this material they disagree with.
Only if parents were foolish enough to actually believe that this law would
prevent Junior from ever getting his hands on the game.
But in general, my opinion is that we can't hold parents
responsible for what their children do if we object to
reasonable means they have of exerting this responsibility!
Kind of goes along with the outcry against parents wanting
certain books removed from school libraries. Those evil
parents! "Censorship!" is the cry. Nonsense.
The "reasonable" means have been met with the use of ratings. Another means
of responsibility comes from parents educating their children about such
types of games. I highly disagree with your library analogy! Removing
certain books from school libraries is indeed censorship! That's another
issue, however.
So here's a vote against an emotional reaction over "censorship"
which isn't happening.
In my book, it most certainly is. It's apparent that we're going to have to
agree to disagree. But, I respect your opinion and your right to it. I
don't hold it against you! <grin>
So readers, what do you think? Drop me a line at dpj@delphi.com and voice
your opinions.
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE's Game Console Industry News - The Latest Gaming News!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
British Columbia to Rate Video Games for Violence
British Columbia, which last week restricted sales of a popular but violent
video game as adult entertainment, will develop its own mandatory rating
system for the programs, its attorney general said on Monday.
The system will be similar to that used to rate the content of movies and
is intended to guide parents in buying or renting computer and video games
and limit children's access to violent material, Andrew Petter told
reporters.
``This is not an attempt at censorship. This is not an attempt to ruin
people's day and take away from them the video game they want," said
Petter, who admitted he also plays video games for fun.
Petter told a news conference the industry's current voluntary rating
system does not give parents the information they need to protect children,
but provincial officials said they want to work with game makers in
developing the new enforceable system.
The game ``Soldier of Fortune", which had its sales restricted in British
Columbia as adult entertainment, is rated as ``mature" by the industry and
contains warnings about violent content on the box and at the start of the
game.
Adult entertainment, such as porno films, cannot be sold to minors and must
be displayed in a restricted area of a store. Limits of sales using the
industry rating are voluntary, and B.C.'s action is believed to be a first
in North America.
``I think many parents would be shocked to as to what the industry
considers 'mature' as opposed to 'adult'," Petter said.
A player in Soldier of Fortune is given a variety of weapons to kill
opponents. In a promotional simulation shown to reporters on Monday, blood
splatters as a gunman blows away opponents -- shooting one victim on the
ground repeatedly.
The Canadian Interactive Digital Software Association said the current
rating system for North America was developed by independent experts, and
it questions if it was practical for the province to develop its own
ratings.
``In the end we've got to remember that it is the consumer who makes the
decision," Harvey Nightingale, an association spokesman.
According to a survey released in May by the U.S.-based Interactive Digital
Software Association, 28 percent of frequent players of computer games are
under 18, while 30 percent are between 18 and 35.
Opponents of family violence say research has shown that children exposed
to violence in games and films are more prone to act out their aggressions
as they grow older.
Square Ships Threads of Fate for the PlayStation
Square Electronic Arts announced the release of Threads of Fate for the
PlayStation game console. Threads of Fate, an adventure role-playing game
(RPG) features challenging puzzles, fast paced-action and two unique
storylines. Players enter Threads of Fate as one of two characters and
choose from two different but intersecting adventures to progress through
the game.
In Threads of Fate, the two main characters are both in search of a rare
artifact that stores the power to reshape reality. This artifact also holds
the solution to both characters' problems.
As the male character, Rue, players embark on a mission to recover the
artifact in order to resurrect the life of Rue's sister. For a more
lighthearted adventure, players can also play as the female character,
Princess Mint, who is in search of the artifact in a quest to regain her
rights to the throne that were given to her younger sister.
Both characters travel through the game's eight levels and use their
special powers to battle a variety of dangerous and powerful enemies. All
enemies have a unique weakness, which players must learn in order to defeat
them. Players will find enemies prowling in all levels of the game from
branching caverns to lurking ponds.
During battle, players can employ a variety of spells and powers against
their foes. Rue has the ability to assume the form of defeated enemies and
utilize their powers for future battles. Princess Mint can cast
breathtaking spells on her enemies and tailor them to specific situations
allowing for efficient puzzle solving. She can also use two magic brass
rings as weapons against her enemies. Throughout the game, all battles are
fought in real-time, without any pauses in gameplay. Players must rely on
their reflexes to kick and punch during attacks, providing non-stop action.
In keeping with Square's esteemed role-playing game tradition, Threads of
Fate offers dazzling 3D graphics and brilliant colorful environments and
settings. Character models are rendered in high-detail with facial
expressions that display a wide variety of emotion and body movements that
display human characteristics such as breathing. Each character has its own
set of unique features and individual reactions to given situations
encountered throughout the game.
Threads of Fate is compatible with the DUALSHOCK analog controller and
has a suggested retail price of (US)$40. The game carries an ESRB rating of
``E" (Everyone).
3DO Ships Army Men-Air Combat for Nintendo 64
The 3DO Company announced that it has begun shipping the Army Men-Air
Combat game for the Nintendo 64 game system, the latest interactive battle
in the company's hugely popular Army Men series, to retail outlets
throughout North America and online shopping sites.
The sky's the limit when players soar into the wild blue yonder with
Captain William Blade, decorated hero, to single-handedly aid Sarge and
turn the tides of war against the Tan alliance. Over ground, sea, and air,
the battle wages, as the Air Cavalry embarks on a daring mission to rescue
POW's, destroy Tan bases, sabotage enemy installations, and defeat General
Plastro though the odds are stacked knee-deep against them.
A full arsenal of bottle rockets, roman candles, and heavy-duty weaponry
strapped to four types of helicopter, including the Super Stallion, Huey,
Chinook, and Apache must be levied against foes populating plastic and
real-world terrain such as the backyard, playground, picnic area, and
beach. Sixteen scenarios bursting with bloodless, animated toy action
provide the backdrop for air-to-air and air-to-ground strikes against
battleships, butterflies, killer bees, fire ants, remote-control cars,
sprinklers, sand castles, and UFOs. A full complement of co-pilots and
ground troops are at Captain Blade's beck and call as he confronts the
dangers of the Real World and the Plastic World.
Up to four soldiers can enlist for the ultimate in multiplayer combat, as
the Army Men-Air Combat game blends an intuitive interface with fully
interactive environments and an unsurpassed ease of play mechanics which
ensures that choppers are up and running within minutes. Friends can team
up in Cooperative Mode or blast one another out of the air in one of four
Competitive Modes including Flag-Nab-It, Air Rescue, Food Fight, and Bug
Hunt. The action hits even closer to home when a Rumble Pack is employed,
sending the shock of anti-aircraft fire rocketing through the controller.
``Why confine your ambitions to the ground when the conflict is being
fought in the heavens?" said Trip Hawkins, chairman and CEO of The 3DO
Company. ``Wars must be won on land, sea, and air, and with the power of
the Nintendo 64 behind the green army, ultimate victory for all parties
concerned was never in doubt."
