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Atari Online News, Etc. Volume 02 Issue 13
Volume 2, Issue 13 Atari Online News, Etc. March 31, 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:
Albert Dayes
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=~=~=~=
A-ONE #0213 03/31/00
~ Mac IE5 Finally Out! ~ People Are Talking! ~ Internet Pranks
~ Cyber Patrol Hackers! ~ Browsers Are Dinosaurs ~ PSX 'Gauntlet'!
~ Game Makers Sue Yahoo! ~ 'Big Brother' Watching ~ SEC Going Too Far?
~ PSX 'Front Mission 3' ~ Sloppy E-mail Irksome! ~ 'Hogs of War'!
-* Mac OS 9 Update Leaks On Web *-
-* Microsoft Ruling Delayed To Help Out *-
-* Microsoft Settlement Offer Not Good Enough *-
=~=~=~=
->From the Editor's Keyboard "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Ugh, I feel miserable! I'll still maintain that I'm glad that Spring is
here, but with it come colds and allergies. I think I've got one or the
other. Hopefully, this will pass soon.
I came across a couple of articles/commentaries this week which I've
included in this issue. One pertains to the numerous hoaxes and mischief
carried on via e-mail every day; and the other pertains to the "sloppiness'
of e-mail writers. Both just happen to be online pet peeves of mine. You
knew I was going to say that!
What do I mean by hoaxes and mischief via e-mail? Ever get the e-mail that
tells you Kentucky Fried Chicken changed its name to KFC because they don't
sell real chicken, and therefore couldn't use the word "chicken" in its
advertising? Or, the one that tells you to send this e-mail to 10 friends
and Microsoft will automatically track it and send you money? Oh, there are
hundreds of different examples. Some of them sound so plausible that you
are very tempted to believe them. Pure and simple, it's another form of
spam! And what's worse is that these messages are usually tenth-generation
messages that are being forwarded to you. Not only do you have to read this
stuff (when you choose to do so), but you have to wade through 10 sets of
message headers and mail recipient addresses before you even get to the
message itself! And how many times have you received the same message over
and over again? And to think people actually believe some of these things!
People are so gullible when they don't understand something; and they keep
perpetuating this madness.
And how about sloppy e-mail? Egads! People just don't take the time to
write well. And the misspelled and misused words! Typos are one thing; and
they happen. But when every other word is either spelled incorrectly; or
the wrong word (usually an antonym) is used, it drives me bonkers! Are
people just plain lazy; or do they really not know how to spell? I'm
guessing that it's a little bit of both!
In past years, we've usually had an April Fools story. Well, it just isn't
going to happen this year. We promise to make up for it in the coming
years! And remember, this weekend marks the arrival of Daylight Savings
Time. Don't forget to set your clocks forward one hours Sunday morning.
Blast, I hate losing that hour of sleep!
Until next time...
=~=~=~=
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
compiled by Joe Mirando
jmirando@portone.com
Hidi ho friends and neighbors. It's time once again to see what's going
on over on the UseNet, but first you've got to sit through one of my
little missives on whatever I decide to babble on about. Let's see... I
think this week it'll be about being "left behind".
When I was in early grade school, one of my best friends was "left
behind" when the rest of us moved on to the next grade. The rest of us
didn't think much about it, but he was devastated. His biggest fear
wasn't that he was dumb, or that he'd be trying to catch up the rest of
his life. His biggest fear was that he'd lose touch with his friends.
None of those things came to pass, by the way. We all stayed friends,
and Dan is now Vice President at an Internet Service Provider. We never
lost touch, he wasn't dumb, and didn't spend a lot of time catching up.
He just needed a little more time than the rest of us.
Seeing Dan the other day made me stop and think about other times that
we might worry about being left behind. I can remember back when I
didn't have any computers that weren't Atari.
Sure, I saw the handwriting on the wall. I knew that when I needed
another computer that it wouldn't be an Atari, since Atari is no more.
But I'd spent so much time with TOS and MagiC and all the friends that
I've made over the past almost fifteen years that the thought of losing
touch with them really made me kind of ill. The Connecticut AtariFests,
Asheville, Boston, Users' Group meetings, and the hours spent every week
chatting with other Atari users online have become quite a part of what
I am now. I didn't want to leave all that behind.
Oh sure, you can say "that won't happen to us", but we've all said that
and had it happen anyway. While I still use my Atari, I don't use it
exclusively. I was afraid that I'd get slowly but surely sucked away
from my TT and Stacy toward that Intel monstrosity. Fortunately that
hasn't happened to me. I have, however, seen it happen to others. It's
always made me feel sad when I've seen those I've known for so long move
on to another platform. Not so much because I was "dumb" for staying with
Atari, or because if I didn't move along with them I'd be trying to
catch up for the rest of my life, but because I'd lose touch with my
friends. Well, I've been using my own Intel-based PC for almost a year
now and I'm proud to report that I'm still in touch with my friends in
the Atari world. Heck, I've even made some new ones.
The PC? That's just hardware. It's the people that I'll always remember
the most.
Now let's get on with all the stuff from the UseNet.
From the comp.sys.atari.st NewsGroup
====================================
Chris Swinson asks for help with a hard drive for his Falcon:
"I have IDE driver 6.06 and I want to use a 1.5gig 2.5" ide drive,
problem is my Falcon does not like it and won't format it. If I
upgrade to the V7 driver will that maybe work ?"
Kevin Dermott tells Chris:
"Generally you don't need to format IDE's just partition them."
Chris replies:
"Usually yes, but I can't partition it unless its formatted."
Kevin tells Chris:
"Most are built "formatted" and can only be partitioned and some say
formatting can ruin the drive. Also are you sure of the ID 0/1?"
Claes Holmerup adds:
"Do you refer to AHDI 6.06? In that case, just don't try any more. AHDI
can't handle IDE's larger than 1GB if I remember correctly. Get Uwe
Seimet's HDDriver instead and it'll do the magic..."
Edward Baiz gives us this little heads-up:
"If any Atari owners want a good solid audio CD player program, then I
recommend PlayMyCD from Alain Larrode. I just received my registered
version and I am impressed with it's looks and performance. It sure
beat Alexander Clauss's version. D/l the demo (English and French) at
the following site:
http://www.chez.com/lrd/
Martin Byttebier tells Edward:
"Good and solid it is but I found that with my setup CD-player slows down
the reaction of other programs. For instance deleting text by means of the
[delete] key doesn't happen fluently. Sometimes there is a brief delay.
I also notice that something constantly is accessing my HD even if there
is no CD inserted. Hm, this reminds me of the problems I've had with
animated gif's in Cab.
Right now I use a non-patched novaVDI 2.67. Let me see.......
Even with a patched version of novaVDI my HD is accessed by ???
Strange.
I do like PlayMyCD but due the above described problems I don't use it
anymore. Alexander Clauss's version works just great here."
John Garone asks about CAB and cookies:
"9 out of 10 CAB cookie expire dates are 1 JAN 1970! The remaining dates
are past 1 JAN 2000. General.cpx has correct date and I have'nt had a
Y2K date problem (unless this is one). Dates on files in windows on my
stock Falcon MKI (14 meg) desktop show correctly! Any thoughts?"
James Smith tells John:
"I suspect that you are using one of the new OVL files from Dan Ackerman?
This has been mentioned to him so he is aware of it. You can expect
it to be sorted out shortly."
John replies:
"Thanks. I wonder how far can CAB be improved/optimized via the OVL?
"No day off" for Dan (OR Oliver)! A big thanks to both for their work!!!"
Pascal Ricard adds:
"I'm not absolutely sure of this but I think it has something to do more
with Cab itself than with the ovl."
Dan Ackerman tells Pascal:
"No, the problem is with my OVL. I need to sort it out, but have
put it down on the list as a working cookie seemed better than a non
working cookie. I'll try to move it up the list and get it fixed. It
shouldn't be all that bad."
Stephen Barszczak asks for help with Gemulator:
"I'm having a problem with Gemulator and the date, is there anyway to stop
Gemulator from resetting my PC's date to 1989, as it is causing no end
of problems with Windows every time I run it.
I was hoping to be able to use my SCSI HD drive that have all my Atari
software installed, but until the date problem can be sorted out all its
doing is gathering dust."
Nicholas Bales tells Stephen:
"What version of Gemulator and TOS are you using? The latest freeware
version works perfectly well here with TOS 2.06, and I haven't noticed any
date glitches.
As far as I know, using your Atari hard drive isn't possible unless you
partitioned the drive with BigDos or HD Driver beforehand. Windows can't
read standard TOS partitions, regardless of the SCSI interface."
Lance Ringquist asks for CD-ROM help:
"I have a mega 4,and a nec single speed drive,i hooked it up with a host
adaptor from b&c,also i installed extend dos gold on my mega filer 30.
I created a drive p.
Now my problem is that I turn on my mega filer, then the cd-rom,then I
turn on my mega, and the cd spins but the busy light does not go on,
and I get no desk top, just a green screen with the pointer.
If I turn off my computer,then the cd-rom spins, and the busy light comes
on. If I unplug the cd-rom from the hard drive, then reboot, I get the
filers desktop, then I replug in the cd-rom, click on the cd-rom drive
and I get a error, no device found. Please help. This is my first real
foray into the ST. I am a old 8-bitter used to plug and play."
