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Amiga Update (1998-12-18)
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_ __ _ <>_ __ _ ||
/\\ |\ /|| || / ` /\\ || A M I G A U P D A T E
/__\\ | \ / || || || ___ /__\\ || -News and Rumors-
/ \\_ | \/ ||_ _||_ \__// / \\_|| (An Occasional Newsletter)
KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING ||
======================================================================
AMIGA and the Amiga logo are trademarks of Amiga, Inc.
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981218
C O M P U S E R V E D U M P S A M I G A N S
S E C U R I T Y A L E R T ! !
D R . H A V E M O S E R E S P O N D S
T C P / I P I N S T R U C T I O N F R O M T H E M A S T E R
M E S S A G E F R O M A I ' S D A R R E C K L I S L E
A M I G A ' 9 9 I N S T . L O U I S
A M I G A ' 9 9 C L U B T A B L E C O N T E S T
M I F I N F R A N C E T H I S M O N T H
P E T R O V I S I T S O Z
A S P L I T F R O M V U L C A N
P R O G R E S S R E P O R T O N N E W I - B R O W S E
N E W M O U S E F R O M A M I G A I N T .
C L I C K B O O M ' S G R I P E S A B O U T A M I G A I N C .
C D T V U P G R A D E P R O J E C T
A M I G A F O R E V E R O N L I N E
A M I G A W A R E S I N E U R O P E
N E W S R O G U P D A T E
B L A C K I R C A V A I L A B L E
H O L I D A Y C L E A R A N C E F R O M D I M E N S I O N
S E A M L E S S T E X T U R E S C D
T U B A O R N O T T U B A
I P R O B E B R O W S E R I S R E A L
Editor's Thoughts and Introduction:
Many things for you to read, many things happening in the Amiga
Community.
One of the most interesting is KOSH, the Kommunity Operating System
and Hardware intiative, started by a number of Amiga luminaries. This
includes Fleecy Moss, late of Amiga Incorporated, and Dave Haynie,
late of of the late Commodore. This is an effort to create a new Amiga
like environment, based on the needs of our Community - or Kommunity.
Kosh of course was one of the most popular characters in the now gone
"Babylon 5" television series. We'll be monitoring and reporting on
their efforts. We wish them good luck, but have a word of warning -
remember, even Kosh could succumb to the Shadows, so stay alert and
keep us informed.
Mostly good news in this issue, and some silliness. We've run a piece
we found on the Net recently, posted by ClickBOOM and detailing their
gripes with Amiga Inc. ClickBOOM, consider this - Amiga Inc. is a
business. Your suggestions are interesting, but if I were with Amiga
Inc. my answer to your ideas would go something like this:
"Good ideas. We have no money in the budget for them, of course, as
they're your ideas. If you can fund them, we can work on them. If not,
we're a small company with our own plans and we'll have to work on
those plans. We'll consider any ideas that help us with those plans,
but we can't do additional projects without resources."
What was your plan, ClickBOOM, for funding these projects, or
justifying them through ROI (Return on Investment)? Did you offer
resources, or at least positive ROI calculations? If not, the most
appropriate response from Amiga Inc. was no response at all.
You folks are businessmen/businesswomen yourselves. For the sake of
your own company, I hope you understand these matters. They're
fundamental to keeping a business alive and Amiga Inc., after all is
said and done, is still a business.
You'll find ClickBOOM's post below, along with a lot of other
interesting items.
We hope you enjoy this issue, and wish Merry Christmas to our
Christian readers, a Wondrous Ramadan to our Muslim readers, and Happy
Hannuka to our Jewish readers. We also apologize to those of any other
religions who might have a significant event at this time of year if
we've overlooked you.
Brad Webb,
Editor
----------------------------------------------------------------------
E-mail to the E-ditor:
16 Dec 1998
Just read your mag.
Very professional, very informative.
Thanks for the hard work, but keep it up we need you!
Merry Christmas
Ty
~~~~~~
Very kind words Ty, thank you. Things have been hard for Amiga
publications, and there's little on the horizon to make us think
that'll change soon. However, since "Amiga Update" is non-profit and
doesn't need income to survive, we fully expect to make the transition
to the new Amigas with you, documenting the Community every step of
the way.
Brad
+++++++++++++++++++
5 Dec 1998
KEEP ME ON YOUR LIST. I HAVE A 6000 TOWER FLYER WITH A PROBLEM. I
CAN'T GET RID OF THE BLUE GRASS. I HAVE COLOR HUED MANY TIMES AND RE
CALIBRATED WITH NO CHANGE. WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST???
ARNIE
~~~~~~
Arnie,
We keep everyone on the list unless we receive bounces from their
mail servers. Even then, we analyze each and every bounce before we
remove someone.
As to your problem with color, I have no idea what's happening other
than it sure sounds like a blue/green color swap. Can any of our
readers help Arnie? Send your thoughts to
amigaupdate@globaldialog.com and we'll pass them along.
Brad
+++++++++++++++++++
18 Dec 1998
Hey Brad,
I saw an ad on one of the Amiga Web pages describing the Lithium
battery replacement for the original NiCAD backup battery. The ad read
something like this "If your Amiga is over 4 years old, the NiCAD
battery may be leaking, so we offer this Lithium... ". I started
thinking... Gee how many IBM users even keep their PCs over 4 years
?? And how can an Amiga still be usable after 4 years ?? Then I
started thinking about what prompted me to buy my A4000 as a
replacement for my A500 (which I still have), the only reasons were
because the A4000 had expansion slots and I wanted the latest and
greatest Amiga. I didn't know about drive bay expansion boxes at that
time but with an accelerator card and a new graphics card my A500
would still be perfectly usable !! I bought that A500 in 1988... 10
years ago !! Everyone knows that a 10 year old computer is a dinosaur
don't they ?? Apparently not Amiga users... we must be pretty warped
or maybe we know something other computer users don't ??
I would be willing to bet that the typical Amiga user has some other
products in their home that are old but he/she is not willing to part
with.