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE Gaming Online - Online Users Growl & Purr!
"""""""""""""""""""
Songbird CGE2K Update
I hope to see you all at CGE2K later this month! Check out the details at
http://www.cgexpo.com.
- Carl
---
SONGBIRD EXCLUSIVES FOR CGE2K ATTENDEES
July 13, 2000
For immediate release:
ROCHESTER, MN -- In a further demonstration of Songbird's support of CGE2K,
owner Carl Forhan is pleased to announce some game competitions and special
pricing for CGE2K attendees.
Songbird plans to hold high score competitions for the following games:
Jaguar Protector and Lynx Remnant. Winners will receive selected Songbird
prizes and discount coupons. Only a limited number of entries will be
allowed, on a first-come basis.
Employees and relatives of Songbird and CGE Services are not eligible to
enter the contests. See the Songbird table for the complete rules and
entry forms.
And of course, all the new Songbird Jaguar and Lynx games will be available
for play and purchase, along with a ton of other Atari merchandise. Jaguar
Skyhammer was just recently released to a horde of grateful Atari fans, and
other games such as Protector have also been surprise hits with customers.
Some Songbird items will be offered at special discounted rates, only
available to CGE2K attendees. "I know many Atari fans make a big sacrifice
to attend a show like CGE2K," acknowledged Carl. "I want to give something
back to the fans, by giving attendees-only a chance to buy Songbird
merchandise at great prices."
Finally, CGE2K attendees will also get the first glimpse at future Songbird
titles, such as Championship Racing and Cybervirus, as well as some
long-awaited cheats for games like Ponx, Lexis, Protector, and Hyper Force.
Songbird Productions is the premier developer and publisher for the Atari
Lynx and Jaguar. To keep up to date with the latest news at Songbird
Productions, be sure to visit the company web site at
http://songbird.atari.net.
This message may be reprinted in its entirety.
Carl Forhan
Songbird Productions
http://songbird.atari.net
=~=~=~=
A-ONE's Headline News
The Latest in Computer Technology News
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
Macworld Expo
All eyes will be on the Big Apple next week as Macworld Expo heads to New
York's Javits Convention Center July 18-21. Conference sessions begin
Tuesday, but the real action begins Wednesday when the exhibit floor opens
following Steve Jobs' opening keynote.
As always, speculation and rumors are swirling around Apple's plans for the
show. Will Apple announce a new iMac or iBook? A multiprocessor system? An
Internet appliance? The public beta of Mac OS X?
The most likely announcement is a new revision of the iMac. Late in June,
resellers reported to MacWEEK sister site MacCentral that iMac inventories
were fast drying up, a good sign that a new iMac product line is awaiting a
rollout. But outside of Cupertino, the specs for the new machine are
anybody's guess. You can be sure that it will sport a faster processor, but
will it have a bigger screen? A new video chip, perhaps ATI's recently
announced Radeon? We'll find out on Wednesday.
How about a new multiprocessor system? Apple reportedly demonstrated a
prototype of one during a closed-door session in May at the Worldwide
Developers Conference. However, Jobs is also scheduled to deliver a keynote
on August 29 at Seybold San Francisco, and that's been Apple's venue for
products aimed at Mac professionals (Apple announced its first Power Mac G4
systems at last year's Seybold conference).
Mac OS X public beta? At WWDC, Apple announced that it would release the
beta this summer. This means it could arrive Wednesday--or as late as
September 21.
The keynote will be Webcast using QuickTime streaming technology. Apple
will also offer a satellite feed.
Beyond Apple, Macworld Expo promises to be one of the busiest ever on the
East Coast. ATI has said it will announce a graphics board based on its
Radeon graphics chip. Orange Micro plans to show the first Mac hardware to
support the USB 2.0 spec--a higher-speed version of USB that's aroused
controversy among Mac users because it appears to challenge Apple's
FireWire technology. However, FireWire is gaining steam as the number of
FireWire-enabled computers keeps rising; many vendors of FireWire
peripherals will be on the Expo floor.
One of the most interesting Expo products has already been announced. Power
On Software's Rewind, as we recently reported, lets Mac users recover from
a variety of software disasters--overwritten files, unknown viruses, and so
on--by hitting a rewind button (see "A time machine for your Mac?")
Among other products to be shown at Expo:
*Attendees can get a sneak preview of Vivid Details' Test Strip 3.0, a
popular color-correction plug-in for Adobe Photoshop (see "Metamorphosis
for Test Strip"). Vivid Details will be taking preorders at the show, but
the company wasn't sure if the new Mac version will be ready for
demonstrations.
*Beatware will demonstrate e-Picture Pro, an upgrade of the Web-animation
software introduced at last year's Macworld Expo New York. In a recent
First Look, MacWEEK contributor Andrew Shalat wrote that it's the most
versatile Web-animation product he's tried.
*DiamondSoft will show Font Reserve Server, a client-server version of the
Font Reserve font-management utility. The product allows users to
seamlessly browse, download and activate fonts stored on a server.
Administrators can configure sets of fonts that can be opened by specified
workgroups.
*Synthetik Software will show Studio Artist 1.5, a free update to the
innovative "graphics synthesizer." The update adds numerous features,
including 3-D lighting effects that can be incorporated into brushes;
enhanced morphing and warping functions; and a keyframe timeline with
layers.
*Pixologic will show the first Mac version of ZBrush, a 3-D painting
program that has won accolades in the PC market.
*Totally Hip Software will demonstrate LiveSlideShow, a QuickTime-based
presentation program
*Numerous exhibitors will show new digital imaging products. All of the
major printer vendors--Hewlett-Packard, Epson, Canon, Lexmark, Xerox, GCC
and others--will be on hand. GCC plans to show the Elite series of
1,200-dpi monochrome laser printers, with prices ranging from $1,299 to
$2,099.
*Microtek plans to demonstrate the ScanMaker 8700, a 2,400-by-1,200-dpi,
42-bit flatbed scanner that will sell for $999. Expected to ship in less
than eight weeks, the scanner features an 8.5x15-inch scan bed, four film
adapters and FireWire and USB connections.
Apple Unveils New Designs of Desktop Computers
Apple Computer Inc. on Wednesday unveiled a broader new line of desktop
computers aimed at boosting computer power and sales, as well as the
company's reputation for producing eye-catching designs in striking colors.
``This is the first time we've changed the iMac colors since January of
1999 when we introduced them," Apple Co-Founder and Chief Executive Steve
Jobs said in an interview. ``They (the new colors) are much more refined.
The graphite (special edition iMac) was a really big seller so we took our
cues off of that."
Earlier versions of the iMac -- the machines generally credited with
revitalizing Apple -- came in bright fruity colors such as ``blueberry"
and ``grape."
The new, more muted colors included indigo, ruby, snow and sage. He
described sage ``graphite with a few drops of Emerald City."
The new desktops included four new iMac computers in five colors starting
at $799, a cube-shaped and quiet version of the G4 computer and
dual-processor Power Mac G4s, which he said were faster than the Pentium 3.