Derryck Croker tells Lance:
"Hints - each device must have its own SCSI ID, only one SCSI device
should have termination, and that must be the last one in the chain."
Greg Goodwin adds:
"The NEC-25 has a DIP switch for termination. The problem is (at
least on mine) that the DIP switch DOESN'T WORK! A pass through
terminator (~$10) solved the problem nicely after many hours of
frustration."
Our friend Rob Mahlert at Atari-Users Network posts:
"Atari Users Network (www.atari-users.net) has just added a Classified
Ads and an Auction Section. Both Sections SHOULD work with Cab.
Stop by and check it out!
http://www.atari-users.net
We also have a Webring, Banner Exchange, Forum, Chat Room, File Area,
Links Engine and Web based E-Mail."
Andrew Robinson asks about floppy read/write problems:
"Has anyone ever had problems with their ST diskette drive becoming
un-reliable as the computer gets older? Is there any kind of drive
cleaning kit still available?"
My pal Sheldon Winick tells Andrew:
"If you should need a new floppy drive, I have one NEW disk drive still in
stock for the Atari system, complete with Atari's custom faceplate to make
installation a simple swap if your system has the narrow style faceplate
that Atari used during their last several years of production (grey
faceplate with the rectangular shaped opening, not the trapezoidal shape).
If you need the drive, its closeout priced at $29 plus $4.30 for Priority
Mail shipping within the continental U.S. Email me at
s.winick@worldnet.att.net if interested.
By the way, the drive is actually an Epson SMD-380 with the custom Atari
faceplate, which is the DS/DD drive Atari used during the final few years
of production."
One thing that no one thought to mention is that it might not be
the drive itself, but the shifter chip. It's been my experience
that if the shifter chip needs to be reseated, it can affect the
floppy's read/write reliability. Reseating the chip is both
easier and cheaper than buying and installing a new floppy drive.
-joe
Well folks, that's it for this week. Tune in again next week, same time,
same station, and be ready to listen to what they are saying when...
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
=~=~=~=
->In This Week's Gaming Section - Game Makers Sue Yahoo! 'Tomb Raider'!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" 'Hogs of War'! 'Gauntlet Legends'!
New 'Resident Evil'!
'Time Stalker'! And much more!
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE's Game Console Industry News - The Latest Gaming News!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Infogrames North America, Inc. Sends Swine Into
the Trenches in Hogs of War for Sony Playstation
And you thought pigs couldn't fly...ha!
Infogrames North America, Inc. officially announced today that Hogs of
War, the only game where pigs are clad in Army uniforms, is coming to the
Sony PlayStation this summer. Join the British, French, American, German,
Japanese, and Russian armies in a hilarious all-out fight to the finish!
Hog World is at war. Six mighty nations are struggling to overpower each
other in the pursuit of territorial and technological gains. Players are
thrown into a massive 3D battlefield with an army of three to six maniacal
oinkers armed with an arsenal of debilitating weapons.
Limited by time, players must quickly use their keen wits and cunning
abilities to pummel their opponent before the game automatically switches
to the next team, leaving them at the mercy of their adversary. The game
features single and multi-player modes, allowing gamers to play alone or to
execute diabolical moves against their friends.
An added bonus to the pork fighting mayhem is a level generator, which
enables players to produce an endless number of levels, creating hours and
hours of ridiculous pig-battling fun.
``Hogs of War is a fun, furious and frenetic turn-based combat strategy
game that will appeal to hard-core gamers and casual gamers alike," said
David Riley, marketing director for Infogrames North America Inc.'s
Action/Strategy Label. ``The addictive multi-player feature will entertain
gamers for hours and will have them rolling on the floor with laughter."
Hogs of War also features a comprehensive training level for players to
develop their proper pig butt-kicking skills. Once players are up to speed,
they are ready to assault their enemies with an arsenal of such exotic
weaponry as sniper rifles, ripple bombs and jetpacks. In addition, the
enormous 3D playing levels provide the armies plenty of space to roam or
hide.
Developed by Infogrames' Sheffield House, Hogs of War will be available at
most major retail stores this summer.
Capcom Releases Resident Evil Code: Veronica
Capcom Entertainment announced the release of Resident Evil Code: Veronica
for the Sega Dreamcast home console system.
This highly anticipated game is an entirely new chapter in the
award-winning blockbuster series that has sold more than 13 million units
worldwide. Capcom's Shinji Mikami, creator of the Resident Evil series, is
the executive producer for Resident Evil Code: Veronica. Resident Evil
Code: Veronica stretches the incredible power of the Sega Dreamcast and
introduces new features to the Resident Evil series. Resident Evil Code:
Veronica is a two-disk product featuring both Claire and Chris Redfield as
playable characters. The game will carry a suggested retail price of
$49.95.
Using the impressive power of the Sega Dreamcast, Resident Evil Code:
Veronica demonstrates tremendous technical achievements through advanced
character graphic development allowing for life-like interpersonal
relationships. Other achievement include dynamic lighting effects, such as
the subtle, flickering glow from a lighter, a swinging light, or the
``muzzle flash" from a gun.
Environmental effects such as thunder, lightening, rain, steam, and fog
bring the world alive as players explore and uncover the dramatic plot.
Zombies and enemies are brought to life through seamless detail, which add
a chilling reality to their pursuit. The series' trademark opening
cinematic runs at a higher frame rate and delivers motion picture quality
computer generated graphics.
Resident Evil Code: Veronica begins as Claire Redfield has left Raccoon
City for Europe, headquarters of Umbrella Corporation, in search of her
brother Chris and to solve the mystery surrounding Umbrella Corporation's
mysterious activities. In her search she is captured and sent to an
isolated prison on a desolate Island. While it remains a mystery how Chris,
one of the original S.T.A.R.S. team members, appears in Resident Evil Code:
Veronica, players will be reacquainted with his iron will, body of steel
and munitions expertise to seek the truth behind the dreaded Umbrella
biotoxins.
In Resident Evil Code: Veronica, players will control Claire at the
beginning of the game and later can control Chris Redfield in their efforts
to stop Umbrella's devious plans. One of the many features that makes Code:
Veronica different from previous Resident Evil games is the Real World
System (R.W.S.). Now when Claire opens doors, solves puzzles, stores items
or ammunition, they remain in the same spot when playing the second half of
the game as Chris for added realism and increased character interaction.
Resident Evil Code: Veronica contains several enhancements including
creating an accessible map system so that item boxes and typewriters the
players finds are marked on the map and not forgotten. With the new map
system each door is coded a different color indicating gameplay status. Now
by looking at the color of the door, players will know which ones they have
already opened, which ones they have keys to open, and which doors can not
be opened until the player finds the keys.
``Resident Evil Code: Veronica is an epic adventure which sets the high
water mark for all video games ever created," said Todd Thorson, director
of marketing, Capcom Entertainment. ``Unquestionably Resident Evil Code:
Veronica is a game that every Sega Dreamcast owner will want to own.
Inspired game graphics, a gripping story and chilling gameplay make it the
most anticipated Dreamcast title by Resident Evil fans, the press community
and consumers worldwide."
Midway's Popular "Gauntlet Legends" Launches on the PlayStation
Midway Home Entertainment Inc. announced that the highly anticipated
``Gauntlet Legends" for the PlayStation game console is now available in
retail outlets nationwide.
Midway has developed the PlayStation game console version of ``Gauntlet
Legends" in order to fulfill consumer demand for this title, which was
hugely successful on both coin-op and the Nintendo® 64 platform.
While preserving the flair of the original game, the PlayStation game
console version of ``Gauntlet Legends" brings new worlds, added enemies,
bosses and extended playtime. Fans of ``Gauntlet Legends" can also expect
a Sega Dreamcast version to be released later this spring.
``We are pleased to be able to deliver this newest entry to the `Gauntlet
Legends' series for the PlayStation game console," said Helene Sheeler,
vice president of marketing, Midway Games. ``What makes `Gauntlet Legends'
such an intriguing title on any platform is its distinctive blend of action
and role playing in one game."
The debut of ``Gauntlet" revolutionized cooperative play and made famous
the original characters, including Valkyrie, Wizard and Warrior. Released
in October 1998, the arcade version of ``Gauntlet Legends" fast became the
No. 1-ranked coin-op game in the nation. Similarly, last fall's release of
``Gauntlet Legends" for Nintendo 64 found its place on the top 10 video
game chart for nearly two months.
A unique mix of role-playing and simultaneous multi-player action sets
``Gauntlet Legends" apart from any other game available for the
PlayStation game console. Magic and classic fantasy landscapes shape the
``Gauntlet Legends" universe.
The rich storyline pits a small band of young heroes against the demon
Skorne and his hordes of minions. By discovering the locations of the
hidden Rune stones, achieved by successfully completing numerous quests and
puzzles, players are able to throw back the mantle of evil and rescue their
land from certain darkness. The two-player option, as well as the ability
to cooperate and explore worlds while facing a multitude of monsters,
allows for a totally different gaming experience than the normal
action-based game.
