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Atari Online News, Etc. Volume 03 Issue 17
Volume 3, Issue 17 Atari Online News, Etc. April 27, 2001
Published and Copyright (c) 1999 - 2001
All Rights Reserved
Atari Online News, Etc.
A-ONE Online Magazine
Dana P. Jacobson, Publisher/Managing Editor
Joseph Mirando, Managing Editor
Rob Mahlert, Associate Editor
Atari Online News, Etc. Staff
Dana P. Jacobson -- Editor
Joe Mirando -- "People Are Talking"
Michael Burkley -- "Unabashed Atariophile"
Albert Dayes -- "CC: Classic Chips"
Rob Mahlert -- Web site
Thomas J. Andrews -- "Keeper of the Flame"
With Contributions by:
Kevin Savetz
Rob Mahlert
Martin Doering
John Hardie
To subscribe to A-ONE, send a message to: dpj@atarinews.org
and your address will be added to the distribution list.
To unsubscribe from A-ONE, send the following: Unsubscribe A-ONE
Please make sure that you include the same address that you used to
subscribe from.
To download A-ONE, set your browser bookmarks to one of the
following sites:
http://people.delphi.com/dpj/a-one.htm
http://www.icwhen.com/aone/
http://a1mag.atari.org
Now available:
http://www.atarinews.org
Visit the Atari Advantage Forum on Delphi!
http://forums.delphi.com/m/main.asp?sigdir=atari
=~=~=~=
A-ONE #0317 04/27/01
~ GFA Linker 4.0 Ready! ~ People Are Talking! ~ New QuickTime Out!
~ Atari FAQ New Home! ~ TT-Digger 6.2 Released ~ NoSTalgia 1.0!
~ FLI/C Encoder/Decoder! ~ Microsoft Infects 26! ~ SDL For MiNT?
~ Researcher To Be Sued? ~ USENET Archives Back! ~ GEMDOS Available!
-* Too Much Privacy Legislation *-
-* Free Online Storage, Thing Of Past? *-
-* Low-cost P4s Could Ignite Sales, Or War! *-
=~=~=~=
->From the Editor's Keyboard "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
It's been a hectic week, as usual. I've had a new boss for about a month
now, so things are a little bit different than normal. So far, things
haven't changed drastically as it usually does when new management comes in
with a new "vision" and a lot of new ideas. But, the workload continues to
increase, and naturally staffing doesn't increase along with it. Budget
time is rapidly approaching and we all know what that can do to one's stress
levels! So, I haven't had a lot of time to work on some provocative
editorial this week.
Barring my having to serve on a federal jury next week (I've been on a
3-week standby status), I'm ready to start planning a vacation or three!
I'm ready to get going finishing up my lawn and doing some more planting and
other outdoor stuff. And of course, some well-earned rest! I'm heading
down to Maine this weekend to see my father and brother, and the new
addition to the "family" - a new pit bull puppy! I can't believe my brother
got my father a puppy, much less a pit bull! Oh, excuse me, a Bull Terrier,
we don't want to start a panic in the neighborhood! I'm hoping it's an
American Bull Terrier, and not the Staffordshire one!
The weather has been nice. A little on the cool side, but I prefer this to
the high temperatures and relentless humidity. Makes working out in the
yard more bearable. I hope this continues for awhile; maybe we'll actually
have a real Spring season for a change!
A reminder to our current and potential A-ONE subscribers! This will be the
last week that subscriptions go out from Delphi. After this week's issue,
we'll be using our new mailer at atarinews.org. A final decision hasn't
been made yet as to the format we'll be using to send the magazine in, but
we'll send out a reminder during the week with the final details.
Speaking of "lasts", I can't believe that this will be the last few days of
Delphi as many of us are used to seeing. Text access will be gone, as well
as numerous other related features. I've been a member for almost 15 years
and it just isn't going to be the same again. Delphi will continue, but
access will only be available from the web. Another downside to the failing
"dot-com" environment and economy. <sigh>
Until next time...
=~=~=~=
NoSTalgia 1.0 Is Now Available
http://users.skynet.be/sky39147/
NoSTalgia is an Atari ST emulator for the Macintosh.
What's new in version 1.0 ?
- This version runs on OS X (Carbon) or System 8.x/9.x.
- Added overscan low.
- Added "freeze" , "unfreeze" functions.
- Fixed MFP/new code (Captain blood rasters, Interphase,...).
- Fixed MFP vector (fix lot of programs).
- Removed OMS support.
- Fixed bug in CPU, instructions timing.
- New Audio support (no samples yet).
- Fixed shifter timing.
- Better control of the emulation speed.
- Added an 'Auto frame' option to help the emulator when the CPU is too
slow.
- Fixed several bugs in the FDC emulator (Drakken,...)
- Fixed the keyboard synchro code.
- Fixed the real time clock (Captain Blood).
- Most of the code has been rewritten.
Notes:
- Direct screen drawing is still present (and much faster) but is NOT
recommended under OS X.
- You cant 'hog' all the CPU under OSX.
- Quickdraw performances are not great with OS X, NoSTalgia runs faster
under 0S 9 in Quickdraw mode.
- NoSTalgia is too slow in 'Millions Colors', switch to 'thousands Colors'.
- The emulator may be slower when 'max speed' is enabled because it
doesn't skip any frame in this mode.
- There is no 'Full screen mode' with OS X.
- You cant hide the Mac mouse with OS X.
Clicks V1.01 Released
There is a new version of the mind game "Clicks" available. Changes: some
bug fixes.
http://philippdonze.atari.org
New "Good Old GEMDOS" Site
After clearing up the license status of Digital Research's GEMDOS,
I can now provide most parts of GEMDOS under GPL license. They have
been available for a longer time on the GEM World site, but the
copyright status had been unclear. This now changed (as you can read
on my site).
You now can get a GEMDOS porting kit with all, but the machine
specific parts of GEMDOS in source form. Maybe, it is just for
historical interest, maybe you can use it for something new. So, now
have a look at:
http://www.mucl.de/~mdoering/atari/en/index.htm
At last many thanks to Lineo - they made this possible!
New STune Version Released
After a long delay, a new STune version is available.
STune is a realtime strategy game that runs fine as a GEM application.
The newest version has a lot of bugs fixed, e.g. the network mode now
works better, and it should now even run a little bit faster!
http://stune.atari.org
New GFA Linker Version 4.0
A new Linker for the GFA Development-Kit 3.6TT is available. The new
(R)GFA-Linker has no problems with long filenames, MagicPC, real
library-filenames (with extension) and is optimized for the LicomLIB.
http://www.rgfsoft.com/html/download.htm
News at Europe Shareware
[Chatter 1.10]
Chatter, the IRC-client for IConnect, is now also published by
Europe Shareware and its price has been cut down: 22.50 EUR.
http://www.europe-shareware.org/atari/logiciels/chatter.html
[CAB 2.8]
The well known web browser is now also published by Europe
Shareware. New price: 30.00 EUR.
http://www.europe-shareware.org/atari/logiciels/cab.html
[Pack "internaute"]
The "Internaut Pack" now includes CAB, Emailer and Chatter, and
the price remains unchanged: 60.00 EUR.
http://www.europe-shareware.org/atari/packs.html
[Aniplayer 2.15]
Didier Mequignon's indispensable multimedia player is also
available via Europe Shareware: 8.00 EUR.
An E-mail from Czuba Tech..
Hello,
After several months, I can only conclude that the TT030 users are so rare
that I received only 27 emails from people who would buy a CTT60 for the
TT030 !
That's not enough... and I prefer spend my time for the 145 people of the
CT60 on Falcon !