Jobs said he hoped that the iMac would touch off renewed consumer demand,
especially with a new push into retail with a deal to sell computers at
Circuit City Inc. stores nationwide.
``We have products consumers want to buy," Jobs said. "That's where they
shop and that's where we want to have our products."
Analysts said the new product line is likely to boost revenues in coming
quarters. The company's current fiscal fourth quarter and first quarter
traditionally benefit from back-to-school and holiday sales.
``The main message is that Apple is in growth mode now," said Bear Stearns
analyst Andrew Neff. ``The fourth quarter is going to be big and they are
looking at 20 percent growth in revenues next year." Jobs took nearly two
hours to show off the new line of computers and said each would come with a
sleek new optical mouse, which does not need a mouse pad, and a new
keyboard featuring a disk eject button.
``We are going from what some people believe is the worst mouse in history
to what we think is the best mouse in history," he said, laughing about
how the old round mouse that had been referred to as a hockey puck.
The new Power Mac G4 Cube is an 8-inch-square silvery box with a clear
enclosure taking up roughly one-fourth the space of most PCs. It houses a
450 megahertz power PC G4 processor, which Apple said reaches speeds of
over 3 billion calculations per second.
``We're putting supercomputer power in an 8-inch cube," Jobs said, calling
the shiny box ``the most stunning computer ever designed."
The G4 Cube, which will be available in August, uses a cooling design that
runs quietly because it does not require a fan.
Jobs also demonstrated faster versions of its professional line of Power
Mac G4 machines running two computer chips at one time. He ran a graphics
test to show the two power PC G4 processors running in tandem beating a
Pentium 3 to complete a poster.
``These machines are wicked fast, leaving Pentiums in the dust," he said.
The first-ever dual-processor PowerMac computers in two models containing
either 400 or 500 megahertz PowerPC chips.
The new PowerMacs will be priced in line with existing single-processor
models, Jobs told an audience of the Apple faithful during a closely
watched speech.
The new models range in price from an entry-level machine at $799 to a
high-end version at $1,499. All models are available now, except for the
$799 model which is due out in September.
Jobs' appearance came the morning after Apple reported higher third-quarter
sales and operating earnings, but he said its net income declined because
of higher investment gains a year earlier.
The company also said that despite overall growth in units sold, sales of
its iMac computer were ``a bit" below expectations, but said this appeared
to be due to customers waiting for a newer version of the computer rather
than to any general slackening of demand.
Microsoft Woos Apple Users with Mac-Friendly Office
Loyalists of Apple Computer Corp.'s machines have long seen rival Microsoft
Corp. as, at best, a necessary evil to be grudgingly tolerated. But
Microsoft, which makes some of the most crucial software for Apple
computers, is showing a kinder, gentler face with a new branding campaign
launched on Wednesday that is designed to appeal to Apple's quirky feel
while playing down its own name and any hint of, shhh ... Windows.
``Mac customers are just predisposed to seeing Microsoft as, well, in any
number of negative ways. So we needed to be going out and telling them that
Microsoft was very serious about this market," Kevin Browne, general
manager of Microsoft's Macintosh business unit, said in a recent interview.
The new look for Microsoft's unit that designs software to run on Apple's
Macintosh operating system coincides with the unveiling of the latest Mac
version of Microsoft's Office business software package that includes the
Word word processor and Excel spreadsheet.
``The big news about Office 2001 is that it's the most Mac-like product
we've ever introduced," Browne said.
Among the changes are new tool bars and icons, and a more muted color
palate of pastels rather than the previous bright schemes that echoed those
of Windows-based computers.
Aesthetic changes seem to be a minor point to some, but not to fickle Mac
users, who after all are devoted to their machines as much for their unique
shape and coloring as for their ability to nimbly handle video, music and
graphics.
``What we have done there is really to take the product and remove a lot of
the things that made it feel more like a Windows product, and added things
that make it feel more like an Apple product," Browne said.
It also includes a new, Mac-only application called Entourage that combines
e-mail with a calendar, task list and notepad to put a user's personal data
in one place. A new clipboard lets users cut and paste between any
application.
Microsoft hopes the new look will help propel sales beyond the 2.7 million
copies that the 1998 version booked, Browne said. The software will go on
sale in October.
Microsoft and Apple have been reluctant bedfellows.
At the MacWorld Expo three years ago, Apple chief Steve Jobs stunned the
audience when he announced, under a looming video image of Microsoft
co-founder Bill Gates, that Microsoft would invest $150 million in his
struggling company.
Though humbling for the Apple community, the agreement guaranteed that
Microsoft would continue making software, in particular the Office suite,
for the Mac.
Many analysts, and even Jobs, acknowledged that Apple would be dead without
Office.
Earlier versions of Office infuriated Mac users, who had to put up with a
shoddy product that was simply ``ported", or adapted, from the Windows
version, but recent iterations are finally winning respect.
``It's going well, they are doing a great job. The best version of
Microsoft Office is going to be on the Mac. That's kind of interesting and
ironic," Jobs told Reuters in an interview at the MacWorld Expo in New
York on Wednesday.
The changes to Office are just part of an overall shift in the way
Microsoft is approaching Mac users.
New Mac products will play down the Microsoft brand, and will be identified
through a new ``:mac" suffix. For example, the new Office will be called
``Office:mac".
New logos tuck the Microsoft name in much smaller letters, below the
product name, which is highlighted in bright colors. Office:mac will not
ship in a cardboard box but in a colorful, rounded plastic case -- another
nod to Apple culture.
A fresh advertising campaign will feature black-and-white photos of actual
Mac users, sort of an everyman's version of Apple's popular ``Think
Different" series of ads featuring great scientists, thinkers and artists.
``We're de-emphasizing our product and emphasizing our customers. It's a
whole new visual identity and we think this will be a lot more effective in
terms of reaching our customers," Browne said.
FireWire Heats Up at Macworld Expo
FireWire will be a hot topic at this week's Macworld Expo New York as
numerous exhibitors show new products based on Apple's high-speed hardware
interface. With the release of FireWire PowerBooks--not to mention last
year's iMac DV--more Mac users can now take advantage of FireWire, giving
vendors greater incentive to offer FireWire peripherals.
However, FireWire's market penetration is still relatively low, making the
peripherals more costly than the equivalent USB devices. Due to FireWire's
low volume, converting a storage device to FireWire costs 2.5 times as much
as converting it to USB, said Vincent Fedele, Chief Technology Officer of
VST/SmartDisk Personal Storage Systems, which offers both USB and FireWire
peripherals.
This is likely to change as FireWire gains acceptance in the personal
computer and consumer electronics markets. Currently, six million
computers--half of them Macs--have FireWire connections. But 26 million PCs
will have FireWire by the end of this year and 52 million by the end of
2001, according to a recent report by In-Stat, a market research firm. The
firm predicts that nearly 100 million PCs--and 75 million consumer
electronics products--sold by 2003 will have FireWire or iLink, Sony's
variation on the technology.
