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Atari Online News, Etc. Volume 07 Issue 25
Volume 7, Issue 25 Atari Online News, Etc. June 17, 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:
Bill Glaholt
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=~=~=~=
A-ONE #0725 06/17/05
~ OpenSolaris Launched! ~ People Are Talking! ~ Online Sales Tax!
~ Announcing: STinGadel! ~ AOL Atop DoS Zombies! ~ VideoGame Expo!
~ Britain Hacker Warning! ~ MS Sues Pirate Stores! ~ Final Fantasy XI!
~ Intermix To Settle Suit ~ Microsoft Under Fire! ~ More PSP Hacks!
-* EditPlus Sources Released! *-
-* Firefox Still Chipping Away At IE! *-
-* Hong Kong Plans To Enact Anti-Spam Law! *-
=~=~=~=
->From the Editor's Keyboard "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
If anyone happens to have a spare calendar, would you please give it to
Mother Nature? Less than a week ago, we were dealing with a heat wave, and
now we're setting records for cold temperatures! Living in New England, I
should know better than to be surprised at all of the oddities with our
weather. For a change, I could settle for normal! The pool is finally
open, but it's been too cold to enjoy it. I did do some half-wading to cool
off one day, but getting fully submerged was out of the question! Maybe
once before the real summer starts next week. And maybe the weather will
improve a little enough to finish off the gardens and other lawn decor.
I was thinking the other day (yeah, I do that on occasion!) and noticed that
there's an awful lot of news these days revolving around such topics as
spam, spyware, viruses, hacking, etc. Why do people do that kind of stuff.
I think the worst that we ever got on the Atari machines was that stupid
fake mouse virus which reversed the direction when you moved your mouse. Go
left, the cursor went right, etc. No real viruses. Not spyware or adware.
Nothing malicious at all. What kind of person can dream up some of the
malicious viruses that we've heard about, or even encountered personally?
And then to unleash them on the world? Sick people if you ask me. And
people wonder why we still enjoy using our Atari computers.
Until next time...
=~=~=~=
Announcing: STinGadel
Good morrow to you all!
I am pleased to announce that I have been working on a new Atari ST
STinG-based "Citadel"-type BBS. It is based on the original "Inner
Sanctum"/STadel source code, but I've pretty much torn it down and
completely re-worked the insides. The software will accept up to 24 Telnet
concurrent connections through STinG, and will work best with an ethernet
static IP connection. It will work on any model ST, but it requires 4MB
RAM and at least 10 MB hard drive space.
The software is coming along smoothly: user accounts, rooms, and the
message base are all working and just require some stress-testing to ensure
their structures are solid. I'm currently hoping for an August 1 launch
date, but a beta version of the software will be up and available sometime
before then.
For more information and updated progress, hit the web site at
http://www.coldwinterknights.net
EditPlus Sources Released
Hi all,
The sources for the once commercial text editor EditPlus has been
released by the author, Craig Harvey. This application had a vast
number of powerful features and is of course a very vital addition to
The Orphaned Projects Page.
You will also note that the source package contains a binary version of
EditPlus. To read more and download the files, follow the link below:
http://topp.atari-users.net
Regards,
/Joakim
www.ataricq.org
xaaes.atariforge.net
topp.atari-users.net
=~=~=~=
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
compiled by Joe Mirando
joe@atarinews.org
Hidi ho friends and neighbors. Wow, it's been a long week. It seems like
no matter what I've tried to do this week, there's been someone or
something standing in my way, just daring me to try to complete
whatever task it was that I was trying to get through.
Well, I know that I'm not unique, and that everyone else has the same
frustrations these days, but if that's the case, why don't the rest of
you people just get the heck out of my way? <grin>
This in one of those times when I need to just relax a bit and realize
that it's not as bad as it seems, or that things will happen as they're
supposed to no matter what I decide to do.
It sounds like dime-store psychobabble, but I often find that if I take
a step back... sometimes a rather large step, but sometimes a small
step is all it takes... and actually see what's going on through
clearer eyes, I can usually put things back into perspective and get on
with what I wanted to do in the first place.
Maybe it's just because I'm getting older, or maybe it's because I'm
getting wiser (much less likely), but I find myself doing this
step-back thing more and more often. And, unlike most things that we
find ourselves doing more and more often, it still has the desired
effect.
Why am I mentioning any of this? I have no idea. But there's a parallel
there somewhere between what's going on 'out there' and my adventures
with my Atari computers. That's really kind of what they were too...
adventures.
While others were busy paying for their blocky MS-DOS computers with
black and white displays of blocky graphics, I was tooling around with
my spiffy 1040. The 'step-back' thing normally happened when I was
talking to someone who had one of these DOS machines and couldn't
understand why the Atari was I was so impressed with was 'better' than
either machine. I've almost always tried to put myself in the other
guy's shoes, and the computer realm was no different. Software
availability? Not a problem... I did everything I wanted/needed to do
just fine. Status? I don't buy cars as status symbols and I don't buy
computers as status symbols. I buy these things to do what they were
designed to do. Anything else would surely lead to disappointment.
