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Atari Online News, Etc. Volume 06 Issue 21
Volume 6, Issue 21 Atari Online News, Etc. May 21, 2004
Published and Copyright (c) 1999 - 2004
All Rights Reserved
Atari Online News, Etc.
A-ONE Online Magazine
Dana P. Jacobson, Publisher/Managing Editor
Joseph Mirando, Managing Editor
Rob Mahlert, Associate Editor
Atari Online News, Etc. Staff
Dana P. Jacobson -- Editor
Joe Mirando -- "People Are Talking"
Michael Burkley -- "Unabashed Atariophile"
Albert Dayes -- "CC: Classic Chips"
Rob Mahlert -- Web site
Thomas J. Andrews -- "Keeper of the Flame"
With Contributions by:
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=~=~=~=
A-ONE #0621 05/21/04
~ Dumpster-Diving Freebay~ People Are Talking! ~ Office For Mac!
~ CAN-SPAM Lid Is Open! ~ Destroy All Humans! ~ E3 Show Wrap-Up!
~ Classic Arcades In One ~ Lycos' Leapfrog Jump! ~ Digital Pack-Rats!
~ IBM, SCO Battle Rages! ~ Burst Still After MS! ~ PC Run Mac OS?!
-* Explicit Spam Warning Label! *-
-* Search Engine Rivalry Is A Positive *-
-* Yahoo Releases E-Mail Standard, Fights Spam *-
=~=~=~=
->From the Editor's Keyboard "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Well, you just know that all good things have to come to an end eventually!
I have to admit - I had a terrific two weeks off! The weather was extremely
accommodating. No rain, other than a few nights when it rained (perfect
timing!). We had a few days of lingering fog in the morning, but the days
turned out great. Not too hot, and some cool days which made working
outdoors comfortable.
I got most of my outdoor tasks accomplished. All of the flower gardens were
cleaned, and flowers planted. The lawn managed to get mowed two or three
times due to all of the rain we had during April. The pool area is
essentially clean; the pool cover is now devoid of water, leaves, pine
needles, and acorns. A quick washing will finish it off before we open the
pool in a few weeks (or less). All I really have left to do outside is turn
the soil in my vegetable gardens (the roto-tiller will handle that nicely)
and then I'll pick up and plant my veggies for the season in a week or so.
I also have to throw down some mulch in the gardens - I despise having to
constantly pull weeds! From there, everything is mostly maintenance.
I'm really not looking forward to returning to work! I really needed this
time away, to get away from the everyday stresses that a job can throw one's
way. It's a little too early to retire just yet, but it's certainly on my
mind! On the plus side, more vacation time will be here before I know it!
So, while I still have a little vacation left to go, I think I'll just go
grab a cold beer and relax out in the sun room and enjoy the cool evening's
sunset.
Until next time...
=~=~=~=
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
compiled by Joe Mirando
joe@atarinews.org
Hidi ho friends and neighbors. It's been a long week. My neck isn't
getting any better despite physical therapy. It's looking more and more
like it's going to take surgery to straighten out the problem. Of course,
relatively speaking, it's still a little too early to give up on the less
invasive treatments available to me.
On another note... I'm going to hammer at you a little bit about voting. I
know that by the time November rolls around you'll be sick and tired of
hearing me talk about it... if you're not already... but it's probably
the most important thing that any of us can do. It's more important than
most of the things that preoccupy us these days, and it's such a simple
thing to do. Unless you happen to live in Broward County. <smile>
I've received a couple of emails from fellow Atari users from abroad
reminding me that America isn't the only country that elects its leaders.
Believe it or not, that's never been far from my thoughts. But at the
risk of sounding pompous or self-important, we're The United States, damn
it. No, I don't think that this makes us better or more important than
anyone else, but let's face it kids, America is the last remaining
superpower. We need to set an example. We need to show that we are a
nation of laws, that we are governed not by men of power, but by ideals
and law. The fact that there are things coming to light that stun and in
some cases horrify all of us saddens me. But I am heartened by the fact
that it is 'out in the open'. It's not whispered in the shadows between
dissidents, and we don't speak of it with the fear that a team of
jackbooted thugs waits just around the next corner to take us into
custody. Some of us speak of these things with sorrow, some with
indifference, some even with jubilation. But we speak of it openly and
without fear of reprisal from our own authorities. Even networks that
have a decidedly conservative leaning have covered the controversies. It
doesn't work perfectly, but the system does work.
So take part in this 200 year old experiment. Get your butt to your local
Town Hall and register to vote. We really shouldn't allow government to
become a spectator sport.
Well, let's get to the news, hints, tips and info available from the
UseNet.
From the comp.sys.atari.st NewsGroup
====================================
'Phantom' asks:
"Just wondering if anyone reading CSAST uses a Atari Falcon or other ST
for graphics and Video. Either as a Hobby or for Real Work?
If so, I'd like to hear more about what type of stuff you are doing and
the software your using.
Also, Aren't there any Atari groups devoted to different areas of the
Falcon or other Ataris for Graphics/Video/Animation and Music, MIDI,
Sampling also programing, and DTP, WP and etc.???
If not I wonder if there are enough Atari Users left to create some
specific Groups with these types of interests?"
Brian Roland tells Phantom:
"Not as much as I once did...life, age, priorities....
Lack of ST time isn't so much a result of market changes as it is life
changes, and time available for such fun stuff."
When I do...these are the kinds of things I still use my Atari systems
for. Some, on a regular basis, some...when time and energy allows.
With all my Ataris, unless I'm running Legacy apps or MIDI utilities, I
usually run NVDI 5 with MagiC 6.01 or MiNT/N.AES.
A few things, I use Geneva/NeoDesk for. (Makes a really good CueBase
setup).
1. I put a nice SCSI flatbed scanner on my Falcon years ago. I use this
in conjunction with Photoline to scan, render, and print photos. I often
want or need to move this over to the windows environment for various
reasons...and it's no problem since my Falcon is on an ethernet LAN, and
also has a Zip drive. The scanner isn't even officially supported by its
maker any longer...so as windows moves on...drivers for it do not.
So...its home will stay with the Falcon till the day it dies...and why
buy a new one for the PeeCee when this old one really does a better job
anyway.
I also have the True Image/True Paint package, and PixArt installed on the
Falcon. They don't get as much use as Photoline; however, there are a few
neat and unique things about each package keeping them all worthy of the
hard disk space.
When it comes to artsy stuff, like making my own graphics for a web page,
or clip art for a news letter, etc....I tend to stick with the Falcon CT2
rather than using the PeeCee...simply because all of my templates,
libraries, and foundational work has already been laid on this platform.
Years of work...and learning the ins and outs of the software....like a
favorite pair of sneakers! Sometimes it's even fun to add to my library
of 3D objects using povray. A bit of 3D can really spice up a web page
or letter head.
Finally on the graphics end...
As a music teacher, I often need scores and musical parts! I haul a STacy
to work every day, and this STacy has CueBase Score, and Notator on it.
