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Atari Online News, Etc. Volume 01 Issue 39
Volume 1, Issue 39 Atari Online News, Etc. November 26, 1999
Published and Copyright (c) 1999
All Rights Reserved
Atari Online News, Etc.
A-ONE Online Magazine
Dana P. Jacobson, Publisher/Managing Editor
Joseph Mirando, Managing Editor
Atari Online News, Etc. Staff
Dana P. Jacobson -- Editor
Joe Mirando -- "People Are Talking"
Michael Burkley -- "Unabashed Atariophile"
Albert Dayes -- CC: Classic Chips
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=~=~=~=
A-ONE #0139 11/26/99
~ PCs Getting Cheaper! ~ People Are Talking! ~ Tiny Computer?!
~ Dawn Of New IT Age?! ~ EA And AOL Team Up! ~ 'Mr. Nutz' On GBC!
~ AOL Spam 'Contract' Up ~ GameXpo And Tourney! ~ "Wearable" PC?
~ W97M/Prilissa Virus! ~ 1 Billion Page Views! ~ Web Complaints!
-* Dreamcast Machine Of The Year *-
-* Microsoft Class Action Suits Begin! *-
-* Judge Orders Mediation In Microsoft Case! *-
=~=~=~=
->From the Editor's Keyboard "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Normally, I'd be sitting here at my desk loosening-up my sweatpants
drawstring and uttering a large sigh of relief. I'd have probably just
finished working on some Thanksgiving leftovers and another slab of pie.
Not this year, unfortunately. We had an invitation to go to my wife's
mother's house this year, so leftovers are out. So now, I'm sitting here
and feeling withdrawal pangs! Good thing I purchased an extra pie for our
own use; I think I need to gobble down a slice or two... I hope that
everyone had a terrific holiday with family and friends; in another month,
we can do it all over again!
This is traditionally probably the slowest news week of the year.
Technology news is slowing and gaming news will likely pick up a bit to
saturate everyone for the holidays. That's okay, we all need a little
slowdown near the end of the year anyway!
Well, I have no real earth-shattering editorial comments this week. It may
be due to the holiday fare, I don't know. So instead, I'll just close up
here, grab a piece of pie, and put this week's issue to bed!
Until next time...
=~=~=~=
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
compiled by Joe Mirando
jmirando@portone.com
Hidi ho friends and neighbors. I sit here, bloated and uncomfortable
from the feast (yes, I'm writing this on Thanksgiving evening). I did a
really dumb thing today. I sat there, even though I had promised myself
that this year would be different, and gorged myself on turkey. Have I
ever mentioned that I love turkey? Not only did I eat WAY too much
turkey, but then I sat back and rested (one of the worst things you can
do), and then went and gorged myself again (the OTHER worst thing you
can do). I'm paying for it now, but it was all worth it. I don't know
what it is about turkey, but it's one of my favorite foods in all the
world.
Of course, I did take the time to remind myself of what I have to be
thankful for (no, it wasn't just TURKEY). Family, friends, health, and
community are all right at the top of my list.
No, "friends" and "community" aren't the same thing... although they do
overlap. Friends are those people who are special to me for who and what
they are. Community is the group of people who share a common bond of
some sort. With us, it's our choice of Atari computers. I doubt that
people would have understood this type of community even ten years ago.
Being online is such a new experience that a lot of folks just can't
grasp the sense of community. Well, as time goes on, I'm sure that we
will be put in the same situation by that mother of revelation:
Progress.
On the Linux front, I'm getting much more acquainted with it, and I'm
really liking it. It's a very different philosophy from that of
Windows... or from TOS for that matter. The neat thing about Linux is
that it's very security conscious. You can set up accounts for
individual users, or even for different tasks. Right now I'm only
running Linux on the PC, but if I get comfortable enough with it, I'm
going to install the Motorola 68K version on my TT.
Right now, you can either order a CD with the M68K version, or download
it from one of several ftp sites, but I've heard rumblings that there
may be an Atari-specific distribution in the works soon. Wouldn't it be
great to install something like that without having to weed out all the
non-Atari stuff? I'll keep you informed of any developments.
Another thing I'm really impressed with is the speed of Linux as opposed
to Microsoft's offerings. Remember the SETI@home project? That's the one
where you download a program that grabs data generated by the Arecibo
Radio Telescope and analyzes it for intelligent signals from outside our
solar system. Unfortunately, there isn't a version of the program
available for our beloved Atari computers, but there are versions for
Windows, Mac, and a bunch of different Unix variants.
I've got to tell you that I was quite impressed with myself when I
optimized my Win98 setup so that the time it took to complete a block of
SETI data from 21 hours down to an average of just under fifteen hours.
Then I switched to Linux, grabbed the Linux version of the SETI@home
program and installed it. My jaw bounced on the floor once or twice
after completing my first SETI block under Linux. My time to complete a
block had dropped to about 11.75 hours! Now THAT is a speed increase!
I'm guessing that there are ways to optimize this new setup, but there's
no way that I could do it with the limited amount of knowledge I now
possess. I'm not sure that this one example is really indicative of the
real speed increase, but it's kind of neat all the same.
Hmmm... if that Atari Linux CD takes off, we might even have to start a
special column here in A-ONE. Any volunteers?
Well, let's get on with all the news, hints, tips and info available on
the UseNet while I digest a little bit of that huge meal...
From the comp.sys.atari.st NewsGroup
====================================
Remember last week when someone mentioned that John Rojewski had completed
a javascript client for the ST series of computers? Well, there wasn't a
heck of a lot of feedback about it last week. But that's not the case this
time around. When someone asks about integrating it into a CAB module, Jo
Even Skarstein says:
"Unfortunately it's not that simple, if the JS-engine doesn't have
access to the objects in the document and/or frameset it is a part of,
it's virtually useless. I can't see how this can be done without
rewriting large parts of CAB."
Trevor Spencer asks:
"So what could you use the program for if, like me, you only have an Atari?"
Jo Even answers simply:
"Not much I'm afraid."
Bill Platt asks:
"Couldn't the entire html file be first read by the js interpreter and then
passed onto CAB as a completed HTML file. The end result of any javascript
is to write some piece of information to the document. While this would
slow down cab, it would at least give some type of javascript support."
Jo Even answers:
"But that would only work for inlined JavaScript and the OnLoad-method."
But Bill won't give up, and posts:
"It would be a start! External .js files could automatically be passed to
the js interpreter as well as the html file and the final output sent to
cab as a completed html file. This would slow cab down tremendously, but
using the dsp might help."
"Phantomm" asks:
"I was wondering if anyone is currently working on any new Atari related
CDs with the intent to market them for sale?"
Dennis McGuire tells Phantomm:
"Funny you should mention that! Bob Buman of the Spectrum Atari
Group of Erie has put together a "totally Atari" CD-ROM to commemorate
the 15th anniversary of our user group. It features some of the history
of our club, but also includes much, much more. Both our 8-bit and ST PD
libraries are on it along with Atari commercials, interviews,
software, etc. It's sort of a walk down memory lane!
The SAGE Commemorative CD-ROM is scheduled for release on December
4th which our anniversary date. It will cost about $10 plus shipping.
Watch for a formal announcement with more details and exact price (once we
find the cheapest shipping method!) in about a week."
Greetz Marcer adds:
"Yeah, I'm almost finished with about 1 Game Cd, 1 Demo Cd, 1 Utility Cd
and elite cd 1. all cds are filed. but i'm still working with the
descriptions. "
Believe me folks, I hadn't seen this message thread before I wrote that
thing about the Atari Linux CD.
Anyway, on to other subjects. Ken Hartlen asks about surfing the 'net with
his Atari and how to get a PPP connection:
"I've tried STinG and system was hanging while loading the Auto Folder.
Would any CFG settings cause this?
I tried STiK2B and same results as when I tried STiK1 for SLIP connections,
I connect but after that the clients seem lost and my ISP (interlog.com)
eventually disconnects me.
All I'm trying to do is Telnet to see if things are working and I just see
the occasional flicker of the SD and RD modem LEDs. Can someone please
email a client app. to 'test' the connection?
Here is my system set up:
Mega ST2 w/2MB RAM
ROM v1.4
GEMDOS v0.15
GEM v1.40
NeoDesk v3.03
STiK2B
Has everyone had to tinker to get STiK and STinG to work? Or has someone
simply changed the username, password, DNS, etc. and have it work first
time?
Any TAF member reading this have Interlog as an ISP and connect
successfully with STiK or STinG?
I'm at a loss as to why something seemingly simple, refuses to work."
*Editor's note: It's always the simple things, isn't it?