Buy a falcon (it's cheap and a very good machine !)
if you want a 060 + SDRAM.
Yours Sincerely
PS : Please, note my new postal address.
Rodolphe CZUBA
4, Allée des Lauriers
F-60290 LAIGNEVILLE
FRANCE
email : rczuba@free.fr
WEB : www.czuba-tech.com
3D-Calc+ Spreadsheet News
Bernd Maedicke has converted the 3D-Calc manual to Papyrus format. You can
download it from the 3D-Calc website:
http://3d-calc.atari.org
Also, you can now download the resource file in a Dutch, German, French and
English version.
Frank.
email: 3dCalc@atari.org
Atari ST QuickFAQ Gets A New Maintainer
As announced a few days ago by its former author and maintainer, Nicholas
Bales, I have now taken over this classic document's daily authoring and
maintenance.
The new URL goes as follow:
http://quickfaq.atari.org/
http://funkyware.atari.org/
http://members.tripod.com/~TT030/
From that starting point, there are EU and US mirrors. However, PLEASE DO
NOT LINK DIRECTLY TO EITHER OF THOSE MIRRORS from your online bookmarks,
as the location of both are entirely dependant upon whatever is my current
ISP; only Tripod is permanent.
I have already uploaded an improved version of the QuickFAQ and am
currently in the process of reviewing all links found in the document. At
this point, the main changes are:
* cleaned up HTML, upgraded to XHTML conformance, with CSS.
* some details on TT and Falcon TOS versions.
* new maintainer name.
Over the next few days, additions will include:
* Stacy Language disks (once I remember where I put them).
* Falcon language disks (once I remember where I put them).
* general restructuring to allow for easier inclusion of new
hardware-specific material on the Stacy, ST Book, MEGA, TT,
Falcon, clones and emulators.
* automated mirroring of the US site from the EU source site
(currently, only the EU site is auto-mirrored from my source
documents on the TT; because the US provider only offers FTP
access, I cannot use UNIX tools to streamline the process there)
In closing, I would like to thank Nick for the fantastic job he has already
done maintaining this document until today and for his trust in my
abilities to maintain his legacy in the future. Hopefully, wherever his new
computing horizons take him, he will still find interesting challenges and
a stimulating life.
--
Martin-Eric Racine, IT Consultant * http://funkyware.atari.org/
XaAES v0.910 Released
From the Mint newsgroup..
Hello!
There is a new version of XaAES available on my homepage (in sig).
Changes are:
1 New config keyword 'debug_lines n' for use in xaaesdbg.tos. When present,
after n lines the debugfile is wrapped around. This makes it possible to
run the debug version indefinite time without the danger of filling up your
HD.
Useful for detecting rare bugs.
2 Things iconify widgets are back again. (Don't ask me how :-)
3 Tidy screen: CTRL+ALT+Home works.
4 Quite some fixes in the windowed dialogues.
5 Double click in the file selector works again.
6 Selecting a application (not ACC) in the desk menu brings all of the app
in front. CTRL+ALT+tab is disabled (Needs a big overhaul).
7 Implemented 'MagiC objects': cross boxes, round radio buttons, underlined
string (title), underlined character (shortcut) and 'Gruppenrahmen' (Is
there a English word for that?). Shortcuts work (press ALT+letter). Updated
appl_getinfo(13,,,,arg4) :: 0xc :: G_SHORTCUT|WHITEBAK
8 Big fix in the keyboard queue handler. Now quite usable. Maybe even
perfect. Well, at least much, much better.
The last 2 points made me decide to jump the version number.
Have fun.
Groeten; Regards.
Henk Robbers. mailto:h.robbers@chello.nl
http://members.ams.chello.nl/h.robbers/Home.html
A free multitasking GEM for MiNT: XaAES (heavily under construction);
Interactive disassembler: TT-Digger; Experimental text editor: AHCX
Alpha Version of Gem Sarien Available
Jan Daldrup reports on http://www.place2be.de/indexe.php that Christian
Putzig has released an alpha version of his GEM port of Sarien.
GEM Sarien allows the play of Sierra graphic adventures (AGI games such as
Leisure Suit Larry, Kings Quest 1-3, Space Quest etc) in a GEM window.
Magic OS is currently required as sound and GEM frontend are done in Magic
threads.
The source code is available and anyone wanting to lend a hand are invited
to join in on the project.
URL: (in german)
http://home.t-online.de/home/christian.putzig/Programme.html#Top
URL: (translate to english via free translations)
http://fets3.freetranslation.com:5081/?Language=German%2FEnglish&Url=home.t-onl
ine.de%2Fhome%2Fchristian.putzig%2FProgramme.html%23Top&Sequence=core
FLI/C Encoder/Decoder Released
Francois LE COAT the author of Eureka reports on fr.comp.sys.atari that he
has released a new FLI and FLC encoder/decoder.
It takes PPM or PGM files and converts them to FLI or FLC animations. Which
are compatible with Aniplayer or m_player.
Compatible with long file names (tested with MiNT + Naes)
URL: http://www.ief.u-psud.fr/~lecoat/
Convert Your GFA Basic Code To Java?
French programmer Philippe Reverdy has reported on fr.comp.sys.atari that
he is working on a software system to convert GFA Basic code to Java code.
If you have a Java compatible browser you can see a conversion of the
Tetris program KIKTRIS at http://preverdy.ifrance.com
This is an enormous task and he is looking for feedback and help!
Marijuana Mail 1.55 (Polish Version) Released
A new version of the email program Marijuana mail is available at
http://strony.poland.com/at4ri/
SDL for MiNT ?
Patrice Mandin reports on his site http://www.multimania.com/pmandin/ that
he has an initial port of SDL (Simple DirectMedia Layer) to the atari.
SDL is a cross-platform multimedia library for programmers initially
developed by Sam Latinga of the Linux Game Software house Loki Games.
http://www.lokigames.com
This will allow hundreds of new programs to be compiled for our platform!
Patrice Mandins page is still only available in french here
http://www.multimania.com/pmandin/fr/patchs.html#SDL
The official website for SDL is here http://www.libsdl.org
TT-Digger 6.2 Released
The interactive disassembler TT-Digger has been updated to version 6.2.
Changes in 6.2
TOS's > v4 are 512Kb.
The calculation of the PC for addressing modes having PC relative base
displacement yielded 2 bytes too far. (Pasm is wrong as well!).
TST instruction: Allow all addressing modes for the whole 68000 family.
Bug fix in machine switching.
URL: http://members.ams.chello.nl/h.robbers/TTD.html
=~=~=~=
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
compiled by Joe Mirando
jmirando@portone.com
Hidi ho friends and neighbors. It's been another hectic week for me. I
know, I know, it's not just me, it's everyone. Things these days are so
crazy.
I know I've mentioned this before, but did you know that prehistoric
man required only about 20 hours a week to gather everything he needed
to support his family for the week. Amazing, isn't it? Of course, he
didn't have a phone bill, or insurance payments, or income tax to worry
about.
He also got a proper amount of sleep... something that many of us are
going without these days. It was simple. When the sun went down, you
went to sleep. When it came up again, you awoke and went about your
business. Damn you, Thomas Edison! <grin>
Well, this is going to be a short column this week. Twelve hour
workdays are getting tiresome, and the signs of strain are apparent...
at least if my wife is to be believed.
So let's get on with all the news, hints, tips, and info available from
the UseNet.
From the comp.sys.atari.st NewsGroup
====================================
Martin Holmes asks about his multi-lingual Falcon:
"Turned my Falcon on last night to find the TOS desktop menu is
in French and the keyboard has been re-mapped.
