ST Report: 30-May-97 #1322
From: Bruce D. Nelson (aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 06/17/97-05:29:23 PM Z
From: aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bruce D. Nelson)
Subject: ST Report: 30-May-97 #1322
Date: Tue Jun 17 17:29:23 1997
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May 30, 1997 No.1322
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>From the Editor's Desk...
Spring Comdex is upon us. Atlanta is the place to be. The new
products, the updates and the fixes for those undocumented features we
discovered from time to time. In the very near future, look for reviews
and comparisons of various DeskTop Publishing and Photographic manipulation
packages. There are of course the very best from Adobe like PhotoShop 4.01
and PageMaker 6.5.1 and a number of new packages emerging onto the market
that deserve our attention. Notably, at this time, those of MGI Corp. MGI
has a number of packages. Including Calamus whose claim to fame is it was
a premier DTP package on the old Atari ST Platform. Calamus was quite the
program back in those days. except for its strange proprietary file format
and use of expensive, coded fonts. Hopefully, that's all changed now that
MGI is attempting to earn a niche on the PC platform for Calamus. We'll
keep you posted about our excursion into the DTP world on the PC. It
should be very interesting.
The world of powerhouse Laptops is really upon us. Watch for reviews
of the very latest models of Laptops and their powerful accessories. Like
USR's Megahertz PCMCIA 33.6 Modem/LAN combo Cards, 56k modem cards and of
course, ISDN cards all super thin, blazingly fast and simply amazing.
Next week, we begin a series of views, reviews and overviews of
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deal to offer. The coverage will be in-depth.
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LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS
Weekly Happenings in the Computer World
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
Apple Newton to Be Independent
Apple Computer Inc.'s struggling Newton hand-held computer division will be
restructured into an independent but wholly owned subsidiary that can
attract outside investors and partners. And maybe one day it can go
public, says reporter Lee Gomes to The Wall Street Journal this morning,
noting Apple initially tried to sell the unprofitable Newton division
outright, retaining the mergers and acquisition firm of Broadview
Associates to find a buyer. "While Apple had talks with a variety of
companies," says Gomes, "including Sun Microsystems Inc. and Sweden's
Telefon AB L.M. Ericsson, none offered anything close to the estimated $50
million to $100 million that insiders say Apple wanted for the operation."
The Journal quotes a person familiar with Newton unit's books as saying the
200-person section has annual expenses of about $35 million, but revenue
equal to just two-thirds of that.
Gomes says the new, as-yet unnamed company will have its own stock and its
own board of directors. With that structure, it can be spun off to Apple
shareholders, and equity can be sold to investors or partners. "But
without a spinoff or capital infusion, the move won't benefit Apple
shareholders or reduce Apple's costs," Gomes comments. Analysts told the
paper the restructuring move is one of the least risky steps Apple could
take:
z If the operation proves successful, Apple will profit from being a
shareholder in the company; it would even be able to bring it back inside
Apple.
z Should the Newton fail even in its new incarnation, Apple will have
distanced itself from the operation, and thus won't be stuck with the high
severance costs involved with closing down the business and laying off its
employees.
Apple Accepts Orders for Fancy Mac
Apple Computer, Inc., says it has begun accepting orders for its Twentieth
Anniversary Macintosh computer. Slated to ship this summer, the high-end
machine features a 12.1-inch flat-panel display, a Bose sound system, a
vertically mounted CD player, a television tuner and an FM radio tuner. The
system's computer hardware includes a 250MHz PowerPC 603e RISC processor,
an S-video input with a cable adapter for composite video and a custom
keyboard with Italian leather palm rests and a detachable trackpad. "We
were looking to define a radically new solution in Industrial Design when
we began designing the Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh," says Jonathan Ive,
Apple's senior director of industrial design.
"Its smooth integration of personal computer and consumer appliance are
clear indications of the future of technology design." In the United
States, The Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh sells for about $7,500. It
comes with a special "concierge service," which includes a three-year
limited hardware warranty, three years of toll-free telephone support and
delivery and set-up of the product. Apple is manufacturing a limited
quantity of the Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh, so the product is
available on a first-come, first-served basis. Customers in the U.S. can
order a Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh through selected Apple resellers.
More details are available on the World Wide Web at
http://twentiethanniversary.apple.com.
Growth Seen for Digital Cameras
A new study by InfoTrends Research Group indicates that shipments of
digital cameras in the midrange and high end market will grow 40 percent
annually through 2002, rising from about 10,000 units in 1996 to over
75,000 units by 2002. "Digital camera adoption is on the rise as its
benefits are beginning to be understood," says Susan Moyse, an analyst at
the Kansas City, Missouri, market research firm. "High quality digital
photography is finally progressing beyond a small niche of professional
users."