It also has Page Stream and Atari Works. Quite often I need 'snippits'
of music for a complex printed test lay out. In these cases I'll build
my musical notation with CueBase or Notator then print it to the hard
disk as an img file. From there, I can import it into Page Stream, and
easily build my test around it.
I tend to avoid 'printing' at high resolutions with the STacy, simply
because it can take half an hour to print a dense page of text or music
at 300+ dpi, even using TOS patches such as OutBurst that cut printing
time in half! For these kind of tasks, I basically use the STacy as a
sketch pad and cache up my printing jobs till next time I'm at the
Falcon, or a fast PC running an Atari emulator. I can easily put the
STacy on the ethernet (ENEC), or use a null modem cable, floppies, or a
Zip drive to transfer the work-files of such projects. Of course,
sometimes it's just as easy to print from the STacy and let it take all
day What's my deadline? That determines when and how I'll print.
2. General Office....
I use Atari Works quite often on my STacy....It's got just the right tools
for my simple needs. A basic word processor that can import and export
RTF files, a Data Base that more than fits my needs, and a spreadsheet
that's quite adequate for the few spreadsheets I build. Really, the only
thing AW lacks that leaves me pouting at times is color printing. Oh
well, that's what Page Stream is for.
I do keep a copy of Word Writer 2 on hand when I need a quick and dirty
print out. Since AW uses GDOS...and that prints slow as molasses on an
ST/STacy with limited memory....I find it's a good idea to keep WW at
hand in the event I need a very quick and high quality letter or memo
printed out on a ready made letter-head. WW2 doesn't rasterize your
page...it just dumps the text into the print spooler and frees your
system up. The spooler dumps it right to the printer, which uses its own
built in fonts to thrash out your page at top speed. I'm not sure....AW
might be able to print in this same way minus GDOS...but then, that would
call for a reboot without a GDOS present :/ So...keeping WW or something
similar is worthwhile.
3. MIDI....
I run teaching labs, and a personal studio around my Falcon, STacy, and
Mega ST. There is also an Amiga 2000 and Windows XP box in the
collection. I drive several consumer grade GM keyboards, along with a
nice collection of 2nd and 3rd generation synths/samplers. Software
included in the setup ranges from CueBase Audio, to KCS, to Notator SL
for sequencing. Zero X and Sample C serve the sampling end of things. I
also have an SMP 24, MIDIX3, and Unitor2. An Anatek MIDI patchbay that
was designed for the Macintosh, just happens to work with the Falcon
(possibly the Mega STe and TT) as well (via both the MIDI ports and LAN
[Apple Talk] port). So, as you can imagine, I have enough MIDI channels
at my disposal to do QUITE ALOT with! There are also some not so good
analogue multi trackers in my setup...primarily to teach the fundamentals
of synching a computer with tape or video. Of course...the standard
mixing consoles, amps, monitors, FX units, yadda yadda....
Now, here's why I bother to keep this old stuff around my teaching lab...
Sure, there are modern PCs and Macs that can accomplish the task of all
this stuff combined, on one desktop. The problem with that, is when you
are teaching today's generation of teens, it's pretty difficult to
illustrate to them what is happening in their creative process with most
of the modern software suites. While the modern stuff is arguably a
godsend from the creative standpoint where time is concerned....it is
very lacking in the engineering and creativity on the micro-level aspect
of studio music. With modern utilities, the students tend to kludge
through the software using prefab modules or wizards and treat it like a
'pallet' of cool stuff they can combine to make bigger 'cool'compositions,
but they never really get into mixing their own paint! In the end, you
have a class of 15 people, with compositions that all sound alike because
they use the same built in pallet of sounds and effects, while never
really delving into these details. Frankly, there's alot of modules in
the 'modern software' that make no sense at all from an acoustical
engineer's perspective! When they do make sense...it's on the level of a
PHD physicist rather than a beginner.
With the old kit...things are in clearly visible modules, boxes, with
traceable wires and user interfaces that give instant perceiveable user
feedback. The students begin to get an understanding very quickly of how
their instruments are built, their function, and what it can do with
sound. They soon begin to mix their own sonic pallets, and understand
exactly what is happening to their sound from start to finish. When you
put your hand on a bass module, and say "This is the bass module. The
sequencer talks to it over this wire, using channel 3, and this cable can
carry 16 independent channels total." the student almost instantly
understands the connection. With analog effects, it's even more helpful!
What happens if I hook this guitar into this reverb unit, and then this
chorus unit, then into my mixer? What if I change the order? What if I
hook them parallel rather than serial? What does it mean to 'sync'
different tracks or machines? What is an ocillator? What happens when I
hook an ocillator to a filter, then to a frequency modulator, then to an
amp? Why and how would I 'gate' accoustic drums, and when might this
gated concept apply on my digital drum machine?
In the teaching lab...having everything in real life modules, using real
life wires, helps a great deal in communicating to the students the
various stages their music goes through, while also teaching them the
universal vocabulary used by studio engineers to communicate about these
ideas. These are things you just don't get from most modern all digital
software suites on a single desk top environments.
See, your state of the art software has all of these 'modules' and more
embedded in the form of 'code'. All of the old 'analogue' ideas still
apply...they're just emulated within the digital domain. "Reverb"
generally sounds the same today, with digital technology as it did 300
years ago in a mighty concert hall.
Vocabulary...illustration...experimentation...It is my opinion that
they'll have a very hard time grasping the mathematics and concepts of
today's tools if they don't have a clue as to what they are emulating
from the real world to begin with.
Sometimes a trip to a very old museum really helps today make a LOT MORE
SENSE.
Another interesting benefit....
While a modern Mac or PC gets cheaper every day....you can still expect to
shell out at least $400 for even a basic suite of music making
software...of any foundation (MIDI, MOD, D2D, etc...) Many of my
students simply can't afford to piddle with the latest generation of
tools. On the flipside...they can watch Ebay, and for the price of just
a PeeCee or Mac with the OS alone...they can find a loaded ST with a Pro
Sequencer and a consumer line keyboard or sound module and begin making
compositions in their spare time. Also, there's more and more ST MIDI
apps hitting the totally free and legal scene as years roll by.
I well remember when I was 16ish, and ALL this stuff was brand new...and
only well funded Universities or musicians in debt to their eyeballs had
access to these kinds of tools. There was no such thing as a second hand
market. Only now...at 33 years old can I nickle and dime my way into
these kinds of toys for personal enjoyment without over extending my
rather small toy budget. My students, at very young ages, can afford to
drive right in...at ages when learning is fast, and ideas flows like
water, and before they are so busy with the demands of 'adult life' that
so often suck the time and energy out of aspiring young musicians and
sound engineers.
.......
What I find myself using the Atari less and less for these days is
Internet access, and true multimedia sessions. That's where my low end
PC gets its use, and that's about all I use it for. WebBrowsing, Email,
NewsGroups, MP3, an occasional game, file archives and backups, web-cam,
access to new cheap hardware (USB), printing sessions, Atari/Amiga
emulation, and Movies, etc.
Windows is basically just a bloated browser to me....quite cheap, and
usually comes with the hardware. Sometimes I start to buy some software
for the Windows Box...and I baulk at the price when I can already do that
on my Atari!
