Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
Amiga Update (2004-09-30)
======================================================================
________
_________ ____ _|__ __ __|_______ _________
__\ _____ \\\\ \_ _/ //___// _____//______\ _____ \\
// \\\\ /. \\\\__ \/ __// \\ \\____. /// \\\\ /. \\
\\___\¯ /___///___\ /___\ \\_________//\\___\¯ /___//
¯ \/ ¯ ¯ \/. |¯ ¯|z!o ¯ ¯ \/ ¯
A M I G A | 040930 | U P D A T E
|________|
"SO THE WORLD MAY KNOW"
======================================================================
AMIGA and the Amiga logo are trademarks of Amiga, Inc.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
N O V A D E S I G N S E L L S M I L L E N N I U M
C D T V R E G I S T R A T I O N A N N O U N C E D
T V C A R D D R I V E R S F R O M E L B O X
C O D E R N E E D E D - A R E Y O U T H E O N E ?
D I R O P U S D E V E L O P M E N T S T O P S
X B A Z E D A T A B A S E E N D S
B E T A W I R E L E S S D R I V E R A V A I L A B L E
O S 4 V C D G E A R I S A V A I L A B L E
I M P R O V E D A M I B L I T Z 2 D I S T R I B U T I O N
M E T A L W A R R I O R A M I G A V 1 . 1
Editor's Thoughts and Introduction:
Don't know about you, but I would sure like to hear something -
anything - from the folks at KMOS. The silence is deafening, to quote
an old saying.
In the meantime, the community certainly hasn't been silent. We have
a number of interesting items this month. Unfortunately, a couple of
them have to do with long time Amiga community stalwarts ending their
efforts. You can read all about them below.
Along similar lines, there seems to be a gradual die-off among the
Aminet sites. The main US site seems to be gone, due apparently to
disk failure, and may not be revived. Mirrors seem to have vanished as
well. We'll try to keep an eye on this through October and perhaps
we'll have better news on this topic next month.
There have been some Amiga parties and smaller Amiga shows in the
recent past. Unfortunately we haven't gotten notification of most to
let you know in advance. Please - if you have an Amiga event coming
up, let us know in time to help you get the word out! Keep in mind we
generally publish at the end of each month at present. If you get the
information on an upcoming event to us even on the last day of the
month before the one in which the event happens, we can include it in
AU. We're happy to help.
Brad Webb,
Editor
----------------------------------------------------------------------
E-mail to the E-ditor:
1 September, 2004
I'm somebody who finally sold his last Amiga a couple of years ago -- I
was a long holdout, but eventually too frusturated by the ongoing
stagnataion of Amiga, and the continual hot-potato status of the Amiga
system. (I think it was after Gateway tossed the hot potato on that I
finally decided Amiga would never go anywhere any time soon enough to
really make a difference.)
Where I've gone is Linux. Linux captures a lot of what I had liked
about the Amiga. It's not Microsoft, and it's got a community of people
who use it who use it because they love it, not because "it's what
everybody uses."
Also, the ethics and adherence to freedom of the Free Software community
is something I find very attractive.
Given that: I was rather taken aback by your editorial which, right
after admitting that the "problems" Munich and others raise regarding
open source software come from any company being ready to sue at any
time, suggest that the solution may be just to cave to the ignorant
forces out there trying to stop people from using free software. That
the solution is another proprietary system. And, as somebody who used
to love the Amiga, but finally regretfully gave up on it after the
ownership of it was in question for so long, it was rather... odd to see
you suggest that "no ownership questions" is one of the strengths of the
proprietary Amiga operating system.
{Edited for space reasons.}
-Rob
~~~~~~
Rob,
The ownership of Amiga OS has never been in question. It belonged to
whoever owned the Amiga intelectual property. That's bounced around a
great amount, but there have been no meaningful legal issues
surrounding the ownership. The problem has been the changes in
ownership and the capabilities (or lack of capabilities) of the owners
to do something - anything - with Amiga OS. The problem was not that
users had to worry about ownership issues resulting in licensing
problems, as it is with Linux.
