ST Report: 5-Jun-98 #1422
From: Bruce D. Nelson (aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 06/08/98-03:23:24 PM Z
From: aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bruce D. Nelson)
Subject: ST Report: 5-Jun-98 #1422
Date: Mon Jun 8 15:23:24 1998
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- CPU Industry Report - Linux Advocate - AOL, 44 States Agree
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- CSI Verdict Draws Critics - NScape's Smart What? - Sony PS Does Disney
- Sprint's NEW Design - People Talking - Classics & Gaming
U.S.A. Failing At Millennium Bug Fixes
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LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS
Weekly Happenings in the Computer World
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
U.S. Gets Failing Grade For Millennium Bug Fixes
The U.S. government got a failing grade on Tuesday from a
key member of Congress for its work to avoid potential
"millennium bug" problems and prepare critical computers for
the year 2000 and beyond. Overall, the federal government
earned an 'F'. Underlying this dismal grade is a disturbing
slowdown in the government's rate of progress," said Rep.
Stephen Horn, the Republican Congressman from California who
has been monitoring the problem.
Horn, Chairman of the House government technology
subcommittee, cited the slowdown in the government's
progress, despite U.S. President Bill Clinton's earlier
appointment of John Koskinen to head a special task force on
the matter. Horn said it was now time for Clinton to
designate the Year 2000 problem as a national priority.
"He's got to make a fireside chat on it," he said. "The
president must use the bully pulpit and inform the people of
this nation."
Thousands of older government computers recognize the year
in dates using only two digits. When the year 2000 arrives
they may either shut down or interpret the date as 1900 and
give faulty results, a problem widely know as the millennium
bug. Clinton's appointment of Koskinen offered a ray of hope
earlier, but Horn said Koskinen must get tough on agencies
that were behind schedules.
"We've only got six quarters to go," Horn said. "I want him
to bang heads when someone's lagging." Horn cited failures
at specific agencies, including the Department of Defense
and the Department of Transportation. The Defense Department
- with 600,000 to 900,000 potential problem computer chips
in computers and weapons systems -- at its current rate of
progress would not be prepared until two years after the
date change, Horn said.
The Federal Aviation Administration, which provides crucial
services to the flying public, has also failed to make
adequate progress. "Without dramatic improvements, the
nation's air traffic could face serious disruptions for an
extended period after Dec. 31, 1999," Horn said. While the
Social Security Administration has done outstanding work in
preparing its computers, Horn said that progress may be "all
for naught" if the Treasury Department's Financial
Management Service, the agency which issues social security
checks, makes no improvements. The Clinton Administration is
expected soon to release its own report on the government's
progress. But Horn said anything other than a failing grade
in that study would be "propaganda."
Final Internet Domain Name Plan In Two Weeks
The United States is looking at putting out a final proposal
on the naming system for the Internet within the next two
weeks, a senior government official said today. "We are
going to develop a global consensus as to how to have a
domain name system," said U.S. Assistant Secretary of
Commerce for Communications and Information Larry Irving.
"In the next couple of weeks we hope to get it out," Irving
told reporters. The plan seeks to resolve the controversy
over management of some of the Internet's basic functions,
including the assignment and registration of names for Web
sites. Irving is part of a U.S. delegation in Singapore for
the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum
ministerial meeting for telecommunications and information
industries from June 3-5.
He said the meeting would discuss development of the Asia
Pacific Information Infrastructure (APII), a network to link
member economies, issues related to privacy on the Internet
and other communications technologies issues. A Mutual
Recognition Arrangement (MRA) for a system to certify
manufacturers' communications equipment that would be
recognized by importing countries is expected to be
finalized during the meeting, another U.S. official said.
Equipment like cellular phones, modems, facsimile machines
must meet technological standards of countries in which they
are used. Under the existing system, manufacturers must have
their products tested and approved by an agency of each
country. If the MRA is implemented, manufacturers would be
certified by an agency in their own country, reducing costs
and increasing efficiency.
The second official, who declined to be identified, expected
to have a list of countries which would adopt the system and
their expected implementation schedules by the end of the
week. If the proposal was accepted, members who sign up
could start using the system from July 1999, he said.
On criticism over the implementation of the Federal
Communications Commission's (FCC) accounting rate benchmarks
for international phone traffic, Irving said the FCC was
willing to work with any government or institution to reform
accounting rates on a global consensus basis. He said it was
generally accepted that accounting rates were distorted and
had to be driven closer to costs, but no nation other than
the United States had made an effort to reform them, nor had
the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).
Accounting rates are used to decide how much telephone
companies pay each other for international calls. Irving
said the FCC was aware it needed to treat developing
economies differently from developed countries: "Right now
benchmark orders still stand. We're still trying, however,
to work with anybody who will work with us to come up with
solutions that makes sense in a multilateral framework."
The ITU said late last year that Asian carriers would lose
more than $1 billion annually with the imposition of the
FCC's accounting rate benchmarks. The FCC wanted to reduce
accounting rates to between $0.16 and $0.23 per minute
across Asia over a period starting January 1, 1998 until
January 1, 2002. It estimates that U.S. companies pay $6
billion for settling account rates. The FCC had said that if
Asian companies did not work towards bringing down
accounting rates, U.S. companies would pay only the
benchmark rate per minute after the deadline expired.
AOL - 44 States Reach Accord on Price Hikes
America Online reached a settlement with 44 state attorneys
general, promising to provide clear information to
subscribers when the Internet online service provider raises
prices or changes services in the future, state officials
said Thursday. As part of the settlement, the third between
the states and the country's largest online provider, the
Dulles, Va.-based company agreed to pay the 44 states a
combined $2.6 million for legal costs and future consumer
protection and education efforts, state officials added.
Internet Porn Conviction in Germany Shocks Experts
A Bavarian court convicted a former Compuserve manager
Thursday of spreading pornography over the Internet,
shocking industry experts and raising concerns about the
medium's future in Germany. The Munich district court,
ignoring a change of heart by the state prosecutor,
convicted the former head of the German division of the
online service of distributing child pornography and other
illegal material over the Internet. "Even on the Internet,
there can be no law-free zones," the court said, handing
down a two-year suspended sentence to Felix Somm, 34. "The
accused is not a victim. He abused the medium." The German
government said it would study the court's decision
carefully.
Welcome to the Lion's Den, Mr. Drudge!
Matt Drudge, the Internet gossip columnist who first posted
the Monica Lewinsky sex tale on the Web, ventured into the
lion's den Tuesday as the featured attraction at a National
Press Club luncheon. "Applause for Matt Drudge in
Washington, at the press club - now there's a scandal!"
Drudge told an audience of about 200 in what is arguably the
clubhouse of American establishment journalism. In his
trademark black-banded hat and ill-fitting suit, Drudge said
he vividly recalled the moment he sent his account of what
has become the White House sex-and-perjury story into
cyberspace Jan. 17. "I teared up when I hit the enter button
that night because I knew my life would never be the same,"
Drudge said.
Drudge Won't Budge
After one of the most hostile introductions in recent
history at the National Press Club, on-line rumor-monger
Matt Drudge declared he represents the future of journalism.
Washington's media establishment claims Drudge lacks the
credentials to be a real journalist, but Drudge replied he
has beat journalists at their own game. After all, Drudge
claimed Tuesday, he was the first to report Republican
presidential candidate Bob Dole had picked Jack Kemp as his
running mate; first to announce to an American audience that
Princess Diana had died; and the quickest to report advance
word on upcoming films "that even studio execs, some of
them, admit they get from me." The Drudgereport.com Web site
claims more than 1 million hits a day.
A T T E N T I O N ** A T T E N T I O N ** A T T E N T I O N
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EDUPAGE STR Focus Keeping the users informed
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Contents
Civil Libertarians React To CompuServe Online Chat Invades The Corporate Office
Verdict
AT&T Adds New Fee To Pay For "Universal TCI Plans High-Speed Net For Small Cable
Service" Systems
AOL Settles With 44 States Game Makers Deny Link Between Video Games
And Violence
NEC Will Remove Explorer Icon On Corporate Vandal Intrudes On ACLU Site On America
Laptops Online
"Letter 349-Where Are You?" Sprint's New Phone Network Design
World-Wide Wireless Netscape's "Smart Browsing"
C-SPAN Founder Says HDTV Could Make C-SPAN Netomania
"Go Dark"
Industry Leaders To Meet With FBI To Argue Xerox Has New Custom Publishing Service
About Encryption
Oh-We're Better Than That Report Criticizes Internet Industry For Not
Protecting Kids
Lucent & Motorola Take Aim At DSP Market FTC Staff Narrows Intel Antitrust Suit
On-Demand Printing Of Out-Of-Print Books Xerox Establishes Facilities In Ireland
Tellabs & Ciena Join Forces Hyundai Goes It Alone In Cutting Chip
Production
Drudge Survives Press Club Gauntlet
CIVIL LIBERTARIANS REACT TO COMPUSERVE VERDICT
Civil liberties advocates and Internet groups say Thursday's conviction of a former
CompuServe manager in ermany for allowing the distribution of cyberporn could set a bad
precedent, and stifle online freedom of speech. CompuServe manager Felix Somm was sentenced
to a two-year suspended sentence for complicity in 13 cases of pornography distribution.
