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Atari Online News, Etc. Volume 03 Issue 11
Volume 3, Issue 11 Atari Online News, Etc. March 16, 2001
Published and Copyright (c) 1999 - 2001
All Rights Reserved
Atari Online News, Etc.
A-ONE Online Magazine
Dana P. Jacobson, Publisher/Managing Editor
Joseph Mirando, Managing Editor
Rob Mahlert, Associate Editor
Atari Online News, Etc. Staff
Dana P. Jacobson -- Editor
Joe Mirando -- "People Are Talking"
Michael Burkley -- "Unabashed Atariophile"
Albert Dayes -- CC: Classic Chips
Rob Mahlert -- Web site
With Contributions by:
Kevin Savetz
Rob Mahlert
To subscribe to A-ONE, send a message to: dpj@atarinews.org
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To download A-ONE, set your browser bookmarks to one of the
following sites:
http://people.delphi.com/dpj/a-one.htm
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Now available:
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Visit the Atari Advantage Forum on Delphi!
http://forums.delphi.com/m/main.asp?sigdir=atari
=~=~=~=
A-ONE #0311 03/16/01
~ Web Tax Ban Extended! ~ People Are Talking! ~ Tron.com Launched!
~ Double-density CD-RWs! ~ Sony, Connectix "Join" ~ Ax86 Project Update!
~ Congress Goes For Spam ~ Console Gaming News! ~ CTT60 Update!
-* Pig Latin Fools Napster Block *-
-* Napster Music Trading Plummets! *-
-* Delphi To Cease Text-based Support May 1st *-
=~=~=~=
->From the Editor's Keyboard "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
It's been one of those weeks where it was neither good, or bad. It just
seemed to go by in an uneventful manner. However, the one unique thing
about it was that the temperatures have started to get normal, for this
area. Definition - it got relatively warmer. Spring _may_ be close at
hand! I certainly hope so. While I'm not one of those people who hates the
snow and cold of winter, it does get tiresome after awhile! <vbg>
This week, Delphi users - especially those of us who are old-timers there -
received some bad news: Delphi will be shutting down its text-based services
at the end of next month. Personally for many, this will be an end of an
era! I've logged many hours on this system since 1987. It was fast and
dependable. The users were the best of the three major online service in
its heyday: Delphi, GEnie, and CompuServe. It outlasted them all. Gone
will be BBS-style message bases, download databases, text-based chat, and
many other favorites of a text-based system. While the Atari Advantage
forum will survive and remain on Delphi, it won't be the same. Even our
longtime @Delphi.com username and e-mail addresses will die along with it.
We're hoping that we can save the downloads that might otherwise be lost
forever, but that's not even known if it's possible. I hope we'll know
soon. While I'm one to recognize and support the need for advances in
technology, sometimes technology stinks, simply put! Stay tuned over the
next couple of weeks for updates as some of our e-mail will need to be re-
directed to new addresses, and our e-mail subscription process will be
changing.
I'd like to thank those of you who have taken the time to drop me a line
offering kind thoughts and condolences for the recent loss of my mother.
I cannot express enough how much it all means to me. Things are getting
better, partly due to the support you've given me these past few weeks. I
truly appreciate that, thanks.
Until next time...
=~=~=~=
Delphi Text-based Services Are Ending On May 1
*** Important information about Delphi services ***
As of May 1, 2001, Delphi will be discontinuing all text-based
services, email accounts and legacy chat services (including live
games). As we notified you last year, these services have been
unsupported since November 1, and billing for premium services was
discontinued.
As of May 1, Delphi email will be inaccessible, and email forwarding
will no longer function. Also, those Web forums that have opted to
revert to the legacy chat service will need to use the newer version
of Delphi.com chat. The new chat system does not support live games,
and some of the functionality of the legacy chat system has not yet
been developed for the newer version of chat.
We hope that this notice and the one we sent you last fall will give
you enough time to make alternate arrangements.
Q & A -
(Q) Why is Delphi making these changes?
(A) The text-based services, legacy chat and email services are all
based on a technical platform that cannot be maintained on a cost-
effective basis.
(Q) How do I know if my email account is affected?
(A) If your email address ends in "@delphi.com" you will need to make
alternate arrangements. Most Internet service providers supply email
accounts. There are also several free web-based email providers such
as Hotmail (http://www.hotmail.com), Yahoo (http://mail.yahoo.com).
You should notify anyone who sends you email of your new address as
soon as possible.
(Q) I've already set up forwarding for my Delphi email account. Isn't
that sufficient?
(A) No. The systems that are being retired include the forwarding
functionality, so mail sent to your "@delphi.com" address will bounce
back to the sender after May 1.
(Q) I use the text-based games such as TQ and Scramble on the Web, will
these be discontinued?
(A) Since these live games are based on the old platform, they will
be discontinued.
(Q) I run a forum on the Delphi.com Web site and I still use the old
chat system. What do I have to do?
(A) You can change your chat selection to the new chat system from
your forum control center at any time. If you do not do so by May 1,
we will take care of it for you.
(Q) I participate in role playing games that rely on certain
functions of the legacy chat system like the "/act" and "/roll"
commands. Will these be available in the new chat system?
(A) We may be adding those features to the new chat system, but it is
not likely that those functions will be available in new chat before
the old chat system is retired on May 1.
We have established a mutual assistance Forum on Delphi Text Side. Just
type GO COMP LIFE to get there. This Forum may be able to help you
select a new e-mail provider or answer questions about Web access or
choice of browsers. This Forum is only accessible via telnet.
We regret that no Delphi staff members are available to assist in this
Forum, but we hope you will find assistance from other Delphi members there.
We appreciate your support of Delphi over the years and look forward to
your continued participation in Delphi.com on the Web.
Ax86 Project
The latest news on the Ax86 project..
Two coders are active. One is working on fast 68040+FPU+MMU emulation based
on UAE 68k/Basilisk code. This part is almost complete.
JIT is also planned for excellent speed of 68k emulation.
The second coder is currently writing a big hack on TOS 4.04.
NO Release date is available at this time.
The Ax86 project's goal is to create a TOS clone that will run on X86
based computer systems.
CTT60 Replaces CTT
CTT Update
Rodolphe Czuba of Czuba-Tech has announced that "the CTT project with a 030
and EDO memory is cancelled!"
"If I design a booster for TT030, it will be with a 060 + SDRAM like the
CT60."
Please see the latest features and prices of the CT60 for your TT030 that
is now called CTT60.
"All the features are identical with CT60, except the fact that between 10
to 15 wires will need to be soldered for the TT version !
The TT mainboard will NOT be accelerated!"
Visit the CZUBA-TECH homepage for more information.
http://www.czuba-tech.com
Tron.Com Launched
A new internet site, labelled Tron.Com has been launched.
If you remember the old days of the Atari ST demo scene, you would have
probably come across the demo groups Effect, Sublime and Kuba.
We produced disks that featured the latest releases from the Atari scene
for that era. Started in 1993 and finishing in 1996, you can track the
Atari demo scene with the aid of the Effect Industrially Safe Demo Disks.