``Gauntlet Legends" Key Features:
* Four bonus levels, custom built ONLY for the PlayStation game console
* Intricate quests and a rich storyline set within the renowned
``Gauntlet Legends" realm
* Totally new 3-D interactive environments for all interface screens
* Three entirely new game worlds, replete with never-before-seen
enemies, traps, secrets, Easter Eggs, power-ups and devious bosses
crafted exclusively for the home version
* New Bosses and new boss levels for the new worlds
* Extended gameplay -- more than 20 hours of pulse-pounding gameplay --
over five times the length of the coin-op version
* Awe inspiring, high-resolution 3-D cinematics for story telling and
rewarding the player's victories
* Dozens of new sub-quests and exclusive secret areas
* Lots of new puzzles for all worlds. Classic coin-op worlds have been
converted and redesigned with new puzzles, new hiding places for the
Rune stones, and more devious traps to overcome
SQUARESOFT's Front Mission 3 for the PlayStation Available Now
Square Electronic Arts L.L.C. Thursday announced the availability of FRONT
MISSION 3 for the PlayStation game console, which shipped on March 21. The
title is a futuristic combat strategy game where players control a variety
of mechanized robots. FRONT MISSION 3 offers more than 100 hours of
gameplay by giving players two separate story lines to explore.
``We've had great success in Japan with the first two versions of FRONT
MISSION, selling a total of more than one million units," said Jun
Iwasaki, president of Square Electronic Arts. ``Now we are thrilled to
offer our American fans the third installment in this great franchise."
In the latest version of FRONT MISSION, players enter the year 2112 as a
character called Kazuki Takemura. Kazuki, a worker at a robot ``wanzer"
production facility called Kirishima Industries, has just learned that his
sister, Alisa, is missing after a massive explosion at the plant. After
Kazuki discovers a worldwide conspiracy behind the explosion, he and his
gang begin a battle for peace and a quest to find his missing sister.
Players have a choice of two story lines: one focuses on the search for
Alisa with a mystery scientist woman, called Emma; the other concentrates
on finding and neutralizing the source responsible for the plant explosion
with Alisa. This ``Double Feature Scenario" provides a unique set of
characters, allies and enemies within each story line. Additionally,
players can lose themselves in rich and diverse environments unique to each
story line.
Using a turn-based combat system, the player pilots one of several robots
called ``wanzers" to fulfill mission objectives and to defeat enemies in
mechanical warfare. Players can customize their robots by purchasing
stronger weapons or stealing better pieces of armor from a captured robot.
Long-range weapons such as a flame-thrower are available to fight the enemy
from a distance or they can use hand-to-hand combat weapons such as a baton
for close range battles. Players target specific areas of the enemy robot's
bodies depending on the type of damage they want to inflict. For instance,
players can destroy the legs to limit movement or they can blast the
robot's arms to disable its weapon. As players progress through levels,
they will always have a rotational, overhead view of the battles, allowing
them to plan out their next moves and approach combat more strategically.
Square created two new battle systems to ratchet up the element of
strategic combat in FRONT MISSION 3. A ``Forced Ejection Battle System"
lets players inhabit vacant robots or force enemies out of their current
robots. The feature also allows the player to hop into a chopper and attack
enemies from the air. A ``Battle Skill" system equips players with more
offensive battle power to fight effectively in various situations. Players
learn certain skills during battle that are stored in their robot's
computer for subsequent use.
Players will appreciate some of the highly detailed and realistic visual
touches that Square's development team has added to FRONT MISSION 3. For
example, players can clearly see the robots' joint fuses. Those fuses and
the robots' metal armor create some nasty sparks when hit on by enemy fire.
The graphics of the game are further enhanced by full motion video
sequences throughout.
FRONT MISSION 3 is compatible with the DUALSHOCK analog controller and is
priced at US $40. The game carries an ESRB rating of ``T" (Teen).
Eidos Interactive Announces Tomb Raider: The Last
Revelation For Sega Dreamcast Is Now Shipping
Eidos Interactive announced that Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation is now
shipping to retail stores for Sega Dreamcast.
Boasting spectacular 128 bit graphics, the Dreamcast rendition of Last
Revelation will give console gamers a completely new visual experience,
being graphically comparable to versions currently displayed by high end,
accelerated PC incarnations.
Mike McGarvey, Chief Operating Officer of Eidos, says: ``Eidos has been a
supporter of the Dreamcast since the launch of the console in Europe.
Alongside publishing original Dreamcast titles, we have a strategy of
developing versions of our most successful franchises for the platform.
Tomb Raider is one of the most successful brands in our industry's history
and the power of the Dreamcast console greatly enriches the whole Lara
Croft experience for game fans the world over."
A wealth of graphical features will be adapted to the Dreamcast version,
including bump mapping, environment mapping and volumetric fogging.
Features specific to the Dreamcast version will include real-time shadow
casting, an enhanced lighting system and a greater draw distance than seen
on any previous version of the title. The processing power of the hardware
will also be maximized for enhanced sound and accentuated ambience. Lara
Croft will undergo some re-modelling and will be displayed in hi-resolution
to match the title's lavish environments.
Sega Releases Time Stalkers, a Next Generation
Role Playing Game for Sega Dreamcast
Adventurers beware, worlds are colliding! Sega of America, Inc. announced
the release of ``Time Stalkers" for the 128-bit, Internet-ready Sega
Dreamcast videogame console. A shining example of a next-generation role
playing game (RPG), ``Time Stalkers" takes players on a wild adventure
with amazing 3D graphics, highly detailed and expansive 3D environments
that are constantly changing, and extensive gameplay amidst a vast
storyline. Enhancing the gameplay experience, ``Time Stalkers" features
seven mini games via the Visual Memory Unit (VMU), allowing you to take
games on the road.
In ``Time Stalkers," players assume the role of a traveler named Sword who
is caught up in a time warp and transported to a world that is an amalgam
of people and places from different time periods. The player's goal is to
send everyone back to their rightful era and location by unraveling the
mystery of the merging realms. This is accomplished by exploring numerous
dungeons, while battling it out with a creative array of lurking monsters.
Classic turn-based fighting sequences will keep players challenged
throughout the adventure.
``Time Stalkers" features new characters, in addition to a few classic
ones from the Genesis days. These adventurers include the young male
traveler Sword, an elf, a solitary half-lion warrior, a sorceress, a female
fighter and a mysterious doll. Players are able to interact with over 30
different characters in massive ever-changing 3D environments ranging from
medieval Europe to Japan in the 1980s. Players have complete 360 degree
freedom of movement, and the smooth graphics and captivating expansive 3D
worlds, including mysterious dungeon caverns, will envelop players in
endless hours of gameplay. With ``automatic random generation," the layout
of dungeons change each time you play the game, so players will never
experience the same dungeon twice! ``Time Stalkers" also features a
holding tank called the Monster House for various creatures that you've
captured in battle. These captured monsters can then be used to aid Sword
on his quest. However, only a few can be brought along per mission.
``Sega is taking the RPG to the next level with 'Time Stalkers' for Sega
Dreamcast," said Charles Bellfield, director of corporate communications,
Sega of America. ``With in-depth characters, engaging story lines and
environments that change each time players visit them, we have
unquestionably improved on the classic RPG format."
Continuing to expand the videogame experience via the VMU, ``Time
Stalkers" includes more seven mini games to give players enhanced
gameplay. For example, captured monsters can be downloaded to a VMU to be
trained and strengthened for future battles. Players can also draw pictures
on their VMU and upload it to a picture frame hanging in the Collection
Room. ``Time Stalkers" has endless options for gameplay and the intricate
storyline will immerse players in the wildest adventure they have ever
embarked on. ``Time Stalkers" is available at retailers nationwide for
$49.95 and at www.sega.com. ``Time Stalkers" is rated T for Teens.
Electronic Arts Unleashes Porsche
in Its Latest Need for Speed Game
Start your engines... Electronic Arts announced the release of Need for
Speed: Porsche Unleashed which will give racing enthusiasts the green light
to get behind the wheel of a huge collection of Porsches from the storied
car manufacturer's extensive and celebrated lineup.
With a history spanning over 50 years, Porsche AG has handed over the keys
to Electronic Arts to provide players the opportunity to race its cars from
the classic 356 Roadster to the uber speedy 2000 911 Turbo. In addition
to the highly coveted Porsche AG license, the game will feature inspired
new tracks and dazzling environments. This latest entry to the
award-winning Need for Speed series is now available for the PC and the
PlayStation game console system.
Porsche AG offers a truly unique perspective into the progression of auto
manufacturing and driving expertise. With more than 80 road and race cars
available for the PC and 70 for the PlayStation, players can take the wheel
of their favorite Porsche and either floor it through the city streets or
put the top down and cruise along a deserted country road.
Courses in Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed are sure to excite even the
most experienced driver. The PC version features nine highly detailed
European open road tracks, as well as five closed circuit racetracks that
allow gamers the freedom to take alternate routes and short cuts with the
ability to fly through road intersections and off ramps. From the Highlands
in Scotland to Industrial Japan, the PlayStation version offers multiple
routes and closed circuit racetracks as well. Intense racing in five
different countries produces the greatest variability in environments ever
seen in any Need for Speed game.