Help - Can anyone help me get it back to English?
Can't think how this has happened or how to get out of it."
Jim Logan tells Martin:
"Sorry. This is the result of a new directive from the Council of
Ministers (of the EU for non-europeans). All computer screen will be
in French for six months, and will then change in line with the
country holding the Presidency."
Jean-Fransois Lemaire tells Jim (and Martin):
"You should be so lucky. When Belgium is taking up the EU presidency in
July, your screen will be in Dutch (Flemish) during the first three
months and in French the last three months."
On the serious side, Mike Freeman tells Martin:
"Sounds like your NVRAM settings got messed up. Get an NVRAM setter
program (I think there's one in your Falcon system disks, or can be
downloaded from any Atari FTP site). Set your language preference to
English with this program."
Martin tells everyone:
"I have checked NVRAM and found its setting were for French and
have now reset it to English. Phew, what a relief to get the keyboard
letters back where they should be!"
Lyndon Amsdon asks about his choice of text editors with NEWSie:
"Little problem here that's got me stuck.
I use QED (after getting fed up with Everest) as my editor and now
after the Organization: line is written it doesn't do a carriage return
so the subject line is written right after it. Obviously other peoples
mailers don't pick up the subject and it ends up with no subject. At
the moment the only solution is using a character in the organisation
field (a dot if you look) or switch back to Everest <shudders>.
Thanks! I think this is probably a FAQ re Newsie+QED"
Steve Sweet tells Lyndon:
"You should pop over to Menu, Options, Local, click on the popup
labelled for files and have assign a matching suitable extension,
configure here for formatting and line ends and i think your prob may be
solved.
What version QED are you using I had problems with 4.52 with its OLGA
behaviour when using with Newsie, quitting QED , clicking on Save or
using a key-short did not result in Newsie being informed of the file
save hence no mail was sent.
Reference QED, there are a lot of non-fatal resource errors, button
widths incorrect, some translation is incomplete, loads of spelling
mistakes as well."
Edward Daiz adds his experiences:
"I had similar problems and also memory management errors when using
QED under Newsie on a Hades060."
Steve tells Edward:
"I'm glad i wasn't alone again.
On the subject of QED, does anyone know the whereabouts of Christian
Felch and/or his intentions re. QED. Its still got some formatting bugs
that could do with stomping on, and the problem we are presently
discussing."
Jorgen Nyberg tells Steve and Edward:
"I've found that QED sometimes coughs a bit under Newsie. My solution?
Press Save and Quit in Newsie. It seems that the problems only creeps
up, if I keep Newsie in memory."
Neil Chester asks about floppy replacement:
"Has anyone else used one of those "Head Cleaning Diskette" things
usually with special solutions?
I have used it in the past I remember but unfortunately on this
occasion it looks as though the drive head has been damaged!
I have a spare grey fronted Epson HD drive from my original Falcon
(which was broken by ParcelFarce) which I can put in temporarily. But
does anyone know where it is possible to get the black fronted HD
diskette drives which are supplied with the C-Lab MkX case upgrade?
Or can the drive be repaired by a skilled technician?"
Shiuming Lai tells Neil:
"The MKX uses a Teac FD-235HF, a very popular drive. Simply remove the
black fascia and put it on a "standard" FD-235HF(the black version was
not made specifically for C-LAB, but is nevertheless harder to
come by).
While you're at it, replace the LED with a blue one. Looks great."
Edward Baiz asks about his noisy CD drive:
"I have a Yamaha CDRW drive. Now and then it gets real noisy. I thought
it was my hard drive. Most of the time it is quiet. The noise does not
effect it's performance. Has anyone else run into something like this?
Peter Slegg tells Edward:
"I have an 8824E drive that is a replacement for one that
failed shortly after I got it.
The new drive makes a high-pitched whine all the time,
even when there is no CD in the mechanism.
It is not loud but it can be annoying. I agree with the
suggestion that it is probably the cooling fan but I
am now wondering how to silence it."
Steve Sweet adds:
"Is it noisy when its /not/ got a CD in it, if so its probably the PSU
cooling fan.
If the noise is only during CD access and also maybe varying in pitch,
(depending on the region of the CD its accessing at a given time) you
could well have a faulty spindle motor. This may not be affecting
access at this time due to device caching, but it will give the unit a
hard time and will get worse until it dies.
Spindle speed varies as the tracking diameter varies, hence the
possible variation in pitch I mentioned."
Well folks, that's it for this week. Time for me to get back to the
daily grind. I'm glad that we've had this little chance to sit down and
relax for a few minutes. We need that every now and then. 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 - Classic Gaming Expo 2001!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" 'Max Payne'! 'Rumble Racing'!
'Test Drive' For Xbox!
And much more!
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE's Game Console Industry News - The Latest Gaming News!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Activision Signs Worldwide Publishing and
Distribution Deal With Fox Interactive for
World's Scariest Police Chases
World's Scariest Police Chases will rev onto the PlayStation game console
through an exclusive worldwide publishing and distribution agreement
between Activision, Inc. and Fox Interactive. Based on Fox Broadcasting's
popular car chase series, the game delivers full throttle hot pursuits and
an array of action packed police missions, including high-speed chases,
robberies in progress and deadly shootouts. World's Scariest Police Chases
has been rated ``T" for Teen by the ESRB for violence.
``The acquisition of World's Scariest Police Chases underscores our goal of
delivering top-quality interactive entertainment based on highly
recognizable licenses," said Kathy Vrabeck, executive vice president,
worldwide publishing and global brand management, Activision, Inc. ``The
brand familiarity and action-packed gameplay will challenge and entertain
gamers and the show's fan base."
World's Scariest Police Chases for the PlayStation game console is a wild,
no-holds-barred driving game that puts players in control of the action as
a police officer chasing and apprehending law-breaking criminals.
Perpetrators will lead players on a slew of hazardous, breakneck chases as
they try to avoid being captured for such crimes as drunk driving, drug
smuggling and terrorism. Players will pursue their suspects through a
dynamic city, taking shortcuts and using aggressive tactics as necessary to
apprehend them.
``World's Scariest Police Chases is a great driving game mixed with the
voyeuristic qualities of the Fox television show," said Karly Young,
Executive Director of Marketing, Fox Interactive. ``We are happy to be
working with Activision to bring this fun, energetic game to PlayStation
gamers around the world."
As in the television show, the game features running commentary from
retired Sheriff Jon Bunnell, complete with extreme hyperbole and the
requisite bad puns. World's Scariest Police Chases is being developed by
Unique Development Studios.
Take-Two Interactive's Rockstar Games Proudly
Announces Max Payne for the PlayStation 2 Computer
Entertainment System
Rockstar Games, Take Two Interactive Software, Inc.'s high end video game
publishing division, is pleased to announce that Max Payne, the
highly-anticipated PC action game is now in development for the
PlayStation2 computer entertainment system. Currently in development for
PC with Remedy Entertainment Ltd. and 3D Realms Entertainment, Max Payne
for PlayStation2 is now being developed by Rockstar Games Canada and is
set for release in 2001.
``As one of the first film noir inspired action games, Max Payne is an
innovative and incredible new gameplay experience never seen before on the
PlayStation2," stated Sam Houser, president of Rockstar Games. ``The line
between special effects in movies and videogames is narrowing. The
technology behind PlayStation2 allows us to take action to a level not yet
achieved in videogames. With Max Payne, you will see the evolution of
gameplay."