"Even if there's an appeal, there's a significant precedent being set here," says Jerry
Berman, executive director of the Center for Democracy and Technology. "It is a great
setback for a decentralized, open communications medium." Berman says that the real answer
to curbing online porn is "empowering users" by making more filtering software available.
(Reuters 29 May 98)
ONLINE CHAT INVADES THE CORPORATE OFFICE
Chat rooms and similar technology called instant messaging are finding their way into the
workplace, offering an alternative to phone calls and face-to-face meetings. Gregory
Jackson, associate provost for information technology at the University of Chicago, uses
instant messaging to keep up with his staff, and thinks the technology will find a niche in
the business world, too: "It will take time for corporate America to fully embrace it, but
this is not one of those things that's going to go away." IBM and America Online both are
investing in the technology -- IBM with its recent purchase of Ubique Ltd., which it plans
to incorporate into its Lotus Notes software, and AOL with its proposed acquisition of
Mirabilis Ltd., maker of ICQ, one of the Web's most popular chat programs. "This is not a
move by Lotus into the consumer chat space," says a Lotus spokesman. "We're in this because
this is very powerful for the business enterprise." (Wall Street Journal 29 May 98)
AT&T ADDS NEW FEE TO PAY FOR "UNIVERSAL SERVICE"
AT&T will begin charging its 80 million residential customers an additional 5% of their
total monthly long-distance phone bills as a "Universal Connectivity Charge." The charge
will cover AT&T's share of government-mandated subsidies for affordable phone service for
low-income people, people living in rural and other high-delivery-cost areas, and Internet
access for schools, libraries and rural health care providers. FCC chairman William Kennard
says that AT&T's new fee is unjustified. (AP 28 May 98)
TCI PLANS HIGH-SPEED NET FOR SMALL CABLE SYSTEMS
Tele-Communications Inc. is planning to use satellite technology to connect smaller cable
systems to cable Internet backbones such as @Home Network. "We're working pretty hard at a
strategy for connectivity for high-speed data so that even our smallest systems can be
virtually present at a major data hub with access to a high-speed service," says TCI
Chairman John Malone. "Probably a year or two from now, the cost will be low enough that
even very small systems will be able to afford a digital headend." Malone says that
eventually, @Home and Time Warner's RoadRunner service will share a common backbone
network, even if the two cable Internet access services don't merge. (Broadcasting & Cable
25 May 98)
AOL SETTLES WITH 44 STATES
More than a year after America Online was threatened with lawsuits because of frequently
busy phone lines resulting from dramatically higher levels of usage after the adopting a
flat-rate pricing plan, the company has agreed to pay $2.6 million to 44 states to settle
complaints alleging that AOL had misled consumers about fees and phone rates. America
Online says the settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing. (New York Times 29 May 98)
GAME MAKERS DENY LINK BETWEEN VIDEO GAMES AND VIOLENCE
Under criticism for helping to create a climate of violence that may have contributed to
tragedies such as the recent school shooting in Springfield, Oregon, leaders of the video
game industry are denying a link between video games and violence. Nintendo chairman Howard
Lincoln acknowledges that "everybody ` has to be concerned with what's happening with these
school shootings" but adds that "I don't think there's any connection with video games and
violence." (USA Today 29 May 98)
NEC WILL REMOVE EXPLORER ICON ON CORPORATE LAPTOPS
Saying that their corporate customers "don't want a lot of other software on the hard
drive," computer manufacturer NEC will leave the icon for Microsoft's Internet Explorer
software off of desktop of a new line of NEC laptops, but will provide each user with a CD
ROM with both Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape's rival Navigator software.
Microsoft executive Mark Murray points out that almost all of the program files for
Internet Explorer will still be on the hard drive, and says: "It's not clear how hiding the
access to product features benefits consumers." (Washington Post 29 May 98)
VANDAL INTRUDES ON ACLU SITE ON AMERICA ONLINE
The American Civil Liberties Union site on America Online was violated by a person with a
stolen password. The vandal had called AOL's customer service department for help changing
an account's password, and the customer service representative failed to verify the
caller's identity. AOL has fired the customer service representative and alerted its
employees to watch for copycat break-in attempts by other vandals. (Atlanta
Journal-Constitution 31 May 98)
"LETTER 349, WHERE ARE YOU?"
The U.S. Postal Service is conducting national tests of a system that tracks mail by means
of tiny radio transmitters placed inside ordinary-size letters. The radios periodically
turn themselves on and listen for a signal from a sensor; if they hear a sensor they tell
it information about their origin, current location, and ultimate destination. The project
manager says that, through its ability to pinpoint delivery bottlenecks, the system "shows
us very interesting processing things that had been invisible before. What we have here is
a system that conveys ownership of problems." (New York Times 31 May 98)
SPRINT'S NEW PHONE NETWORK DESIGN
Sprint is redesigning its phone network to increase the company's call-handling capacity
17-fold, cut costs of long-distance calls by 70%, allow Internet surfing at speeds up to
100 times as fast as conventional data modems, and radically change the way service is
billed. Instead of conventional telephone circuit switching, which dedicates an entire
circuit for the two parties at either end of a phone call, Sprint's system will use packet
switching, in which all kinds of transmissions (data as well as voice) will be split up
into small chunks of digital bits and sent via a number of parallel routes and recombined
only when they reach their final destination. The Sprint system, which it calls ION
(Integrated On-demand Network), and will be marketed through Radio Shack's 7,000 retail
stores; the service will be available to large corporations later this year and to other
businesses and residential consumers by the end of 1999. Customers of the service will be
billed not on the number of minutes spent on the phone but on the number of digital bits
transmitted in a given month, as tracked by a $200 meter that a customer will need to
purchase. Customers will be able to operate multiple phones, faxes, and computer
connections simultaneously, in the same way electricity customers can run numerous electric
devices all at the same times. (Wall Street Journal 2 Jun 98)
WORLD-WIDE WIRELESS
A new wireless phone that can operate without modification on different continents has been
developed by Audiovox and the Bosch Telecom unit of Germany's Robert Bosch G.m.b.H. The
phone, which will cost about $300, lets users make and receive calls in foreign countries
as if they were at home; it is based on the digital technology known as global system for
mobile communications (GSM), a technology that is the dominant digital wireless technology
overseas, especially in Europe. (New York Times 2 Jun 98)
NETSCAPE'S "SMART BROWSING"
Netscape will soon be offering a new version of its Navigator software that will allow what
it calls "smart browsing." It does this by embedding capabilities such as keyword searching
directly into the browser and adding a "smart updating" button in the browser to shorten
the process of downloading software upgrades. Like Yahoo!, AOL, and Microsoft, Netscape
wants to be a "portal" site for users surfing the World Wide Web; for that reason, it will
integrate into the software a way to give computer users quick access to features of
Netscape's Netcenter site so that the service will work more like an integrated computer
desktop. Netcenter 2.0 will also feature free e-mail and personalized news, stocks and
weather. Responding to suggestions that this kind of integration of different software
products is exactly what the Justice Department (and Netscape) itself accuses Microsoft of
doing, a Netscape executive argues that there's a difference between Netscape and
Microsoft: "We are not a monopoly. We are simply making two of our products work together."
