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Atari Online News, Etc. Volume 07 Issue 22
Volume 7, Issue 22 Atari Online News, Etc. May 27, 2005
Published and Copyright (c) 1999 - 2005
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:
Kevin Savetz
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=~=~=~=
A-ONE #0722 05/27/05
~ Looking for Cheap Gas? ~ People Are Talking! ~ New Hotmail Tools!
~ Help With PC Zombies! ~ Worried About Zombies? ~ Handheld Web Tablet
~ comp.sys.atari.announce ~ Hackers Hold Hostages! ~ Atari Yesteryear!
~ Internet Radio Gaining! ~ EU, Microsoft Deal? ~ Dual Core Chips!
-* New England AtariFest '90! *-
-* House Votes To Outlaw PC Spyware! *-
-* Internet Explorer Has Issue With Netscape! *-
=~=~=~=
->From the Editor's Keyboard "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
To say that this has been one of the worst spring seasons in memory is an
understatement. Five - or has it been six - rainy weekends in a row now.
This is Memorial Day weekend - the unofficial start of summer. It feels
more like late-September. The temperatures have been 20 degrees colder than
normal almost every day this month. I could certainly use some sun and
warmth!! I guess my gardens will be going in a few weeks late this year!
Speaking of memories, I spent this past week reminiscing over stories of a
few AtariFests of yesteryear. Yep, my favorite two shows of all time: WAACE
and the New England AtariFest. Reading this week's reports from the
NEA '90 show of almost 15 years ago, it seemed like the show occurred
yesterday! What a bunch of terrific memories! I hope you enjoy the ride
through memory lane as well. Meanwhile, I'll be praying for the sun to
appear during this long holiday weekend.
Until next time...
=~=~=~=
Guidelines For Posting to comp.sys.atari.announce
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What kinds of posts will be approved?
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What kinds of posts will not be approved?
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* Followups to c.s.a.a announcements should be posted to
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=~=~=~=
->A-ONE User Group Notes! - Meetings, Shows, and Info!
"""""""""""""""""""""""
Courtesy of STReport
> NE AtariFest STR SHOW NEWS New England Atari Fest Overviews...
==========================
NEW ENGLAND ATARI FEST 1990
===========================
by Ralph Mariano
The show was.... in so many words excellent! After arriving friday
afternoon to what seemed to be "super frigid weather", I was met by Dana
Jacobson at the arrivals gate. After waiting for the luggage, we retired
to the lounge for a few moments to see if anyone else would show up. Dana
gave me many 'sights' to behold on the way to his lovely home. Most of
them translated into some of the reasons why I left the northeast 30 years
ago, almost all traffic related! Aside from the freezing cold, the traf-
fic ate up close to an hour in getting from the airport to Dana's that's a
trip that normally takes 10-15 minutes. After arriving at Dana's and
getting settled in, we headed out to the show site to help set up the
area. My immediate impression was extremely positive, "these folks really
wanted to stage a super successful show".
The following morning came mighty fast, I was at the show site at 7:am
helping with last minute preparations. It was, as always, quite a treat
to see all the familiar faces from the past shows I've attended. The best
part of all though, is meeting the new folks and those whom you have been
"typing to" but had never met.
Once the doors opened to the public, the dam was broken. From about
15 minutes after the doors opened, it became very apparent that this one
day show was on its way to a resounding success. Meeting the faces behind
the names took on a whole new meaning when I finally met Bruno Puglia,
Bruno is not at all like you would expect after reading the volume of
posts he has sent in the ICD areas. Bruno has had his share of problems
with hardware, but in reality, he knows what he is talking about. Between
him and Joe Mardo they could very well solve many of the annoying problems
found. It was indeed quite a sight to see Bruno in the ICD booth for a
short while. The vendors and exhibitors, one and all, expressed that
they were satisfied with their results at the show.
The STReport seminar produced a number of excellent questions from the
users, the main theme of which embodied the basic apprehensiveness of the
future. The single biggest point most all agreed upon is that Atari must
advertise, Atari simply must let the whole country know they are here and
in the computer business. The majority of the users expressed a strong
desire to see Atari continue and do well despite the presence of its
obvious ongoing problems. Since the departure of Elie Kenan, the stock
has dipped below the 2 dollar mark and rose again to a little above two
dollars. The latest revelation that G. Pratt has been appointed to take
Kenan's place seems to be receiving mixed reviews and impressions. Time
will tell.. this is the most optimistic and generally heard opinion.
Getting back to the show, I had the opportunity to meet Steve Rider,
Bill Turner and Matt Singer of Forem BBS fame. We enjoyed a pleasant
discussion about Atari, its future and a number of other interesting
matters. The only downside to the show was the incidents involving Dar-
lah's wallet disappearing the night before at dinner and the satchel full
of hardware that grew legs on saturday morning.
I'll certainly be ready to fully support next year's New England Atari
Fest. In fact, I'd be the first to recommend they go to a two day show.
The level of enthusiasm and participation I witnessed gives every indica-
tion that a two day show would simply be outstanding. The attendance
figures for a one day show were very impressive, the combined number (paid
and non-paid) were well over 800. A two day show with a dinner, (maybe a
dinner/dance? -hint-) on a saturday evening would do very nicely to round
out a really good affair. What follows are a number of online posts
concerning the show that were written by various attendees.
CTSY GEnie
T.MCCOMB posts;
Well I just returned from the New England AtariFest '90!
I had a good time. It was a long drive up from Staten Island New
York, but I had never been to Boston (or through Conn., RI & MA) so the
drive was interesting.
This is the second Fest I have been to, I was at the Allentown one a
few years ago. (all the others _always_ fall on a weekend that is/was com-
mitted to something else).
The turn out was pretty good for a show this size and everyone seemed
pretty enthusiastic. It looked like sales were pretty brisk, so I think
the dealers/devs that showed up weren't disappointed. I picked up a 2400
baud modem, 2 replacement mice, some blank disks, a copy of Clay's
C-Manship book and some other sundry items that slip my mind.
The seminars were well attended, although I only had time for one,
Nevin Shalit's Color PageStream/Tracker ST demo. The color output from
PageStream was fantastic and Tracker ST is a well thought out, well ex-
ecuted program. If you are in need of something to maintain a mailing
list/keep track of customers/do mail merges this baby will put a smile on
your face. Apparently alot of people agreed, they were snatching them up
at the show special price.