Max Payne is a stylish, urban, revenge driven action game based in New York
City's grimy underground. A groundbreaking rendering engine allows for
heart-stopping, photo-realistic visuals and breath taking movie quality
effects as Max Payne fights his way to uncover the truth. Max Payne is a
dark, searing tale of corruption and murder which combines the most popular
elements from today's biggest box office action thrillers with the latest
in videogame technology to deliver what promises to be one of the most
original gameplay experiences this year.
The May 2001 issue of PC Gamer (just hitting newsstands), in an exclusive
preview of the nearly finished PC version, had this to say: ``Defiantly
original, soaked in style, fiendishly well-written, and sporting one
sequence of jaw-dropping action after another, Max Payne will be the most
talked-about action game since Half-Life. Max Payne: The next great
anti-hero."
EA Games Ships Rumble Racing for the PlayStation 2
Ultra-Fast Racer Features High-Flying Stunts in
Beautiful Racing Environments
Rumble Racing, from Electronic Arts, shipped Monday and features diverse
racing environments and arcade-style racing.
Available on the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system, Rumble Racing
immerses gamers into a fast-paced world of full contact racing where users
race in unique muscle cars, locate short cuts, deploy power-ups and land
big-air stunts as they work their way towards the Rumble Racing
championship. Gamers can get in and blast to victory in a quick game or
perfect the many tracks, difficulty levels and stunts on the way to Rumble
fame.
``Rumble Racing, the fastest racing game on the PlayStation 2, incorporates
a diverse group of racing vehicles, environments, and stunts," says David
DeMartini, the executive producer of Rumble Racing. ``Speed separates this
game from the pack. We have developed a lightning-fast racer where you can
either master the driving component and find the quickest racing routes or
develop your jumping skill in cool cars and dynamic tracks."
This extreme racer combines break-neck speeds, multi-car pile-ups, and
diverse racing environments to appeal to racing game fans of all ages and
skill levels. The fifteen tracks incorporate unique shortcuts, deployable
power-ups, and stunting opportunities where the racers receive speed boosts
that are greater with the degree of difficulty of the stunt. Three of the
tracks are specifically designed for stunting. Towering jumps will launch
your vehicle into the stratosphere where you can link barrel rolls, twists
and flips to increase your points total and power boost exponentially.
Richly detailed, these varied tracks include ocean-side racing, beaches,
metropolitan and scenic mountain environments.
More than 35 original vehicles with custom paint jobs are included in the
game. Choose your favorites and earn upgraded models by successfully
completing races or competing at a higher difficulty level. The cars
include Muscle cars, sports cars, vintage vehicles, trucks and a custom RV
model. Special unlockable cars such as a Jet car and tricked out minivan
are also available. With turbo load times, users can quickly jump in and
enjoy these cars while listening to Rumble's original, locale-specific
soundtrack and over-the-top commentary from Jess Harnell of TV's Animaniacs
and The Tick fame.
Throw a monkey wrench in your opponent's plans with the game's many
deployable power-ups including the world transforming Twister, Bombs,
Nitro, Bad Gas, Super Tires, Shockwave, Big Hit and more. Power-up
management is imperative to victory and can be particularly helpful to
those who have run into a little bad luck during the race and find that
they are in jeopardy of a poor finish.
Rumble Racing for the PlayStation 2 is rated ``E" (Everyone) by the ESRB.
Infogrames, Inc. Brings Its Distinguished Racing
Franchise to the Xbox With Test Drive
Grab the keys and get ready for the test drive of your life this fall with
Infogrames, Inc.'s Test Drive for the Xbox video game system. The company
announced that its top-selling racing franchise, the Test Drive series, is
coming to Xbox with Test Drive. With more than three million copies sold
worldwide, the Test Drive series has enjoyed tremendous commercial success.
Test Drive is the first Xbox title to be announced by Infogrames, and will
be in stores this Fall.
``The Xbox video game system supports features and technology that we've
only dreamed of in Test Drive games of the past," said Chris Downend,
executive producer of racing titles at Infogrames' San Jose Label. ``With
the combination of highly sought after licensed vehicles, action-packed
Hollywood-style racing and the exceptional graphics and technical
capabilities of Xbox, Test Drive will have no limits."
Test Drive continues the successful formula of the award-winning series
with players racing some of the world's most sought-after licensed vehicles
in exotic real-world locations. Whether a player is looking for the
prestige and strength of an exotic sports car or the raw power and rugged
good looks of an American muscle car, the game will offer something for
every taste. The fast-paced Hollywood-style racing action in Test Drive
will find players blowing through crowded city streets with the cops on
their tail as pedestrians flee and cross traffic comes at them from every
direction.
With a brand new, built-from-scratch graphics engine, the game will utilize
numerous cutting edge techniques that maximize visual and audio realism.
Visually Test Drive will offer HDTV and widescreen (16:9) support with
dynamic pixel shader effects allowing per pixel lighting, reflection
mapping and environmental mapping.
Advanced cloud movements and lighting effects including realistic occlusion
of the sun and rendering of sunbeams are just a few of the examples of Test
Drive's visual realism. In addition, the game offers optimized vertex
shaders using unique-to-Xbox extensions not currently available on other
gaming platforms. For example, players will see trees realistically bend
and sway in the wind.
The superior audio capabilities of Xbox allow Test Drive to offer surround
sound, 3D positioned for all objects and spot effects, as well as a high
quality licensed soundtrack. The fully licensed soundtrack will be heard
using the new Test Drive radio feature. This feature allows players to
choose their favorite music ``genre" and listen to several different songs
in that genre as if they were listening to a radio station in their own
car.
Some of the cars in Test Drive include the Dodge Viper GTS, Jaguar XK-R,
Aston Martin DB7 Vantage, Lotus Esprit V8, Nissan Skyline, Ford Mustang
and Ford GT-40, Plymouth Cuda and Dodge '69 Charger -- with more licenses
to come.
Test Drive will have four exotic real world locations to race in. The
locations are based on real world cities including San Francisco and
London. Each location will have multiple paths within them and will offer
gravity-defying jumps, unpredictable cross-traffic, relentless cops,
smashable street-side objects and reactive pedestrians.
Test Drive for Xbox is being developed by the Pitbull Syndicate and will
offer 4-player multiplayer options via split screen. Based in the United
Kingdom, The Pitbull Syndicate is known for developing Demolition Racer
and the highly successful Test Drive 4, Test Drive5 and Test Drive6
games. For more information on The Pitbull Syndicate visit
www.pitbull.co.uk.
Smackin' Down 'The Simpsons,' WWF, WCW
As weird as it sounds, ``The Simpsons Wrestling," where the cartoon
characters from TV's ``The Simpsons" battle each other, is one of the most
unsettling games I've played in a while.
As wrestling simulations go, this $40 PlayStation game from Fox Interactive
and Activision is also underwhelming as well as overpriced. The graphics
are uninspired and there are only a limited number of moves to execute in
the ring.
``The Simpsons Wrestling" was supposed to be a fun title. Krusty the Clown
attacks opponents by throwing pies in their faces and Barney's secret move
is his hideous breath. This aspect of the game is mildly amusing.
But in my first match, I played as Bart and the computer was Homer. After a
few moments, I began to be extremely troubled by the images of the father
beating up on his son. In the next match, when I played as Marge, I was
expected to bash Bart with my frying pan. And then it was Lisa's turn to
get whomped by Groundskeeper Willie's rake.
Yes, they're cartoons. Yes, in the cartoon an angry Homer is known to
briefly grab his bratty son by the throat, and it's funny. But I doubt any
child in the cartoon has been choked or beaten into semi-consciousness,
which is the objective here.