I remember back in '69 or '70, an acquaintance handing me a pair of
headphones and telling me to listen to the "Stereo" effects on a song
by a new Rock group named Led Zepplin... the song was Whole Lotta Love
and I was totally blown away. What's funny is, that song sounds just
as good today and seems to be TIMELESS... not dated... which is a
quality the Amiga seems to possess.
These are just some of the reasons why I Love my Amiga.
Happy Holidays, Tony
~~~~~
Tony,
There's no way I could have said it better. Thanks,
Brad
----------------------------------------------------------------------
C O M P U S E R V E D U M P S A M I G A N S
CompuServe Closes Off Access to Amiga, AmigaZone Invites Orphaned
Users to Join Its Amiga-friendly Service
An Invitation to Compuserve AmigaForum customers to join the
AmigaZone - get the best Amiga online service for only $12.95 a month,
and receive a free gift!
--
Greetings, I'm Harv Laser, and since 1985 I've run an online service
for Amiga owners called AmigaZone. You may also recognize my name from
the hundreds of Amiga reviews and articles I've written for Amiga
magazines for many years.
A few days ago, you may have logged into CompuServe in your usual
way, with your usual terminal program or telnet client and tried to go
to one of the Amiga Forums, only to be hit with this disturbing
message:
> On Thursday, December 3, This forum was closed. All of the
> sections and libraries from this forum were moved to the new HMI
> forum, AmigaForum. You can find everything there that was here,
> but in new sections of the HMI-only forum. You will need Mac or
> PC emulation to reach us there in the HMI view, or you can use
> AWEB II with JavaScript to reach our visitor area there, or you
> can get there with PC or Mac running Netscape or Internet
> Explorer.
Well isn't that a kick in the face? You can't access the Amiga Forums
with your Amiga anymore, except as a "visitor."
Basically, CompuServe (bought out by AOL earlier this year) has
decided that rather than make a version of their new AOL-like custom
front end software for its faithful Amiga-owning customers, they tell
you to go get a Gates Crate or a Mac if you still want access. How
nice of them. Is this a company you want to keep giving money to?
Well I'm here to invite you to come and join AmigaZone, and I'll tell
you why..
AmigaZone can be accessed with ANY type of computer, especially your
Amiga.
We have different interfaces depending on how you want to log in.
You can telnet to amigazone.com from any internet-connected account,
and log into our easy BBS/Text style interface, all menu driven, with
context-sensitive help everywhere. This interface works with any
terminal program you own, or any Amiga telnet client. Trust me, I own
them all and I've used them all. I've been doing and writing about
Amiga telecommunications since 1985! I currently access the Zone
myself using AmTelnet, MiamiTelnet, Amiga terminal programs, and even
with my hand-held PDAs' terminal programs!
You can also log into AmigaZone with our Web interface. You don't
need Netscrape or Internet Exploder either! Your AMIGA browsers:
IBrowse, AWeb, Voyager, and any future new ones, give you complete and
total access to our Web interface. Member's Web site does not have
banner ads, Java or Javascript anywhere on it. It has frames
capability which you can turn on or off, your choice.
And what does membership in AmigaZone get you?
Here's just a partial list of what we offer:
Over 40,000 files in our library, from the latest hot stuff to the
classics, going back to the Amiga's birth. We have about 20 GIG of
redundant, mirrored storage, so we never have to delete old files to
make room for new ones. Plus, we have a CD-changer mounted with Amiga
CDs always in it for downloading. Download using Zmodem in our BBS
interface, or using HTTP in our Web interface, or snag files using our
members-only FTP site.
Over 40,000 messages to read at any time. We carry all the Amiga
Usenet newsgroups, all the Amiga Fidonet echoes, and over a dozen
popular Amiga internet mailing lists, plus our own local discussions,
all in their own convenient message bases. Read them in our BBS
interface or our Web interface. Or even download them as .qwk packets,
and use an offline reader. Do you know any other service where you can
read Amiga Fidonet in a Web interface? How easy can we make it? :)
You get your own email address of [yourname]@amigazone.com
You get AmigaZone's own POP3 mail server.
Live, nightly chats, with other friendly Amiga owners, seven nights a
week. Special guest chats scheduled frequently.
Live, Sunday chat contests, with at least two winners guaranteed each
week, in a fair-to-all random chance contest. New prizes added
constantly.
I could go on, but you get the idea. AmigaZone is a professionally
maintained, full service system, wholly dedicated to the Amiga and
Amiga users. You can access it with the oldest Amiga you can find and
a simple terminal program, or the most full blown system you own. It's
up to you. No proprietary, Windoze/Mac interface required.
Interested? Want to join? Okay, here's how:
a) Phone our host, CalWeb Internet Services, any time, 24 hours a day
at 1-800-509-9322 and say "I want to join AmigaZone for $12.95/month!"
You can join with any major credit card, or be invoiced in the mail
monthly. The price is the same either way, and there is NO signup fee.
b) Use our SECURE SSL Web site to sign up. Just go to
http://www.amigazone.com/, and click the horribly obvious "JOIN NOW"
graphic at the top. This will take you to the SSL site, which works
fine with Amiga web browsers, where you can enter all your signup and
payment information.
And while supplies last, if you join AmigaZone, when your signup is
verified, I will mail to you absolutely FREE a brand new copy of Dale
Larson's book, "Connect Your Amiga!", a $24.95 value.
I've only scratched the surface of what AmigaZone offers. It's an
online community, a resource, a vast wealth of information, and a very
friendly place to be. There are NO extra-cost areas. Never have been,
never will be. Your membership gets you UNLIMITED access to the Zone,
24 hours a day, every day, whether you telnet in, Web in, or FTP in.
For those of you who are disappointed and disgusted with what
Compuserve has done to you, I offer you a new online home. Come join
us!
Best Regards,
Harv Laser
AmigaZone Founder and Sysop
----------------------------------------------------------------------
S E C U R I T Y A L E R T ! !
Security Advisory for Amiga Internet Users
by Nordic Global Inc., 12/05/98, for immediate release
During the first week of December a list of over 700 stolen user
names, passwords and host names of Internet service providers was
circulated in the "scene" and posted in several places, including
Usenet. Most public postings did not include the passwords, but they
ARE present in the original list, i.e. the list DOES exist, and
presents a real threat to users on the list.
