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Atari Online News, Etc. Volume 07 Issue 13
Volume 7, Issue 13 Atari Online News, Etc. March 25, 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:
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=~=~=~=
A-ONE #0713 03/25/05
~ Mac Attacks On the Rise ~ People Are Talking! ~ PSP Is Available!
~ Utah Web Porn Battle! ~ New IBM FairUCE Tool! ~ Kazaa Trial Wanes
~ I Thought It Was Spring ~ Parents Monitor Kids! ~ The "Pirate Code"
~ Fewer Using P2P Systems ~ Plenty Titles for PSP! ~ Xbox Supply Short
-* Yahoo Ups E-mail Storage! *-
-* Yahoo Lawyers Ask Court Protection! *-
-* What Are the Web's Worst Security Problems *-
=~=~=~=
->From the Editor's Keyboard "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
You know that I'm going to complain! While it's true that the calendar says
that it's now Spring, look out the window. More snow this week! We moved
up a notch in the record books for the most snow for winter, to third place.
Over seven feet of snow...so far. Fortunately, in my immediate area, we
didn't get the foot or so of snow that was predicted. If I saw correctly,
Joe's area got walloped much more than we did! We may have got an inch or
two before the temperatures rose, and whatever fell overnight melted or got
washed away during a brief shower. Nonetheless, I'm still sick of this
weather. I'm really in the mood for sunshine and warmth!
Until next time...
=~=~=~=
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
compiled by Joe Mirando
joe@atarinews.org
Hidi ho friends and neighbors. You're probably sick of hearing me talk
about how Mother Nature sticking it to us here in the northeast again,
but she's up to her old tricks again. We had us a little snow storm
yesterday. It's late in the year for that kind of thing, and most of us
really wish she'd ease up on us a bit.
Of course, we'll probably be thinking fondly of this storm sometime in
July or August, so I guess everything works out.
The other thing I want to mention... without really mentioning it is this
current "right to life" thing and the continual tug of war over it.
Now, I've got my own fairly strong opinions on this particular subject,
but my personal opinion isn't what I'm talking about here. It's the tug
of war part that we've got to get a handle on.
It may just be because I'm getting older (not OLD, just older), but I see
more and more of the "might makes right" mindset all around us, and it's
starting to worry me. The continual back-and-forth is a sure sign that
we're starting to see not only the law but social mores as... oh, as
'The Pirate Code'... "They're more like guidelines anyway".
If a state court, fully empowered to rule on a subject, decides against
your position, no problem. Simply enlist the help of a Governor or
President or House Majority Leader and transfer jurisdiction to a
federal court. If that doesn't work? Hey, just cloud the issue with
sound bytes and whatever hearsay you can muster.
Now, none of that is what's really bothering me. What bothers me most is
that those with some considerable amount of power and/or prestige feel
that they can grab on to an issue and wrangle it around so that they not
only get some exposure, but that they seem to be in-the-know without
actually having any firsthand knowledge. Now, if you've been within 25
feet of a newspaper, radio or television in the past two weeks, you know
not only what I'm talking about, but who.
I wish that I could say that I was surprised by these occurrences, but
the truth is that I am not. As I said before, I'm seeing the
contentiousness building more and more, not only on the national and
international scenes, but on the community level as well.
I know that this particular issue is a tricky one, with more sides to it
than the Pentagon, but I'm not sure that that's the most important point
here. It's possible that the really important point is something that a
philosopher put into words so well once upon a time: Power corrupts.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Well, that's enough of that. Let's get on with the news, hints, tips and
info available from the UseNet.
From the comp.sys.atari.st NewsGroup
====================================
'Gianfranco' asks about what to install first on his new Atari computers:
"I'm one of the many Atari enthusiasts around the world. Years ago I
started out with a 2600, then I owned a few of the 8-bit models, and
then the ST line. I think I'm not the only one here with such a past.
I recently managed to acquire a MegaSTE, a TT and a Falcon 030 (in a
rack) with lots of accessories. I think I managed to pay good prices
(10 euros for the MegaSte with laser printer+b/w monitor, 25 euros for
a TT with Megafile 44 and a SCSI cd-rom reader, 31 euros for the
Falcon with built-in hard disk and VGA adapter)...
I'd like to put the TT and Falcon back to work. I have lots of ST
software on my PC, but I don't know where to start from. So my
question is: in your opinion, what software should I install on the
TT/Falcon (desktop replacements, utilities, etc)? Not looking for
games, but for all the things that make the ST line more pleasant to
use.
For example, what do I need for the TT/Falcon to "see" the SCSI CD-Rom
reader?
Also, I read that it's possible to connect a TT or Falcon to an
ethernet router by using a Dayna SCSI Pocket Link, which I have. Has
anybody done it? Is it easy to configure?
I'd love to have my two beloved "beasts" (which I couldn't afford when
they were raging) up and running again. Unfortunately time is tight,
at the moment, and I need your suggestions."
Joseph Place tells Gianfranco:
"I use the Dayna SCSI Link T, and it works great. STing IP stack only
though, so you should decide what OS you will use first (Mint or
MagiC, etc.). I use it with TOS or MagiC with great results."
Gianfranco tells Joseph:
"it's interesting to find someone having done what I'll be trying to do
soon.
I know very little about Sting/Mint/Magic.
What do you mean by "STing IP stack only though, so you should decide
what OS you will use first"? Do I need to use Sting with a TOS
replacement? What are the differences between Mint and Magic?
Thanks for sharing your experience."
Gianfranco adds:
"The Falcon I purchased came with Mint installed (in German), and I
decided to leave it there.
I understand my question was very general. I have STing 1.26 and the
Anodyne drivers on the Falcon now. Unfortunately time is to tight (I
can only work on my hobbies at night) that I'm afraid it will take me
weeks to have it up and running.
Thank you (and to Derryck and Jim) for your help. I'll keep you
updated on my progress (and ask more questions, obviously).