(Wall Street Journal 1 Jun 98)
C-SPAN FOUNDER SAYS HDTV COULD MAKE C-SPAN "GO DARK"
Brian Lamb, founder and chief executive of C-SPAN, the television cable service that
provides commercial-free public affairs programming, says that if the FCC decides later
this summer to require cable operators to retransmit all of the digital channels and
high-definition TV (HDTV) programming broadcast by local stations, C-SPAN and C-SPAN2 will
go dark in millions more American households. In opposition to Lamb, the National
Association of Broadcasters says it's crucial for broadcasters to make a return on their
government-mandated investment in facilities upgrades necessary for transmission of new
digital programming. C-SPAN programming won't provide broadcasters with a source of
revenue; home shopping and other commercial offerings will. (USA Today 2 Jun 98)
NETOMANIA
Reporting a study of 14 so-called Internet "addicts," psychiatrist Nathan Shapira of the
University of Cincinnati says that, on average, the subjects of the study each had had five
psychiatric disorders. Shapira thinks that excessive online use should be considered not as
a separate addiction but as a disorder of impulse control, in the same category as
kleptomania or compulsive shopping. He suggests the problem be called Internetomania or
Netomania. (USA Today 1 Jun 98)
INDUSTRY LEADERS TO MEET WITH FBI TO ARGUE ABOUT ENCRYPTION
Computer industry leaders including Bill Gates (Microsoft), Jim Barksdale (Netscape), Steve
Case (AOL), and Scott McNealy (Sun) will be meeting on June 9 with FBI Director Louis Freeh
to try to convince him that the FBI data encryption proposals are unwise. The Bureau has
been adamant about the importance of allowing law enforcement officials armed with a court
order to unscramble encrypted messages, and the industry and privacy advocates have been
just as adamant in maintaining that weakened encryption will harm the industry's global
competitiveness and diminish the privacy rights of citizens. (AP 2 Jun 98)
XEROX HAS NEW CUSTOM PUBLISHING SERVICE
For niche publishers and publishers that want to keep books in print longer than usually
practicable, Xerox has created a Book In Time service that will allow publishers to use
Xerox high-end digital printers to produce soft-cover books in small print runs. The
printers can be located either at a publisher's site or at a Xerox print facility. (Wall
Street Journal 1 Jun 98)
OH, WE'RE BETTER THAN THAT. (NEW KUDOS FOR EDUPAGE)
Edupage has received the highest rating and an Open Road Award from a new e-zine review by
software designer and Internet consultant Todd Kuipers, who says: "John Gehl and Suzanne
Douglas have been producing this award winning newsletter for almost 7 years now. Very
professionally done, it is an excellent consolidation of recent technology focused
business, political and educational news. I generally read it as soon as it shows up in my
inbox. Professional, clear, concise and well-edited. Can these guys do anything wrong? Not
much from what I can see. If you want the standard in business technology summaries via
e-mail, this is the one to get." For the review in its entirety, see
http://www.sideroad.com/openroad/column1.html
FREPORT CRITICIZES INDUSTRY FOR NOT PROTECTING KIDS
A new report to Congress prepared by the Federal Trade Commission says that the Internet
industry is not doing enough to protect children from child pornography and other abuses on
the Internet: "Children are told by parents not to talk to strangers whom they meet on the
street, but they are given a contrary message by Web sites that encourage them to interact
with strangers in their homes via the Web." On the more general subject of the invasion of
privacy, the report found that 85% of 1400 sites studied in March collected personal
information but only 14% provide any notice about what they do with the data, and only 2 %
have a comprehensive privacy policy. However, industry associations are sending a letter to
President Clinton asking for a chance to allow self-regulation to work. (New York Times 4
Jun 98)
LUCENT AND MOTOROLA TAKE AIM AT DSP MARKET
Telecommunications giants Lucent and Motorola have formed an alliance to compete against
Texas Instruments in the market for digital semiconductor processors (DSP), wh chips used
in such products as cellular and wireless phones, handheld computers, digital cameras, and
high-definition television. A Motorola executive says the alliance "will enable the
creation of advanced digital products that we have not imagined yet." (Austin
American-Statesman 3 Jun 98)
FTC STAFF NARROWS INTEL ANTITRUST SUIT
Senior staff of the Federal Trade Commission is urging that the Commission restrict itself
to making a narrow case in the administrative antitrust suit it is bringing against Intel.
Intel is charged with withholding technical information from several customers with whom it
was having unrelated legal disputes. (Wall Street Journal 3 Jun 98)
ON-DEMAND PRINTING OF OUT-OF-PRINT BOOKS
Lightning Print, a division of the Ingram book wholesaling company in La Vergne, Tenn.,
says that "books really never have to go out of print again." Using IBM printing equipment
and software, Lighning Print will, for $100-150, set the book up in a digital library,
allowing booksellers to order one or more copies at costs expected to be in the range of
$15-20 for a 300-page softcover book. (New York Times 4 Jun 98)
XEROX IN IRELAND
Xerox will invest $270 million on new facilities in Dublin, where it will locate some
customer support services for Europe, and Dundalk, near the Northern Island border, where
it is planning to build several facilities on 100 acres of land. The investment will
generate 2200 jobs in Ireland. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution 3 Jun 98)
TELLABS AND CIENA MERGE
Providing new evidence that the consolidation in the telecommunications industry is not
restricted to service or content providers, two equipment companies are merging: Tellabs,
which makes systems that allow circuits to communicate with one another without being
soldered together; and Ciena, which makes systems that allow long-distance carriers to
increase their network capacity without placing new cables in the ground. The new company
will retain the Tellabs name. (New York Times 3 Jun 98)
HYUNDAI GOES IT ALONE IN CUTTING CHIP PRODUCTION
The Japanese companies NEC, Toshiba, Hitachi and Fujitsu have all decided not to follow the
lead of Korea's Hyundai Corporation in its plan to cut back on 64-megabit DRAM production.
Hyundai decided to reduce production because a global glut has caused prices to drop
precipitously. DRAM ( dynamic random access memory) chips are crucial components in
advanced personal computers. (Reuters/San Jose Mercury News 4 Jun 98)
DRUDGE SURVIVES PRESS CLUB GAUNTLET
Howard Kurtz, Washington Post news media analyst, says that Internet columnist Matt Drudge
"seemed to win over" much of the initially hostile National Press Club audience he
addressed this week. At one point, Drudge, who is often described as a "cybergossip," was
asked to justify his publishing of "unfounded allegations"; he responded by teasing the
mainstream media with, in Kurtz's words, "a tale involving the Weekly Standard, which
recently settled a libel suit; CNN and NBC, which were sued by Richard Jewell, the
vindicated Olympic bombing suspect; and the Wall Street Journal, which lost a libel suit in
Texas. 'It's creative enough for an in-depth piece in the New Republic, but I fear people
would think it's made up,' he said, referring to the fabrications by fired associate editor
Stephen Glass. The room erupted in applause, the first of several occasions on which drew
either laughter of scattered clapping." (Washington Post 6 Jun 98)
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The Linux Advocate
Column #13
June 4th, 1998
by Scott Dowdle
dowdle@icstech.com
LOGIN:
Look mom... two columns in two weeks. Yeah! :) Wow, a lot has
been going on this past week... so much I thought I better get busy
writing another column or I was going to get way behind. As I
write this, I'm looking over the latest edition of the Linux Weekly
News (http://lwn.net) and Slashdot (http://slashdot.org) and there
is just so much going on, I'm not sure where to start.
I wanted to comment about actually getting some feedback email from
a fellow named Bob Carpenter who was looking for some Personal
Information Management software for Linux. I think I steered him
in the right direction.
News:
Item #1: 4th Annual Linux Expo - Although I failed to mention it
last column, the 4th annual Linux Expo was held May 28-30, 1998 at
the Bryan University Center, Duke University, Durham, NC. Everyone
who is anyone attended the event and Linus Torvalds himself was the
keynote speaker. His speech started off... Hello, I'm Linus
Torvalds and I am your god. Linus is a riot when he gives a public
presentation. I hope a video tape is made publicly available from
the show so that those who didn't make it (namely ME) can get a
more realistic idea of what was missed. The show was divided up
into three main points of interest: 1) Technical Presentations, 2)
Business Presentations, and 3) Linux vendor exhibits.... with
plenty of leisurely activities in the after-hours and even an
editor paintball war (vi vs. emacs). I wish I could have gone...
but since I didn't, I'll have to rely on online info.
Authoritative information about the show (all pre-show info so far)
may be found at the following URL:
http://www.linuxexpo.org
The Slashdot guys went to the show and Rob Malda (aka CmdrTaco)
posted a report of his experience on Slashdot at the following URL:
http://slashdot.org/features/9805311650242.shtml
The Linux Weekly News folks also attended the show and posted
timely reports in their daily updates section until a new edition
of LWN was published on June 4th where they made a special
sub-section on their page to cover the LinuxExpo. It can be found
at the following URL:
http://lwn.net/980604/exposum.html
Hmmm, I don't know if I'll ever stop promoting Slashdot and Linux
Weekly News here in Linux Advocate so just get used to it. :)
I thought about just dumping the relevant contents the column but
decided that the complete information direct from the sources via
an Internet hyperlink would be better. Why waste column space
duplicating information?