Well, enough of that. Let's get to the news, hints, tips and info
available from the UseNet.
From the comp.sys.atari.st NewsGroup
====================================
Lonny Pursell posts this about GFA-Basic Editor:
"[Here's a] Full featured GEM based editor modeled after the original
GFA-Basic editor.
http://www.bright.net/~gfabasic/ [AtarIRC, GFA-Basic, Hades060] "
Jane Valant tells Lonny:
"Great stuff Lonny! Feeling of the original editor is what I wanted most
in any kind of GFA editor... Thanx!"
Lonny replies:
"Thanks for the kind words. I just released v1.10 update, a few more
things added and changed to more work like the old editor."
Martin Tarenskeen tells Lonny:
"Very interesting indeed. I have been using GfaBasic with
ErgoPro+Bastard under MiNT/N.AES which is a really nice setup. But the
original GfaBasic editor simply wasn't made for Multitasking. It's a
little miracle that with ErgoPro/Bastard I could use it under MiNT. But
it always felt dirty and unsafe.
If I had more time I would use the new editor frequently. I haven't
programmed anything in GfaBasic for a long time. This could be a good
reason to try to make something nice with it again. I have still some
unfinished projects on Falcon's hard disk ..."
Lonny replies:
"The corner clock in the old editor is usually the culprit. It appears
to be interrupt driven or something is hooked in to a vector somewhere.
If the old editor dies for any reason, it's almost always fatal. It's
a little like programming on pins and needles. I found that I was
saving the source code before every Run, just in case.
Martin tells Lonny:
"There is a configuration option in the latest Bastard that helps
avoiding this problem.
I was working on a universal MIDI System Exclusive dump utility with a
modern interface and a lot of bells and whistles. Color icons,
resolution independent, online help, drag&drop, and, unlike many old
Atari ST MIDI apps, multitasking friendly. Never quite finished it.
And I was dreaming of a nice GEM interface for SoX, the audio
processing/converting utility that is available for SpareMiNT.
In general, many of those nice command line apps from the SpareMiNT
archive could use a nice GEM front end."
Carey Christenson asks for help with networking:
"First off I have my Falcon060 Networked to my Cable Modem via a Linksys
4 port Router. I am using MagicNet with the Iconnect port. I am also
using a EtherNEC for this connection to the Router. My question
pertains to another Falcon that I have that does not have a CT60. It
was accelerated and scores just as good if not better in most
benchmarks than a STOCK TT030.
I want to network this Falcon to my CT60'ed Falcon. Would the LAN port
work?? If so, where do I get the Cables and what software should I
use?? Does MagicNET work for this?? With this type of connection will
that Falcon be able to use the Internet at all or will I just be able
to transfer files?? Also, I have a 1040STf that I want to network to
my Falcon060. Reason, I have a MegaFile 60 that is pretty much full
and I need to transfer the stuff to my Falcon060 to burn the stuff to a
CD for a backup. Will MIDI cables work for this job?? What software
will I need?? MagicNet, STING is actually all ready setup on the
1040STf for connection through a router but I do not have an extra
EtherNEC. What about FTP software?? I use Fiffi on my Falcon060 and
plan on using that on my other Falcon but that will probably not work on
a 1040STf. So what should I use for transferring these files over to my
Falcon060.
If there are any good networking web pages out there that will help with
these type of connections with the type of software that I have please
let me know. NOW granted, I know these type of connections will
probably not be the fastest connection possible. But it sure beats
using FLOPPY's!!!"
Edward Baiz tells Carey:
"You could either use the ftp protocol for transfer or else try the
MagicNet version of BNet. Both work great transferring files to and from
my Hades and STe."
Janez Valant tells Carey and Edward:
"[The] Best way imho is PLIP cable. I had Falcon connected to TT (with
riebl Ethernet card and cable modem) for years. TT acted as router and
ip masquerading, so net access from TT to Falcon was transparent...
HTTP,FTP,NFS whatever worked great. Speed was okay as well, up to
120kb/sec (tt<>ct2 machine) 2 problems: it takes parallel port and
require MiNT, don't know if MagicNET would work with PLIP drivers.
Magic surely can't act as router/masquerading, but FTP access would
surely be possible.."
Since we've heard from a few people interested in BBSs lately, I thought
I'd include this announcement from Bill Glaholt:
"Good morrow to you all!
I am pleased to announce that I have been working on a new Atari ST
STinG-based "Citadel"-type BBS. It is based on the original "Inner
Sanctum"/STadel source code, but I've pretty much torn it down and
completely re-worked the insides. The software will accept up to 24
Telnet concurrent connections through STinG, and will work best with
an ethernet static IP connection. It will work on any model ST, but
it requires 4MB RAM and at least 10 MB hard drive space.
