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Atari Online News, Etc. Volume 01 Issue 41
Volume 1, Issue 41 Atari Online News, Etc. December 10, 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
With Contributions by:
Bengy Collins
Fred Horvat
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To download A-ONE, set your browser bookmarks to one of the
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Visit the Atari Advantage Forum on Delphi!
http://forums.delphi.com/m/main.asp?sigdir=atari
=~=~=~=
A-ONE #0141 12/10/99
~ Ziff-Davis To Sell! ~ People Are Talking! ~ Ted Hoff News!
~ Y2K Viruses Abound! ~ MagiC Game Contest! ~ CAB Replacement?
~ Are You Ready For Y2K? ~ Is Your PC Y2K Ready? ~ Y2K Tips!
~ Samsung To Use NUON! ~ New, Thinner Notebooks ~ Xena For N64!
-* AOL Blocks AT&T's I M Here! *-
-* E-Mail Privacy Dangers Alleged! *-
-* U.S. Alleges Four Violations vs. Microsoft *-
=~=~=~=
->From the Editor's Keyboard "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
I guess that I have some influence after all! Last week I mentioned that I
wasn't ready for the winter's cold yet, and poof, it's been unseasonably
warmer this past week! I can certainly live with 40's and 50's all winter!
So, got all of your holiday shopping done yet? For the first time in many
years, I can say that I'm almost done! I cannot believe it myself. I still
have a few more things to get, but nothing to compare to past years when I
waited until the last couple of weeks before the holiday to _start_ my
shopping! New trend? I doubt it! <g>
Everyone ready for Y2K? We'll probably stay at home for New Year's like
recent years. Under "normal" circumstances, there are too many crazy people
out on the streets; I'm sure this year will be even worse due to the
uniqueness of this new year. Wow, a new millennium! Another century coming
to a close! It should be interesting.
Until next time...
It's Time To Vote For The MGC!
You can now download the game entries and the vote form for the MagiC game
contest, organized by the place2be/MagiC Online.
All together there are 8 games in the compo. This is down from 11 (1 was
disqualified for premature release, one was a no show, and one was forced
to cancel at the last minute.)
Please download and spread this archive. The more votes we get the better.
Please try to spread all 8 games together, and the vote form along with
voting instructions is included in the mgc archive.
The games are all GEM and should work on most atari configurations.
Well, may the best game win!
Direct Download: http://www.place2be.de/mgc/mgc99.zip
MGC Homepage English: http://www.place2be.de/mgc/contest.htm
MGC Homepage German: http://www.place2be.de/mgc/contestd.htm
PS: This is the first of many programming/etc contests. We learned a lot
from this one so expect the next one to be even better!
IMPORTANT NOTE: The Vote forms must be sent to collins@bulli.com no later
then midnight of December 25th 1999.
ASH CAB Replacement?
I got this from Atari.org news section. I wonder how soon they will
replace CAB if there has been rumors and announced CAB Ver 2.8 at the
Atari Fair in Germany a week ago?
High End Web browser in the works? (Dec 4)
By Bengy on 1999-12-07
It's has been speculated for awhile now that ASH is working on a
"CAB-Replacement" web browser that is to be fast and boast many modern
features. Recently, some information has came out that suggests that this
is exactly what ASH is doing, as they need to put a "browser in their
catalog ASAP."
The interesting aspect is that these recent rumors say that BOTH the
Brothers Behne (NVDI) and the two K's (MagiC) are working together on
this product! This is really something to watch out for.
Fred Horvat
=~=~=~=
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
compiled by Joe Mirando
jmirando@portone.com
Hidi ho friends and neighbors. Gee, the holidays are right around the
corner and I haven't even started to do my shopping yet. Yes, I'm one of
THOSE. Every year I wait until the last minute to do my shopping. It's
not that I plan for it to work out that way, mind you. It just
happens.... year after year after year. I have no idea of why that is,
but after all this time I've come to simply accept it.
Now that I think of it, that's about the only thing that I've "simply
accepted". Usually I fuss and fight everything. Take Windows, for
instance. When I got that spiffy PC laptop I pretty much resigned myself
to the fact that I'd end up using Windows, like it or not.
Then a friend of mine started preaching the virtues of Linux. Hmmm... a
full-featured, stable operating system that doesn't rely on monopolies
or strong-arm tactics, either to ensure its own popularity or that of
other offerings by the same company. Sounds good to me... I'll give it a
try.
To my surprise, I really like Linux. I liked it so much on the laptop
that I'm in the process of installing it on my TT. Of course, I haven't
had much of a chance to do anything more than install it, but it looks
pretty much like Linux on the PC. Expect a mini review in the next few
weeks.
Oh, by the way, the TEAM ATARI SETI@home group has now contributed a
good solid SEVEN YEARS of CPU time to the search for signals from an
extraterrestrial intelligence. Way to go folks! Let's just hope that ET
doesn't have an answering machine! <grin>
Well, let's get to the news and stuff.
From the comp.sys.atari.st NewsGroup
====================================
Last week "Phantomm" asked:
"I Was wondering if Cable Modems can be used on Atari Computers such as the
Falcon?"
Martin-Eric Racine tells Phantomm:
"I use cable-net on my TT, but then I have a Riebl card on it.
Anyhow, most cable-modems require a machine with Ethernet card.
It works rather well, except I had to request my own static IP,
because neither MiNT-Net nor STiNG support DHCP. However, on most
operators, one cannot get a static IP or otherwise has to pay a
rather hefty extra amount to get one.
On average, using MiNT-Net 1.04 through the Riebl, I get between
18000 and 25000cps, using aFTP. Web pages load super fast on CAB
(especially since 2.8, because it has improved JPEG unpacking)."
Ken Macdonald asks Martin-Eric:
"Martin! do you know if the MiNTnet ethernet drivers that come with the
MiNT99 CD are capable of DHCP? These are copyrighted stuff and not
available for downloading AFAIK. I wonder if Mario is considering this
as he writes drivers for his Ethernet card?"
Martin-Eric answers:
"Nope. The only custom MiNT-Net stuff on that are Ethernet
drivers for some more esoteric Ethernet cards, AFAIK.
DHCP has nothing to do with Ethernet per se. You could use that
on almost any kind of IP connection, to fetch boot parameters.
Btw, DHCP is not always used. In Canada, Bell replaced it with
PPPoE (PPP over Ethernet) recently, which has proven disastrous.
So much, in fact, that most people switched to Rogers Cable-Net.
Alex says the resource (in CAB) hasn't changed since 2.7, because the
changes are mostly internal (PNG support, bug fixes) and don't
affect any dialogue's content. CAB 2.7d resources should work."
Brian Van Tilborg asks Ken:
"1) What does DHCP stand for?
2) Am I to understand that you still don't have a graphics card for your
TT or is there a throughput on the VME?
If I am correct you were offering Mario's products at the TAF meetings.
Will this be true with the ethernet card? Do you have any ide adapters?
I need a trip to Toronto!"
Martin-Eric jumps in and tells Brian:
"RFC 2131: DHC = Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
Basically, this fetches a dynamic IP at connection time, along
with the gateway and netmask IP. It might also use your Ethernet
card's MAC address (its serial number, sort-of) as means of
authenticating you."
Richard B. asks:
"Does anybody know if there's any utilities that will allow you to read a
250MB 512/sec dos partition over scsi (250meg Zip drive) to get round the
TTOS 32meg partition limit? I want to back up samples from my Korg Triton
to my Atari scsi drive and be able to transfer *.WAV files between them."
Dr. Uwe Seimet tells Richard:
"This is possible with HDDRIVER. HDDRIVER supports an option for creating
media that are DOS and TOS compatible at the same time and don't need
any additional software to be accessed from TOS/DOS or Windows.
With MagiC, MiNT or Big-DOS and HDDRIVER you can additionally directly
access DOS compatible partitions > 32 MByte.
See also
http://home.nikocity.de/nogfradelt/atari_english.html"
Charles Silver asks:
"Ever run into this error message while downloading large web files? If so,
how do you increase the "time" so that the web page isn't truncated.
---
error 'ASP 0113'
Script timed out
/results.asp (this was about a 927k html file)
The maximum amount of time for a script to execute was exceeded. You can
change this limit by specifying a new value for the property
Server.ScriptTimeOut or by changing the value in the IIS administration
tools."
Neil Roughley tells Charles:
"It's nothing at your end, Charles. Send an e-mail to the site's
webmaster."
Brian Van Tilborg asks:
"Is there a set up in NEWsie that will allow me to read the offline
messages while I am online? "
Sean Barbieri tells Brian:
"I use MagiC so haven't tried this using single TOS (should still work)
but after downloading to offline, disconnect host, Then open New Group
Window and load default.grp (or whatever grp your using) and NEWsie loads
the offline articles."