Anyone in possession of the list can use entries on the list to break
into Internet accounts of corresponding users, unless those users
changed their passwords in the meantime. In other words: if YOU appear
on the list then anyone who has that list can break into YOUR Internet
account, until/unless you change your password.
Some of the entries on the list were obtained using "normal" means,
i.e. by breaking into ISP routers or exploiting known Unix or NT
system vulnerabilities. Things like that happen all the time, and are
difficult to prevent.
However many entries on the list were obtained using a different
mechanism: a "Trojan" distributed to Amiga users, that secretely spied
username/password information out, and sent them to an Internet
account, where that information was gathered by pirates.
After a lot of false and sometimes slanderous rumors how that secret
mechanism works and which program is to blame, a joint effort by
Nordic Global Inc. and several helpful users, who wish to stay
anonymous, finally determined the precise way the passwords were
gathered:
A pirate group spread a fake version of "datatypes.library" via
Aminet. That version has a version number of either 45.4 or 45.5
(depending on when and how you check the version), and a file size of
32748 bytes. The library contains a concealed Trojan that reads
usernames and passwords from the Internet settings files on your
harddisk, and sends them by email to a pirate group, who then collects
that information and enters it into a database.
If you have that version of "datatypes.library" installed, then you
are strongly advised to delete it, and to replace it with one of the
legitimite, safe versions of datatypes.library, e.g. one of
39.11 (from Workbench disks)
40.6 (from Workbench disks)
45.3 (from Aminet)
45.4 (from Aminet)
If you install 45.4 then make sure the file size is 27780 bytes. If
it is 32748 bytes then it is actually the dangerous, fake version
45.5, reporting a wrong version number, not the "real" version 45.4.
After that you should physically switch off your computer, wait for
30 seconds, and switch it on again, just in case.
Once you have done that, log into your Internet provider and change
your password. If you have previously already changed your password,
but did not replace the fake library, then you should change your
password again now, because your account information may have been
compromised again in the meantime.
It is not known for sure yet who the author of that fake library and
"collector" of the generated stolen accounts is, but an investigation
is underway. Also, there are very strong, yet so far unconfirmed,
indications (including witness statements by informants) that the
infamous pirate group "Digital Corruption" is to blame for this.
If that turned out to be true then it would only prove once again
that software written or distributed by or in cooperation with pirate
organizations cannot be trusted, and may have harmful secret side
effects.
If you are wondering why it is Nordic Global Inc. who are making this
announcement: the original password list that was distributed contains
a comment in obscene language that those passwords were obtained
through an alleged "backdoor in Miami".
Do not be fooled by that. That claim is an obvious lie, a slanderous
accusation attempting to tarnish the reputation of Miami and Nordic
Global Inc., without any factual basis. Amiga pirate groups, in
particular Digital Corruption, have been targetting Nordic Global Inc.
with accusations like that for quite some time because of our strong
public stand against piracy.
Miami does not have any "backdoors", and could not be used, and was
not used to compile the list, or to provide any information that
appeared on the list. Nevertheless many users and unfortunately even
some developers and dealers spread the false rumor that Miami is
"dangerous" in any way. This is obviously not the case.
We felt it necessary to try and find out the truth about how the list
was compiled, not only to document the safety of Miami, but also to be
able to give Amiga users the information they need to react to this
threat and to prevent further damage.
For more information on this attack please visit our web site
"http://www.nordicglobal.com/", in particular the "News" section.
Holger Kruse, Nordic Global Inc.
kruse@nordicglobal.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------
D R . H A V E M O S E R E S P O N D S
2 Dec 1998
I actually think that Amiga Inc has been fairly open recently. I
understand the dis-satisfaction about the past, but since I can't do
anything about it, I'm focusing on what is going on now.
As of today we have announced:
1. partnering with QNX to develop OS 5. Lost of detail has been
released to the press and should hit news stands soon
2. 3.5 in first half of 1999
For one month, that seems like quite a bit to me :)
Finally, I for one, will not discuss or comment on anything where I
don't have any real information. I have from time to time given my
"personal opinion", even though that usually leads to confusion in the
groups, since opinions are not clear-cut statements of fact.
Allan
----------------------------------------------------------------------
T C P / I P I N S T R U C T I O N F R O M T H E M A S T E R
Learn TCP/IP Programming for the Amiga with Miami
11/19/1998
Holger Kruse of Nordic Global has made his TCP/IP programming lecture
notes available for sale to Amiga developers.
Two classes on TCP/IP programming were held at the St. Louis Gateway
Amiga Show 1998. The titles of these two classes were:
Basic TCP/IP Programming in AmigaOS
Advanced TCP/IP Programming in AmigaOS
All attendees received lecture notes which contain photocopies of all
overhead projector slides. These lectures notes are now available for
sale separately, for developers who could not attend the classes in
St. Louis in person. The cost for each set of lecture notes is US$
10.00 (incl. shipping). For both sets together the cost is US$ 15.00
(incl. shipping). Each set consists of 21-23 single-sided pages
(US-"letter" size). Each page contains the photocopy of two overhead
projector slides. Lecture notes were meant as a supplement to the
class presentation, and as such do not contain long, detailed
explanations, but rather explain concepts and give examples
specifically for the use of TCP/IP in AmigaOS. The use of a text book
on Unix TCP/IP progamming in combination with the notes is strongly
recommended.
Lecture notes are copyrighted and intended for your own personal use
only. You are not allowed to reproduce the notes in any way (manually,
electronically or otherwise), except for your own personal use. Any
other use requires an explicit written permission from Nordic Global,
Inc.
Overview of the lecture notes for "Basic TCP/IP programming in
AmigaOS" (42 slides, 21 pages):
Internet model: IP addresses, ports, services sockets.
UDP and TCP, comparison of both protocols.
sample TCP client, explanation of some fine points.
sample UDP client.
sample iterative TCP server.
sample iterative UDP server.
sample concurrent TCP server using a single task.
effects of non-blocking I/O.
sample concurrent TCP server using separate tasks.
integrating socket calls into a GUI event loop.
differences AmigaOS vs. Unix.
library base handling.
overview of important BSD socket calls and structures.
briefly: hints on the use of TCP/UDP in real-time applications.