Other compilation series included, Agricultural Games Disks, Mega Illusive
GIF Disks and Ninistral Module Disks.
90% of Effect, Kuba and Sublime releases are featured on this web site,
complete with a screen shot and the contents of each compilation.
http://tron.atari.org
=~=~=~=
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
compiled by Joe Mirando
jmirando@portone.com
Hidi ho friends and neighbors. Another week has come and gone, and
spring must surely be on its way. Everyone around here is pretty much
sick of the snow and ice... with the exception of myself, of course. I
don't like or dislike it, I simply accept it.
I'm lucky enough to be able to pick and choose whether or not I
want/need to deal with things like snow banks. Someone else plows the
sidewalks and driveway (ah, there ARE good points to having a
landlord), and the roads here are kept in fairly good shape during the
winter months. So, right there, the major problems have been alleviated.
I've always thought of winter as the time that mother earth uses to get
ready for spring. I know, it's silly, but seeing things go from being
cold and devoid of growth to green and bursting with new life just
seems to fit with that childish impression.
Now being a bit of an astronomy nut, I could quote you the reasons for
the change of the seasons and the distances and degrees and such, but
that simple thought of nature "resting up" for spring strikes a chord
somewhere in me.
Of course, I don't live in extreme latitudes either, so nature only
takes a short snooze instead of a protracted snore-session. That
probably helps.
While everyone around me gripes about the cold and snow, a visitor from
the arctic circle would simply laugh and comment on how warm it was.
Everything is relative. One person's cold is another's balmy.
The same it true with computers. One person's dream machine is
another's clunker. I know as many people who have a PC stuck away in
the closet while they continue to use an Atari as I do people with
Atari computers stuck away in the closet while they use an Intel
machine. Of course, that cuts out the vast majority of computer users.
Most users today are johnny-come-latelies, so they never had an
Atari... or Commodore, or Acorn, or Sinclair, or... or... <grin>
The bottom line is that you've got to do what's right for you. As long
as you ain't hurting anyone take a personal note from Nike and "just do
it".
One other thing I want to ask you about is the fact that Delphi has
recently announced that their text-side chat rooms and email are not
going to be available after May 1, 2001. Personally, I'm very
disappointed. But beyond that, we're mulling over the possibility of
providing chat rooms on AtariNews.Org.
Atari-Users.Net is considering updating their chat software also, and
of course they already provide free email... although you need to be
able to use JAVA to access some of the features.
Good chat software would seem to be an easy hack. I mean, we've been
chatting online for years, right? It must surely be possible to find an
acceptable solution then, shouldn't it? Well guess again. There are
lots of packages out there, but most of them are marginal at best.
If you know of chat software that stands out from the rest, please
email me at joe@atarinews.org. Thanks.
Now let's get on with the news and stuff from the UseNet.
From the comp.sys.atari.st NewsGroup
====================================
Paul "Switchblade" asks about replacing an Atari mouse:
"Just bought a 520STFM second-hand, to play some of those old games and
demos in their true environment.
But... the Atari mouse has broken, didn't realize until I tried it...
one of the "wheel" holders inside has been removed, hence trying to
move left or right won't work... anyway...the question is, can i just
plug in a normal PC serial mouse or is the Atari one a peculiarity?"
Iggy Drougge tells Paul:
"In actuality, the PC mouse is a peculiarity, usually using some kind
of serial protocol and on-board logic as opposed to the raw quadrature
data supplied by the Atari mouse for processing inside the Atari. You
could, however, adapt a PC "bus" mouse, if you could find one.
Otherwise, it's possible to use alternate and the cursor keys for
moving the pointer, as well as alternate+insert for left clicking."
Djordje Vukovic provides another, if more severe, alternative:
"It appears that any serial mouse can be adapted to Atari by a rather
severe hack - that info floated into comp.sys.atari.st.tech a while ago.
And it looked reasonable and perfectly feasible. It amounted to:
rip-off (almost) all electronics from the mouse ( leave just the LEDs,
photodiodes and power-supply resistor(s) ) and squeeze in one
TTL-compatible buffer chip for the quadrature signals. Then change the
cable, because more wires would be needed. On the other hand, WHY would
one do so is questionable - maybe only if someone had an especially
nice-looking and mechanically sound serial mouse and he wanted to use
it on an Atari."
Bob King posts this about his son and his Falcon:
"My guitarist/composer son has attracted the attention of various bodies
in the recording and music business with his CD and a professional
recording engineer has just told him that his four acoustic guitar
track/ 6 midi track CD, 'is the clearest acoustic guitar CD he has ever
heard'. When told it was produced on a C-Lab MkX Falcon with Cubase
Audio, the Engineer got in three of his colleagues to listen. Disbelief
all round. He told Steven not to change to PC/Apple unless forced to.
Steven is getting a Web site set up by a pro, and I will make sure that
ATARI is mentioned as many times as possible!!!!"
[Editor's note] Now THAT is the kind of thing I like to hear!
Carey Christenson posts this about two of my all-time favorite programs:
"I have been using GENEVA and NEODESK demos for the last 2 months off
and on (the sample program). Although it is limited on some of its
functions. It has interested me enough to consider buying this great
software package. I have all the pertinent information.
Gribnif Software
(413) 247-5620
GENEVA 6.0 and NEODESK 4
p.o. BOX 779
Northampton, MA 01061-0779
USA
They also have a 1-800-284-4742 for technical help.
When purchased you get a detailed manual with everything to install
this great software already setup and ready to go. Just install and
reboot and your ready. I have seen the desktop and on the demo it is
much better than TOS ever was if the full version is even better it is
money well spent."
The author of both programs, Dan Wilga, tells Carey:
"Just to clarify a bit, our current phone number is 413-532-2434. We no
longer maintain an 800 number.
You can reach us by email at gribnif@pair.com, and our web site is
http://www.pair.com/gribnif ."
Edward Baiz adds:
"Geneva also works great with the EASE desktop."
Djordje Vukovic jumps in and adds to the list:
"I would like to mention that it also works nice with PD desktop Teradesk
1.4a which I found excellent for a system with limited memory (i.e. ST,
STE, MegaST, MegaSTE). The desktop program is VERY small (about 100 KB)
and at first sight it looks almost like the original TOS 2.06 desktop.
In fact, if it only had a few more options I would like, I'd use
Geneva+Teradesk as permanent setup. It is a pity this desktop has not
been developed more."
Gil Bavel asks about swapping a CDROM from his Amiga:
"I have a SCSI external CD-Rom drive I use for my Amigas and Macs, How
can I use it with my Atari ST?"
Jim DeClercq tells Gil:
"Mostly, plug it in. But you will need a small bit of hardware to
convert the Atari Computer System Interface into the Shughart Computer
System Interface, sold as Link, Link 2, Link 97. These look like
cables with a lump of electronics at one end."
Steve Sweet adds:
"Firstly you'd need a SCSI adaptor of some sorts, presumably you
already have a SCSI hard disk in which case you have that already,
if not then you'l not get far without one.
In total you'd need a SCSI adaptor, i suggest the 'Link', a Hard disk
driver, I suggest 'HD-Driver', some CD software, that could be got for
nowt if you want and thats called 'SPIN'.