Brian tells Sean:
"Thanks. That was too easy.
Yes it works in Single TOS from 1.0 to Falcon.
As well as Geneva and of course Magic.
Never had bothered to disconnect."
Robert Levy asks:
"Can anyone help me please with free version of Gemulator 98?
How do you load more than one virtual drive (*vhd) at the one time?"
Kevin Dermott tells Robert:
"There are more disk image files on the site Inc an 80meg one that is split
into 4 partitions."
Joe Zorin jumps in and adds his experiences:
"When I chose to have Gemulator simulate Atari disks, i.e. the virtual
drive that came with Gemulator98 (free download)- I couldn't manage to put
anything into it. I opened up a window to my PC's floppy, then a window to the
virtual drive C- then tried to copy files from the floppy to the virtual drive and
got a message saying that drive C was damaged! I'm obviously doing something
drastically wrong."
Kevin tells Joe:
"I can only think that somehow your virtual file is damaged,there is a new
beta page up at emulators Inc with more virtual drives maybe try one of
them."
"Lewis" joins in and posts:
"I have Gemulator 98 ver 4.8 on disk(fast club) or ver 5+ free download.
Which would be the best one to use. I have magic5 on two atari disks, can I use
magic or do I need a tos image? Where can I get tos 2.6?"
Kevin tells Lewis:
"I think 5 is better. Although it says it can, I haven't succeeded in
running any version of magic on it.
You can get TOS from a real Atari or some daring site,if I find one I will
place a link on my site."
This has probably already been mentioned here in A-ONE this week, but I'll
include it here anyway. Bengy Collins posts:
"MagiC 7 network support! (Dec 4)
A very reliable contact of MagiC online has informed us of some very
interesting "rumors". The first one? It is a strong possibility that MagiC
version 7 will have built-in networking support and that a TCP/IP shared
lib. is now in final beta. Below you will find an agreeable quote from the
informant:
"Can you imagine MagiC with a built in IConnect compatible stack, and
shared libraries that makes writing clients very easy? :-))))..... this
means the end for MiNT/freeMinT/N-AES and other crap."
High End Web Browser in the works? (Dec 4)
It's has been speculated for awhile now that ASH is working on a
"CAB-Replacement" web browser that is to be fast and boast many modern
features. Recently, some information has came out that suggests that this
is exactly what ASH is doing, as they need to put a "browser in their catalog
ASAP."
The interesting aspect is that these recent rumors say that BOTH the
Brothers Behne (NVDI) and the two K's (MagiC) are working together on this
product! This is really something to watch out for.
MagiCMac now friends with OS 9! (Dec 3)
Finally, ASH has released a patch to update MagiC Mac 6.x to a state of OS 9
compatibility. Previously, OS 9 would only work together with MagiC Mac if
they were ran on older Macintoshes that had the ROM hard coded. (this
excluded every recent Macintosh, including the original and current
iMacs/G4's)
The update is free of charge and can be downloaded from the link below.
http://www.application-systems.de/magicmac/download.html
--
For daily news and information pertaining to MagiC and modern Atari
operating systems make sure to check out MagiC online @ bengy.atari.org
(Yes, Its alive again!)
PS: I will not be posting all the news from MagiC online in this group
(unless there is a strong want for this? I just thought that the above
articles were rather interesting."
Dennis Vermeir adds:
"Take a look at http://www.camelot.de/~zulu the website of Jürgen Koneczny,
there's a hyp file there that explains the ins and outs of Sockets and
IConnect...
Have you considered that MagiC might have network capabilities? Since it's
going to be the standard MilanII OS, it would be quite stupid if it
couldn't address the ethernet network card, wouldn't it.... if this is so, I
bet you anything that network clients for MagiC will appear very quickly. And in
the ASH tradition these will be easy to install and maintain...
It's not because NAES 2.0 and FreeMint have finally catched up with MagiC,
that it's gonna stay like this. MagiC has not come to a stand still, and
once again it will set new standards...
Perhaps that new browser is going to make full use of the new features of
MagiC, and if it's going to be a high end browser it probably will make
full use of the Milan II hardware as well. So it sounds logical to me that it
will be a MagiC only browser...
What is more important is that Draconis which is supposed to come bundled
with the Milan II, will not be able to deliver the goods... A new computer
without a decent browser has no chance... and who knows, there might come
a "light" version which is of benefit to all of us."
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 - Xena! Samsung To Use NUON!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" 'Vigilante 8'! Billy-Bob!
Midway & Konami Release Arcade Hits!
Quebec Demands French Versions!
And much more!
->From the Editor's Controller - Playin' it like it is!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Usually my console-gaming editorials are pretty positive. I mean how
negative can you editorialize about games? Sure, there's the violence issue
and warning labels. But for the most part, it's tough to find a cause that
just screams out to be vocalized. Not so this week!
We've all read stories and seen news reports regarding Quebec (Canada) and
its attempt to secede from the country as an all-French speaking province.
I grew up in southern Maine, near the coast where there are a lot of summer
tourist areas. Every summer, those areas would be packed with French-
Canadians, mostly from the Quebec province. I grew up thinking that many of
these tourists were a little strange! Now before people start flaming me,
my opinion is based on how these people behaved and looked as tourists.
They were strange! Sorry, that's how I saw it.
But anyway, back to my point. Alright, so Quebec wants its independence,
but keeps failing. They're a stubborn lot, and are still trying. They've
enacted laws requiring French to be used as the primary language for
everyday things. Now they're going beyond ridiculous - they've demanded
that Nintendo and Sega produce French versions of their popular games, or be
sued! Give me a break! What do they want, French translations of "BAM!,
"ZAP", and other sound effects?! We're talking about games, folks! If you
don't like or want the products as they exist, don't buy them! These
companies should pack up, take their jobs, and re-locate to Toronto or some
other major Canadian city outside of Quebec! I love Montreal and the
surrounding area, but if I had to live under those rules...
And while we're at it, the United States should require that Quebec tourists
speak only english when they're visiting, use U.S. currency only when
spending their money, and not allow Quebec men and women with "beer guts" to
wear "Speedo" swimwear and black socks with sandals! I hope I hear further
news pertaining to these demands!
Until next time...
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE's Game Console Industry News - The Latest Gaming News!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
The Darkness Is Coming To Sega Dreamcast: Acclaim's
Shadow Man Makes Its Bloodcurdling Debut
Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. announced that its acclaimed third-person
action/adventure game, Shadow Man, has shipped to retail stores nationwide
for the Sega Dreamcast. Developed by Acclaim Studios Teesside, Shadow Man
takes video-gaming into the unexplored territories of the human psyche,
challenging gamers to stop a marauding band of villains from unleashing
unspeakable horrors upon the world as we know it.
``Shadow Man is the first game of its kind for the Sega Dreamcast," said
Evan Stein, director of marketing at Acclaim Entertainment. ``Shadow Man's
chilling gameplay, intense storyline and stunning graphics will offer
gamers a unique adventure that is sure to keep them awake at night."
Shadow Man is inspired by the Acclaim Comics title of the same name. The
game encompasses two enormous, varied worlds. Adventurers travel Liveside,
the land of the living, as mortal Mike LeRoi, and explore Deadside, the
place where lost souls spend eternity in unspeakable horror, as his alter
ego, the voodoo-warrior Shadow Man.
Game play begins with an eerie dream sequence - a prophetic nightmare
vision of Armageddon, as seen by Mama Nettie, a voodoo sorceress who
created Shadow Man by implanting the powerful Shadow Mask in Mike LeRoi's
chest. In her dream, Nettie foresees the coming of the Apocalypse and
charges Shadow Man with a task of epic proportions. Gamers, as Shadow Man,
must step across the veil into Deadside and stop an underground cult of
lunatics from opening a gateway to Liveside and destroying our world.
Shadow Man's ancient apocalyptic prophecy must be fulfilled through the
unfurling of over twenty levels set across two worlds. On the way, players
load up with an arsenal of artillery, such as the ultimate voodoo weapon,
the Asson. They must also search for elusive clues to discover their true
purpose and the meaning of the mysterious voodoo items they carry.
Shadow Man's proprietary state-of-the-art 3D VISTA (Virtually Integrated
Scenic TerrAin) game engine allows potentially limitless game environments
that let the player see as far as the horizon without the need for an
obscuring fog. All characters within the game are depicted using a highly
advanced `softskin' system, which allows them to be accurately depicted to
the highest detail.
Acclaim has included a warning on the game's box cover informing purchasers
of Shadow Man's adult content and language.
Acclaim Publishing has released a comprehensive strategy guide for Shadow
Man concurrent with the game's launch. The guide includes illustrated
walk-throughs, highly detailed maps, exclusive screenshots, hints and tips,
and insider information direct from the game's creators.