Mike Freeman tells Ken:
"I was probably just incredibly lucky, but I didn't have to change
anything to get STinG to work. I did end up tinkering to optimize MTU
and such, but it did work for me right off. However... Things didn't
work at all on the ISP I had before the one I have now. No matter
what I did, nothing worked properly. This was using STiK. Another
thing to consider, which I found out was true on my Falcon at least:
The more software you load up the system with (AUTO/ACC/CPX) the less
reliable your connection gets. I'm sure on an ST it's even worse. For
me, it got to the point that CAB couldn't completely download
ANYTHING without the connection freezing up or going incredibly slow
(around 100-300 cps). This was solved by reducing my system to only
the bare essentials and gradually experimenting with what I could and
couldn't run along side STiNG."
Steve Stupple asks for help with his CDROM problem:
"I seem to have a problem reading CD-ROM's that have lowercase or mixed
cased characters.. Is there a way to solve the problem or am I doing
something wrong?? I'm using ExtenDOS Pro."
Lonny Pursell tells Steve:
"You might need to upgrade to ExtenDOS Gold. With the gold version
I even get long file name support with MiNT which also displays
mixed case. I don't know if the pro version is updated."
Kevin Dermott adds:
"this (ExtenDOS Pro)is what I use on Ataris both with Magic and single
Tos,CD's that show up as Mixed case on my PC show up as all upper case on
Atari so I wouldn't say Extendos is at fault all though there were a few
patches for it a while back but can't remember if they were for this
problem."
Rene de Bie asks for help with his new Falcon:
"I am a new Falcon030 user and I have heard different thing about the
serial port on my Falcon.
How can I get it above 19.200. I have seen once a program that could access
the port to 115.200 or 56K.
Please let me know. My CPX doesn't allow me to do it, must I do a hardware
upgrade ?"
Lonny Pursell tells Rene:
"
You just need a newer CPX and/or newer terminal software. Some
communication programs handle the ports by themselves and the CPX
is not needed. The Falcon can do 115k without hardware mods."
While we're on the subject of communications packages, Galen posts this
little "tale of woe":
"Let me tell you all about my tale of woe:
I run a Falcon 030, 14Mb, stock. It took me all of 5 minutes to set up
STing 1.15 a few months ago, but for some reason I never could get CAB
2.5 to work with Geneva, so I've been web browsing in single-tasking
mode.
About a week ago, I noted a post on CSAST that recommended changing
various configurations, like THREADING = 10 and so forth. I tried it,
but did not get any noticeable change, positive or negative. It did
seem to me, however, that CAB was "waiting for data" more than it used
to.
Last night, my wife complained that CAB was not running. I tried it
out and discovered that although the dialer seems to work fine, running
any application (CAB,MyMAIL,Newsie) slows down the system to the point
that it essentially locks up. Timeouts and "Transaction Failed"
messages are the norm in CAB, MyMail discovers I have mail, takes 2
minutes to give a "Get Mail" button, and then appears to lock up. I
can ping myself with great speed (25ms), but pinging yahoo.com results
in 70% lost pings. I tried STing 1.2 and 1.22 last night with no
success.
Essentially, I'm now locked off the internet at home and am quite
sympathetic with Katherine's frustration with her CT2. Although I have
no such accelerator, I have plenty of frustration. Any ideas, anyone?"
Kenneth Medin tells Galen:
"You really should visit http://www.ettnet.se/~dlanor/ to get the latest
versions.
I've been using STinG with Geneva+Neodesk for a long time with very few
problems. Geneva seems to stay too long in supervisor mode somewhere
resulting in lost packets on MIDI ports. This happens both on TT, MSTe
and ST. Also serial speeds above 57600 does not work. I use CAB 2.5
Aftp, Newswatch+Popwatch, BNET, Ftpserv, Weblight etc without problems
on 4 Ataris and a pc in a serial network. The CAB overlay by Olivier
Booklage does _not_ work btw. but the Ackerman does. Maybe that was
your problem?
In the STinG Protocols cpx TCP page set:
Receive Window : 24000
Initial RTT: 1.500 sec
Note that Newsie sometimes can make mysterious changes to any files on
your hard disk without telling you. This can happen if the logging is
active. Perhaps there is something wrong with the Hsmodem programs?
I'd suggest you do a fresh install of all AUTO folder programs and STinG
files on C:\ .
Set the receive buffer in SCC.PRG with the "Setter" to 4 KB and send
buffer to 2 KB. Keep everything else like in the distribution.
I use this AUTO folder order with Geneva on my TT:
JARXX.PRG
NEOLOAD.PRG
MACCEL3.PRG
NVDI.PRG
DRIVIN.PRG
MFP.PRG (not needed on the Falcon)
SCC.PRG
MFP_TT.PRG (not needed on the Falcon)
MIDI.PRG
GENEVA.PRG (runs as late as possible to avoid lost packets)
STING.PRG
Note that some AUTO folder programs can disturb STinG. On my Mega 4 with
19" Moniterm monitor I had to change to another monitor driver to avoid
lost packets. Also on the Falcon be careful with high screen
resolutions."
Joe Villarreal adds:
"I am using the latest updates to Sting on my TT with Geneva/Neodesk. CAB
2.7, Newsie, Aftp, and Popwatch are working great in multi-tasking mode. I
use MTU=576, MSS=536, Threading=10, and DEF_RTT=500. The latest updates to
Sting have really increased the speed of internet access. MTU set at 1500
and MSS set at 1460 slowed down the speed on my provider."
Well folks, that's it for this time around. 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 - AOL And EA Team Up! 'Mr. Nutz'!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" GameXpo And Tourney News!
"Slave Zero"! 'Duke Nukem'!
Dreamcast 'Machine of the Year'!
And much more!
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE's Game Console Industry News - The Latest Gaming News!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Sega Dreamcast Named 'Machine of the Year'
by TIME Magazine's TIME Digital
Break-Through Videogame System Recognized as
Leading Technology Product for 1999
Sega of America, Inc.'s 128-bit, Internet-ready Sega Dreamcast videogame
console has been named 1999 ``Machine of the Year" by TIME Digital, TIME
Magazine's publication devoted entirely to personal technology.
Sega Dreamcast has been cited for its revolutionary design and technology
advances, including 128-bit 3D graphics capabilities, home theater-quality
sound, portable gaming options and Internet functionality, including web
browsing, chat, e-mail and online gaming. The honor is part of TIME
Digital's special holiday issue dated Nov. 29, 1999, on newsstands Monday.
Sega Dreamcast was chosen as a leading technology product for the year,
beating out products such as MP3 players and personal video recorders.
The story, written by Chris Taylor, cites not only Sega Dreamcast's
superior technology and game library, but the incredible consumer buzz and
sales momentum, which has led consumers to purchase close to 1 million Sega
Dreamcast consoles since it launched in the U.S. on Sept. 9, 1999.
``We at Sega are honored to have Sega Dreamcast hailed as the 'Machine of
the Year' by the respected editorial staff at Time Digital," said Peter
Moore, senior vice president, Sega of America. ``Moving forward, Sega will
continue to set new standards in gaming, especially via the online
Dreamcast Network, which will further expand consumers' gameplay experience
on Sega Dreamcast."
This announcement follows a stream of additional honors received by Sega
Dreamcast in the last two weeks. Popular Science Magazine awarded Sega
Dreamcast the ``Best of What's New" Award. In CBS's annual Toy Test, Sega
Dreamcast titles won seven of the 10 spots for best console software and
The Wall Street Journal recently stated, ``This Christmas, the Dreamcast is
the only game in town."
Electronic Arts And AOL in Online Games Deal
In a bid to become the world's top provider of video games online,
Electronic Arts Inc. agreed to be the sole supplier of games to America
Online Inc., the No. 1 Internet service provider.
Redwood City, Calif.-based Electronic Arts, the world's biggest developer
of video games, also said it would form a separate online games division
that will create a Web site in late summer 2000 allowing consumers to play
games on online.
The company will also issue common shares in its new Internet business, in
the form of a tracking stock, with an initial public offering planned for
late next summer.
``EA is a leading creator of content and our intention is to make all that
content available online," John Riccitiello, president and chief
executive of Electronic Arts, said in an interview. Riccitieillo will
oversee the new Web business.
``This exclusive deal merges the two into what we see as a dream team,"
said Lise Buyer, a Credit Suisse First Boston analyst. ``We think
(Electronic Arts) is very well positioned to be the No. 1 supplier of
games online. All that was missing was a distribution network. AOL
provides that."
While the five-year deal and things like the Web site will boost revenues
in the coming years, they will first drag earnings down as the company
makes investments in the online games business, its chief financial
officer, Stan McKee, said.