In addition to impressive graphics, Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed
incorporates dynamic weather effects such as rain and snow that will
severely impact a car's handling. The PC version of the game also features
interactive 3D cockpits and dashboards that can be illuminated for night
driving. Realistic driver animations allow you to see your driver kick it
into reverse to get out of a sticky situation. In both versions, reckless
drivers will be able to view their cars' physical damage and feel the
effects in the way the cars handle.
Gamers can push their cars to the limit in two completely new gameplay
modes. Factory Driver mode allows drivers to become part of the Porsche
Factory Driving Team. As part of the team, they must guide their cars
through various missions in order to earn new and different cars, improve
driving skills and cope with challenging situations such as dodging traffic
on the open road.
Porsche Evolution is a deeper career mode that takes place in a working
economy with simulated supply and demand, as well as inflation and
depreciation. In the PC version of the game, players can accrue new cars
and modify them as their driving skills and finishing times improve. Need
for Speed: Porsche Unleashed also includes a quick race mode for instant
thrills and white-knuckled excitement, as well as an impressive
multi-player mode which has become a favorite among fans of the series.
PlayStation multiplayer will feature split-screen head-to-head racing and
boasts four player racing via multi-tap support, the first time ever for a
Need For Speed game. The multiplayer version for the PC is supported
through modem and LAN connections.
Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed is developed and published by Electronic
Arts in North America. The game offers an ESRB rating of ``E" for
``Everyone" and an MSRP of US$39.95 (PC) and US$39.95 (PlayStation).
For more information on Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed and the Need for
Speed series, visit the official website at: www.needforspeed.com
Roadsters Set to Zoom Into Stores
Titus Interactive announced the release of two more Roadsters games, the
popular driving game, for Sega Dreamcast and Sony PlayStation game console,
with the PlayStation 2 to come. Roadsters brings the hands-on racing
excitement of driving the world's most exotic two-seater, convertible
coupes into the home, including official licenses from, Ford, Toyota,
Lotus, Fiat and many more.
On top of the standard features of the Roadsters series with 30 cars and
eight drivers, the game offers uniquely identifiable personalities and
attitudes. The different modes of the game including Roadster Trophy, Quick
Race, and Time Trial offer the gamer several exciting ways to experience
true racing excitement. In addition, with modifiable parts, each platform
has its own unique elements that will greatly enhance the game playing
experience. The Dreamcast version boasts an exciting journey through a maze
of natural disasters and cutting edge special effects. The gamer will be
able to drive through the worst conditions ever, including avalanches,
tornadoes, earthquakes, fires and plane crashes. The Prize Money feature
enables the gamer to upgrade cars, buy new models and move up to a higher
racing division.
Not for the faint of heart, Roadsters for Dreamcast is THE arcade racing
experience. ``With completely different features and new tracks that take
advantage of the platform's graphic capabilities, we are excited to offer
an unparallel driving experience complete with unexpected disasters and the
challenge of four-player racing," said Frederic Oualid, Vice President of
Marketing at Titus Software.
The PlayStation version of Roadsters has 10 challenging tracks, all fully
reversible and mirrored. Roadsters for PlayStation offers realistic
responsive handling in changing weather conditions combined with
interactive pit stops. The betting system for the PlayStation gives the
gamer a unique way to enhance the power and speed of car by wagering during
the Roadsters Trophy portion of the game. The more money you win the faster
your car will go. Losing money on a bet will force your vehicle to get
stuck on the track.
With the previous release of Roadsters for the Nintendo 64 and GameBoy
Color and the forth-coming release of Roadsters for PlayStation 2,
Roadsters will be available for all gamers to fully enjoy.
To add to the excitement Titus has created a most unique promotion.
Beginning April 1st gamers can pick up game pieces at participating
retailers, including Babbages, for their chance to win a brand new 2000
Ford Mustang Convertible (two year lease) as seen in Roadsters. Over 360
other prizes will be given away, including free video games from Titus and
Interplay, as well as gift certificates from ``What'sHotNow.Com."
Consumers are encouraged to play as often as they like on the web site
www.startitupand.com.
Infogrames North America, Inc. Brings Supersonic
Jet Racing to Sony Playstation With NGEN Racing
The year is 2012, we live in a world of global peace where military jets
have been modified to become ultra sophisticated racing machines. NGEN, the
ultimate power sport has been born. Infogrames North America, Inc.
officially announced Wednesday that NGEN Racing, the unique jet engine
racing title, is coming to the Sony PlayStation this summer. All adrenaline
junkies are invited to pilot these powerful sportscrafts and make a Mach 2
dash for glory!
In a new kind of underground sport, the world's most advanced fighter
crafts are modified and enhanced for extreme low-level flights and are
equipped with ultra sophisticated weapons. Players will be thrown into the
cockpits of up to 40 genuine high-speed fighter jets to compete on gigantic
racing circuits built in real world places as exotic as desert canyons and
arctic mountains. The more races you win the more customizing options you
get to help make your plane into the ultimate racing machine.
``NGEN Racing puts a new and unique twist on the racing genre with its
combination of visually stunning graphics and adrenaline-pumping jet racing
action," said David Riley, marketing director for Infogrames North America
Inc.'s Action/Strategy Label. ``Racing through mountainous landscapes in
the cockpit of a jet will enthrall racing fans and newcomers alike and will
leave gamers marveling at the speed and handling of the jets. It's really
the ultimate race!"
Featuring two control methods and two racing modes, NGEN Racing offers the
option of customizing the races to fit the players' skill level. Arcade
mode and NGEN racing modes will allow players to choose between straight
racing and turismo-style modified racing. In NGEN racing mode pilots buy
and modify their jet aircrafts then compete in a series of races in order
to win cash to further their racing careers.
NGEN Racing also offers intense two-player action with head-to-head races
or a unique two-player feature called Powerball. The objective of Powerball
is to capture a blue glowing ball found in the center of the landscape
arena and to keep it as long as possible while your opponent tries to steal
it. Disabled weapons and speed hindrance are the detriments to having the
powerball. Using extreme flying skills is your only defense against your
opponent who has his weapons fully intact to help knock the powerball out
of your grasp. The player who has kept the powerball for the longest at the
end of the battle wins.
Developed by Curly Monsters, NGEN Racing also features TV-style replays, a
variety of offensive and defensive weapons, a precision 3D engine, and an
original soundtrack from Matt Darey. For updates and current news on the
progress of NGEN Racing, visit the official Web site at www.ngenracing.com.
989 Sports' MLB 2001 Redefines Baseball Videogame Category
989 Sports announced that MLB 2001, the next installment in 989 Sports'
popular MLB baseball videogame series, will be available in stores on
Tuesday, March 28 for the PlayStation game console. With all the MLB teams
and players, brand-new features such as a Franchise Mode and consultation
from the biggest names in baseball, MLB 2001 sets the standard for
PlayStation baseball videogames.
``The MLB development team has continually pushed the envelope to deliver
the most realistic baseball experience in a videogame," said Troy Mack,
product manager, 989 Sports. ``By involving numerous baseball professionals
in the development process of this year's game, MLB 2001 will be the most
incredible baseball simulation ever to hit the PlayStation. Gamers and
baseball enthusiasts will be impressed with its new features and
ultra-realistic graphics."
During the development of MLB 2001, 989 Sports consulted with Los Angeles
Dodgers Manager Davey Johnson, San Diego Padres hitting legend Tony Gwynn
as well as the Padres feared reliever Trevor Hoffman, to create the most
strategic Artificial Intelligence (AI) ever developed for a baseball
videogame. Tony Gwynn and Trevor Hoffman were also ``motion captured" to
provide new player animations for MLB 2001.
MLB 2001 looks and feels like real baseball, with more than 250
personalized moves and stances of MLB pitchers and batters. New player
models are scaled to actual height, weight and body style as well as
feature actual player faces. Even the stadiums are sculpted to perfection
with every realistic detail incorporated. This includes the new stadiums
like Safeco Field in Seattle, Pacific Bell Park in San Francisco and
Comerica Park in Detroit.
To further increase the realism of MLB 2001, an all-new Franchise Mode was
added where gamers will have to use their gaming skills and scouting
ability to win games and earn points in order to sign big name players and
build their team into a powerhouse.
MLB 2001 also has all the features gamers have grown to love. Hall of
Fame broadcaster Vin Scully and ESPN analyst Dave Campbell are reunited to
bring MLB 2001 to life like no other baseball videogame has done before.
The GM Mode returns as a key feature, enabling gamers to create, draft,
trade, call up, waive, release and sign players as free agents. The Manager
Mode is back to let gamers call all the shots and utilize the in-game
scouting reports to set up hitters and make lineup changes. And the popular
Spring Training Mode returns with new Spring Training stadiums.
MLB 2001 features All-Star and National League MVP Chipper Jones of the
Atlanta Braves on the package.