And unlike pro wrestling stars -- oversized consenting adults whose job
specifically requires choreographed physical abuse -- the Simpsons are a
family with whom, in a way, I empathize. This is a jarring departure. (In
contrast, the bonus contest pitting Itchy against Scratchy involving all
manner of weapons is much funnier.)
Kids, most of whom have probably fantasized at one time or another about
hitting back at their parents after a spanking, may not be bothered by
this. But any good parent -- or anyone who loves children and is aware that
there's too much real-life abuse -- should be troubled by this.
As Marge commented at the beginning of her match, ``You know, someday we'll
look back on this and be very, very ashamed."
When it comes to simulating real-life pro wrestling, software designers
keep coming out with better products. But the latest crop of serious
wrestling combat games -- if you can take this mixture of soap opera,
gymnastics exhibition and morality play seriously -- also illustrates how
far the genre still has to go.
The most recent World Wrestling Federation-brand title for the PlayStation
is ``WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role" ($40) from THQ. It's better than
any other wrestling game I've seen.
``SmackDown 2" offers 63 WWF wrestlers, plus gives players the seemingly
unlimited option of creating their own characters. There are 17 locations,
including three different rings. It also offers some 30 types of matches
with seven hardcore styles.
And, there's an endless combination of rules. Players can decide whether to
permit outside interference, whether a KO can end the match, and whether
your opponent has to break if he (or she) forces you into the ropes.
But as advanced as ``SmackDown 2" is, it nonetheless shows that there's
plenty of room for improvement in this genre. The movements of the
wrestlers are sometimes stilted. All too often the computer opponent will
grab at empty air. The headlocks don't always lock. And in the tag team
competitions, the computer is lousy at getting the teams to work together.
``SmackDown 2" is rated for teens because of the animated violence, mild
language and mature sexual themes.
By comparison, the Nintendo 64 version of the World Championship
Wrestling-brand title ``WCW Backstage Assault" ($40) from Electronic Arts
is far less versatile. You can create your own wrestlers, but this game
offers only one style: hardcore. Purists who want to avoid fights with
trash cans, poles and other foreign objects are out of luck. There are
only four types of matches. There are seven places to fight (none of them
in a ring), and until you win some matches, you're stuck battling it out in
the trucking area.
``Backstage Assault" has an annoying system for selecting your wrestlers.
Their identities are displayed on an eight-by-eight grid but only two are
visible at one time, and it's never clear which part of the grid you're
viewing. Only 25 of the 50 or so wrestlers are available at the beginning
of the game. The rest have to be unlocked.
I thought ``Backstage Assault" offered better sound than "SmackDown." It
also has announcers, which can be a mixed blessing because the narration
can get repetitive very quickly. Fortunately, you can turn it off. The game
is rated for teens because of the animated violence.
Jump the Wake With Infogrames, Inc.'s Watersport Racing
Game Splashdown Coming to the Sony Playstation 2 This Fall
Infogrames, Inc. Teams Up With Rainbow Studios and Bombardier
Recreational Products to Bring SEA-DOO Racing to the PlayStation 2
Infogrames, Inc. announced that they have teamed up with Bombardier Inc. to
bring the excitement and fun of personal watercraft (PWC) riding to the
Sony PlayStation 2 this fall with Splashdown.
During the last twenty years, personal watercraft recreation has grown into
a widely successful and popular sport around the world. Infogrames and
Rainbow Studios recognized this and began creating Splashdown, a watersport
racing game designed to provide high-speed fun and entertainment in
realistic and exciting water-based environments. With interactive physics
objects, outstanding graphics, and the freedom to roam its 3D worlds,
Splashdown will have players feeling as if they are really out on the open
water.
``Combining the ingenious minds at Rainbow Studios with the technology of
the PS2, Splashdown is certain to be a must-have title this fall," said
Laddie Ervin, marketing director for Infogrames' Los Angeles Label. ``The
control and graphics of this game are stunning and unbelievably realistic.
It's already fun to play and it's only half-way complete."
Splashdown will feature well-known personal watercraft models and equipment
from Sea-Doo. As the leader in watersports fun, Bombardier, makers of
Sea-Doo watercraft and Sport Boats, is committed to providing good clean
fun on the water. For over a decade, Bombardier's Sea-Doo PWC's have stood
at the forefront of its industry.
``Bombardier Recreational Products are all about fun, passion and
performance, a combination that fits very well in Infogrames' universe,"
says Jose Boisjoli, president, Snowmobiles, Watercraft and ATV, Bombardier
Recreational Products. ``We are happy to be linked with one of the most
important players in the interactive entertainment industry. This is part
of our continuing efforts to partner with leaders who recognize the value
of our Sea-Doo brand and the passion it invokes. Sea-Doo products are a
symbol of the sought-after "fun in the sun`` lifestyle that stirs the
passion of watersports enthusiasts the world over. Splashdown will combine
Infogrames' expertise with our brand's inherent excitement. This will
thrill both our own Sea-Doo PWC consumers and gaming enthusiasts."
In addition to licensed Sea-Doo watercraft with custom tuned physics,
Splashdown will offer amazing real-time water effects, coined by Rainbow
Studios as ``hydrodynamic physics." This includes dynamic wakes, rolling
waves and turbulence that will affect how the watercraft and player
responds to each turn, jump and trick. Players will be able to perform
over-the-top acrobatic stunts, along with plenty of hilarious wipeouts and
wrecks.
The game will feature eight different characters from around the world and
18 racing courses in exotic locations including Hawaii, USA; Lake Havasu,
Arizona; Venice, Italy; Nice, France and more. The game will also feature
multiple game modes including Career, Countdown and Free Ride, with three
difficulty levels in each, plus a high-energy soundtrack and 2-person
multi-player support.
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE Gaming Online - Online Users Growl & Purr!
"""""""""""""""""""
For Immediate Release
Contact John Hardie, Sean Kelly, and Joe Santulli
info@cgexpo.com
516-568-9768
http://www.cgexpo.com
CLASSIC GAMING EXPO 2001 SHOW DATES ANNOUNCED;
"FATHER OF VIDEOGAMES" FIRST TO SIGN ON
VALLEY STREAM, NY (April 27, 2001) -- The organizers of Classic
Gaming Expo have announced the dates of the 2001 show to take
place at Jackie Gaughan's Plaza Hotel. On Saturday, August 11,
and Sunday, August 12, the computer and gaming industry's most
innovative pioneers will gather in Las Vegas to attend Classic
Gaming Expo 2001. Dubbed CGE2K1, the fourth annual event is
inspired by a strong, continued commitment to classic game
updates and re-releases by such major publishers as Infogrames,
Midway, Namco, Activision, Konami, Capcom, and others.
Heading up this years line-up of industry pioneers is none
other than the "Father of Videogames" himself, Ralph Baer.
"Mr. Baer has been a mainstay of Classic Gaming Expo with his
unwavering support. His foresight and innovation are what
started the videogame revolution and he's always willing to
share those experiences with our guests," said Sean Kelly,
co-promoter of Classic Gaming Expo.
Last year, Baer allowed audience members to play with his
prototype "Brown Box" which eventually became the Magnavox
Odyssey - the first home videogame system ever. In addition
to the Odyssey, Baer was the mastermind behind the Coleco
Telstar Arcade, Milton Bradley's Simon, and the Coleco Kid
Vid peripheral for the Atari 2600. Mr. Baer has created
many other products and currently has over 150 patents in
his name worldwide.
"It's an honor to participate in an event that recognizes the
pioneers of the videogame industry," said Mr. Baer. "Classic
Gaming Expo offers me an opportunity to meet with some of my
old friends as well as hundreds of videogame enthusiasts.
