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Amiga Update (2005-11-30)
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A M I G A | 051130 | U P D A T E
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"SO THE WORLD MAY KNOW"
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AMIGA and the Amiga logo are trademarks of Amiga, Inc.
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A M I G A G A M E S T H A T W E R E N ' T
T H R E E C O U N T I E S G R O U P I N U K
C O M P A N I E S S T O P S E L L I N G H A R D W A R E
D I G I T A L U N I V E R S E N E W S
A L I N E A C O M P U T E R L A U N C H E D I N G E R M A N Y
A M I K I T F O R P C U S E R S
U P D A T E S F R O M J A H C S O F T
C R O S S F I R E I I P A T C H A N D D E M O
W A R P V I E W A T O S 4 D E P O T . N E T
N E W W E T - F O R W E A T H E R C H E C K E R S
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Editor's Thoughts and Introduction:
Unusual things this month. A new website dedicated to games that
weren't, the launch of a new Amiga software company (when's the last
time that happened?) and companies in Germany stopping the selling of
product due to new laws. Strange things, all those.
I'd like to say a few words about the last item, the laws that are
stopping the shipping of some hardware. This is related to the tough,
new European rules regarding toxic waste. Many people don't know it,
but the huge increase in electronic devices, especially computers, has
led to a very serious pollution problem. That is because many
electronic components contain toxic materials, especially lead, which
is a very serious health risk if allowed to get into the environment.
The disposal of these systems is poisoning people when not done
correctly. This has become a huge problem in many countries around the
world. Lead poisoning is especially hard on the young, who may suffer
for their entire lives. Tough new European legislation to track and
manage electronic devices from manufacturing to disposal is intended
to tackle this issue. Because the economy is global, this initiative
is forcing better products world wide.
In our opinion, this is an excellent thing to do and should probably
have been done long ago. Computing is fun but poisoning the
environment and the creatures - including us - who live in it should
not be part of the cost. "Kudos" to EU for having the courage to do
something about this before the problem becomes even worse.
We also strongly hope this is a temporary absence from the hardware
scene. We trust everyone will understand or at least tolerate the
situation (not that we could do much about it anyway) and we certainly
look for the return of these products to the market as soon as the
companies can comply with the new laws.
We hope you enjoy this issue.
Brad Webb,
Editor
Brad Webb,
Editor
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A M I G A G A M E S T H A T W E R E N ' T
30 October, 2005
aGTW is launched (with a simple site). There is only one game so far
but it's a complete and previously unreleased Amiga game that was due
to be a commercial title!
Case 1 - Son Shu Shi
Legend tells of a breed of Amiga games that never crawled out of the
primordial development swamp of their early existence. Games that
never stood blinking in the sunlight of the gaming world. Games that
were never devoured by predators of the Amiga jungle. They are the...
Amiga Games That Weren't.
Some 5,000 Amiga games were released commercially. However, there are
a significant number that were never released. The aim of this site is
to find out what happened to them and (if possible) allow them to be
released. Expect many to be lost forever. It'll be an interesting
journey nonetheless.
Amiga Games That Weren't is a companion site to Frank Gasking's
Games That Weren't 64 and Timo Weirich's PC Games That Weren't
sites. The data on unreleased games is primarily based on information
from the Hall Of Light.
http://www.gtw64.co.uk/
Games That Weren't 64
http://pcgtw.retro-net.de/
PC Games That Weren't
http://www.softpres.org/
The Software Preservation Society
<http://www.whdload.de>
WHDLoad
http://www.winuae.net/
WinUAE
http://hol.abime.net
The Hall Of Light
http://agtw.abime.net/
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T H R E E C O U N T I E S G R O U P I N U K
29 November, 2005
Three Counties Amiga Group
Our first Meeting is This Coming Sunday, 4th of December 2005:
Meeting Time: 11:30am till 3:00pm
Location:Wolloston Road, Westwood, Peterborough
Round the corner from where Big Bash Shows are held
Everyone welcome!