Fedele believes that FireWire and USB have played a big role in cutting
Apple's hardware costs. The older connections that they replaced--SCSI,
ADB, serial, and floppy controllers--were expensive, and Apple has further
reduced manufacturing costs by consolidating motherboard components. PC
manufacturers such Compaq, Dell and Gateway, recognizing these advantages,
are now adding USB and FireWire connections to their new machines.
The Expo show floor doesn't open until Wednesday, but many exhibitors here
have already announced new FireWire products:
*La Cie plans to demonstrate a host of FireWire products, including a 4.7
GB DVD-RAM drive, a 12x4x32 CDRW drive, a 75GB FireWire hard drive, a 32GB
PocketDrive with USB and FireWire, and a FireWire RAID aimed at DV
producers.
*Keyspan will demonstrate FireWire PCI and Cardbus cards for older Macs
that don't include the interface. The $139 CardBus version works with
Apple's PowerBook G3. The $89 PCI version can be configured with three
external ports or two external and one internal port. Both include a
six-pin to four-pin connector and Apple's QuickTime Pro software, which
otherwise sells for $30.
*Orange Micro will show the $99 Orange Converter, which connects SCSI
devices to FireWire ports, and the $299 OrangeLink+ FireWire & SCSI U2W PCI
Card, which combines two FireWire ports with an Ultra 2 Wide SCSI
connection. The company also plans to demonstrate the first Mac-based PCI
card and hub to support USB 2.0.
*Epson will show the Expression 1640XL, a new tabloid-format flatbed
scanner, targeted at graphics pros, that features an optional $299 FireWire
interface (see MacWEEK's First Look).
*Umax will show the Astra 6400, a new $249 flatbed scanner for SOHO users
that offers 600 x 1,200 dpi optical resolution and 42-bit color depth. Its
sibling, the $299 Astra 6450, features a transparency cover capable of
scanning positive or negative film up to 4 x 5 inches. You can add the
transparency unit to the 6400 for $69. Both include FireWire connections.
*OnStream and Imation are both demonstrating FireWire versions of their
tape drives. OnStream will show the $599 Echo drive, which uses 30GB tape
cartridges (30GB compressed, 15GB native) and transfers data at 2MB per
second (the USB version chugs along at 0.85MB per second). Imation is
showing a FireWire version of the Travan, a $499 drive that uses 20GB
cartridges ($33.99 each). It, too, offers a 2MB per second transfer rate.
New Internet Domain Names OK'd
The private corporation overseeing changes on the Internet approved the
creation Sunday of the first new top-level domain names on the computer
network since the 1980s.
The decision, made at a conference in Japan by the Internet Corporation for
Assigned Names and Numbers, will bring additions to existing Web site
suffixes such as ".com" and ".org." But how many more suffixes or how
they will be used remains to be worked out.
The resolution, passed unanimously by ICANN's 19-member board, was praised
by some as a boon to companies that register and sell the Internet labels.
``It's beautiful. It's a major step," said Steinar Grotterod, of Active
ISP, an Internet service provider in Oslo, Norway.
But the move was criticized by some - including members of the ICANN board
itself - for failing to set clear guidelines for the number of new names to
be introduced or how they will be phased into use.
``It leaves too much to be decided later," said Esther Dyson, who chairs
ICANN's board.
The addition of new names is aimed at boosting competition among companies
that sell and register domains for Web site owners, and giving customers
more names and vendors to choose from.
It would also make it easier for Internet users to search the Web for
specific topics. Travel agencies, for example, could use a ".travel."
The Internet now has a limited number of suffixes, including ".com",
".mil", ".int", ".gov", ".org", and ".net", in addition to
special two-letter codes assigned to countries, such as ".us" for the
United States.
Most of the country codes were established in the mid-1990s, but no new
domain suffixes have been approved since the late 1980s. ICANN was chosen
by the U.S. government in 1998 to take over Internet naming duties.
The resolution passed by ICANN Sunday calls for the introduction of new
names in ``a measured and responsible manner." The group set a schedule
for the phasing in of the names, with a target date of Dec. 31 for wrapping
up new agreements.
The resolution, however, was notable for what it did not spell out: How
many new suffixes would be approved, whether they would be specific - such
as being only for travel agencies - or would be available to anyone, and
how trademark infringement would be avoided.
Some board members said the process would work because companies applying
for new sites would propose measures to handle problems and guarantee
stability on the Internet. Members also agreed that they would probably
only be able to approve about six new names.
The vagueness, however, left many uneasy.
Worries about the introduction of new suffixes have bogged down discussions
for five years and were a main theme running through ICANN's four-day
conference in Yokohama.
Trademark infringement has been a major fear. Conferees discussed, for
example, how to handle a request for ``amazon.shop" and whether that would
infringe on the rights of the well-known ``amazon.com."
The resolution, however, only called on companies making applications for
new names to show how they would avoid legal troubles.
Eileen Kent, an intellectual property rights consultant, criticized ICANN
for not taking a more regulated approach, such as approving only one or two
names and then taking stock of the effects before continuing with more.
``There has to be more control, rules and regulations to make sure this
goes smoothly," she said. ``The result ... is going to be an avalanche of
infringement lawsuits."
ICANN members, however, have said there are legal and other precedents to
prevent widespread confusion.
The ICANN board on Sunday also approved a proposal to allow registered
Internet users to elect five of the board's 19 members. Elections will be
held in October.
Pay-to-surf Company Lays Off 60
AllAdvantage.com said today it has laid off nearly 10 percent of its staff
in a move to cut costs.
The 16-month-old start-up, which pays members to surf the Web and view
advertisements, cut its work force by 60 people Friday. The company will
now employ 600 internationally. The layoffs came within all divisions of
the company and focused on U.S.-based employees, the company said.
Hayward, Calif.-based AllAdvantage has become a victim of its own costly
success. It draws new members by promising them cash for time spent
online. Companies then pay AllAdvantage to run targeted ads based on
member profiles.
But the weight of paying its members has ended up crushing AllAdvantage's
revenues. The company paid $32.7 million to members from December to March
but made only $9.1 million in the same period.
Along with skyrocketing member costs, the size of the company has
mushroomed since March 1999.
"That kind of growth is too fast now that market conditions have changed,"
Jim Jorgensen, AllAdvantage's chief executive, said in a statement. "We
have taken stock of the large number of assets we have created, and our
plan going forward is to leverage all of these assets more efficiently."
Earlier this month, AllAdvantage halted plans to go public. The company
cited adverse market conditions, according to a filing with the Securities
and Exchange Commission. In February, it filed to sell 15 million shares
to the public for $8 to $10.
The company now must cut costs to survive. In June, it reduced the number
of hours it will pay members to surf and lengthened its pay schedule.
Months after the company launched, nearly 7 million people had signed up.
Nearly 2 million now actively participate. The company said the layoffs
are also part of an effort to consolidate departments.
2nd Free Web Service Dissolves
For the second time this month, Juno Online has gobbled up a competing free
Internet access provider.