* MLB 2001 -- Key Features
* All MLB teams and players with the latest signings and trades
* All-new Franchise Mode allows gamers to build a powerhouse team from
the ground up
* New managerial AI consultation from Los Angeles Dodgers Manager Davey
Johnson
* New batting AI consultation from San Diego Padres Outfielder Tony
Gwynn
* New pitching AI consultation from San Diego Padres Reliever Trevor
Hoffman
* Two-man booth with Hall of Famer Vin Scully and ESPN analyst Dave
Campbell
* Authentic TV style presentation
* All the MLB stadiums, including the new Safeco Field in Seattle,
Pacific Bell Park in San Francisco and Comerica Park in Detroit
* New motion capture animations from San Diego Padres Tony Gwynn and
Trevor Hoffman
* New detailed player model shows wrinkles and folds in player's uniform
as well as actual player faces and body styles
* Total Control Batting(TM) returns with even more advanced control to
battle the fiercest pitchers in the league
* Total Control Fielding(TM) is back. Fielders dive, throw from their
knees, crow-hop, twirl throw, throw on the run, and make barehanded
grabs
* More than 250 personalized batting stances and pitching motions
* Realistic player performance including the signature batting stances
of Chipper Jones, Mo Vaughn and Jeff Bagwell; the double-play artistry
of Nomar Garciaparra and Robbie Alomar; and the unmistakable pitching
motions of Kevin Brown, The Rocket and Curt Schilling
* Play Modes: Franchise, Spring Training, Home Run Derby,
Exhibition, full season with multiple season lengths and All-Star(TM)
* Play as a GM. Draft, trade, sign, release or re-assign players to your
Farm System
* Manager Mode returns to let gamers utilize the in-game scouting
reports prepared by former Major League scouts for on-the-fly stats
and lineup changes. Watch as the CPU makes trades between teams. Also
be sure to keep an eye on the trading deadline
* More than 90 statistical categories for each player
* While playing in Season Mode be prepared for the injury bug. Players
can go on the D.L.
* End-of-season awards: AL and NL MVP, Batting and saves titles, Rookie
of the Year and Cy Young
* Three difficulty levels (rookie, veteran and all-star)
Acclaim Sports' All-Star Baseball 2001 Ships
Acclaim Sports announced that All-Star Baseball 2001 for the Nintendo 64
has shipped to retailers across the US. Developed by High Voltage Software,
Inc., All-Star Baseball 2001 is the only new baseball game for the Nintendo
64 this season, and is already drawing rave reviews from the industry. In
their May issue, Incite Video Gaming magazine gave the game a five-star
review, calling All-Star Baseball 2001 the ``slickest, smoothest, most
scintillating baseball game this season, spanning all systems."
Endorsed by New York Yankees' superstar Derek Jeter, All-Star Baseball 2001
features the first ever Hall of Fame team with players like Reggie Jackson
and Nolan Ryan. The game also includes key features such as:
third-generation Hi-Rez graphics and realistic player animations unmatched
in any baseball title; all 30 Major League Baseball teams and over 900
players; all-new batting practice mode; faster gameplay and easy
batting/pitching options.
``Having the only new baseball game for the Nintendo 64 didn't mean that we
could rest on our past successes with the All-Star Baseball franchise,"
said Rick Mehler, marketing manager for All-Star Baseball 2001. ``We've
taken what everyone loved about last year's game and made it even better --
it's safe to say that fans will be blown away by All-Star Baseball 2001."
Video Game Makers Sue Yahoo!
Three of the world's major makers of video games have sued Internet portal
Yahoo! Inc. to bar the sale of allegedly counterfeit video games on Yahoo's
Web site.
The suit, which the plaintiffs believe is the first of its kind filed
against an online retailer, claims Yahoo! provides for the auction and
sales of pirated video games at its site, and directly profits from what
it knows is illegal.
It also underscores the video game makers' determination to stop the sale
of counterfeit games, which annually costs the industry over $3.2 billion
in lost sales globally, according to the industry group Interactive
Digital Software Association.
The plaintiffs are Nintendo of America, Sega of America, and the largest
game developer in the U.S., Redwood City, Calif.-based Electronic Arts Inc.
Collectively, they make and sell some of the world's leading titles, such
as the Pokemon and Mario games from Nintendo and EA Sports titles from
Electronic Arts. Nintendo makes the popular Nintendo 64 and Game Boy
players, and Sega offers the Dreamcast player.
``The action ... is not only designed to clean up Yahoo's site, but to
send a message to Internet software pirates that there are no safe havens
for those who steal the industry's creative products," Richard Flamm,
Nintendo of America's general counsel said in a statement on Monday.
A Yahoo! spokeswoman declined to comment, saying the company has yet to
receive a copy of the suit.
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of
California, seeks an injunction against Yahoo! to halt the auctions and
sales of counterfeit computer and video games, as well as illegal devices
designed to circumvent copyright protection. It also seeks compensatory
damages.
The plaintiffs allege that Yahoo is not a passive provider of auction and
other retail services, but rather that it has actual knowledge of the
illegal activity.
They say they have advised Yahoo ``many times" that illegal copies of the
products are being sold on the site and asked Yahoo to put a stop to it,
but that Yahoo has not done so.
``We keep an eye on all of them (auction Web sites)," said Mike Page, an
attorney with Keker & Van Nest, a San Francisco law firm which is acting as
general counsel for the video gaming companies. ``Some are better than
others in self-policing...Nobody is perfect but I think other sites are
doing a better job of getting rid of repeat offenders."
In recent years, the piracy issue has been largely confined to overseas
markets due to copyright protection in the United States, but the
plaintiffs claim Yahoo is now providing ``a growing marketplace or
distribution channel for pirates."
=~=~=~=
A-ONE's Headline News
The Latest in Computer Technology News
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
Microsoft Offer Not Good Enough
Microsoft Corp's settlement offer in its landmark antitrust case
acknowledges that it must change but falls far short of an acceptable
approach, persons close to the case said on Monday.
The offer comes as District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson is ready to hand
down his conclusions of law some time after Tuesday, although it is not
clear when.
The conclusions are widely expected to find that Microsoft violated the
nation's antitrust statutes.
Neither Microsoft nor representatives of the Justice Department and the 19
states that brought the suit in 1998 had any comment to make.
The Microsoft proposal, of about a dozen pages, gives with one hand but
takes away with the other, sources said.
The Justice Department felt burned after it made a deal with Microsoft in
1995 that seemed to address many of the problems in the firm's practices
at that time.
The government went to court in 1997 alleging Microsoft violated the
agreement by bundling its Web browser with its Windows product. But
Microsoft fended off the challenge by successfully exploiting a tiny
loophole in the agreement.
``In a far-reaching conduct remedy such as the one that is being discussed
in the press, the devil is in the details," said Georgetown University
Law School Professor Steven Salop.
Microsoft's complex new proposal has 14 conditions, any one of which could
undercut its impact, the sources say.
The company seems to promise to open up its secret source code for the
Windows operating system so that other companies or computer makers could
modify it.
The company also appears to offer to remove its Internet browser in some
versions of the operating system.
And the offer includes what at first blush seems to be a promise to end
price discrimination on the sales of software to all PC makers. Many of
the conditions were first reported by The Wall Street Journal in Monday
editions.
The newspaper also reported that Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates held a
telephone conversation Saturday with Richard Posner, the federal appeals
court judge in Chicago appointed as a mediator by Jackson.
But in each case, there are limits to the offers that cast doubt on their
utility in bringing about significant change, sources say.
Although Microsoft seems to offer a settlement that would apply to all
future versions of its Windows 2000 software, it is unclear whether it
would apply to all future versions of Windows, sources say.
Microsoft has also offered to make its Application Program Interfaces
(API) -- used to compose programs that will work with Windows -- available
as it invents them. Many APIs are now offered, but some are held back and
some are given out selectively.
``It would take a federal software engineering force to have a chance to
enforce" such a provision, said Ed Black, president of the Computer and
Communications Industry Association.
And there are other, broader problems with a settlement in the view of
some analysts.
In the past few years, the heads of the nation's antitrust agencies --
Federal Trade Commission Chairman Robert Pitofsky and Justice Department
antitrust chief Joel Klein -- have expressed a preference for court
decisions over settlements. They have said that courts and not agencies
should define antitrust law.
Georgetown Law's Salop echoed those views and said the judge should issue
his conclusions of law.
``It is important to have the court make a ruling on this case in order to
clarify the legal status of Microsoft's conduct," Salop said. ``The
states and the Justice Department should not deal the courts out of this
case."
There would still be plenty of time to settle after that, should the
parties wanted to, Salop noted.
Microsoft Ruling Delayed to Help Talks
The judge in the Microsoft Corp. case gave the parties a deadline of
April 6 to cut a deal, delaying his ruling on whether the company broke the
nation's antitrust laws, sources said on Tuesday.
District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson had set Tuesday as the deadline for
the government and Microsoft to let him know whether they were making
progress toward a settlement, sources familiar with the case said.
A court spokesman said earlier in the day there would be no ruling from the
judge on Tuesday, without setting a date. Jackson gave the parties the
extra time to see if further progress could be made, sources familiar with
the case said.
Neither Microsoft nor the government had any comment Tuesday afternoon.
Microsoft stock rose on news of the delay to a high of 107 7/16 but closed
at 104 5/16, up 1/4 for the day in active trade on Nasdaq..
An industry figure said the mediator appointed by Jackson -- U.S. Court of
Appeals Judge Richard Posner in Chicago -- did not want to give up now
after having invested four months in trying to bring the case to a
conclusion.