You'd need to connect your CD rom into the SCSI chain after any
existing Hard Drive, you'l need to make sure any termination is removed
from the Hard Drive and if your using a 'LINK', that TermPwr is enabled
by either the CD-ROM or the HD, preferably both, you'l then need to
change the SCSI ID of the CD-ROM so thats its higher than the HD's ID
as HD-driver will try to boot off the lowest ID, you will need to
terminate the CD-ROM using its on-board termination or by external
means.
Now, install and set up all the software as per the FM's and all should
work."
Dr. Uwe Seimet tells Steve:
"This is not correct. TOS is responsible for selecting the device it
will boot from, not the hard disk driver. And TOS will only boot from
bootable hard disk partitions, not from a CD-ROM. TOS will ignore it and
will try the next device."
Carey Christenson asks about connecting to the internet:
"I am using STING version 1.20 with DIALER version 1.16 and am having
problems with CAB 1.5 and aICQ functioning properly. With CAB 1.5 I
can type in a URL then it kicks me out of the program and gives me
some bombshells on the screen if I try to go back to CAB it locks up.
With aICQ it boots up and I try to enter in stuff for new user and it
does pretty much the same thing. But I use NEWSIE96 and I have know
problems. I would say that if I do not transmit data or receive data
for 10 to 15 minutes I will lose my connection. Do I have something
configured wrong in the KONTOLLFELDER at the top when you go to desk
and click on this program STING PORT and STING INTERNALS comes up
along with my other CPX modules. I guess I am trying to say WHAT AM I
DOING WRONG!!!!!!??????!!!!! Have not encountered this problem until
about a 2 or 3 weeks ago. I had been able to use my CAB 1.5 just
fine. Any help on this matter would be greatly appreciated. I am
using a 1040STf with 2.5 megs of RAM and US ROBOTICS 14400 modem if
this helps. If a newer version of STING is needed please include it
as I cannot go on the web with my ST to grab the newer version. Since
CAB 1.5 is also acting up. I would very much like to get my aICQ to
work with STING as well as CAB 1.5. Thanks for any help that can be
given."
Derryck Croker tells Carey:
"If it had been working fine then you must ask yourself what's changed.
Have you been playing around in the auto folder? Perhaps you've got the
running order wrong, so that sting.prg no longer runs after the hsmodem
stuff as it should.
As for the CPXs, you only need serial.cpx and the internals CPX (the
latter isn't needed with the latest STinG BTW)."
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 - "UnReal" Tournament! Triple Play!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Sony, Connectix "Join" Forces!
Escape From Monkey Island!
And much more!
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE's Game Console Industry News - The Latest Gaming News!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Sony Acquires Virtual Game Station From Connectix
It appears that former legal adversaries Sony and Connectix Corp. are now
joining forces. The companies today announced a "joint technology
agreement" that puts an end to their long-running legal battles. This new
announcement may also signal the end of Virtual Game Station, at least as
we know it today.
Emulation software maker Connectix Corp. first raised the ire of Sony
Computer Entertainment in 1999, when Connectix released Virtual Game
Station for the Macintosh. Virtual Game Station is a Sony Playstation
emulator that enables computers to run many software titles developed for
use with the popular PlayStation video game console.
Released first for the Mac, Virtual Game Station was later put into limbo
when the U.S. District Court ordered a preliminary injunction which
prevented Connectix from selling or distributing the software. Retail
copies of Virtual Game Station were just starting to dwindle almost a year
later when the injunction was lifted, enabling Connectix to continue to
sell and develop the software.
Sony has attempted numerous legal roadblocks since then, but has been
thwarted at almost every turn, including a refusal to hear their case by
the Supreme Court last October. The companies were to go to a jury trial
this month to resolve Sony's complaint that Connectix misappropriated trade
secrets and provided unfair competition.
Connectix has released a new version of the emulator with added
compatibility and some improvements, and has also introduced a PC version
of the emulator. All the while, Connectix president Roy McDonald has
steadfastly defended his company's development of Virtual Game Station.
Now it appears that Sony has adopted the old adage, "If you can't beat 'em,
join 'em." In a press release today, the companies announced that they will
"proceed to define a series of development initiatives in the area of
advanced emulation solutions."
The companies stopped short of announcing what forms these product
development initiatives will take, but Connectix president Roy McDonald
says that the new arrangement will give his company the ability to develop
new applications for their emulation technology.
"We believe that this collaboration can lead to improved development tools,
innovative consumer products and productive enterprise solutions," said
McDonald.
Sony senior VP of research and development Shinichi Okamoto also said that
Sony is looking forward to advances in emulation as a result of the new
partnership, citing Connectix's ownership of "excellent technology in this
field."
As part of the agreement, both companies have resolved the myriad legal
issues still outstanding regarding Virtual Game Station, and Sony will
acquire all core assets from Connectix related to Virtual Game Station.
Connectix will still sell the current version to Mac and Windows users
through June, and will continue to provide support as well. "All further
emulation development ... will proceed under the auspices of the joint
agreement," said the companies.
Infogrames Blasts Onto SegaNet With Unreal Tournament for Sega Dreamcast
Fraggers get your twitchy finger ready!
Infogrames, Inc. announced that its raucous first person action game,
Unreal Tournament for Sega Dreamcast will begin shipping to stores this
week.
This award-winning thriller takes full advantage of the Dreamcast
technology including SegaNet's fast and furious multiplayer online option
that allows for an unprecedented eight players to battle it out against
each other online, as well as the optional broadband adapter that provides
faster more furious online gameplay.
``Unreal Tournament is by far the best online action game available for the
Dreamcast," said Barbara Gleason, director of marketing for Infogrames'
San Jose label. ``With more than a million copies sold, the original game
was a phenomenal success and has won many awards including PC Game of the
Year. Now with added gameplay features and the online capabilities of the
Dreamcast, console fans will get the opportunity to experience the same
robust online gameplay that PC gamers have enjoyed."
Receiving many awards and accolades for its intense multi-player action,
Unreal Tournament, originally developed by Epic Games, has set the standard
for finely tuned first-person perspective action.
After careful consideration by Infogrames and Epic Games, Secret Level,
based in San Francisco, was chosen to produce Unreal Tournament for
Dreamcast. Designed specifically for the Dreamcast, players can choose to
battle it out in more than 60 environments several of which are all new
just for the Dreamcast with up to eight players online through the
Dreamcast's built-in modem or via the broadband adapter. Or, for those
players that like to taunt their opponents in person they can utilize the
2-to-4-player split-screen option.
The game pits players against the toughest warriors in the galaxy in
multiple contests and fantasy-based settings. The goal is to become the
Unreal Grand Master, testing your skills against, or fighting alongside,
teams of ``bots" or other players.
The first-person perspective action includes deathmatch and team-oriented
modes of play, as well as an enhanced version of Unreal's critically
acclaimed Botmatch, which allows players to compete against extremely
lifelike computer-controlled enemies in deathmatch play.