It doesn't matter if the people trying to keep computer users from
using Linux are ignorant or not. The legal situation exists,
regardless of whether it should. I personally am not impressed by
their fear campaign. If I ever leave the Amiga camp, Linux is where
I'm going. However, many companies have to be more cautious than
individual users, and the Amiga OS as an alternative would be a good
one because of the lack of legal issues. There have even been some
comments already on websites along the lines of "a second alternative
to Windows would be a good thing" in response to the work on Amiga OS
4.0. Meanwhile, there have been many groups which planned to leave
Windows for Linux which have reconsidered their plans due to the
unsettled legal climate of open source software in general and Linux
in particular.
Regards,
Brad
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
N O V A D E S I G N S E L L S M I L L E N N I U M
4 September 2004
Chicago, Illinois & Richmond, VA - August 31st, 2004 -- Visual FX
company DiscreetFX LLC Inc., acquired all remaining stock and all
rights to the Amiga Video Toaster Flyer software package Millennium
held by Nova Design, Inc.
"Earlier this year the CEO of DiscreetFX approached us about buying
out Millennium and I am now happy to report we have reached an
agreement and completed this.", stated Kermit Woodall; Nova Design
CEO. DiscreetFX has purchased all remaining copies of this great
add-on software toolset for the Amiga Video Toaster Flyer. DiscreetFX
CEO Bill Panagouleas stated, "Millennium represents a good fit for the
direction my company is going. DiscreetFX has some interesting plans
for Millennium that will be made public very soon."
If you are not aware of the many powerful features that Millennium
gives your Amiga Toaster/Flyer, DiscreetFX will shortly be making
available a video that demonstrates its features for only the cost of
shipping. DiscreetFX also welcomes feedback and suggestions from the
Millennium community, and we want your feature requests and
suggestions on the direction you would like to see this software
package go in the future.
For more information about Millennium please access the following web
link.
http://www.novadesign.com/exoops/modules/freecontent/index.php?id=12
About DiscreetFX
DiscreetFX has been creating software products for the Amiga, video
editing, computer generated graphics (CGI) industry since 1995. The
Amiga computer defined and created the video editing, computer
graphics market with its birth in 1985. DiscreetFX creates Real-time
transitions and effects seen on over 100 television programs including
Blind Date, 5th Wheel, Shipmates and more! You can also see DiscreetFX
software used on the following networks HBO, Showtime, Discovery
Channel, PBS, Fox and many more!
About Nova Design
Nova Design, Inc. is an award-winning software company that has been
creating graphics software for over a decade. It's product line
includes ImageFX and Aladdin 4D for the Amiga, and Cinematte for
Windows/Macintosh. It's products have been used by companies big and
small. It's products have been used in major television science
fiction series on the SciFi Channel and in syndication, major
Hollywood films, and plenty of non-major films! See us on the internet
at www.novadesign.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------
C D T V R E G I S T R A T I O N A N N O U N C E D
21 September, 2004
13 years after the CDTV/CD-1000's (Commodore Dynamic Total Vision)
market launch, this Amiga computer still stands the test of time. Back
then Commodore was far ahead of its time with the idea behind the
CDTV, which is something we can benefit from even today in the year
2004, as the CDTV is used in many homes as a CD-player next to a
DVD-player or similar devices.
In case playing back AudioCDs isn't enough for you, the CDTV can be
expanded with the MAS-Player Pro to play the wide-spread MP3-format.
But the CDTV is capable of more than just playing back AudioCDs and
MP3 tracks, with corresponding hardware better graphics, MPEG-decoding
for (S)VCD movies, more memory and an ethernetport could be possible,
and all of this could be realised on a circuit board for the CDTVs
expansion slot. One should not forget what application area Commodore
intended the CDTV to be used for: entertainment, presentation,
encyclopedia and education.
Unfortunately, no new hardware expansion has been developed for the
CDTV in quite a while. On the one hand, a lot of hardware companies
turned away from the Amiga computer and on the other hand, it's hard
to estimate how many people still actively use their CDTV. For this
very reason, the CD32-Allianz decided to introduce a "CDTV
registration" on our homepage to perhaps one day realise something in
terms of hardware expansions. It's worth a try by all means!
Thus the favour I want to ask you, please support us, because we will
only be able to move something and be strong as a "union"!
You can reach the CDTV registration via the following link:
http://cd32.emubase.de/?page=hardware/cdtv
On a side note we'd like to mention that our homepage can now be
viewed at a screen resolution of 800x600 as well.