I'm looking forward to sharing more of my experiences and to
again show the 'Brown Box' prototype at CGE 2001."
Although the "Brown Box" prototype is the centerpiece of the
CGE museum, it is accompanied by literally hundreds of other
items including many one-of-a-kind prototypes. The museum
contains the largest public display of classic game hardware,
software, and memorabilia in the world. "What makes the
Classic Gaming Expo Museum so special is the fact that it's
comprised of items belonging to dozens of individuals," states
co-promoter John Hardie. "This is not just a single person's
collection but rather a grouping of items on loan from
enthusiasts as well as many of our distinguished guests."
Aside from the numerous keynote speeches by various industry
legends throughout the show, CGE 2001 will play host to a
large number of classic videogame vendors and exhibitors.
While many of them will be selling mint-condition hardware and
software from the days of old, others will be presenting new
products for sale for systems such as the Vectrex, Odyssey 2,
Colecovision, Intellivision, Atari 2600, Lynx, and Jaguar.
Other show highlights include various classic console game
stations, tournaments, raffles, door prizes, and an incredible
number of classic coin-operated videogames, all set on free
play for the attendees.
"We're thankful for the on-going support and interest shown
by the videogame industry," notes co-promoter Joe Santulli.
"We feel it's vital that the history be preserved for
generations to come.
Now in its fourth year, Classic Gaming Expo remains the
industry's only annual event that is dedicated to celebrating
the roots of electronic entertainment; bringing together
industry pioneers, gaming enthusiasts, and the media for the
ultimate experience in learning, game-playing and networking.
Classic Gaming Expo is a production of CGE Services, Corp.
(www.cgexpo.com)
Guns Don't Kill People, the Media Kill People?
The family of a Columbine victim has filed a big lawsuit against 25 media
companies. It's easy to blame "the media" for violent crimes, but this suit
gets more specific: Nintendo, AOL Time Warner, Sony and the makers of Doom,
to name just a few. And Atari, maker of such subversive titles as Asteroids
and Pong.
The Denver Post gave the best justification for the suit: It's not about
the money, it's a wake-up call to an industry that markets adult content to
minors. The family's lawyer told News.com the suit "seeks literally to
change the marketing and distribution of these super-violent video games"
that can get kids addicted and turn them "into monster killers."
The attorney said he can prove that cause-and-effect theory with a video in
which the shooters name the game Doom as their inspiration. The AP also
refers to a videotape, saying it shows one of the killers with a shotgun
named after a Doom character. (Sick, but not quite the same as the kids
admitting that Doom made them kill.) The language of the lawsuit itself was
less black-and-white, citing "the boys' basic personalities" as part of the
problem. You think?
It seems odd that the media haven't rushed to their own defense, other than
to note that a similar lawsuit in response to a 1997 Kentucky shooting was
dismissed in April. In fact, there's been relatively little coverage.
Perhaps that's because it's been two years, the shootings aren't such a hot
topic anymore, and the media are fickle. The companies involved have kept
quiet, so there's no drama yet. Or maybe it's just that no one (including
Grok) likes to insult grieving families, even when they file too many
lawsuits.
=~=~=~=
A-ONE's Headline News
The Latest in Computer Technology News
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
Intel's Low-Cost Pentium 4 Could Ignite Sales - Or Price War
Intel Corp. officially unveiled its heavily touted 1.7 GHz Pentium 4 chip
on Monday, and while the launch of the speedy, relatively low-cost chip
could be just the boost the lagging PC sector needs, it could also be the
first shot of a chip price war.
Intel formally introduced the 1.7 GHz chip as its highest-performance
microprocessor for desktop computers. But observers say the price of the
new chip -- available immediately for US$352 in 1,000-unit quantities --
could have a more immediate impact than just its speed as rivals attempt
to attract customers in an already tight market.
Intel says the Pentium 4 is its first completely new desktop processor
design since 1995, when it unveiled the Pentium Pro. According to the
company, the Pentium 4 will significantly speed up such tasks as video
encoding and other entertainment-oriented functions, and more applications
will be developed to capitalize on the chip's speed.
Rivals could feel the pressure on more than the technology side. In
addition to the price cut for the newest Pentium 4 -- which was originally
slated to be priced at about $700 -- the Santa Clara, California-based
Intel has said it also plans major investments in marketing, advertising
and software developer programs to boost the chip's presence in major PC
market segments.
Intel has told news sources that it plans to spend roughly $500 million to
promote the new technology among software makers, and another $300 million
on general advertising. Officials say an increasing amount of its
marketing will be aimed at corporate audiences, as Intel moves beyond a
mostly consumer-oriented approach.
The launch of the Pentium 4 has already sent Intel's competitors
scrambling. Chief rival Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. has twice announced
price cuts in the past two weeks.
Industry observers say Intel's latest price cut on the Pentium 4 will
likely increase the pressure on AMD, which prices its chips based on their
megahertz rating. Experts point out that megahertz remains one of the most
important determinants in pricing, even though it is only one aspect of a
chip's overall performance.
AMD contends that a 1.2 GHz version of its Athlon chip has outperformed a
1.5 GHz version of the Pentium 4 at equal clock speeds. Nevertheless, AMD
officials have said the company plans to match Intel pricing for chips
rated at the same speed.
Kevin Krewell, an analyst with MicroDesign Resources, told news sources
that current chip-pricing policies can be attributed to what he calls "the
magic of megahertz marketing."
In this market, experts say, companies like AMD -- and other rivals with
slimmer marketing budgets -- may be forced to sell superior products at
lower prices to stay competitive in the long run.
AMD is expected to give its first public demonstration of a dual-processor
Athlon workstation next week at the National Association of Broadcasters
show in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Observers say the price cuts pose as much of a risk to Intel's bottom line
as to its competitors'. Although the company says manufacturing costs are
declining, analysts say the Pentium 4 costs far more to produce than the
Pentium III.
QuickTime 5.0.1 Now Available
Apple has released a new version of QuickTime -- version 5.0.1 is ready for
download from Apple's Web site.
QuickTime is Apple's standard for rich media content delivery and creation.
It's used for everything from movies to audio to virtual reality. New
features in QuickTime 5 include Cubic VR, which enables users to view 360
degree environments; "Media skins," or custom interface elements; MPEG-1
support; an enhanced DV codec; integrated support for Macromedia's Flash 4;
enhanced AppleScript support; a new music synthesizer with support for DLS
files and SoundFonts; and more.
The new installer didn't arrive a moment too soon, either. The clock was
winding down on Apple's QuickTime 5 Public Preview 3 version, which will
expire in week. So if you've been using the preview edition, here's an
excellent opportunity to upgrade.
System requirements call for a PowerPC-based Mac; Mac OS 7.5.5 or later;
and 32MB of RAM.
Available for both Mac OS and Windows (OS X already has QuickTime 5
installed), the normal installation downloads an installer app, which then
downloads needed components for installation. The size of the installation
and the time needed will depend on which configuration you choose for
installation.
Free Online Storage A Thing Of The Past?
Online storage companies, which have been luring millions of consumers to
their sites primarily through free services such as faxing and file
sharing, are now changing their business models to help shore up their
bottom lines.
Some main online storage players such as Xdrive Technologies Inc.,
FreeDrive Inc., My Docs Online Inc., I-drive.com and Driveway Corp. have
been targeting new services at corporations with heavy-duty mobile users,
as well as licensing their proprietary file-sharing software to
businesses.
In addition, many are starting to charge for online storage for the first
time as well as building partnerships with companies such as Access Co.