There are indeed forums still scattered about for various specific Atari
topics. As for actual news groups on usenet....
There's only a hand full left...most with a very broad heading...like this
one (comp.sys.atari.st). You may find repeats of these 'general' groups
in various languages.
Feel free to post pretty much anything 16/32 bit Atari related here.
There's not so much traffic that anyone will complain.
There is a MiNT mailing list that's pretty active.
There is a web site and forum (list serve I believe?) for Notator and
Logic.
CueBase has a news group...it's for all platforms, and while you don't see
many Atari related posts...I've found that putting them there tends to
generate plenty of useful tips and information...as many of the users
there had Ataris at one time, or still do.
There is a very good Yahoo forum dedicated to MIDI called 'Tim's Atari
MIDI World', which includes a download area with just about everything
Atari/MIDI that's legal to distribute free.
A couple of the UK music magazines still have active Forums for Atari
related issues. I forget which ones right off hand, but I know they're
still around and generating a few threads from time to time.
Many of the popular emulators and virtual machines offer forums and or
mailing lists for up to date chatter about their projects, and user
support.
Most everything that has been ported, or that you wish to port yourself
from Unix to the Atari has at least one news group or forum! Some
examples are Povray, Tinyfugue, Samba, Pine, and the list goes on and on
and on! By far and large...these softwares are considered to be platform
independent, so as an 'end user' what applies to a Linux PC shouldn't be
much, if any different from a BSD PPC, a MiNT Falcon, etc. The key to
these type of discussions is mentioning which version you were able to
compile and get running. From there...the software 'use' is relatively
platform independent.
Yahoo and many other similar outfits offer totally free forum space!
If you have an idea...set it up, and eventually you just might get alot of
hits.
As for getting news groups started...I'm not sure what the current rules
are. There are different types of news group listings, with different
requirements. I.E. An alt newsgroup might be easier to get, but it's also
going to get a ton more spam, and might not be archived. I'm assuming to
get one started, you have to file petitions and whatnot. Honestly I
don't know...you'll have to research this further if you'd really like to
know.
I'm out of time for today...so sorry I didn't include actual links to the
things mentioned before. A good websearch will put you on to most of
them. Also, maybe others will post the links and add some if they know
them off hand."
Coda echoes my own thoughts:
"Lots & lots of really interesting info. Wow! That's the most informative
post I've seen in a long time!"
Graeme Roberts asks about adding RAM to an STFM:
"Recently got some spare components to replace my expired 520STFM.
Included in this batch was a 30pin SIMM memory expansion kit, but with no
documentation; I believe it was made by ATRAM. I had a similar memory
upgrade expansion kit from them on my original machine, but restricted to
512k to give a total of 1Mb. I'm sure I've plugged everything into the
right places (piggy back adapters on the MMU and SHIFTER chips). The
question is how much RAM can I load onto this thing. I've only got 1Mb
SIMMs to try (3 chip variety), and at present none work or just give me a
black screen. Do I need special SIMM's or maybe 9 chip sticks in order
for the machine to recognize them?"
'Chris' tells Graeme:
"It sounds like you could have simms which are too big for the thing to
cope with, maybe you could try 2x 256MB simms (I assume the adapter takes
2 ), the latter address lines could be floating if you try to fit a
larger size.
I don't think ECC types will matter in any case. I've never seen the board
so don't know much. Though I built my own."
Graeme tells Chris:
"Thanks, thats what I was wondering. I can get my hands on a set of 4 x 9
chip 1Mb 30 Pin SIMMS next week which may work. More chips per SIMM = less
memory per chip which the ST may be able to handle. If not, I can try the
256k SIMM option in the upgrade.
If all else fails I've always got my original 512k upgrade to fall back on
which I know worked fine in my original machine."
Djordje Vukovic asks about running Aranym:
"I may have a need for a Falcon-like "Atari" computer in the near future,
so I was thinking of dedicating an older PC for that. I would appreciate
it if someone could tell me:
1) What should be the minimum capabilities of the host computer for
Aranym (CPU type & speed, RAM, disk space) in order that a linux
variant of Aranym can run with a speed similar to that of a standard
"real" Falcon? (The idea is that the machine would be used exclusively
for running Aranym, and boot (almost) straight into it, as much as
practical).
2) Can Mint run with memory protection on Aranym?"
Coda tells Djordje:
") Aranym team suggest minimum 486. You should Aranym under linux, if you
want all the features. Base your PC on what do you need to get a fairly
quick X server running. I would say PII 400 min with 128Mb ram. Hard disk
space is not that much an issue, you can install a linux/X system in less
than 500mb and also I know of one functional linux/X thats about 50mb. You
can download AFROS live CD and boot straight into that, I haven't tried it
yet so I don't know how easy that would be to install on a hard disk.
2) No idea. Check the aranym pages at http://aranym.sourceforge.net/"
Jim DeClercq asks about reading DVDs on an Atari:
"I know what to use to read and write CDR and CDRW, and have one, SCSI
version. What does one use with an Atari TT030, or an ST, to work with
DVD disks?
Would prefer to have make and model number, so I can look for it new or on
e-bay, if possible."
Frank Szymanski tells Jim:
"You need ExtenDOS Gold as a DVD-ROM driver and a SCSI DVD-ROM (which are
hard to find these days) to read DVD-ROMs.
As far as I know, its impossible to burn DVDs on ATARIs."
Sam F. jumps in and asks for a clarification:
"This might be a dumb question, but I've got to know. Are you saying that
you are able to watch dvd's on your falcon?"
Frank tells Sam:
"Unfortunately not. I am only able to read DVD-ROMs written on PC or Mac."
Well folks, that's it for this time around. Tune in 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 - E3 Show Wrap-Up!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Sega, Sammy Integrate!
Destroy All Humans!
And much more!
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE's Game Console Industry News - The Latest Gaming News!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Show Wrap-Up: E3 Serves Up Fun
Every year the Electronic Entertainment Exposition (E3) feels bigger,
noisier, shinier, and more exciting. 2004 was no exception; in fact, we
wouldn't be surprised if E3 eventually outgrows its longtime home at the
Los Angeles Convention Center, though no rumors to that effect were flying
this year.
In Internet-related news, many companies are looking to massively
multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) as their next big push.
EverQuest II, from Sony Online Entertainment, may be the most heavily
anticipated release (expect a launch before the holidays), and many
companies are attempting to emulate that game's enormous success with (too)
similar fantasy-themed worlds. One standout preview in a crop of EQ
wannabes was Tabula Rasa, the latest brainchild of Ultima Online creator
Richard Garriot (a.k.a. Lord British), who showed us the unique,
retro/sci-fi world himself. He and his team at NCSoft are attempting to
rethink the MMORPG genre with this game, slated for release this winter
(Garriot wouldn't commit to anything more specific than, "It will be cold
out when we launch.")