The software is coming along smoothly: user accounts, rooms, and the
message base are all working and just require some stress-testing to
ensure their structures are solid. I'm currently hoping for an
August 1 launch date, but a beta version of the software will be
up and available sometime before then.
For more information and updated progress, hit the web site at
http://www.coldwinterknights.net "
'Phantom' asks about the MegaSTE's modem ports:
"After looking thru my Mega STE Manual, I notice that the 2 modem ports
are wired a bit different. What was the reason, for this?
Should I stick with modem 1 or can modem 2 be used as wired?
In the future, I would like to use a Null Modem Cable on one of the
Modem ports and use the other for Net access at the same time if
possible."
David Leaver tells Phantom:
"Don't be mislead by the names. Use Serial 2 for preference. As with
Modem 2 it uses the much faster SCC chip, but it has more controls."
Well folks, that's it for this time around. Tune in again next week,
same time, same station, and be ready to listen to what they are saying
when...
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
=~=~=~=
->In This Week's Gaming Section - PSP Not Enticing Video Fans Yet!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Final Fantasy XI to Xbox 360!
More PSP Hacking!
And much more!
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE's Game Console Industry News - The Latest Gaming News!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
PlayStation Portable Hasn't Enticed Video Fans Yet
Sony's hot-selling PlayStation Portable (PSP) has not yet become an
immediate threat to hard-drive-based portable video devices, according to
Parks Associates' upcoming report "Portable Multimedia Players: Analysis
and Forecasts."
The report, which uses data from Parks Associates' recent survey "Mobile
Entertainment Platforms and Services," shows the PSP still appeals to
mainly gaming-oriented consumers. Among PSP intenders, the top factors
influencing their interest were graphics (34%), gaming capabilities (29%),
and an extensive game catalog (29%), all gaming-related product attributes.
Only 6% ranked video playback as the main extra feature driving their
interest, whereas significantly higher percentages of intenders cited
features such as wireless connectivity (17%), a hard drive (19%), and TV
connectivity (20%) as most desirable.
"Gamers' enthusiasm for the PSP hasn't spilled over to consumers who like
video on the go," said Harry Wang, research analyst at Parks Associates.
"This news is good for manufacturers of hard-drive-based portable video
players, who have been concerned the PSP would adversely affect demand for
their products."
The PSP could become a bigger threat, according to Wang, depending on how
quickly Sony can build a sizeable library of video content for this
platform. But the PSP is just one of many challenges confronting the
companies in this market.
"Portable video players face additional adoption hurdles, including price,
content availability, and competition from smartphones or multimedia PDAs,"
Wang said.
Final Fantasy XI Coming To Xbox 360
Square Enix Co., Ltd. a leading developer and publisher of interactive
entertainment software including two of the world's most popular franchises
Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, recently announced that Final Fantasy XI
will be released on Xbox 360, Microsoft's next-generation gaming console,
and Xbox Live, the company's premier online gaming service. The partnership
was announced at Microsoft's Media Briefing held in Los Angeles on May
16th. Xbox 360 will be available this holiday season.
"As we move forward with our cross-platform strategy to bring our titles to
more gamers in multiple formats, we are extremely excited to launch our
popular MMORPG on the Xbox 360 and look forward to this collaboration with
Microsoft," said Yoichi Wada, president of Square Enix. "The Xbox 360
provides a powerful platform from which gamers can be immersed in the
spell-binding Final Fantasy XI story that comes to life through
collaborative online game play."
"We're thrilled to be working with Square Enix to bring their incredible
game Final Fantasy XI to Xbox 360," said Robbie Bach, Microsoft chief Xbox
officer. "The power of our next generation games and entertainment system
combined with the creativity and innovation of Square Enix promises to
truly revolutionize video games on a global scale."
Final Fantasy XI is a massively multi-player online role-playing game
(MMORPG). The original version of the game was released in May 2002 in
Japan, October 2003 in North America and September 2004 in Europe, with a
subscriber base now in excess of 500,000 active accounts.
With the release of the Xbox 360 version, Square Enix will be expanding its
cross-platform strategy, making Final Fantasy XI available to a much wider
audience. Players will be able to choose their hardware and play on the
same servers as existing gamers. The powerful next-generation capabilities
of the Xbox 360 will provide a much more dynamic and visually impressive
gateway to Vana'diel - the world of Final Fantasy XI.
Devil Kings For The PlayStation 2
Unify Warring States Under One Regime
Capcom recently announced Devil Kings for the PlayStation 2 computer
entertainment system. Devil Kings is a fast-paced action game set against a
backdrop of a warring nation as feudal lords battle for land and power.
Choose from a selection of heroic warriors and utilize their unique combat
abilities to fight on the battlefields and unify the country. Devil Kings
possesses compelling gameplay that will have gamers unleashing a variety of
devastating attacks to triumph over every enemy.