Got to finally see the Stacy (nice!), TT(great screen/colors/speed but
that case just KILLS it) and the LYNX (I want one! Xmas is coming, if
anyone needs my address to ship me one I will provide it, just ask).
I saw alot of people that I knew as a name before, like Bob Brodie,
Darlah, Jim Allen, John Eidsvoog (sp?). It's always interesting to see
the real face after creating an image of your own of how they "should"
look! I didn't always introduce myself because I fear I may be a persona
non grata around here since I am always "picking" on Corporate Atari and
it's royal screw-ups (no matter how you sugar coat it, the ST debacle in
the USA still stinks).
BTW this is the second time I've seen Darlah (I did introduce myself
in Allentown) and I must say she is like a fine wine, definitely improving
with time. Lookin' good Darlah!
Well that's about it, I'm pooped- got stuck in traffic at a construc-
tion project in Brooklyn for over an hour on the way home. ARRRGgghh.
(oh, one down side, apparently the personal hygiene of some Atari
users leaves something to be desired- there were a few (more than a coupl-
e!) of real stinkers at the show! I suggest Atari come out with a water
proof ST so some of these people visit a shower more often! Wow! Whew!)
Tom
------------
D.JACOBSON2 posts;
Well everyone, I can finally say that I've rested up enough to relax
and reflect about the New England AtariFest '90 show. As one of the
organizers, and participants with my own user group, this show was simply
fantastic. The participation by the vendors, developers, user groups,
AND attendees was wonderful. I didn't see one unhappy face or empty hands
leaving the show. The vendors were happy with the turnout, and everyone
did well. It was great to meet many people behind the names, here and on
other services. A great time was had by all, and I just want to say
thanks for all of your participation.
-Dana Jacobson
------------
D.ANDERSON22 [Equinoxx] posts;
Tom:
The "name tag" thing was a definite oversight. It didn't occur to me
myself until just before the doors opened, even though I had seen the
badges about two weeks before the show. If we do this again next year (and
I know myself well enough to realize that, no matter how loudly I may
proclaim NOW that I'm not going to get involved with another one of these,
the second the planning starts, I'm going to jump right in...as Nevin said
in his seminar, "I'm a masochist."), that's one of the kinks I'll per-
sonally see to working out. I do know that a few folks worked around this
by just putting a business card in a badge holder...Ralph Mariano and
Nathan Potechin come immediately to mind.
Finally, my own observations on the show. Although I didn't have much
of an opportunity to just walk around and enjoy the show as a spectator, I
would be lying if I said I didn't have a good time. Much of my time was
spent making announcements of seminars, door prizes and the like (yes,
that's right, I was the official "Voice of New England AtariFest '90"),
although I did get a few chances to hobble about on what Mr. Mariano took
to calling my "rubber crutches" (the sooner I can get rid of them, the
happier I'll be) to see what was what.
I was very pleased with the turnout, both from the standpoint of being
one of the show's organizers, and simply as an Atari enthusiast...it was
just great to see that many people come out to support and see what was
new with Atari. The factor of coming just three weeks after "The Big Show"
down in DC didn't seem to hurt our attendance, or theirs, by any notice-
able degree. I'm told that the preliminary attendance figures hit the
projection almost dead- on.
The exhibitors we talked with were happy...the people came, and they
came to buy. One vendor told me they were "raking it in hand over fist".
Several, like the WizWorks! contingent (Chet Walters, Dave Rudie & Dr.
Bob...not to drop any names <grin>) said they look forward to coming back
to Boston. We'll definitely do our best to make it worth their while.
This is not to say that everything went as smoothly as we would have
liked. Darlah, for example, was just not having a great day. The infamous
Mr. Murphy decided he wanted to hang out with her, and it seemed like
there was no good luck charm strong enough to ward him off. Somehow,
though, she managed to keep smiling through it all. Nevin Shalit was
having a slight problem with the Mega he was using in his seminar...some
problem with memory (don't anyone tell him it was MY machine, okay?). The
SyQuest Nathan Potechin brought over from Toronto with him came up blank
when he tried to boot it, so he had to show Calamus and Outline RUNNING
OFF OF FLOPPIES(!!), on top of which, halfway through his seminar, we were
informed that there was a class scheduled in the room we were using (natu-
rally, the University didn't think it was necessary to tell us about this
when they gave us permission to use the room in the first place), so we
had to move to an alcove just off the main show floor (we finally moved
back to the room for Bob Brodie's talk).
On the other hand, there were great moments, too, like: seeing the TT
(and John Eidsvoog's reaction when we finally came up with a monitor for
it <grin>); Nathan Potechin's donation of a COMPLETE Calamus package
(i.e., Calamus, Outline Art, the Font Editor and The Calamus Guide to
Desktop Publishing -- over $700 worth of software!) as a door prize;
watching Ralph Mariano help set up tables the night before the show;
seeing Bruno Puglia hanging out with Cliff Terry in the ICD booth; dinner
at Legal Seafood's Saturday night, where Chet Walters' son Chris ordered
-- and GOT -- a pizza(!); just seeing the sheer numbers of people come
streaming through the door; and, of course, Darlah's smile, in spite of
her phenomenal run of bad luck (and I'm not going to be the one to tell
you about it).
All in all, a positive experience. I want to go on record and thank
EVERYONE who was involved with the show in any way...the folks who ex-
hibited, those who gave seminars (and those who didn't get to, due to,
shall we say, "Circumstances Beyond Our Control," Darlah? <grin>), the
other organizers, the volunteers, the University of Massachusetts staff
and campus police, the AMAZING staff of waiters and waitresses at Legal
Seafoods, and especially, the good folks who lined up to buy tickets, and
made the show such a success. Thanks, everyone. It meant a lot.