Please visit our website for further information: http://www.3cag.net
Fee: £3.00 Per meeting
Conveniences: WC, Tea Coffee etc, Nearby: Grocers, Cash Till, Chinese,
Chip Shop, etc one minutes walk from Venue.
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C O M P A N I E S S T O P S E L L I N G H A R D W A R E
24 November, 2005
Germany's E3B and individual Computers, which became famous for
innovative and powerful hardware expansions for classic Amiga
computers, are forced to stop selling hardware until further notice
due to changes in German law. No hardware is being shipped within the
EU, not to resellers, nor to direct customers.
According to the national implementation of EU-directive 2002/96/EG
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/pri/en/oj/dat/2003/l_037/l_
03720030213en00240038.pdf into German law *(Bundesgesetzblatt 2005
Teil I Nr. 17)* http://www.stiftung-ear.de/content/e47/e572/e580
e594/050316elektrog_ger.pdf, every vendor in Germany must be
registered with the Stiftung EAR http://www.stiftung-ear.de/. For
vendors from outside Germany, the importer must be registered, in case
the vendor is not registered in Germany. This law applies to all
electronic products that are mentioned in rule EAR 03-011
http://www.stiftung-ear.de/e129/e145/regeln319/Geraeteart_ger.pdf, no
matter what country they come from - within or outside the European
union.
The new law aims at vendors and importers, who need to take
resposibility for the electronic devices if they are discarded at the
end of the product's life. Putting electronic devices into circulation
without being registered (indicated by a trashcan symbol) is against
German law as of today. Violators can be penalized with a monetary
fine of up to 50.000 EUR.
Due to the complicated implementation by German authorities, it's not
easy to estimate the consequences and the new obligations created by
this law. In addition to that, the extremely high administration
effort goes with high fees that must be paid to the Stiftung EAR -
especially smaller companies' existance is endangered by the fees that
are more than one hundred times higher than the recycling cost itself.
individual computers http://ami.ga and E3B
http://www.e3b.de/usb, who have been developing and producing in
Germany for many years, are now evaluating possibilities to comply
with the strict rules in a close cooperation, so customers all over
Europe can continue to buy top quality products from Germany. Both
companies want to act responsible and sustainable in this regard.
Many issues are not yet resolved, therefore both companies cannot
continue to deliver hardware to customers and resellers within the
European union. Customers outside the EU are not affected by this
decision.
We're hoping to proceed with the necessary steps in a timely manner.
Unfortunately, the "Stiftung EAR" cannot cope with the bureaucracy
created by their own rules, so our registration number is not yet
assigned. We are of course interested in continuing to offer
innovative products, and will do everything to keep the shortage as
short as possible. We're asking for your indulgence for any
inconveniences.
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D I G I T A L U N I V E R S E N E W S
The following post about Digital Universe was found this month on the
excellent Amigaworld.net site. Brad
28 November, 2005
*Some more positive news for AmgaOS4.
I did ask from the Digital Universe maintainers about the "promised"
version for PPC amigas, and I got a quick reply. I will not copy the
whole questions/answers list here, but the most important part. Also I
do remind you, that the plans are not a finnished product yet.*
Quote:
news for the Amiga is actually brighter. We have made arrangements
with a third party to continue to update the Amiga to bring it on a
par (or better than) the current Mac release of the software. In
addition to bringing it up to date with the current release of the
Amiga OS, new capabilities (like the Hubble Guide Star catalogue) are
expected to be available in the future.
I did ask the permission to share this information, if I let you also
know that: Quote:
I have no idea of an ETA at this time, but the Amiga release is
actually the only version currently in active development at the
moment.
And finally: Quote:
we have no estimate as to when it might be available.
Esa Haapaniemi
University of Oulu
Finland
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A L I N E A C O M P U T E R L A U N C H E D I N G E R M A N Y
*Wehrheim, Germany, the 14th of november 2005.