Photos from Linux Expo may be found at the following URLs:
http://annabelle.ucg.ie/expo/
http://www4.ncsu.edu/~bdwilso2/photos/expo/
http://www.gnome.org/photos/
http://www.labs.redhat.com/expo.shtml
http://www.clark.net/pub/mike911/expopics.html
As is evident from the Slashdot and LWN coverage of the event and
the photos also made available (you DID check out those URLs,
right?) ONE fact is very obvious to me... that the Linux community
is very laid back, respectful of its members, and open... basically
a VERY FRIENDLY place to be. As most STR readers will remember,
the personal computer industry was started by hackers in their
basements and garages. For many years now the market has been
dominated by suits and millionaires (and a few billionaires) with
innovation and sincerity long fallen to the wayside... it is very
refreshing to be a member of the Linux community! The Open Source
movement has been compared to the "hippies" of the 60's and the
Love and Flower Power sentiment from that era... applied to the
computer industry. What a unique comparison... cool, right on...
groovy... err, I mean... nevermind. :)
Item #2: Unix98 Standard and Linux? - To be honest, I haven't done
enough reading about this topic but I thought it noteworthy and
didn't want to ignore it. It was the lead story on LWN so check
it out over there.
http://lwn.net
Item #3: Linux 2.0.34 released - With Linus concentrating on the
2.1.x kernel hoping to get 2.2.0 out sometime in July or August,
2.0.34 has been a long time coming. Alan Cox has been the primary
maintainer of updates to 2.0.3x and after several patches to 2.0.33
(sixteen I think), 2.0.34 has finally been released... not that
it's that big of a deal... I'm still running 2.0.32 on my machine
because I've been too lazy to upgrade. :) Anyway, 2.0.34 can be
found at the usual place:
ftp://ftp.kernel.org
Item #4: Linux Standard Base - While at the LinuxExpo this past
weekend there was a meeting of Linux International where Bruce
Perens (formerly of Debian Linux fame) proposed a Linux Standard
Base or LSB for short. The goal if a LSB agreement is to insure
that there is an underlying compatibility between all of the
various Linux distributions that would enable a commercial software
vendor to insure that their software will run on all distributions
without having to go through any additional, distribution specific
challenges. Traditionally, many commercial software packages have
been co-ordinated and/or marketed by different distribution
makers. For example, Caldera was responsible for Wabi, StarOffice
(in Northern America), and WordPerfect Internet Office Suite... and
Red Hat was responsible for ApplixWare, TriTeal CDE, etc. The
various distributions were close enough that most applications
would run without much work from the end user who might have to
update a system library or handle the software installation in a
slightly different way than its primary target distribution. The
LSB, once completely designed and implemented, should totally take
care of this minor problem. The LWN has a sub-page dedicated to
this topic which can be found at the following URL:
http://lwn.net/980604/lsb.html
Item #5: TechWeb spotlights Open Source movement - This can be
found at the following URL:
http://www.cmpnet.com/special/0598spotlight.html
There are links to several related stories but I've included two of
them below.
Linus Torvalds - profile of and interview (text and RealAudio)
http://www.techweb.com/internet/profile/ltorvalds/profile
Tim O'Reilly - profile and an interview (text and RealAudio)
http://www.techweb.com/internet/profile/toreilly/profile
Item #6: Linux Draws Corporate Backers - Yet another article on
TechWeb. Check it out at the following URL:
http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB19980601S0002?st.ne.fd.mnaw
Item #7: Microsoft's Supersite - The real goal? It appears that
Microsoft has e-commerce as their ultimate goal in the browser
war. Check out the following URL for more info:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1998/05/26/BU76071.DTL
Item #8: Boston Globe columnist decides to try Linux for a month -
Hiawatha Bray from the Boston Globe staff has pledged to use Linux
for a month and to report on his experience. This is very similar
to C|Net Radio's Project Heresy mentioned last column. You can
find his pledge at the following URL:
http://www.boston.com:80/dailyglobe/globehtml/148/Viva_la_revolution.htm
Mr. Bray says he will document his experience on his personal
homepage but as of yet, no Linux info has been posted. His
homepage may be found at the following URL:
http://www.monitortan.com
I'll keep an eye on it and post any updates as they become
available.
Item #9: SoftWindows 95 for Unix - Insignia has produced a product
called SoftWindows 95 for various flavors of Unix. Some readers
may already be familiar with or using previous SoftWindows products
for the Macintosh. SofWindows 95 offers the ability to run
Microsoft Windows 95 software on top of Unix... like any other
program. SoftWindows is similar to SunSoft's WABI except it is
up-to-date and can run the latest Windows 95/98 software including
even the multimedia heavy ones. So far, they haven't announced a
Linux version but one would only make sense considering that a
recent survey pegged Linux as holding 14% (and growing rapidly) of
the overall Unix marketshare. In fact, partially validated rumors
(is that a new phrase) have been noted by both Insignia and Red Hat
Software. I'd expect an announcement in the near future.
Information about SoftWindows 95 can be found at the following URL:
http://www.insignia.com/SoftWindows/UNIX/Products/
Personally, I'm not sure if I'd like to see Windows software
running on Linux as it might duplicate what I call the OS/2
affect... where the development of native OS software takes a back
seat to running Windows applications... and need I mention the
freely available Wine?
Spotlight: Hardware designed around Linux
As observed at the Linux Expo, several vendors are making products
specifically designed around Linux. I'm not talking about vendors
who have taken off-the-shelf parts and produced Linux Intel, Sparc,
and/or Alpha machines with Linux pre-installed... those have been
around for some time now. I'm talking about custom engineered
projects that utilize Linux in a new way... with the vendor doing
custom Linux development/porting to meet the needs of the new
platform they are creating. I have three devices in mind: 1) Corel
Computer's Netwinder, 2) Digital Equipment Corp's Itsy, and 3)
Cobalt Microserver Inc.'s Cube. What follows is a brief
description of each product and URLs with authoritative
information.
Corel Computer Netwinder - Corel is in the final stages of
producing a network computer line consisting of three models ($300,
$700, and $1,200) that are constructed around Linux. They are
based on the StrongArm processor from DEC which is an extremely
low-power consumption RISC chip. On the low end, the Netwinder is
a fabulous Xterminal with extras.
[Corel Netwinder pix from LinuxExpo booth]
Check out the following URLs for more info on the Netwinder.
http://www.corelcomputer.com/products/linux_products.htm
http://www.netwinder.orghttp://www.netwinder.org/
Netwinder technical specifications can be found at the following
URL:
http://www.netwinder.org/specs.html
DEC Itsy - Digital Equipment Corp has produced a VERY POWERFUL
plamtop hybrid with no specific target market as of yet. The Itsy
is a modern machine also designed around the StrongArm processor
and Linux.
[Image]
The Itsy is in proto-type stages now and you can find more
information at the following URL:
http://www.research.digital.com/wrl/itsy/
An online slideshow presentation may be found at the following URL:
http://www.research.digital.com/wrl/itsy/talk/sld001.htm
Cobalt Qube Microserver - The Qube is a 7.75" x 7.75" x 7.75" box
that is truly a plug-and-play Internet/Intranet server with decent
performance at a very low price (about $1,200). It wasn't designed
to accommodate a monitor, nor a keyboard or mouse. It's simple...
you plug in the power cord into an outlet, you plug in a network
cable from your network, you push some hardware buttons on the back
of the machine to set it's IP address and then you TURN IT ON.
After a minute or two for it to boot, you access it from any WWW
browser on your network and go through a series of setup screens as
WWW forms. Oddly enough, the Qube is a Linux box based on the SGI
MIPS processor that has been specially pre-configured with WWW
based administration. The Qube offers the full suite of Internet
based server applications: WWW, FTP, email, shell account, etc.
The people at Cobalt have put a lot of work into customizing and
pre-configuring Linux so that the Qube is truly a turnkey device.
The Qube does for TCP/IP server devices what WebTV does for TCP/IP
clients... it is a true server appliance except that since the Qube
uses Linux, it doesn't sacrifice anything in the way of software
features.
[Image]
Information about the Qube can be found at the following URL:
http://www.cobaltmicro.com/
Technical Specs can be found at the following URL:
http://www.cobaltmicro.com/products/technical.html
A review of Qube Microserver:
http://www.zdnet.com/pcweek/opinion/0223/23mach.html
An article about Cobalt Qube environment going open source can be
found at the following URL:
http://slashdot.org/articles/9806021139226.shtml
LOGOUT:
Hmmm, I hope I did a decent job of keeping STR's readers up to date
with the Linux happenings this past week. I would like to solicit
help from STR's reader base to aid me in Linux coverage. It would
be nice to have a column of software updates which would list what
new software came out this week (http://freshmeat.net is a great
resource), or a software catalog review column which highlights a
few software packages each week, or a column that goes into Linux
games... or a column that covers how businesses around the world
are putting Linux to use... etc, etc, etc. I just can't do it
all. Oh, I'm not complaining: I just see the potentials and how
the computing community could be better served by offering more
concrete examples of Linux IN ACTION. I'm only touching the tip
of the iceberg in a rather boring way with my news coverage. Only
after more readers have gotten into the Linux community will they
be more interested in this Linux Advocate column... and I
understand that.