Xena: Warrior Princess: The Talisman of Fate
for Nintendo 64 Hits Retail Shelves
Titus Software announced Tuesday that its much-anticipated title for the
Nintendo 64 platform, Xena: Warrior Princess: The Talisman of Fate, has
shipped to stores.
The game promises all the action of the popular television series, ``Xena:
Warrior Princess" and can include up to four players.
``The Xena license is an exciting franchise for Titus," said Frederic
Oualid, vice president of marketing of Titus Software. ``We have taken the
theme of the show and adapted it perfectly into a fighting game for the
Nintendo platform, creating a thoroughly entertaining experience for the
player. In addition, we have supported this launch with a multi-million
dollar Marketing campaign."
The four-player game features beautifully rendered 3-D graphics on 12
expansive backdrops, including ancient Greek and Roman settings. In these
venues, players have ample space to control characters' signature
maneuvers. With high jumps, Kung-Fu kicks, true heckles and the actual
weapons from the series, this Nintendo 64 game offers all the bravado fans
have come to expect from the ``Xena: Warrior Princess" television show.
In four different player modes, gamers can enjoy single, head-to-head or
team play. The game is also compatible with Rumble Pak, Memory Pak and
Expansion Pak -- this compatibility ensures a gameplay experience that only
the Nintendo 64's unique, advanced technologies can create.
Xena: Warrior Princess: The Talisman of Fate is sure to please both diehard
enthusiasts of the fighting genre and fans of the ``Xena: Warrior
Princess" series. It is available at major retail outlets nationwide today
at a suggested retail price of $59.
The King of Auto Combat Continues Its Reign With the
Release of Activision's Vigilante 8: Second Offense
The king of auto-combat hits the road again when Activision, Inc. ships
Vigilante 8: Second Offense for the PlayStation game console. Non-stop,
high-octane vehicular warfare will tear across the U.S. and into retail
channels the week of November 29, 1999. The game will carry a suggested
retail price of $39.95.
In Vigilante 8: Second Offense, players must stop the Coyote terrorist gang
that has traveled back through time in an attempt change the course of
events that will allow evil to dominate the world. In their quest to save
the fate of the world, gamers get behind the wheel supercharged combat
vehicles, each linked to an over-the-top character, as they battle through
a series of death-matches spanning eight destructible arenas throughout the
United States.
``Vigilante 8: Second Offense is the must have auto-combat title of the
year," stated Mitch Lasky, executive vice president, Activision Studios.
``The game delivers all the breakthrough elements of Vigilante 8 and ups
the ante by further redefining the auto-combat genre with its morphing
vehicle advancements."
Developed by Luxoflux Corp., Vigilante 8: Second Offense delivers non-stop
intense full-throttle auto-combat complete with 18 new outrageous vehicles,
which can be modified with high-tech enhancements and propulsion power-ups
that morph into place. As players advance through the game, they have the
ability to acquire ``salvage points" each time an enemy is destroyed. By
collecting points, players are able to enhance and upgrade their vehicle
with new attachments including wider tires and spoiler wings. The more
points the player collects, the more upgrades they will receive; the
ultimate upgrade is a completely new car chassis. The power-ups, which can
be found throughout each arena, provide gamers with improved driving on
snow and water and the ability to hover above the ground.
The sequel expands on all of the breakthrough features of Vigilante 8
including one of the most popular and unique elements of the original game,
the quest mode, by introducing larger and more challenging quests with more
diverse objectives. From the bayous of the South to the Steel Mills of the
East, each of the eight destructible arenas features unique interactive
terrain-based gameplay elements that player's can use to their advantage.
The game introduces an improved level of graphical detail including
exhaust, fog, water effects, brake lights and bigger and better explosions.
Additionally, the game features six different modes of play - quest mode,
arcade mode, survival mode, two-player head-to-head, two-player cooperative
and two-player quest mode. The game also offers multiple play perspectives,
inside the car, behind the car and a split-screen option for two-player
action.
Midway's Billy Bob's Huntin 'N' Fishin for Game
Boy Color in Stores Now
Game Spoofs Fishing and Hunting Much Like
Ready 2 Rumble Parodies Boxing
Hey ya'all; Spit out yer' doggone tobaccy and listen here! Midway Home
Entertainment, one of the industry's leading video game publishers and
developers, announced that Billy Bob's Huntin `N' Fishin, an
action/adventure game for Game Boy Color , is available now for holiday
sales. Billy Bob's Huntin `N' Fishin puts a funny twist on the pastimes of
hunting and fishing.
``With Billy Bob's Huntin `N' Fishin, Midway combines one of the most
popular pastimes with a sense of humor to deliver a witty and entertaining
game," said Paula Cook, director of marketing at Midway Home Entertainment.
``This unique approach to game design has already proven immensely
successful, as demonstrated by the strong sales of Ready 2 Rumble Boxing
and other Midway titles which incorporate satire with an exciting gaming
experience."
Deep in the backwoods of a tiny lil' town named Rock Crest lives the great
hunter and fisherman Billy Bob. Billy Bob's dream, like others in Rock
Crest, is to have the beautiful Daisy May become his wife. The only way he
can win her hand is to become the best dadgum huntin' and fishin' sportsman
in town.
Players control Billy Bob through five huntin' and five fishin' levels and
must tackle four locations -- the Lodge, the Bait Shop, the Thinkun' Spot,
and Daisy May's house. Once gamers complete all of the missions, they can
ask Daisy May's PA for her hand in marriage. Fail in your mission and
you're cruisin' for a bruisin'!
Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness For Nintendo 64
'Howls' in the Holidays; Konami's Prequel to
Smash Hit Castlevania N64 Available December 9
Konami sinks its teeth into holiday sales with the highly anticipated
launch of Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness for Nintendo 64. With vivid
graphics and moody, orchestral music, and the ability to support expansion
pak accessories Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness transforms players into a
fierce werewolf battling the evil incarnate himself, Lord Dracula.
Available on December 9, 1999, Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness is priced at
$42 wholesale and carries an ESRB rating of ``T" for Teens. Konami of
America, Inc., is a leading developer of electronic entertainment for the
home video game markets.
``The original Castlevania N64 took console action adventure gaming to a
new level of excellence," said Chris Mike, Director of Marketing for
Konami. ``With updated gameplay and graphics, Castlevania: Legacy of
Darkness will simultaneously thrill fans of the original game and entertain
gamers new to the franchise."
Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness sends players back in time to a period
eight years before the original game begins, revealing the chilling history
of Dracula's rebirth and plot to spread dark dominion over the entire
world. Players will don the role of Cornell, a powerful werewolf warrior,
seeking to unravel the mystery behind his sister's disappearance. As
players plunge deeper into the this dark adventure, the evil Dracula is
revealed to be the force behind the kidnapping of Cornell's sister. Vividly
rendered hi-res 3D graphics, FMV cut sequences and a haunting orchestral
score will immerse players in the gameplay and storyline.
As Cornell, players will have the ability to morph from human to werewolf
to dispatch enemies with all the fearsome natural weaponry of the
lycanthrope. In addition, players will wield the traditional weapons of
medieval vampire slaying, including axes, daggers and holy water, among
others. Weapons can be upgraded through three strength levels for increased
effectiveness. Gameplay will progress through 14 stages, as players guide
Cornell through a foggy lake, forest, castle, underground passages, a
church tower and do battle with enemies like skeletons, vampires, bats,
dragons, Medusa and Death. Secret chambers and additional characters give
Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness tremendous replayability.
Acclaim Sports Ships NFL Quarterback Club 2000 for Dreamcast
Acclaim Sports, Inc. announced that NFL Quarterback Club 2000 for the Sega
Dreamcast has shipped to retail stores nationwide.
NFL Quarterback Club 2000 takes advantage of the powerful technological
capabilities of the Sega Dreamcast system to bring football fans an
incredible NFL gaming experience. It was developed by Acclaim Studios
Austin, creators of hit sports titles such as NFL Quarterback Club and
All-Star Baseball, and utilizes Microsoft's Windows CE operating system.
Acclaim Studios Austin worked with Microsoft on the development of the game
to ensure that NFL Quarterback Club 2000 for Sega Dreamcast takes advantage
of the powerful technological capabilities of the Windows CE development
toolkit.
The NFL Quarterback Club franchise has been critically praised for its
outstanding graphics and authentic gameplay, and has received numerous
awards from gaming magazines and websites. Working with the Sega Dreamcast
architecture, Acclaim has focused on taking the already breathtaking
graphics and animation of NFL Quarterback Club to the next level,
recreating a true NFL football gameplay experience. To that end, Acclaim
enlisted Charlie Weis, Offensive Coordinator of the N.Y. Jets, to
mastermind the artificial intelligence and play-calling for the game.