In addition, Unreal Tournament's advanced artificial intelligence allows
players to lead a squad of computer controlled allies against teams of
human or computer-controlled opponents, taking the team-oriented game play
experience to a new level of immersion.
Unreal Tournament will be available in most retail stores this week with
an estimated retail price of $39.95.
Pirates Seize PlayStation 2! LucasArts to Release
Acclaimed Escape From Monkey Island on Sony's Next
Generation Platform, Spring 2001
Escape from Monkey Island, the fourth chapter of one of interactive
entertainment's most celebrated and comical game series, will be released
for PlayStation 2 by LucasArts Entertainment Company LLC spring 2001. The
critically acclaimed graphic adventure, which debuted on PC last fall,
brings to PlayStation 2 all the salty humor, engaging game play, and fresh
puns (not to mention a ship-load of monkeys!) for which the legendary
series is famous.
Escape from Monkey Island continues in the tradition of its award-winning
predecessors and was developed by the team that created LucasArts'
irreverent classic Sam and Max Hit the Road. Escape from Monkey Island
for PC has been nominated by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences
in three categories for the 2001 Interactive Achievement Awards, including
PC Adventure Game of the Year.
Escape from Monkey Island for PS2 features an original cinematic story full
of drama, intrigue, and of course, highly amusing humor. The game is
highlighted by hundreds of challenging puzzles amidst dozens of rich and
brilliantly rendered backgrounds.
``For the past 10 years owners of PC's have solely been able to enjoy
Monkey Island, one of LucasArts' premier brands," says Tom Byron, director
of product marketing for LucasArts. ``Escape from Monkey Island gives
PlayStation 2 players the chance to be captured by this clever and comical
graphic adventure series."
Escape from Monkey Island finds Guybrush Threepwood and his new bride,
Governor Elaine Marley-Threepwood, returning to Melee Island from their
honeymoon. They quickly discover Elaine has been declared dead, the
Governor's mansion is scheduled for demolition, and the slick, yet
hauntingly familiar politician, Charles L. Charles, is gunning for her job.
While Elaine scrambles to launch a reelection campaign, Guybrush is
dispatched on a seemingly trivial legal errand that catapults him into a
maelstrom of thievery, voodoo, and experimental prosthetic devices. Armed
only with his sharp wit and an uncanny ability to hold his breath for ten
whole minutes, our hero navigates ever deeper into a villainous scheme to
wipe out the Tri-Island Area using the fearsome power of the Ultimate
Insult. Can Guybrush make the Caribbean safe for fun-loving, grog-swilling
pirates, or will the twin forces of heckfire and unbridled capitalism bring
an end to the swashbuckling merriment?
EA Ships Triple Play Baseball for the PlayStation2
Whether it's Pacific Bell Park, Wrigley Field or historic Yankee Stadium,
EA SPORTS takes you out to the ballgame with Triple Play Baseball for the
PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, released Tuesday by Electronic
Arts.
Triple Play Baseball brings the ballpark experience to life as players can
grab a glove and get on the field in any of the 30 MLB stadiums, including
new Miller Park in Milwaukee and PNC Park in Pittsburgh. Each stadium is
recreated in precise detail with real-time scoreboards and in-park
animations. In addition, Triple Play Baseball features updated 2001 team
schedules and rosters and realistic player models for the ultimate baseball
experience. Players will recognize the likenesses of such star players as
Jason Giambi, Barry Bonds and Derek Jeter.
``I've played video games for years and I am very excited to be working
with EA SPORTS," said Oakland Athletics first baseman Jason Giambi. ``The
graphics in their games are so lifelike. It's amazing how real everything
looks, right down to the swing of my bat. It's also cool to be among guys
like Alex (Rodriguez), Sammy (Sosa) and Mike (Piazza) who've been on the
cover. Triple Play will be a huge hit with the guys in the clubhouse."
Triple Play Baseball offers players four modes to choose from: Single Game,
Season, Playoffs and Big League Challenge. With Season mode, players can
move off the field and into the front office where they can put their
managerial skills to the test. Whether it's trading a player or signing a
free agent, they are in control as they vie for a playoff spot and a shot
at the World Series. Triple Play Baseball also gives gamers the chance to
put themselves ``in the game." They can live out a childhood dream and
become a ball player by creating a customized player where they choose from
several batting and pitching styles and then put their name on the jersey.
The exclusive Big League Challenge Mode returns to Triple Play Baseball
where players can swing for the fences as some of the best hitters in the
league. Players can try to hit one over the ``Green Monster" at Fenway
Park or splash one into the pool at Bank One Ballpark or any of the other
30 Major League Ballparks along with Cashman Field in Las Vegas. Choose
one-on-one competition between two sluggers to see who can go deep, the
most often, or tournament mode where players can battle it out as one of
the actual 12 Big League Challenge participants where only one comes out as
champion.
``The PlayStation 2 console has allowed us to create a more life-like
baseball experience both graphically and with how the game plays," said
Triple Play producer Brent Nielsen. ``The next generation console gives us
a lot more memory and processing power, bringing the passion and emotion of
America's pasttime to life in visually stunning cinematic out-of-play
sequences."
Triple Play Baseball Features:
* Pitcher-batter interface utilizes a visible strike zone and batting
cursors which gives players total batting control.
* Responsive control on the field with intelligence levels that
demonstrate ``player urgency" for players near the ball for throwing,
catching and fielding.
* Pressure sensitive throwing controls allow players to make a precise
throw after an easy ground ball to short or speed things up with power
throws to turn the difficult 5-4-3 double play.
* New to the Triple Play franchise are 2 additional cameras: Fielding
and Pitcher/Batter cameras that create a ``Depth of Field" effect.
Both provide precise angles on the play and the ball, giving the
baseball diamond an authentic, TV-like feel.
* Instant Replay can verify if the ump made the right call or replay an
impressive diving catch in the outfield.
* Cinematic out-of-play sequences bring the ballpark to life with player
high-fives, umpire arguments and end of game celebrations.
* Play-by-play scripts and recordings by Sean McDonough and color
commentary by new Toronto Blue Jays Manager, Buck Martinez.
* Original Soundtrack featuring Chuck D, formerly of Public Enemy,
Vitamin C, Utah Saints and Fastball, keeps the crowds alive and the
game player immersed in the experience.
Triple Play Baseball for the PlayStation 2 console is rated ``E" (Everyone)
by the ESRB.
Acclaim Sports' All-Star Baseball 2002 for
PlayStation 2 Computer Entertainment System
Acclaim Sports announced that All-Star Baseball 2002 for the PlayStation2
computer entertainment system will begin shipping to retail outlets
nationwide on Friday, March 16th.
``All-Star Baseball 2002 for the PlayStation2 computer entertainment
system truly represents a new generation of baseball excellence," said
Steve Felsen, Director, or Brand Management. ``Our heralded franchise
provides an unrivaled experience of putting the gamer inside the
ballpark."
Developed by Acclaim Studios Austin under license from Major League
Baseball Properties and the MLB Players Association, All-Star Baseball 2002
has been praised by industry press who have previewed the title's
breakthrough graphics and gameplay. The franchise is widely regarded in the
video game industry as the premier baseball series, having been previously
selected as ``Baseball Game of the Year" by readers of GamePro magazine
and honored with Editors Choice Awards from Electronic Gaming Monthly and
Imagine Games Network.