Linden Lab CEO Philip Rosedale demonstrated the latest version of Second
Life. Not quite a game - and in fact not quite like anything else we've
seen - Second Life is more an artistic developers' environment. It's
fascinating to explore, but the site's challenge will be to draw in members
who may not be able to create objects but who will want to "consume" the
creations of other members. We'll be following Second Life's evolution
closely.
Another coming trend is online game rental subscription services from
companies like Infinium Labs and Exent Technologies. These services promise
to offer easy access to vast libraries of new and vintage games. Now that
broadband is so much more widely installed (especially in forward-thinking
communities, such as the gamers), services like these are beginning to make
a lot of sense.
On the PC game front, the words are "more" and "better." Innovation lives,
and there's little doubt that the technical aspects of game development
have never been more impressive. Here are some of the highlights.
In the action/shooter realm, war games ruled this year; draw your own
conclusions as to why, but most are based on World War II. And the
much-awaited Doom III will finally ship this summer. We're promised that
this game will feel more like an interactive horror film than a game, and
that it will be the most modifiable game Id's ever done. It looks
marvelous. Meanwhile, ATI showed two mind-boggling new demos (not involving
game play) of that other longed-for behemoth, Half-Life 2, which has
undergone numerous problems and delays; Valve now says it will ship this
year.
Finally, after a few years with little new activity, role-playing
adventures may be making a comeback. Myst Revelation, coming in September,
features a life-like interactive world, along with the puzzles and gorgeous
art we expect from this franchise. Aura, from Dreamcatcher, will have four
gigantic environments in which to solve puzzles and explore. In the
real-time strategy (RTS) realm, look for games featuring more back-story
and action elements, which may kick-start this genre too. Perimeter, from
Codemasters, and Rome: Total War, from Activision, should also thrill RTS
fans.
There was also some acting in the relatively new wireless gaming arena.
Gone are the days when Tetris and Breakout ports were the bleeding edge of
cell-phone games; manufacturers are now designing specifically for the
wireless platform. Sprint PCS announced that it has purchased more than
3.5 million games this year. THQ reached agreements with the NFL and NHL
to bring licensed content to its new wireless games, and plans to offer a
level of depth not yet seen in these types of games. And MFORMA has just
released Poker Multiplayer, a mobile J2ME game where four can play
together. What's next, an entire classroom full of college students
secretly playing Scrabble on their mobile phones?
Sega, Sammy to Join Their Operations
Sega Corp., the video-game maker famous for Sonic the Hedgehog, and
pinball-equipment maker Sammy Corp. said Tuesday they will integrate their
operations under a new holding company that will become Japan's biggest
video game software company.
Sega and Tokyo-based Sammy will form the new company by Oct. 1. It will be
72 percent controlled by Sammy shareholders, the companies' announced in a
joint statement.
Their combined group annual sales are about 440 billion yen ($3.89 billion)
will exceed those of the current largest Japanese game software firm,
Konami Corp.
"By integrating our operations, we will strive to become the world's number
one entertainment company at an earliest time," said Sammy president Hajime
Satomi, who will head the new company.
Shares of Sammy will be exchanged one-for-one for shares in the new
company. Sega shareholders will receive 0.28 share for each Sega share. The
companies will reorganize their operations by March 2007.
The announcement came as Sega announced its profit tripled for the fiscal
year ended March 31 as arcade-game sales and cost cutting boosted earnings.
Sega's sports games did not do well in the United States, a strategically
important market, amid tough competition from rivals such as Electronic
Arts, it said.
'Painkiller' Is Homage to Shooting Games
Simple yet unnerving, "Painkiller" is a splendidly horrific homage to
classic first-person shooters like "Quake" and "Doom."
Like a sugary doughnut, though, it's a sweet but short-lived experience
that'll soon leave you hungering for more.
The story begins with regular guy Daniel Garner driving along with his
girlfriend one stormy night. Suddenly, his life ends in a blood-soaked car
wreck.
He doesn't wake up in heaven or hell, though. Garner finds himself trapped
in a demonic underworld. He must lead the fight against an impending unholy
war to cleanse his mysteriously tarnished soul.
That's where you jump in. Controlling Garner is a breeze with the same
keyboard and mouse combination used in most games of this type.
What makes "Painkiller" different from its counterparts? The
single-mindedness of your mission.
Simply, it's kill or be killed. Don't even bother trying to slink around
from corner to corner, hiding in the shadows. All you really need to do is
run headlong into a seemingly endless number and variety of monsters,
dodging flying body parts and swords along the way.
The developers at Dreamcatcher Interactive have equipped you with a grisly
assortment of undead killing tools, including a gun that shoots wooden
stakes and a weed-whacker style weapon which allows you to buzz through
throngs of undead baddies.
At certain key levels you'll go toe-to-toe with a boss. These oversized
supermonsters can take a real pounding before they topple out of your way.
Be careful - they are quick to squish you like a bug or toss you hundreds
of yards to a sudden death.
The graphics are exquisite, in a house of horrors sort of way. The sparks
streaking across the skulls of certain electrified zombies would do
Frankenstein proud.
Unless you're looking for a real fright, it's not a game I'd recommend
playing alone in the dark.
"Painkiller" also boasts some impressive physics. You can shoot and break
all sorts of walls, platforms and trap doors. It forces you to use your
surroundings to destroy your foes.
Early in the game, for example, I was trapped in a fiery cave with a zombie
that was immune to my weapons. Eventually, I figured I could shoot out a
trap door in the ceiling, allowing a flood of blinding, monster-melting
sunlight into the chamber.
Romping through the game gets a bit tedious after a while. There's only so
many monsters I'm willing to kill for so many hours before it starts
getting repetitive. I managed to slog through all 24 levels, though by the
final battle I was more than ready to play something else.
For a change, take a stab at the multiplayer modes. You can play with other
people online in five different frantic killing games, including team
deathmatch.
Gamers with a penchant for fast-paced action will love the twitchy-fingered
nature of "Painkiller." If you've never played a first-person shooter, this
game will serve as a great introduction to the genre.
Though currently available only for PCs, an Xbox version is promised.
Painkiller costs $39.99 and is rated M for lots of gore. While the nature
of the violence is cartoonish, I'd still keep this one far away from the
kids.
Three stars out of four.
Destroy All Humans! Announced For Playstation 2 and Xbox
Word reached the highest levels of THQ Inc. today of a growing alien
abduction and world domination conspiracy tied to a mysterious project
ominously titled Destroy All Humans!. In collaboration with Pandemic
Studios, developer of Full Spectrum Warrior, THQ is taking all prudent
measures to thwart the invasion, including providing their unclassified
intelligence to local civic organizations and to the population at large.
While teams of top experts are still decrypting fresh information, THQ's
brass has indicated that they believe the Destroy All Humans! onslaught
will strike Sony PlayStation 2 and Microsoft Xbox users across the globe
in Spring 2005.
"We're in the business of publishing cutting-edge video games, though if
you're at the right place at the right time, you sometimes get a chance to
save the world too," said Peter Dille, Sr. vice president worldwide
marketing, THQ. "When our teams uncovered this scheme to Destroy All
Humans!, we felt it our civil duty to crack the conspiracy and save the
planet."