Key game features of NFL Quarterback Club 2000 for Sega Dreamcast include:
Ultra Hi-Rez graphics for unprecedented NFL realism; player models
featuring real-life faces, eye black, breathe strips, elbow pads, finger
tape, and the highest polygonal counts of any NFL Quarterback Club title to
date; over 1,200 motion-captured animations, including punishing wrap
tackles and player celebrations; and total team management with trading,
drafting, signing and releasing players, and managing the salary cap.
Activision Introduces Multi-Platinum Hip-Hop Artists,
Wu-Tang Clan, to the PlayStation Game Console
Arena-Based Fighting Game, Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style, Hits Retail Shelves
One of the most influential rap groups of our time, the Wu-Tang Clan brings
its own brand of Kung Fu fighting action the PlayStation game console with
Activision, Inc.'s Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style. A multiplayer arena-based
fighting game with an urban vibe, the title features three exclusive
Wu-Tang Clan music tracks-the only new Wu-Tang releases in 1999.
Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style marks the first time that an original video game
property has been designed specifically for a rap group. The game is now
available in North American retail stores and carries a suggested retail
price of $49.95.
``With Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style, Activision has created a game that reflects
the hip-hop phenomenon," states Mitch Lasky, executive vice president,
Activision Studios. ``By partnering with the multi-platinum-selling Wu-Tang
Clan, we were able to build on the artists' style and martial arts
philosophy to produce a unique fighting game with an intricate
action-packed storyline that takes players through ten urban/Asian
arenas."
Developed by Paradox, Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style challenges players to battle
as one of nine Shaolin warriors and advance -- as in ancient Chinese
tradition -- through the 36 skill chambers of martial arts. Taking on the
role of one of the Wu Tang Clan, including RZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method
Man and Raekwon, gamers must master an arsenal of attack moves, multi-hit
combos, taunts, fatality kills and counter attacks unique to each warrior.
While fighting nine lethal alter egos, players travel through an intricate
system of ten realistic 3D arenas-from Staten Island streets to a Chinatown
warehouse and a mythological Shaolin temple in ancient China. Wu Tang:
Shaolin Style's masterful in-game cinematics allow players to track their
progress from arena to arena.
Utilizing a highly advanced multiplayer engine, Wu Tang: Shaolin Style
delivers fast Kung Fu fighting action featuring one- to four-player
battles, hard-core attack animations and kill sequences. Players can choose
from three battle modes, including Practice mode, Single Match Versus mode
and Story mode.
Queen Ruby Holdings served as a consultant on Wu Tang: Shaolin Style.
NUON Delivers Interactivity to Samsung
NUON Enhanced DVD Players Slated for Launch This Spring
VM Labs and Samsung Electronics America announced that Samsung would
incorporate NUON media processing technology in a new DVD player.
Samsung's DVD-N2000 uses this new technology to enable advanced interactive
features and dramatically enhance audio and video performance. The first
NUON enhanced Samsung DVD players are anticipated to reach store shelves in
the first quarter of 2000.
NUON technology turns a DVD player into a complete video entertainment
system. Standard DVD movies will not only run on NUON enhanced DVD players,
but will benefit by vastly improved movie-viewing features. NUON enhanced
players will also be able to play a wide variety of entertainment and
educational software as well as bring audio CDs to life with stunning
visual effects modes.
VM Labs is licensing third party publishers to develop NUON interactive
software that will serve the family market. At least six initial NUON
titles are scheduled for release to coincide with hardware availability.
Peripheral ports will allow users to plug in joysticks, keyboards and other
devices, providing additional ways to interact with the DVD player.
Samsung's DVD-N2000 will be the first of their DVDs to be produced using
NUON and will be available in the first quarter of 2000 with a MSRP of
$499. The DVD-N2000 offers exceptionally smooth Shuttle, as well as a new
pan-zoom function that allows the user to select and magnify any portion of
the picture up to twenty times. The NUON processing allows this dramatic
magnification with little distortion thanks to advanced filtering
algorithms. And this astounding flexibility is available any time, even
while the movie is playing.
NUON further allows the DVD-N2000 to play CD discs at half-normal speed or
twice normal speed with minimal distortion. It can even play a CD
backwards. CD Playback is even more interesting with the elaborate graphics
options, including a colorful spectrum analyzer display and other dynamic
images that respond to the musical content.
Most exciting, however, is that the DVD-N2000 will also function as the
family gaming console. Games are in development and soon consumers will be
able to switch from watching, to listening, to playing, at the change of a
disc.
``Samsung has been a leader in DVD Technology since the inception of the
category," said Mark Knox, Senior Manager of Samsung Electronics America's
Digital Group. ``Now, the combination of Samsung's leading DVD technology
and NUON's advanced media processing will bring a new set of features and
vastly improved performance to Samsung's extensive DVD line-up."
``Today's DVD players have great graphics...but with NUON, you get a total
entertainment system packed with fun interactive activities and
capabilities," said Richard Miller, CEO of VM Labs. ``With brands like
Samsung on the hardware side and family-oriented content alliances, we have
a spectacular, media-rich experience for consumers to enjoy."
NUON has the speed and power to transform a DVD player into an interactive
fun-center that will entertain the whole family. NUON enhanced digital
video devices bring the television to life with interactivity in the form
of games, educational software, interactive movie content and more. Future
NUON enhanced features include Internet connectivity and Web-enabled movie
experiences.
The NUON media processing technology replaces the MPEG decoder chip
currently found in digital video products. Analysts predict that digital
video will supersede the current analog method over the next few years, and
NUON is poised to become the new standard for interactive digital home
entertainment. VM Labs Inc. is based in Mountain View. For more information
and to download artwork, visit http://www.nuon-tech.com
Midway Releasing Seven Titles for Game Boy Color
Midway Home Entertainment Inc. announced that it will release seven titles
for the Game Boy Color system for the holidays -- NBA Showtime: NBA on NBC,
Ready 2 Rumble Boxing, NFL Blitz 2000, Rampart, Marble Madness, Billy Bob's
Huntin `N' Fishin and Rampage 2: Universal Tour.
``Game Boy Color is the hottest selling platform in the industry with sales
up more than 250% this year to date, and Midway has always been one of the
systems's strongest third party supporters," said Paula Cook, director of
marketing for Midway Home Entertainment. ``We are continuing our support
with a diverse Game Boy Color lineup that includes proven hits like Ready 2
Rumble Boxing and NFL Blitz 2000, and exclusives such as the
tongue-in-cheek Billy Bob's Huntin `N' Fishin.
The Midway Game Boy Color Line-Up
Ready 2 Rumble Boxing features Michael Buffer's trademark call, ``Let's Get
Ready to Rumble," announcing and gives players the opportunity to
compete as one of 10 boxers, each with their own unique fighting style.
Each boxer is hyper-realistic with motion-captured animation, full color
FMV's (Full Motion Videos) and tons of special and hidden punch combos.
Equipped with the Rumble Pak feature, Ready 2 Rumble Boxing is truly ready
to rumble and promises to deliver an over-the-top blow in the handheld
boxing market.
NBA Showtime: NBA on NBC will be one of this season's hottest basketball
titles with motion-captured crossover dribble moves, no-look passes,
rim-rocking dunks, hidden characters, over 120 NBA stars and all 29 NBA
teams. Gamers can choose to tip off NBA Showtime: NBA on NBC's 2-on-2
action in their favorite NBA arena or one of the game's fantasy courts.
NFL Blitz 2000, the hottest arcade-style football game, has no refs, no
rules, no mercy and features all 31 teams, each comprised of seven of the
best offensive and defensive players from each team. With easy to run
plays, new tackle animations and killer artificial intelligence, NFL Blitz
2000 sets the standard for Game Boy Color football games.
Rampart is the highly addictive, classic combination puzzle and strategy
game. Placing the player in the role of warlord of an enclosed castle,
gamers must build and repair walls to protect against enemies. Single
players can compete against a computer-controlled navy, or two players can
battle each other.
Marble Madness brings an arcade classic home for one or two players.
Players steer marbles down a variety of courses trying to find the fastest
path and record the best time.
Billy Bob's Huntin 'N' Fishin is a comedic, action adventure hunting and
fishing game. Players control Billy Bob through 10 off the wall hunting and
fishing levels and an assortment of humorous mini-games in an effort to
become the best sportsman in Wydville and win the affection of the
beautiful Daisy Mae.
Rampage 2: Universal Tour is the sequel to the immensely popular coin-op
and console classic, Rampage World Tour. Players take on the role of three
new mutants, a lobster, a rat and a rhino who wreak havoc on the
unsuspecting universe and rescue their three predecessors. One or two
gamers take control of these mutants and play in cooperative mode, cruising
through the universe and into outer space, guiding them on their
destructive rescue mission.