Please send comments to dowdle@icstech.com
See you next time - Scott Dowdle
Taking Another Look!
White House Internet adviser sees deregulation
A senior adviser to President Clinton said the growth of the
Internet will lead to the deregulation of the
telecommunications and broadcast industries as the
businesses converge. Internet guru Ira Magaziner said that
the reasons for regulating the telecommunications and
broadcast industries will disappear as the technologies
merge with the advent of the Internet. "The private sector
needs to lead in this new environment, not the government,"
Magaziner told about 400 students and faculty members at a
Harvard University conference on the Internet and society.
Telephone companies and cable operators are currently
battling using competitng technologies to bring high-speed
Internet connections to homes and businesses. Eventually,
the same technologies will allow phone companies to offer TV
programs and cable companies to offer phone service.
High-tech industry to meet with FBI over encryption
FBI director Louis Freeh and other top U.S. law enforcers
will meet high-technology industry executives, including
Microsoft's Bill Gates, next week to discuss regulation of
computer data-scrambling products, FBI and industry
officials said. The June 9 meeting in Washington comes amid
negotiations between the industry and the Clinton
administration over encryption policy and as Congress
considers several bills to relax strict U.S. export rules on
the technology. In addition to Gates, Netscape's CEO Jim
Barksdale and Novell's Chairman Eric Schmidt are among those
expected to attend the meeting organized by Democratic Sen.
Dianne Feinstein of California, the officials said.
World Wide Web inventor, others get 'genius grants'
The founder of the World Wide Web was among 29 people
awarded a total of $8.5 million in no-strings-attached
"genius grants" Monday. Tim Berners-Lee, 43, of Cambridge,
Mass., won $270,000 from the John D. and Catherine T.
MacArthur Foundation, which hailed him for pioneering "a
revolutionary communications system requiring minimal
technical understanding." Berners-Lee is director of the
World Wide Web Consortium, a nonprofit, member-sponsored
organization, and a principal research scientist at the
Laboratory for Computer Science at Massachusetts Institute
of Technology. In addition to proposing the initial idea for
the Web, he designed the uniform resource locator (URL)
protocol that assigns addresses to individual sites.
Iran to put Khomeini's works on Internet
Iran plans to put the complete works of its late spiritual
leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini on the Internet, an
Iranian official said Monday. Hamid Ansari, head of an
institute publishing Khomeini's writings, said the late
leader's 210 works in Persian and 107 of his texts
translated into 16 languages would be made available on the
web, the Iranian news agency IRNA reported. Besides purely
religious works, Khomeini has theoretical writings on
Shi'ite Islam's views on politics, which formed the basis of
the clergy-dominated government set up after Iran's 1979
Islamic revolution. Several poems by the late revolutionary
leader have also been published since his death.
Motorola, Lucent in chip design alliance
Motorola Inc. and Lucent Technolgies Inc. said they would
collaborate to design next-generation digital signal
processor technology, to create chips used in many wireless
and communications devices. Under the deal, Motorola and
Lucent will work together to develop designs for new digital
signal processor technologies and cross-license their
existing digital signal processor designs. The alliance will
accelerate development of advanced processors for the
communications, transportation and consumer electronics
industries, Motorola and Lucent said. The companies will
create a joint design center, with about 100 designers, in
the Atlanta area called Star*Core.
Taiwan PC firms ignore antitrust suit, go for Win98
Taiwan computer firms plan to embrace Microsoft Corp's
Windows 98 operating system, shrugging off a U.S. antitrust
suit brought against the U.S. giant, suppliers said on
Wednesday. Taiwan's top PC makers - including global brand
Acer Inc. - have no hesitation about going with Windows 98,
despite a multibillion-dollar row over its built-in Internet
browser. "The Win95 operating system software is the most
popular in Taiwan, and definitely we will install the new
(Win98) system shortly after it hits the market," Acer
product specialist Henry Yu said.
UAE says solves its millennium bug problem
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) said it had succeeded in
solving the millennium bug problem at all state offices
which it had feared would disrupt older computer programs by
the end of the century. "The (UAE) cabinet had been informed
of the success which was achieved on May 18," Minister of
Finance and Industry Mohammad Khalfan bin Kharbash said in
remarks carried by local newspapers Wednesday. Kharbash said
the solution would solve the millennium bug for all UAE
ministries and federal establishments. He gave no further
details. (Reuters)
U.S. industry lagging on Internet privacy protection
Hundreds of companies are collecting personal information
about consumers on Internet sites and, without telling them,
selling the data, according to a government survey to be
released Thursday that is likely to lead to new privacy
protections. But the report's dire assessment also prompted
a dozen high-tech trade groups Wednesday to issue a
wide-ranging voluntary privacy policy, the latest attempt by
industry to head off new government regulations. The survey,
conducted by the Federal Trade Commission, delivers a bleak
assessment of the Clinton administration's policy of
allowing Internet companies to police privacy themselves,
people familiar with the report said.
Drudge won't budge
After one of the most hostile introductions in recent
history at the National Press Club, on-line rumor-monger
Matt Drudge declared he represents the future of journalism.
Washington's media establishment claims Drudge lacks the
credentials to be a real journalist, but Drudge replied he
has beat journalists at their own game. After all, Drudge
claimed Tuesday, he was the first to report Republican
presidential candidate Bob Dole had picked Jack Kemp as his
running mate; first to announce to an American audience that
Princess Diana had died; and the quickest to report advance
word on upcoming films "that even studio execs, some of
them, admit they get from me." The Drudgereport.com Web site
claims more than 1 million hits a day.
Microsoft sees no damage from lawsuits
The Justice Department suit against Microsoft Corp. will
have no "material adverse impact" on the company's financial
position, Microsoft said in a document filed with the
federal government Wednesday. In an amended quarterly report
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission - known as
a 10-q - the company laid out the latest on the Justice
Department's broad antitrust suit against it, including the
dates briefs are due and the Sept. 8 date for the trial. It
also reviewed parallel actions by 20 state attorneys
general. "Management currently believes that resolving these
matters will not have a material adverse impact on the
company's financial position or its results of operations,"
Microsoft said. (Reuters)
Clinton to attack Internet access gap
President Clinton will announce new initiatives Friday to
close the "digital divide" by bringing Internet access to
children in poor inner city and rural areas, White House
officials said Thursday. Clinton, at a commencement speech
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will also tout
the Internet as an engine of U.S. economic growth, they
said, but gave no details of the proposals. The president is
also expected to come to the defense of a multibillion
dollar federal subsidy program to connect schools and
libraries to the Internet, that has come under attack from
some members of Congress.
FTC to vote on Intel suit Monday
The Federal Trade Commission set a meeting Thursday for June
8 to vote on antitrust action against Intel Corp., the
dominant producer of personal computer microprocessors. The
FTC's official "sunshine phone" recorded message announced
the meeting had been set to consider "enforcement action." A
source said the five commissioners would vote early next
week on the Intel matter. The FTC will vote on whether to
bring a suit alleging Intel illegally misused monopoly power
to force others to give up their trade secrets and cooperate
with Intel. The case is being considered as the Justice
Department and 20 states are pursing major antitrust actions
against Microsoft Corp. which together with Intel dominates
the computer industry.
Lawmakers ask FCC to halt Internet subsidy program
Four powerful U.S. lawmakers warned the Federal
Communications Commission Thursday to halt a
multibillion-dollar subsidy program that helps schools and
libraries connect to the Internet. In an unusual display of
bipartisanship, the Republican chairmen and top Democrats on
both the Senate and House Commerce committees sent a letter
to FCC chairman William Kennard asking him to suspend the
program, which is funded mostly by long-distance phone
companies. In the past week, AT&T Corp. and MCI
Communications Corp. have said they would add surcharges of
at least 5% to long-distance calls to pay for their share of
the program and longstanding subsidies that support basic
phone service in low-income and rural areas.
U.S. fears Year 2000 bug could spook Russian forces
The U.S. is drawing up plans to keep Russia and others from
being spooked into millennium bug-related "nightmare"
military scenarios, a top Pentagon official said Thursday.
In a stark warning about the Year 2000 computer glitch
threat, Deputy Defense Secretary John Hamre cited a need to
calm Russian nuclear forces in particular if the "bug"
caused their computers to crash, as many systems may fail
worldwide. He told the Senate Armed Services Committee
cash-strapped Russian forces were relying more and more on
nuclear weapons "as a safeguard for their national
security... And their early warning system is fragile."