``This is a strong-willed mediator who does not want to declare the
mediation process dead yet," said Ken Wasch, president of the Software and
Information Industry Association.
Judge Jackson last year handed down findings of fact in the landmark case
brought by the Justice Department and 19 states, holding that Microsoft had
abused monopoly power, harming competitors, consumers and other companies.
Jackson has made it clear to both sides he would prefer to see them settle
the case, which antitrust lawyers say could last until 2002 or longer with
appeals, rather than issue his next ruling.
Wasch said Posner was highly committed to bringing the case to a
conclusion. ``Basically, this is Judge Posner saying, 'Microsoft has put
something on the table. Let's spend some time talking about it."'
Microsoft has proposed remedies that would force it to change its business
practices, but has ruled out a structural remedy such as breaking up the
company, sources said.
But Wasch said neither the Justice Department nor most of the states ``have
taken structural remedies off the table." A structural remedy commonly
refers to the breaking up of a company.
Wasch, whose organization filed a friend-of-the-court brief at the
invitation of the Justice Department, said there are big problems with any
conduct remedy.
``I have yet to find anyone who has presented a workable monitoring and
enforcement plan that doesn't equate to government regulation of the
industry," he said. ``It's a short step from a monitoring and enforcement
program to a regulatory one."
But Bill Kolasky, a lawyer with Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering, which prepared
a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of the Association for Competitive
Technology (ACT), said that conduct remedies are the rule and structural
remedies the exception. Act, which has received some contributions from
Microsoft, filed the brief at the invitation of the Redmond, Wash.-based
software company.
Kolasky said that conduct remedies can be enforced ``with minimal ongoing
government regulation."
Kolasky said that if the two sides agreed on a conduct remedy, competitors
``will be monitoring Microsoft's compliance with any conduct remedies and
will not be shy to bring alleged violations to the government's attention
as they have in the past."
Wasch said the Justice Department remains was troubled about the
repercussions from a 1995 agreement with Microsoft, signed by the then-head
of the Justice Department's antitrust division, Ann Bingaman.
Microsoft relied on an ambiguous clause in that agreement to meld its
Windows operating system with its browser, an act that the government
contends put rival Netscape at a disadvantage.
Netscape's market share and stock price both dropped subsequently and
eventually it sold out to America Online.
``Klein does not want to end up being 'Bingamanned', which is signing a
deal prematurely and finding Microsoft flouting it before the ink is dry,"
said Wasch.
The Justice Department challenged Microsoft's actions under the 1995
agreement, but lost on appeal.
But Kolasky had a different view. He said the appeals court decision noted
that what the Justice Department had deemed a violation ``actually
benefited consumers by giving them a better software product."
Mac OS 9 Update Leaks Out Early
While Apple has yet to announce it, some users have been able to download
the updater to Mac OS 9.0.4 from the company's own servers.
Mac OS 9.0.4 is here -- or is it?
Sources close to Apple Computer Inc. told ZDNet News that the updater some
users have downloaded from the company's servers was a pre-release version
being tested internally at Apple's Cupertino, Calif., headquarters. The
official release of Mac OS 9.0.4 will take place some time next week,
sources said.
User reports of the updater's availability have spawned speculation on
enthusiast sites across the Web. While Apple has not announced the upgrade
or a release date, some users are reporting that they have been able
either to download the update or access it through their computers'
Software Update Control Panel.
"Nobody outside of the firewall should have gotten it," the source said.
The update, code-named Minuet, is a consolidation of bug fixes and
system-specific tweaks included in the OS 9 software that shipped
alongside recently released hardware such as the revised iBook, iMac DV
and the "Pismo" PowerBook G3.
According to a listing of system components posted on the Italian site
MacProf, Mac OS 9.0.4 contains new versions of the system's FireWire and
Universal Serial Bus extensions (the latter has long been a source of
complaint among Mac users); as well as fixes to the Sound Manager, which
was tapped as the cause of stuttering during DVD movie playback.
In addition, the new version apparently includes enhancements to the Mac
OS ROM and PowerPC Enabler 9.0.4 files, as well as the Script Editor and
ATI drivers included with the latest Apple hardware.
Mac OS 9 was originally announced in October and shipped almost three
weeks later. The new OS, which replaced Mac OS 8.6, updated the system's
kernel and included the Sherlock 2 Internet search application, multiple
user capabilities and other new features.
Microsoft Releases Tardy Mac Browser
Operating on the assumption that late is better than never, Microsoft has
unveiled its newest browser for the Macintosh platform--a full year after
releasing Internet Explorer 5 for Windows.
The Mac edition of IE 5 became available for download this week after a
series of delays. Microsoft initially planned a summer 1999 release but
delayed it to the fall. In September, the company acknowledged it had
missed that mark and pushed back the release to winter.
This is the second week of spring.
Microsoft will have to count on Mac users' patience lasting even a little
longer: The new browser, which works with Mac OS 7.6.1 and later, still
lacks the radio toolbar that was one of IE 5's most noticeable new
features when it launched for Windows last March. The radio bar has a
play/stop button, a mute button, a volume dial and a drop-down menu that
lets people add a radio station to their "favorites" list.
Even so, Mac users will be the first to use some new IE 5 tools, including
an Auction Manager. First previewed in July at the Macworld trade show in
New York, the tool keeps track of
auctions, letting people know when they
are outbid, when auctions close, and whether someone has paid for or
received items.
The Mac edition of IE 5 also has an Internet Scrapbook, which lets people
store and organize Web pages.
One cosmetic change in the spirit of recent Macintosh trends lets people
change the color of the browser frame; choices include blueberry, Bondi,
grape, graphite, lime, PowerBook black, PowerBook bronze, strawberry and
tangerine.
Judge Files Injunction Against Software Hackers
A U.S. District judge in Boston on Tuesday forbade two computer hackers
from posting source code that could lead others to the list of Web sites
banned by the Cyber Patrol Internet filtering software, which is sold by a
unit of toymaker Mattel Inc.
But U.S. District Court Judge Edward Harrington's permanent injunction
left Mattel's Microsystems Software and the American Civil Liberties
Union, which represents operators of three "mirror" sites that posted
the code or provided links to it, quibbling over whether the ruling
applies to the sites.
The ruling against the two hackers, Eddy Jansson of Sweden and Matthew
Skala of Canada, is essentially moot because the two men, who ``reverse
engineered" the Cyber Patrol code, already settled the copyright suit
brought against them by Microsystems and agreed to turn over their code.
Microsystems said in a press release that Harrington's permanent injunction
applies to the mirror sites, which also published the ``cphack" program.
In his ruling, Harrington wrote that ``all persons in active concert or
participation" with Skala or Jansson should stop publishing the code.
But ACLU attorney Chris Hansen said, ``I still don't think we know whether
it applies to the mirror sites."
The entire dispute, which included subpoenas e-mailed to mirror site
operators, has created a cyberstorm of controversy over copyright law and
free speech.
The ACLU, which said it disagrees with the ruling and is weighing its
options, has argued that parents who use Cyber Patrol -- one of many
programs that filters violent or obscene Web content -- can't know whether
too much or too little is being blocked if the firm won't reveal what it
bans.
``I still don't think we have a productive debate about the value of
products like Cyber Patrol as long as they continue to hide what they do,"
Hansen said.
Cyber Patrol General Manager Susan Getgood said the ruling and the firm's
settlement with the two hackers ``vindicates our efforts to protect our
customers and defend our intellectual property."
In his order, Harrington wrote that the case involves more than copyright
law. ``It raises a most profound societal issue, namely, who is to control
the educational and intellectual nourishment of young children -- the
parents or the purveyors of pornography and the merchants of death and
violence."
SEC Creating Online Surveillance
Federal securities regulators, stepping up their fight against burgeoning
fraud over the Internet, are creating an automated surveillance system to
search Web sites, message boards and chat rooms.
But a major accounting firm says it won't participate because the
Securities and Exchange Commission's new system might encroach on the
privacy of innocent people as it searches for phrases such as ``get rich
quick."
The computer technology involved in the enhanced SEC surveillance program
``is equivalent to, in my opinion, wiretapping ... the equivalent of
planting a bug," said Larry Ponemon, a partner in charge of privacy issues
at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, one of the world's largest accounting and
consulting firms.
The firm was among 107 companies invited by the SEC in January to bid to
operate the automated surveillance system. It told the market watchdog
agency it did not wish to participate because of privacy concerns and
possible violations of the Constitution's protections against unreasonable
search and seizure.
``It's a search and seizure issue," Ponemon said Tuesday in a telephone
interview.
The SEC says it willnot gather e-mail messages or other communications
unless they appear in public online forums and will throw away any data
collected that doesn't indicate possible wrongdoing.
``Privacy issues are of long-standing importance to the commission and we
pay close attention to the letter and the spirit of the law," said SEC
spokesman Chris Ullman.
He said the new system, which would copy online material into a database
to be analyzed by SEC investigators, simply ``will mechanize what the
commission now does by hand."
The SEC's project was first reported in Tuesday's editions of The Wall
Street Journal. The newspaper noted that Internet titan America Online
Inc., many of whose message boards and chat rooms are home to discussions
of stock investments, prohibits anyone from harvestinginformation from them
because of privacy concerns.