Overview of the lecture notes for "Advanced TCP/IP programming in
AmigaOS" (45 slides, 23 pages):
miami.library API.
IPv6: overview, IPv6 vs. IPv4, IPv6 incompatibilities in conventional
TCP clients.
sample TCP client for IPv6 compatibility (protocol-independent).
hints for IPv6 compatibility and additional IPv6 resources.
description of the PowerPC transition of Miami. Problem areas and
solutions.
PowerPC support functions in Miami.
Broadcasting: basics, finding the broadcast address.
Multicasting: concepts, application protocols, resources.
T/TCP: concepts, advantages and drawbacks, sample T/TCP client and
server, resources.
SSL: concepts, outline of a sample SSL client.
The easiest way to order the lecture notes is online by credit card.
Otherwise please download the order form and send it to the address on
the form at http://www.nordicglobal.com, together with your payment.
Orders within the US are shipped by USPS Priority Mail. Orders outside
of the US are shipped by airmail.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
M E S S A G E F R O M A I ' S D A R R E C K L I S L E
Community Focus - December 1998
The past few months have been anything but slow. Koln was a huge
success both in events and excitement. We announced our partnership
with QNX and Dan Dodge of QNX gave the Amiga community a sample of
what the new Amiga will be capable of. This was an exciting demo and
everyone left the conference talking about the possibilities for
games, business applications, and networking.
We have been very busy since Koln. As you can see, we have updated
our {web} site to give everyone better tools to follow our progress.
Information will be disseminated more frequently, and new programs to
help you have a better experience when visiting our site.
To date there has been a outpouring of support for the community from
organizations that focus on helping the Amiga users. I have contact
with many of you on a daily bases. There has been at least 600 user
groups identified all over the world. I would estimate around 600,000
users that have or utilize an Amiga on a daily basis.
I do listen to everyone's feedback, and I have been working with
several organizations to help the users obtain and keep current on all
information from Amiga. Most feedback is positive and support for the
new Amiga is strong. The day when Amiga will be spoken in public
during normal conversation, and the words "Have you seen that new
computer called Amiga?" will echo in the school halls. Everyone of you
can sit back and say, "We did it!"
Yes, I hear many people prophesying doom, and no matter what Amiga
Inc. does, for some it will never be the right thing. Well, I respect
that. The information super highway is there to let anyone speak his
or her mind from anywhere in the world, so don't be shy. Speak out! We
have a link on our page where you can submit your concerns and
complaints.
The year is almost over and the Holidays are upon us. Take this time
to spend time with your families, and instead of attacking each other
in the news groups and IRC, take time to say "Happy Holidays!"
I am working with Bob Scharp on his Amiga 99 show in St Louis. Bob
never ceases to amaze me, he puts on such an awesome show. I hope to
meet as many of you there as possible.
Thanks for a wonderful 1998. I can't wait for 1999!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
A M I G A ' 9 9 I N S T . L O U I S
PRESS RELEASE:
Amiga 99 - Banquet & Admission Tickets
November 20th, 1998
The Amiga 99 Banquet tickets, for the March 13 Banquet, are now
available. Cost is $35 each plus an admission ticket to the show.
Banquet tickets must be ordered in advance. No banquet tickets may be
sold at the show, due to the hotel requiring advance notice of the
number of people attending.
Stay tuned for the list of guest speakers. Once the speakers are
announced, tickets will go fast.
Although we have more room than last year, seating is limited. Unlike
last year, we will only accomodate the number we can comfortably seat
in the room, so order your tickets early.
Please note that there are no refunds on tickets.
Amiga 99 Ticket Pricing
Advance At Door
Show floor Admission
Two Day (Sat & Sun) $ 17 $ 20
One Day (Sat or Sun) $ 12 $ 15
Banquet (Sat. 13th) $ 35 N/A
Classes (Fri-Sun) To be announced
Seminars (Fri-Sun) Free Free
Please send a check or money order, in U.S. funds to:
Amigan-St. Louis
c/o Amiga 99 - Tickets
P.O. Box 672
Bridgeton, MO 63044
Amigan-St. Louis, producers of the Gateway Computer Show - Amiga 99
are proud to announce that an 800 number for ordering admission and
banquet tickets to Amiga 99 has been established. Now for the first
time, you can order your two day or one day admission tickets and your
banquet tickets to Amiga 99 by phone using your credit cards. Please
note, there is a transaction fee of $5 for this service. This is a one
time charge per transaction. So order lots of tickets at one time for
your friends and club members and save.
Tickets for the three days of classes, March 12 - 14 and the two days
of floor exhibits, March 13 and 14, may also be ordered in
advance.(Not by phone.) A full class schedule will be posted as the
show approaches.
Please check our web site for ticket pricing and more information
about the Gateway Computer Show - Amiga 99. Amiga 99 will be held at
the Henry VIII Hotel in Bridgeton, MO. (St. Louis).
----------------------------------------------------------------------
A M I G A ' 9 9 C L U B T A B L E C O N T E S T
PRESS RELEASE:
Amiga 99 - Club Table Contest
December 05, 1998
Amigan-St. Louis, producers of the Gateway Computer Show - Amiga 99
are proud to announce their "Club Table Contest". The Amiga Club with
the best exhibit table/booth at Amiga 99, will be awarded a cash prize
of $100 U.S.
The prize will be awarded on Sunday, March 14, 1999, at the close of
the show. Judge(s) decisions are final.
Judge(s) will be appointed by Amigan-St. Louis, and will remain
unnamed during the show, but will be revealed when prize is awarded.
Rules: Contestants must be an Amiga Club, or club supporting Amiga
Computers. Members must produce and man the show table continuously
both Saturday and Sunday. Table must be for club activities, displays,
sales of club items, etc., but not a business. Up to a total of 25
points may be awarded for the following combination of criterias.
Max 5 pts. - Clean neat appearance.
Max 5 pts. - Friendliness and helpfulness of members at table.
Max 5 pts. - Attractiveness and interest of display.
Max 5 pts. - Usefulness of information.