Alinea Computer is proud of presenting itself as a new company for
Amiga-Software. We are an enterprise which concentrates it's work
mainly on the development and the distribution of AmigaOS4-
applications and -games. Besides, we offer support services like
CD-production, webdesign and dataprint.
The following Amiga-Software is now available: *
ANotice 2 - a memo programme
ANotice 2 is a memo programme for your workbench. It will help you to
manage your notes, dates, to-do-lists or other important information.
You can easily and fast change the notice and export it into different
text-formats.
ANotice 2 can manage up to 13 notes and each note can be designed
individually with 13 different background and text- colors, 7
textures, different fonts and 4 text attributes.
Besides the large reaction-prefs which can controll all functions,
ANotice 2 includes a network-function with client-server-programme, so
that distributing a to-do-list in an enterprise can easily be done.
ANotice 2 was programmed as a commodity and runs totaly system
friendly. It operates on each Amiga with at least AmigaOS 4.0. You do
not need any other libraries or additional programmes.
ANotice 2 is delivered by E-Mail and costs 5,95 Euro only.
AmiPhoto - a quick and comfortable photo-manager
AmiPhoto is a photo album for your digital photos and pictures. It's
easy handling and attractive GUI will convince you. You can manage up
to half a million pictures in 500 albums at the most. You can show the
photos on the surface or by multiview. Because of a direct support of
the Amiga OS4.0 datatype-system, it is possible to use all
picture-formats which exist as datatype. AmiPhoto can further select
and show the EXIF-dates of your digital photos.
For adapting perfectly on your workbench-skin, AmiPhotos uses it's own
Bitmap-skin-system. The 17 skins you find on your CD will help you to
style your AmiPhoto surface. You can certainly create your own skins.
We would be proud to present your skin on our website.
AmiPhoto is programmed totaly system friendly. It supports the
application library and does not need any additional libraries.
AmiPhoto is delivered an CD and costs just 19,95 Euro.
Freeware
The main ambition of Alinea Computer is to support the Amiga market.
That's the reason why we will continue releasing programmes free of
charge, so that the existing lack of Amiga-Software can be repaired.
We hope you can use our software and we would be happy to hear some
feedback concerning our products.
On our website: http://www.alinea-computer.de you'll find more
information.
You can buy all our products in our Alinea-Shop. As a dealer, please
address yourself via E-Mail.
We would be glad to welcome you as a new customer!
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A M I K I T F O R P C U S E R S
26 November, 2005
*To be brief, AmiKit is all you need if you
want to experience a high-end Classic Amiga system on your PC.
AmiKit turns the default AmigaOS installation into a completely
renewed and fresh environment.
More than 20.000 files are included and pre-configured for immediate
use!
AmiKit is available at *http://amikit.amiga.sk**
Exclusive features:
- Directory Opus Magellan II used a Workbench replacement!!!
- Special versions of AmiStart, GlobalTrash, ReqChange, ShowAmiga96
and FullPalette!
Major features:
- User-friendly interface that helps you to manage all your files in
an easy way!
- Internet browsing, mailing, chatting and downloading using various
programs like AWeb, IBrowse, YAM, SimpleMail, AmIRC, AmiTradeCenter,
AmiGift...
- Reading PDF, M$Word, RTF and other document formats with the help of
APDF, EvenMore, Antiword...
- Manage your time and account with the help of Daywatch and HomeBank.
- Music software, net streaming, MP3 creating and sample editing
software like AmigaAMP, AmiNetRadio, EaglePlayer, SymphoniePlayer,
LAME, TheMPegEncGUI, SampleEditor...
- Displaying (even in thumbnails) and editing pictures with the help
of PicShow, Thumb, MysticView, FroggerNG, PerfectPaint... Or enjoy the
fractal world through ZoneXplorer!
- Easy handling of archives. They are opened like every other drawer.
Or some external programs could be used instead (VooDoo-X, MUIUnArc,
XPKatana)...
- Massive FTP support through OpusFTP module. It has a full GUI for
the Address Book and operational parameters.