Ltd., Electronic Data Systems Corp. and Nextel Communications Inc.
"I think everybody thought that online storage was a good idea. But I
don't think anybody was quite sure what the business model would
eventually be," said Karl Klessing, Xdrive's executive vice president.
Xdrive, with 9.5 million users, announced this week it will charge a $4.95
subscription fee for the use of 25MB of online storage. Up to now, the
Santa Monica, Calif., company had made 25MB free.
For its part, FreeDrive, of Chicago, with 14.5 million users, earlier this
month introduced a minimum subscription-based online storage service
priced at $4.95 per month for 65MB of storage space, 365 downloads per day
and some access to file-sharing functions.
It still offers 20MB for free storage to users.
Robert Emanuel, manager of applications development at United Airlines, in
Long Beach, Calif., said he has no problem paying a subscription price for
online storage.
United has licensed Xdrive's customized application, which its business
groups use to store files. United's employees now use the service to share
huge files when traveling internationally.
My Docs Online, which used to offer 20MB of storage for free, last quarter
started charging an annual fee of $24.95 for 50MB.
In addition to all this, companies including I-drive, of San Francisco,
and My Docs Online, of Naples, Fla., are developing services that give
corporate employees access to online storage via cell phones, personal
digital assistants and BlackBerry e-mail devices from Research In Motion
Ltd.
I-drive, which has more than 9 million registered users for online
storage, still offers 50MB for free. But last week, the company announced
a partnership with Access to jointly develop applications for remote
storage access via mobile phones and non-PC devices.
Online storage subscriptions
Vendor
Rate
Xdrive
Charges $4.95 a month for 25MB of storage
FreeDrive
Offers 20MB of storage for free and 65MB
of storage at $4.95 a month
My Docs Online
Annual minimal cost of $24.95 for 50MB of
storage, up to $94.95 or 300MB of storage
I-drive.com
Still offers 50MB of storage for free
Judge Rules in Chat Room Case
Chat room users accused by a bankrupt Internet company of posting critical
messages in an effort to drive its stock price down will not be identified,
a federal judge has ruled.
The company, 2TheMart.com Inc., said it needed the 23 users' names to
defend itself against a shareholder lawsuit that alleges it misled
investors. The lawsuit was filed in California after 2TheMart went bankrupt
soon after its stock rose more than 2,000 percent, to $50 per share in
1999.
U.S. District Judge Thomas Zilly ruled on Thursday that evidence the
company provided was not compelling enough to set aside the First Amendment
rights of the chat room users, who used nicknames.
``The First Amendment clearly applies to the Internet," Zilly said. ``The
law says that a person has a right to speak anonymously."
The Irvine, Calif.-based company that hoped to compete with Internet
auction giant eBay, claims the chatters conspired to spread rumors to drive
down the company's stock price so they could profit by selling it short.
2TheMart wanted Bellevue-based Infospace to turn over the names of people
who chatted on a site it maintained. 2TheMart wanted to prove that some of
the chat room users also are members of the class-action suit against the
company for alleged securities fraud, the company's attorney Keith
Bardellini said.
One of the chat room users nicknamed ``No Guano" and identified in court
documents as ``J. Doe," turned for help to the American Civil Liberties
Union and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, an Internet privacy group.
Zilly said Thursday he agreed with 2TheMart attorneys that ``rights to
speak anonymously are not unlimited." But he said the company's reasons
for wanting the names were not sufficient, saying the firm made no direct
claim against the users, except for ``innuendo" they had manipulated the
stock.
Kelsey Joyce Hooke, an attorney for 2TheMart, said the company has not
decided if it will appeal.
ACLU attorney Aaron Caplan called the ruling a significant victory for
Internet users.
The ruling is important because it gives Internet companies guidance for
protecting customers' rights, Infospace attorney Brent Snyder said.
Record Panel Threatens Researcher With Lawsuit
The recording industry has threatened a Princeton computer scientist with
legal action if his research group presents a paper at an academic
conference this week describing how it is possible to circumvent an
industry music-protection system.
The threat of legal action was made in an April 9 letter to Dr. Edward W.
Felten by Matthew Oppenheim, the head of the litigation department for the
Recording Industry Association of America. Mr. Oppenheim is also secretary
of the Secure Digital Music Initiative, a copyright-protection group
sponsored by the music industry.
The dispute casts a spotlight on an otherwise little-noticed field known
as steganography, or the science of hiding information in plain sight.
Techniques from the field are being used to create digital watermarks in
the industry's effort to protect digital music against copyright
violations.
The issue also pits advocates of academic freedom against the music
industry, which is trying to enforce strictly a law that scientists say
sharply curtails their ability to share their research publicly.
Dr. Felten and his colleagues are scheduled to present the paper at the
Fourth International Information Hiding Workshop, which is to begin
Wednesday in Pittsburgh.
But in a telephone interview today, Dr. Felten said the matter of whether
to present had not yet been settled and that he was being represented by
lawyers for the university.
"We feel that its important for the scientific process that people can
publish papers," he said. "It has still not been settled whether the paper
will be passed out or whether the talk will occur."
Mr. Oppenheim said that the music industry was negotiating with the
scientists in hopes of finding a way that the paper could be published
without revealing secrets that would undercut the protection technology.
"There is a line that can get crossed, and if you go further than academic
pursuit needs to go, you've crossed the line and its bad for our entire
community," he said, "not just the artists and content holders, its
everyone who loves art, and it's also bad for the scientific community."
Dr. Felten became embroiled in the dispute last year after his research
team, which includes scientists from the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center
and Rice University, participated in a competition sponsored by the
S.D.M.I. group to test the security of a digital music copyright
protection system.
Dr. Felten was part of a group that says it successfully disabled the
system. But he has not yet published the details of how it was done,
saying he was reluctant to publish under the Digital Millennium Copyright
Act, a 1998 law that makes it a crime to manufacture or "offer to the
public" a way to gain unauthorized access to any copyright-protected work
that has been secured by a technique like data encryption.
Dr. Felten's group did not complete the contest, but he said later that
his group planned to publish its results as soon as it had satisfied its
lawyers and was assured of support from the respective institutions.
But on Friday an early version of the paper and a copy of the letter from
the S.D.M.I. group were posted on a civil-liberties-oriented Web site,
(www.cryptome.org).
Princeton University officials said the posting of the paper, "Reading
Between the Lines: Lessons From the S.D.M.I. Challenge," was
"inappropriate" and was not sanctioned by the university.
The dispute between the researchers and the recording industry is similar
to a debate involving a software tool known as DeCSS, which is capable of
decrypting DVD movies, potentially making it possible to distribute them
via the Internet.
In August a federal court judge ruled against a New York-based Web site
that was distributing the DeCSS program. That case is on appeal and is
scheduled to be heard in federal appeals court on May 1.
In the DeCSS case, Judge Lewis A. Kaplan found that the Digital Millennium
Copyright Act did not violate the First Amendment right to free speech.
"I certainly hope that the courts get their hands on this issue," said
Jessica Litman, a professor of law at Wayne State University and the
author of the book "Digital Copyright" (Prometheus, 2001). "Judge Kaplan
has held that fair use is not a defense to anything in the D.M.C.A., and
if that's true, we have a serious policy problem and a serious
constitutional problem with the statute."
The legal battles surrounding the copyright act are certain to deepen the
battles now being fought between the recording industry, its customers and
civil liberties groups.
Researchers Pull Hacker Report After Lawsuit Threat
Researchers who cracked four anti-piracy technologies in a contest
sponsored by the music
industry refrained from publishing their findings on
Thursday after the recording industry threatened a lawsuit.