Max 5 pts. - Uniqueness and overall effect of table or booth.
It should be noted that size of exhibit, although it may enhance the
display, is not an overriding criteria.
We hope this will generate interest in clubs doing their utmost to
display their club and their Amigas in the very best manner. May the
best club win.
The Gateway Computer Show-Amiga 99 will be held on Friday March 12
through Sunday March 14, 1999, in St. Louis Missouri, U.S.A... The
show is organized and owned by Amigan-St. Louis's Bob Scharp. Bob has
organized all the Gateway Computer Shows. Amiga 99 will be the fifth
and largest show yet.
Keep http://www.amiga-stl.com/ book marked on your browser. Visit our
site, and see the exciting things that are planned for Amiga 99.
Bob Scharp
Amigan-St. Louis
bscharp@icon-stl.net
----------------------------------------------------------------------
M I F I N F R A N C E T H I S M O N T H
Mouvement Informatique Alternatif
(Alternative Computer System Exhibit)
Why ?
At the end of 1998 Bugss association will organize a very special
alternative computer show : The MIA 98. The Alternative Computer
System Exibition 98 will show alternative operating systems,
exclusively : Amiga, Atari, Linux, Alpha, RISC, Mac, BeOS, Draco,
etc... without wanting to disparage Windows and the PC whose
undeniable qualities are recognized, the show proposes to widen the
view of the user, to show and propose different technologies which
could contribute to the improvement of the computer science of
tomorrow. A dynamic and creative space will be provided thanks to the
many associations who will show their know-how in the field of
alternative operating systems.
Where ?
This exhibition will be held on Centre de Congrès of the Cité
Mondiale of Bordeaux, France.
Note : The Cité Mondiale is beter known as the Cité Mondiale du Vin
(World City of Wine), even if there are no wine anymore...
When ?
Begins
Ends
Sunday 20 december 1998
10 am
6 pm
How ?
You go to the Cité Mondiale (ex-Cité Mondiale du vin)
23, parvis des Chartrons
F - 33000 Bordeaux
France
Arriving by plane :
Arriving at Bordeaux-Mérignac airport,
Use the shuttle to go to the Saint-Jean railway station (SNCF),
Take the citybus #1, direction Claveau, bus stop Place Lainé.
Arriving by car :
Direction Bordeaux center, the river side, the Colbert cruiser ship.
Toll free parking is available in front of the Colbert ship.
Underground parking is placed under the Cité Mondiale.
Arriving by train :
Arrive : Saint-Jean railway station,
Board city bus #1 (CGFTE), direction Claveau, bus stop Place Lainé
Using city buses(CGFTE) :
Board city bus #1 (CGFTE), bus stop Place Lainé
Who ?
Bugss is a non-profit organisation that provides help and information
for passionate users of computers. The principal organizers of the
show are Pascal Sallan and Guillaume Guittenit, both members of Bugss.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
P E T R O V I S I T S O Z
11 Dec 1998
Petro Tyschtschenko to Visit Australia
It is with pleasure that we announce that Petro Tyschtschenko, head
of Amiga International, will be visiting Australia in January 1999.
As this will be the first visit to Australia by any AMIGA official
since Commodore's demise in 1994, Petro Tyschtschenko is keen to meet
with as many members of the Amiga community as he can during his trip.
There will be an opportunity to meet Mr Tyschtschenko in Perth on
Saturday 9 January 1999, and at two meetings proposed for the
following weekend in Sydney.
For those with a commercial interest in the Amiga's future in
Australia (Australasia), there will be a business meeting in Sydney on
Friday 15 January.
And depending on the support shown, a daytime function (lunch will be
optional) is proposed for the general public on Saturday, 16 January.
Persons wishing to meet Petro Tyschtschenko should send an email to
the contact address given above, putting: `Petro Visit Perth' or
`Petro Visit Business Sydney' or `Petro Visit General Sydney' as the
Subject, according to which meeting they would like to attend.
Then, in the body of the email, they should give some background
information about themselves, as well as any comments that they may
care to make relating to the Amiga's future in Australasia.
Even if you can't attend, please email us with your comments. (In
this case put `Petro Visit Comment Only' as the Subject).
Australia once had a vibrant Amiga community.
An overwhelming response to this posting will indicate that the Amiga
still has a future in Australasia, and will send a strong message to
Petro Tyschtschenko and Amiga Inc. that they should do something about
it.
Basil Flinter
Coordinating the Amiga in Australasia
Mail to: flinter@tpg.com.au
----------------------------------------------------------------------
A S P L I T F R O M V U L C A N
The World Foundry, Ltd
Press Release
16th December 1998
The World Foundry leave Vulcan Software
Today it has been confirmed that our company has parted from Vulcan
software and Vulcan will not be publishing Explorer 2260 for the Amiga
PPC. This is entirely our own decision and has not been in anyway
forced by Vulcan.
Here is a short FAQ to cover most of the questions that we expect to
be asked.
Q. What were the reasons for TWF to leave Vulcan ?
A. We have different opinions on the current market and community, as
well as different plans for the future. This is an amicable split and
we wish Vulcan well with their future PC software titles.
Q. What effect will this have on Explorer2260 for the Amiga ?
A. None whatsoever. Development of Explorer2260 PPC and the Explorer
Universe is continuing as normal and will continue till the title is
finished. We have updated the game specifications last week to state
that we would be using Warp3D to provide 3D hardware accelerated
performance.
Q. I think Explorer is vapour, why should I care ?
A. Fair enough. If you want to believe that, it's your opinion. It's
wrong, but it's yours. I'm sure that the 18 people working on it in
various capacities would agree with you whole heartedly.
Q. You're going to cancel the title eventually anyway and do a PC
version instead, aren't you ?
A. Absolutely not. If we had any plans to do that we would not have
parted company with Vulcan.
Q. When will we see a demo/screenshots ?
A. The first images of the graphic engine should be seen in the first
quarter of 1999. We apologies for no pictures of the game before this
(bar the renders used of ship designs and aliens in our game
encyclopedia) but the code for the 3D engine is in no state to be
shown unless people care for sexy pictures of the code.