``I'm very proud to be associated with All-Star Baseball 2002," said four
time World Series champion and product spokesman Derek Jeter. ``I am very
selective with the products I choose to endorse and All-Star Baseball 2002
continues to reign as the world champion of baseball video games."
All-Star Baseball 2002 Features Include:
* All 30 MLB teams and over 750 players including 250 real-life
faces
* All 30 MLB stadiums with active dugouts & bullpens, real-time
scoreboards & jumbotrons
* Cooperstown Hall of Fame team including Reggie Jackson, Mike Schmidt
and Nolan Ryan
* ``Turn Back the Clock" with classic uniforms for each team
* Color commentary from Arizona Diamondbacks' new manager Bob Brenly,
and play by play from his former TV partner Thom Brennaman
* 130+ unique player batting stances & 50 pitching deliveries
* Future Throw technology for super-smooth catches & throws
* General Manager Mode - Trade, sign free agents & draft players
* Game Modes include Exhibition, Season, Home Run Derby & Batting
Practice
Infogrames, Inc. Revolutionizes the Racing Genre With
Test Drive - Coming to Sony PlayStation2 This Fall
Put the pedal to the metal this Fall courtesy of Infogrames, Inc.
The company announced that its top-selling racing franchise, the Test Drive
series, is coming to Sony PlayStation2 with Test Drive.
With more than three million copies sold, the Test Drive series has enjoyed
tremendous commercial success.
Utilizing the power of the PlayStation2, the new Test Drive will surpass
any Test Drive game to date with its advances in technology and superior
graphics. The game will be available Fall 2001.
``The new Test Drive has everything necessary to be the best racing game
ever," said Laddie Ervin, director of marketing for sports and racing at
Infogrames' San Jose Label.
``With superior technology, lightning quick racing action and the
stunningly realistic graphics, it's going to blow the competition away this
Fall."
Developed by the Pitbull Syndicate, Test Drive continues the successful
formula of the Test Drive series with players racing some of the world's
most sought-after licensed vehicles in exotic real-world locations. Whether
a player is looking for the prestige and strength of an exotic sports car
or the raw power and rugged good looks of an American muscle car, the game
will offer something for every taste. The fast-paced Hollywood-style racing
action in Test Drive will find players blowing through crowded city streets
with the cops on their tail as pedestrians flee and cross traffic comes at
them from every which way.
With a brand new, built-from-scratch graphics engine designed to take
advantage of the PlayStation2 technology, the game will utilize numerous
cutting edge graphics techniques that maximize visual realism. Some of the
techniques utilized in the game include anti-aliasing, mip-mapping,
real-time lighting and multi-level reflection mapping. With these
technologies implemented, players will experience real-time shadows and
lighting on cars, throughout the game's environments, including on cars and
people.
To accomplish the feel of a crowded and realistically interactive
environment in Test Drive, the artificial intelligence (AI) editor in the
game has been designed to orchestrate street intersections and vehicle
responses in complex ways. For example, vehicle traffic and pedestrians
will respond appropriately to traffic signals changing from green to red.
People will jump out of the way of cars as they come closer and city
traffic and other moving vehicles will be choreographed to create mayhem
heightening gameplay.
A partnership between Infogrames, Inc. and Staccato Systems, Inc. means
Test Drive will also have the most true-to-life engine sounds and audio
available. Staccato Systems, a subsidiary of Analog Devices, Inc., provides
SoundMAX with SPX technology that creates sound in real-time instead of
playing back static sound from a pre-recorded file. The interactive
synthesized sound and audio processing can be uniquely changed and
controlled in real-time. The technology means that players of Test Drive
will be able to distinguish intricate sounds such as the difference between
certain car engines. For example, a player will be able to differentiate
between the turbo charger on a turbo V6 engine and the deep bass boar of a
normally aspirated big block V8. For more information on Staccato's sound
technology visit www.staccatosys.com.
Test Drive for the PlayStation2 is developed by the Pitbull Syndicate and
will offer a fully licensed soundtrack. The game will also have 2-player
multiplayer options via split screen and dual shock and analog controller
support.
Disney's Aladdin in Nasira's Revenge Takes
Players on a Magical Adventure
Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. has announced the release of
Disney's Aladdin in Nasira's Revenge available exclusively for the
PlayStation game console and the PS one console. Disney's Aladdin in
Nasira's Revenge offers true, signature Disney-style gameplay with animated
characters, humorous antics, animated actions and a comical storyline.
Featuring the original cast of characters, gamers can take on the role of
Aladdin, Abu and Jasmine at different points of the adventure while
journeying across nine vibrant, lively environments including: Agrabah, The
Sultan's Palace, The Dungeon, The Oasis, The Cave of Wonders, The Pyramids,
The Crumbled Palace, The Ancient City and Nasira's Lair. Throughout their
adventure, players will encounter colorful and exuberant worlds, intense
battles between good and evil, heart-pumping chases, and a combination of
exploration, humor and puzzles.
``We are always excited about the opportunity to bring Disney's stories and
characters to life on the PlayStation game console," said Ami Blaire,
director, product marketing, Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.
``Software titles such as Disney's Aladdin in Nasira's Revenge allow us to
offer PlayStation fans true entertainment that's fun for the entire
family."
Filled with action-packed gameplay, Disney's Aladdin in Nasira's Revenge
delivers frantic battle scenes against a slew of diverse enemies,
white-knuckle chases through city streets and ancient pyramids, methodical
puzzle solving and rip-roaring adventure, all complemented with brilliant
cinematic scenes and voices from the original Disney animated series to
advance the story.
Disney's Aladdin in Nasira's Revenge takes place in the fabled city of
Agrabah where the Sultan's Palace has been taken over by Jafar's evil
sister, Nasira. She has come to avenge her brother's death by banishing the
Sultan and his daughter, Jasmine, to the outskirts of Agrabah. Nasira
places a spell on the entire city and commands that Aladdin be brought to
her immediately.
Along with characters Aladdin, Abu, Jasmine, Iago, the Sultan, Genie, Jafar
and The Magic Carpet, players can utilize tons of acrobatic moves such as
jumping, bouncing, running, sliding, throwing, swinging on ropes, climbing,
sneaking past enemies and surfing on a genie-board. As players find hidden
gems, they will enter into Genie's world filled with unique sub-games and
collectible bonuses. When they have collected enough tokens, players can
use them toward Genie's wishes, granting additional lives and other
bonuses.