Consequently, AOL might oppose the federal agency's project, The Journal
suggested. Spokesmen for AOL declined to comment to the newspaper; they
weren't immediately available for comment to The Associated Press on
Tuesday.
Ponemon lauded the SEC's goal of beefing up its monitoring of the Internet
for fraudulent investment activity, which SEC inspectors now do manually
with computer search engines. He said other technologies could be used -
notably electronic ``cookies" that track personal activity online - that
would respect constitutional boundaries and still be more effective than
the SEC's current manual system.
Ponemon suggested that certain types of ``cookies" would be less
intrusive than the Web ``crawler" called for in the SEC's project, which
would scan the Internet for as many as 40 telltale words or phrases. A
cookie is a small file that a Web site deposits on an individual's hard
drive, often with a unique number that identifies the user's computer. The
next time someone using that computer goes back to the site, the site will
recognize the computer.
``This is government spying on the innocent, plain and simple," said
George Getz, a spokesman for the Libertarian Party. ``It's no different
than the police tapping everyone's phones just because someone might have
committed a crime."
Marc Beauchamp, executive director of the North American Securities
Administrators Association, noted the delicate balance between the
government's need to pursue investment fraud and its duty to protect
citizens' privacy. His group, which represents securities regulators in
the states, also has cracked down on investment fraud over the Internet.
Still, he said, ``The crooks are using the new technology at hand and the
cops need to use the technology to stay ahead of the crooks."
The SEC and state regulators have been in an uphill fight against Internet
fraud, which has been proliferating in online junk mail and newsletters,
electronic chat rooms and Web sites.
Because the Internet is everywhere, unscrupulous stock promoters anywhere
in the world can cloak themselves in anonymity and lure investors across
the country, who have lost millions in such schemes in recent years.
Last month, the SEC asked Congress for $150 million for enforcement work
and investor education for fiscal 2001. The agency's ``Cyberforce," now
some 240 strong, prowls the Internet looking for investment scams and
other securities fraud.
The SEC fraud-fighters don't have the legal authority to go undercover
online. Unlike the Justice Department, the SEC cannot put anyone in jail;
it can only file civil lawsuits against suspected violators.
SEC System Raises Privacy Worries
Federal regulators, on the lookout for phrases such as ``get rich quick,"
are creating an automated surveillance system to search Web sites, message
boards and chat rooms for fraud.
But a major accounting firm says it won't participate because the
Securities and Exchange Commission's new system might encroach on the
privacy of innocent people using the Internet.
The technology in the enhanced SEC surveillance program ``is equivalent
to, in my opinion, wiretapping ... the equivalent of planting a bug,"
said Larry Ponemon, a partner in charge of privacy issues at
PricewaterhouseCoopers, one of the world's largest accounting and
consulting firms.
The firm was among 107 companies invited by the SEC in January to bid to
operate the system.
The SEC says it will not gather e-mail messages or other communications
unless they appear in public online forums and will throw away any
collected information that doesn't indicate wrongdoing.
``Privacy issues are of long-standing importance to the commission and we
pay close attention to the letter and the spirit of the law," said SEC
spokesman Chris Ullman.
He said the new system, which would copy online material into a database
to be analyzed by SEC investigators, ``will mechanize what the commission
now does by hand."
The project was first reported Tuesday in The Wall Street Journal.
``This is government spying on the innocent," said George Getz, a
spokesman for the Libertarian Party. ``It's no different than the police
tapping everyone's phones just because someone might have committed a
crime."
Ponemon praised the SEC's goal of beefing up its monitoring of the
Internet for fraudulent investment activity. But he said other
technologies could be used - notably electronic ``cookies" that track
personal activity online - that would respect constitutional boundaries
and still be more effective than the SEC's current manual system.
Ponemon suggested that certain types of cookies would be less intrusive
than the Web ``crawler" called for in the SEC's project, which would scan
the Internet for as many as 40 telltale words or phrases. A cookie is a
small file that a Web site deposits on an individual's hard drive, often
with a unique number that identifies the user's computer.
Marc Beauchamp, executive director of the North American Securities
Administrators Association, noted the delicate balance between the
government's need to pursue investment fraud and its duty to protect
privacy.
``The crooks are using the new technology at hand and the cops need to use
the technology to stay ahead of the crooks," he said.
Internet fraud is proliferating in online junk mail, chat rooms and Web
sites, with unscrupulous stock promoters anywhere in the world able to
cloak themselves in anonymity and lure investors.
Last month, the SEC asked Congress for $150 million for enforcement and
investor education for fiscal 2001. It has 240 people prowling the
Internet for scams.
Every Day's for Fools on Internet
Free trips to Disney World, courtesy of Microsoft Corp.? Free soda from
Coca-Cola? Free cars from Honda?
Forget it!
You don't have to wait for April Fools' Day. Every day is a joke on the
Internet. As the Net grows, so do the number of hoaxes and other mischief
carried through e-mail.
Rumors, pranks and hoaxes are not unique to the Internet, but they spread
more quickly because of it, said Barbara Mikkelson, who runs a Web site
that tries to dispel such myths.
``Before, when I had a hot piece of gossip, I had to find my best friend
and share it over a fence," she said. ``Now I don't have to wait."
Take the Neiman Marcus ``cookie recipe." Someone supposedly is billed $250
for the store's $2.50 recipe. In revenge, she forwards copies of the recipe
to friends - and urges them to do the same.
When the rumor began circulating offline more than a decade ago, the
department store didn't sell cookies at its restaurants. The tale later
made its way to the Internet - and the company still gets calls and
letters.
To play along, Neiman Marcus created a recipe and then gave it away - for
free. ``It can be a big distraction," spokeswoman Ginger Reeder said.
``The only way you handle it is with good humor and grace."
No one quite knows the roots of such myths.
``I suspect they are the result of creative minds trapped in boring jobs,"
said Brian Maddox of Barrington, Ill., a regular recipient of electronic
chain letters.
But such messages can clog company computers, trigger mistrust or encourage
risky behavior. Internet users tired of virus hoaxes might ignore real
threats. Sunbathers believing that sunscreen causes blindness might avoid
the salve and risk sunburn or skin cancer.
David Spalding, who writes the online column ``Hoax du Jour," said friends
and relatives often spread such ``cyberban legends" with good intent. They
are difficult to stop, he said, because ``it's hard to tell Grandma or your
brother, `Don't send me e-mail."'
While Internet veterans may see through the hoaxes, newcomers often do not.
As they get wiser, new generations of believers log on.
``People bring with them some old habits they learned from getting most of
their information from the traditional media, mostly the ability to
trust," said David Emery, who tracks urban legends for About.com. ``They
are not prepared for the anarchy."
Emery offers these tips: Assume contents are false unless proven otherwise.
Be skeptical if an offer - free Coke, free cars - appears overly generous.
Verify before forwarding.
Alissa Strauss of Chicago learned that lesson. On the off-chance that she
could replace an 11-year-old junker, she forwarded the Honda ``promotion"
to friends. Instead of a car, she got back Honda's denial and a friend's
threat: ``Never do this again."
``I really need a car," Strauss said later. ``I just hoped, even though I
don't ever believe in these."
Some companies may not be so forgiving. Citing a nonexistent study, one
prankster falsely claimed that Kentucky Fried Chicken uses no chicken and
thus had to change its name to KFC. The company posted a denial on its Web
site and vowed to find the troublemaker.
For Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, chain letters are an abuse of technology
and a waste of time. ``There's a lot of hooey on the Internet," he wrote
on his company's Web site.
Charles Hymes, who runs Don't Spread That Hoax online, laughs - and agrees.
``The line between a hoax and a joke is sometimes pretty thin," he
conceded. ``There's nothing so outrageous, so goofy, that it won't be
believed by thousands and thousands of people."
Consider last year's alert: For spring cleaning, all computer users should
disconnect from 11:59 p.m. March 31 to 12:01 a.m. April 2, Greenwich Mean
Time. Of course, if Internet users did just that, there would be no
Internet left to clean up.
Is Your Browser History?
Smaller. Faster. Customized. The emerging market for 'embedded browsers'
could make lumbering Netscape and IE software look like dinosaurs.
Despite Microsoft's and Netscape's claims to the contrary, the browser
race isn't over yet.
While the two browser kingpins continue to trade proclamations of Windows
desktop domination, a number of lesser-known players targeting the
embedded market are the ones pushing the most interesting technological
and market developments.
The prettiest HTML screen display doesn't necessarily win; the most
compact technology that best displays plain old text does. On cell phones
or Internet appliances, customers want quick access to stock quotes, sport
scores and global positioning data. A one-size-fits-all approach is
superceded by embedded browsers' more customized interfaces, tailor-made
to handle niche chores, like monitoring a soda machine's stock.
With these kind of diverse requirements, it's not surprising that the
browser contest is more than just a two-horse race.
By no means are the big boys conceding defeat, however. Microsoft and
Netscape claim they have grand browser plans across a variety of embedded
devices. Microsoft recently demonstrated a research prototype of a
technology called MiPad, which blends speech, pen and other multimodal
input capabilities into an interface that could run on a variety of
wireless devices, from cell phones to wrist watches.