We will add a lot of updates in the near future, that's why we'd like
to invite you to visit us from time to time.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
T V C A R D D R I V E R S F R O M E L B O X
14 September, 2004
Elbox Computer is pleased to have completed development of drivers
for a series of new TV card models, these drivers being released
today. See the Mediator Driver Guide for the current list of PCI TV
cards supported in MEDIATOR busboards.
The MM CD 1.26 update is free for all registered Mediator Multimedia
CD users.
Additionally, the new tv.library ver. 4.0 has added Stereo-NICAM TV
sound processing for TV cards fitted with a single-chip Digital TV
Sound Demodulator-Decoder TDA9874A by Philips.
The new library has added processing of the new Front End by YMEC:
TVision 5V TVF-8533B/DF. These Front Ends are installed in the latest
Prolink TV cards, e.g. in the now-supported PixelView PlayTV Pro MPEG
(model M4800). New Front Ends are much more sensitive than those
fitted in older TV card models. Quality of the broadcast is now
excellent, even when the antenna signal is relatively weak.
The new library has added processing of the new radio sets installed
in the latest TV cards. These are single-chip, digitally tuned FM
stereo radio sets TEA5767 by Philips. To ensure handling new radio
sets, the API of tv.library was expanded. The current developer's
documentation (ver. 4.0) is available from the Mediator Multimedia CD
1.26. The new tv.library is compatible backwards with all the previous
tv.library functions maintained. As a result, the current versions of
TV card control GUI--like TvR and SuperTV--work with the new
tv.library without any modifications.
The MM CD 1.26 update includes also the new driver for Fast Ethernet
10/100Mbps cards. The FastEthernet.device ver. 1.15 driver has been
reworked for AmigaOS4 compatibility.
Take advantage of MEDIATOR!
Info on the current versions is available in the DOWNLOADS | Mediator
section. The current list of supported PCI cards is available in the
Mediator Driver Guide. The info about Mediator-related sources you
will find in the COMMUNITY section.
http://elbox.com/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
C O D E R N E E D E D - A R E Y O U T H E O N E ?
29 September 2004
Intermediware is currently searching for Amiga Coder who want to port
their game Psychoballs (Information at:
www.intermediaware.de/lan=english) to Amiga 68k/OS4 and/or MOS. He
will get support from the original developers with Source, Graphics
and SFX/Musicfiles.
The game is a clone of the classic Amiga game Logical from Rainbow
Arts.
Please contact us at amigadev@intermediaware.de. A short overview
about your knowledge would be nice.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
D I R O P U S D E V E L O P M E N T S T O P S
8 September, 2004
The following statement by Jacek Rzeuski was made concerning
Directory Opus 4:
"The development is on hold and I have no idea when I'll resume it.
The GUI changes towards BOOPSI are only partially completed and I
stuck on handling RMB on bankbuttons. Intuition doesn't pass RMB
clicks to BOOPSI gadgets so I have to find a way to emulate it and
notify gadgets manually.
"If someone needs an updated version for AOS4 or even a native AOS4
version then feel free to get sources from the CVS at sourceforge.net
then modify and compile them. The BOOPSI changes are not committed to
the CVS so the sourcetree should compile and work."
"If you'd like to have a go at compiling (or even improving)
Directory Opus, it might be a good idea to subscribe to our mailing
list, as at least one or two people are already trying to compile the
CVS source tree. Note that the CVS only contains the sources for
Pre19, the sources for Pre20 and Pre21 are lost..."
http://dopus.free.fr/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
X B A Z E D A T A B A S E E N D S
4 September, 2004
XBaze 7.3 is the last version. Development of XBaze is closed.
Requirements:
OS: AmigaOS 3.0 or later.
Status: Cardware
XBaze is very flexible database with very easy fields and layout
editor (you can delete, add or move field at any moment). This program
uses dynamic memory management, which means that number of records and
fields depends on amount of free me mory.