Konami Arcade Classics Available Just in Time for
1999 Holiday Rush; Ten Classic Arcade Games
Updated for the Sony PlayStation
Konami puts the ``class" back in classic this holiday season with the
highly anticipated release of Konami Arcade Classics for the Sony
PlayStation. Veteran gamers from the '80's and rookies alike will enjoy
updated versions of top ten arcade favorites, which stay true to the
superlative gameplay that generated their original popularity. Konami
Arcade Classics is now available at retail outlets nationwide with an "E"
for Everyone ESRB rating, and priced at $29.99 SRP.
``Konami Arcade Classics gives new players a taste of what first put Konami
on the map while giving old pros their fix for '80's style arcade fun,"
said Chris Mike, Konami's Director of Marketing. ``1999 is the perfect time
to breath new life into these classic favorites as we get ready to roll
into a new millennium of entertaining games."
The Konami Arcade Classics collection includes ten signature games and
offers a new level of accessibility and functionality while remaining true
to their excellent gameplay mechanics. Designed for the Sony PlayStation,
the Konami Arcade Classics allow players to opt between analog and digital
control settings. Konami went to great lengths to insure that these arcade
games accurately reproduced the arcade experience. Konami Arcade Classics
includes the following games:
Pooyan
Players help Mama Pig protect her children from being kidnapped by the big
bad wolves. Gamers are equipped with a bow and arrow, and heavy meat, to
prevent the wolves from either reaching the ground or flying through the
air on balloons.
Scramble
Fast paced gameplay where would-be pilots navigate space ships armed with
single pixel shots and bombs. As players navigate through six different
levels, their ships must be refueled by various fuel tanks sailing by.
Super Cobra
In this sequel to Scramble, players earn their wings by piloting their
chopper through 11 levels of treacherous terrain. While dodging homing
missiles, tanks and various enemies, players must look for flying fuel
tanks to refuel their helicopter.
Yie Ar Kung-Fu
Having introduced fancy martial art moves, head-to-head combat and
character picks in the 80s -- Yie Ar Kung-Fu set the standard for today's
fighting games.
Roc 'n' Rope
Players embark on an archeological quest for a special golden bird through
four white-knuckle levels. Enemies will attack them as they precariously
climb ropes from ledge to ledge to catch the bird. It's a race to the top
and only quick thinking and quicker reflexes will allow players to reach
the golden bird before their enemies.
Shao-Lin's Road
An action game, where players must karate kick all the bad guys off the
screen. While defending the screen, gamers will look for special power-ups
when various colored enemies appear and ultimately prepare for their match
with the Enemy Boss.
Circus Charlie
Join the circus as Charlie, whose goal is to amaze the crowd with six crazy
events: Fire Rings, Tight Rope, Ball Walk, Horseback, Trampoline and the
Flying Trapeze. Each event must be completed as quickly as possible to
score bonus points and if time runs out, players lose one Charlie.
Road Fighter
In this vertical-scrolling driving game, players race through six levels of
nerve-racking competitions. Drivers must dodge metal-crunching car crashes
and overtake 39 cars to secure the first place position.
Time Pilot
One of the most popular Konami arcade titles, Time Pilot puts players
behind the controls of various aircraft of the ages as they are transported
through time -- from 1910, 1940, 1970, 1982 and to the year 2001. With the
freedom to fly anywhere in the futuristic space ship, players attempt to
shoot down 56 enemy aircraft in each time period before heading into the
final challenge with the Enemy Boss.
Gyruss
Players travel through the solar system in Gyruss hoping to reach Earth.
While traveling through the Gyruss universe, enemy ships block the players
from warping ahead to each destination world. Featuring stereo sound by 15
tone generators and discrete circuits for synthetic drums and sound
effects, Gyruss demonstrates some of the best music for an arcade game
developed in 1983.
Quebec Threatens Suing Sony, Nintendo Over French
The Quebec provincial government threatened on Thursday to sue video game
makers Nintendo Co. Ltd. and Sony Corp. if they do not provide
French-language versions of their popular products by New Year's Eve.
French Language Minister Louise Beaudoin told a news conference that she
has met Canadian officials of both Japanese companies over the past 18
months and has come to the conclusion they would not offer their products
in French in Quebec, Canada's only French-speaking province.
Products include ``Pikachu" and ``Super Mario" -- the hugely popular
video games -- as well as Pokemon cards, distributed in Canada by a unit
of Hasbro Inc.
``Why not Pokemon in French? It exists elsewhere," Beaudoin said.
``I am launching an ultimatum. I conclude that it is time to act and to
consider that negotiations have not been successful. The law must be
applied," she told reporters.
Asked what she had in mind, Beaudoin said: ``A legal warning to comply
with regulations first and eventually suits. I hope we will not reach
that stage," she asserted.
French is the province's official language since 1977 and the Quebec
Charter of the French language compels firms operating in Quebec to sell
products at least in French, without banning any other language. The
Quebec law also forces product packaging, instructions and guarantees to
be written at least in French as well.
Versions from France are incompatible with North American technology,
Beaudoin said.
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE Gaming Online - Online Users Growl & Purr!
"""""""""""""""""""
Ted Hoff, Previously of SEGA and Time Warner
Interactive, Joins ClickMovie.com as COO
ClickMovie.com, the leader in movie-on-demand technology, announced today
that entertainment and electronics industry veteran, Ted Hoff has joined
their parent company, Tranz-Send Broadcasting Network Inc., as its chief
operating officer.
Hoff joins the Tranz-Send management team as the company prepares to launch
the world's most powerful personalized movie-on-demand site on the World
Wide Web. ClickMovie.com is committed to its goal of providing viewers
``Every version of every film, in any language, when and where you want
it".
Hoff comes to Tranz-Send Broadcasting Network from an accomplished line of
senior management positions with industry leaders, including Time Warner,
Atari, SEGA and Twentieth Century Fox. Additionally, Hoff has lead key
roles in early stage technology companies, including consumer electronics
hardware and software.
``Ted brings us thirty years industry leadership with extensive sales,
marketing and general management background," stated Scott Redmond,
CEO/CTO of Tranz-Send Broadcasting. ``His experience in consumer products
and media companies will play a key role in building Tranz-Send's
www.ClickMovie.com and www.MyPersonalTV.com brands into household names. We
are all very excited to have Ted on board to help us build ClickMovie.com
into the leading entertainment destination," stated Redmond.
Hoff is known for bringing a unique and innovative marketing approach to
companies and the ability to create new product demand through both
traditional and unconventional distribution channels. He has launched new
products and companies, including NetLink, Atari Interactive, Fox
Interactive and Reality Quest.
``I've come to ClickMovie.com at this exciting time because they truly have
captured the leading edge in technology for the next stage of home
entertainment -- movies and media on demand," said Hoff. ``Tranz-Send
Broadcasting Network is showing the way in this convergent market of on
demand entertainment. I wanted to be part of it, and this is the only place
to be," stated Hoff.
=~=~=~=
A-ONE's Headline News
The Latest in Computer Technology News
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
E-Mail Privacy Dangers Alleged
Consumer and privacy advocates asked regulators Friday to force software
akers to seal an e-mail feature that they say enables companies to track
World Wide Web sites people visit.
The groups fear that companies could exploit the technology to match up
people's e-mail addresses and possibly other personal information with
their Internet surfing habits. That could open the door for intensive
marketing of services and products to people who have visited certain
sites, they said.
``This feature is so subtle and difficult to understand that the average
consumer can't be expected to avoid the invasion of privacy it causes,"
said Jason Catlett, president of Junkbusters Corp., a New Jersey-based
company that specializes in Internet privacy matters.
Junkbusters, along with the Electronic Privacy Information Center, Center
for Media Education, Electronic Frontier Foundation and others filed a
petition Friday with the Federal Trade Commission. It asked that
Microsoft, Netscape and other software makers change the situation that
makes such tracking possible.
``It's really incumbent on the FTC to protect consumers from the risks,"
Catlett said.
The groups and security expert Richard Smith describe the problem as
follows: Because some e-mail messages contain graphics that must be
retrieved from the Web, a technical factor makes it possible for the person
receiving the e-mail to be assigned an identification number, or ``cookie."
That cookie can then be silently transmitted as the person surfs the Web,
according to the groups.
What's more, they say, the cookie could then be traced back to the person's
e-mail address in certain cases.
``My concern here is where the Internet marketing business is heading,"
Smith said. He fears the feature will allow for more one-to-one tracking
and direct marketing.
The groups said they feel confident the software makers will work on the
problem.
Richard Purcell, Microsoft's chief privacy officer, said the company's
engineers are investigating it.