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Classics & Gaming Section
Editor Dana P. Jacobson
dpj@streport.com
From the Atari Editor's Desk "Saying it like it is!"
It's always "one of those weeks!" after going back to work
from a vacation. Walk into the office to stacks of STUFF on
your desk and all kinds of notes requesting immediate
response. It's never much fun. It's Friday and I'm finally
getting caught up enough to have a normal hectic day.
But, the weekend is almost here and plenty to look forward
to again. Our pool is just about opened. Discovered that the
pump was cracked and there was nothing to be done to save
it. So, once that's replaced, we can run the filter on the
pool and clean up the water. Should be interesting. I'm
looking forward to using the pool for relief from some
typical New England scorchers.
The "veggie" garden is coming along fine - the plants have
grown quite a bit since planting. Even some of the flowers
that we planted in early spring but we thought died have
come back! Things are looking up in the external household!
Still a few more tasks to undertake and then it's time to
re-visit the inside! Ahhhh, I'm enjoying this homeowner's
life!
Until next time...
Gaming Section
* 'Best of 1997!'
* Psygnosis Signs!
* Sony Does Disney!
* Extreme Racing!
* Violent Games Influence Violence?
* And much more!
Industry News STR Game Console NewsFile - The Latest Gaming
News!
The 7th Annual GamePro Readers' Choice Awards
ATLANTA, May 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Interactive gaming
enthusiasts throughout the country have been eagerly waiting
to see if their favorite games for 1997 are sure winners.
After votes were in and tabulated, GamePro, the world's
largest multiplatform gaming magazine, announced the winners
of The 7th Annual GamePro Readers' Choice Awards. The awards
ceremony was held last evening in IDG Games Media Group's
booth at E3 where representatives of the winning games were
presented with an award by John Rousseau, President and CEO
of IDG Games Media Group, and Wes Nihei, Vice President and
Editor-in-Chief of GamePro magazine.
GamePro readers were asked to pick their favorite games in
various categories in the February issue of GamePro magazine
and on GamePro's Web site (http://www.gamepro.com) during
the month of February. The editors of GamePro magazine voted
on two additional categories -- Best Game of the Year and
Most Innovative Game of the Year.
The winners are:
Best Action/Adventure Game
Tomb Raider II by Eidos Interactive for the PlayStation
Best Fighting Game
WCW vs. NWO: World Tour by THQ, Inc. for the Nintendo 64
Best Driving/Racing Game
Diddy Kong Racing by Nintendo of America, Inc. for the
Nintendo 64
Best Vehicle Shooter
StarFox 64 by Nintendo of America, Inc. for the Nintendo 64
Best Corridor Shooter
GoldenEye 007 by Nintendo of America, Inc. for the Nintendo
64
Best Role-Playing Game
Final Fantasy VII by Sony Computer Entertainment America for
the PlayStation
Best Sports Game
NFL GameDay '98 by Sony Computer Entertainment America for
the PlayStation
Best Puzzle/Strategy Game
Bomberman 64 by Nintendo of America, Inc. for the Nintendo
64
Best Arcade Game
Mortal Kombat 4 by Midway Games, Inc.
Best Console Game Of The Year
Final Fantasy VII by Sony Computer Entertainment America for
the PlayStation
Best Game Of The Year
GoldenEye 007 by Nintendo of America, Inc. for the Nintendo
64
Most Innovative Game Of The Year
PaRappa the Rapper by Sony Computer Entertainment America
for the PlayStation
The GamePro Readers' Choice Awards is in its seventh year,
solidifying GamePro magazine's loyal readership and gamers'
trust in a name that stands for quality information about
interactive gaming.
"Seven years ago, we decided to give GamePro readers a
voice-a chance to speak to the industry about the games they
love most," says Wes Nihei, Editor-in-Chief of GamePro
magazine. "The GamePro Readers' Choice Awards is the only
industry event representing the true judges of what makes a
great game-the interactive gaming enthusiast."
Psygnosis Ltd. Licenses Three Microsoft Games for PSX
FOSTER CITY, CALIF. (May 29) BUSINESS WIRE - May 29, 1998 -
Psygnosis Limited, the largest entertainment software
developer in Europe, has signed an agreement to license and
publish three of Microsoft's PC games for the PlayStation(R)
game console. The titles, Age of Empires (tm), Urban
Assault(tm) and Motocross Madness(tm) will be co-branded
with the Microsoft and Psygnosis logos.
"We're excited to deliver some of our great games to
PlayStation gamers," commented Ed Fries, general manager of
Microsoft's Games Group. "With 15 years of experience as a
multi-platform game developer and publisher, Psygnosis is
uniquely suited to extend our top brands into the console
market."
Psygnosis has a thorough understanding of PC sensibilities,
having developed titles for the PC market since 1983 while
also commanding the experience necessary to translate a PC
design into a console game. Psygnosis has published hit
titles for the PlayStation game console since the system's
debut in 1995.
"Our relationship with Microsoft provides us with an
opportunity to market Microsoft's product to an audience of
gamers eager to play today's best games," commented Ian
Hetherington, president and founder of Psygnosis, Ltd.
Engineering Microsoft's PC games for PlayStation game
console versions will take place in Psygnosis' studios
around the world, under the direction of Graham Stafford,
Psygnosis Director of Product Planning. "Psygnosis will then
use its global publishing strength to coordinate a series of
worldwide organized launches by all eight publishing
divisions," added Nick Garnell, Psygnosis Director of
Worldwide Publishing.
Age of Empires, the best-selling PC strategy game since its
release in Sept. 1997 (PC data), is an epic, real-time
strategy game that spans 10,000 years. It was developed by
Ensemble Studios. Urban Assault, currently in development by
Terra Tools, is an innovative action title that combines
strategic elements as game players struggle to bring Earth
back from the brink of destruction. The PC version of the
game is slated for release in summer 1998. The PC version of
Motocross Madness, slated for release in fall 1998, is a
stunt riding and racing title being developed by Rainbow
Studios.
Sony To Publish PSX Titles For Disney
Jun 1, 1998 (MULTIMEDIA WIRE, Vol. 5, No. 104) -- ATLANTA -
Sony Computer Entertainment will publish three Disney titles
on PlayStation in the US and more than four titles in Europe
and elsewhere, the companies said Friday. Sony has a minimum
six-month, or one Christmasseason, exclusive license to the
properties. Under the agreement, Sony will publish A Bug's
Life simultaneously with the release of the movie, which
will debut in Q4 in the US and early next year in Europe and
other 'PAL territories.' A Bug's Life comes from Pixar, the
maker of "Toy Story." Sony will also publish Tarzan and
another unnamed Disney title.
Disney Interactive VP of sales and marketing Tim Zuckert
wouldn't be specific on marketing budgets or sales forecasts
for the titles, saying merely, "Sony will provide a level of
support consistent with their expecations for best-selling
titles." Sony will also publish and distribute PSX sports
titles from Disney's newly launched ESPN Digital in Europe
and other PAL territories, while Disney will handle
distribution in North America.
Midway Shifts Into High Gear With Development of Extreme
Racing
The high-speed action of Midway Home Entertainment's San
Francisco Rush: Extreme Racing is peeling out of San
Francisco and screeching onto new tracks across the country.
Midway, one of the industry's most prestigious entertainment
software publishers, today announced it is developing Rush
2: Extreme Racing USA, the sequel to the
critically-acclaimed, chart-topping San Francisco Rush:
Extreme Racing. Rush 2 is expected to be available for the
Nintendo(R) 64 and PC platform this winter.
"The same team that threw drivers into the helter skelter of
San Francisco's roadways is creating yet another
exhilarating racing experience with Rush 2," said Paula
Cook, director of marketing at Midway Home Entertainment.
"Rush 2 will be a must-buy for owners of San Francisco Rush:
Extreme Racing as well as new buyers because of theextensive
enhancements with new tracks, cities and gameplay options."
Gamers will face twelve new tracks in Rush 2 and maneuver
through the congested streets of upper and lower Manhattan,
the rain-slicked roads of Seattle, and the neon-lit
boulevards of Las Vegas. Players can also cruise Los
Angeles, Hawaii, Alcatraz, two speedway loop tracks and two
stunt tracks.
Eight new cars will join the eleven existing vehicles, each
with tighter car handling, more severe collision damage,
more sensitive braking capabilities and all-new secrets to
unlock. The sequel also boasts booming original music and
multiple camera views. The highly successful San Francisco
Rush: Extreme Racing was released last year for both
Nintendo 64 and the PlayStation(R) game console. The
critical raves were widespread, with GamePro describing it
as "a non-stop, thrill-a-minute roller-coaster ride..." and
Ultra Game Players exclaiming that it "looks to be the game
that puts the fun back in Nintendo 64 gaming." San Francisco
Rush was nominated for several industry awards and was named
both the "Best Nintendo 64 Game" and the "Best Racing Game"
in 1997 by Ultra Game Players.