Key features in Disney's Aladdin in Nasira's Revenge include:
-- Nine vibrant, lively environments: Agrabah, The Sultan's Palace,
Dungeon, Oasis, The Cave of Wonders, The Pyramids, The Crumbled Palace,
Ancient City and Nasira's Lair
-- Fun characters to control: Play Aladdin, Abu and Jasmine at different
points during the adventure and fly The Magic Carpet in
adrenaline-pumping chases
-- Tons of acrobatic moves to perform: Jump, bounce, run, slide, throw,
pull, fly on The Magic Carpet, swing on ropes, climb and sneak past
enemies
-- A variety of Aladdin attack moves: Pick up and throw multiple
projectiles, fight with a sword and discover other location-specific
special weapons
-- Bonus Levels and Genie Bonuses: Locate hidden gems to open up Genie's
bonus world filled with unique sub-games and collectible bonuses; use
Genie's wishes to grant you additional lives and bonuses
-- Fun items to collect: Genie Tokens, Extra lives, Multi-colored Gems,
Sultan Coins and Health Pick-ups all based on the popular animated
series
-- The voices from the original animated television series, Disney's
Aladdin
-- Fast-paced action-platform puzzles, hazards of all kinds and sizes and
bonus levels and hidden bonuses; bonus and secret areas add another
element to gameplay
The independent Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rates Disney's
Aladdin in Nasira's Revenge ``E" for ``Everyone" with the descriptor
``Animated Violence."
=~=~=~=
A-ONE's Headline News
The Latest in Computer Technology News
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
Canadian Firm Uses Pig Latin to Fool Napster Block
A Canadian company has introduced software intended to help millions of
frustrated Napster users to continue downloading free music, the National
Post reported on Monday.
PulseNewMedia, a company affiliated with the University of Toronto, is
using pig Latin to disguise Napster file names that are to be blocked this
week.
Once installed, the software alters the names of MP3 files, moving the
first letter to the end of the word. The band Metallica, for instance,
would become ettalicam.
Napster, which has about 60 million users worldwide, has already begun
filtering song titles in order to block access.
Under a court injunction issued on March 5, Napster is required to bar the
transfer of songs specified within three days of notification by the
copyright holders.
PulseNewMedia says they have already had more than 20,000 downloads of
their program, the Post reported.
The software mirrors a program released March 4 by U.S. company Aimster,
whose software lets users trade files by piggybacking on instant message
networks.
Aimster Chief Executive Officer Johnny Deep said last week that changing
file names with encryption makes it illegal to systematically remove the
altered files.
Deep said Napster might be able to remove encrypted file names one by one,
but it couldn't ``reverse engineer" the Pig Encoder to remove all songs
that had been encrypted -- even though the encryption is so simple that
anyone can deduce the real title of an encrypted file name.
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act outlaws the reverse engineering of
encryption schemes, Deep said. Encryption is defined as ``the scrambling
and descrambling of information using mathematical formulas or
algorithms."
Aimster Removes Pig Encoder at Request of Napster
File-sharing firm Aimster on Wednesday said it has removed from its Web
site a program based on pig Latin that enabled Napster users to get around
court-ordered restrictions on the popular song-swap service.
``At the request of Napster, Aimster has removed the Pig Encoder Software
from public distribution through its Web site," said Aimster Chief
Executive Officer Johnny Deep, adding that the encoder was removed as of
Tuesday morning.
``We do this out of respect for Napster's efforts to maintain its own
service for its own users as it deems best," Deep said, but added that
Aimster bears no responsibility if the encoder is distributed by users on
Aimster's private messaging service or Web sites administered by Aimster
users.
Aimster, whose software lets users trade files by piggybacking on instant
message networks, released the free Aimster Pig Encoder program on March 4
on its Web site (http://www.aimster.com/pigencoder.phtml).
A Canadian firm, PulseNewMedia, released a similar program this week as
Napster attempts to comply with a preliminary injunction issued on March 5
by the U.S. District Court in San Francisco, which requires it to remove
songs from its service within three business days of notification by
copyright holders.
Napster's service has attracted about 60 million users who swap songs for
free by trading MP3 files, a compression format that turns music on compact
discs into small digital files.
The injunction was the result of a 15-month-long legal battle which has
come to be viewed as a landmark case on copyrights in cyberspace, seen
defining how music, books and entertainment will be distributed online.
The world's biggest record labels -- including Vivendi Universal's
Universal Music, Sony Music, Warner Music, EMI Group Plc and Bertelsmann
AG's BMG first sued Napster in December 1999, claiming it was a haven for
copyright piracy that would cost them billions of dollars in lost music
sales.
Last Friday, the labels e-mailed Napster a list of 135,000 songs, including
music from Elvis Presley to Eminem, for their removal. Napster late Monday,
however, said much of the list was duplicated and not in compliance with
the injunction.
``Wednesday's not going to be the be-all end-all," Napster CEO Hank Barry
said on Monday.
Barry said Napster so far has screened 115,000 unique file names,
representing 26,000 songs with artists and titles associated with them. A
spokeswoman on Wednesday said that more file names would be screened by
late Wednesday.
Amy Weiss, a spokeswoman for the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA) on Tuesday said the organization was not going to debate the fine
points of the order's implementation.
``We believe the court's intent is clear. Napster is required to stop
infringing. Stall tactics are unacceptable," she said.
While Napster has begun blocking access to some files, its efforts have
been thwarted by users who have changed file names by deliberately
misspelling titles or by using programs like the Pig Encoder to change
names.
With the Pig Encoder, ``'Music' becomes 'usicM,' 'Hello' becomes 'elloH,'
the Aimster Web site said.
On Tuesday, Napster also announced it had aligned with Gracenote Inc., a
maker of music recognition services, to help it in its file-filtering
efforts.
Some experts on Wednesday said that while Gracenote's services will be an
improvement over Napster's current method of file identification, it still
had limitations since Gracenote's method of file identification does not
handle pig Latin-type conversions or any other code naming applications.
Napster Music Trading Drops As Filter Kicks In
Napster users are sharing almost 60 percent fewer digital music files since
the embattled Internet song-swap service began implementing new filters to
block copyrighted material, a company which tracks Web traffic said on
Thursday.
``Napster is successfully filtering many songs from its system," said
analyst Matt Bailey of the Cambridge, Mass.-based firm Webnoize. ``It is
not just the number of files available that has fallen sharply. The number
of downloads per user has dropped by half."
Webnoize said that prior to Napster's latest filtering effort, which took
effect at about 9 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday, Napster users were sharing
an average of 172 song files each. With the new filter, the number of songs
made available for sharing fell to 71 per user, down 59 percent.
Napster officials had no immediate comment on the reported drop in file
sharing, which took place the day after they enlisted Gracenote Inc., a
maker of music recognition services, to help boost file-filtering efforts.
While the filter, implemented in an effort to comply with a federal court
injunction ordered March 5, appeared to be having some effect, Webnoize
said Napster appeared still to be offering plenty of music by artists
identified by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) as under
copyright.
These songs -- by artists ranging from rap star Eminem to Elvis Presley --
could be easily downloaded, Webnoize said. Songs by other artists such as
98 Degrees were available if users added certain characters to a title
search.
``As those problems get ironed out, and also as new titles added to the
list also get blocked out, the filter will start to block significantly
more songs than are being blocked now," Bailey said.
Napster, engaged in a legal fight for its life, says it has been struggling
to block out a list of some 135,000 copyrighted songs provided last week by
the RIAA. Further song titles have been added to the list this week.