Additionally, Electronic Arts also agreed to buy the Kesmai gaming unit of
Rupert Murdoch's media conglomerate News Corp., for $30 million in cash and
stock in a deal that will result in a $7.5 million charge against earnings,
probably in the fourth quarter.
Nevertheless, Wall Street analysts responded favorably to the unveiling of
the company's long-awaited Internet strategy, which fueled an 18 percent
jump in Electronic Arts's stock.
Electronic Arts shares settled $16.25 higher at $108.25 after a session of
active trading. AOL added $4.12 at $162.31.
AOL, based in Dulles, Va., said it will purchase 10 percent of the new
common stock, and warrants for an additional five percent, while News
America will acquire five percent of the new common shares. Both deals are
subject to regulatory approval. The remaining shares will be retained by
Electronic Arts and its employees.
Between the AOL and Kesmai deals, the new Web site and the other
investments, Electronic Arts said it expects earnings dilution of 20
percent in the fiscal year ending in March 2001. First Call/Thomson
Financial's latest consensus analysts' estimates predicts the company will
earn $2.52 in fiscal 2001. It earned $1.74 in its last fiscal year ended
in March 1999.
The company, which is known for its popular titles such as John Madden
Football, SimCity, Conquer Tiberian Sun, and many others, plans an initial
public offering to coincide with the introduction of the site, sometime by
the late summer of 2000.
``We are encouraged to see EA take off its gloves to fight in the dot com
world, leveraging its best of breed, content and brands," said Larry
Marcus, an analyst at Deutsche Banc Alex. Brown, who raised his price
target to $140, from $110.
The deal with America Online spans five years starting in April 2000 and
guarantees AOL $81 million.
Electronic Arts will be exclusively responsible for the content on AOL's
Games Channel and on its AOL.com Web site, its CompuServe service, ICQ and
Netscape properties.
For its part, Electronic Arts plans to spend up to $125 million between
now and March 2001 as it builds its online games division. It said it will
spend $20 million to $25 million in the current fiscal year ending March
2000, plus another $100 million in the following year.
The money would be spent on fees and shared revenue associated with the
AOL deal and on product and infrastructure development and marketing, said
McKee, Electronic Arts' CFO.
``This year is a straight investment year," said Riccitiello, the
president and CEO, adding that material profitability will come in fiscal
2003.
McKee, the CFO, estimated that revenue from the online division would be
$50 million to $70 million next year and in fiscal 2002, revenue is
expected to be $175 million to $200 million.
Electronic Arts will retain over 95 percent of subscription revenue and
over 70 percent of advertising revenue, he said.
In the next year, Electronic Arts plans to offer 60 games online through
AOL and its Web site through a subscription based service. It currently
offers one online game, ``Ultima Online," for a $9.95-a-month
subscription fee.
Regarding plans for the tracking stock for the online gaming division,
Electronic Arts said it expects to file a proxy statement with regulators
by March 2000. It plans to do the IPO late in the summer of 2000,
coinciding with the introduction of the Web site, McKee said.
The company said it is issuing a tracking stock so that investors could
have an isolated return on its Internet business, and as additional
currency for hiring new staff.
``While we are very good at hiring and recruiting, we need more of the
best," Riccitiello said.
i2e2 and iGame Announce $50,000 GameXpo and Tournament Series
CompUSA PC, Interact, 3Dfx, Aureal and Intel to Sponsor a New
Level Of Competition for Organized Gaming
i2e2, the first standards organization for organized gaming, and iGame, a
leading producer of live gaming events and expos, Monday announced the
inaugural ``GameXpo and Tournament Series Presented by i2e2." The national
tour will begin in the San Francisco Bay Area on November 27 and continue
in major cities through late January 2000. Among the stops planned for the
tour are San Jose, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York,
Cleveland and Dallas. Several national companies, including CompUSA PC,
Interact, 3Dfx, Aureal and Intel, have signed on to serve as the tour's
primary sponsors.
``This marks the beginning of a new era in organized competitive gaming,"
said Joe Perez, president of i2e2. ``For the first time in the U.S., as
part of our effort with iGame to take competitive gaming to a whole new
level as an 'eSport,' gamers will be able to compete in a live event for
both prizes and a national ranking."
Cash and prizes for the GameXpo and Tournament Series will total $50,000,
including over $2,000 in cash for the top tournament players at each tour
stop. Two of the hottest game titles -- Sega Sports NBA 2K for the Sega
Dreamcast and GT Interactive Software's much-anticipated ``Unreal
Tournament" for the PC -- have been chosen as tournament games. Later this
month, i2e2 and iGame plan to announce additional titles and sponsors as
they expand the series. Players interested in competing in the tournament
can get information at the i2e2 Web site, www.i2e2.com. Throughout the
tournament, i2e2 will present complete details of the tour's progress,
including streaming video of actual competitions on Sega Sports NBA 2K.
``We very excited to by working with i2e2," said Antonio Capretta, CEO of
iGame. ``They are bringing a cutting edge approach and new respectability
to competitive gaming. Our combined success in putting this tournament
together is reflected in the level of interest national sponsors have shown
in the GameXpo and Tournament Series."
Several additional titles for the PC, Sega Dreamcast, Sony Playstation and
Nintendo 64 will be highlighted as part of the GameXpo. These include PC
games Nocturne and Fly! by Gathering of Developers, Tiberian Sun by
Westwood Studios, Soldier of Fortune by Activision, Daikatana by Eidos and
Prince of Persia 3D by Broderbund. For the Dreamcast, featured games will
include NFL 2K by Sega Sports, Soul Fighter by Mindscape and Slave Zero by
Accolade. For the Playstation, featured games will include Medal of Honor
and Hot Wheels by Electronic Arts. Castlevania by Konami will be featured
for Nintendo 64.
In sponsoring and launching the GameXpo and Tournament Series with iGame,
i2e2 is establishing the first universal ranking system for competitive
gaming. Similar to those found in professional tennis and stock car racing,
the system incorporates rankings into all competitive events, including
those sponsored by other gaming organizations. According to i2e2, gamers
are now able to enter a variety of events and earn points toward a
universal ranking based on their skill and the level of competition they
participate in. i2e2's goal is to heighten the prestige of all sanctioned
events, including established competitions and tournaments, by creating a
higher level of competition where players can increase their overall
standing in the gaming community. It also is designed to allow new players
to work their way up to the professional level.
i2e2 and its plans were unveiled in September by Perez and Frank Cabanski,
two of the leaders in the development of competitive gaming. Perez is the
former online events manager of Total Entertainment Network (TEN), where he
co-founded the Professional Gamers League (PGL), and Cabanski recently
served as commissioner of the CyberAthlete Professional League (CPL).
The GameXpo and Tournament Series is part of the company's efforts to offer
access to an array of gaming competitions, both live and online, that will
include action games, strategy games, parlor games, arcade games, trivia
games, game shows, simulations and sports-related game programs. These
competitions are being designed for all skill levels, from high-level
professional gamers to recreational players.
For complete details of the series, including tour locations, a listing of
games being included on the tour, and the latest tour updates, visit
www.i2e2.com. For information on iGame, go to the company's Web site at
www.igametours.com.
Tour Schedule (subject to change)
San Jose November 27-28
Las Vegas December 1-2
Phoenix December 4-5
Los Angeles December 7-8
Chicago January 15-16
New York January 19-20
Cleveland January 22-23
Dallas January 26-27
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Acquires Exclusive
Rights to Publish PlayStation 2 Computer Entertainment
System Game Based On the Duke Nukem Franchise From 3D Realms
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. announced Monday that it acquired the
exclusive worldwide rights to publish a game based on the popular Duke
Nukem franchise from 3D Realms Entertainment, a division of Apogee Software,
Ltd., for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system.
Concurrently, Take-Two entered into a development agreement with n-Space,
Inc., the developer of Duke Nukem: Time to Kill for the PlayStation
computer entertainment system. Take-Two expects to release a title based on
the enlarging set of characters from the Duke Nukem franchise for the
PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system. Take-Two also has several
other key titles in development for the PlayStation 2 computer
entertainment system.
Since being introduced in 1991, Duke Nukem products have sold more than
four million units, making the Duke Nukem series one of the most popular
brands in the entire game industry.
Ryan Brant, Chief Executive Officer, said, ``Take-Two and Rockstar welcome
the opportunity to continue the tradition of Duke Nukem. We believe that
the addition of titles based on the Duke Nukem franchise to our portfolio
strongly positions Take-Two and RockStar as premier content publishers for
next generation platforms."
Scott Miller, head of Apogee, said, ``Rockstar, like us, wants to break the
rules and make a Duke console game that's as successful and innovative as
the Duke PC titles. This takes real talent and commitment, and between
Rockstar, Take-Two and n-Space I have no doubts about it happening."