In Devil Kings, players assume the role of various warriors who must lead
their hero into a succession of hostile confrontations against an onslaught
of opponents. The action explodes on-screen when awesome "critical moves"
are performed on the battlefield as players plough through enemy hordes.
Unleash the special powers from within to bombard those who stand against
you with ruthless attacks or summon a powerful storm of fiery meteors and
watch them explode in a whirlwind of destruction. Using experience points
earned during combat, gamers can level up their characters' personal
attributes and weapons. There are over 80 special items to find and unlock
in hidden treasure chests located throughout the game. It's up to the
player to build up their heroes, collect items, and carve a new path to
victory and ultimate domination.
Devil Kings includes the following:
* Roster of unique playable heroes - Control a variety of legendary
warriors including ninjas, spear-wielding masters and dual gun
slingers
* Signature moves - Perform special attack moves that are specific to
each fighter; summon a storm of flaming meteors or brandish six
swords at once to slice and dice the enemy with lighting fast speed
* Level-up system - Use the experience points earned during battle to
level-up a character's attributes
* Unlockable features - By meeting certain conditions, gamers can
unlock new items and characters
Hackers Run Unauthorized Programs on PSP
Gaming enthusiasts have figured out how to run unauthorized programs and
games on the U.S. version of Sony Corp.'s new handheld game console.
Like its rivals, Sony had tried to keep its new PlayStation Portable on a
tight leash, installing controls so it couldn't run programs and games not
vetted and licensed by the company.
But the PSP, released in the United States in March, has been the target
of fervent attempts to unlock its capabilities, which go beyond any
previous handheld game machine.
Sony's restrictions were defeated by a program disseminated on the Internet
this week. It requires two memory cards, which are switched while the PSP
is working.
The exploit may not be practical or safe (an accompanying warning says it
could cause damage if done improperly), but it represents a challenge to
Sony's policy of tight control and opens the possibility that PSP games
could be pirated.
Sony has previously taken a hard line against those who install
unauthorized software on its products. In 2001, it went after a Web site
that provided software for the Aibo robot dog, saying he was altering their
product without a license.
Sony officials did not immediately return requests for comment Wednesday
on the latest hack.
The hack works on PSPs with version 1.5 of the "firmware," the equivalent
of a computer's operating system. Version 1.5 is the original firmware
version for U.S. PSPs, but Sony in May released version 1.51 for users to
download. The hack does not work on the updated firmware.
The earliest version the PSP, released late last year in Japan, was hacked
several months ago.
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE Gaming Online - Online Users Growl & Purr!
"""""""""""""""""""
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
One Experience - Three Cities - 85,000 Gamers
Lunar Tide partners with NBC5 Dallas Ft. Worth,
NBC10 Philadelphia and NBC4 Washington, D.C. to
host America's VideoGame Expo
PHILADELPHIA, June, 14 2005 - Lunar Tide announced today that it is
partnering with NBC to host three America's VideoGame Expo (VGXPO) events
in 2005. The events will take place in Dallas, TX (August 20 and 21),
Washington D.C. (August 27 & 28) and Philadelphia, PA (November 13 & 14).
Formerly known as PhillyClassic, VGXPO is one of the longest running
consumer videogame shows in the United States. "The NBC partnership
provides us a unique opportunity to grow the expo," said Mark Wolfe, VGXPO
Event Planner. "In the past six years, PhillyClassic has been dedicated to
bringing you the best of classic and modern gaming culture. America's
VideoGame Expo will continue that tradition, while providing attendees with
a much broader view of videogames, comics, animation, card gaming,
high-tech gadgets, sci-fi and related genres."
The relationship with NBC provides the VGXPO the opportunity to be featured
on a national stage and is a focal point within NBC's community programs.
Each year, NBC hosts a number of free events that highlight personal health
and fitness, home and lifestyles, or technology. This year NBC will partner
with VGXPO to bring its high-tech gadgetry and gaming excitement to Dallas,
Philadelphia and Washington.
"In the past, our event has garnered significant interest from all types of
gamers," said Ed Fleming, VGXPO Coordinator. "Each year we attract more and
more attendees ranging from casual to hard-core gamers. With NBC as a
partner, we expect over 85,000 attendees to experience our events in 2005."
The VGXPO provides gamers with an opportunity to learn about new & classic
games, emerging technologies, the history of the videogame industry, and
new information on the latest in card gaming, sci- fi, comics and
animation. Plans for VGXPO include a number of activities that will
showcase Next Generation, Online, Arcade, PC and Retro games.
Some of the events and exhibits that VGXPO visitors will have the chance to
experience include:
# The VideoGame Museum
# The 2005 American LAN Tournament
# A Retro Arcade
# Panels and Seminars on Game Design, Animation and Culture
# The Classic VideoGame Challenge
# VideoGame.Net Experience - Gaming & Education Center
# VideoGame Dance & Music Tournament
# Homebrew VideoGame & Animation Awards Festival
# COSplay Costume Contest
"The VGXPO is the only event that provides you the opportunity to play, and
buy, all the games you love," said Fleming. "Not only will you get to see
some great products from our exhibitors, you also have the chance to
compete in some fantastic contests and tournaments. If you are a gamer,
VGXPO is a must attend event."