``We are trying to determine if there is a true technology flaw involved,
or if this is good technology being exploited for purposes that our
unwanted by consumers," Purcell said. ``It is too early, unfortunately,
to know what remedies could be put in place."
Purcell also said safeguards exist for consumers to ensure that when they
get e-mails displaying Web pages, they come from sites they trust.
The advocates said they brought the matter to the FTC so that smaller
companies also would be required to act on the issue.
``We will give it serious review," said FTC spokeswoman Vicki
Streitfeld.
Government Alleges Legal Violations by Microsoft
The Justice Department and 19 states argued that Microsoft Corp. violated
the U.S. antitrust law in at least four different ways, in papers filed
Monday with the judge conducting the software company's trial.
The government used Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson's findings of fact,
issued last month, to argue the company had illegally erected barriers to
competitors, tied the purchase of its monopoly computer operating system
to acceptance of its other software, entered exclusionary agreements and
campaigned to keep a rival Web browser from consumers.
The 70-page brief focused in large part on Microsoft's competitive
actions to assure that its Internet Explorer Web browser -- software used
to surf the Internet -- would displace one by Netscape.
The government has argued that Microsoft executives feared Netscape's
browser could displace the Windows operating system, by serving as a
substitute platform to run software. Netscape has since been sold to
America Online Inc.
The government argued that Microsoft ``illegally maintained the critical
barrier to entry into, and hence its monopoly in, the market for operating
systems for Intel-compatible personal computers," referring to chips made by
Intel Corp.
In an additional filing, the 19 states and the District of Columbia also
alleged that Microsoft violated state laws in each of their jurisdictions.
Ziff-Davis to Sell Publishing Unit for $780 Million
Trade magazine publisher Ziff-Davis Inc., seeking to boost its sagging
share price, said on Monday it agreed to sell PC Magazine, PC Computing and
most of its other publications for $780 million in cash to private
investment firm Willis Stein & Partners.
Ziff-Davis said it would retain the publications Computer Shopper and its
ownership interest in Red Herring, a Silicon Valley based-venture capital
magazine. It will also keep its Internet properties, traded under the
separate tracking stock of ZDNet. The deal includes a five-year deal
under which ZDNet will pay royalties to use Ziff-Davis Publishing content
online for five years.
Ziff-Davis Publishing is the latest in a stream of businesses to be sold
by Ziff-Davis, including education, market research and television units.
The moves are part of the company's bid to boost the value of its
flagging share price.
Shares of Ziff-Davis, which includes print publishing, trade shows and
conference businesses, ended down 1-3/16 to 17-1/16 in composite trade on
the New York Stock Exchange. ZDNet shares fell 5/8 to 22-1/4, also on the
NYSE.
``This is a major step toward our goal of unlocking value for our
shareholders," Eric Hippeau, Ziff-Davis chairman and chief executive,
said in a statement. He said he believed Willis Stein had the resources
and commitment ``to leverage Ziff-Davis Publishing's global brands and
marketing platforms" and to "build and expand upon their leadership
position."
The publishing unit transaction is expected to close in the first quarter
of 2000 and is subject to financing and other customary conditions, the
company said.
The unit publishes PC Magazine, the world's No. 1 ranked computer trade
magazine, PC Week, a computer industry weekly and PC Computing, the No.
2-ranked U.S. computer consumer monthly. It also includes Interactive
Week, an Internet weekly magazine, and Yahoo! Internet Life, a popular
Internet consumer magazine title.
Avy Stein, managing partner of Willis Stein & Partners, said his company
planned to work with the Ziff-Davis management team as well as
``partnering with ZDNet and Ziff-Davis's other business ventures."
Willis Stein said it named James Dunning Jr., who ran Petersen, the
largest U.S. publisher of special interest magazines, to be chairman and
chief executive of the new Ziff-Davis Holdings LLC, the acquisition
vehicle. Ziff said Dunning, who was executive vice president at
Ziff-Davis predecessor Ziff Communications, from 1984 to 1986, will also
serve as chairman of Ziff-Davis Publishing, the operating company.
Mike Perlis will continue as president and chief executive of Ziff-Davis
Publishing, Ziff-Davis said.
Dunning was chairman and chief executive at Petersen, and also served on
the investment group led by Willis Stein that acquired that publisher in
1996. He had left Petersen this fall, after Willis Stein sold it to
British magazine publisher EMAP Plc (EMA.L).
Last summer, Ziff-Davis said it had retained Morgan Stanley Dean Witter
to explore strategic options. In August, the company sold ZD Market
Intelligence, its market research unit, to direct marketing company
Harte-Hanks Inc. for a total of $106 million.
It also expects to close the sale of its ZD Education and its interest in
ZDTV before the end of the first quarter of 2000 for $172 million and
$204.8 million respectively. The ZDTV transaction will give Microsoft
Corp. co-founder Paul Allen a 97 percent share of the cable television
channel focused on computers and the Internet.
Toshiba, HP Offer New Slim Notebooks
Toshiba introduced new corporate notebooks today, featuring the latest
and greatest in mobile processors.
Toshiba's new Tecra and Portege models run the latest Intel mobile
Pentium IIIs and are designed for business users, the company said.
In introducing the new systems, Toshiba is in step with the rest of PC
makers, as most major manufacturers ready new Pentium III notebooks with
larger displays and thinner cases. The new models reflect the industry's
recent obsession with eye-catching designs achieved with silver magnesium
cases and enlarged displays, as well as business buyers' love for
consistent components for easy deployment across large companies.
Along with Toshiba, Hewlett-Packard today introduced a redesigned version
of its slim OmniBook 900 with a 500-MHz Pentium III processor. The portable
will also come with a 13-inch screen for the first time.
The new Portege 7140CT is 4.4-pounds and one-inch thick. Running on the
Intel Pentium III at speeds up to 500MHz, the notebook also includes a
13.3-inch display. Offering options such as a 6 GB hard drive, 64 MB of
memory and Windows NT, the $3,399 mini-notebook is targeted at
image-conscious executives, according to Craig Marking, product manager
at Toshiba.
"It reflects on who they are--it says 'I'm successful,'" Marking said,
noting that the new Portege also has been updated with a better screen
and longer battery life.
The new Tecra 8100 series is designed to appeal more to corporate
budgets. The new notebook is based on the same design and components as
previous versions, so that companies can easily integrate newer Tecras
within existing networks of Toshiba computers.
"It's evolutionary and revolutionary," Marking said of the new Tecra.
"It's an island of stability in a sea of constant change," he said.
The Tecra 8100, priced on a build-to-order basis, includes the Intel
Pentium III processor, up to 256MBof memory, a 1.4-inch thick design, up
to a 14.1-inch display and a DVD-ROM drive as an option.
The Tecra 8100 also features a new leather grip on the case, for easy
handling, Marking said.
These notebooks are running on the fastest processors available until
Intel releases new Pentium III notebook chips with "SpeedStep" technology
on January 18. SpeedStep will allow a processor to run faster when
plugged in than when running on battery power.
A 600-MHz notebook Pentium III, coming in January, will run at close to
500 MHz when unplugged. The change is important because it will allow
notebook makers to incorporate faster chips without compromising battery
life, Intel executives and analysts have said.
AOL Blocks AT&T In Messaging War, Part Two
As AT&T prepared to link its customers to America Online's instant
messaging service this morning, AOL fired off an instant message of its
own: hands off.
Following through on a vow to bar rivals from accessing its AOL Instant
Messenger (AIM) member lists, AOL today began disconnecting AT&T customers
from AIM just hours after AT&T released a product built to connect with
AOL's huge installed base.
Tribal Voice, which provides AT&T's I M Here messaging software, said AOL
started rejecting registration requests from AT&T users at 10 a.m., five
hours after AT&T's WorldNet Internet service first made the product
available on its Web site.
Ma Bell confirmed that AOL began blocking its users from AIM this morning,
as it did with Microsoft and its MSN Messenger software this summer. But
AT&T said it hasn't yet determined a response.
"At this point I don't know what we would do," AT&T spokesman Ritch Blasi
said. "We don't want to go through the same thing Microsoft went through."
Despite warning signs, AT&T executives had been hopeful AOL would
cooperate, especially given the online leader's recent push for so-called
open access to cable networks.
AOL did not return several requests for comment.
Instant messaging, made popular by AOL, allows users to communicate with
friends and family in a real-time chat format. AOL has dominated the
niche by maintaining 45 million screen names in its AIM "Buddy List"
network and an additional 40 million registrations in ICQ, the instant
messaging software it acquired last year.
Although today's move by AOL was expected, it sends another clear message
that the company will not quietly let go of its enormous lead in the IM
market by freely giving users of competing products access to its system.