Duke Nukem, while rearranging the cigar between his teeth, also had a few
brief words: ``Rockstar rocks. Hail to the king, baby."
Electronic Arts Ships V-Rally 2 Presented
by Need for Speed for the Playstation
Electronic Arts announces that it began shipping V-Rally 2 presented by
Need For Speed for the PlayStation console system.
Built from the ground up, the release of this ``down and dirty" title
helps to extend the popular, award-winning Need For Speed franchise with
racing fans of all types and skill levels.
V-Rally 2 presented by Need For Speed offers gritty rally racing around the
world, Need For Speed style, giving the player(s) an array of options to
help customize the experience.
Set in real-time 3-D environments, V-Rally 2 features white-knuckled,
arcade-style rally racing action through wildly different terrain on more
than 80 tracks, a customizable track editor and random track generator, and
a split screen mode that supports up to four-players.
Racing in V-Rally 2 happens in 12 diverse countries over roads of mud,
snow, gravel, dirt and asphalt. Exotic locales and conditions include the
treacherous icy roads of Sweden, the rough gravel roads of Indonesia, the
breathtaking Corsican coastline and the famous cliffs of Monte Carlo.
Each of these courses can be raced under varying weather conditions, during
the day or night. Players can choose from 16 officially licensed 1999 rally
cars, and 10 officially licensed bonus cars from the illustrious history of
rally racing. Each car features strikingly realistic graphics, physics and
dynamic vehicle damage.
The result is that the cars' handling, performance and crashes now come
with visual repercussions as doors get bashed in and windshields shatter.
V-Rally 2 also features a computer graphics animated driver and co-pilot
that react to the player's controls.
Helping to set V-Rally 2 presented by Need For Speed apart are its depth of
gameplay and multiple options from which the player can choose. The game
ships with four main gameplay modes including: Arcade, Rally Championship,
V-Rally Trophy and Time Trial.
In addition, racing fans will enjoy unlimited track options, such as a
powerful and intuitive track editor, allowing players to create courses
bound only by their imagination. More than 40 tracks can be saved on a
memory card for storage or to transfer to another PlayStation.
In addition, the game offers an Artificial Intelligence (AI) random track
generator, designed for the player who enjoys the unexpected. These track
options essentially make the number of courses available in the game
limitless. Racing fans will also enjoy the depth of the statistics tracking
which can keep tabs on multiple lap and stage times.
The game extends the standard PlayStation multi-player mode by offering
support for up to four players on a single screen via the PlayStation
multi-tap. Single and traditional two-player (via split screen) racing are
also available. In addition, V-Rally 2 supports Dual Shock(TM) analog
controllers.
V-Rally 2 presented by Need For Speed was developed by Eden Studios and is
being published by Electronic Arts in North America. The game carries an
ESRB rating of ``E" (Everyone) and has a MSRP of US$39.95.
Infogrames North America Brings Squirrely Fun
to Game Boy Color With Mr. Nutz
Infogrames North America announced last week the shipment of Mr. Nutz for
Game Boy Color.
Mr. Nutz, also known as Super Squirrel, is called to duty when the Yeti, a
gruesome beast with an icicle for a heart, threatens to wrap the kingdom in
snow and ice. The temperature may be dropping, but thanks to Mr. Nutz, the
heat is on!
In classic side-scrolling style, younger gamers will enjoy adventuring
through six action-packed, platform-jumping environments. Mr. Nutz arms
himself with acorns picked up throughout the game to hurl at his enemies.
If he runs out of ammunition he can also use his bushy tail to swat
oncoming foes or jump on top of them if they get too close.
In addition to eliminating the Yeti's army of enemies in hopes of saving
the kingdom from its frozen future, Mr. Nutz also collects ``magic" coins
on his journey throughout the game to obtain special bonuses.
``Mr. Nutz is a game full of dynamic, colorful graphics, and was designed
to appeal to younger gamers, " said Rick Reynolds, director of product
marketing for Infogrames North America's I-Heroes Label. ``This game is
easy to learn and promises to provide players of all ages with hours of
adventurous fun this holiday season."
Developed by Planet Interactive Development, Mr. Nutz is exclusive to the
Game Boy Color. The game's estimated retail price is $29.99 and can be
found at most major retail outlets.
Infogrames North America Brings Hi-Tech Gadgetry and
Espionage to the PlayStation With Mission: Impossible
Infogrames North America announced Monday the shipping of Mission:
Impossible for PlayStation. Your mission, should you choose to accept it,
is to rush to the nearest major retail outlet and pick up your copy of the
game. This message will self-destruct in 5 seconds.
``Because of its innovative and adventurous gameplay in addition to the
well known brand name, Mission: Impossible will reach beyond the normal
realm of hardcore gamers," said Francois Lourdin, director of marketing
for Infogrames North America's adventure label. ``The muscle we have behind
the marketing of the game will also help make this title a must-have for
PlayStation owners this holiday season."
In Mission: Impossible, you will be transported into a 3-D world full of
espionage, sabotage and all-out adventure. Players assume the role of Ethan
Hunt, top Impossible Mission Force (IMF) agent, to work through five
perilous missions and 20 tension-filled levels. The spy-thriller takes
players on a whirlwind sequence of covert operations, each compounding in
risk and danger, from the Russian Embassy in Prague to CIA headquarters in
Langley, Va., to the climax at Waterloo Station in London.
Ethan will need to utilize wits and savvy to survive and successfully
complete the daring missions. Cunning and smarts will prove more successful
than hasty and reckless shooting in this series of top secret actions.
Among the highly technical, innovative tools in Ethan's arsenal is the
facemaker, which gives you the ability to change and assume the identities
of enemies to help progress through the missions.
Features of this action-adventure title include a cinematic soundtrack,
with the original ``Mission: Impossible" theme, heightening the level of
suspense with the use of movie-quality music and sound effects. In
addition, the menu control and inventory interface is easy to understand
with an all new quick save and quick load feature, allowing players to save
at any point in a mission without the need of a memory card.
Developed by X-ample, Mission: Impossible for PlayStation can be found at
most major retail outlets at the estimated retail price of $39.99.
Infogrames North America Sends Slave Zero
Stomping Onto Sega Dreamcast and the PC
What's that noise? Do you hear it? That's the sound of Infogrames North
America's 60-foot tall biomechanical robot, Slave Zero slamming into stores
this week.
Slave Zero is available for the PC and is also the first 4-player action
game available this holiday season for Sega's new console, Dreamcast.
Slave Zero gives players control of a 60-foot biomechanical war machine 500
years in the future in a battle against rival forces throughout the vast
metropolis, S1-9. The city is ruled by the SovKahn, an evil dictator who
possesses dark matter -- a mysterious energy source that is used to control
the populace.
The player is part of a rebellion force who steals the ultimate weapon -- a
giant biomechanical creature, and fuses with it to become Slave Zero. The
ultimate objective is to destroy the SovKahn and restore peace.
``The sense of scale and Anime-style artistry is what makes Slave Zero
shine and the agile movements of the robot are so lifelike that you can
feel his anticipation through the controls," said Greg Sarrail, senior
product marketing manager for Infogrames North America's I-Motion Label.
``The pure adrenaline-pumping, mind blowing action of Slave Zero will be
the intense thrill ride our gaming audience has been waiting for this
holiday season."
Slave Zero is played from the third person perspective with an emphasis on
scale and interactivity. Towering buildings line streets filled with cars,
trucks and buses; hovercraft whiz overhead and people run down sidewalks
screaming. The city environments range from giant ``Slave" factories and
mazes of sewers to downtown metropolitan streets and military bases.
Though 60-feet tall, Slave Zero is quite agile, possessing the ability to
run, jump and even grab onto sides of buildings and hoist himself up. In
addition to the wide variety of powerful weapons, Slave Zero can also pick
up cars, tanker trucks, buses, girders and other pieces of the city
environment and hurl them at enemy troops.
``Slave Zero has everything you could ask for in an action game. Lots of
weapons, explosions, a nasty villain and a massive 60-foot hero who can lay
on some serious destruction," said David Riley, marketing director for
Infogrames North America's I-Motion Label. ``It's a great cornerstone for
our action lineup."
The Dreamcast version of Slave Zero features a split-screen multi-player
mode allowing for up to 4 players at a time to take part in the action.
Developed by Infogrames North America, Slave Zero can be found at most
major retail outlets at an estimated retail price of $49.99 for Dreamcast
and $39.99 for the PC version.