Unnamed sources close to Dille have described Destroy All Humans! as a
program designed by hideous aliens to unleash an intergalactic arsenal of
destructive weapons and frightening psychic powers to subdue their most
feared enemy in the galaxy - Mankind! Specialists at Pandemic who have
intercepted and deciphered several alien transmissions claim the invaders
are called 'Furons' and that a fierce little extraterrestrial warrior named
'Cryptosprodium-137' will carry out their first reconnaissance mission. His
mission is to infiltrate our society, control us, harvest our brain stems
and ultimately destroy us all.
"Scary, when you think about it," comments Pandemic President Josh Resnick,
himself a six-time alien abductee. "I mean, if destroying the earth's
cities, abducting its citizens, and probing their minds to discover human
weaknesses were all just some exciting new blast-happy destruction-fest for
my Sony PlayStation2 or Microsoft Xbox, that would be one thing. But
there's much more to it than that. Once they get you, get inside your
mind...well, all I'm saying is, before they take me next time the least
they could do is buy me a drink."
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE Gaming Online - Online Users Growl & Purr!
"""""""""""""""""""
Thousands of Classic Arcade Games on One System!
Game Cabinets, Inc. releases the hottest new product to hit the home game
room. The ClassiCade line of game machines uses special retro gaming
software capable of playing over 4,500 arcade games and 400 pinball
machines from the 1980s and '90s. The ClassiCade System's powerful computer
includes a 40GB hard drive to store all your favorite games, and it's
compatible with existing PC software and hardware. The ClassiCade comes
equipped with Windows XP (preinstalled), a high-resolution monitor, premium
audio sound system with subwoofer, wireless mouse and keyboard and an
Ethernet adapter for access to the Internet and e-mail. This system also
comes with Jukebox software, so you can have your own MP3 Jukebox built-in.
The system includes everything needed to start playing games right away.
The ClassiCade comes with 14 awesome games to get you started and adding
more is as easy as 1-2-3!
Available in a cocktail, tabletop and soon to be released upright style
cabinet. Visit Http://www.GameCabinetsInc.com for more information.
ClassiCade Upright - The soon to be released upright arcade machine
features a control panel that uses real commercial grade arcade joysticks
and buttons for the ultimate gaming experience. The control panel offers
controls for two-player, side-by-side games, a full-size 3-arcade trackball
for games like Centipede and Missile Command, plus pinball flipper and tilt
buttons. You can even play dual joystick games like Robotron or Smash T.V.
Optional add-on controllers include a light gun, flight stick, and steering
wheel.
The ClassiCade Upright Arcade System measures 64"H x 28"W x 37"D and weighs
200 lbs.
ClassiCade Cocktail - In addition to the traditional control panels found
on a classic cocktail arcade machine, the GCI system comes with a third
joystick control panel along the horizontal side of the machine for
two-player games like Street Fighter and Joust. With this controller, you
can also play dual-joystick games such as Robotron and Crazy Climber.
The ClassiCade Cocktail Arcade System measures 29"H x 28"W x 32"D and
weighs 180 lbs.
Both systems come preloaded with the following games:
Arcade Classics (Centipede II & Missile Command II)
Asteroids
Asteroids Deluxe
Blasteroids
Centipede
Crystal Castles
Millipede
Missile Command
Road Runner
Super Sprint
Tempest
Tetris
Dragon's Lair - Original Laser Disc Game
Space Ace - Original Laser Disc Game
All individual game titles are registered trademarks of Atari and Digital
Leisure for use by Game Cabinets, Inc.
See the Game Cabinets, Inc. web site for more details.
The official GCI website is: Http://www.GameCabinetsInc.com
=~=~=~=
A-ONE's Headline News
The Latest in Computer Technology News
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
Yahoo Releases E-Mail Standard to Fight Spam
Internet portal Yahoo Inc. on Tuesday released an e-mail standard that
prevents "spam" marketers from hiding unwanted messages behind legitimate
e-mail addresses.
The technique, if widely adopted, could help Internet providers more easily
block the unwanted bulk messages that currently account for up to
two-thirds of all e-mail traffic.
Yahoo's proposed standard, known as DomainKeys, would embed outgoing
messages with an encrypted digital signature matched to a signature on the
server computer that sends the message.
Internet providers could check the signatures on incoming messages and
block those that do not match up.
The procedure would be invisible to regular e-mail users because it would
be implemented by e-mail providers, Yahoo said on a Web page describing the
standard at (http://antispam.yahoo.com/domainkeys).
Internet providers deploy a barrage of filters to weed out spam and large
providers like Time Warner Inc.'s America Online block up to 2.5 billion
spam e-mails each day.
The technique could also block fraudulent "phishing" attacks, in which scam
artists attempt to collect credit card numbers and other sensitive
information by posing as companies like Citigroup and eBay Inc., Yahoo
said.
DomainKeys, first announced last December, is one of several attempts to
help legitimate messages stand out from the flood of spam.
Microsoft Corp.'s Hotmail and MSN services recently adopted a "whitelist"
program by IronPort Systems Inc. that would allow legitimate marketers to
put money up front if they wish to evade spam filters. Microsoft has also
said it is working on another technique to verify e-mail.
Such techniques rely on widespread adoption for effectiveness. Yahoo said
it had submitted DomainKeys to the Internet Engineering Task Force, a
standards-setting body, and will allow developers to implement it for free.
Sendmail Inc. also has agreed to incorporate the technology into its e-mail
software, Yahoo said.
FTC Requiring Labels on Explicit Spam
Sexually explicit Internet spam must now carry a warning label. A Federal
Trade Commission rule went into effect Wednesday requiring that unsolicited
commercial e-mail that contains sexually oriented material include the
words "SEXUALLY EXPLICIT" in the subject line.
The rule also bars graphic images from appearing in the opening body of the
message. Instead, the recipient must take some action in order to see the
objectionable material, either by scrolling down in the e-mail or by
clicking on a provided link.
Jonathan Kraden, staff attorney with the FTC's Bureau of Consumer
Protection, said the label "should help the computers to filter if a
computer user decides to set their filtering system up to recognize these
two words."
He added, "It should also help the e-mail recipient filter visually so they
can go through their mail and decide which messages they want to see."
Industry advocates are critical of the rule, which is part of the federal
"can spam" legislation that went into effect in January.
"This is a back door effort to violate people's first amendment rights,
whether well intentioned or not," said attorney Jonathan L. Katz of Marks
& Katz, LLC, in Silver Spring, Md. He is a first amendment lawyer whose
clients include members of the adult entertainment industry.
Spammers who violate the rule face possible imprisonment and criminal fines
of up to $250,000 for individuals and $500,000 for an organization. But
tracking down violators can be difficult because spammers often try to
escape being directly identified by using forged return addresses or by
bouncing their e-mails through unprotected relay computers on the Internet.
CAN-SPAM Leaves Lid Wide Open
Almost five months after Congress passed a law to reduce the amount of junk
e-mail flooding the nation's in-boxes, industry experts widely agree that
the opposite has occurred: We're getting more spam than ever before.