Napster's service, invented by a teen-aged college student, has become a
worldwide phenomenon, attracting about 60 million users who swap songs for
free by trading MP3 files, a compression format that turns music on compact
discs into small digital files.
The RIAA, representing some of the most powerful forces in the recording
industry, has accused Napster of enabling widespread music piracy --
launching a lengthy court battle which many industry analysts say could
define how music, books and entertainment are distributed in the digital
age.
This month's injunction requires Napster to remove copyrighted material
within three business days of being notified by the RIAA.
Last Friday, the labels e-mailed Napster a preliminary list of 135,000
songs targeted for removal. Napster has argued that much of the list was
duplicated and not in compliance with the terms of the injunction. On
Monday, Napster Chief Executive Hank Barry said the service had screened
115,000 unique file names representing 26,000 songs with artists and titles
associated with them.
By late Wednesday, Napster officials were saying they had taken action to
block an undetermined further number of files representing some 60,000
songs with artists and titles associated with them.
Bailey said Wednesday's upgraded filter -- which caused the online
song-swap system to go offline briefly Wednesday -- was "the first really
significant step that Napster has taken toward complying with the court's
injunction."
He added that it appeared that Napster was making efforts to block
variations in song file title names, heading off user attempts to avoid the
filter by making subtle changes in file titles such as listing songs by the
group Metallica under the name ``Metallika".
``They could have taken a pretty passive view on these measures, but
instead they really are trying to prove to record labels that they are
serious about security and can control the network," Bailey said. ``They
will be increasing the number of variations of song titles that get blocked
by the system."
While Napster's efforts to comply with the injunction may win the service
points with the court, it was unclear whether the company can hold on to
its avid fan base if it no longer offers much of the world's most popular
music for free.
Bailey said that anecdotal evidence already indicated that users were
already switching to other peer-to-peer song swap systems such as Music
City and Gnutella, and predicted that the flight of Napster users to rival
systems would accelerate as more songs are blocked.
``There are some pretty good alternative systems around. It is only going
to be a matter of days before Napster users start migrating to those
systems in large numbers," Bailey said. ``The sort of loyalty that we are
seeing among Napster users is going to be very temporary."
Net Tax Measure May Pave Way For Fees
The leading bill being considered by Congress to sort out the mess of
collecting sales taxes online creates the possibility of future fees on
Internet access.
This is one of the most significant differences between the bill
introduced last week by Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., and a similar one
introduced earlier this year by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. Wyden's bill has
only gained the support of Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.; Dorgan's bill had 10
Republican and Democratic co-sponsors on its first day.
There have been very few government attempts to tax Internet access, but
it has emerged as one of the greatest fears of online users. For some time
now a multitude of people have been forwarding to friends a fraudulent
e-mail about a nonexistent bill that would impose per-minute fees on Web
surfers.
Though the e-mail was not real, cities and towns that imposed such fees
before 1998 may continue to impose them as they were grandfathered under
the Internet tax moratorium imposed that year. That moratorium expires in
October.
"The current expiration date for the moratorium on Internet access and
discriminatory taxes is fast approaching," Dorgan said. "The moratorium
should be extended."
Dorgan's bill extends the moratorium to Dec. 31, 2005, after which local
governments would be free to impose access taxes if the moratorium were
not extended. In contrast, Wyden's bill calls for an outright ban of
access taxes and seeks to remove the grandfathering protection of those
few municipalities currently applying the tax.
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz., will hold a
hearing Wednesday on the Internet tax issue, in what his spokeswoman Pia
Pialorsi said will be his "first step toward building consensus" and
eventually introducing his own bill. Wyden's bill was referred to his
committee, but Dorgan's was sent to the Senate Finance Committee.
One boost to Dorgan's bill is that it is the first piece of Internet tax
legislation developed in cooperation with state and local governments.
Congress last year was reluctant to completely pre-empt local authority on
sales taxes and would prefer states to work out a method to simplify sales
taxes so they can more easily be collected by e-tailers.
"Businesses and consumers using the Internet to conduct commerce are
potentially subject to as many as 30,000 tax jurisdictions," said Business
Software Alliance President Robert Holleyman.
Dorgan's bill would call on states to develop a one-stop source for
e-tailers to gain tax information and would require uniform definitions
for goods so taxes would be equitable. If 20 states were to join a compact
to this effect, they could submit the plan to Congress and, if it were
approved, e-tailers would be forced to collect sales taxes based on where
the purchaser was located.
The bill is backed by the National Governors' Association, the National
Conference of State Legislatures, the Council of State Governments, the
National Association of Counties, the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the
International City/County Management Association. It also has the support
of the E-Fairness Coalition, which comprises mainly so-called
brick-and-mortar retailers.
Dorgan's key Republican supporter is Mike Enzi, R-Wyo. Though he opposes
an Internet access tax--"I do not support a tax on the use of the Internet
itself"--he co-sponsored the bill because it will protect local sales
taxes.
"I have concerns about using the Internet as a sales tax loophole," he
said. "Sales taxes go directly to state and local governments and I am
very leery of any federal legislation that bypasses their traditional
ability to raise revenue to perform needed services such as school
funding, road repair and law enforcement. I will not force states into a
huge new exemption."
Along with banning Internet access fees, Wyden's bill sets a higher hurdle
for states to clear before they can get Congress' help in collecting sales
taxes from e-tailers.
Because the access tax would be subject to a moratorium extending more
than four years, industry trade groups have not yet come out opposed. For
example, the Information Technology Industry Association is taking an open
stance, citing the primary importance of extending the current moratorium.
The Information Technology Industry Council has taken a similar position.
U.S. To Extend Internet Tax Ban - For Now
Consumers worried about Internet taxes can continue to breathe easy -- at
least, for now. The Internet Tax Freedom Act expires in about six months,
but the U.S. Congress appears ready to extend it.
The Senate is currently considering three Internet tax-related bills. The
one with the broadest bipartisan support would extend the Internet Tax
Freedom Act until the end of 2005.
That measure was introduced last week by Senator Byron Dorgan (D-North
Dakota) and was co-sponsored by 10 other senators.
However, though the tangled web that is the Internet sales tax debate will
not be resolved any time soon, the eventual imposition of sales tax on
Internet purchases seems likely.
A second measure, proposed by Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), would extend
the ban on some Internet taxes until the end of 2006 and permanently ban
taxes on Internet access.
A bill similar to Wyden's passed the House last year by a significant
margin, but his bill did not make the cut in the Senate, Carol Guthrie, a
press aide to Senator Wyden, told NewsFactor Network.
A third measure, proposed by Senator Bob Smith (R-New Hampshire), would
make the federal ban on Internet taxes permanent and would not allow
states to impose sales taxes on citizens of other states.
This would, in effect, preclude sales taxes on Internet purchases, an aide
to Senator Smith told NewsFactor.
All three bills have been referred to committees. However, while the
Dorgan bill was referred to the powerful Finance Committee, the other two
were referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.
Contrary to popular belief, the Internet Tax Freedom Act, which was passed
in 1998, does not ban sales tax on goods sold online. Rather, it precludes
taxes on Internet access; duplicate taxes on transactions that two or more
states could tax; and discriminatory taxes that would tax specific
products online that are not taxed offline.