Tear Up the Tracks and Dust the Competition With Off Road
Challenge(TM)
Get ready for an outrageous 4x4 off-road experience with
Midway Home Entertainment's Off Road Challenge(TM) for the
Nintendo(R) 64. Off Road Challenge, endorsed by racer Ivan
Stewart, offers an interactive 3D racing experience with
Rumble Pak(TM) compatibility, six tracks, four trucks and a
chance to race in realistic environments and through varied
weather conditions. Based on the original coin operated
game, Midway's Off Road Challenge for the Nintendo 64 boasts
three original tracks and is expected to be available
nationwide in June.
"Off Road Challenge is a racing favorite in the arcades, and
we're adding even more spark to the home version with new
tracks and Rumble Pak compatibility," said Paula Cook,
director of marketing at Midway Home Entertainment. "Having
Ivan Stewart endorse the game is a true testament to the
adrenaline rush experienced while playing the game."
Players will feel every bump, twist and turn of Off Road
Challenge's six serpentine circuits. The tracks range from
beginner to expert and traverse the country's best back road
racing settings including Baja, El Paso, Mojave and more. As
players race, they can pick up power-ups to boost speed, as
well as cash to add features to their truck in the speed
shop between races. Independent suspension and powerslides
make interaction between the trucks and environments of
snow, sand, water, asphalt, rocks and mud amazingly
realistic.
Midway's Off Road Challenge utilizes the Nintendo 64's four
player split screen capability. Players have four trucks to
select from, as well as four secret trucks which can be
found along the way. Players can rip up the road in single
player mode, go head-to-head in two player, or race to place
in circuit mode.
Video Game Industry Denies Any Blame for Shootings
The rash of shootings in U.S. high schools this year cannot
be blamed on depictions of violence in video games, which
may even have a "cathartic" effect on teenagers who play
them, an industry spokesman said Thursday. Douglas
Lowenstein, president of the Interactive Digital Software
Association, said, "... there is absolutely no basis for
making the leap that the presence of video games is a factor
in these premeditated acts, in these murders ... there is
evidence the games have a cathartic effect. To isolate any
form of entertainment as the agent is unsubstantiated and
irresponsible." President Clinton suggested Saturday
children were being introduced to violence at an early age
by playing electronic games and watching television and
movies.
Girls Find Violent Video Games Boring, Panel Says
Video game industry leaders said Friday they have long known
boys enjoy playing violent, gory video games, but now they
are beginning to understand why girls do not enjoy them.
"Girls didn't think they were far too violent," said Laura
Groppe, president of Girl Games Inc. of Austin, Texas.
"Girls just thought they were boring. Dying and starting
over again seemed somewhat pointless to them."
Industry leaders attending the annual Electronic
Entertainment Expo in Atlanta said they were puzzled that
girls avoided violent videos in droves and began to research
the subject. Groppe said researchers at Girl Games learned
girls want videos that seem relevant to their lives.
Gaming Online STR InfoFile - Online Users Growl & Purr!
AtariNews: On The Prowl
06/02/98
LATEST HEADLINES:
WELCOME TO THE LIST
Welcome to the new AtariNews: On The Prowl! If you have not
subscribed to this list, you have been added to this list
because you have been on the petition to Telegames list. If
you were previously on the AtariNews list, then I would like
to welcome you to the new format. This list will offer
simple news updates about Atari. It also offers a means by
which all Atari fans can announce significant items of
interest, such as new products and issues of fanzines or
newsletters, etc. It is a goal to be as accurate as
possible, and reach all Atari fans. You can expect to
receive this newsletter in a timely manner, especially when
there is very important news. If you receive this update
more than once, please inform me. To submit news, send it to
brionhol@aol.com.
ATARI KEYCHAINS AT A STORE NEAR YOU!
New LCD keychain game versions of Joust, Kaboom!, and
Defender have been sighted at stores, courtesy of Tiger
Electronics. Retail price is $9.95. If you've been looking
for a fun diversion, one of these classics may be for you!
JAGUAR OVERLAYS UPDATE
Tony Price (mfmurdock@earthlink.net ) has confirmed that he
will be producing an overlay for the newly released Worms
game for the Jaguar. Also, the Zero 5 overlay has a button
in the wrong place. Please contact Tony if you picked up one
of these overlays and would like a
replacement.
http://home.earthlink.net/~mfmurdock/jaguar/jaguar.htm
NEW CLASSICS ON THE LYNX?
Rumor has it that at least one of the new Lynx games slated
for 1998 will be an update of a classic. More details soon.
JOIN THE CORE
No, this isn't a military ad -- Paul Oswood
<paulo@plethora.net> has designed a new game for the Atari
2600 named "The Core." The game will be released in cart
form this summer, and has an interesting claim to fame: it
uses the 2600 driving controllers for a Tempest-esque
experience! The retail price of $25 includes the cart with a
color label, a color manual, a B&W box, and shipping in
North America. Check out Paul's own description of the game
and a screen shot at:
http://www.plethora.net/~paulo/thecore.html
THE PETITION TO HASBRO
The petition to Hasbro needs more names. If you would like
to try to get Hasbro to support the Jaguar and Lynx, then
please sign this petition. There are currently 80 names on
the petition.
http://www.geocities.com/timessquare/arcade/8063
FEEL LIKE CHATTING?
Join your fellow Jaguar and Lynx fans at Jaguar Interactive,
one of the best Atari-related message boards around! It can
be found at:
http://atarihq.com/interactive/
Special thanks to Atari HQ for hosting the site!
Send any comments or submissions for "AtariNews: On The
Prowl" to Brian Gudzevich (Editor) at: Brionhold@aol.com
Sponsoring web sites:
-The Atarian Atmosphere:
http://www.geocities.com/timessquare/arcade/8063
-The Jaguar's Domain:
http://www.millcomm.com/~forhan/jaguar.html
ONLINE WEEKLY STReport OnLine The wires are a hummin'!
PEOPLE... ARE TALKING
Compiled by Joe Mirando
jmirando@streport.com
Hidi ho friends and neighbors. It's been one heck of a week
for me. First, I found out that a good friend's husband died
late last week. She, of course, is a wreck and has turned to
picking up the pieces and trying to cope with her loss. She
needs the support of her friends right now, and I'm only too
happy to help out. After all, that's what friends do for one
another.
Second, I ended up getting one of those despicable little
stomach bugs. The kind that keeps you from feeling well or
enjoying even a simple meal, but doesn't make you sick
enough to stay home from work.
Third, I opened up my big mouth and offered to rebuild a
'486 computer for a relative who wants to access the
internet. Come to find out, it's not a '486. It's a '286
with a whopping 640K of memory (SIPPs that are soldered on
to the motherboard). There's no way of upgrading this
machine to be usable in any real way, so I've scrounged
around and found a '486 that can be upgraded and used to
surf the web. It ain't easy, but if it was easy it wouldn't
be worth doing, would it? <smile>
Needless to say, this is not going to go down in my memoirs
as a wonderful week for me. It's been one of those weeks
where you feel just terrible and one half of your mind wants
nothing more than to just feel bad for yourself, and the
other half says, "What about your friend who needs you right
now?" Of course there is no contest as to whether I or my
friend have had the worse week, but there are times when you
just want to retreat and take a little personal time. Of
course, that is normally when you CAN'T take it, but that's
the way it is, I guess.
I guess my reason for telling you this is so that you won't
hold it against me if this week's column is quite a bit
shorter than usual. As always, email is not only
appreciated, but replied to. Drop me a line if you've a mind
to.
Now let's take a look at what's going on with the UseNet...
From the comp.sys.atari.st NewsGroup
Mark Simpson asks about attaching binary files to email in
NEWSie:
"I tried to attach a binary file to e-mail i was sending to
a friend. If I select "none" as the encoding choice, and
then select edit, it tries to place the binary file in the
editor as a text file, (which doesn't work). If I try to
edit my mail first, and then attach an un-encoded binary
file, I'm cant select a file to attach. If I try to send a
binary file without any letter along with it (un-encoded),
it tries to send it, and then during the sending process the
program crashes (68000 exception). Is there a trick to this
that I'm missing or what?"
Charles Silver tells Mark:
"Well, when you asked this question it caught me by
surprise. Most who have NEWSie do this all the time, but I
forgot exactly how I do it. To send a binary with NEWSie and
you want it encoded by NEWSie you must check either UUE or
MIME. If you just want to send the file with a message, type
in the e-mail address, subject and click on either UUE or
MIME and then click on the "attached file" to bring up the
file selector. Find your binary and load it. THEN "Edit".