Today I tried to connect the Dayna SCSI link to the Falcon. Like an
idiot, I had not realized that I didn't have the right cable. I have
the original Dayna cable which has a Mac-style HDI-30 scsi connector
on one side and a db-25 connector on the other side.
As I (obviously) need to buy a proper cable, can you please tell me
what kind of SCSI connector the Falcon has? I believe I can recognize
the right cable when I see it, but I'd like to know the exact "name"
of the connector just to be sure I'll not buy the wrong one."
Joseph tells Gianfranco:
"It's a SCSI 2 connector. If you have other devices to connect to the
chain you may want to consider a SCSI 2 to SCSI 1 adapter. I've
found that most of the devices I want to connect use the SCSI 1
standard, and legacy Apple gear is pretty easy to come by that has
SCSI 1."
Jim DeClercq jumps in and adds:
"I think a SCSI 2 connector is also called a HP50, probably short for
Hewlett Packard. They appear on one old SCSI box I have, a genuine Sun box
on E-bay at the moment, and on the very last external SCSI CD writer box
from Yamaha.
It has squeeze latches to hold it in place. If it has screws or wire
ears, it is not what I think of as SCSI2.
My Falcon manual is at home, and I am not."
Coda adds:
"I believe that its a HD50, HD for High Density. SCSI1 uses 50 pin
connectors too, in a big centronics style connector (a longer version
of the connector on a printer) Strictly speaking SCSI-2 is also about
the command set and electrical spec. If Uwe S. is around he can clarify
this as I'm not 'au fait' with the technical aspects, I just know how to
plug em together..."
Derryck Croker tells Gianfranco about...
"The ideal system:
MagiC (6.20 is the latest) as your operating system
jinnee (desktop replacement)
NVDI (screen accelerator/font handling/print drivers)
HDDriver (hard disk driver)
Extendos (CDROM driver)
That will give you a system that will be able to handle the more
up-to-date software such as Tempus Word, Papyrus, Calamus SL2003 and so
on.
If you can afford an accelerator card for your Falcon so much the better;
a CT2 or better a CT60 will also let you add more memory.
My Falcon worked very well with a parallel-port ethernet adaptor with a
ROM-port adaptor with MagxNet."
David Wade asks about Anodyne drivers and HDDriver:
"I recently acquired a couple of Falleron SCSI/Ethernet adaptors which
appear to be re-badged DynaLink boxes. Indeed when I try them with the
demo version of HDDRIVER 8 they are seen by the DynaLink Sting driver as
such. However it then bombs out!. I can think of a number of reasons why
this might happen. Firstly the driver says it has "problems" with HD
Driver 8 and needs V7, but this seems very terminal. Secondly it might be
because the demo of HDDRIVER 8 does not implement a function that the
DynaLink driver needs, thirdly it could be because I am loading the driver
from floppy and I know it clashes with floppy access and lastly it could be
because my DynaLink box is duff. In view of what I paid from them I
strongly suspect the latter, and so I am a little reluctant to buy HD
Driver before I am sure they work. So to the questions:-
1) Has any one tried the AnoDyne drivers with HDDriver V8 and is my
experience expected.
2) Is there a demo of HDDRIVER V7 available, and does the SCSI Driver
function in this work so I can test the boxes.
3) Has any one got these drivers to work with any other hard disk
driver?"
Brian Roland asks David:
"Is this a Falcon?
In my personal experience...
If you use only IDE devices on a Falcon, go with HDDriver 8.
If you use SCSI...Ask for version 7.93.
Actually, the SCSI engine in HDDriver 8 is supposedly
better/cleaner...but Falcons are strange from bird to bird...and...so
much of the older software, CuBase Audio for instance, broke all kinds
of rules to get around hardware related problems that they'll often
choke up with HDDriver 8. The good news is...Version 7.93 is very
close to a dead match 'feature wise' to his younger brothers, so you
shouldn't miss many, if any, 'features' offered by his younger
brothers.
My Dynalink/Falcon setup works great with clients...
I've not had much luck getting it to be stable running servers however.
Perhaps you'll have better luck with server software than I have."
Uwe Seimet asks David:
"Did you ask Anodyne for details, i.e. why their drivers do not work with
HDDRIVER 8?
I can send you a demo of HDDRIVER 7 tomorrow if you give me an email
address I should send the binary to."
David tells Uwe:
"I have, but no reply received. Because of the time difference I don't
expect one until later.."
Uwe sends David the 7.9 version and David tells us:
" Just to let you all know that I now have a Farallon EtherMac SCSI box
working on my TT030. I am using the demo version of HDDRIVER 7.90 that
Uwe very kindly sent me and the Anodyne DynaLink driver. They are very
neat and it seems to give good performance but testing is not yet
complete. All I need to do now is get in touch with Atari Workshop and
get a real copy of the English version of the full version of HDDRIVER
v7.90."
Ronald Hall asks for help in locating one of my favorite ST apps:
"I guess I'm having one of my stupid days, but every time I go to
Didier's web site, for the life of me, I can't find the download link for
the latest version of Aniplayer.
I can find the docs, screenshots, etc, etc, etc, but not the actual
download link. Can someone point out the obvious to this temporary
brain-dead person?"
Jean-Luc Ceccoli tells Ronald:
"Maybe http://perso.wanadoo.fr/didierm/files/aniplay.zip is what you're
looking for?
In fact, when you're on the main page, click on to the download link,
then you reach a page with Didier's software..."
Well friends and neighbors, that's it for this week. Enjoy the holiday
weekend and don't forget to 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 - Playstation Portable Available!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Plenty of PSP Titles!
Xbox in Short Supply!
And more!
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE's Game Console Industry News - The Latest Gaming News!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Sony PSP Launches in North America
With hype and fanfare usually reserved for a movie premiere, die hard video
game fans formed large lines Thursday to buy Sony Corp.'s tiny new
PlayStation Portable.