It is
a position that has put the company at odds with efforts to
establish an IM standard and with consumers who could reap major benefits
from interoperability. Although AOL has said it supports open standards
and has published its source code, it has refused to open its network to
all comers. It battled Microsoft to a standstill over the issue, forcing
the software giant to back off just last month.
AT&T's arrival on the battleground could make it more difficult for AOL
to refuse access to competitors over the long haul, analysts said. But
with its huge base of users, the company faces no immediate pressure to
capitulate.
"AT&T is no slouch," said Rob Enderle, an analyst with Giga Information
Group. "But even now, [AOL's competitors] don't have enough of an
installed base."
Joe Lazslo, an analyst with Jupiter Communications, agreed.
"In the long term, this is a blow to AOL," he said. "But for now it doesn't
give users much incentive to switch."
The move by AT&T is an attempt to give the company and its 1.8 million
AT&T WorldNet customers access to the millions of users on the AIM and
ICQ systems. Providing access to AOL's audience for the roughly 50 percent
of its customers who use the AT&T I M Here service would be a competitive
advantage.
Blasi said the company recognizes instant messaging as one of the
fastest-growing areas in communications, and it wants to be competitive
in that market. Like many messaging products, AT&T's supports voice
chatting, a market that could grow as voice-over-Internet protocol
technologies improve.
AT&T has been embracing open Internet policies. Earlier this week the
company struck a deal on principles for providing unaffiliated ISPs,
namely MindSpring Enterprises, access to its cable modem network.
Microsoft also has embraced openness, at least on the IM front.
The software giant worked closely with Tribal Voice to create
interoperability with the new version of AT&T's I M Here and Tribal Voice's
underlying PowWow IM product. Not including AT&T customers, Tribal Voice
pegs its installed base at about 5 million, including distribution through
a partnership inked in the fall with British ISP Freeserve.
What Tribal Voice and others have considered steps toward opening channels
of communication, however, AOL has criticized their moves as unauthorized
attempts to access its servers.
"We will block [interoperability with Tribal Voice] because it's
unauthorized access to our servers that jeopardizes member security and
privacy," Tricia Primrose, an AOL spokeswoman, said when the Freeserve
deal was announced in September.
Having fended off one powerful opponent in Microsoft, AOL appears to
believe it can do so again, analysts said.
"AOL is extremely confident right now," said Giga's Enderle, who added
that the company can stand a lot more pressure in the short run, even as
more competitors line up alongside AT&T and Microsoft in the coming
months.
"But in the long term that might backfire," he cautioned, suggesting that
the company's practices might lead to antitrust scrutiny, similar to
charges against Microsoft.
"The big exposure is that they will be called to task for their
behavior. They might be next on the list for government intervention,"
Enderle said.
Virus Trackers Report Bug Aimed at Y2K
The computer world's mischief makers struck last week with the first in
what is expected to be a wave of viruses set to go off Jan. 1, 2000,
computer experts said on Friday.
A virus was discovered in computer systems of a number of companies, set
to go off at New Year's and erase data from users' hard drives, security
experts reported.
``This is the first Y2K virus we've seen that has really infected a number
of people," said Sal Viveros, of Network Associates Inc., the largest
computer security firm in the world.
Anti-virus firm Symantec Corp.director of research Vincent Weafer said,
``This is the kickoff for the Y2k -- which is going to be like the Super
Bowl for virus writers."
The new virus, called W32/Mypics.worm, is set to disable computers as
people try to start them up Jan. 1. The virus writer apparently is hoping
to mislead users into thinking they've been hit by the much-publicized
Y2K software bug, which is caused by computers' inability to read the
``00" of year 2000.
The virus is sent by e-mail with no subject line to a target user. Inside
the e-mail is a message saying ``Here's some pictures for you!" Clicking
on the picture launches the damaging virus, or worm, a kind of virus that
does damage but doesn't continue to propagate itself inside the host
computer.
Like the earlier Melissa ``worm," the new infection uses the target
computer's Microsoft Outlook mailing list to send itself to 50 people via
e-mail.
It can be detected ahead of the Jan. 1 ``payload date" through use of an
anti-virus software, or by noting a suspicious switch in the default page
of the user's Web browser.
Computer security firm Symantech, the company that first sounded the
alarm about the Y2K bug, said it has found five different Y2K viruses in
recent days, but none reaching the level of the W32/Mypics.worm, which it
classed as a ``medium to high-risk virus."
Simon Perry, Computer Associate International Inc.'s eTrust Business
Manager said, ``As the year 2000 quickly approaches, we are starting to see
an increased frequency of dangerous viruses."
The year has already been marked by a wave of destructive infections,
including the CIH, or Chernobyl Virus, which wiped out data on thousands
of hard disk drives, and Melissa, which was one of the most widespread
infections ever, though not as damaging to individual computers.
A concerted effort to sound the alarm by computer protection services has
tended to dampen the spread of the viruses, though some see their alarms
as self-serving, since most recommend a dose of their medicine,
anti-virus software, as the cure.
``Once a virus is in the wild, and it's on everyone's detection lists, it
tends to chill a bit. But that doesn't mean it's not still a threat,"
said David Perry, security firm Trend Micro Inc. (NasdaqSC:TIMC - news)
pubic information director.
The most basic advice the security experts give is to avoid opening
unsolicited e-mails. ``Don't take candy from strangers," said Perry,
``and don't open suspicious e-mails on your computer."
Self-Updating Virus Spreads on Web
Computer security experts warned Tuesday of a new virus that can update
itself with potentially malicious instructions from a Web site.
The first of its kind, this virus primarily affects home computers and
spreads through Microsoft software used for chat rooms. The W95.Babylonia
virus comes disguised as a Y2K fix, making it the sixth known virus
preying on the Year 2000 glitch.
David Perry, director of public education at Trend Micro Inc., identified
the virus' most worrisome aspect as its ability ``to add new capabilities
as it rolls along."
The virus writer can effectively control the infected computer remotely.
Anti-virus experts worked to identify the specific commands for the
virus, aware these could include erasing files and grabbing sensitive
information.
Trend Micro and other makers of anti-virus software reiterated warnings
against accepting unsolicited files and urged computer users to update
virus-detection software. But because this virus spreads through chat
rooms, users should turn off any auto-download features.
Unlike most viruses, which spread primarily by e-mail, W95.Babylonia takes
advantage of chat rooms and makes home users more prone to infection. Few
companies use chat rooms for business, although sometimes employees
sidestep rules prohibiting personal use.
When an infected user logs on to a chat room using MIRC chat software,
the virus gets sent as a Y2K bug fix to anyone else in that chat room. If
the user accepts the software, the virus will install itself and later
obtain several files from Japan. Those files, in turn, carry instructions
affecting the user's computer.
``There's nothing else even close to it," said Vince Gullotto, director
of Network Associates' anti-virus research team.
Vincent Weafer, anti-virus research director at Symantec Corp., said the
virus can spread by e-mail as well, though home e-mail use is not as heavy
as that of businesses. Thus, he said, this virus is not likely to spread as
quickly as other viruses.
Discovery of the new virus comes days after experts detected a virus timed
to erase disks on Jan. 1 by posing as a Y2K problem. All told, there are
three viruses known to trigger in the new year. Three others spread by
posing as Y2K software and act immediately.
The end of the millennium is prime time for many virus writers, security
experts warn.
``I suspect we will see a (Y2K) virus at least every couple of days between
now and the end of the year," said Perry, the Trend Micro official. ``If
you were going to release a Y2K virus, this would be the time to do it."
Smith Pleads Guilty To Melissa Virus
David L. Smith, who was arrested for creating and releasing the Melissa
virus in April, plead guilty on Thursday to the second-degree offense of
computer theft.
The maximum sentence for the crime -- which covers intercepting computer
communications and damages to computer systems or data -- is 10 years in
jail and a $150,000 fine.
Smith appeared in Monmouth County, NJ, Superior Court at 7 AM PT and has
an appearance scheduled in the U.S. District Court in Newark -- the Federal
court -- at 1:30PM ET.
According to law enforcement sources close to the case, Smith will enter
a guilty plea in federal court as well. Edward Borden, Smith's attorney
in the case could not be reached for comment.
Court papers filed in August stated that Smith confessed to writing the
virus. Smith had admitted his guilt at the time of the arrest, said Paul
Loriquet, a spokesman for the New Jersey Attorney General's Office, in a
ZDTV interview.
"There was a statement made at the time of the arrest from Mr. Smith to
our investigator... that, in fact, at the time of the arrest, he had
admitted to creating the virus, and had said that he had destroyed the
personal computers that he had used to post it on the Internet," Loriquet
said in the report.
How To Test for Y2K Bugs
Even the personal computer isn't immune to the Year 2000 bug.