------------
DARLAH [RT~SYSOP] posts;
I have to start off to say that this was a great show. I was impressed
with everyone that was involved that I dealt with. When you say bad luck,
I had it royally. I think it is finally hitting me. <smile> Yeah I am
still smiling but that is thanks to all those that cared. It meant the
world. I had my wallet stolen the 1st night in town then the second day my
hard drives and my keyboard vanished. Yes folks, I forgot about the keybo-
ard. <sigh>
I was faced with going home and not being able to work. Thanks to Jim
Allen for making calls and most of all Mr. Champagne for allowing me to
take his keyboard and mouse home till I get one fedexed to me out tomor-
row. The generosity, I can't believe it and it warms my heart. I mean
that sincerely. For all those that tried to find out where the HDS went to
to taking me to the police station to just listening and lending me their
equipment, what can I say but my deepest thanks go out to you.
For those that said nice things about me an my appearance, what you
have done to my ego. I needed that tonight. :-) I felt like I looked a
mess. I sure felt it.
I did get around and look at some of the booths. Joppa was so packed
you couldn't even get near the booth. The show was busy all the way till
the end. I was impressed with the way the show came off. The appearance of
the booths, the friendly atmosphere (minus the person who has my equipment
of course. :-) > I enjoyed talking to everyone that stopped by and said
hello. Till tomorrow.......I am off to rest and regroup. Again, thanks.
Great show! Great people!
PS: Can I please have an address to ship the keyboard back to? I also
would like to have an address for each and every person that helped me
out. Please appease me and send me it in mail. Thanks!! Oh that is GEnie
mail of course. Night all. :-)
------------
ISD [Nathan] posts;
Allow me to also take this opportunity to say thanks. I enjoyed mys-
elf, it was a great show, attendance was good and the atmosphere was very
positive. I listened to Bob's seminar without nodding off more than once
or twice :-), wiped out my files, commiserated with Darlah on the loss of
her wallet and harddrives ate at a few excellent restaurants, enjoyed
seeing David Anderson again hobbling around and actually pronouncing my
name correctly over the P.A. (thanks David) :-) and have just now arrived
back home. We'll have to do this again sometime. My thanks to all of the
organizers and volunteers for a great show.
------------
D.JACOBSON2 posts;
It's nice to hear that everyone enjoyed the show. All I can do is
echo Dave's comments earlier - I couldn't say it any better. It was a
very enjoyable weekend, from the standpoint of being one of the organize-
rs, user group participants, and as a "customer". I had the best of all
three worlds!! It was great meeting everyone that I missed meeting at
WAACE. Everyone was great to talk with, and that included the party at
Legal Seafood afterward (Darlah, where were you??). Looking forward to
next year for an even better show!!
-Dana
=~=~=~=
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
compiled by Joe Mirando
joe@atarinews.org
Hidi ho friends and neighbors. Well, last week's enforced absence
bothered me a little bit. No, I wasn't sick or anything like that. The
UseNet server that I normally use to gather the posts for this column
was down. Imagine that... a big company like SBC having something as
important (well, important to SOME of it's subscribers) as a news
server down for almost an entire day?
Anyway, the server is back up and running, and I've been monitoring it
and grabbing messages here and there so that if it DID go back down,
I'd have SOMETHING to put in a column this week.
Y'know, it's funny how things happen sometimes. For instance, having
this little story to relate to you has kept me from venting about the
male bovine refuse going on in the government right now. I won't burden
you with my opinions, since I don't have room for them since I
explained why there was no column last week. See how things work out?
<grin>
Anyway, let's get on with the news, hints, tips and info from the
UseNet.
From the comp.sys.atari.st NewsGroup
====================================
'Kevin' asks...
"What is the simplest and least expensive way to upgrade a 520?
Anyone know where can find some detailed info regarding doing a 1 meg or
more upgrade? Is the tweety board upgrade worth it? Any way I can
network a pc to this machine or a cheap way to add a hard drive?"
'Chis' tells Kevin:
"I've got about 3 STFM's with 1 MB and 1.44 floppy for sale, though
unless your in the UK you won't want to pay the postal costs!"
Kevin replies:
"Damn Chris!!! You got my hopes up for a minute there! Here in the US
it is hard to find anything but 520's everything else (including
upgrades/peripherals) seem to be terribly over priced. Then again I
have just started looking."
Chris tells Kevin:
"You're not the only one who said that too, a few people around the
world are interested in such machines, but postage from the UK costs
more than the machine is worth. The only solution (if you cant find
one) is I could sort out a 1MB motherboard for you and possibly just
post that to you, though its still going to work out a fair bit to do
that, though not as much as shipping the entire ST!"
Mike Freeman asks about a mouse-click delay in MagiC:
"When I switched from Geneva to Magic 6.01 a few years back, I noticed
that Magic had a bit of a delay between the time you press the mouse
button and the time the system acts on that click. It's somewhere
between 1/4 and 1/2 a second. I thought it was just something to do
with the speed of my system. But now I have a CT60, and the delay is
still there. Does anyone know what causes this, and if there is a fix?
An example of this can be seen when I try to highlight text in Papyrus.
I have to click, hold the mouse still for a bit, then move it.
Otherwise, if I click and immediately move the mouse, the first part of
the text that I move past doesn't get highlighted. Another example is
when playing one of the Minesweeper games. If I quickly click on a
bunch of spaces without stopping for a bit over each one, they either
don't get marked, or the wrong ones get marked.
So, does anyone have any clues to what's going on? I've tried changing
my Timeslice and Priority settings, with no effect. I have my mouse
double-click speed set at nearly the fastest speed. I'm not sure what
else to check, or if there's even anything to do about it, other than
switch to Mint (which I won't do until there's a good enough GUI on it
that can compete with Magic's)."
Alexander Beuscher tells Mike:
"Sorry, I never did experience such a kind of delay on any Atari system.
Did you check with a raw MagiC-Setup (i.e. no additional AUTO folder
programs, no accessories) as well?
The fact that this does not happen with TOS or Geneva running indicates
that your hardware is ok."
Mike tells Alexander:
"Yes, the same occurs with a "raw" Magic setup."
Alexander bounces one more idea off of Mike:
"Do you have another Atari to install your MagiC 6.01 on? Or do you have
different Versions of MagiC to check the mouse behaviour with them?
You see, I am running out of ideas!"
Ronald Hall asks about IRC channels to try:
"Guys, what's the best Atari IRC channels to hit?
I tried IRCnet (Stealth?) last night but never could get on.
I tried /join #AtariScn from some other ones but never could get
through.
PS This was with Xchat from my Linux box."