The CAN-SPAM Act is widely viewed, even by top policymakers, as a positive
but inadequate measure. Officials now are placing greater hope in the
private sector's ability to develop technologies, such as filtering and
authentication tools. Nonetheless, with every advance in technology, there
is a counter-advance by spammers to evade it.
"There's an arms race going on between the spammers and the ISPs," Timothy
Muris, Federal Trade Commission chairman, told senators charged with
overseeing commerce on Thursday. "The spammers are at least certainly
holding their own."
One mass e-mailer was on hand in the Senate Thursday to testify for himself
that there will always be ways to evade spam filters. Ronald Scelson,
president of Scelson Online Marketing, said his company has developed a new
mailer that automatically adapts to any filter.
Scelson said he favors a global remove system, along the lines of the
wildly popular Do Not Call registry, technology that will soon be available
to protect the identity of individuals who join such a list. Scelson's
company recently had to relocate to an undisclosed location because of
threats that followed a previous testimony on the subject, he said.
Next month, the FTC will complete a report that includes a timetable for
deploying a national Do Not Email registry. The report will also cover
potential technological aids, such as domain-level authentication by ISPs,
which Muris said could be useful.
ISPs are working together to test authentication approaches and develop
other best practices for reducing spam. America Online Inc., Earthlink,
Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo are examining ways to confirm that their members
who send e-mail have accounts and to handle abuses quickly, according to
Ted Leonsis, vice president at AOL.
Praising CAN-SPAM as "the right bill at the right time," Leonsis told
senators that AOL has reduced the volume of spam reaching many of its
members' in-boxes.
Despite the efforts of the ISPs, the overall volume of spam on the network
has increased approximately 5 percent since the law was passed, rising from
78 percent of e-mail prior to enactment to 83 percent today, according to
Shinya Akamine, president and CEO of Postini Inc.
However, technological solutions already in place have reduced the amount
of spam getting to users, he said. Postini customers, including Circuit
City and edible spam maker Hormel Food Corp., have seen as much as a 90
percent reduction, Akamine said.
Others in the industry advocate a more drastic approach in the war on spam.
Hans Peter Brondmo, senior vice president at Digital Impact Inc., told
senators that the underlying problem is the lack of accountability
resulting from the simple, open, vulnerable architecture of e-mail.
Developing a system of trusted senders is the only way to eliminate the
problem of spam, he said, advising lawmakers to focus on ways to establish
accreditation and reputation.
Lycos Leapfrogs Yahoo, Google in E-Mail Race
Lycos Europe just delivered a zinger to Yahoo and Google, announcing the
immediate availability of a new offering: e-mail with a storage capacity of
up to one gigabyte of data.
Google (with its upcoming Gmail) and Yahoo both have said they will offer
similar storage, but neither has a live system yet in the United States,
much less in Europe.
Lycos Europe is owned by Spain's Terra Lycos and Germany's Bertelsmann.
The only thing surprising about this offer is the speed at which it
materialized, according to Yankee Group analyst Patrick Mahoney. "The
Internet-portal and search-engine market, in general, is becoming
increasingly competitive just in the last six months," he told NewsFactor.
"All of them are looking for any way to differentiate themselves to garner
more customers or keep current customers satisfied.
When companies like Yahoo and MSN first began offering free e-mail - mainly
as a loss leader to entice customers to upgrade to a paid service - these
companies considered e-mail as a source for incremental revenue streams.
That never happened, though, Mahoney said. Indeed, the market is moving in
the opposite direction; e-mail with huge capacity - free, or close to it -
is becoming a commodity.
"Other providers know they will have to offer something similar if they
want to retain their competitive edge," Mahoney says.
E-mail service has not become completely commoditized, though - at least,
not yet. Google's 1 GB of storage will be free, but it comes with strings
attached. There are concerns over privacy and exposure to advertising.
Yahoo will require a fee for storage at the 1-GB level, but it just
announced plans to upgrade its free storage capacity significantly.
As for Lycos, its new 1-GB offering will be devoid of ads and protected
with anti-spam and antivirus software, the company said. The service will
cost 3.49 (US$6.18) per month.
But Google may have no need to fret at this point. "There are some issues
with the Gmail proposal that consumers don't like," Mahoney says, "such as
the advertising and the privacy issue. But I don't think the competing
e-mail services will offset Google's prominence in the search market."
Search Engine Rivalry Brings Improvements
Yahoo's big move was to slash prices on its paid Web e-mail service by as
much as 33 percent: A plan with 25 megabytes of message storage now costs
$19 a year, down from $29, and one with 100 megabytes goes for $49 instead
of $59. Later this summer, Yahoo says it will upgrade its free Web-mail
service from 4 to 100 megabytes of storage, while giving "virtually
unlimited" storage to customers who have already paid for the portal's
extra-cost mail services.
Yahoo's shift came in response to Google's plans for Gmail, a free Web-mail
service that will provide users 1 gigabyte of storage in return for letting
Google show targeted ads alongside messages. Gmail is planned for release
in late summer or fall.
In a meeting with financial analysts Thursday, Yahoo also disclosed that it
will soon provide a downloadable "desk bar" program that will let users run
Web searches and access a bunch of other Yahoo services outside of their
Web browser. The portal also said it's about to release new search features
to help people find local businesses.
Google, meanwhile, revamped its Google Groups service to challenge Yahoo
Groups. Previously, Google provided access only to Usenet discussion
groups, but now it also lets people create and manage public or private
mailing lists, as Yahoo Groups does. Yahoo's service offers more features,
including space for storing photos, but Google Groups 2 (still in a test
state at groups-beta.google.com) offers one unique option - users can
highlight favorite discussion topics with a star so they can easily find
them on their next visit to the site.
Google revised yet another service last Monday, when it redesigned
Blogger.com, the Web-log tool it bought last year. The new version aims to
ease newcomers into the art of "blogs," or online journals, with a set of
design templates and a personal-profile system that links new authors to
other bloggers who share their interests.
On the same day as the Blogger relaunch, Google itself started its own
"Google Blog". But its authors on the search site's executive team promptly
raised the ire of veteran bloggers by posting items anonymously and
revising previously published material. "You just don't do that with a
blog, according to half the Google Staff and all the Blogger folk," the
blog confessed in a posting Friday. But the Google team noted its blog is
an experiment and said it will continue to offer a mix of anonymous and
signed postings.
Microsoft Starts Selling Office for Mac
Microsoft Corp. began selling its latest version of Office for Apple
Computer Inc.'s Macintosh on Wednesday, one of the main products sold for
its rival's line of personal computers.
Microsoft, the world's largest software maker, dominates the PC industry
with its Windows operating system software but also develops applications
for the Macintosh.
Microsoft's Office 2004 for Mac, the latest version, is the second release
of the word-processing, e-mail, spreadsheet and productivity suite of
software for Apple's current operating system, called OS X (ten).
The Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft has promised to continue
development of Office for Mac, which counts more than 7 million users,
although the world's largest software maker has already said it will phase
out another Mac program that it makes, Internet Explorer for the Mac.