Freewwweb LLC ceased operations Wednesday night and, with court approval,
began referring its subscribers to Juno's free Internet access service,
Juno said. Freewwweb filed for bankruptcy last month.
``The deal is very similar to the one we struck with WorldSpy, said Juno
spokesman Gary Baker. Freewwweb claimed more than 700,000 subscribers,
according to Juno, which put Worldspy.com's active subscriber total at
260,000 when it folded in early July.
The two companies failed primarily for lack of advertising revenues -
WorldSpy didn't advertise at all while Freewwweb didn't do it enough,
Juno's president, Charles Ardai, told The Associated Press.
Free Internet access no longer offers great possibilities.
``The window of opportunity for new players to jump into this market or for
players to jump in from scratch and launch free services is really
closed, said Zia Daniell Wigder, an analyst at Jupiter Communications.
Jupiter ranks Juno fifth among U.S. Internet service providers with 1.7
million active subscribers at the end of the first quarter. Comparatively,
America Online Inc. had 20.3 million paid subscribers nationwide.
Juno advertises heavily on its free Internet access service but its hybrid
business model also offers high-speed Internet access at a cost.
Ardai said Juno was paying primarily in common stock, with a smaller
portion in cash, for every Freewwweb subscriber who signs up with Juno.
While not offering specifics, Ardai did say that the bulk of the payments
to Freewweb would be made only after a transferred subscriber had been
active for three months.
Freewwweb is owned by New York-based Smart World Technologies LLC, which
did not return telephone calls on Thursday.
Juno said Freewwweb subscribers who convert to Juno would be able to
continue receiving e-mail sent to their Freewwweb address and continue to
enjoy free Web access. As well, those subscribers will have the option of
upgrading to one of Juno's billable premium services.
Juno had $24 million in revenue in the first quarter of 2000, said Ardai,
about 70 percent of it from subscription fees. Its stock closed at $9.313
on the Nasdaq Stock Market Thursday, down 9.3 cents.
``Our goal is to get as many of our subscribers to pay eventually, said
Ardai. The company, founded in 1996, has yet to show a profit.
Metamorphosis for Test Strip
Vivid Details has taken the wraps off Test Strip 3.0, an upgrade of the
popular color-correction plug-in for Adobe Photoshop. New features include
an automated photo-enhancement function, a greater selection of layouts and
movable gels for previewing image modifications. As with previous versions,
Test Strip 3.0 presents multiple variations of an image with different
color settings, letting you choose the one that looks best.
The company plans to demonstrate the cross-platform plug-in at next week's
Macworld Expo, but may be limited to showing the Microsoft Windows version.
Vivid Details' Kirk Lyford told MacWEEK that the company has rewritten the
Mac version from scratch and may not have it ready in time for the show.
Upgrades from Test Strip 2.0 will cost $49.95.
As before, Test Strip 3.0 provides five panels for making image
corrections: Ring-Around (formerly Color Balance) and One Color for
removing color casts; Exposure for making brightness and contrast
adjustments; Saturation for modifying color intensity; and Before & After
for previewing the modified image next to the original. Each panel presents
the image overlaid with a series of panes. By default, the center pane
shows the current image and the others show variations. You modify the
image by clicking on the variations.
Among the new features:
Gels. These are movable, resizable strips available in the One-Color,
Exposure and Saturation Panels. When you select a Gel from the layout menu,
you can move it to any position on the image, showing the effect of the
selected color operation underneath. You can group Gels so they move
together and overlap them to show a combination of effects. You can also
quickly hide or show a Gel effect by double-clicking on the Gel's title bar
or clicking on a collapse button. You can have up to nine Gels on one
image.
Metamorphosis. This is an automatic photo-enhancement option accessed by
clicking on a button in the Ring-Around Panel. The software previews the
image in a series of pairs; as you select the one that looks best, Test
Strip automatically corrects color, saturation, density and dynamic range.
When you are finished, the software switches to the Before & After Panel so
you can compare the modified image with the original.
More layouts. The One Color, Exposure and Saturation Panels now offer a
much wider selection of layouts. You can choose from horizontal or vertical
layouts with two, three, five or seven strips; or grids with four, six or
nine cells. The Ring-Around Panel, in addition to the standard 3x3 layout,
now lets you preview RGB, CMY, warm or cool color casts, each in a 2x2
grid.
Movable Current Strip. In Test Strip 2.0, the current image is shown in the
middle strip, and variations with greater or lesser color-correction
values, such as plus or minus 10 percent magenta, are shown on either side.
In the new version, you can move the current image strip to any other
position. If you move the current strip all the way to the left, the other
strips will show only greater values: plus 10 percent, 20 percent, and so
on. Move it to the right and the strips to the left show lesser values.
Step and Repeat. By default, the plug-in shows the entire image with a test
strip overlay. The step and repeat option replicates the entire image--or
an identical portion of the image--in each pane. Previously, only the Color
Balance Panel offered a repeating-image layout.
Exposure Panel. The Exposure Panel now lets you edit gray-scale photos in
addition to color images. You can also perform color and brightness
adjustments separately on highlight, midtone or shadow areas.
Task List. Test Strip 3.0 adds several enhancements to the Task List, an
editable list of changes made to the image. You can now hit an Update
button to preview the effects of any edits you make to the list. You can
also export the list as a text file.
Maxtor Introduces 80GB IDE Hard Drive
Maxtor announced three new hard drives today. Maxtor claims that the
largest, the 80GB DiamondMax 80, is the largest IDE hard drive announced to
date. It features four 20GB platters spinning at 5400RPM along with an
ATA100 interface and a 2MB cache. Richard Van Dyke, Senior Manager, hard
disk drives at Maxtor, told MacWEEK that all of Maxtor's ATA100 drives will
ramp down to ATA66 or ATA33 to be compatible with current Mac systems. The
diamondMax 80 will be available in August and retail for $349.
Maxtor will also release a $299 45GB version with three 15GB platters
spinning at 7200RPM mechanism, and the
$199, 40GB DiamondMax VL 40, which
spins at 5400RPM.
King Posts New Work on Internet
Stephen King plans to begin an experiment in direct publishing Monday by
posting the first installment of a new novel online and asking readers to
pay through the honor system.
Installment one of ``The Plant will be posted on King's Web site on July
24 and installment two on Aug. 21. Part three will appear in September if
``pay-through equals or exceeds 75 percent, according to a message on his
Web site dated July 11.
Readers will be asked to send King a check or money order for $1 per
installment in a direct transaction that King describes as a way to thumb
your nose at the publishing industry.
``My friends, we have a chance to become Big Publishing's worst nightmare,
the Web site reads. ``Not only are we going glueless, look Ma, no e-Book!
No tiresome encryption!
The novel, to be posted in parts ranging from 5,000 to 7,000 words, is
described as ``sort of funny and at the same time pretty gruesome. It
describes a ``vampire vine that takes over the offices of a paperback
publishing company and offers financial success for human sacrifice.
King, 52, said he's counting on two things: honest readers, and a story
that will be good enough to keep them reading.