Janez Valant tells Ronald:
"U better try #atariscne"
Lonny Pursell adds:
"Also try us.ircnet.org or irc1.us.ircnet.org if stealth doesn't seem to
work."
Ronald tells Lonny and Janez:
"Well, I've just about given up on chatting with fellow Atarians live on
IRC... :-(
I have a Dlink hardware router/firewall, as well as running shorewall
(software firewall) on my Linux box. To rule out why I can't connect, I
completely turned off the software firewall and opened up my comps IP
address as a DMZ. (I would never do this if it was a Windoze box!). :-)
BUT...I still can't connect to stealth. Here is the output from
Xchat:
--- Looking up irc.stealth.net..
--- Connecting to open.pl.ircnet.net (82.146.235.2) port 5550..
--- Connection failed. Error: Connection refused
Cycling to next server in IRCNet...
--- Disconnected ().
and then it goes through this seemingly endless cycle where it tries
different servers - all with the same results. I let it run for about an
hour. :-(
Anyone have any ideas?"
Neil Chester asks for help with HighWire:
"I have found that I have mistakenly deleted the "module:" entry on the
"about" dialog box on the newest version of Highwire - with no obvious
sign of getting it back again!
All the Modules remain in the Module folder but Highwire does not seem
to want to load the Network.Ovl even after a reset! Also I have
retrieved a fresh copy of Highwire.app from the distribution archive
but even this reports "modules: (none)" now.
How do you get the online modules back?
The Config file doesn't have any options for the Module so where does it
get configured from?
Also the Iconnect Ovl doesn't work with the latest version of Highwire,
any answers on this?"
kiselo zelje tells Neil:
"well, install it again afresh if nothing else helps.
I also noticed that iconnect module works a bit unstable...could be the
changes to the program since the module seems the same to me ..."
'ProToS' adds:
"I use it every day with no problem under Magicmac.
I also have in the past several crash with Highwire+Iconnect
(and with all the sites) and I found that this couple was hyper
sensitive to the adjustment of the MTU.
That even made me crash MacOS too .....
Then tests other values of MTU in Iconf.prg, default value must be on
512, in my conf I spent 1492 for MTU value and that made an end to my
superb crash of highwire."
Derryck Croker asks ProToS:
"Do you use a dial-up connection or cable/ADSL? "
ProToS replies:
"ADSL. You need macstip to use it but it seems to be hard
to find this macos soft now."
Jean-Luc Ceccoli adds:
"As far as I know, MTU must be of 1492 with aDSL, and 1500 if pure
ethernet (or cable). That isn't the only value that can affect the
traffic..."
Hallvard Tangeraas asks about loading TOS 1.62 from a file:
"Is there a way I can make my Mega STe (TOS 2.06) load TOS 1.62 from
file (or other, older than 2.06 versions)? "SelTOS" doesn't work with
TOS 1.62 image files."
'Phantom' tells Hallvard:
"I don't know if this will work on a TOS 2.06 MSTE, but
on my 1040STE with TOS 1.62 I use to load up older
versions of TOS simply by putting the TOS disk in
the drive and cold boot.
This worked on the old Disk version of TOS.
I have a MSTE with Tos 2.06 as well. If this works or you
find a way to do it, let me know. I'd really like a few TOS switchers
for a 1040STE and a MegaSTE."
Hallvard replies:
"All I have is the ROM image file of TOS 1.62 (actually completely legal
as well since I also own an STe with TOS 1.62!), so I don't know how I
should create a TOS boot disk without some sort of loader program."
Phantom tells Hallvard:
"I'm not sure what a TOS Image file actually is.
Is it a copy of the TOS chips placed into some type of single file?
Not sure if this will help, but remember Falcon TOS 4.92?
It was on a Disk and you simply put the disk in the Falcon
and it loaded upon Boot up.
There was talk about burning it into a ROM chip.
Someone may have done it.
If you have a Single File, if there is some way to break it down into
readable files on the STe then you would be close.
AFAIK, all ST-Falcons look at the disk drive first to see if there is
a bootable file. If there is, then it is ran. I believe that is
correct.
There must be some way to do this.
IINM, there is a program that will convert them to disk.
But my memory on this subject has faded a bit.
If I come up with something, I'll let ya know.
If I remember correctly. There is a PC program that uses
these TOS Images with a program to run ST software on PCs.
Personally, I didn't like the idea of using TOS Images on PCs,
and I still don't. But that's my opinion.
What is the Tos 1.62 filename and extender?
I'll try to dig up something if no one else has the answer.
Also could you provide the URL for the Images?
I'd like to get those myself. I have 8 Ataris not counting 8-bits.
I've got it bookmarked somewhere on one of my Falcons.
But, there are probably a thousand URLs. (Need to clean them out)
If you don't want to post it, then e-mail it if ya don't mind."
Hallvard tells Phantom:
"I found a few "Disk-TOS" files, which is probably what I need:
http://home.ptd.net/~cjhafner/
I'll try them out when I get the time.
You were asking about TOS image files yourself -take a look at the above
website ;-)
By the way, does anyone know about the legal situation for TOS at the
moment? I don't support piracy, but since the Atari ST is no longer
sold, and neither is TOS, I can't see who's going to suffer from people
putting up TOS image files on websites for other people to download."
Well folks, that's it for this week. Tune in again next time, same time,
same station, and be ready to listen to what they are saying when...
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
=~=~=~=
A-ONE's Headline News
The Latest in Computer Technology News
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
AAA Members Can Look for Cheap Gasoline On the Web
U.S. drivers will have another tool available in their pursuit of
low-priced gasoline this Memorial Day weekend when AAA members on Thursday
gain access via AAA club Web sites to retail prices at individual service
stations.
Just ahead of the Memorial Day holiday weekend, the traditional kickoff of
the U.S. summer driving demand season, and with gasoline prices above $2.00
a gallon, AAA members will be able to research gasoline prices at
individual service stations anywhere in the United States.
The AAA Fuel Price Finder tracks the gasoline price charged through credit
card transactions at the individual stations rather than relying on
volunteer price spotters.
Data from 85,000 stations throughout the United States can be accessed
detailing prices at stations in a three-, five-, or 10-mile radius of any
zip code. Results are provided in a map of the area with stations listed
with their fuel prices, street address and whether or not diesel fuel is
available.