America's VideoGame Expo dates and locations:
VGXPO: Dallas - coinciding with NBC5's Home and Lifestyle Expo
August 20 and 21, 2005
Dallas Convention Center
VGXPO: Washington, D.C. - coinciding with NBC4's Digital Edge
August 27 and 28, 2005
Washington Convention Center
VGXPO: Philadelphia - coinciding with NBC10's Consumer Fest
November 12 and 13, 2005
Fort Washington Expo Center
Detailed information on attending (or exhibiting at) the 2005 America's
VideoGame Expo can be found online at: www.VGXPO.com
/////
Lunar Tide, based in Philadelphia develops videogame related services for
consumers and businesses. In addition to managing America's VideoGame Expo,
the company also operates the VideoGame.Net Experience, an education
service provider that works with universities to provide curriculum to
teach students in third grade through graduate school how to make games.
For more information on the company's products and services, please visit
us on the web at www.VGXPO.com and www.VideoGame.Net
Contact:
Susan Conway Phone: 610-668-1636
Email: vgxpo-pr@vgxpo.com
America's VideoGame Expo Logo Available:
http://www.videogame.net/images/vgxpologo.jpg
=~=~=~=
A-ONE's Headline News
The Latest in Computer Technology News
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
Firefox Still Chipping Away at IE
The Mozilla Foundation's Firefox managed to slightly increase its usage
share in the Web browser market in May, as it continues to compete against
the market's Goliath: Microsoft's Internet Explorer.
Firefox's market share reached 8 percent in May, up from 7.38 percent in
April, while IE's slice of the pie shrunk a bit to 87.23 percent, down
0.77 percent, according to a statement released Wednesday by
NetApplications.com, an Aliso Viejo, California, maker of applications for
monitoring and measuring Web site usage.
Although IE's share is colossal, Firefox is consistently increasing its
share by between 0.5 percent and 1 percent from month to month.
Its reach is growing beyond tech-savvy early adopters and into the mass
market, according to NetApplications.com, which compiled the data from more
than 40,000 Web sites monitored by its HitsLink.com service, which
identifies among other things the type of browser visitors are using.
Firefox's steady market share gains reflect that it has proved itself as a
secure and reliable browser, and that it is a viable contender in the
market, says Dan Shapero, NetApplications.com's chief operating officer.
"The message for Web masters is clear: Make sure your Web site is
compatible with Firefox, because more and more of your visitors are using
it to go to your Web site," Shapero says.
Firefox could add to its momentum if it starts to gain converts among IT
departments in large companies, Shapero says. Becoming the standard browser
in large companies, a segment where its adoption has been limited so far,
could give a rapid boost to its market share, he says.
Sun Microsystems Launches OpenSolaris
Sun Microsystems, as promised, is releasing source code for its Solaris
operating system in an effort to draw more developers - and more customers
- to the company's systems software.
The OpenSolaris project is based on a subset of code for Solaris, with
developers encouraged to use the technology in creating future versions of
Solaris as well as other operating systems and third-party products.
Future releases of the OS will be built from the OpenSolaris source code,
but still will be supported in the same fashion as current versions, the
company said.
The majority of OpenSolaris code is released under the Common Development
and Distribution License, a license approved by the Open Source Initiative.
The project includes components that are based on existing open-source
projects, which will continue to be available under their current licenses.
Sun is taking a hybrid approach to open source, balancing the needs of the
developer community with control over its commercial product, said Yankee
Group analyst Dana Gardner.
"This is not a pure open-source strategy, but developers can still get what
they want to work on Solaris," he said, comparing the project to Sun's
previous Java Community effort.
Gardner pointed out that nearly all large I.T. projects, such a Solaris,
include some open components, and frequently are a blend of code from
several open and proprietary sources.
"They are opening up a larger section of Solaris code, but they are still
protecting some of their intellectual property," he said.
Forrester Research analyst Michael Goulde concurred, suggesting that in
inviting developers to use Solaris code at no charge, Sun hopes to create
new products, such as device drivers that can meet the challenge presented
by Linux.
"The Solaris kernel is still under Sun's control," said Goulde. "This not
the same as establishing an open-source foundation in that there are some
licensing limitations," said Goulde.
Noting that Linux has gained significant momentum at the expense of both
Windows and Solaris, Goulde said Sun is attempting to blunt that advance
by embracing the open-source community.
"Solaris is a strong product, but the most powerful technology is not
always the preferred choice among businesses looking at getting the most
for their money," he said.
In theory, Sun's move toward open source is a boost for the open-source
community, giving it access to the patented utilities supporting one of the
company's most popular products.