Infogrames North America, Inc. Gets Your Motor
Running With Test Drive Cycles for Game Boy Color
Infogrames North America, Inc. announced Monday it is developing its
motorcycle racing game, Test Drive Cycles, for the Nintendo Game Boy Color
platform.
Gamers will be able to experience the thrill of riding a Harley-Davidson,
Bimota, BMW or Moto Guzzi motorcycle through exotic tracks anywhere they
can fire up their Game Boy Color. In addition to the Game Boy Color, Test
Drive Cycles will be available for the PlayStation game console and the
personal computer in spring of 2000.
``We're putting the key elements of Test Drive Cycles -- licensed bikes,
exotic tracks and high-speed racing -- into the incredibly popular Game Boy
Color," said Monte Singman, director of San Jose Studios at Infogrames
North America, Inc. ``Our Game Boy Color version will let gamers hit the
open road virtually anywhere."
The game features some of the hottest bikes available, from cruisers to
musclebikes to sportbikes. Each class offers its own unique handling
characteristics and riding style.
Some of the featured bikes are the Harley-Davidson FLSTF(TM) Fat Boy, the
Bimota SB8R, the BMW R1100S and the Moto Guzzi V11 Sport Roadster. Bikes
can be enhanced with Top Speed Acceleration, Speed Burst and Traction
upgrades during tournament play.
In addition to a variety of different bikes, Test Drive Cycles features a
range of tracks in exotic locations from around the world. Race from point
A to point B in Hong Kong, Bali, Amsterdam, Washington D.C., Utah, South
Dakota, Alaska, Switzerland, Germany, Death Valley, the French Riviera and
Tokyo.
Players can choose from three game modes -- Single Race (includes two
player mode), Tournament and Cop Chase:
-- Single Race: The player will start out with one bike available in
their garage and can race against nine other AI cycles on
different tracks. For "mano y mano" action, two Game Boy players
can race head-to-head using the Link Cable.
-- Tournament: In the seven levels of tournament play, the player
can win prize money for bike purchases and performance upgrades
for their cycles. Trophies are awarded for tournament victories.
When the player places first in all three races in a given level,
the three new tracks at the next level are opened up.
-- Cop Chase: Choose from either of the following authentic police
bikes: Harley-Davidson FLHT(TM) Electra Glide or the BMW
R1100 RT. The goal is to chase after speeding cyclists and write
as many tickets as you can in one minute.
``Test Drive Cycles" is being developed by Xantera Inc. and published by
Infogrames North America, Inc. The game will include Battery Backup which
allows a player to save their five best times for each track as well as
save tournament progress, cycles purchased, cycle upgrades, prize money won
and trophies won.
Acclaim's ``Turok: Rage Wars'' Explodes Into Stores
Acclaim Studios announced that the next installment in the Turok series,
``Turok: Rage Wars," shipped to stores Tuesday . Developed by Acclaim
Studios Austin and based on the Acclaim Comics' property, ``Turok: Rage
Wars" is the first Nintendo 64 game specifically designed to maximize the
intensity of the multiplay experience.
```Turok: Rage Wars' is powered with an optimized version of the Turok
engine, which delivers smoother, faster gameplay -- a key factor in
multiplayer gaming," said Evan Stein, marketing director at Acclaim
Entertainment. ``Acclaim's Austin Studios pulled out all the stops to bring
Turok fans an original deathmatch game that builds upon the popular and
successful Turok franchise."
In ``Turok: Rage Wars," Turok is unknowingly thrown into a tournament to
battle a malevolent array of creatures vying for control of the Light
Burden and the Lost Land. Gamers will have over 15 deathmatch levels to
explore and new characters to control including: Adon, the Oblivion
Deathguard, the Campaigner, and Lord of the Dead. ``Turok: Rage Wars"'
special features include a training mode, weapons with secondary fire
functions, and a unique ``reward" system that enhances replay value.
Additional weapon and power-up pickups within the game maps add to the
strategy and high-energy battles.
While the emphasis of the game is on multiplayer, ``Turok: Rage Wars" also
features single player and co-operative modes. The single player Trials
serve as challenging training missions for players of all skill levels. As
the player completes the Trials, additional characters, skins, and even
weapons can be opened and saved for use in all gameplay modes. ``Turok:
Rage Wars" also includes a new awards and statistics tracking system that
allows players to develop their own personal saved character.
``We want players to build equity in their characters by collecting awards,
achievements, and stats and comparing them against their friends," says
David Dienstbier, Creative Director at Acclaim Studios Austin. ``The more
you play, the more your character's history becomes obvious based on his
awards. However, acquiring all the awards in the game is going to be a
pretty challenging task."
=~=~=~=
A-ONE's Headline News
The Latest in Computer Technology News
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
Judge Orders Mediation in Microsoft Antitrust Case
The judge in the Microsoft case tried a fresh tack to resolve the landmark
antitrust trial on Friday by appointing a highly respected appeals court
jurist to mediate the case.
At the same time, U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson set a
schedule for oral arguments to help him decide whether the company
violated antitrust law, assuring the case will go forward as scheduled if
no settlement is reached.
Microsoft Corp., the Justice Department and the leaders of the 19 states
involved in the case applauded Jackson's decision to appoint Judge Richard
Posner, head of the U.S. Court of Appeals in Chicago, to mediate the case,
``acting in a private capacity."
The order to appoint a mediator came two weeks to the day after Jackson
found that Microsoft used monopoly power to harm consumers, competitors
and other companies. The next step is to determine if the findings of fact
constitute a violation of antitrust law by Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft,
the world's leading software maker.
Jackson underscored his decision that the case will stay on track by
ordering that none of his deadlines should be ``deemed postponed" by his
order for mediation. He set Feb. 22 to hear oral arguments if no
settlement is reached.
Both sides expressed enthusiasm for Jackson's decision and said they were
open to trying to reach agreement.
``We think this is essentially a very positive step toward a possible
resolution of the case," said Microsoft spokesman Mark Murray. ``We're
looking forward to working with Judge Posner to try to reach a fair and
reasonable solution."
Justice Department spokeswoman Gina Talamona said the government looked
forward to finding ``ways to address the serious competitive problems
identified in the court's findings of fact." She added that the Justice
Department ``has always been willing to seek a settlement that would
promote competition, innovation and consumer choice."
Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller said the states ``welcome the judge's
order. We have always believed in the mediation process." Connecticut
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said Posner ``brings to this task
unsurpassed experience and expertise as a scholar and jurist."
Posner is one of the leading proponents of the conservative "Chicago
School," which -- among other things -- altered the direction of
antitrust law to rely less on government and more on the market.
His rulings are admired by lawyers of many political stripes as models of
clarity and wit. American University Law Professor Jonathan Baker said
Posner is ``one of the most respected and authoritative scholars in the
field of antitrust."
``If Judge Posner tells Microsoft that an adverse decision by Judge
Jackson is likely to be sustained on appeal, Microsoft has to take that
decision seriously," said Baker, who teaches antitrust and at one time
headed the Bureau of Economics for the Federal Trade Commission.
Legal scholars say it is dangerous to pigeonhole Posner.
For example, Posner called the break-up of AT&T in 1984 ``a landmark in the
deregulation movement (that) set the stage for the enormous growth in
telecommunications that is so salient a feature of today's economy."
Writing in the May 1999 edition of the Stanford Law Review, Posner added
that he thought the AT&T decision was ``unwise" to limit local Bell
operating companies from entering non-regulated businesses.
In his decision Friday, Jackson also invited Harvard Law Professor Lawrence
Lessig to submit a ``friend of the court" brief, and said that the United
States, the 19 states and Microsoft may designate one expert each to file
briefs.
In earlier antitrust action involving Microsoft, Jackson designated Lessig
as a special master to help hear the case. But Microsoft went to an appeals
court and successfully challenged the use of special master.
Law Chiefs Say States, Justice United on Microsoft
Two state attorneys general said Tuesday the states and the Justice
Department will be united when they face Microsoft Corp. in mediation
before a Chicago judge on its landmark antitrust case.
``We will have a strategy to move into mediation and that will be
coordinated with Justice, as it has been every other time we've been in
negotiation," said Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller, who has been
leading the states' efforts.
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said: "There will be a
strong consensus among the states with the federal government about all
aspects of the case."
U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson last week offered the parties
a mediation led by Judge Richard Posner, who heads the United States
Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago.
Jackson said the mediation would take place in Chicago before Posner, who
would be acting privately and not in his official capacity.
From the governments' point of view, any deal would have to involve
remedies to prevent Microsoft from continuing to commit the abuses
alleged in the combined lawsuits heard by Jackson.
In a transcript of that closed meeting, released this week, Jackson
expressed concern about a New York Times report that there was discord
between the states themselves, and between the states and the Justice
Department, over an approach to remedies.