Apple is working on its own Web browser, called Safari.
Although Microsoft delivered Office for Mac well within its projected
launch date, one edition of the product marketed at businesses, the
Professional version, was delayed because one of its components was
delayed.
Virtual PC for Mac Version 7, the latest version of the software that
allows users to run Windows and Windows-based programs on a Macintosh,
which will be included in Office 2004 Professional, was delayed to the
second half of 2004, Microsoft said.
Office 2004 for Mac will sell at a listed retail price of $400, or $150 for
academic buyers and $500 for the Professional edition.
IBM Seeks Slam Dunk in SCO Case
IBM continues to push for the dismissal of a copyright-infringement lawsuit
brought against the company by the SCO Group, requesting a partial summary
judgment in the U.S. district court hearing the case in Salt Lake City,
Utah.
In this week's court filing, IBM states that SCO was asked seven months ago
to identify the lines of Linux code for which it claims rights, and the
lines of code in the Unix software that SCO alleges were copied into Linux
illegally.
"Unless SCO can match up the lines of code in Linux to which it claims
rights to the precise lines of code in the Unix software over which SCO
claims copyright protection, SCO cannot show copyright infringement," IBM
contends.
"Based upon SCO's failure to come forth with evidence to demonstrate
infringement, summary judgment should be entered in favor of IBM on its
claim that IBM's Linux activities do not infringe SCO's alleged copyrights
relating to Unix," the filing further states.
Big Blue in March filed a series of counterclaims against SCO, in essence
asking U.S. district court judge Dale A. Kimball to throw out the case and
claiming that "IBM does not infringe, induce the infringement of, or
contribute to the infringement of any SCO copyright through its Linux
activities, including its use, reproduction and improvement of Linux," and
further, that SCO's copyrights in Unix are invalid.
IBM asked the court for compensation for damages from SCO, based on the
misuse of rights to the Unix OS and infringement of IBM's own copyrights
and patents, in an amount to be determined at trial.
In August, IBM filed a countersuit claiming that SCO has violated Linux's
General Public License (GPL), as well as a number of IBM patents.
SCO, which has become public enemy No. 1 in the open-source community,
launched the battle's first salvo in March 2003, alleging that code from
Unix System V software was integrated into Linux improperly, and that IBM
bears ultimate responsibility for putting it there. SCO's lawsuit seeks
US$5 billion in damages from IBM.
SCO also has filed lawsuits against enterprise-Linux users, charging
auto-parts vendor AutoZone and automaker DaimlerChrysler with
software-copyright violations.
Novell also has been named as a defendant in legal action initiated by SCO.
In response, Linux vendors Red Hat HP and Novell are offering various types
of indemnification to customers, providing protection for
copyright-infringement claims.
Also this week, the Free Software Foundation revealed on its Web site a
subpoena issued by SCO as part of the ongoing dispute. The foundation says
SCO is requesting every document and e-mail that the FSF has exchanged with
Linux founder Linus Torvalds, IBM and other players in the community.
"We ... will not produce all the material requested; we will not betray our
legally protected confidences, particularly when they relate to our work
upholding the integrity of the GPL," the foundation says in a statement
posted on the Web site.
Microsoft Ordered to Search for Evidence
A federal judge ordered Microsoft Corp. to search for evidence a vice
president told employees in 2000 to destroy e-mails, an attorney for a
company suing the software giant said Friday.
Burst.com attorney Spencer Hosie said the order was important not only for
his client, but for all cases against Microsoft.
"It appears Microsoft as matter of institutional policy has decided to
destroy e-mails in anticipation of litigation," Hosie said.
Burst, based in Santa Rosa, Calif., sued Microsoft in June 2002 alleging
Microsoft developed its own multimedia software for moving audio and video
more quickly over the Internet after discussing the technology for months
with Burst. Burst is seeking unspecified damages, claiming theft and
anticompetitive behavior by Microsoft, which allegedly shut out competitors
through exclusive deals and other practices that took advantage of its
dominant Windows operating system.
Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft says it did nothing wrong.
Thursday's order by U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz in Baltimore
directs Microsoft to search a legal department computer, a server, and
backup tapes, as well as question Microsoft lawyers about the e-mail from
James Allchin, Hosie said.
The attorney said the Allchin e-mail warns employees not to save their
e-mail for more than 30 days, telling them "Do not archive your e-mail."
The e-mail was sent at a time when the company was "up to its neck in
high-stakes litigation," Hosie said.
Thursday's order follows one issued in August by Motz, ordering Microsoft
to search for any deleted e-mails relating to discussions with Burst.
Hosie said the order could affect other cases.
Microsoft has reached settlements of antitrust and unfair competition
lawsuits with nine states and the District of Columbia, totaling $1.5
billion. Cases were dismissed in 16 other states. In a 2001 settlement of
a case brought by the federal government, Microsoft was found to have
illegally abused its monopoly over Windows operating system software. The
trial judge ordered Microsoft broken up, but a federal appeals court
overruled the decision.
"Did Microsoft destroy e-mails that would have been germane to the big DOJ
case? If I were at the Department of Justice, I would want to know," Hosie
said.
Microsoft spokesman Jim Desler said the company will provide further
information that will "clarify this matter and show that Mr. Allchin's
comments were consistent with a policy that is responsive to any legal
requirements and consistent with a policy of efficient management of
corporate e-mail."
The Microsoft spokesman added that the focus on the Allchin e-mail
"obscures the real point in this case, and that is that Burst' claims are
without merit and the technology issue in this court proceeding is based
on Microsoft's own work."
Hosie said companies involved in litigation have an obligation to preserve
documents pertaining to the case.
"Look at the trouble Frank Quattrone got in for one e-mail that said 'clean
out your files,'" Hosie said. The investment banker was convicted earlier
this month of obstructing justice for sending an e-mail encouraging the
destruction of files while a criminal probe of his bank was under way.
Could Your PC Run Mac OS?
A team of open-source developers has released software which emulates the
PowerPC processor architecture and enables users to run Mac OS and some
Unix OSes on PCs powered by Intel x86-architecture processors.
The project, known as PearPC, is not yet stable enough or fast enough to be
more than a tool for enthusiasts, the developers warned.
Using PearPC on a standard PC, the developers said they have successfully
run Mac OS X 10.3, OpenBSD for PPC, NetBSD for PPC, Darwin for PPC, and
Mandrake Linux 9.1.
PearPC translates PowerPC instructions into x86 instructions, and
currently "the client will run about 40 times slower than the host," the
developers said.
Main developers Sebastian Biallas and Stefan Weyergraf are looking for
extra people to help develop the project, which is now hosted at the
open-source site SourceForge, owned by Open Source Development Network.
Another Mac/Windows compatibility project called SoftPear, also under
development, will enable Mac OS X applications that have been developed
for the PowerPC to be recompiled for x86 CPUs, according to SoftPear's Web
site.
Most of the cross-platform technology that exists involves emulating the
Windows PC environment on Apple hardware--the opposite of what PearPC is
attempting. Commercial products such as Microsoft's Virtual PC compete with
open-source projects like Darwine, designed to let users run the WINE (Wine
Is Not an Emulator) environment with Windows applications on Darwin and
Mac OS X systems.