But Sun might struggle in overcoming perceptions in the open-source
community that, at a time when the other vendors such as IBM and HP were
moving to commodity systems, Sun still was pushing its high-end proprietary
servers.
"Sun will have to launch a tremendous marketing campaign to convince
people they are a player in open source, said Laura DiDio of Yankee Group.
"They have to find a way to recast themselves in the image of an
open-source provider since that is not the first thing people think about
when they think about Sun."
Still, Sun does have a formidable array of resources to call upon. Even as
enterprises move away from the proprietary products, the brand name of Sun
still resonates.
"Executives say they still value Sun as a company, even as they are hedging
their bets with open source," DiDio said. "They don't want to get rid of
Sun as a vendor completely."
Hong Kong Plans to Enact Anti-Spam Law
Hong Kong plans to enact an anti-spam law next year to crack down on
companies that send unsolicited e-mails or make automated telemarketing
calls to consumers, an official has said.
The government has consulted with industry groups to craft a law that would
combat junk faxes, e-mails, text messages and telemarketing calls.
Au Man-ho, director-general of the Telecommunications Authority, said in a
statement Saturday that direct marketing companies using automated calling
on an unsolicited basis "can be considered a spam problem."
However, Au said the law - to take effect at an unspecified date in 2006 -
would not cover "manually made cold calls" to avoid interfering with normal
business activities.
He said the issue still requires public discussion and that the government
was working with fixed-line and mobile operators to create a code of
practice for telemarketing.
Microsoft Under Fire For Censoring China Blogs
Microsoft Corp.'s new MSN China Internet venture is censoring words such as
"freedom," "democracy" and "human rights" on its free online journals,
Microsoft said on Tuesday, putting itself in the middle of a major Web
controversy.
The world's largest software maker said that its "MSN Spaces" service
operated out of China, which allows users to set up their own blogs, or
online journals, was acting in accordance with local laws.
"MSN abides by the laws, regulations and norms of each country in which it
operates," said Brooke Richardson, MSN lead product manager.
The move comes as the Chinese government attempts to tighten control over
the Internet. Last week, a media watchdog group said China would close
unregistered China-based domestic web sites and blogs. About three-quarters
of domestic Web sites had complied with the registration orders, the group,
Reporters without Borders said, citing Chinese figures.
Microsoft rivals such as Yahoo Inc., eBay Inc., Amazon.com Inc. and
InterActiveCorp., which have made a string of acquisitions to expand their
operations in China, have also been known to censor content in the country.
Words and phrases banned in the subject line of entries for Microsoft's MSN
Spaces on Tuesday also included "Taiwan independence" and "demonstration,"
which returned an error message saying "prohibited language, please
remove."
Not even former and current leaders' names such as "Mao Zedong" or "Hu
Jintao" were allowed.
Most of the phrases, however, were allowed in the body of the entries.
Other blog sites lashed out at Microsoft. Online tech forum Slashdot had
user comments calling the censorship a "really really awful thing" and
accusing the software giant of trying to appease China's government in the
interest of conducting business.
Matt Rosoff, analyst at Directions on Microsoft, an independent research
firm in Kirkland, Washington, pointed out that any censorship by
Microsoft's online service was relatively minor compared to the broader
censorship by the Chinese government over all Internet activity.
"If Microsoft wants to do business in China they have to obey the laws set
by the Chinese government," Rosoff said, adding that "they've done the
calculations and decided this was worth it."
Microsoft's censorship was first reported by bloggers and news outlets in
Asia after MSN Spaces was launched in China on May 26. So far, five million
blogs have been created with the service, Microsoft said.
The company has long seen China as a key growth market, but also as a
headache because of widespread software piracy and copyright issues. China
represents the world's second-largest Internet market with 94 million users
at the end of 2004, a number expected to rise to 134 million by the end of
this year, according to official data.
Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft launched MSN China last month by
establishing a joint venture with government-operated Shanghai Alliance
Investment Ltd. to develop more communication, information and content tied
to China.
Intermix Media to Settle Spyware Lawsuit
New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer has reached an agreement in
principle with web marketer Intermix Media Inc. in which the company has
agreed to pay $7.5 million over three years to settle accusations that
Intermix surreptitiously installed software on computers.
Spitzer spokesman Brad Maione said a final agreement is two to three weeks
away and must be approved by the court. But under the tentative agreement
Intermix would agree to cease ad-related downloads.
Intermix spokeswoman Sara Jones said that how the $7.5 million would be
distributed and if any would go to consumers has not yet been determined.
Spitzer filed the civil suit in April in a campaign against the fraudulent
or nuisance-filled applications that he has said hurt Internet commerce.
Spitzer charged Intermix with secretly installing "adware" - software that
delivers pop-up advertisements or similar promotions. The company did this,
he said, by offering free screen savers or other products that, when
accepted, would download the adware.