At the Sony Style store in New York, "Last Call" host Carson Daly joined
Sony executives for a midnight madness event. Hundreds lined up at Sony's
Metreon store in San Francisco to pick up the hot gadget, while midnight
launches or early openings were held at most of Grapevine, Texas-based
retailer GameStop's 1,800 outlets.
The PSP, Sony's first foray into portable video game machines, features
stereo sound and a sharp, 4.3-inch color screen. Sony hopes the PSP can
appeal to more than gamers with its ability to play movies, music and show
pictures.
The $250 "Value Pack" which went on sale across North America on Thursday
includes extras like a memory card, carrying case and a copy of the
full-length movie "Spider-Man 2" on the system's proprietary, 1.8-gigabyte
media discs.
Mike Yacullo, 36, pre-ordered a PSP in January to make sure he'd get one on
time. It arrived Thursday morning, along with several games.
"I actually never owned a Sony video game before, but this one pushed me
over the edge," the programmer from Jersey City, N.J. said. "I'm really,
really impressed. The graphics are excellent, the screen is really bright.
It's better than I thought it would be."
Sony made 1 million PSPs available for Thursday's North American launch;
the company has sold more than 1.2 million in Japan since December. Sony
plans to increase production to 2 million units per month by the middle of
next year.
The PSP and the DS from Nintendo Co. are expected to buoy the global
portable games market from $3.9 billion in 2003 to $11.1 billion in 2007,
according to market research firm DFC Intelligence.
The PSP already has enjoyed some celebrity cachet, making the rounds at a
Hollywood fashion show last week that included PSP accessories from top
fashion designers like Marc Jacobs, Heatherette, Jenni Kayne and Jennifer
Lopez.
And at least one person broke the law to get a PSP early.
A man in Charlotte, N.C., reportedly made off Tuesday with 12 PSPs he stole
from a GameStop store. Police said when a clerk confronted him, he tried to
knock her eyeglasses off.
With a New Toy, Plenty of Titles to Play
Sony is launching its PlayStation Portable handheld with an unusually large
spread of titles. Most new game systems ship with only a handful of games,
but Sony says 24 will be available for the PSP when it shows up in stores
Thursday.
That selection includes a good variety of game genres as well as publishers
- there's something for just about everyone who is interested enough in
video games to shell out $250 for a PSP.
Sony is backing up its portable gadget with a strong group of its own
action titles, all priced at $40. Ape Escape: On the Loose, an action game
that challenges players to capture monkeys in various situations, looks
notably better than the original PlayStation title. Untold Legends:
Brotherhood of the Blade is a surprisingly deep dungeon crawler that throws
in magic and quests. Twisted Metal: Head-On adds a chapter to the
car-combat series, with 16 environments, beautiful graphics and local as
well as Internet multiplayer capability.
On the sports front, Sony offers MLB, NBA, Gretzky NHL and World Tour
Soccer. NBA is our favorite of those four; not only does it look
extraordinary, it offers some creative added features, such as a set of
three mini-games that let you work on particular skills. World Championship
Soccer, however, was the worst of this bunch, on account of its stiff
animations and repetitive commentary. MLB, NBA and Gretzky NHL can all be
played online as well as over local "ad hoc" wireless networks, but World
Tour Soccer only allows local competition.
Electronic Arts, the biggest developer in the industry, is making PSP
versions of most of its best-known PS2 sports titles. Its best effort is
NBA Street Showdown, thanks to a solid set of features topped by a highly
addictive Arcade Shootout. Tiger Woods PGA Tour, another great title, uses
the same swing mechanic as the PS2 version (here, the PSP's analog stick
allows precise control of timing and strength) and lets you play along golf
greats such as Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer on 12 beautiful PGA courses.
Football fans should try NFL Street 2: Unleashed for some incredibly fast
gridiron action. FIFA Soccer 2005 does far better than Sony's World Tour
Soccer.
Unfortunately, none of these EA releases allow Internet play - any
multiplayer competition will require another PSP owner to show up within
100 feet or so. EA also charges $50 each for its titles, $10 more than
other publishers.
In the racing genre, EA's Need for Speed Underground: Rivals should appeal
to car tuners, who can find plenty of distraction in its 8 game modes (two
not available in the PS2 release), 20 cars and a plethora of subsequent
customization options. Sony's ATV Offroad Fury provides an alternative for
people who don't enjoy driving between the white lines. But the best PSP
racing game is Namco's Ridge Racer ($40). No other game shows off the PSP's
capabilities as well overall. The sensation of speed is remarkable, and
multiplayer races (local only, not online) can have you hooked for hours.
No game system is complete without some sort of Tony Hawk skateboarding
game, so Activision offers Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Remix ($50). It's not
its best effort, suffering from an inflexible in-game perspective; a good
WiFi multiplayer setup does make up for some of that.
We don't list Konami's Metal Gear Acid ($40) under the action category
because this installment of the Solid Snake series doesn't play like its
predecessors. It's a turn-based card battle game, not a re-creation of one
guy with a lot of guns sneaking into places where he's not allowed. After
we got over the shock and mastered how these cards work, we had a hard time
putting this strategy-intense game down.
Puzzle gamers don't have a great selection yet on the PSP, but UbiSoft's
Lumines ($40) should keep them distracted for a while with its
habit-forming Tetris-esque design.
Only one fighting game is available, and it's not related to any of the
great fighting series, such as Tekken or Mortal Kombat. Capcom's
Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower ($40) does, however, stand on its
own with some stellar graphics and a great multiplayer system that allows
for four-person WiFi tournaments.
Microsoft Says Xbox Consoles in Short Supply
Xbox consoles were in short supply at several major retail outlets recently
due to unexpectedly high demand for the video game machines, Microsoft
Corp. said on Monday.
The world's largest software maker, which launched the Xbox in 2001 to
rival Sony Corp.'s PlayStation consoles, said that "consumer demand is
exceeding supply right now... we are working with partners to rectify the
situation."