While larger computers and networks used by business and government get
most of the attention, the PC at home could be vulnerable, too. Risks are
greater with older PCs, as well as banking, spreadsheets and other
programs that use a lot of dates.
Free remedies are available in most cases, but owners need to take the
time to check their computers.
Otherwise, come the new year, a PC might malfunction or corrupt data. An
online banking program, for instance, might think a mortgage payment
isn't due for another 100 years. Try explaining that to a bank preparing
to foreclose on your home.
``It's important for consumers to think about it if they have files,
personal finance and other date-based transactions that are important to
them," says Steve Cullen, vice president at Symantec Corp., which sells a
Y2K tester for PCs.
Despite warnings, many computers owners haven't yet acted.
Steve Thurlow, Y2K program director at Intuit Inc., says traffic is
steadily growing at a Web site for its Quicken home finance and other
software. Still, he admits, he's ``a little surprised at how people seem to
be leaving things to the last minute."
The Year 2000 bug, or Y2K, stems from a longstanding programming practice
of using only two digits to represent the year. Computers might misread
``00" as 1900 unless they have been fixed.
PCs have three areas that need checking:
-Hardware. Computer processors do not care about the year, but other
computer components do. Most PCs have a separate internal clock and a
system called BIOS to relay date and time information to the computer
applications. The BIOS in older computers won't relay the correct
century.
-Software, including the operating system. Word processors, Internet
browsers and games may not care what year it is, but banking programs and
spreadsheets do.
-Personal files. Computer users may have put bugs into their own files by
using two-digit shortcuts in spreadsheets and other programs.
Most PCs manufactured since 1998 and Apple computers do not have hardware
problems, although software and data files still need to be checked. A
Web site at www.pcy2000.org has information for major manufacturers. Free
programs are available to test the BIOS.
In most cases, computer users can update their PCs by obtaining special
software through the Internet or by manually resetting the clock to a
date in the new century.
Next, check the operating system. Microsoft's Windows 3.1, 95 and 98 are
all good for Y2K as long as computer owners upgrade to the latest
versions, which are available for free.
Microsoft has Y2K information at www.microsoft.com/y2k and through a
toll-free number at 1-888-MSFT-Y2K. The company is loaning free
videotapes through Blockbuster stores.
Apple says its operating system is Y2K-ready, and that the latest
versions are good forever, although one piece of software needs an update
before 2019. The company expects to have a fix by then. More information
is at www.apple.com/about/year2000.
Computer users also need to check with Microsoft and other software
vendors for updates to other software. Older versions of Intuit's
Quicken, for instance, have online banking problems.
Microsoft has a CD-ROM to test and update its applications. A Web site at
www.y2kbase.com lists Y2K information for major vendors.
Don Jones, director of Year 2000 readiness at Microsoft, recommends that
consumers assess what programs they use. Individuals tend to use less
than 15 percent of more than 100 programs installed in a typical
computer.
Microsoft tested more than 4,000 programs and found a handful of bugs,
mostly minor ones that incorrectly displays dates rather than cause
malfunctions.
Data files are the hardest to check because no two users are alike. The
key is to manually convert years to four digits when possible. Commercial
Y2K programs such as Symantec's Norton 2000 and McAfee's Y2K Survival Kit
can help.
Don't make the mistake of assuming everything's OK just because one
program shoots back the correct date.
``No one component by and of itself will determine whether your whole
system is capable," says Intel spokesman Bill Calder. ``This is a
systemwide issue. You have to look at each individual component."
Y2K Questions and Answers
Y2K talk is everywhere.
The Year 2000 bug has spawned several books, countless articles in
magazines and newspapers, even a TV movie.
It's enriched computer programmers and advisers. The Commerce Department
estimates that government and businesses will have spent more than $100
billion by 2001 in the United States alone.
So what exactly is Y2K, and what should you do about it?
Here's a basic guide:
Q. What is Y2K all about?
A. Y2K stands for Year 2000 and commonly refers to computer problems that
might arise from a programming practice of using only two digits to
represent a year. Programmers adopted the technique decades ago to save
memory, which was expensive at the time. At the end of this year, ``99"
will roll over to ``00," much like a car odometer that has reached its
limit. If left uncorrected, computers might misread ``00" for 1900 in
the new year, disrupting systems that run power grids, control traffic
lights and perform other key tasks.
Q. What is being done about it?
A. Over several years, programmers have examined trillions of lines of
computer code, looking for date references and fixing the coding when
necessary. Despite all the time and money, Y2K experts do not expect to
finish the job. So, for less-critical systems, governments and businesses
have come up with alternative ways to do the same tasks. Also, they are
planning for the unexpected, in case some date references were
overlooked. With such contingencies in place, widespread disruptions are
unlikely, although sporadic outages are possible.
Q. I don't even use a computer, so I have nothing to worry about, right?
A. No. Older video cassette recorders might not record your favorite
shows. Home burglar alarms might cease to function. Some coffee makers
and microwave ovens have chips in them, although those appliances tend to
care less what year it is. At any rate, check with manufacturers for
guidance. Even if all of your appliances are OK, you could be susceptible
to problems beyond your control. For instance, an errant computer
elsewhere might send you a bill for all charges in the 20th century,
thinking your last payment was in 1900. Utilities, banks, credit cards,
phones and airplanes all depend heavily on computers.
Q. So should I cancel all my travel and withdraw all my money from the
bank?
A. That might have been good advice had private industries not addressed
the issue. But government officials are confident that the major systems
have been fixed to correctly read the year. In fact, extreme behavior
such as stuffing cash under a mattress might cause shortages unrelated to
Y2K and make you more vulnerable to crime. That is not to say nothing
will go wrong, either. Minor glitches are likely at the local level and
with smaller businesses, and Y2K experts advise planning for temporary
disruptions the way you would for an approaching winter storm or
hurricane. And if traveling abroad, check the State Department's Web site
at travel.state.gov/y2kca.html. Some foreign countries are less prepared
than the United States.
Q. What can I do to help?
A. Plan for potential problems - and plan early. That means making sure
you have fresh batteries for flashlights and radio, as well as stocks of
nonperishable food and water. This way, should there be actual
disruptions, you won't tax the emergency response system with your needs.
And by planning early, you help prevent lines and shortages that
procrastinators might cause. There is no need to overreact, either.
Hoarding drugs, food and other supplies could also cause artificial
shortages. One other thing: Try to avoid picking up the phone just after
midnight to check for a dial tone. If everyone does that, the phone
network could be overwhelmed.
Q. I've heard that government officials will be monitoring Y2K problems
all day Dec. 31. Why so early?
A. Midnight strikes the Republic of Kiribati in the South Pacific when it
is 5 a.m. Dec. 31 in New York. Midnight then hits Australia, Asia, Europe
and eventually the United States. That doesn't mean you need to only pay
attention to your local time. Many systems, including air traffic
control, use a standard of Greenwich time, which is five hours ahead of
Eastern time. After all, planes fly across time zones so quickly, it
would be impractical - and even dangerous - for pilots to have to change
their clocks while airborne.
Q. What if the power goes out or the ATM won't give me cash?
A. Don't assume it's a Y2K failure, and don't assume it's a problem
everywhere. Power goes out all the time, and the electric companies have
backup systems in place and can borrow power from neighboring utilities.
If an ATM doesn't work, go to another a few blocks away.
Q. So if I wake up on Jan. 1, and nothing went wrong, then should I
assume that Y2K was much ado about nothing?
A. Not really. Although computer failures are most likely to appear at
midnight Dec. 31, Y2K troubles aren't restricted to that second or even
that weekend. In fact, a few problems have already surfaced. Some federal
agencies had minor trouble on Oct. 1, the start of fiscal 2000. And in
Maine, motor-vehicle officials mistakenly classified model 2000 cars as
pre-1916 ``horseless carriages." Pay attention to Monday, Jan. 3, the
first business day of the new year. Some problems could also crop up as
businesses go through the first billing cycle for 2000. Feb. 29 is
another key date: Some computers might not recognize 2000 as a leap year
because years that end in ``00" usually aren't.
Q. Where can I get more information?
A. President Clinton's advisory group has an Internet site at www.y2k.gov
and a toll-free number: 1-888-USA-4-Y2K. The American Red Cross has
information at www.redcross.org/disaster/safety/y2k.html. Both groups
offer brochures, as do many other private organizations and government
agencies. For more specific regional and local information, check with
your local officials, utilities and hospitals.
Q. Any other words of wisdom?
A. Have a happy new year, and continue with your millennium plans.
Whatever happens, there is no need to panic. Y2K planners expect they can
handle any disruptions as long as the public stays calm. They have
contingency plans in place, and so will you, right?
=~=~=~=
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