Q. When is it due to be finished ?
A. We will try and aim for a 3rd quarter release although this could
well fall back into the 4th quarter.
Q. How will Explorer be published now ?
A. That will be determined closer to it's completion.
Chris Page - Project Manager
Ed Collins - Explorer Universe Manager
Rob Asumendi - Creative Director
John Asumendi - Marketing Director
Full details of our organisation and projects can be found at
The World Foundry, http://www.worldfoundry.home.ml.org/
Contact Addresses
EMail: collins-e@dnet.co.uk
Mail:
The World Foundry, Ltd.
1065 Inlet Rd.
Amboy, IL 61310
U.S.A.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
P R O G R E S S R E P O R T O N N E W I - B R O W S E
18 Dec 1998
From Stephen Marriott:
Here is a progress report on some of the work that has recently been
done -
o Rewritten the cache system. This is now faster, more stable and
easier to use.
o Rewritten the backend of the parser to make it faster (approx 100%
faster).
o Finalizing the JavaScript API interface... Based on the latest ECMA
262 spec.
o Plus lots more....
More details will be announced in the New Year.
Merry Xmas and Happy New Year from HiSOFT SYSTEMS and the Omnipresence
(iBrowse) Team!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
N E W M O U S E F R O M A M I G A I N T .
· · A M I G A - M A U S
The AMIGA Designer Mouse
The Amiga Designer Mouse with new packaging is available at local
Amiga dealers. High Resolution
Auto-Config
Special Design with AMIGA-Logo
----------------------------------------------------------------------
C L I C K B O O M ' S G R I P E S A B O U T A M I G A I N C .
11 Dec 1998
1. In its core Myst contained QuickTime player code. Seeing it
basically completed, I talked to Marcus about the idea of turning it
into a real QuickTime player with Apple's GUI, etc. As on other
platforms, this player would be given for free to Amiga users.
Naturally, we can not just create a QuickTime player and call it that
- first, we'd have to extend our license obtained from Apple for Myst,
in order to turn this into a full-blown player. To put it simply, this
is a big task, as Apple doesn't really care much about the Amiga
market. So, we decided to use connections at Apple, created while
communicating about Myst, and try to approach them to grant us this
license.
The idea was for clickBOOM to give this player for free and do all
the support for free, because it seemed like the right thing to do for
the Amiga market. But in order to pull off something like this, we
really needed Amiga Inc. to help us in pursuading Apple. Please note
this does not involve any money because the product is freeware, so
Amiga Inc. should use their parent company status to help us leverage
the deal. This was a year ago, and they never did it.
2. Around the same time we heard that Netscape was to release the
source to their browser for free. Before this news was made public, I
decided to contact Amiga Inc. and try to arrange with them how this
can be used so that Amiga gets Netscape Navigator as soon as possible.
clickBOOM volunteered to organize the conversion process, as again,
this was a freeware product, so there would be no money collected,
just a great potential for Amiga's revival. Amiga Inc. did nothing
about that, either.
3. Earlier this year, [1998 :) -Ed.] CU Amiga gave clickBOOM an early
indication that its parent company "EMAP Images" was thinking about
the possibility of closing the magazine down. Since there was not much
clickBOOM could do to help this, it seemed like a good idea to
approach Amiga Inc. and ask them for a bit of help. It would involve
just writing an official explanation to EMAP about Amiga Inc.'s plans
for the Amiga market, and that they consider that revival is upon us,
so that letting CU live would probably result in much higher sales of
the magazine once new Amigas are out. Amiga Inc. never wrote this
letter.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
C D T V U P G R A D E P R O J E C T
December 15, 1998
Amiga of Minnesota Interest Groups Alliance (A.M.I.G.A.)
Is happy to announce that the CDTV upgrade project has reached the
release stage of development. The preliminary tests have shown that
with the new prom chips installed the CDTV will operate correctly
under OS 3.1 and the built in CD drive will function correctly. The
upgrade requires that the ROM chip for OS 3.1 be installed, and the
two internal proms that govern CDTV be changed.
The 3.1 Rom is the same chip that fits the 500 or 2000. The two proms
for the CDTV are only available from A.M.I.G.A. by a license agreement
with Amiga Intl.
There will be further testing, but so far it has been determined that
the CDTV will boot from a 880 floppy drive containing the workbench
3.1 disk, and operate exactly as a 500/2000 with 1 meg would, except
that you will have a fully functional internal CD drive, and S-VHS
output. At this moment the CDTV is the only CBM developed unit to have
this high definition output.
It will also boot the Fred Fish Collection CD Roms that were released
by Hypermedia Concepts, to a 1.3.1 workbench with the floppy drive
active. BUT, it will reset as soon as the eject button on the CD is
touched.
If you have Email available, request information from
thedoctor@wavetech.net and an order EMail form will be sent to you.
PUT "CDTV UPGRADE PROJECT" as the subject please.
If you must use SNAIL Mail, write to:
A.M.I.G.A.
c/o Ben Deemer
14501 Sunfish Lake Blvd
Ramsey, MN.
U.S.A. 55303-4578
An order form will be mailed out to you, and $0.35 will be added to
your cost.
This is a "not for Profit" enterprise of a user group, and the
license is restricted for this project. Therefore it is necessary to
PREPAY for the upgrade proms, and by special arrangement, a discount
on the 3.1 Rom if on the same order. Prices are as follows. CDTV proms
kit and instructions $23 US. 3.1 OS Rom if ordered with proms $30 US.
All shipping will be by US Postal Priority System 2/3 day. Rates as
follows: US - $3, - Canada, Mexico, Western Europe, Middle East -
$3.75, - Pacific Rim, South America - $4.95
No orders will be shipped to anybody until the ORDER FORM IS RETURNED
with the required information and signature, and the PAYMENT IN US
FUNDS IS RECEIVED (no personal or business checks)
This upgrade set of 2 - proms is not available from any other source,
and will only be available while supplies of the now obsolete out of
production parts is available. The 3.1 Rom is a special offer and only
available to upgrade purchasers through A.M.I.G.A.