"We're working really hard to satiate (consumers') needs," a Microsoft
spokeswoman said.
Microsoft said that holiday sales of its Xbox console exceeded expectations
during the last three months of 2004, and in January raised its sales
forecast to a global installed base of 21 million to 22 million consoles by
June, up from the previous projection of 20 million units.
Earlier on Monday, Electronic Arts, the world's largest video game
publisher, cut its quarterly earnings outlook on weak performance of older
games and shortages of game consoles that spur new game sales.
God of War
Hades lets you unleash the souls of the underworld; and Artemis actually
provides you with a huge sword to use as an alternative to the blades of
chaos. Along with the blades of chaos, all these weapons and magic types
can be upgraded via the red orbs you collect, providing you with greater
attack range and more power each time. Each of the different types of magic
is useful in its own right, and none feels superfluous at all. Quite the
opposite is true, actually. The combination of different magics, along with
the weapon combat, creates an excellent variety of attacks that turn Kratos
into a serious force to be reckoned with.
The combat system is a ton of fun, despite not being the deepest system
you'll ever encounter.
And he'll need to be, too, as God of War is not light on challenge. Make no
mistake, if you're expecting some kind of excruciating level of difficulty,
you won't find it...at least not on the default level. The hard mode, which
is immediately available, will definitely provide you with a stiffer
challenge. Still, even with that said, the game is no pushover on the
normal difficulty level, thanks largely to the wide variety of tough and
creatively designed enemies. Each of the game's baddies is based on a
creature from Greek mythology. You'll find cyclopes, gorgons, minotaurs,
undead warriors, and winged harpies, among others, on offer. Though some of
these enemies amount to mere grunts that can be cut through reasonably
quickly, the game tends to throw lots of them at you, meaning you'll need
to be quick with your attacks and well versed at using the block mechanic.
Some larger enemies, while fully beatable via normal combos, are more
easily bested by engaging in one of God of War's many context-sensitive
attacks. When an enemy that can be killed by one of these attacks
appears - once you've worn it down, that is - a button icon will appear
above its head. Hit the button and you'll find yourself engaged in
something of a rhythm-based minigame. Each time a new button icon (or in
some cases, an icon dictating a specific rotation of the left analog stick)
appears, pressing it quickly will cause Kratos to pull off a new maneuver.
Others still simply require button mashing to simulate a struggle between
Kratos and an enemy. There are loads of these different contextual actions
in the game, and they're all fantastic. They truly do a wonderful job of
making you feel like you're right in the thick of the action, rather than
just having you sit through a cutscene of your character doing something
cool.
Yes, that's a flaming minotaur you're fighting. Yes, he's as tough as he
looks.
The boss fights are where the game really shines, however. Though there are
really only a scant few major boss fights, each boss is unique in its own
way, and each requires quite a lot of quick attacking and footwork to
beat. From the multiheaded hydra that guards the end of the first stage,
to the god of war himself, you'll never fail to feel challenged and
shouldn't be bored with any of the game's boss fights. The final
confrontation, in particular, is immensely satisfying and well done. We
obviously won't give away what happens, but let's just say it does the
age-old concept of the "multitiered" final boss battle extremely proud.
When you're not slicing up zombie warriors and cyclopes, you'll likely be
involved in solving one of the game's numerous puzzles. As this is a game
set in ancient Greek times, the puzzles are modeled after some of the types
of ancient traps, pitfalls, and mazes that were legendary in Greek
mythology. Mechanically, a lot of the puzzles involve turning cranks,
pulling levers, repositioning statues and blocks onto big, stone switches,
and what have you. However, what really makes the puzzles in God of War
impressive is the scope of each one. For instance, when you first arrive
inside the massive Pandora's temple on your search for the box, you'll find
yourself in this large, circular room. You'll find a switch that actually
rotates the room and brings up new doorways that were previously hidden. As
you progress, you'll open up more doorways, find yourself rotating the
rooms around and around, and eventually solve about a billion small puzzles
to finally solve the big one that gets you out of the big, ringed room.
This will likely take you at least a couple of hours, but what a feeling of
accomplishment you'll have by the end of it. And that right there is what
makes the puzzles in God of War so good. By the end of each one, you truly
feel like you've accomplished something significant.
One of the major pitfalls of single-player action adventure games is that
once you're done, there's never really much incentive to go back to them.
Maybe there's an unlockable extra here and there, but usually it's 10
hours, and you're done. This is not so much the case with God of War. On
the normal difficulty level, it will probably take you a good 15 hours or
so to work your way through the whole game, but once you do, you unlock a
bevy of extra material, including a number of behind-the-scenes videos (the
"deleted levels" one, where the game's director, David Jaffe, shows you
some of the levels that didn't make it into the final game, is especially
cool), a challenging minigame, and a new difficulty level, titled "god
mode." God mode is precisely the kind of hard that masochistically hardcore
players will eat up, and it's precisely the kind of hard that will lead to
an average player tying a controller around his or her neck just before
leaping out of a window. However, if you beat the game on god mode (as
unlikely as that may be), you get even more bonus materials. Considering
the game is so much fun to play on the average difficulty, it's not hard to
imagine people braving the god mode to get a second play-through out of it.
All told, God of War amounts to a pretty great value, even if you're too
frightened to brave the god mode.
The morbid tone of the game permeates everything, from the level designs to
the very puzzles you must solve.
What God of War does best of all is create a fun yet dark atmosphere. The
game seems to be heavily inspired by a mixture of traditional Greek
mythology with some modern horror and a little bit of adventure-metal
thrown in for good measure. All the various creatures you encounter are
the kind of grotesque monsters you'd expect, but they aren't just
generic-looking cyclopes or minotaurs either. Each has its own distinct
style that adds some originality to the mix. There are also so many little
artistic touches strewn about that help the vibe of the game immensely.