``Remember: Pay and the story rolls. Steal and the story folds, he wrote
on the site. ``No stealing from the blind newsboy!
The multimillionaire horror author got the idea after a reader mailed him
$2.50 out of guilt at having read his e-book, ``Riding the Bullet, for
free from an unauthorized Web site.
That work was only available online through several book-related Web sites.
It went on sale in March. King wrote the book while recuperating from being
struck by a van last summer.
On the Net: http://www.stephenking.com
Bill Would Restrain Junk E-Mail
Legislation passed by the House Tuesday would make it easier for consumers
to keep unsolicited junk e-mail off their computers.
The legislation, which passed 427-1, also gives Internet service providers,
or ISPs, new legal weapons to combat junk e-mail, or ``spam" messages,
that clog their networks.
``The most annoying thing about the Internet is junk e-mail," said Rep.
Heather Wilson, R-N.M., sponsor of the bill. In addition to deluging
consumers with often false or pornographic messages, she said it costs ISPs
an estimated $1 billion a year to cope with the added traffic of millions
of spam messages.
``It's a tool that can now be used to filter and stop unwanted intrusions
into our homes and offices," Rep. Gene Green, D-Texas, said of the
legislation.
The bill requires those sending unsolicited commercial electronic (UCE)
mail messages to provide a valid return electronic mail address so
recipients can serve notice that they want to be taken off the mailing
list.
The Federal Trade Commission is given the authority to bring action against
spam senders who violate the provisions of the legislation. ISPs can also
sue spammers in federal court for $500 per message, up to $50,000, if a
spammer willfully breaks anti-spamming law.
Rich D'Amato, a spokesman for America Online, the nation's largest Internet
provider, said AOL appreciates the way the bill focuses on enforcement of
spamming rules. ``We've tried to eliminate it as a nuisance to our
members," he said, noting that the company had sued more than 40 junk
e-mail companies and individuals over the past three years.
A survey conducted last year by the Gartner Group found that 90 percent of
e-mail users receive spam at least once a week and almost 50 percent get
spammed six or more times a week.
Wilson said her bill had been crafted to answer the questions of civil
liberties groups about possible curbs on free speech rights. She stressed
that spammers ``have no right to force us to listen to or force us to pay
the cost of junk e-mail."
The single no vote was cast by Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas.
The bill number is H.R. 3113
On the Net: Congressional summary: http://thomas.loc.gov
Microsoft 'Patch' Helps Web Privacy
After years of criticism by privacy advocates for its inaction, Microsoft
Corp. plans to introduce new software that will let Internet surfers know
when online marketers are taking a peek at their private information.
Microsoft has sent a select group of testers a new software ``patch that
would warn users when advertisers or other third parties are trying to
place files on their computers - called ``cookies - to be used for
tracking surfing patterns or other private information.
Some cookies are beneficial, such as the ones Web sites use to personalize
content for individual users.
But any given Web page visited on the Internet may upload more than one
cookie to a surfer's computer. So in addition to a cookie from the Web page
owner, a third-party file could come from an advertiser seeking marketing
data.
Bob Herbold, Microsoft's chief operating officer, said the key to the new
software is to equip people ``to make intelligent security decisions by
letting them know when cookies are being uploaded to their computers.
Microsoft's new software, for use with the Internet Explorer Web browser,
will let the user know when a third party tries to install a ``persistent
cookie - one that will remain on the user's computer even after he or she
leaves the Web site.
The user will see a box pop up on the display, asking whether the computer
should accept that particular cookie. It also lets the user ban all
third-party persistent cookies if desired.
Privacy advocates, while criticizing Microsoft for taking as long as it
did, generally praised the company's new software.
``This is a great sign, said Jason Catlett, president of the privacy
group Junkbusters. ``Of course, many people are using quite old versions of
the various browsers, so it will take some time before many people are
using it.
Some, however, are still urging the U.S. Congress to act to protect
consumers from having their personal information gathered without their
knowledge - something that third-party persistent cookies have been used
for in the past.
``There's a place for technological fixes, but there's also a place for
legal changes, said Andrew Shen, a policy analyst for the Electronic
Privacy Information Center.
Microsoft plans to make the software generally available in about four
weeks, once testing is complete.
U.S. Lawmakers Introduce Workplace Privacy Measure
Legislation introduced on Thursday in both houses of Congress would require
companies to tell employees if they monitor their computer, Internet or
telephone use.
The legislation would require employers to inform their employees once a
year if they are watching, what they are watching and what they do with
the information when they have collected it.
More than 78 percent of large U.S. firms monitor employee communications
on the job, twice as many as reported doing so in 1997, according to an
April survey by the American Management Association.
The measure introduced in the House of Representatives and Senate would
not force employers to change their surveillance habits and would not
require them to notify employees each time they check on them.
Employees could sue their bosses for up to $20,000 if they found they were
being monitored without their knowledge.
``We're not saying, 'abolish this practice,' we're just saying employees
have a right to know when they're being watched, said Sen. Charles
Schumer, a New York Democrat who introduced the bill in the Senate.
The measure was introduced in the House by Republican Reps. Bob Barr of
Georgia and Charles Canady of Florida, who also plan to question FBI
officials next week about the agency's Internet surveillance system
Carnivore, which is used to monitor public electronic mail traffic going
to and from Internet service providers.
The FBI claims the system filters out innocent traffic to focus on
specific suspects, but critics worry about excessive government snooping
and the legal basis for the e-mail monitoring.
``It's part of the same overall issue, Barr said. ``I think it
(surveillance) is a problem everywhere.
The ``vast majority of employers let workers know if they are being
watched, said Lewis Malthby, president of the National Workrights
Institute.
But that notice is usually vague, giving workers little idea of how they
are being monitored, Malthby said. Under the proposed legislation,
companies would have to be far more specific about their behavior.
Gregory Nojeim, legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties
Union, agreed.
``I don't think a blanket statement would meet the criteria of this
bill, he said.
But employers could probably get away with a notice saying they monitored
employee use on an ``occasional or ``random basis, Nojeim said.
Schumer predicted that the bill would pass Congress easily, given its
modest scope.
``This is so easy to comply with, almost every employer will do it, he
said.
Lobbyists for various industry groups either declined comment or did not
return calls.
E-mail Inundation Becoming Common
Anyone who has e-mail probably experiences it. You go away for a few days
- in some cases, even a few hours - and boom! Your e-mailbox is crammed
full.
John Parker's heart sank last week when he returned from a two-week
vacation to find well over 250 e-mails awaiting him.
So he did what many increasingly overwhelmed e-mail users are doing.
``I'm afraid I just basically moved them all into the trash basket," said
the Washington bureau chief for the British magazine The Economist.
As far as Parker is concerned, you can opt to spend all day doing e-mail or
you can do your work: ``But you can't do both."
Technology may make it easier for others to reach us. And it may increase
our penchant to communicate. But e-mail inundation is becoming so common
that some people are drawing the line.