Permision to repost this notice to print media and other WWW sites is
granted, provided the content is not altered, and Email notice of the
action is given to thedoctor@wavetech.net use Subject: CDTV REPOST.
thank you
thedoctor (not MD) Ben Deemer
----------------------------------------------------------------------
A M I G A F O R E V E R O N L I N E
Cloanto Releases Amiga Forever Online Edition
Cloanto is proud to announce Amiga Forever Online Edition, the first
Amiga software title available for sale and download entirely by
electronic means in hundreds of online stores. To make this possible,
Cloanto has entered a partnership with Digital River, the world's
leading electronic distributor, which has a reputation for reliable
and secure transactions, and is preferred by leading software
companies (e.g. Adobe, Corel, Lotus, IBM, etc.) for their own online
sales.
The Online Edition of Amiga Forever is Cloanto's answer to all PC
users and Amiga enthusiasts who are looking for a quick and easy way
to "download Amiga ROMs" and run the emulation without requiring all
of the extra features provided by the Amiga Forever CD-ROM, yet
appreciating its "one click" ease of use. The Online Edition contains
Amiga 1.3 and 3.0 ROM and OS environments, configured and ready for
use with the WinUAE emulator (which is also installed and
preconfigured automatically as part of the Online Edition).
Third-party Amiga disk images available from online and CD-ROM
collections of "Amiga Classics" can be mounted and run in the
emulation. The preinstalled emulation environment can very easily be
upgraded as new versions of WinUAE or other emulation programs become
available. Fellow and the DOS version of UAE, which can be downloaded
from the respective sites, also run fine with Amiga Forever Online
Edition, where directories are already set up to contain these
emulators. The latest version of the Amiga Explorer networking
software is included.
As part of a "1999/19.99" promotional campaign which will last until
the beginning of the New Year, the software is available for immediate
download at the special price of $19.99, following the links on the
Amiga Forever Online Edition home page, and from the network of
Digital River's online partners.
For additional information, please refer to the Amiga Forever Online
Edition page: http://www.cloanto.com/amiga/forever/online.html
Cloanto wishes all Amiga users some enjoyable holidays, and a
happy... 1999!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
A M I G A W A R E S I N E U R O P E
AmigaWares are now available in Europe
AmigaWares by Randomize, Inc. - AmigaWares in Europe - Toronto,
Canada - Nov. 23, 1998
AmigaWares are now available in Europe Just in time for Christmas!
Due to the huge response to AmigaWares at Computer '98, Randomize,
Inc. and RBM Digitaltechnik are pleased to announce that AmigaWares
are now available in Europe through RBM.
AmigaWares product information and pictures can be found at
http://www.amigawares.com/. Contact RBM at order@rbm.de for pricing
and ordering. RBM's website can be visited at http://www.rbm.de/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
N E W S R O G U P D A T E
16 Dec 1998
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ShadowWorks Software announces the Version 1.4a update to NewsRog,
the Amiga newsreader that has been called "The best newsreader
available - on any platform". NewsRog is the most powerful Usenet
software available for the Amiga, providing features that few other
newsreaders on any platform can match.
For a full list of features and example screenshots for this version,
see the NewsRog preview page at:
http://www.frii.com/~srk/ShadowWorks/Preview/NR.html
The 1.4 update is free to registered users and may be downloaded from
the "Updates" section of the above web page. The "A" patch fixes a
posting bug briefly introduced into version 1.4.
PRICING AND AVAILABILITY
NewsRog is priced at (US) $35 plus shipping and handling. Orders may
be placed by telephone by calling:
(US) 1-303-659-4028
Or online via major credit cards from either of the following pages:
http://www.questarproductions.com/NRorder.html (unsecure)
https://www.dimensional.com/questar/NRorder.html (secure)
Free NewsRog updates may be downloaded from the Preview web page.
REQUIREMENTS
NewsRog requires:
o MUI 3.8 or later
o 8 Mb RAM & 8 Mb HD (more recommended)
o AmiTCP, Miami, or other compatible networking software
o A 68020 or faster CPU (68040+ recommended)
Only the Amiga version is available at this time.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
B L A C K I R C A V A I L A B L E
BlackIRC is a new IRC(Inter Relay Chat)-Client for AmigaOS with
special abilities. With BlackIRC it`s possible to take part in
worldwide discussions over the net. Talk to the other end of the world
with nearly no delay! But BlackIRC is more than just "yet another"
client for IRC. It provides you with video conferencing features, so
you can even see and watch people and people can see you. To also
integrate PC-users, there is a special version of the video-client
available. Communication gets more and more important and so you might
want to join several channels at once, what could lead to you losing
control and overview. This problem is also soluted with BlackIRC, as
you can join several channels but only have one window where you can
choose between the different channels. Of course you still have
seperate message-windows for private messages to be able to chat with
several people at once. But the main flood is taken away from you this
way. If you also don`t like these disturbing advertisement messages,
you can simply let them filter out by BlackIRC. And if you should not
like some other people, filter them out, too. Besides its nice
MUI-GUI, these are only some features that you`ll like about BlackIRC.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
H O L I D A Y C L E A R A N C E F R O M D I M E N S I O N
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dimension Computers Holiday Clearance and Official Announcement
09 December, 1998
We are pleased to announce that we have successfully relocated from
Connecitcut to California, and are holding a clearance sale as part of
our restructuring for the holidays.
Please come check out the great prices on our current items in stock,
and read our official announcement regarding the past season and
things to come in the future.
Because we are not yet fully operational, this sale is restricted to
internet orders and correspondance.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Company: Dimensions Computers
E-mail: dimensions@nrex.net WWW Store: http://nrex.net/dimensions/
We accept online orders securely with these payment terms:
CREDIT CARDS: VISA, MASTERCARD, and DISCOVER
By secure online submission, FAX or USPS
COD: We ship UPS COD Cash or Certified Check
PREPAYMENT: Place your order online and send funds by mail!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
S E A M L E S S T E X T U R E S C D
4 December, 1998
Marlin Studios Expands Product Line With New Seamless Textures CD
ARLINGTON, TX -- Graphics studio and publisher Marlin Studios today
announced the release of its "Seamless Textures2 - Rustic Exterior
Surfaces" CD-Rom. The product is the second in a series of
photorealistic, seamless textures collections created for use by 2D
and 3D graphics artists. The release comes on the heels of the
best-selling "Seamless Textures You Can Really Use " CD-Rom, released
in January 1998. The company also sells "FireCD," a collection of
animated alpha-channel fire sequences.