When you encounter a particularly brutal trap or pitfall, you don't just
see the trap, but you also see piles of bodies tossed about, seemingly
there to warn you of the peril that lies ahead. Even the puzzles get in on
this sort of morbid tone, as is the case with one puzzle where you must
carry a caged soldier up a hill to a sacrificial altar to open a door. All
the while, he's kicking and screaming and begging for mercy. But, hey,
you've got to get somewhere, dammit. If you find this sort of thing
unpleasant, then you probably will be put off by God of War's overall tone.
If you can find the dark humor in something like this, however, then you'll
absolutely love this game's atmosphere.
With that said, this is also a deservedly M-rated game. Blood is the name
of the game in God of War, and from cutscenes to in-game action, you'll
spill a whole lot of it as you go. For some, it might be a little bit much,
but if you enjoy some good gore, God of War absolutely does not disappoint.
The one area where the game does feel a little off in terms of its sense of
"maturity" is with the sort of random flirtations with sexuality that
appear from time to time. Mostly, it's just a few benign scenes of
bare-breasted women that are hardly worth noting, but there is one sequence
where you can actually engage in one of the contextual minigames to have
sex with a pair of women. You don't see any of it on camera, and it's
actually done in sort of a comical fashion, with just a framed shot of a
jar on a table continually bumping around until it finally falls off the
table and breaks at the end. Most people probably won't be offended by this
at all - it's just kind of a goofy aside to the otherwise dark tone of the
game--but it does seem a little out of place.
Sorry, bud. Sacrifices have to occasionally be made in the name of opening
locked doors.
Greece, as shown through the eyes of the game, is a pretty fantastic place.
Even the most mundane aspects of the city of Athens seem impressive in
scope, and when you get to levels like the huge, sandstorm-filled desert
and the massive Pandora's temple (which happens to be chained to the back
of a humongous titan), it's pretty hard to not be floored by how cool it
all looks. Though the levels are fairly linearly designed, there are plenty
of opportunities for exploration, so you'll find all sorts of little hidden
health bonuses and tunnels if you just take the time to look. Even without
the exploratory elements, the levels just look so impressive, thanks mostly
to the way the game's fixed cinematic camera moves. As cinematic cameras
go, this is really one of the best ones ever designed, as it almost never,
ever trips you up at all, and it always seems to frame the most impressive
shot available. Occasionally it would be nice to be able to move the
camera, but as it is, the way God of War captures the action with its
camera is quite impressive.
Even from a technical perspective, God of War really carries its weight,
making excellent use of the PS2 hardware's capabilities. The best part of
the game is the animation, which is practically seamless, no matter what
you do. The developers evidently went out of their way to make sure every
possible scenario was animated in a realistic fashion. As a result, you
won't find any herky-jerky movements between getting hit and going into
another combo move. Everything transitions beautifully, and save for a few
glitches you might run into here and there (most of which are minor), this
game is just about as polished up as polished up gets. There are
practically no loading times (save for a few brief ones), sporadically
every changeover from level to level is totally seamless. The only real
technical issues you might run into involve the frame rate, which has an
occasional tendency to hitch up during some very specific scenarios.
Generally, the game can handle a lot of enemies onscreen at once, but if
you couple a lot of enemies with, say, a water-covered ground surface, then
things get a smidge choppy; but even when this does happen, it's never much
of a problem, and it's really just a minor blemish on an otherwise
excellent-looking game.
See that building chained to the back of that big, ugly thing? Yeah, you
need to get up there.
The audio may, in fact, be God of War's greatest achievement, both
technically and stylistically. The orchestral score is simply one of the
best ever put onto a console game, mixing energetic, epic music - the likes
of which compares to any top-grade Hollywood production - with low-key,
ethereal tones that set the mood for the quieter moments of the game
wonderfully. All the music is placed so well within the context of the game
that you'll never see a moment where something doesn't fit. It's just
phenomenal stuff. The voice acting is almost as good, too. Kratos is voiced
to near perfection, providing the kind of gruff, guttural delivery that
such a hardened warrior would demand. Even the side characters pull off
their characters wonderfully. However, the narrator is perhaps the best of
all. The story is told by an elderly village oracle, and her tone is so
perfect for the role that you're instantly sucked in the moment she begins
to speak. Even the sound effects really couldn't conceivably be better.
Every sword slash, every splash of blood, and every roar of a monster feels
just as it should. To sum it all up, you just couldn't ask for a better
audio experience from this game.
When all is said and done, God of War is simply a high-class production in
every single facet of its package. From the finely balanced gameplay, to
the magnificent presentation, to the great roster of unlockable extras, you
can't help but be impressed by what this game has to offer. It's simply a
marvelously executed experience that's fun from beginning to end, and
anyone with a taste for mature content and the action adventure genre would
be foolish to pass it up.
=~=~=~=
A-ONE's Headline News
The Latest in Computer Technology News
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
What Are the Web's Worst Security Problems?
A new report released by security company Symantec found that incidents of
online identity theft scams, also known as "phishing attacks," skyrocketed
in the second half of 2004, as did spam and new software vulnerabilities.
But other Internet blights, such as zombie networks of compromised
computers, or "bots," actually declined.
The number of phishing e-mail messages intercepted by Symantec grew 300
percent since June 2004, while spam e-mail traffic intercepted by Symantec
increased by 77 percent and reports of serious software vulnerabilities
grew by 13 percent, according to the Symantec Internet Security Threat
Report. Online fraud may be driving many of the trends, as attackers turn
to strategies that are useful for identity theft and other online scams,
says Alfred Huger, senior director of engineering at Symantec Security
Response.
The Symantec Internet Security Threat Report is a semi-annual report that
brings together data from Symantec's global DeepSight network, customer
networks, and networks of decoy servers and e-mail accounts that the
company maintains.
Symantec anti-fraud filters blocked 33 million phishing e-mail messages
each week by the end of the year, compared with just 9 million a week in
mid July. The problem is not likely to abate, as online criminals get more
sophisticated about spoofing legitimate e-mail traffic, the report says.