'The embedded market will show that no single browser can dominate'|Hkon
Wium Lie, Opera Software But the companies with the more readily available
and advanced offerings in the embedded browser arena are not necessarily
household names.
In the embedded space, "everyone says they're the leader, but no one has
established clear-cut domination," says Jupiter Communications Web
technology strategies analyst Lydia Liozides.
Why are there no runaway favorites? The embedded world consists of a
number of different emerging markets, each of which requires "different
branding needed on different devices on different networks," Liozides
explains. It's also a lot tougher to develop a tight, small browser that
runs well on a cell phone, than it is to create a developer-oriented,
multipurpose PC browser.
One company that already has discovered the challenges of porting to
multiple form factors is Opera Software S/A, the Oslo, Norway-based
developer of the Opera browser. While Opera Software pitches its browser
as a faster, smaller alternative to Internet Explorer and Navigator for
Windows PCs, the company is also writing for the Mac, BeOS, Linux and EPOC
platforms. Opera Software is targeting the second calendar quarter as the
ship date for Version 4.0 of Opera for all of these platforms.
"The worst thing that could happen to the Web is a single vendor
dominating," says Opera chief technology officer Hkon Wium Lie. "The
embedded market will show that no single browser can dominate."
Because it is not focusing exclusively on the embedded device market,
Opera Software has a lot of the same priorities as Microsoft and Netscape,
in terms of browser development. Like the giants, Opera Software is
expending considerable energy on making sure it's compliant with the
latest versions of standards, including HTML, HTTP, DOM, CSS (cascading
style sheets) and the like. But Opera is also adding some of its own
twists, such as building into version 4.0 of its product a split-screen
HTML viewing capability it calls its "PowerPoint killer."
Opera's not the only company targeting the embedded Linux space. Lineo
Inc. (formerly known as Caldera Thin Clients Inc.) is finding success
partnering with a variety of embedded device vendors, ranging from
Motorola to Samsung.
Lineo wasn't planning on getting into the browser space. It developed its
Embedix browser in response to embedded Linux customer requests for a
low-resolution embedded browser, officials claim. Currently, Lineo's
browser runs only on Lineo's Embedix Linux, but the company is considering
decoupling the two and offering its browser for other Linux distributions,
says CEO and president Bryan Sparks.
With its Embedix browser, Lineo is attempting to walk the fine line
between a full-featured platform and a compact, portable browser. "In this
space, size is a definite consideration. The output screen is a
consideration. The ability to port to multiple chips, since Intel isn't
dominant, is important. You need to think about peripheral support for
Flash memory, disk on a chip," admits Sparks. "But there are some areas we
don't try to address, like some of the desktop plug-ins."
What Lineo does want to address is the need of its hardware-vendor
customers for browsers for very specific vertical niches, says Sparks. In
the not-too-distant future, he expects hardware companies to tune and sell
customized Embedix browsers into areas like medical inventory control.
Browsers for TVs, Web phones and tablets aren't the only space where
vendors are aiming to innovate. The original browser pioneer, Spyglass
Inc., also has defined a separate category it calls the "micro browser"
market as one where providing the best "browsing experience" is key. By
dividing browsing functionality between the client and server, Spyglass is
trying to carve out a niche for itself between embedded and standalone PC
browsers.
Spyglass has been moving away from the desktop browser space since late
1996, when the company saw the handwriting on the wall, in terms of
Microsoft's plans for PC browser domination, according to Anup Murarka,
Spyglass vice president for interactive TV platforms. (Microsoft licensed
Spyglass' Mosaic technology in 1995, and used it as the core of Internet
Explorer.)
"In the standalone [desktop browser] space, success is determined more by
content access than by anything else," says Murarka. "The Windows space
has a consistent, predictable platform with one player with 80-plus percent
market share. In our space, there are lots of form factors, even though
there is really just one set of core APIs (application programming
interfaces)."
The degree to which there really is one core set of interfaces -- in the
embedded or standalone browser market -- is debatable. Microsoft, for
instance, offers a number of different Internet Explorer configurations
for different devices, such as Pocket IE for PocketPC handhelds, Mobile
Explorer for phones and TV Explorer for WebTV systems.
But company officials admit that the various IE implementations have
little in common beyond the "Explorer" name because the form factor
requirements are so different.
"You can't take a one-size-fits-all approach, due to the difference in
physicality and inputs," says Phil Holden, group product manager for
Microsoft's mobile devices division. "What you get with a web-enabled
phone is very different from what you get on a PocketPC, with high-quality,
true color screens that are a third of the size of VGA [monitors]."
Because of this, Microsoft's advances in IE market share on desktop PCs
don't automatically translate into given leadership in the embedded space,
Holden admits.
Microsoft rival Netscape, on the other hand, seems to be counting on its
history as a desktop browser leader to propel itself to embedded browser
success.
It's a precarious position for Netscape, the America Online Inc.
subsidiary, given the company's much publicized delays in delivering
version 6 of its Navigator product via its Mozilla open source arm. The
first public beta of version 6 is slated for mid-April. Netscape is touting
version 6's compliance with Web standards, its appeal to software
developers as a development environment in its own right, and its inclusion
of the "Gecko" rendering engine.
"We'll have a smaller download size and we're working on speed enhancements
for quicker page display," says Chris Saito, senior director of product
marketing. "We'll make customization easier than ever before."
As to AOL/Netscape's intentions to target specific embedded devices like
cell phones, the company remains mum. "We're working there," is all Saito
will say. Just as AOL is pushing its Instant Messenger technology to cell
phones, it will make similar moves with its browser, he says.
E-mail Scribes Deleting the Rules
if you've recieved an e-mail that loks like this ... you'r NOT alone !!!!!!!!! :)
Experts say people who communicate via computer are becoming increasingly
informal - and sloppy. E-mail is routinely strewn with typos, grammatical
errors and various shortcuts, such as no capital letters.
The trend - as relaxed as the Silicon Valley dress code - really bugs
some grammar purists.
"A student wouldn't walk into a professor's office asking a question using
bad English. Why would they send me that kind of mistake in an e-mail?"
gripes Kenneth Brown, an assistant professor at the University of Iowa
business school.
An avid tracker of e-mail etiquette, Brown says he regularly chides
students for sending sloppy e-mail to him and even prospective employers.
Some faculty members have also gotten a talking to.
Shonquis Moreno, a 28-year-old writer from New York with a penchant for
the lower-case, says she likes the ``more intimate, casual, off-the-cuff
tenor" her e-mails have. In many cases, she has even stopped fixing
jumbled letters.
``Maybe it's because I know that typos are recognizable as typos and not
spelling errors," says Moreno, who works for an Internet startup and
finds herself scurrying to answer more than 30 e-mails a day.
By the end of last year, there were 335 million e-mailboxes - more than
one per person - in the United States, according to the trade publication
Messaging Online. That represents a 73 percent leap in just one year.
Internet experts say the advent of instant messages - real-time
conversations - has only heightened the casual, abbreviated nature of
online ``chatting." But even they warn against misspellings and
grammatical goofs.
On the Web, ``you won't be judged by the color of your skin, eyes, or
hair, your weight, your age, or your clothing," author Virginia Shea
says in her rules of Netiquette, which are posted online. ``You will,
however, be judged by the quality of your writing."
The solution? Re-read your e-mail, not just for mistakes but for impetuous
words, says Eric Arnum, Online Messaging's editor.
``If you type faster than you think, there's a danger there that your
words will do more than offend schoolmarms," he says, pointing to the
recent use of e-mails as evidence in the antitrust case against Microsoft.
Asked via an online mailing list what they thought about e-mail's
informality, everyday computer users replied in droves.
Jeff Rubin, a newsletter publisher in Pinole, Calif., said computer
communication has become a ``forum for people who cannot spell or string
10 words together."
``I have a friend who has a daily, paid-subscriber e-mail message with
circulation exceeding 500. He misspells words in each transmission,"
Rubin wrote. ``It's embarrassing."
Still others raved about the ease e-mail has brought to communication.
Now a student getting her master's degree in Internet strategy, Cincinnati
resident Carol Boyd was relieved to escape the ``legendary one-page memo"
she spent years perfecting during her nearly 30 years at Procter & Gamble.
``Communication is less disciplined but Oh - what a timesaver!" Boyd
wrote. ``It's amazing what my teacher can convey in a one-word e-mail
that simply says, `Cool."'
Even Brown - who uses ellipses in some communication - says some
shortcuts can give an air of informality that is perfectly acceptable
``provided that the person I'm writing to understands it." But he still
tells students to err on the side of good grammar and spelling.
``It's their calling card," Brown says. ``It's how people judge them."
All,
Below are links to:
1) A e-zine story about a new transparent CD size disc, that has 10 layers,
and stores 140 gigabytes of data. There is also no practical limit on the
number of layers, just how many you want to include.
2) The company that is developing this technology. One of the financial
backers on this is a prominant company making the hardware equipment used
to make CD and DVD stampers used in the molding those discs.
http://www.3dhardware.net/features/dvdead/
http://www.c-3d.net/
=~=~=~=
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