Intermix said it already has voluntarily stopped distributing its adware,
toolbar and "redirect" programs, that automatically redirect users to an
advertising page, and the company said Tuesday it is agreeing to
permanently stop the practice as part of a settlement.
It is also hiring a "chief privacy officer" and joined the Network
Advertising Initiative, an industry group that is working to self-regulate
the Internet advertising industry.
Intermix has not admitted any wrongdoing or liability.
The Los Angeles-based company runs a collection of Web sites featuring
quizzes, games and jokes that it packages for advertisers. Intermix said
downloadable software has not been central to its management's vision and
was not a material part of its financial forecast for fiscal 2006.
AOL Tops DoS Zombie List
In its Zombie Report released this week, Prolexic Technologies, a provider
of denial-of-service mitigation technologies, pegged America Online as the
network hosting the most zombie machines used for launching DoS attacks.
Topping both the domestic and international rankings, AOL accounts for 11.7
percent of attacks in the U.S., 9.2 percent in Europe and 5.3 percent
globally over the last six months, according to Prolexic.
In addition to AOL, Comcast, Bellsouth and Verizon held top spots for
launching points of DoS attacks in the U.S.
Deutsche Telekom networks (t-dialin, wanadoo, rima-tde and t-ipconnect)
headed the list for Europe. Overall, Hong Kong, Germany and Malaysia topped
the infections per capita with the U.S landing at number nine.
Responding to the report, Andrew Weinstein, spokesperson for AOL, said that
as the largest ISP in the world, AOL should be expected to have the most
zombies.
Weinstein suggested that Prolexic's survey showed that AOL's membership
security services - such as antivirus, antispyware and personal firewall
services - provided more security for AOL's users than the company's
competitors provide for their own.
"Certainly, the largest ISP would have the most zombie-infected PCs, but I
think AOL still has more problems," said Gartner's John Pescatore.
A full 40 percent of AOL's base now uses broadband, he explained, "which
is much more dangerous than dial-up connections. That mix of more naive
users on more dangerous networks is a volatile mix. So, AOL is doing a
good job but has a tougher problem than most other ISPs."
Despite AOL's argument that as the largest ISP, it would be expected for
the company to have the most infections, EarthLink, another major U.S. ISP,
failed to place in Prolexic's standings. However, Mindspring - purchased by
EarthLink in 1999 - placed 17th.
Prolexic generated its Zombie Report using legitimate logged attacks over
the last six months. The numbers represent percentages from the total sum
of attacks and are based upon unique IP addresses from the individual
networks and countries.
Britain Warns of E-Mail Hacker Attacks
A well-organized group of hackers has engaged in an "industrial scale"
attack designed to cull commercially and economically valuable data from
vital computer networks across Britain, the government warned Thursday.
In one of its most high-profile warnings about sophisticated electronic
attacks, the normally secretive National Infrastructure Security
Coordination Center said hackers believed to be from Asia have targeted
parts of the country's "critical national infrastructure."
The attacks have been going on for several months and have involved the
communications, energy, finance, health, government and transport sectors,
the NISCC said. Most of the attacks have been against central government
computer systems, though companies and individuals are also at risk, the
agency warned.
"We have never seen anything like this in terms of the industrial scale of
this series of attacks," NISCC Director Roger Cumming said. "This is not a
few hackers sitting in their bedroom trying to steal bank account details
from individuals."
Determining the origin of the attacks was extremely difficult, the NISCC
said. The agency said it had traced the attacks back to "the Far East" by
analyzing the numeric Internet addresses stamped within e-mails.
Those addresses, however, can sometimes be faked, and e-mail sent from
elsewhere might have been rerouted through Asian computers.
A spokesman for Britain's Home Office, which oversees the NISCC, said the
agency was talking to authorities in a number of countries to investigate
further, and the government believed it was inappropriate to comment
further while that process was continuing.
"We are not aware of any loss of information," the spokesman said on
customary condition of anonymity. "We can't be certain of that. That's part
of the reason we are broadening our sphere of advice. We recognize we need
some feedback to see how big this is."
The NISCC said attackers generally gained access to systems by sending
e-mail to individuals who have jobs working with sensitive data.
The messages had subject lines that refer to news articles of interest to
the recipient and a fake e-mail address to make it appear to come from a
trusted contact.
The e-mails also contained an attachment or a Web link that, when clicked,
secretly installs a rogue program, known as a Trojan, that allows the
attacker to gain control of the recipient's computer remotely.
"Once installed on a user machine, Trojans may be used to obtain passwords,
scan networks, exfiltrate information and launch further attacks," the
agency said in its briefing urging all businesses to tighten security.
There have been high-profile hacker intrusions in the United States.
In one long-running operation, hackers traced to Russia were found to have
been quietly downloading millions of pages of sensitive U.S. military data,
including one colonel's e-mail inbox. During three years, most recently in
April 2001, government computer operators watched as reams of electronic
documents flowed from Defense Department computers, among others.
The NISCC said the latest attack appears aimed at covertly gathering and
transmitting sensitive commercial information.