``The speed of technology is driving me insane!" says Maria Salomao, a
public relations executive from San Francisco and one of dozens of people
to reply to an online query about the ever-increasing volume of e-mail and
voicemail.
``If you're not conscious about it or if your goal is to accomplish your
'to do' list, then you are in for a rude awakening," she says. ``The list
never ends."
Salomao and several others said that in recent months they've begun
replying to fewer e-mails and are getting fewer responses to message that
they've sent.
In Australia - a country that has made big efforts to get its citizens
connected to the Web - tax officials have been so swamped by e-mail
questions they've had to send auto-responses telling e-mailers they'll have
to wait at least two weeks.
Even experts - including Eric Yaverbaum, author of ``I'll Get Back To You"
- are proving hard to reach.
``I've become the guy I used to curse at, and I feel bad," says Yaverbaum,
who gets about 100 voicemails and e-mails daily. ``But what can you do?"
So who's sending all this stuff anyway?
Some of the e-mail jamming our boxes is, of course, unsolicited junk mail.
Jupiter Communications, which tracks this sort of thing, projects that
marketing-related e-mail messages will increase 40-fold between 1999 and
2006. It says the average online user received 1,746 e-mails in 1999 and
will receive 2,052 this year.
Then there are people like Sreenath Sreenivasan, a professor of new media
at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, who sends so much
e-mail - 250 a day - that his friends have come up with a name for it:
``sree-mail."
Some of it is school-related; some goes to people on group lists he has
created, including one dedicated to news from Asia.
``Pity the fools," Sreenivasan jokes of those who actually sign up for his
lists.
Much of the mail he sends requires no reply. But even when he expects a
response, he says it's a good idea to be patient.
``When you deal with people who only have dial-up (modem) service and have
real lives and don't hang out in front of a computer like I do, you can't
expect an immediate reply," Sreenivasan says.
Experts do have a few tips for dealing with an unruly e-mailbox.
``On the receiving side, you have to prioritize," Yaverbaum says.
Sreenivasan, for example, goes through and immediately deletes anything
that looks like junk mail - much like he uses the trash can that sits next
to his postal mailbox in his apartment lobby.
``Anybody sees an e-mail from someone they don't know and they erase it
automatically now," said Patrick Keane, a Jupiter Communications analyst
who tracks online advertising.
Many popular e-mail client programs offer message filtering that can be
configured so an urgent request from, say, the boss surges to the top of
your e-mail queue.
``On the sending side," suggests Yaverbaum, ``you've got to make every
e-mail and voicemail count."
In the business world, he says that means keeping it brief - and asking for
a response if you expect one.
And even at home, experts suggest forwarding fewer jokes and attached files
to build credibility with those you're sending to.
Even then, some say e-mail may not be the best way to deal with an urgent
matter.
``Frankly, I never assume that somebody's going to reply to an e-mail,"
Parker says. ``If I don't get a response, I'll send another e-mail or -
better yet - pick up the phone."
FTC's Quack Attack
Miracle cures for cancer, Alzheimer's disease and arthritis.Pills for
bigger breasts, weight loss, enhanced libido and supercharged immune
systems. All are just a mouse click away on the Net. And though many of
the come-ons are outright illegal, they proliferate in cyberspace with
little regulatory oversight.
Both the Federal Trade Commission (www.ftc.gov) and the Food and Drug
Administration (www.fda.gov) are well-armed with regulatory authority to
deal with the age-old problem of bogus medicines and health fraud. The
challenge is resources: Only 16 employees in the federal government track
sales of unsubstantiated therapies and remedies on the Internet on a
full-time basis.
At the same time, anecdotal evidence suggests that the problem is growing.
While admitting they lack precise figures, federal officials estimate
there are "thousands" of snake-oil scams going down on the Net at any
given time. The FTC identified more than 800 such sites in its last two
organized online sweeps.
And the cyber con artists are unusually brazen.
"We consistently find that claims being made on the Net are more egregious
than those being made in print," says Lee Peeler, associate director for
the division of advertising practices at the FTC.
Late last month, the FTC announced a $1 million settlement with Lane Labs
USA and Cartilage Consultants Inc. on charges of making unsubstantiated
claims online about the efficacy of using shark cartilage to cure cancer.
Earlier this year, the FTC announced four settlements with errant site
operators. These included Natural Heritage Enterprises, which claimed its
"Essiac Tea" was a "well-known" alternative remedy for cancer, and two
distributors of a product called CMO, which sellers said was effective in
treating arthritis, asthma and emphysema. The fourth settlement was with
Gordon Josephs, an Arizona doctor who practiced intravenous peroxide
therapy and claimed it could cure "virtually every disease," according to
the FTC.
These victories aside, federal regulators and consumer advocates who fight
medical fraud voice suspicions that the growing popularity of the Web is
fueling an explosion in bogus or misleading health information.
"The Internet is adding another dimension to the problem," says Stephen
Barrett, a retired psychiatrist who operates the site Quackwatch.com.
"There is no question that people are being exposed to information they
wouldn't otherwise find. The Web enables people to put far more
information up for less money." John Taylor, acting director of the Office
of Compliance at the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at the FDA,
describes the myriad unapproved health products being sold via the Net as
"a growing problem."
The people who buy all this snake oil don't readily make their identities
known, because they either truly believe in a remedy that they know is
illicit or are too embarrassed to admit their gullibility. For that
reason, the FTC and FDA receive very few complaints in this area, but the
laws are written in such a way that neither agency needs a victim to
prosecute an offense. Either can bring suits based strictly on the nature
of the product and on how it is being marketed.
The FDA's labeling rules are unequivocal: If a product says it can cure an
illness, it is considered a drug and can only be approved for sale after
extensive clinical testing has proven its effectiveness. The FTC gives
slightly more leeway, but not much. It requires that any curative claim be
supported by at least two well-controlled clinical studies.
But bogus remedy sites aren't beyond manufacturing their own "evidence,"
or liberally sprinkling pseudoscientific blather through their pages to
give the appearance of legitimacy. A favorite ruse is a claim of ongoing
European clinical studies that often don't exist, are poorly designed or
are blatantly misrepresented. In general, the FTC advises Netizens to be
on the lookout for such key words as "scientific breakthrough,"
"miraculous cure" or "ancient remedy" as likely signs that all is not
right. U.S. organizations with treatment centers in Mexico or South
America are also caution signs, as the drugs or therapies most likely have
not been approved in the U.S.
"Often, there is quite a bit of truth and reference material, but the
bottom line is that this is artificial bait," says Dr. John Renner, chief
medical officer at Healthscout.com. "Some people think the more
information you get, the better it is."
Renner also runs the National Council for Reliable Health Information
(www.ncrhi.org), a watchdog group that keeps a close eye on potential
online quacks. Its list of suspect sites includes Urinet
(www.utopia.knoware.nl/users/cvdk/urinetherapy), which espouses the
medicinal benefits of drinking one's own urine; Bustingout.com, which
promises bigger breasts in a little pill; and a Web page promoting and
selling Cancell (www.best.com/~handpen/Cancell/cancell.htm), an
"anti-cancer" drug that the National Cancer Institute (www.nci.nih.gov)
and the FDA have declared totally ineffective. "There are just plain
dishonest purveyors out there who are very good at what they do," Renner
says. "And the scientific literacy of the public is not what it should
be."