- Software for burning and copying the CDs (MakeCD), for mounting
virtual CDs (VirtualCD).
- You can make your AmiKit password protected. Just don't forget your
password
- Pre-configured recognition and processing of many file formats
(through the DOpus filetypes)...
- Various system tools like SysInspector, SnoopDos, Q-Device,
ShowPatches...
- Antivirus software effectively checks the system files, memory and
archives for viruses.
- Emulation software like ASp for retro ZX gaming...
- Great taskbar software: AmiStart (for those who do not like the
taskbars on Amiga, simply remove AmiStart from WBStartup. Easy!)
- Most advanced Amiga "recycle bin" software: GlobalTrash.
- Visual enchancers and system enchancers like VisualPrefs, Birdie,
TitleShadow, BoingBall, MagicMenu, MCP...
- Warp3D compatibility thanks to QuarkTex software...
- Yes, some games are included as well
...and much more!
AmiKit is available at http://amikit.amiga.sk
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U P D A T E S F R O M J A H C S O F T
28 November, 2005 6:06:30
*My various pieces of OS4 software have been updated in the last week
or so..
RockBEAT 1.3.1 - Create drumming tracks and export as WAV files!
WookieChat 1.9.1 - Chat on IRC networks! (Internet Relay Chat).
/Now available for OS3.x again!/
SimplePlay 3.2 - Play OGG, MP3, WAV, MOD, S3M, IT, XM, and MIDI
files!*
Rockbeat
Recent changes:
- Made less crashy on exit. My timers and AHI iorequests are cleaned
up properly now.
- Position LED's light up while playing, and scrolls automatically
- You can now switch between drumkits, and it will remember the last
drumkit you used.
Wookiechat
Recent changes:
- When you're holding down the left mouse button highlighting text,
channel messages etc are paused until you let go.
- "Unknown nick" and "Cannot send to channel" messages are displayed
in their proper tabs again
- Channel lists are no longer sorted alphabetically. It was causing a
huge drain on the CPU when thousands of channels were present. It
sometimes led to a crash.
- No more garbled channel part messages
- "Clear all" button added to the URL Grabber window
- Added code to prevent DCC Transfers window from popping to the front
when you get an incoming file if its already open in the background
somewhere
- 68k WookieChat development has resumed, and it no longer hangs when
recieving incoming DCC sends. A divide by zero bug in the file
transfer stats function has been removed! (thank you wegster for
telling me what was wrong)
- Now works with WebChat and DarkMyst networks (homes of #amiga.org
and #amigazeux). Wookie was doing its connection detection in a
slightly bad way previously.
- Clicking in the main chat display now activates the chat string
gadget
- Outgoing swear word filter. use /filter to toggle on and off
SimplePlay
Recent changes:
- Shuffle and Repeat playing modes added.
- Bugfix: after a playing a song located using Jump Find, it plays the
next song in the list now.
- Song name and Elapsed time is now displayed
- Fixed a playlist bug. It was adding the termination character to
text strings about one character too far. So playlists were able to be
corrupted after loading and saving sometimes.
- Jump find has been improved slightly. Converts _ into spaces
internally when searching for songs. So for example the song
"Christina_Vidal_-_Take_Me_Away.mp3" can be found if you type in the
words "take me away"
- The default icon priority is now higher to help prevent playback
stuttering e.g. when accessing menus and scrolling in aweb.
Grab them from os4depot.net:
RockBEAT
http://os4depot.net/index.php?function=showfile&file=audio/tracker/
rockbeat.lha
WookieChat
http://os4depot.net/index.php?function=showfile&file=network/chat/
wookiechat.lha
SimplePlay
http://os4depot.net/index.php?function=showfile&file=audio/play/
simpleplay.lha
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C R O S S F I R E I I P A T C H A N D D E M O
28 November, 2005
An AmigaOS 4 demo version and an AmigaOS 4 patch for Crossfire II have
been released today.