``We decided not to expose ourselves, our employees and the conference
organizers to litigation at this time," Edward Felten, a Princeton
University researcher, and a member of the group said in a prepared
statement.
The research group -- composed of students and professors from Princeton
and Rice Universities and an employee of Xerox Corp.'s Palo Alto Research
Center -- had initially planned to present findings Thursday at a
Pittsburgh conference on information security.
Back in September, the Secure Digital Music Initiative (SDMI), a music and
technology forum, launched a $10,000 contest challenging people to hack
into copyright protection technologies.
Recording industry members of the SDMI forum are now claiming that
disclosure of the researchers' findings could undermine the industry's
efforts to prevent unlicensed copying of music.
On April 9, Felten received a letter from Matthew Oppenheim, secretary of
the SDMI Foundation -- comprised of music industry members only -- and a
senior lawyer for the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)
urging him to refrain from publishing his findings or face potential legal
action under the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
The DMCA passed in 1998 as an extension to copyright law, bars efforts to
defeat copyright protection methods.
``Any disclosure of information gained from participating in the Public
Challenge would be outside the scope of activities permitted by the
agreement and could subject you and your research team to actions under the
Digital Millennium Copyright Act," Oppenheim said in the letter.
On Thursday, Oppenheim said ``the SDMI Foundation does not nor did it ever
intend to bring any legal action against Professor Felten or his
co-authors. We sent the letter because we felt an obligation to the
watermark licensees who had voluntarily submitted their valuable inventions
to SDMI for testing."
``We have encouraged Professor Felten and the technology companies to
resolve this matter. We leave it in their hands to do so," he said.
By November, the SDMI announced it would pay prize money to two hackers
after weeks of speculation and embarrassment.
Felten's group claimed they had defeated four of the group's proposed
watermarking technologies, which try to guard against hacking by using
hidden signals in the digital music files, but was not among the winners
because it had pulled out of the contest before the final round.
Earlier this week, Felten said he was in talks with one of the companies,
Verance Corp. that provided the copyright protection technology, as well as
the recording industry to try to resolve the dispute.
But at the conference on Thursday, Felten said the group decided not to
present their findings because ``the RIAA, SDMI and Verance threatened a
lawsuit."
``While discussions have been ongoing with the authors in an effort to
strike the appropriate balance between academic freedom and academic
responsibility, we are disappointed that these discussions were not
concluded in time for the authors to participate in today's program," said
David Leibowitz, chairman of Verance on Thursday.
Leibowitz said he remained hopeful that further discussions will enable the
authors to present their findings in a responsible manner that achieves
their academic objectives.
``But we must all recognize that the authors' research touches upon the
technologies of many companies and that this is not the first time, nor
likely the last, in which the competing interests of academic freedom and
academic responsibility are likely to conflict," he said.
Founding members of SDMI include the world's biggest record labels --
including Vivendi Universal's Universal Music, Sony Music, AOL Time Warner
Inc.'s Warner Music, EMI Group Plc and Bertelsmann AG's BMG.
Killing Privacy With Legislation?
With every passing week, the tea leaves surrounding the privacy debate on
Capitol Hill become easier to read, and now they've got the word
"gridlock" written all over them.
With about 50 bills that have something to do with privacy already
introduced in the 107th Congress, at least one rhetorical campaign has
started to gain momentum: Industry partisans from trade organizations to
Microsoft have latched onto an argument that if Congress wants to deal
with privacy at all, it should not focus on the Internet, but deal with
the issue of consumer data in its entirety.
"When you walk into a Nordstrom and buy something, you don't have to sign
a privacy agreement first. When you walk into a pharmacy and they know you
and they start filling out your prescription before you even hand it to
them, you don't have to sign a privacy agreement. That's just basic
business," said Harris Miller, president of the Information Technology
Association of America. "The idea that you need special rules in the
commercial world if a transaction is done on the Net and you don't need
them in the offline world never made sense to me, and I'm glad more people
are realizing it."
Among other things, at issue is whether federal law will dictate whether
online businesses must get explicit permission from consumers to collect
and sell data about them, or if they can collect and sell information
about consumers freely unless they are forbidden by consumers to do so.
Consumer data is valuable, and its use saves U.S. businesses billions of
dollars every year.
Broadening legislation to include offline businesses as well as online
businesses would grind legislation to a halt, because the combination of
offline and online commerce is much more complicated when it comes to
privacy. Bills guiding the myriad relationships between consumers and
businesses in the offline world would be unlikely to pass.
Rick Lane, director of e-commerce and Internet technology at the U.S.
Chamber of Commerce, welcomed the argument, saying it is something he has
long been concerned with.
But John McCarthy, a program director who studies government technology
policy at Forrester Research, said corraling offline commerce into the
debate is nothing more than an attempt to exterminate privacy legislation.
"The industry is rolling the dice and going for broader legislation in
hopes of killing the whole thing," McCarthy said. "They're talking out of
both sides of their mouths."
No FunLove - Microsoft Spreads A Virus
A server without antivirus protection resulted in the infection of up to
26 of Microsoft's top support customers with a tenacious virus.
Microsoft representatives acknowledged Wednesday that the company may have
infected up to 26 of its top support customers with a tenacious virus that
spread to a key server late last week.
Known as FunLove, the virus was first discovered in November 1999 and is
known for its ability to infect Windows NT servers--in addition to
computers running Windows 95, Window 98 and Windows Millennium Edition--by
posing as a system program. The virus also spreads automatically
throughout a network via any hard drives shared with the infected system.
Though managers at the company did not yet know how the virus got in, they
did figure out where the infection started.
"We have standard corporate policy that every server that has (a) business
function needs to have antivirus software installed," said Kurt Powers,
product manager for the Gold and Premier support sites at Microsoft.
"There was one in a chain that did not."
The particular server was part of Microsoft's Premier and Gold support
network, which provides almost 30,000 updates and bug fixes to Microsoft's
top customers, he said.
The server had been carrying the virus and infecting downloaded files for
almost a day starting April 19, until Microsoft located the infection and
shut down the server April 20. During that time, only 170 files were
downloaded, Powers said.
"We have a limited scope; we know exactly when the virus infected," he
said.
Powers would not comment on whether the virus had spread through
Microsoft's internal network, but said, "We also checked every workstation
that is connected to every server."
Microsoft notified customers with a mass e-mailing Monday, and by late
Wednesday had narrowed down the potentially infected organizations to 26,
based on the user names used to download the files. Company
representatives were in the process of calling those specific customers,
said Michelle D'Amour, manager of Microsoft's product support services.
"Now that we know who downloaded the files, we are having the account
manager call each one," said D'Amour.
For the most part, the 1.5-year-old virus should not cause much of a fuss,
said Alan Paller, director of research for the Systems Administration
Networking and Security (SANS) Institute, who received notice of the
incident Monday.
Paller noted that customers who use Microsoft's Premier support are
generally the ones that also have site licenses to antivirus software and
thus are the most prepared for viruses.
"They are the least likely to be hurt by it," he said. "It is more of a
'How did this happen?' problem for Microsoft than a security threat for
its clients."
The answer to that question is an important one, as Microsoft, antivirus
software companies and others are moving toward fully automating the
updating of their software.
If a virus infected an automatic update, rather than up to 170 customers
downloading the infected software, potentially hundreds of thousands of
customers could be affected.
While Powers vowed such a problem would never happen again on his watch,
he wouldn't comment on whether Microsoft would take another look at its
security or not.
"I can only speak to the scope of this particular situation," he said.
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