For practical purposes, no one has figured out an easy way to collect
sales tax on goods sold online by a company in one state to a consumer in
another.
The Dorgan bill would have Congress help states collect taxes from
e-tailers only after state and local governments collectively work to
simplify the task.
Under current laws, if all states and local governments mandated that
online retailers collect the appropriate sales taxes, e-tailers would have
to learn the rules in more than 7,000 tax locations.
Similarly, the Wyden bill urges states to streamline their tax rates.
A variety of state, county and municipal government associations,
including The National Conference of State Legislatures and the National
Governors Association, support the Dorgan bill, which would eventually
pave the way for the collection of sales taxes on the Internet.
They have a vested interest in the measure. Forrester Research estimates
that local governments missed out on more than US$500 million in tax
payments in 1999 because no effective way of charging sales tax on
Internet purchases currently exists.
U.S. Congress Set To Tackle Spammers
To unclog e-mail boxes and free up bandwidth for small Internet service
providers (ISPs) and Web users, U.S. lawmakers are pushing bills through
Congress to target unsolicited e-mail and set criminal penalties for
spammers who use false e-mail addresses.
The 2001 Anti Spamming Act, introduced by Representative Robert Goodlatte
(R-Virginia), makes it a criminal offense to fraudulently use another
individual's Internet address to send unsolicited e-mail, known as spam,
and sets penalties of up to US$15,000 ($10 per e-mail) and
liability for
victims' monetary losses.
While industry studies point to skyrocketing rates of unwanted bulk e-mail
being sent to Web users, legislators hope the latest round of bills, some
of which are being reintroduced with refinements for the 107th Congress,
will become law this time.
"Unsolicited e-mail, such as advertisements, solicitations or chain
letters, is the 'junk mail' of the information age," said Rep. Goodlatte,
whose Internet Freedom Act last year included similar legislation but was
stalled in Congress. "This legislation gives law enforcement the tools
they need to prevent unsolicited e-mail from clogging up citizens'
in-boxes."
Goodlatte's bill, which now includes criminal penalties for spamming,
joins another renewed anti-spam effort from Rep. Heather Wilson (R-New
Mexico) and Rep. Gene Green (D-Texas), whose anti-spam bill goes to the
House Telecommunications Subcommittee next week.
"As consumers, we should have the power to stop getting junk e-mail on our
computers or on the computers of our children," said Rep. Wilson, whose
Unsolicited Commercial E-Mail Act of 2001 aims to block spam for
consumers. "Some estimates are that over one third of junk e-mail is
pornographic and currently parents are helpless to stop this form entering
their home."
"We feel very good," Wilson spokesman Kevin McDermott told NewsFactor
Network. "We passed it in the House last year virtually unanimously and it
got stuck in the Senate, but it was mainly because of political reasons.
There were no major policy disagreements."
A Goodlatte representative told NewsFactor that the congressman's bill, to
be referred to the House Judiciary Committee this month, aims at
protecting Internet users from scams and bogus e-mails, and service
providers who lose bandwidth and other resources because of spam.
"It's going to benefit consumers because of no slow connections and
unwanted messages - and it will benefit ISPs because their servers can run
without this junk mail clogging them," said Goodlatte press secretary
Michelle Semones.
A statement from Goodlatte's office says that spam has "paralyzed small
ISPs by flooding their servers with unwanted e-mail. This has the
potential to do great damage to small ISP companies and the communities
they serve."
Internet research firm Jupiter Media Metrix reports that the average
consumer received 40 pieces of spam in 1999. But by 2005, that figure is
forecast to explode to some 1,600 pieces of unwanted mail.
Let The Music Play - Sony Unveils Double-density CD-RWs
Sony is aiming to double the pleasure of CD-R and CD-RW lovers.
On Tuesday, the consumer electronics giant unveiled Double Density CD-R
and CD-RW drives and discs.
Dubbed DD-R and DD-RW, the discs can hold 1.3GB of data. That is twice the
capacity of CD-R and CD-RW discs, which hold 650MB. The technology doubles
the capacity of the discs by essentially shrinking the space between the
tracks on the media.
The drives will be available in retail stores by the beginning of April
and will cost $249. DD-R discs will cost $1.99 each, and DD-RW discs will
cost $2.99.
Sony's new products are an attempt to provide a middle solution between
CD-RWs and their giant cousin, DVD-rewritable discs, which offer 4.7GB of
capacity.
"With a 1.3GB capacity, users can now get the best of both worlds, but not
at twice the price," said Bob DeMoulin, a product marketing manager at
Sony.
By contrast, Pioneer plans to start selling around May an add-on version
of its drive that can play and record both DVDs and CDs. Pioneer's drive
is expected to sell for around $1,000, with the discs costing $10 to $20
apiece.
Still, Dataquest analyst Mary Craig said Sony's new technology faces
considerable obstacles.
"The price and capacity make a lot of sense to me in terms of addressing a
middle ground, but the disturbing sign is that Sony is the only
manufacturer stepping up to address this middle ground. That's not a good
sign," Craig said. For any new technology to take off, it needs a number
of companies to champion its cause.
Other companies may take a pass on double-density technology because a
DVD-rewritable standard may be just around the corner.
"The looming DVD-rewritable technologies will be a challenge," Craig said.
But as long as the industry continues to squabble over a DVD-rewritable
standard, DD-R and DD-RW may have a window of opportunity. There are three
different specifications being considered by manufacturers: DVD+RW, DVD-R
and DVD-RAM. The competing technologies have the potential to fragment the
market and confuse consumers with compatibility issues.
DD-R and DD-RW are not completely clear of compatibility issues themselves.
The DD-R/DD-RW drive will be able to read and write CD-R and CD-RW discs.
But existing CD and CD-RW drives won't be able to play DD-R and DD-RW
discs.
"While you can't share DD-R and DD-RW media with CD-RW owners, you can
still record onto CD-RW and share that way. So I think they're covered in
that sense," Craig said.
Sony's approach to marketing the new technology will have a major effect
on how well it is accepted, Craig said, though it may help that Sony's new
technology is based on an familiar one, CD-RW. Dataquest forecasts that
manufacturers will ship more than 38 million CD-RW drives in 2001.
"We're playing off a technology that is already known, CD-RW, so we have
instant understanding on the user's part," DeMoulin said.
However, he acknowledged, PC manufacturers are unlikely to incorporate
Sony's new drive immediately given the weakness in computer sales.
"We've had talks with manufacturers and they're interested. But PC buyers
are especially sensitive to price right now and they don't want to add
cost to systems," DeMoulin said.
Craig agreed. "This is more of an after-market product," she said,
referring to merchandise that people buy after they purchase a PC. "After
this trial-balloon stage, if demand is good, it will send a message to
manufacturers."
The Sony Double Density ATAPI CRS200E-A1 is an internal drive with a
maximum write speed for DD-R and CD-R of 12X, a maximum write speed of
DD-RW and CD-RW of 8X, and a maximum play speed for CDs of 32X.
=~=~=~=
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