Ruling Hits Online Sales-Tax Evasion
A recent California appellate court ruling that Borders Group must pay
state sales tax for books, music and other goods sold online to California
residents could open the door to more vigorous prosecution of other firms
that try to evade taxes when selling things online, a spokesman for the
California attorney general's office said Tuesday.
"The court ruling definitely weighs in our favor in any similar disputes
in the future," spokesman Tom Dresslar said. "Given the state's financial
situation, we are going to be aggressively collecting every dollar that's
owed."
According to a 1992 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, online and catalog
businesses aren't required to collect and remit sales tax to states where
they have no physical presence. That was Borders' argument. The company
said it was exempt because its online division - which has since been taken
over by Amazon.com - doesn't own or lease property in the state.
But California's 1st District Court of Appeal in San Francisco rejected
that argument, ruling May 31 that the Borders Web site and retail stores
have been too intertwined to call themselves separate companies. The
three-judge panel cited in-store advertising for the Web site, receipts
that said ``Visit us online at www.borders.com" and the ability of
customers to return online merchandise at retail stores.
The Ann Arbor, Mich.-based chain has 129 California stores under the
Borders and Waldenbooks brands, as well as a 414,000-square-foot
distribution center in the state. Borders' online and storefront divisions
shared some board members and a similar logo, the judges noted.
Independent booksellers and other brick-and-mortar retailers have been
cheering the court's decision, saying the ruling should reduce unfair
competition from online competitors.
The case is being watched by regulators in other states as Internet buying,
now a $145 billion industry, continues to grow.
For California, the stakes are immense. Under existing law, retailers with
brick-and-mortar stores, offices or another presence here are required to
collect sales tax from California residents who make Internet purchases.
But last year, retailers failed to remit about $1.3 billion in taxes due
from mail-order and online purchases to the California government, said
Anita Gore, spokeswoman for the state Board of Equalization.
Borders' online division doesn't own or lease property in California. None
of the online division's employees or bank accounts are in California and
all Internet orders were received and processed outside the state, Borders
said.
But the company's online and conventional businesses are linked in other
ways. Borders' return policy allowed customers to return purchases made
online to the chain's brick-and-mortar stores.
"We saw that as doomsday for Borders from day one," said Maureen Riehl,
vice president of government and industry relations for the National Retail
Federation trade group. "Once Borders said you could buy online and return
that purchase to a store, it was tempting fate."
Another company drawing scrutiny from state regulators, Barnes & Noble,
also blurred distinctions between its online operations and regular stores
by offering coupons good for discounts on online purchases to customers who
came into its retail stores, said Dresslar.
While in the late 1990s some retailers briefly operated separate divisions
for their online and regular businesses to avoid sales tax payments, few
retailers have such a setup today, said Riehl. They have combined divisions
to make it easier for customers to buy online and return to physical
stores.
"Most retailers have blended their online and storefront operations simply
because it is more important to provide customer service" than to try to
avoid taxes, she said.
The recent appellate court ruling - which found that Borders owed more than
$167,000 in taxes for sales between April 1, 1998, and Sept. 30, 1999 -
isn't the only legal challenge facing retailers doing business on the Web.
Two similar cases are pending in California courts. Borders also is a
defendant in one of those.
In a case pending in Los Angeles Superior Court, state officials allege
that Borders should have remitted $112,000 in sales taxes for goods sold
between April 1998 and September 1999, said Dresslar.
The second case is pending against rival Barnes & Noble in Santa Clara
County Superior Court. That lawsuit says Barnes & Noble failed to collect
$697,607.52 in sales taxes during a four-month period in 2000, Dresslar
said.
Microsoft Sues U.S. Stores Over Pirated Software
Microsoft Corp. sued four small software retailers in California and
Virginia on Wednesday for selling pirated software.
Microsoft, the world's largest software maker, said it had received
complaints from consumers and businesses who had purchased software from
CEO Microsystems Inc. and Wiston Group Inc. in California. In Virginia,
Microsoft sued #9 Software Inc., East Outlet LLC and Super Supplier LLC.
The Wiston Group said its president, Wenchi Ri, was not available for
comment. Phone numbers for CEO Microsystems and #9 Software were
disconnected, while messages left at East Outlet and Super Supplier were
not returned.
Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft said the companies had sold pirated
copies of its Windows XP, Windows Server and SQL Server software.
"In filing these lawsuits, we hope to curb the amount of pirated and
counterfeit software on the market and keep illegal software from finding
its way into the hands of unknowing consumers and businesses," Mary Jo
Schrade, a senior attorney at Microsoft, said in a statement.
Microsoft said it began investigating the complaints from customers who had
bought software from the stores and tried to register it, unsuccessfully.
Suing companies for software piracy is a priority at Microsoft, which has
filed lawsuits against other companies in the United States and other
countries, including China, for selling pirated software.
=~=~=~=
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