Phishing scams use spam to direct Internet users to Web sites that are
controlled by thieves, but are designed to look like legitimate e-commerce
sites. Users are asked to provide sensitive information such as a password,
bank account information, or a credit card number, often under the guise of
updating an account.
The growth is part of a larger trend in fraud-related e-mail, says Huger.
"We're seeing a financial motive behind the creation of malware," he says.
In all, Symantec noted a 64 percent increase in all types of malicious
software, including viruses and Trojan horse programs in the period
covered by the report, a number that excludes both spyware and adware,
Huger says.
One exception to that trend was PCs belonging to zombie "bot" networks.
After surging in the first half of the year, the number of computers in
bot networks (or botnets) decreased, from more than 30,000 bot systems
scanning the Internet each day in July to fewer than 5000 a day by the end
of the year, Symantec says.
Symantec did not cite a reason for the reduction, but says that action to
shut down bot activity by large, international Internet service providers
and the release of Microsoft's Windows XP Service Pack 2 update could
account for the decline. However, other explanations are possible, including
a shift away from huge and persistent botnets, towards smaller networks that
stay online for shorter periods, Symantec says.
Behind the scenes, there is still plenty of interest in bot software. The
number of new variants for bot software increased dramatically in the
period covered by the study. For example, Symantec collected 4288 unique
variants of Spybot, a family of bot software, in the second half of the
year - around 23 new variants of the software every day, Huger says.
"That's the biggest leap we've ever seen, and it tells us that people are
iterating the code to make it more successful, and also that there are more
people in the game of writing [bot] variants," he says.
Bots and bot networks that are used in attacks for financial gain will
continue to be a problem in the next six months, Symantec says. The company
also predicted that worms and viruses that target vulnerabilities on
software clients will become a bigger problem, and that attacks on mobile
device platforms and the heretofore ignored Apple Computer's Mac operating
system.
A growing number of software vulnerabilities are also fueling the rise in
malicious code, Huger says.
Symantec documented more than 1403 new vulnerabilities between July 1, 2004
and December 31, 2004, an average of 54 vulnerabilities per week, compared
with 48 per week in the first half of the year, Symantec says.
That growth is significant for companies that are already trying to
compensate for a large number of vulnerabilities each day, Huger says.
Web applications were a rich new source of security holes, Symantec says.
In the second half of 2004, 48 percent of all the vulnerabilities reported
were found in Web applications, he says.
To address the growth in reported vulnerabilities, companies that develop
software have to do a better job educating developers to write more secure
code, Huger says.
Companies and individuals also need to follow "best practices," such as
cutting of unneeded services, staying on top of software patches and
enforcing password use, Symantec says.
Closing Arguments Begin in Kazaa Trial
The owners of global file-sharing company Kazaa told a court Wednesday they
should not be held liable for copyright infringements by network users
because the company cannot control how the software is used after it is
downloaded.
A group of Australian record labels is suing the makers of Kazaa, Sharman
Networks Ltd., and the company's directors in the Federal Court in Sydney
for copyright infringements by the network's estimated 100 million members
worldwide.
The record companies claim Kazaa users freely download up to 3 billion
songs and music files each month, costing the industry millions of dollars
in unpaid royalties.
In closing arguments Wednesday, lawyers for Sharman Networks acknowledged
that some Kazaa users engage in illegal copying, but said the software's
creators could not be held responsible.
Lawyer Tony Meagher told the court that once Kazaa was downloaded onto
users' computers, the company had "no power to control" its use - just as
the makers of photocopiers and video recorders could not control or be held
responsible for illegal copying on their machines.
As a result, Meagher said, the main issue in the case was whether Kazaa, in
effect, authorized its users to download copyright protected material.
"We tell these users in our Web site and we tell them in our license that
they cannot use this (software) for infringing copyright," Meagher told
Judge Murray Wilcox.
By consenting to the terms of the license agreement, the users were
exempting Kazaa's owners from liability for copyright infringement, Meagher
said.
Grinning, the judge interrupted Meagher's submission to ask if it was
"unduly cynical" to assume that most people don't read software licensing
agreements.
"One is entitled to use one's general experience that most people don't
read through legal documents unless they regard them as critically
important," Wilcox said.
Meagher responded that users were required to confirm that they had read
the license agreements before using Kazaa to download any materials,
copyright-protected or otherwise.
Lawyers for the record industry argue that Kazaa not only enables but
encourages users to infringe copyright.
The lawyers also said the company collects information about its users that
would enable them to control their use of the software.
Record industry lawyer Tony Bannon told the court that Sharman Networks
monitors Kazaa users and sells information about them to advertisers,
saying the company's claim that it had no control over the software was
"completely mind boggling."
The record companies want Sharman Networks and its directors declared
liable for copyright breach and loss of earnings in the civil case.
If they succeed, a case next year would likely set the damages the owners
have to pay.
The trial, which is being heard before a judge with no jury, is expected to
wrap up late Wednesday. A verdict is expected within six weeks.
Fewer Using Peer-To-Peer Systems
Use of peer-to-peer systems like Kazaa for sharing music and other files
online has dropped as more Americans who use the Internet turn to such
alternative methods as downloading files from a friend's iPod, a new study
finds.
Though the percentage of Internet users who share files online has changed
little over the past year, remaining at about 24 percent, fewer are using
P2P systems. Twenty-one percent of current music downloaders say they still
use P2P systems, compared with 31 percent in February 2004, according to
the Pew Internet and American Life Project.
The study was released ahead of Tuesday's Supreme Court hearing on whether
operators of such systems can be held liable for what users do with the
software.
Usage of paid services like iTunes has increased to 34 percent of current
music downloaders, compared with 17 percent last year.
Overall, about half of the current music or video downloaders say they have
used sources other than P2P or paid services. E-mail and instant messages
were popular, as was taking files from someone else's iPod or other MP3
player.
Researchers warn, however, that survey respondents may be less likely to
admit to using P2P systems because of the stigma associated with them. The
recording industry has been aggressive at suing users, reaching settlements
with many for thousands of dollars apiece.