Jackson said that there had been harmony between the states and federal
government ``and I would like to see it continue. I would not like to
have to deal with divergent points of view."
At the time, Miller assured Jackson there would be harmony in the future,
``throughout the rest of the case."
``I am delighted to hear it," replied the judge.
Connecticut's Blumenthal added: ``Those reports of divergent views were
somewhat exaggerated."
In the past, the states and federal government had said they were
studying the question of remedies and would be ready when the time came.
As recently as last week, Miller said in an interview that he expected
the states would eventually come to agreement on an approach.
Now the states and Justice Department suddenly have the responsibility to
present their proposals in the coming days or weeks in mediation.
But while Miller said the two sides would have an agreed-upon strategy,
he did not deal with the question of whether they would have agreed-upon
remedies.
``I'm not saying what that strategy will be, whether there will be a
broad plan we'll advocate," Miller said.
Blumenthal underscored the view that the states expect to work closely
with each other and Justice, no matter what the challenge.
``There have been difficult issues and judgements from the outset, but we
have maintained unity and consensus and I expect us to continue," he
said in an interview.
Jackson himself is not yet at the point of considering remedies. But in
strong findings of fact released earlier this month, Jackson said
Microsoft abused monopoly power, hurting consumers, competitors and other
companies.
Experts say Jackson is certain to find Microsoft violated antitrust law,
which would probably bring him to the question of remedies around March.
Microsoft Class-Action Suit Filed in California
Lawyers for private clients filed a class-action suit in San Francisco on
Monday, alleging Microsoft Corp. violated California State law by
overcharging for its Windows operating system.
The suit filed in San Francisco Superior Court alleged the plaintiffs
``paid more for Windows than they would have paid in the absence of the
illegal trust" by Microsoft, and they will try to collect damages to be
determined at trial.
The suit is based in part on findings of fact by a federal judge in
Washington, who found Microsoft -- the world's leading software maker --
used monopoly power to harm consumers, competitors and other companies.
However, District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson has issued no conclusions
of law in the case.
One of the lawyers who brought the suit in California, Dan Mogin of San
Diego, said, ``Another judge would be free to look at the findings of fact
and draw his own conclusions of law."
In one finding, Jackson said Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft charged $89
for Windows when there was ``no reason to believe" that a $49 price
``would have been unprofitable." That $40 difference is of interest to
the plaintiffs in the class-action suit.
Other lawyers involved in the case were Francis Scarpulla and Terry Gross
of San Francisco and Timothy Cohelan of San Diego.
Private Lawsuits Plague Microsoft
A growing wave of private lawsuits against Microsoft Corp. suddenly has the
company fighting on several legal fronts at once, raising the stakes in its
antitrust battle in Washington and intensifying pressure on Microsoft to
settle with the Justice Department.
At least seven suits, including one filed Monday in a state court in San
Francisco, have been filed on behalf of computer users in response to a
judge's Nov. 5 finding that Microsoft is a software monopolist that
routinely bullies high-tech rivals. The finding provided grist for
allegations by computer users that Microsoft's monopoly gave it
substantial leeway to overcharge for its Windows software program.
Microsoft is viewed as rich enough and legally savvy enough to weather a
continued onslaught of private actions, which may be consolidated anyway
into a federal suit. Among the world's most profitable companies,
Microsoft is sitting on a cash hoard of about $19 billion and has no debt.
But legal experts say the state and federal lawsuits, filed so far in
Alabama, California, Louisiana and New York, could create a short-term
coordination challenge at Microsoft as it tries to ensure its legal
arguments and trial maneuvers are consistent across different
jurisdictions.
Moreover, the suits are likely to reinforce pressure on the software giant
to reach an out-of-court settlement with the Justice Department,
particularly after the judge in the trial appointed a mediator last Friday
to oversee voluntary negotiations. A settlement would make it far more
difficult for private plaintiffs to use the judge's findings to build a
foundation for a case against Microsoft.
``As more of these lawsuits are filed, you have to assume that Microsoft
will look for some way to try to prevent the trial from going to
conclusion," said Richard Thomas Delamarter, an expert on corporate
monopolies who teaches antitrust history and technology at Yale
University.
``These private cases only add to the pressure."
Indeed, the appoinment of a mediator and a prospect for a Microsoft
settlement offset any concern by investors on Monday that Microsoft may
get swamped by lawsuits. The company's stock was sharply higher, rising
more than 4 percent, or by $3.811/4 at $89.811/4, as of the 4 p.m. EST
close of trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market.
So far, consumers have filed three cases in San Francisco; one in Orange
County, Calif.; and one each in New York; New Orleans and Birmingham, Ala.
They all seek class-action status, potentially on behalf of millions of
consumers.
The suits in Alabama and Louisiana are federal cases, while the ones in
New York and California are in state courts. New York and California are
among more than a dozen states that make it easier for consumers to sue
for allegedly overcharging for products.
Microsoft said through a spokesman that it has plenty of legal resources
to fight the suits. ``It's unfortunate that plaintiffs' attorneys have
decided to file baseless lawsuits," said Jim Cullinan, the spokesman.
``We believe our actions have been pro-competitive and fully legal."
Regardless of the eventual outcome of the antitrust case, the broadened
legal assault could compel Microsoft to tone down its aggressive behavior
in the computer industry.
Consider the long-running antitrust case against International Business
Machines Corp., another famous computer industry monopoly. IBM had to
defend itself not only against a Justice Department suit, but also against
competitors and private individuals whom the government's action prompted
to file similar complaints
Although the government eventually dropped its case in 1982, and although
most of the private lawsuits were decided in IBM's favor, the combined
weight of the litigation compelled IBM to play it safe in the computer
business, allowing rivals to move in on the company's long-held markets
and leading to a protracted decline at the world's largest computer
company.
``You'll end up with a better behaved Microsoft," said Delamarter, also
the author of ``Big Blue: IBM's Use and Abuse of Power." ``It's the
analogy - you drive more carefully when you have a police car behind
you."
The reverberations in the Microsoft case, though, may take some time to
reach Wall Street. Even though the private lawsuits may seek billions of
dollars in damages to compensate for Microsoft's alleged overcharges,
investors for the time being remain focused on the company's robust
profits.
``The stock is in the midst of a bull market," said Brian Belski, chief
investment strategist at George K. Baum & Co., in Kansas City, Mo. ``It's
just too much of a risk not to own the stock."
Nasty Melissa Variant Set To Go Off On Christmas
It's called the W97M/Prilissa virus. But a better name for it would be
the Grinch virus.
Anti-virus researchers at Network Associates Inc. said Friday that 10
Fortune 500 companies on three continents have been hit with a new virus
called W97/Prilissa. Prilissa is a nasty variant on two better known
attacks -- the Melissa worm and the PRI virus. The virus depends on the
Windows 95 and 98 operating systems and the Word 97 word processing
application.
If opened, it will e-mail itself to the first 50 names on a computer's
Outlook or Outlook Express e-mail client.
"This is probably the fastest infection rate we've seen since Melissa,"
said Sal Viveros, antivirus product manager at Network Associates, in
Santa Clara, Calif. The virus uses macro commands similar to those of
Melissa to replicate itself.
But the virus itself won't go off until Christmas day. That means it
won't have much of an impact on companies, which aren't likely to be open
on that day, even if it should go undetected. But there is a big threat
to home PC users, particularly unsuspecting children logging onto the
computer to play with their new games on Christmas.
The Dr. Suess analogies are endless.
The virus itself looks for a registry key to verify if the local system
has been infected. If it hasn't, the virus creates a Microsoft Outlook
e-mail message with the subject line "Message From (Office 97 user name)"
and a message body that says "This document is very Important and you've
GOT to read this!!!"
The first 50 listings from all address books are selected, along with an
attachment - the infected document, whatever it is.
If the date is December 25, the virus runs a destructive payload to
overwrite the existing C:/AUTOEXEC.BAT file with the instructions:
"@echo off"
"@echo Vine...Vide...Vice...Moslem Power Never End..."
"@echo Your Computer Have Just Been Terminated By -= CyberNET-= Virus
!!!"
"ctty nul"
"Formate c:/autotest/q /u"
The virus will not run on Windows NT. Another message is displayed on
Word 97, adding:
"You Dare Rise Against Me... The Human Era is Over, The CyberNET Era Has
Come!!!"
Most antivirus vendors are expected to have a definition update and fix
prepared within the next few hours.
It's unclear who will carve the roast beast.
AOL Users Must Reiterate No-spam Preferences
America Online's direct-marketing schemes are in the spotlight again as
the company forces its members to jump through hoops to avoid receiving
unsolicited junk email, or spam.