More than 20 individual AAA club Web sites, from the populous Northeast
United States to California on the West Coast, will offer links to the
price finder.
The Web tool is an extension of the data AAA uses to calculate U.S. average
retail gasoline and diesel fuel prices. On Tuesday, the average retail
price stood at $2.114 a gallon, with diesel at $2.258 a gallon.
The record prices recorded by AAA were recorded on April 11, when the
average gasoline price hit $2.276 and diesel hit $2.388 a gallon.
EU Sees Deal With Microsoft in May
Microsoft Corp. made a deal with the European Commission to resolve their
differences over remedies imposed on the software giant for violating
antitrust laws before the end of May, the EU's competition chief said on
Monday.
"We made a deal that before the end of the month we would reach an
agreement. We are waiting for the Microsoft people to do their homework,"
European Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes told Reuters. Asked whether
she would open a new process against Microsoft if it failed to act, Kroes
said: "It is too premature to say that." The Commission could fine
Microsoft up to $5 million daily for failure to comply with sanctions
imposed on it.
The Commission, which polices competition in the 25-nation European Union,
fined the U.S. software giant a record 497 million euro ($654.9 million)
on March 24, 2004, and ordered it to change the way it does business.
"We continue to work hard with the commission to reach an agreement on full
compliance with the decision," a spokesman for Microsoft in Brussels said
when told of Kroes' remarks.
The decision required Microsoft to make its ubiquitous Windows operating
system available without Windows Media Player, so computer makers could buy
alternative software, to play films and music, from RealNetworks and Apple.
It also ordered the company to share information with rival makers of
servers used to run printers and retrieve files, an issue known as
interoperability. The company was supposed to propose a trustee to monitor
its compliance.
If the deal with Kroes falls through, the Commission could decide that
Microsoft has taken enough time to comply with the decision and open a new
procedure against the firm to fine it for non-compliance.
That would require a formal statement of objections, an advisory committee
of EU states and, finally, a decision by the full 25-member European
Commission.
But such a procedure could move very quickly, because there is very little
that needs proving - Microsoft so far has not met requirements that it
comply with the remedies to the satisfaction of the Commission.
If the Commission moved quickly, it could complete work before its summer
recess at the end of July.
Internet Explorer Has Issue with Netscape
Efforts to revive the Netscape browser hit another stumbling block with
the discovery that the latest iteration of the Web browser can wreak havoc
with Internet Explorer, although Netscape developer AOL has downplayed the
problem.
A Microsoft blog entry by IE program manager Dave Massy reports that the
installation of Netscape 8 incapacitates the XML rendering capabilities of
Explorer. As a result, users who navigate the Web in IE to an XML file, such
as an RSS feed, will get a blank page.
Microsoft advised IE users to uninstall Netscape 8 from their machines,
and said the company is working with Netscape to provide a solution to the
issue.
"This is a minor issue that won't affect most users," said AOL spokesperson
Andrew Weinstein. "It only impacts the ability to render XML code, so the
primary effect is on programmers working in that code."
AOL is addressing the problem, Weinstein said, and expects to deliver a
fix through an automatic update next week. "There are no security issues
associated with this problem," he said.
Since its introduction, this is the second problem to emerge for Netscape
8, which is based on the open-source Firefox browser but also offers
support for IE.
Hours after the official launch, AOL released a security update to fix
more than 40 security vulnerabilities.
The vulnerabilities included a flaw in how the browser handled GIF images,
which could have allowed an attacker to execute code remotely on a user's
system.
The security update is included in the release of Netscape 8.0.1, and also
includes the security fixes made to the Firefox browser in March.
Version 8 is the browser's first major upgrade in three years, and was
touted by AOL as having several strong security features specifically
designed to protect users against remote attacks.
U.S. House Votes To Outlaw Computer Spyware
The U.S. House of Representatives on Monday voted to establish new
penalties for purveyors of Internet "spyware" that disables users'
computers and secretly monitors their activities.
By overwhelming majorities, the House passed two bills that stiffen jail
sentences and establish multimillion-dollar fines for those who use secret
surveillance programs to steal credit-card numbers, sell software or commit
other crimes.
Spyware has emerged as a major headache for computer users over the last
several years.
It can sap computing power, crash machines and bury users under a blizzard
of unwanted ads. Scam artists use spyware to capture passwords, account
numbers and other sensitive data.
Spyware can end up on users' computers through a virus or when they
download games or other free programs off the Internet.
"Consumers have a right to know and have a right to decide who has access
to their highly personal information that spyware can collect," said
California Republican Rep. Mary Bono (news, bio, voting record), who
sponsored one of the bills.
The bills prohibit a number of practices often associated with spyware,
such as reprograming the start page on a user's Web browser, logging
keystrokes to capture passwords and other sensitive data, or launching
pop-up ads that can't be closed without shutting down the computer.
The practice known as "phishing" - in which scam artists pose as banks or
other businesses in an attempt to trick consumers into divulging account
information - would also be outlawed.
The House voted 395 to 1 to impose jail sentences of up to 2 years.
Violators could face fines up to $3 million per incident. Those who use
spyware to commit other crimes, such as identity theft, could have an
additional 5 years tacked on to their sentences.
Both bills passed the House last year but the Senate adjourned before
taking action. Similar legislation has been introduced in the Senate this
year.
Most spyware practices are already illegal under deceptive-business laws
but federal and state law enforcers have only sued two spyware purveyors
so far, one expert said.
"We know that there are literally hundreds of these cases out there. Unless
there's a push for enforcement, passing a new law is really only going to
help after the fact," said Ari Schwartz, associate director at the Center
for Democracy and Technology, a consumer-advocacy group.
The bill gives the Justice Department an additional $10 million per year
through 2009 to fight spyware.
Hackers Holding Computer Files 'Hostage'
The latest threat to computer users doesn't destroy data or steal
passwords - it locks up a person's electronic documents, effectively
holding them hostage, and demands $200 over the Internet to get them back.
Security researchers at San Diego-based Websense Inc. uncovered the
unusual extortion plot when a corporate customer they would not identify
fell victim to the infection, which encrypted files that included
documents, photographs and spreadsheets.
A ransom note left behind included an e-mail address, and the attacker
using the address later demanded $200 for the digital keys to unlock the
files.