'FreeBay' Sites Connect the Cheap and the Green
Attention Rhode Island residents: A free washing machine is yours for the
taking at the corner of Tangent and Burgess in East Providence.
It might not clean your clothes, but it could come in handy as a movie prop
or ... something.
Sounds enticing? Jen Duclos hopes her notice on the Free Market
(http://www.freemarketri.org) will attract an Internet-savvy dumpster diver
willing to cart away the unsightly appliance, which was mistakenly posted
as a stove.
"It's been sitting out on the curb for like a year," Duclos said. "It just
makes the neighborhood look so ghetto, I hate it."
There may be no such thing as a free lunch, but online exchanges offer free
lumber, refrigerators and other slightly used treasures for anybody willing
to come haul them away.
These exchange sites, or "freeBays," match bargain hunters with
environmentalists who don't want to see their old television end up in a
landfill just yet.
A quick scan of sites like Freecycle (http://www.freecycle.org) and Craig's
List (http://www.craigslist.org) can turn up feather boas in San Francisco,
couches in Las Vegas and king-size beds in Houston.
Participants say items posted on the more popular exchanges are often
spoken for within a day.
Jeff Kwaterski of Washington had to get rid of his rear deck as part of a
recent home renovation, a task that would have required hours of
disassembly and trips to the dump.
Kwaterski posted the deck on Craig's List. Within 24 hours, two engineers
working on a project of their own had broken it down and carted it away.
"You just don't want to throw away good stuff," Kwaterski said. "I think
it's definitely something we'll keep going back to."
Free exchanges are a great way to keep serviceable items out of the
landfill, said Alex Danovich, a business manager with Eureka Recycling,
which set up the exchange in Rhode Island and one serving Minneapolis and
St. Paul, Minnesota.
The Twin Cities site (http://www.twincitiesfreemarket.org) boasts 75,000
regular users who traded some 750 tons of
material last year, he said.
Refrigerators that don't fit with a new paint scheme, aging computers and
leftover landscaping materials are popular trading items, Danovich said,
but participants have given away everything from scrap metal to an entire
six-bedroom house.
"You can't list anything with a mother," he said. "That's pretty much the
main rule."
The site is particularly popular with social-service agencies, which can
furnish apartments with used furniture and kitchen appliances, he said.
Old VCRs, computer printers and other electronics can be tricky to discard
properly because they contain lead, mercury and other toxins.
Electronics account for one in five items traded on the Twin Cities
exchange, which keeps them out of landfills and provides a more
cost-effective alternative to community drop-off events, Danovich said.
Because freeBay sites often deal with heavy or bulky items, they tend to
operate on a local or regional basis.
The city of Madison, Wisconsin, operates an exchange at
(http://www.madisonstuffexchange.com), while Craig's List and Freecycle
offer dozens of local exchanges built around towns as small as Topsham,
Maine, population 9,500.
Other exchanges cater to industrial users. RecycleNet
(http://www.recyclenet.com) touts itself as a "Nasdaq for scrap," creating
markets for recyclable materials like glass, metal, rubber and paper.
FreeBays can take a while to catch on, Danovich said. The Twin Cities site
has built up a solid user base since it launched in 1997. But the Rhode
Island exchange, set up three months ago, lists only six items - and they
don't seem to be going anywhere.
Among them is Duclos' washer, still on the curb in East Providence since
she first posted it a month ago.
"I figured it can't hurt to list it," she said. "It's pretty awful looking.
It's right under a streetlight."
WWW Conference Mulls Web as Personal Memory Store
Imagine being able to record every interesting conversation you have ever
held in your life, not to mention all the photos and writing you have done.
Top Internet researchers attending the annual World Wide Web conference in
New York this week are wondering what it will mean when individuals can
recall nearly every waking moment. It's a vision of the world where
everyone becomes a digital pack rat.
Among the major topics on the agenda of WWW2004 (http://www.www2004.org)
are ways to make use of the treasure trove of personal data electronic
devices create every day.
Researchers have gathered to hear technical papers on grand themes ranging
from how to use the Internet to browse back through one's "life history"
to how scientists can collaborate on Web-wide demographic or life-sciences
studies.
"There is very little reason for anyone to throw anything away," Rick
Rashid, head of research for Microsoft Corp., said of how the latest
Internet software, cheap data storage and networked communication, can help
preserve personal memory.
Forget, for the moment, your mother's advice about the wisdom of spring
cleaning. And suspend those nagging Big Brother doubts you may have about
what can happen when mountains of personal data slips out into public view.
This is the realm of what's possible, not problematic, event organizers
say.
Other presentations seek to solve smaller, but no less irritating issues,
such as how to create a smarter "back" button on Internet browsers.
"The good news is that much of this stuff will turn out to be real,
regardless of the initial hype," said Stu Feldman, head of Internet
strategy for computer services giant International Business Machines Corp.,
and co-organizer of this year's WWW conference.
One paper describes how to publish instantly updating Internet textbooks,
where chapters can be updated automatically as new information is uncovered
and published.
Researchers are using tiny radio sensors to record a person's heart-rate,
triggering immediate Internet alerts to one's doctor when dangerous
activity is detected.
Another project involves taking advantage of the work done in Web
semantics, or machine-readable languages, to make electronic mail easier
to search and use.
Links to many of the presentations can be found at
(http://www.w3.org/2004/03/w3c-track04.html/).
Microsoft is looking into how to use personal "memory landmarks" to search
for any document using not just the date and time they were created, but
various emotional connections a person may associate with the event.
Rashid talks of defining the "memorability" of events.
One such Microsoft project is called "Stuff I've Seen," which allows
Internet surfers to label and annotate all useful Internet content they
find, then return to it later and find their previous annotations alongside
the information.
Udi Manber, chief executive of A9, a unit of Amazon.com, said his company
is studying ways to improve the usefulness of Internet search, including
one demonstration project to allow users to create annotated diaries as
they surf the Web.
In partnership with leading search engine Google, Manber showed off a
method for people to retain the history of previous search results. Any
Amazon.com Inc. account holder can go to A9's site at (http://www.a9.com)
and try out the search history system for themselves.
In a keynote speech to the conference, Microsoft's Rashid described what
consumers might do with a terabyte of data storage that costs around $1,000
and is capable of holding more than 1 trillion bytes of computer data.
"You can store every conversation you have ever had, from the time you are
born to the time you die," Rashid said.
A person could have snap picture with a 180-degree fish-eye view of one's
surroundings for every minute of every day for the rest of one's life.
Microsoft researchers in the United Kingdom have built prototypes of such
a life-recording device called SenseCam. They are gearing up for a second
generation of photo capture systems no bigger than a necklace pendant,
Rashid said.
"Obviously this raises a whole lot of issues about privacy and the control
of one's personal information," Rashid said.
"But this is where we are going. It's already the case that kids are
walking around with cameraphones taking a lot of pictures. This is just an
extension of that," he said.
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