A number of AOL users on Friday received a mass emailing from the online
giant informing them that their "marketing preferences" are due to expire
next month--just 18 months after the company unveiled new privacy and
security
policies ostensibly aimed at bolstering consumer protections.
Members were told they would have to respond to block direct-marketing
offers after Dec. 8 even if they had already refused to accept such offers
in the past. The Marketing Preferences section in AOL's proprietary service
gives users the option of blocking any direct-marketing pitches--including
pop-up ads, direct mail, email and telemarketing--from AOL's partners.
Although AOL's marketing preferences policies have existed for some time,
they also have been the target of criticism from privacy advocates.
Critics take issue with AOL's adherence to "opt out" marketing, which
means members grant permission to direct marketers to send them email by
default until they personally go to the preferences area and turn it off.
Such marketing tactics are a touchy subject in general. But some privacy
advocates point out that, even by Web standards, AOL is pushing the
envelope when it says that opting out once does not mean opting out
forever.
"They've taken a giant leap backward by expiring people's clearly stated
requirements," said Jason Catlett, a consumer advocate who operates a
site called JunkBusters. "Most [Internet] companies do take no for an
answer."
According to AOL, the company instituted the one-year expiration date
policy when it revised its Terms of Service agreement a year and a half
ago.
"This has been going on since the Terms of Service was...updated to be
more comprehensive," said AOL spokeswoman Tricia Primrose.
But analysts, privacy advocates and some AOL users said they were not
aware of the one-year expiration period.
"I think a lot of people are surprised," said Patrick Keane, an analyst
at Jupiter Communications. "It's not a smart way to do business with
consumers when you're going to quickly upset them."
Web sites hungry for new revenue streams haven't been shy about
soliciting permission to collect personal information about users, which
they can then sell to advertisers.
Users can agree to submit more information about their shopping
preferences or allow a Web site to profile their online surfing habits.
Web sites can then sell detailed user information to allow advertisers to
target users that fit their demographic.
Web sites insist the arrangement benefits consumers by providing tailored
advertising pitches on products and offers that people would like to know
about. But most sites have been reluctant to require users to actively
request direct-marketing pitches through so-called opt-in systems,
presumably because fewer users would do so.
David Sobel, general counsel at the Electronic Privacy Information
Center, wonders whether the practice is just another example of AOL's
aggressive marketing techniques.
"The question is, why is the default always to get the solicitations?" he
said. "The average person is not going to go through the trouble,
especially now if it becomes a yearly chore."
Comdex Witnesses Dawn of New IT Age
The PC has become so passe that even PC makers are reluctant to talk about
it anymore.
The notion of Internet appliances as adjuncts to or replacements for the
PC dominated the industry's biggest trade show here this week. Comdex
marked a symbolic end to much of what IT buyers have come to expect from
the beige-box PC, not only in technology and style, but also in terms of
services, content and support.
Every major PC company is developing systems for consumers and corporate
customers alike that look and function more like VCRs than PCs, with
televisionlike simplicity the ultimate, albeit long-term, goal.
Beyond the box, PC companies such as Compaq Computer Corp. are building
portals for customized content. Dell Computer Corp., which once eschewed
handheld devices, is expanding its hardware lineup to include a two-way
wireless device, which it will license from Research In Motion Ltd.
In addition, services, not systems, are becoming a primary driver of PC
sales. Dell, of Round Rock, Texas, is refining the support.dell.com site
for personalized Web support, an initiative that was announced in August.
Gateway Inc. in January will launch eSource, a program for providing
corporate customers with customized, private Web sites. Also in January,
the San Diego company will expand its consulting practice for corporate
accounts.
Four out of the top five PC makers have established venture capital funds
to invest in infrastructure and content companies in an effort to offer
customers an outside-the-box experience.
Surprisingly, the world's No. 1 PC maker, Compaq, has become the most
bullish on information appliances. It's predicting that by 2005,
multifunction cell phones, pagers, desktop terminals and handheld
computers will make up 90 percent of its client sales. The other 10
percent, it says, will be desktops, portables and workstations.
"The Web is replacing the PC as the engine for IT market growth," said
Jeffrey Harrow, senior consulting engineer at Compaq, in Houston.
In fact, Compaq is in discussions with consumer giants Sony Corp. and
Nokia Corp. to help develop these devices, which Compaq will eventually
sell under its own brand, said Jerry Meerkatz, a vice president at
Compaq.
To handle the radical change in the way people are expected to buy and
use PCs, Hewlett-Packard Co. is developing PC-centric services "tailored
specifically to customer segments."
HP is refining the model and hopes to deliver on it next year, said Webb
McKinney, vice president and general manager of HP's business PC
organization, in Palo Alto, Calif.
One clear option is application hosting.
"There's a strong interest in application hosting, whether it's from us
or from someone else," McKinney said. "Small businesses are looking for
virtual IT."
HP is working with Qwest Communications International Inc. for hosting,
and Dell is working with eOnline Inc. for SAP AG R/3 hosting. This week,
Compaq announced a deal with Cable & Wireless Plc for application hosting
services.
If delivered properly, the evolving custom content and delivery
infrastructure could hit a sweet spot with IT managers.
"If I can deliver specialized content internally and externally,
especially to customers, then that's an important strategic part of our
business," said J.B. Dunn, desktop technology manager at Roadway Express
Inc., in Akron, Ohio. "It's largely true that hardware is
inconsequential. I'm not aware of any revolutionary hardware
technologies."
While acknowledging that the role of PCs is narrowing and being
redefined, two companies with a vested interest in today's platform --
Intel Corp. and Microsoft Corp. -- say the PC remains the cornerstone of
the digital age.
"PCs are alive and well," said Pat Gelsinger, vice president and general
manager of the Desktop Products Group at Intel, in Santa Clara, Calif.
"We're doing 120 million units a year. We support the other [platforms],
but let's not forget [ the PC]."
"PCs are important. Other devices are important. And they all certainly
fit in the context of what we think is important," said Steve Ballmer,
president of Microsoft, in Redmond, Wash.
Rivals trying to turn the Wintel platform on its ear have a different
view.
"Our opportunity is in the killer applications of the 21st century, not
reinventing the PC platform," said Bob Young, chairman of Red Hat
Software Inc., in Cary, N.C. "The killer apps will be Internet
appliances."
The upside of the post-PC era -- or the "PC plus" era, as Microsoft
refers to it -- is less reliance on traditional technologies and
companies for productivity in the office, on the road and in the home.
It's a transition and an opportunity that technology and service
providers, suppliers and especially customers have not witnessed since
the birth of the PC 20 years ago.
Said Compaq's Meerkatz: "The whole world is open again."
Here Come Even Cheaper PCs
Just when it looked as if computers could not get cheaper, Intel Corp.
hopes to usher in an age of minimal-cost PCs -- perhaps $400 -- next
year.
And the systems would not only benefit consumers. Intel says the new
personal computers will help PC manufacturers, whose margins have been
squeezed by the sub-$1,000 PC phenomena, to make money at the low end of
the price range.
With average retail PC selling prices heading below $850 in September,
chip maker Intel (Nasdaq:INTC - news) is targeting an emerging
sub-segment of the under-$1,000, or "value market," with extremely
low-cost models that will walk the PC/appliance line.
These minimal-cost PCs, likely costing $600 or less and perhaps as low as
$399, will be driven by a forthcoming inexpensive integrated Intel
processor, code-named Timna. Intel says such PCs should benefit customers
by allowing PC makers to create a range of new cheap PCs, full-function
PCs or appliance devices that cost even less, based on the relatively
inexpensive Timna.
With the exception of eMachines Inc., most PC makers don't offer
Windows-based models costing much below $599. While some have offered PCs
under $500, they have generally been with outdated, end-of-life
technologies such as slower processors and CD-ROM drives.
The reason is clear: There is little if any profit at the low-end of the
PC market, analysts agree.
With Timna, Intel is attempting to make it easier for vendors to hit
lower price points. For PC buyers, this means brand new technologies with
decent performance for lower prices.
"What you'll see next year is the sub-segmenting of the value space,"
said Pat Gelsinger, an Intel vice president and general manager of its
Desktop Products Group. "Everybody has priced (PCs) to compete in the
(value) space, but nobody's making money."
To that end, the company will offer Timna, which is based on Intel's new
0.18 micron manufacturing process, in the second half of next year with
the goal of lowering overall platform costs.
Timna will combine a Pentium processor core developed specifically for
this low-cost market with a graphics engine and memory controller. By
combining these three functions into a single chip, Intel says it will
lower PC makers' overall component costs and reduces the size of the
motherboard needed for Timna-based a system, another cost-saving measure.