"This is equivalent to someone coming into your home, putting your
valuables in a safe and not telling you the combination," said Oliver
Friedrichs, a security manager for Symantec Corp. The company said Tuesday
the problem was serious but not deemed a high-level threat because there
were no indications it was widespread.
The FBI said the scheme was unlike other Internet extortion crimes.
Leading security and antivirus firms this week were updating protective
software for companies and consumers to guard against this type of attack,
which experts dubbed "ransom-ware."
"This seems fully malicious," said Joe Stewart, a researcher at
Chicago-based Lurhq Corp. who studied the attack software. Stewart managed
to unlock the infected computer files without paying the extortion, but he
worries that improved versions might be more difficult to overcome.
Internet attacks commonly become more effective as they evolve over time
and hackers learn to avoid the mistakes of earlier infections.
"You would have to pay the guy, or law enforcement would have to get his
key to unencrypt the files," Stewart said.
The latest danger adds to the risks facing beleaguered Internet users, who
must increasingly deal with categories of threats that include spyware,
viruses, worms, phishing e-mail fraud and denial of service attacks.
In the recent case, computer users could be infected by viewing a
vandalized Web site with vulnerable Internet browser software. The
infection locked up at least 15 types of data files and left behind a note
with instructions to send e-mail to a particular address to purchase
unlocking keys. In an e-mail reply, the hacker demanded $200 be wired to an
Internet banking account. "I send programm to your email," the hacker
wrote.
There was no reply to e-mails sent to that address Monday by The Associated
Press.
Ed Stroz, a former FBI agent who now investigates computer crimes for
corporations, said the relatively cheap ransom demand - only $200 -
probably was deliberately low to encourage victims to pay rather than call
police and to discourage law enforcement from assigning these cases a high
priority.
"That's a very powerful threat," Stroz said. "If somebody encrypted your
files, you need this stuff now to do your work."
FBI spokesman Paul Bresson said more familiar Internet extortion schemes
involve hackers demanding tens of thousands of dollars and threatening to
attack commercial Web sites, interfering with sales or stealing customer
data.
Experts said the Web site where the infection originally spread had
already been shut down. They also said the hacker's demand for payment
might be his weakness, since bank transactions can be traced easily.
"The problem is getting away with it - you've got to send the money
somewhere," Stewart said. "If it involves some sort of monetary
transaction, it's far easier to trace than an e-mail account."
U.S. FTC Asks For Help Against Spam 'Zombies'
Home computer users who unwittingly send out spam e-mail should be
disconnected from the Internet until their machines are fixed, the U.S.
Federal Trade Commission said on Tuesday.
The FTC said it would ask 3,000 Internet providers around the globe to make
sure that their customers' computers haven't been hijacked by spammers who
want to cover their tracks and pass bandwidth costs on to others.
Online viruses like "SoBig" turn infected computers into spam-spewing
"zombies" that send out millions of unwanted messages without the owner's
knowledge. Zombie networks are responsible for 50 percent to 80 percent of
all spam, according to various estimates.
Because many home users lack the technical smarts to fight the problem on
their own, the FTC hopes their Internet providers will help, although they
are not required to do so.
Internet providers should identify computers on their networks that are
sending out large amounts of e-mail and quarantine them if they are found
to be zombies, the FTC said. They should also help customers clean their
machines and tell them how to keep them safe in the first place, the FTC
said.
The FTC said Internet providers should route all customer e-mail through
their own servers, which could upset more technically proficient users who
run their own e-mail servers.
The FTC also said it plans to identify specific zombie computers and notify
their Internet providers.
Law enforcers in 25 other countries, from Bulgaria to Peru, are also
participating in the campaign, the FTC said.
Absent from the list of cooperating countries was China, where experts say
rapid growth and a relative lack of technical sophistication have led to a
large number of zombie computers.
Most U.S. Internet providers already have taken the steps outlined in the
FTC's letter but they must take care not to squelch legitimate mail in the
process, said Dave McClure, president of the U.S. Internet Industry
Association.
"It's sometimes very difficult to tell the difference between spam coming
across your network and your local charitable organization sending out its
monthly newsletter," said McClure, who added that U.S. law prevents
Internet providers from reading customer e-mail.
The FTC's campaign follows on earlier efforts to shut down "open relays"
and other poorly configured computers that have been exploited by spammers.
Fret About PC Zombie Threat?
Worried about zombies? Internet users concerned about the number of
virus-infected PCs ready to launch an attack over the Web can at least keep
track of how afraid they should be - and satisfy their curiosity - by
visiting CipherTrust Inc.'s new ZombieMeter resource.
The security company added the ZombieMeter to its Web site this week,
offering visitors hourly information on the global activity of new zombies
by tracking data it receives through its IronMail e-mail security
appliances.
Zombiesare Internet-connected computers that have been infected by
malicious code that allows hackers to control them remotely. They are often
used to launch denial-of service (DoS) attacks or send unwanted e-mail.
Although CipherTrust only monitors zombie activities based on data from
its network of e-mail appliances, it counted an average of 172,009 new
zombies a day for the first three weeks in May. Of these, 20 percent are
in the U.S. and 15 percent in China. That represents a slight shift from
late March and early April, when around 20 percent of the 157,000 new
zombies it identified on average each day were in China.
The European Union, meanwhile, was a virtual hothouse for zombies, with 26
percent of new infected machines in its member states during the first
three weeks of May, CipherTrust said. Six percent of these were in Germany,
5 percent in France and 3 percent in the United Kingdom, the company said.
South Korea is also a popular zombie haunt: 10 percent of new infected
machines in the first few weeks of May were in that country, CipherTrust
said.
While the Alpharetta, Georgia, security company said tracking zombies helps
it to identify behavioral patterns and predict threats, it was unclear how
the information might aid the average Internet user.
"I suppose it might increase your paranoia as a home user, or convince you
to update your antivirus software," said one London-based IT manager.
Microsoft Takes on Spam with New Hotmail Tools
Microsoft on Thursday announced new MSN Hotmail tools and services designed
to expand e-mail industry collaboration in fighting spam - MSN Postmaster
and Smart Network Data Services.