The study is based on a random, telephone-based survey of 1,421 adult
Internet users in the United States. It was conducted Jan. 13-Feb. 9 and
has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Utah Internet Porn Law May Face Challenge
Internet service providers that operate in Utah must offer customers a way
to block porn sites under a law signed this week. ISPs complained that the
law adds nothing to the fight against pornography, and said a legal
challenge is likely.
"The market has already responded to this issue," said Pete Ashdown,
president of Salt Lake-based XMission. "We have for many years provided an
optional filter for our customers that they can turn on in Internet
browsers."
The law requires ISPs to offer customers free software for blocking porn
sites on a list maintained by the attorney general.
Republican state Rep. John Dougall said the measure he sponsored should
help parents overwhelmed by advancing technology.
"Kids are much more savvy about what's going on than their parents,"
Dougall said.
An earlier version of the bill would have required ISPs to block sites
based on numeric Internet addresses, but ISPs argued that approach would
block benign sites as well because they often share addresses. A federal
court has struck down a 2003 Pennsylvania law that took that approach.
Though the Utah law is watered down, it still "will very likely lead to a
costly litigation," said the Washington D.C.-based Center for Democracy and
Technology.
"We've been down this road in Pennsylvania," said Dave Baker, vice
president for law and public policy at EarthLink Inc. "And if that law can
be struck down on constitutional grounds, this one will almost certainly
face challenges."
The Utah law also requires companies that build and maintain pornographic
sites to label the content "harmful to minors." Failure to comply is
punishable by one year in prison and a $2,500 fine.
Macintosh Hacker Attacks Are on the Rise
Hacker attacks on Apple Computer Inc.'s Macintosh OS X operating system,
thought by many who use the Mac to be virtually immune to attack, are on
the rise, according to a report from anti-virus software vendor Symantec
Corp.
"Contrary to popular belief, the Macintosh operating system has not always
been a safe haven from malicious code," said the report, which was issued
on Monday.
"It is now clear that the Mac OS is increasingly becoming a target for the
malicious activity that is more commonly associated with Microsoft and
various Unix-based operating systems."
Many in the Macintosh computer community have long claimed that the Mac
platform has been virtually immune to attack - unlike Microsoft Corp.'s
Windows operating system, which runs on more than 90 percent of the world's
personal computers.
The Macintosh operating system, the current version of which is based on
the Unix operating system, has less than 5 percent of the global market for
computer operating systems.
"All these platforms have vulnerabilities - it's a fact of life," said
Gartner analyst Martin Reynolds. "The truth of the matter is that Mac is
only a couple percentage points of (computer) shipments so it's not an
interesting target."
Apple's recent introduction of the Mac mini, a $500 computer sold without
a display, keyboard or mouse, could actually increase the likelihood of
more malicious software computer code targeting the Mac platform, Symantec
said.
"The market penetration of Macintosh platforms will be accelerated by the
much lower priced Mac mini, which may be purchased by less security-savvy
users," the report said. "As a result, the number of vulnerabilities can
be expected to increase, as will malicious activity that targets them."
An Apple spokesman was not immediately available to comment.
Symantec said that over the past year, it had documented 37
high-vulnerabilities - weaknesses that leave the system open to malicious
software attacks - in Mac OS X. They "have been confirmed by the vendor,
which, in the Apple case, almost always means that the company has released
a patch."
A patch is a small piece of software designed to shore up a vulnerability
or to fix other software glitches.
At the same time, the report said that while those vulnerabilities in the
Mac operating system will increase, "they will likely be outnumbered in
other operating systems for some time to come."
Yahoo Lawyers Ask Court for Protection
Lawyers for Yahoo Inc. asked a federal appeals court Thursday for legal
protection for U.S.-based Internet portals whose content is protected by
the First Amendment in the United States, but illegal in foreign countries.
Some of the judges acknowledged the need for a shield for American
companies in such situations, but suggested it was premature in the case of
Yahoo, which is challenging a fine levied by a Paris court four years ago
for allowing the site's French users to buy and sell Nazi memorabilia, in
violation of French law.
Yahoo asked the 11-judge panel of the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit
Court of Appeals on Thursday to prevent the two French human rights groups
that sued from collecting the fine - now at about $15 million and growing
by as much as $15,000 per day.
But during 70 minutes of arguments, some judges noted that the French
groups haven't tried to collect.
"Where's the beef? Why are we here?" asked Judge Ronald Gould.
Yahoo attorney Robert Vanderet said the human rights groups might try to
collect, and that Yahoo isn't the only Internet portal that needs to know
whether U.S. courts would shield American companies from being liable
abroad for lawfully protected speech originating in America.
"Yahoo needs assurances that that order is not enforceable in the United
States," Vanderet told the panel.
Yahoo's French subsidiary, yahoo.fr, complies with France's law, but a
French judge ordered Sunnyvale-based Yahoo.com to strip Nazi paraphernalia
from the portal's most popular site, yahoo.com. Yahoo did not appeal the
French order, and instead sought protection in U.S. courts.
A San Jose federal judge in 2002 ruled Yahoo, as an American company, was
not liable, and the human rights groups appealed. A three-judge 9th Circuit
panel overturned the judge, saying he ruled prematurely, since France's
Union of Jewish Students and the International Anti-Racism and
Anti-Semitism League haven't acted on the French judgment. Yahoo then
sought Thursday's rehearing before an 11-judge panel.
Judge Raymond Fisher speculated that Yahoo's case was premature, but
acknowledged the implications for free speech. "They're seeking a remedy
that is going to have a major impact in the United States," Fisher said.
Yahoo says its international subsidiaries comply with local laws, and said
it's technologically impossible to censor its U.S. site for users in
France.
Legal experts said if Yahoo can clarify its position in the United States,
other U.S-based Internet service providers also will understand their
liabilities.