Type in your message above the binary stuff, save it, and
send it. This works for me. You can't send a binary file
without encoding it, thus the crash. Other's may explain
this better than me. If your text editor can't handle
binaries, all bets are off..."
Roger Cain tells Mark:
"You cannot send binary over a mail channel as it contains
non-printable characters which upset the server (as you've
noticed}. The only time 'None' makes sense is if the
Attached file is text only.
Do this:
At the first Post/Follow-up dialogue select MIME or UUE
depending on the capability of the recipient. You will
usually find that MIME is the best choice as not all PC
systems can cope with UUE. Click in 'Attached file@ to
select the binary you want to send. After filling in any
other fields you require click 'Edit'. There will be a busy
period during which the binary will be encoded and stuck in
the message you want to send. The mail including the encoded
binary will then be displayed and you can stick any
accompanying message at the beginning (preferably) or end.
Proceed as usual for 'Save', 'Quit', 'Queue/Send'."
Mark tells Roger:
"I guess I was accidentally doing it right the first time
(by not selecting "none"), without knowing it. And I guess
the webmaster at my ISP misunderstood my question. I thought
I was clear. So if I MIME files when I send them, recipients
using PCs who don't understand what a MIME'ed file is, will
be able to use them, as their browser will automatically
interpret what's happening, and decode the file. Is this
correct? If not, being completely PC illiterate, what do I
tell them to do?"
Roger replies:
"Errmm .. I'm not totally sure what happens at their end but
at least PCs understand MIME. They may have to press a
button to cause the decode to happen. Perhaps someone else
will say what actually happens on the PC but therecipient
may need to say 'OK' to an 'Extract' or 'Decode' dialogue."
Alyre Chiasson asks about running programs meant to run on
'foreign' monitors:
"Is there a software fix that can correct for programs that
roll on a 50 Mhz monitor because they were meant to output
to a 60 Mhz monitor? The program "GO5060" bomb on me when I
do a reset. Any other options?"
Callum Lerwick tells Alyre:
"I'm guessing your in the US... Hi there! Short answer: Try
tweaking the vertical sync (hold?) on the monitor... Longer
answer: What monitor are you using? What model 'strange grey
box' for that matter... :) Both my SC1224's work fine in
50hz mode, but who knows, yours may need a tweak... Or are
you using a TV? (yuck... :) I used to often hook up my STFM
to various TV's for gaming. (MidiMaze lives!) But of course
most American TV's don't like 50hz much. A slight nudge to
the vsync always worked for me. Though on at least one,
tweaking the knob just right to keep sync with Atari 50hz
and 60hz, and* regular TV broadcasts was a bit tricky...
As far as software goes, switching the refresh rate is got
to be one of the simplest things to write... :) Just for fun
I once wrote a lower border overscan thingy in pure GFA
basic... I don't know what go5060 does exactly, but I don't
know why it would crash your machine. Blame it on something
else... :) If you want I'll email you the hz toggler I have.
Its only 145 bytes... (I think I found it on Umich...) Or if
your running games/demos that load from bootsector, look for
Dcbootit. (Umich :) It works great for getting that darn
"Froggies over the Fence" demo to run..."
"Stephen" asks for help with 'sneakernet' transfers:
"I'm having difficulty using DD(720k) disks between my Win95
machine and my Atari. Both machines read the disks but the
Atari will not access any files written by the Win95
machine. I use the Win95 machineto download Atari files and
utilities."
Dave Gostl tells Stephen:
"Win95 writes something to the disk to make it take long
file names. Even if you just read the disk under Win95. Do
your transfers under DOS and you should be fine. Formatting
under DOS is a good idea too. Just beware the Atari can't
tell if the disk was changed or not with DOS formatted
disks."
Nicholas Bales adds:
"You should format the disk on the PC. Do not use any
folders or long filenames on the disk. Try formatting and
copying the files in DOS mode rather than Windows."
Cecil Westerhoff adds his own thoughts:
"In my experience you have to save the files under DOS. Not
a DOS-box, but exit Windows (also with 3.x) and save it to
floppy from there. If you do it otherwise there is something
done with the FAT. Maybe a smart guy will write something to
bypass it? It would be nicer to work with the filemanager."
Dennis Bishop asks:
"...does CAB support 'cookies'? one outfit that I log onto
sends data to your cookie so you can input it at other
places or they get it without you having to type it each
time. I can get into a section I joined so far as cab
doesn't seem to pass on the right data." \
Steve Hammond tells Dennis:
"No - none of the current verisons of CAB (commerical or
freeware) support cookies. CAB 2.7 (coming soon to an Atari
dealer near you) is suppose to and the latest CAB.OVL by Dan
Ackerman has that support built in."
James Pirie asks for help with Papyrus, the word/document
processor: "I am stuck! I'm planning a move to Papyrus as my
word/document processor from Pagestream, which is good but a
little slow on the printing and screen updating side. I
downloaded the Demo copy of Papyrus 5 from Hisoft' web page
and started playing.
When I print out the results of my experimentations a very
strange and frustrating thing is happening. Papyrus seems to
randomly exchange the letter d for the letter b. There is no
pattern or obvious reason for this but still it persists. I
am using a Falcon with Nemesis board, 14Mb RAM, MagiC V4,
NVDI V4. I have tried it with a bare system (and Nemesis
disabled) but the problem persists.
Anyone seen or heard of this one? It's a shame because
Papyrus looks good!! It works really quickly and prints out
about twice as fast as Pagestream with the added bonus of
GDOS support."
Nicholas Bales tells James:
"I think that's a demo "feature", just to make it unusable
enough while you can still test print quality and import
features."
Robert Schaffner tells James:
"That's the feature of the demo release. The full release
doesn't do that!"
Paal Monstad asks:
"Is it possible to connect an ISDN external box to the
Falcon and TT? I intend to use this setup with ASH emailer,
Iconnect and Cab 2.6."
Martin-Eric Racine tells Paal:
"It should be possible, at least on a TT. However, some
providers might require an Ethernet card for this, in which
case you'll need a Riebel Ethernet car for the TT."
Peter Rottengatter, the author of STinG, tells Paal (and
Martin-Eric):
"For ISDN? You're kidding! Maybe you're confusing it with
cable modems? For those you usually indeed need an ethernet
adapter. An external ISDN terminal adapter (no it's *not* a
modem) can be fitted to any Atari machine. I definitely know
STinG works well with it. That should be true for other
stacks too."
** Hmmm, an Atari running at ISDN speeds... THAT would be
something to see.
Meanwhile, Chris Whitelock asks for help with CAB 2.5 and
PPP Connect (Ash's dialer/PPP implementation):
"I've purchased and installed CAB 2.5 and PPP-Connect. I'm
confused - nowhere in the docs does it say that PPP-Connect
only works with Magic, but I'm sure I've heard that
somewhere? I use Geneva & Neodesk. I have no problems
connecting to my ISP using PPP-Connect BUT can't do anything
after that! CAB does not seem to recognise the connection
and if I run GET_IP.PRG it never ever returns with an IP
address and I have to reboot. [Yes, CAB.OVL is in the
correct modules folder]. Anyone got any idea what the
problem is? Please? (I have given up trying to get STinG to
log on, for the time being anyway). By the way, I have a
standard Falcon 4/84 TOS 4.04, plus external 1.4 gig
h/drive."
Niall Morgan tells Chris:
"PPP connect does need magic i'm afraid. You will need to
get STing up and running if you want to use CAB with geneva.
STing is not much harder to set up than ppp connect and
people here I'm sure will help you if needed."
Martin Byttebier jumps in and corrects Niall:
"Not true. PPP-connect *doesn't* need MagiC to work. If
you've a pre-emptive multitasking system like for instance
N.AES it should work. Geneva is a co-operative multitasking
system but if you run MiNT on top of it you'll get a
pre-emptive OS. Some time ago I was able to use PPP-connect
with a Geneva/Thing/MiNT setup. Unfortunately for some dark
reasons I can't use it anymore. Sure I can still make a
connection but like Chris, CAB seems not to recognise the
connection. I think you'll be better off with a Sting setup.
Like Niall says it isn't that difficult to get STing up and
running."
Well folks, that's it for this time around. I'm going to go
swallow some Pepto and hope that I feel better instead of
worse tomorrow. Be sure to tune in again next week, same
time, same station, and be ready to listen to what they are
saying when...
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
EDITORIAL QUICKIES
Tomorrow is June 06, 1998 - The Anniversary of Overlord.
Many thanks to all the GIs that made it a success!
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