Cost savings allow PC makers to charge less for a given system. But for
end-users, the chip promises even lower entry-level pricing. Such PCs can
be viewed as the equivalent of entry-level automobiles, which are
relatively inexpensive, but meet all of the basic needs of the customer.
Their low cost may also encourage those buyers who have not yet purchased
PCs to jump on the bandwagon.
Analysts agree there is an emerging sub-segment of ultra low cost PCs in
the sub-$1,000 PC market. Just follow the market trends, they say.
September market research numbers show that average retail desktop PC
sold for about $828. The price decline seen in September was 23 percent.
While PCs priced between $600 and $1,000 accounted for a majority of
sales in September, 43 percent, nearly 34 percent of PCs sold in the
retail market were priced below $600, according to market research firm,
NPD Intellect LCC
"I think we're going to consistently see prices decline. I think ASPs
(average selling prices) are going to drop into the $600 to $700 range
next year," said Matt Sargent, principle of Sargent Consulting a San
Diego-based market research firm. "I think we're going to see a lot of
systems, that are limited systems, in the $400 to $500 price range. The
question is what is a PC and what isn't?"
Intel says that those definitions don't matter. The Timna chip will
support PCs that run Windows as well as appliance devices that run Linux.
"It's an Intel Architecture product and it runs Windows, so it's a PC,"
Gelsinger said. If a PC maker or device maker were to use Timna in a
device with limited function and an operating system like Linux, "Now you
call it an appliance," he said.
Sargent agreed, but it's not a given that PC makers will adopt Timna
because it has Intel inside.
"I think that makes sense. I think Intel learned in the retail market in
1997 and 1998 that it can't ignore the low-end and just play in the
high-end," Sargent said. However, "You're seeing the move already with
VIA (Technologies Inc.) They'll come out with a continued focus (on
low-end)."
VIA, which purchased National Semiconductor Inc.'s Cyrix processor
business and IDT's WinChip business late in the summer, has made public
plans to continue to produce Cyrix MII chips, at least through its 433MHz
equivalent. It will follow with two new processors for Socket 370, a 370
pin socket for low-cost PCs developed by Intel for its Celeron chip. The
two chips include an MII-based follow-on running at 433MHz to 566MHz
equivalents and a later chip, based on Centaur Winchip technology at
speeds of 500Mhz and greater in late 2000, according to published
reports.
It is likely that low-cost PC makers will at least evaluate the new
chips, possibly pitting them against Timna.
Don't count out AMD, either. The company has made veiled references to an
internal effort to develop its own integrated platforms, and has said
publicly it will offer low-cost versions of its Athlon chip, which utilize a
lower-cost socket, called Socket A.
AMD, in addition, will debut in the first half of next year new versions
of its K6-2 and K6-III chips, called K6-2+ and K6-III+, based on its 0.18
micron manufacturing process. The K6-2+ chip will offer 128KB of
integrated cache, which should help boost performance over the current
iteration of the chip.
Although Timna will address the low end of the market for Intel, the
company has no plans to abandon the Celeron chip, which serves the $600
to $1,200 PC market. Intel will continue to improve Celeron by moving it
to its 0.18 micron manufacturing process, which will bring with it faster
clock speeds, in the first half of 2000. Users should expect to see this
version of the chip debut at speeds of about 550MHz. It should scale to
600MHz and faster in the second half of the year.
Just how low will PC prices go when the next wave of low-cost chips hit?
"It's hard to see (PC prices) going much below $399, given the current
pricing structure," said Stephen Baker, director of analysis at market
research firm PC Data Inc. in Reston, Va. However, "There may be some
opportunity between all those things (Timna, combined with the removal of
legacy components, such as PS/2 ports or ISA buses from PC) for some
decent savings."
Olympus, IBM Make Wearable Computer
The screen is a monocle that fits over one eye. The computer, a
pocketbook-sized box with two buttons.
Sound futuristic? Japanese camera maker Olympus and the Japanese unit of
IBM came out with a prototype ``Wearable PC'' on Friday and said the
gadget could hit stores soon.
The companies jointly developed the machine for those who can't be
bothered to carry laptops around and want to wear their computers
instead.
The 13-ounce computer has an Intel Pentium processor, 64 megabytes of
memory and runs the Microsoft Windows operating system.
The tiny screen flips out from a headset and covers one eye, projecting
the image of a much larger monitor. A banana-shaped handle with a
touchpad and two buttons is used to select icons in the ``Eye Trek"
virtual screen.
The Wearable PC doesn't have a keyboard yet, but ``we may develop that in
the future," said Olympus spokesman Shinichiro Murakami. In the
meantime, users can open and look at files and play audio and video.
Murakami said the companies will decide next year when to launch the
computer.
A Net Record: 1 Billion Page Views Per Day
The Internet reached an important milestone during the month of October
when an average of 1 billion hits per day were recorded in the United
States.
The latest report from online measurement service Media Metrix Inc.,
which tracks cyber traffice at home and at work, recorded 32.2 billion
page views in October. That traffic report, which was a record, was up 49
percent from the same period last year.
Overall, the number of people getting on to the Net remains steady. Media
Metrix records 63.9 million unique users for October. That represents a
12.5 percent increase year over year. However, the number of people
accessing the Internet from both at home and at work is on the rise with
a 40 percent increase over a year ago.
America Online, Yahoo, Microsoft, Lycos, and the Go Network continue their
reign as the top five properties on the Web. When looking at individual
sites, Netscape.com comes in at number five and Lycos and Go.com drop to
numbers 10 and 7, respectively.
Media Metrix's list of top 50 Web sites features a few new URL's since
September. Search engine Directhit.com and direct marketing site
Smartbotpro.net made their debuts on the list. After ranking as the
number eight Internet directory in September, the At Hand Network saw its
traffic increase by 2.4 million and it now ranks as the 47th most visited
property overall.
Web Complaints Increase
Auto sales, auto repair and home improvement services still generate the
most complaints from consumers, but gripes about Internet-related service,
purchases and auctions are rising steadily, a survey released Tuesday
indicates.
The eighth annual survey by the National Association of Consumer Agency
Administrators and the Consumer Federation of America also shows a huge
increase - 1,037% last year - in complaints about "cramming," the practice
of padding telephone or credit card bills with unauthorized charges,
typically from third parties.
Fraud costs consumers tens of billions of dollars a year, said Jean Ann
Fox, director of consumer protection for Consumer Federation.
Second U.S. Team Takes Step Toward Tiny Computer
Scientists said on Friday they had created a molecule-sized device that may
one day make cheap, superfast computers available, without relying on
electricity.
The team, at Rice University in Houston and Yale University in New Haven,
Connecticut, is the second group to report that they have made ``logic
gates" -- a kind of on-off switch for basic computer processes -- out of
a single molecule.
Logic gates are switches used to represent ones and zeros, the binary
language of digital computing.
Building one means a molecular computer -- which researchers think would
require far less power than current computers and may be able to hold
vast amounts of data permanently -- is one step closer, said chemistry
professor James Tour of Rice, who worked on the study.
``Fifty percent of the job is done," he said in a statement. ``The other
50 percent is memory."
Writing in Friday's issue of the journal Science, the Yale/Rice team said
their two-way switch, if it can be hooked up to a network of equally tiny
and efficient materials, will be much faster than the current
silicon-based computers.
``It's about a million times smaller in area than a silicon device,"
Tour said in a telephone interview.
``For some applications they'll beat the pants off silicon," he added.
``We are not suggesting that we are going to replace silicon ... It
really looks like we're going to have hybrid molecular- and silicon-based
computers within five to 10 years."
Engineering professor Mark Reed of Yale University noted that a lot of
work has yet to be done.
``Although there are a host of engineering challenges to bring this to a
manufacturable technology, this study demonstrates the principle and the
fundamental limits of what can be done."
In July, a team at the University of California Los Angeles and at
Hewlett-Packard reported in the same journal that they had made a logic
gate out of a single molecule.
``The biggest difference is that ours was reversible -- theirs was
irreversible," Tour said.
He said his team's molecular logic gate was far superior to a
silicon-based one. ``The amount that it turns on is extra -- it is a
1,000 percent increase from off to on."
He said that is not necessarily a problem with silicon base devices, but
it illustrates that molecules will be even better, and will be easy for
engineers to work with. ``It's a superior performance. People never
expected it out of such a small molecule," he said.
And the low price can help transform the industry. Tour pointed out that
making silicon chips is a fussy process. "Right now it costs about $2
billion to build a clean room," he said. ``You have to find a way to
make devices, lots of them, more cheaply."
=~=~=~=
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