These new services are designed to complement ongoing industry efforts
supported by Microsoft - including e-mail-authentication mechanisms such as
the Sender ID Framework - to help protect MSN Hotmail customers as well as
the overall e-mail community from online safety concerns such as spam,
phishing and viruses.
Central to the effort by MSN Hotmail to engage with the e-mail community is
the launch of the new MSN Postmaster Web site, an online resource available
in 10 languages. It is designed to help bulk e-mailers, ISPs, e-mail
service providers and others better understand issues around sending e-mail
to users of the MSN Hotmail Web-based e-mail service.
MSN Postmaster offers up-to-date information and tools that address a
range of issues, including how to fight junk e-mail, improve delivery of
legitimate bulk e-mail messages and streamline the reporting of e-mail
abuse.
As part of MSN Postmaster, Microsoft also introduced a preview release of
the company's Smart Network Data Services. Microsoft hopes that with the
new service, ISPs will be able to contribute to the fight against spam and
protect e-mail more effectively.
Smart Network Data Services reports on several characteristics of e-mail
traffic sent to MSN Hotmail. For instance, an ISP can find out the volume
of e-mail being sent from its IP space to MSN Hotmail, how that e-mail is
impacted by MSN Hotmail spam filtering and what percentage of its e-mail
has been marked as spam by MSN Hotmail and MSN customers.
ISPs in turn can take appropriate action, such as identifying and cleaning
compromised machines, increasing the security measures for the host or
network, or working with the party that sent the messages to determine if
it is spam or legitimate e-mail.
"With over 200 million active e-mail accounts worldwide, MSN Hotmail is in
a unique position to collect and analyze e-mail activity data," said Kevin
Doerr, product unit manager for MSN Hotmail at Microsoft. "Working
together, MSN Hotmail and service providers can make their customers
happier and more satisfied with the services we all provide."
In January, MSN Hotmail implemented Sender ID, an e-mail-authentication
protocol championed by Microsoft and other industry players. Sender ID is
designed to help address the problem of domain spoofing.
If an e-mail message comes in that appears to be a phishing attempt, it
will not be delivered to consumers' inboxes, but instead will be sent to
their junk e-mail folders; MSN Hotmail will notify the customers that the
"phishy" URL has been disabled to help protect them.
Microsoft continues to invest in Sender ID, and MSN in the coming months
will make Sender ID "warning alert" notifications visible via a new safety
bar in the MSN Hotmail user interface. The safety bar has been designed to
alert customers to potential issues with received e-mail by displaying
phrases such as "The sender of this message could not be verified by
Sender ID."
The alerts will provide customers with options to learn more about Sender
ID with a single mouse click, as well as provide guidance on staying safe
online.
For organizations looking to implement Sender ID themselves, Microsoft will
be cohosting the E-Mail Authentication Implementation Summit 2005 on
July 12 with three dozen other industry players to help provide information
and best-practice recommendations for implementing e-mail authentication
mechanisms such as Sender ID.
Nokia Unveils Handheld Internet Tablet
Nokia Corp. is introducing a handheld tablet for Web-browsing over a
wireless broadband connection, the company's first non-phone mobile device
and the latest in a long line of attempts to create a so-called "Internet
appliance" for quick online access around the home.
The new Internet Tablet, unveiled Wednesday and slated to go on sale this
summer, is based on the open-source Linux operating system rather than the
Symbian platform Nokia uses for "smart" cell phones.
Priced at $350, the Internet Tablet is being positioned as an alternative
to buying an extra personal computer or laptop for different rooms,
providing a cheaper, quicker and less-cumbersome way to connect to the Web
and e-mail at home.
There's no hard drive but rather 128 megabytes of onboard flash memory and
a memory card slot. Nokia says the device is not intended as a rival to
Apple Computer Inc.'s iPod or other MP3 music players. A software update
is expected early next year to add features such as voice-over-Internet
telephony and instant messaging.
While fairly unique in terms of its handheld size, the Internet Tablet can
be seen as another variation on a concept that has repeatedly failed to
catch on - a device that offers easy Internet access and basic tasks such
as e-mail for which the computing power of a full-blown PC is unnecessary.
During the Internet bubble, prominent names from a wide range of technology
industries dabbled with Web appliances. Intel Corp., Gateway Inc., 3Com
Corp., America Online, National Semiconductor Corp. and Honeywell all
either launched or promised such devices. Nokia itself weighed in with a
tablet called the MediaScreen.
Many were wired devices, such as the "Audrey" from 3Com, though a few like
the Airboard from Sony Corp. and the WebPAD developed by National Semi used
wireless technologies similar to Wi-Fi.
Since the Nokia tablet is meant to be carried from room to room, its
4.1-inch screen is considerably smaller than the display on most of these
predecessor appliances but also far bigger and sharper compared with most
cell phones and handheld computers.
And rather than serving up stripped-down versions of Web pages like most
mobile devices, the tablet uses an Opera browser to display sites as they'd
appear on any computer.
Weighing half a pound, the Internet Tablet is three-quarters of an inch
thick, 5.6 inches wide and 3.1 inches deep. It includes a loudspeaker but
there's no typewriter keyboard for thumb-typing e-mail as on popular
handheld computers such as the Treo and BlackBerry. Instead, the tablet
comes with a stylus to tap a virtual keyboard on the screen.
The device is designed primarily to use at home, though its Wi-Fi
transmitter can also connect with public and commercial hot spots. There's
also a USB port to connect with a PC and a Bluetooth transmitter that can
be used to connect with a mobile phone that has cellular online access.
The Nokia announcement marks the second time in days that a prominent
producer of mobile devices has veered into a new product category.
Last week, PalmOne. Inc. unveiled a $500 device called the LifeDrive,
essentially a cross between a mobile media player, portable hard drive and
an organizer. The LifeDrive features 4 gigabytes of internal storage and a
high-resolution screen for on-the-road access to music, video, digital
photos, e-mail and office documents. It also offers Wi-Fi wireless
capability to connect with the Web and corporate networks remotely.
But no matter how well the new Nokia and Palm devices may be designed, new
product concepts founder more often than not.
Nokia in particular has struggled in its attempts to forge several new
product categories. Most prominent among these has been the N-Gage, a cell
phone designed specifically for video games. Others include a digital
picture frame with a cellular connection to download photos.