You can find the patch and the demo on the support pages for Crossfire
II on the APC&TCP homepage.
http://www.apc-tcp.de
We want to thank Steffen Haesser and Alinea Computer for the
conversion of Crossfire II to AmigaOS 4.
http://www.alinea-computer.de
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W A R P V I E W A T O S 4 D E P O T . N E T
14 November, 2005
*A new version of WarpView is available on OS4Depot.Net
http://os4depot.net/?function=showfile&file=graphics/viewer/
warpview.lha
Changes in this version:
- Fixed cancelling the filerequester which made WarpView exit even
when using 'Open' from menu.
- Add .gif to requester file pattern and added tooltype + command line
option for setting the file pattern
- 90 degree rotation is now reset when stepping between files
- Fixed a bug with the Infoline timer that was not retriggered when
stepping between files
- Added drag'n'drop support (can now drag files onto WarpView icon in
AmiDock)
- Added infoline config tooltypes and commandline options (on/off and
timeout)
- Added mouse blanking (with on/off and timeout options)
- Added alphabetical file list sorting
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N E W W E T - F O R W E A T H E R C H E C K E R S
*Description: * Weather conditions on Workbench 4, AppIcon, Docky
http://www.os4depot.net/share/utility/workbench/wet_lha.readme
*Download: * wet.lha
http://www.os4depot.net/share/utility/workbench/wet.lha
*Version: * 4.11
*Date: * 26 Nov 05
*Author: * Chris Young
*Submitter: * Chris Young
*Email: * chris/unsatisfactorysoftware co uk
*Homepage: * http://www.unsatisfactorysoftware.co.uk/wet/
*Requirements: * OS4 pre-release Update 3
*Category: * utility/workbench
http://www.os4depot.net/index.php?function=browse&cat=utility/
workbench
*Replaces: * utility/workbench/wet.lha
*License: * Freeware
*Distribute: * yes
*FileID: * 1349
*Comments: * 23
*Snapshots: * 3
*Downloads: * 112 (For current version, not accumulated)
This program retrieves local meterological data from the Internet, and
saves it in (regulary updating) env-vars to allow you to display it in
the WB titlebar, as an icon on Workbench, AmiDock or in the GUI. It
can show a forecast for up to 24 hours ahead (where available), and is
fully localisable.
New translations for:
English (built-in)
German
Finnish
Italian
Spanish
Basque
Old or partial translations for:
Turkish
Norwegian
Swedish
Czech
Greek
Previous few version changes:
4.11 (26.11.2005)
* Added AUTORUNAREXX tooltype, ARexx commands to get the data\'s date
and time and an example ARexx script which logs the observed
temperatures.
* A certain connection error was causing a recoverable alert. Fixed.
* Rewrote most of the forecast-related routines, as still having
problems with bogus data appearing. Is now greatly simplified and
hopefully more reliable.
* The date of the last update could show the incorrect month in
certain circumstances. Fixed.
* When cloud height not available, it was being reported as -11100ft.
Now shows a slightly more correct 0ft.
4.1 (20.11.2005)
* Added a docky icon. (thanks to Stefan Robl for sending me the SDK)
* Will now work behind a proxy server. (even on a direct link,
specifying a web cache proxy is recommended)
* Now retrieves data with an If-Modified-Since header, which
significantly speeds up updates, especially if new data is not
available.
* Can now set the poll interval in 10 minute increments.
* Warnings now automatically suppressed if another app requests
\"game mode\".
* A saved project icon sometimes resulted in an incorrect ENVPATH
tooltype. Fixed.
* Forecasts generated <1hr from midnight sometimes resulted in
uneventful duplicated times. Fixed.
* Rain and Snow Showers were showing the Showers icon rather than Rain
or Snow.
Fixed.
* Iconified icon (AppIcon disabled) was not disappearing if the window
was reopened using a method other than double-clicking on the icon.
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Amiga Update on the net:
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Stop by and check out our archive! Now in our 12th publication year.
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Copyright 2005 by Brad Webb. Freely distributable, if not modified.
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