"Who has a right to exercise legal jurisdiction over content that's on the
Web?" asked Jeffrey Pryce, an international lawyer from Washington, D.C.
Suppose it was Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan, he asked. "It could get kind of
frightening."
The human rights groups' attorney, E. Randol Schoenberg, said Yahoo has
dramatically limited the Nazi material on its American site, and that his
clients won't try to collect unless Yahoo reverts "to their old ways."
The appellate court can rule on the case at any time.
IBM Debuts New Anti-Spam Tool
In a move to expand its Internet security footprint, IBM has introduced a
new anti-spam application aimed at corporations. Called "FairUCE," (Fair
use of Unsolicited Commercial Email), the application helps filter and
block spam by using identity management technology at the network level to
analyze the domain identity of an e-mail.
Essentially, FairUCE traces an e-mail message back to its origin, thus
mapping for the system the link between an e-mail domain, e-mail address
and the computer from which it was sent, IBM explains. In this way, FairUCE
is able to discern whether messages are arriving from a zombie computer, a
bot device or a legitimate e-mail server.
"Spam has become a high priority security issue for businesses today," said
Stuart McIrvine, director of corporate security strategy, IBM. "By creating
a multi-layered defense that proactively repels spam at its source,
companies can get ahead of spammers and malicious hackers who are always
looking for new ways of penetrating I.T. systems through e-mail."
The new IBM system differs from traditional spam filters that scan the
content of messages entering the network in that it blocks and eliminates
e-mail from spammers who assume false identities.
The concept is reminiscent of IEFT's on-again, off-again anti-spam Sender
ID proposal. (IEFT is the Internet body responsible for developing general
proposals into working standards for the Web community.) Many viewed the
anti-spam Sender ID proposal, which was sidelined over a dispute about
patents, as the most likely way to curtail spam.
IBM's February IBM Global Business Security Index - the monthly report that
measures the global security threat landscape - found that spam actually
has decreased from 83.11 percent in January to 76.3 percent last month.
IBM introduced the monthly summary and trend analysis for its enterprise
clients last October. It leverages Big Blue's Global Security Intelligence
Services and provides a broader look at the dangers that affect a company's
I.T. environment, David Mackey, director of security and intelligence
services, told NewsFactor. It is, he says, "a holistic approach to I.T.
risk management."
Yahoo Ups Free E-Mail Storage to 1 GB
Yahoo Inc. said on Wednesday it will soon begin giving users of its free
Web e-mail service 1 gigabyte of storage, four times more than it now
offers, amid intense competition.
Consumers are increasingly using their Web e-mail inboxes as a repository
for e-mail as well as digital photos and documents. Web e-mail providers
have been responding with offers of ever more free storage.
Yahoo, which Nielsen//NetRatings said in February boasted the most unique
users among e-mail providers in the United States ahead of Time Warner
Inc.'s AOL and Microsoft Corp.'s MSN Hotmail, said the global storage
upgrade will begin in late April and take about two weeks to complete.
The Internet media company also said it is beefing up antivirus protection
for free e-mail users, giving them the ability to remove viruses from
attachments - a feature that had only been available to paying users.
Yahoo Mail is available in 15 languages in almost two dozen countries
around the world.
Google Inc. last spring was the first email provider to offer 1 gigabyte of
free storage to users of its invitation-only test Gmail service, setting
off me-too moves from rivals.
Gmail, a distant fourth in the rankings of top e-mail destinations, is now
available only as an English-language service.
Microsoft currently limits free storage on its free MSN Hotmail accounts to
250 megabytes.
Yahoo and Microsoft each offer 2 gigabytes of storage to users who pay
about $20 per year for the service.
Teens Need To Use 'Filter Between Their Ears' On Web
Almost two-thirds of parents admit to monitoring which Web sites their
teenagers visit, according to a survey released by the Pew Internet &
American Life Project.
But Parry Aftab, an online privacy expert and advocate for child safety,
says parental snooping into teens' Web surfing should be reserved for
situations in which they may be at risk, not a common practice. It's better
to talk to teens about their Web habits, make them aware of the online
risks such as sexual predators and cyberbullying, and limit the time they
spend online, she says.
"Don't snoop, not unless you've got a child who's at high risk. Then you
don't have a choice," says Aftab, who is founder and executive director of
WiredKids.org, a Web site that promotes online safety for kids, and
TeenAngels.org, an affiliated site for teen volunteers who educate their
peers about safe surfing. High-risk teens include drug users or those known
to meet with strangers they originally met online. Aftab also is a
columnist who writes about privacy issues on InformationWeek.com.
Aftab recommends parents install Web-monitoring software such as
SpectorSoft Corp.'s Spector application, which records E-mail, instant
messaging, screenshots, and key strokes, in addition to Web sites visited.
But she says parents should only review the information collected as a last
resort. If a teen is missing and foul play suspected, the monitoring
software can reveal whom he or she may have been communicating with online.
"It's like the security video camera in the corner of the coffee shop,"
Aftab says.
Given the potential dangers, teens need to learn how to use good judgment
when using the Web and other electronic media, including online games and
cell phones. Aftab says the "filter between their ears" is more important
than Web-filtering software on a PC.
"The newest issue is cyberbullying," Aftab says. "It ranges from 'I hate
you' [ messages] to taking your head and putting it on a pornographic
image." Aftab's organization has created a Web site, StopCyberBullying.org,
to educate kids and parents about the threat.
When a parent recently told Aftab that his daughter had established "many"
screen names for instant messaging, Aftab said it was a warning sign the
girl was being harassed. She advised the parent to confront the daughter
about potential problems and insist that she reduce those online IDs.
Practicing online safety is equally important for preteens, Aftab says. "We
have to focus on the middle schoolers," she says. "It's crucial that kids
understand what they should and shouldn't do in connection with the new
technology tools."
=~=~=~=
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not necessarily reflect those of the staff, or of the publishers. All
material herein is believed to be accurate at the time of publishing.