Sales of the N-Gage, shaped more like a portable game player than a phone,
have been weak since it was first introduced in late 2003. But Nokia has
stood by the concept, introducing updated versions of the device and
maintaining an "N-Gage Arena" wireless community for multiplayer games and
forums.
Intel Launches Dual-Core Chips for PCs
Intel Corp. unveiled its first mainstream home PC microprocessor with two
computing engines on a single chip Thursday and vowed to sell millions of
them by the end of the year.
The Pentium D processor and supporting chips will target home computer
users, particularly those who run more than one program at once or have
software that is designed to take advantage of the extra computing
horsepower of the chips' dual cores.
"We're shipping 100,000 this quarter, and we're going to ship millions by
the end of the year," said Gerald Holzhammer, vice president of Intel's
Digital Home Group. "This is a big deal for us. It's the first time dual
core will make a real impact on the marketplace."
Intel also is hoping to persuade PC makers to include other technologies
that make up the chip maker's "digital home" platform, including a chipset
that improves graphics, sound, storage and security capabilities.
It's part of Intel's recent strategy to supply more than just
microprocessors to computer markers. The move started in 2003, when Intel
launched its Centrino technology that includes a processor, chipset and
wireless radio tuned to work together in notebook computers.
The home desktop platform has not received a brand name, though executives
said the matter was under consideration.
The Pentium D is not Intel's first dual-core chip. Earlier this month,
Intel started shipping its Extreme Edition Pentium for PC enthusiasts and
gamers. But its steep price tag - as high as $1,000 per chip - has kept it
from the reach of most home users.
When purchased in volume, Pentium D prices range from $241 to $530 with
speeds from 2.8 gigahertz to 3.2 GHz. Supporting chipsets range from $38
to $42.
Also Thursday, Intel announced the launch of a business desktop platform
that features a greater maximum memory, remote management tools and
security features. In its current form, the business platform doesn't
include dual-core chips.
Next month, Intel rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc. is expected to launch
its first dual-core chips for mainstream desktop computers. AMD has already
launched a dual-core chip for servers.
Internet Radio Is Gaining, But Problems Remain
Like a sleeping giant, Internet radio is quietly attracting more and more
listeners and advertising dollars, leading some experts to predict that
some day soon it will eclipse the popularity of satellite radio and iPods.
Already, ratings company Arbitron Inc. says, some 37 million Americans tune
into Internet radio at least once a month, up from 11 million four years
ago.
With its growing audience, it could start to take a bigger bite of the $11
billion spent annually on online advertising. Nevertheless, But Internet
radio faces hurdles, say proponents, because digital copyright laws make it
less viable than rivals.
"The growth potential is huge but there are significant challenges. The
record industry is doing their best to keep Internet radio in a box," said
Jonathan Potter, executive director of the Digital Media Association.
Instead, he said, the music producers "should be working on ways to enable
it" to capture a paid audience for recording artists.
Potter's group has been pressing Congress for years to update copyright
laws that require Web radio companies to pay royalties to record labels.
But restrictions continue to hinder the growth of the medium. Webcasters
can only play four songs by any single artist in a three-hour period and
are restricted from promoting the recording of their content, unlike,
satellite operators which are free to do so.
"We need to clarify and simplify Internet radio laws to promote the growth
of these services," said Potter, whose group represents small and large
Webcasters like Time Warner Inc.'s AOL, Yahoo Inc. and RealNetworks.
Potter says most Webcasts are still operated at a loss.
Steve Marks, general counsel of the Recording Industry Association of
America, says record companies have embraced Internet radio by offering an
easy way to get licenses to use its content.
But he said the trade group was disappointed that some Web radio companies
have failed to respect the rights of artists.
"Internet radio companies should stop facilitating piracy and adopt secure
streaming formats today," he said.
Still, entrepreneurs have found legitimate ways to overcome the barriers.
and are now moving Web radio forward, fueled by views that wireless
broadband will turn it into a "killer application." They are set to put it
onto cellphones, MP3 players and other devices beginning as soon as late
2005.
"Once Internet radio's available everywhere and you'll have 'Internet
walkmen', it will be a watershed moment," said Bryan Miller, general
manager for alternative Cincinnati station (www.woxy.com), which aired for
20 years as a traditional radio station before turning Web-only about 9
months ago. Some Web radio operators, like Mercora, an aggregator of
500,000 individual Internet stations, have already found ways around
Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) restrictions.
"The DMCA puts a lot of restrictions on the industry. But when you have as
much content as we have, these things don't stop you," said Srivats
Sampath, chief executive officer of Mercora, which enables listeners to
"timeshift" or record streamed programming so they can play it back later,
which is prohibited on U.S. Webcasts.
"DMCA prohibits timeshifting of DMCA webcasts in the U.S., but you can
timeshift everything you hear from our Canadian networks, which are
registered in Canada where rules don't prevent listeners from
timeshifting," said Mercora.
Other companies are helping Internet operators generate cash for their
Webcasts.
"We're good at offering alternative revenue models to advertising
for Internet radio stations," said Kurt Huang, co-founder of Bitpass Inc.,
a Web-based payment service that helps online content providers bundle,
promote and sell content and collects payments for them.
Ando Media provides a product called Webcast Metrics, which tracks Web
radio usage across 500 independent stations including (www.accuradio.com),
(www.airAmericaradio.com) and (www.radioio.com) and then sells that data to
advertisers.
"Internet radio represents one of the biggest untapped audiences - daytime
primetime," said Jordan Mendell, chief technology officer for Ando, noting
that most Web radio listening occurs during the workday at offices.
"It's almost like a puzzle piece. Internet radio fills in the gap between
drop-off and the drive home," he said.
Mendell said his company's data has translated into ad buys and has helped
stations develop credibility. "We're seeing major ad buyers like Toyota and
Napster putting major campaigns on our stations," he said.
Eileen Wolbert, director of advertising for Live365, a portal of 10,000 Web
radio stations, also cited a huge upswing in advertising interest this
year.
As the medium gains traction, terrestrial broadcasters are embracing it
after pulling the plug on streamcasts a few years ago. Viacom Inc's
Infinity recently began streaming news/talk outlets and launched a couple
of Web-only stations, while Clear Channel Communications Inc recently
launched a new Web strategy.
=~=~=~=
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