FEATURES:
easy to use GUI (font sensitivity, shortcuts, tooltypes, appwindow,
appicon, iconification, full localization, popup menus)
six kinds of fields
handle URL addresses using openurl.library
use system clipboard
full configurable fields
drag&drop layout editor
view and definition of fields can be modify at any moment
many kinds of fields for every project
localized sorting of records
flexible sort and search option
pattern or another operator can be used for searching record
configurable printing option
Save/load files in ASCII format (CSV and TSV)
ARexx port (over 80 commands)
statistics option
http://members.lycos.co.uk/xbaze
----------------------------------------------------------------------
B E T A W I R E L E S S D R I V E R A V A I L A B L E
19 September, 2004
{Ordinarily Amiga Update avoids annoucements of beta products as most
fizzle before they ever are completed. We do make exceptions for items
of unusual or specially significant interest and therefore present the
following small item. Brad}
A beta version of a new wireless network driver is available for
download. It supports PCMCIA cards in the A1200/A600 and PCI cards on
the AmigaOne.
For potential compatibility information, see Absolute Value System's
directory of wireless chipsets. If a card's chipset is listed there as
Orinoco, Agere or Prism (except the SSF version) and its bus type is
PCMCIA or PCI, it is likely to wor k. If the card is listed there but
doesn't match these requirements, it will definitely not work.
Download here
http://www.cs.ucc.ie/~caffer/amiga/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
O S 4 V C D G E A R I S A V A I L A B L E
9 September, 2004
The VCDGear website now has a native AmigaOS4 port of the latest
VCDGear console version 1.76 ready for download.
VCDGear is a program designed to allow a user to extract MPEG streams
from CD images, convert VCD files to MPEG, correct MPEG errors, and
more -- all in a single step. Initially developed back in late 1997,
the program has grown to do various extractions, conversions, and
corrections on the fly. Cross-platform support will allow different
machines to process and generate output that is compatible between one
another.
http://www.vcdgear.com/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I M P R O V E D A M I B L I T Z 2 D I S T R I B U T I O N
6 September, 2004
An improved AmiBlitz2 distribution is now available for download.
Because of the large number of changes made, and their increased size,
an update archive for installing over an earlier distribution doesn't
make sense anymore. Update archives will however be available with the
next version.
Unfortunately, many things were missing in the last distribution.
Thanks to Marco Möring aka Blackbird without whom the bugs and
incompleteness of that distribution would probably never have been
noticed. Next to Marco my thanks go to his wife Margit Möring.
Together we three translated further guides into German. Thanks go of
course to Bernd Rösch and Thilo Köhler who worked without a break on
the future of AmiBlitz2.
Changes:
Much improved install/deinstall scripts.
After the installation are all settings immediately available.
After the deinstallation is the archive in its original condition and
can be installed again in the particular version.
New Ped.prefs for the NEWCOLORMODE. Important: works only in
screenmodes with 8/16 colours.
More German translation of AcidGuides.
Two versions of all (English/German).
Further includes by Thilo Köhler.
New Usermacro.guide.
Many errors removed.
Contains now many missing components, e.g. MUI2.res.
For more information, visit the official Website. (German Language
only atm - Translation tools needed for other languages)
http://www.amiforce.de/amiblitz/ab2.42-distri.lha
----------------------------------------------------------------------
M E T A L W A R R I O R A M I G A V 1 . 1
23 September, 2004
Metal Warrior Amiga V1.1
Originally written in 1993, improved and released in 2004
Compatibility: Kickstart 1.2+, 512KB minimum memory
Programming, graphics, music and sound effects by Lasse Öörni Thanks
to Xeron for OS-compatibility hints
Like its C64 counterpart, the game is set in the violent future. Ian,
the hessian Avenger, sets out to exact revenge on those who attacked
his band, and to uncover any larger conspiracies...
A multidirectionally scrolling action adventure. Released finally
over 10 years after original completion, with some modifications
(improved OS-compatibility, partially rewritten text, dead-end
situations removed). Still, it's quite a weird and immature game so
play at your own risk!
Homepage Link:
http://www.student.oulu.fi/~loorni/covert/games.htm (scroll down)
Direct Link to the game:
http://www.student.oulu.fi/~loorni/covert/games/mwamiga.zip
Direct Link to the sourcecode:
http://www.student.oulu.fi/~loorni/covert/games/mwasrc.zip
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Amiga Update on the net:
All back issues available at:
http://www.globaldialog.com/~amigaupdate/index.html
Stop by and check out our archive! Now in our 11th year.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 2004 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
======================================================================