Nor is the oversight. With resources at a minimum, the FTC runs two Web
monitoring programs, called "surfs," under the name Operation Cure.All.
The surfs, which include personnel from the FDA and state attorneys
general offices, are a coordinated effort to identify bogus health sites.
Last year's effort netted 400 problem sites. The FDA sends some of the
sites warning letters, and moves to shut down others.
But the system offers irregular enforcement at best and tends to pick up
only the worst offenders, critics say. In the end, the responsibility for
deciding if a Web-advertised remedy is effective and safe is almost
entirely the consumer's.
"[The feds] don't have an enforcement staff. They run sting operations,"
says Allen Montgomery, chief executive of the American Nutriceutical
Association. "If you state on the Net that you can cure cancer, you'd
better watch out. Meanwhile, there are thousands of [other] sites making
ludicrous claims."
Similarly, state attorneys general offices typically track online snake
oil only during organized surfs or when a case drops in their lap. Even
when they have a hot case, catching the culprit is more difficult in
cyberspace.
"On the Internet, it is harder to track a company or an individual because
they can hide," says Jack Norris, an assistant attorney general in
Florida.
Robert Reyna, director of the Consumer Protection Division at the New
Mexico Attorney General's Office, agrees, adding: "We're really in the
training stage of how to use the Net as an investigative tool."
State attorneys general have been much more proactive in targeting illegal
prescription sales, but that pretty much is the limit of their organized
health fraud efforts, say those familiar with the situation. The American
Medical Association (www.ama-assn.org) does not monitor online health
fraud, nor does the National Fraud Information Center (www.fraud.com). Law
enforcers aren't entirely alone, however. A rag-tag posse of snake-oil
vigilantes occasionally helps identify culprits and even contributes to
investigations.
Quackwatch's Barrett falls into this category. His latest target is
Florsheim Shoes, which sells a line of footwear called Magneforce. The
shoes contain magnets that the company claims on its Web site "increase
circulation, reduce foot, leg and back fatigue and provide natural pain
relief and improved energy level."
Barrett is dubious: "I predict the FTC will flatten them like a pancake -
it's brazen."
Florsheim officials counter that they are within the law, and they cite
several clinical studies supporting the health benefits of magnets.
Ludnil Chotkowski, a retired internist, is another self-proclaimed online
quack buster. His primary beef is with chiropractic medicine, which he
calls "a hoax from start to finish." Chotkowski is a doubting Thomas when
it comes to alternative remedies. "Just because they're natural doesn't
mean a damned thing. Show me the [scientific] proof," he says.
Nearly everyone involved in the cyber snake-oil issue agrees that the
present state of affairs is largely a result of the Dietary Supplement
Health and Education Act of 1994 - the legislation that gave birth to the
booming $15 billion dietary supplement industry.
The law created a new category of "food supplements" that do not need to
be tested like drugs as long as they do not purport to "treat or cure" an
illness. Critics say the act provided a dance hall of details in which the
devil can frolic, giving companies new leeway to tiptoe around the
drug-approval issue. "It opened the door for every scoundrel to use the
law to their advantage," Reyna says.
Chotkowski agrees: "It was 'open sesame' for selling anything you wanted."
Exacerbating the situation was the fact that the FDA took six years to
announce rules for supplement labeling. In January, the agency said food
supplements could refer to structures and functions of the body but not
claim an ability to diagnose or treat a disease outright.
The new rule states: "Although FDA believes that dietary supplements have
potential benefits for consumers, dietary supplements labeled with
unproven disease claims, i.e., those that have not met the requirements
for health claim authorization or new drug approval, can pose serious
risks."
The gray area between legal structure and function claims - for example,
fish oil pills that claim to "contribute to heart and vascular health" -
and illegal curative statements is subtle and has resulted in consumer
confusion about the difference between supplements and drugs, critics say.
Some sites carry the federally mandated labeling disclaimer: "This product
is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease."
But plenty don't - and are doing their best to dodge scrutiny, regulators
say.
The alternative medicine industry isn't entirely happy with the food
supplement statute either. Advocates for such cures and therapies say the
stringent drug testing requirements of the FDA make it impossible for most
supplements ever to become drugs, because big pharmaceutical companies
won't spend money on substances they can't patent.
"Nobody wants to spend $80 million on a new drug study for a vitamin,"
says Ralph Fucetola, a lawyer who counsels supplement companies.
And without extensive clinical proof, alternative-medicine practitioners
and supporters have a hard time mollifying their critics.
Karen Hornblatt, president of Green Turtle Bay Vitamin in Summit, N.J.,
concedes that the huge growth of the supplement industry has led to some
multilevel marketing schemes promoting products with doubtful uses but
adds that they don't present much of a danger to the consumer. "In some
cases you do get unreasonable claims," she says, "but the downside for
natural products is limited."
While that statement may be arguable, the FTC is doing its best to stay
out of the emotionally charged fray.
"When we talk about health fraud, we're not talking about differences in
philosophy - we're talking about claims that are false," Peeler says.
Kal Samulonis, president of CMO Distribution Centers of America in
Sarasota, Fla., says the FDA and FTC rules don't mesh because one requires
extensive drug testing while the other settles for just a few studies.
"Our government is currently caught in a conflict with itself. I think
it's a real shame," says Samulonis, whose company settled a misleading
advertising complaint with the FTC earlier this year.
Samulonis is also unhappy about the way the FTC handled his company's
claims that CMO can cure arthritis. "Despite credible work at an acclaimed
research facility, we didn't meet their criteria for [clinical evidence],"
Samulonis says. "We're now in a situation where you just make a claim and
pray."
Len Sands, director of the San Diego International Immunological Center,
licenses CMO to Samulonis and offered evidence of its efficacy to the FTC.
"The FTC said that we were not an authority on the subject, and would not
accept the data. We've cured 100,000 patients of arthritis and that wasn't
good enough," Sands says.
FTC officials respond that they're not just looking at the type of data
being offered as evidence but at its quality. In the CMO case, Sands' work
just wasn't convincing, says Rich Cleland, a senior attorney at the FTC
and the person in charge of Operation Cure.All. "You've got to have
rigorous scientific evidence to make these kinds of claims," Cleland says.
In the end, federal officials say, the only real solution to the online
snake-oil problem is continued awareness coupled with improved oversight.
"The answer is a combination of good enforcement with good consumer
education," Taylor says. "I don't think enforcement, in and of itself, is
the answer."
While it's true that public awareness is essential in the battle against
health fraud, consumers often become extremely vulnerable - and find
themselves flying solo - when desperate health problems have eluded all
conventional therapies.
With enforcement resources so limited, Reyna says, "the consumer is left
to sift through it all."
=~=~=~=
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