Whereas the first seamless textures CD-Rom is a general-purpose-use
collection, Seamless Textures2 specializes in rustic exterior
textures. Award-winning landscape and graphics artist Geoff Holman
photographed most of the textures in a remote area of Western Canada.
This area of Canada includes many older buildings and structures,
which provided a wealth of graphic content for the textures
collection. Typical textures include aged structural woods; various
metals; rusted surfaces; old windows and doors; stained concrete and
bricks; various ground covers; and a large selection of rocks and
stones.
The photos were post-processed into seamless textures, which means
they can be tiled multiple times without showing seams in a graphics
program. The resulting textures add a photorealistic look to 2D and 3D
art, at a level that is rarely achievable with hand-made or procedural
(computer generated) textures.
Marlin Studios President Tom Marlin cites user feedback as the main
reason for content of the new CD-Rom. "Because of overwhelming
requests for more rustic textures from users of our first seamless
collection, we decided to do a second CD," Marlin said. "Most users
have found these textures add just the right degree of realism and
chaos, which contributes to the non-computer-generated look of
graphics art."
The new high-resolution was also a factor in development of the
collection, according to Marlin. "With the new, faster hardware
available today, and the advent of extremely powerful graphics cards
right around the corner, we decided to provide high-rez versions of
the textures," Marlin said. "Pricing was also a factor with this
collection. As with our other textures products, we want to price the
CDs at a level that most graphics user can afford."
Seamless Textures2 features 310 seamless textures and an equal number
of bump maps (elevation maps), all presented in three resolutions:
Large (approx. 1280x1024 pixels), Medium (66% of Large) and Small (33%
of Large). All textures are stored in high-quality JPG format, making
them compatible with virtually all graphics programs and platforms
(PC/Windows, Mac, Amiga, DEC/Alpha). The large resolutions make the
textures collection suitable for high-end graphics work and print
applications.
Seamless Textures2 is divided into 17 logical categories, and
selection is quick and efficient with thumbnail images for each
category. The categories and corresponding number of textures and bump
maps for each is as follows: 11 BRICKS, 18 CONCRETES, 30 DOORS, 5
ELECTRICAL EQUIP., 7 GRASSES, 19 GRATES , 15 GROUNDS, 6 LANDS, 6
METALS, 9 PAINTS, 14 PILES, 23 ROCKS, 41 RUSTS , 10 STONES, 7 STUCCOS,
33 WINDOWS, and 36 WOODS.
Free sample textures can be downloaded at:
http://www.marlinstudios.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------
T U B A O R N O T T U B A
It's here! The CD you have been waiting for:
Boray plays some tuba!
This audio CD contains over 70 minutes of melodic high quality
instrumental synthesizer pop music. This is simply the best music I've
ever made. All who has bought it so far think it's great! One person
even payed me 40 Swedish crowns extra because he liked it so much!!!
30 days money back guarantee
If you don't like this CD, then you can just send the CD back to me
within 30 days after purchase, and you will get your money back (minus
postage costs). Please note that you will get NO money back if I
receive the CD damaged!
This is what's on the CD:
Tuba music? Not really!
1. Helgon II (5:23)
2. Let's Improve (8:42)
3. Nynna (4:30)
4. April Snow (8:14)
5. Doodles melody 5 (4:01)
6. Class (3:56)
7. ShoeSalesman (5:03)
8. Den glada tuban (6:37)
9. Eingaard II (9:58)
10. Little Puppy (14:00)
You can buy this CD for only 16 US dollars or 125 Swedish crowns
(postage excluded). Depending on how far from Sweden you live, a
postage and packing fee is added to the price of 16 US Dollars/125
SEK.
"Boray plays some tuba" is also available on Tape!
You can contact me on:
E-Mail: di3andpe@ida.his.se
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I P R O B E B R O W S E R I S R E A L
{We recently found this exchange on the Net and thought you'd be
interested . Brad.}
16 Dec 1998
From Marion E. Wyatt:
I emailed the programmer of IProbe about the browerwatch sighting of
his browser and asked him for confirmation of the legitimacy of the
stats. What follows is his response to my email. I asked his consent
to post it here.
[BEGIN Forwarded message]
Hello Marion, you're on the air with Doctor Love, so speak your
problem...
> I'd like to know if u can confirm the recent sighting of IProbe on
> the www.browserwatch.com website. Is this the real thing or is it
> a fake?
It's the real thing :-)
> What is the current status of IProbe?
Fast & useable ;-) I use it for all my browsing.
At http://www.mozilla.org/performance/test-cases/ I found
"slow-table-1.html" (437KB), so I tested it with some browsers:
40MHz 040: (loading from disk)
IProbe: 0:11
AWeb: 0:41 (incremental display of tables was disabled)
Voyager: 1:28
IBrowse: 2:06
What should be added is:
a) Both IProbe & AWeb had a fully responsive interface, while parsing
the page, and they both use incremental display.
b) The scroll & search speed (in IProbe) wasn't affected by the
contents size - that was certainly not the case for the other
browsers.
c) Marking was a tad slower with IProbe, but it still performed much
better than the other browsers.
> Your webpage was last updated in August regarding IProbe.
Many think that the lacking updates reflect the development of IProbe
- this is *not* the case, so don't worry about it :-)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Amiga Update on the net: some issues available at:
Australian Mirror Site: http://www.comcen.com.au/~paulm/index.html
All back issues available (in ASCII text) at:
http://www.globaldialog.com/AdventureCentral/AU/index.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 1998 by Brad Webb. Freely distributable, if not modified.
======================================================================
_ __ _ <>_ __ _
A M I G A /\\ |\ /|| || / ` /\\ A M I G A
U P D A T E /__\\ | \ / || || || ___ /__\\ U P D A T E
/ \\_ | \/ ||_ _||_ \__// / \\_
amigaupdate@globaldialog.com
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