Average prices of business and professional cameras are projected to fall
from over $10,000 in 1996 to about $2,500 in 2002, making digital
photography more accessible for business use. As prices become more
affordable, businesses and professionals will adopt digital capture for its
unique capabilities. Revenues resulting from sales of midrange and high
end digital cameras are forecast by the study to reach nearly 200 million
dollars in 2002, as acceptance of the technology escalates. The study also
notes that industry growth depends on the ability of digital cameras to
provide conventional capture functionality while offering its own unique
benefits.
Samsung, Intel Ink Pact
An agreement to work together on future computer and consumer electronics
projects has been signed by Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and chip giant
Intel Corp. Reporting from Santa Clara, California, the Reuter News
Service quotes Intel as saying in a statement the working relationship
between Intel and Samsung will allow both companies to explore and
accelerate the development of products and technologies that combine
personal computer technology with consumer devices. The agreement was
signed by Intel Chairman/CEO Andrew Grove and Samsung Electronics
President/CEO Jong-Yong Yun during a business meeting at Intel.
Novell Laying Off 1,000 Workers
Still trying to become a major force in Internet software, Salt Lake City
publisher Novell Inc. is streamlining its business by laying off some 1,000
workers. This leaves Novell with 4,800 employees worldwide. New Novell CEO
Eric Schmidt, an Internet expert hired two months ago to guide the
transition, announced the cuts late yesterday. Associated Press writer
Kimberley Murphy notes, "Novell is reshaping as its main business --
selling operating systems used to control personal computer networks -- is
under pressure from software giant Microsoft Corp."
The cuts come as Novell reports second-quarter losses shrank to $14.6
million, "but still showed disappointing sales of software products sold
through distributors," Murphy added. Besides the layoffs, Novell plans to
reduce its inventory in the third quarter by reducing shipments to
distributors, which will result in an operating loss for the third quarter.
Before joining Novell, Schmidt was the chief technology officer at Sun
Microsystems Inc., where he was a driving force behind the company's Java
programming language for creating software on the Internet.
Compaq Notebook Buyers Warned
Gartner Group, Inc. is advising potential Compaq Computer Corp. notebook PC
buyers of product quality problems. The Stamford, Connecticut, research
firm reports that Compaq's Armada 4100s series has been placed on its
"Problem Watch" with a "do not buy" status, while the LTE 5000 line has
been tagged with a "buy with caution" status. Gartner says it has compiled
"numerous complaints" from clients during the first quarter of 1997
concerning high "dead on arrival" and "infant mortality" (failures within
30 days) rates, as well as a wide range of component failures, including
power supply, battery, system board, hard drive and read-only memory (ROM)
woes.
"The notebook industry is experiencing a crisis of quality," says Leslie
Fiering, head of Gartner's personal computing technologies unit. "Notebooks
generally require more testing than desktops due to large trade-offs
required to optimize weight, size, price, power consumption and thermal
characteristics. However, their short product life means that vendors
cannot afford to delay introductions until all bugs are resolved." Gartner
is on the World Wide Web at http://www.gartner.com.
Claris Releases Home Page Book
Claris Corp. has released Claris Home Page Companion, an instructional Web
design book for Claris Home Page software and the first book to be
published under the new Claris Press imprint. A statement issued by the
Santa Clara, California, software publisher, a subsidiary of Apple Computer
Inc., notes that Claris Home Page Companion covers all aspects of home page
design using Claris Home Page. The book includes tips and tutorials,
ranging from basic Web page design and planning to more advanced topics
such as tables, interactive forms, frames, multimedia and editing HTML.
"This book reflects our commitment to better serve our customers by
increasing their understanding of our products," says Dominique Goupil,
Claris' president. "I'm convinced that the Claris Home Page Companion will
add even more value to our customers' productive and enjoyable
Web-publishing experiences."
PGP Gets Limited Export Approval
Pretty Good Privacy Inc. reports that the U.S. Department of Commerce has
approved the export of its encryption software to the overseas offices of
the U.S.'s largest companies. The San Mateo, California, company says the
ruling makes it the only U.S. firm currently authorized to export strong
encryption technology not requiring key recovery to foreign subsidiaries
and branches of the largest American companies. According to PGP, the
approval allows it to export 128-bit encryption without a requirement that
the exported products contain key recovery features or other back doors
that enable government access to keys. More than one-half of the Fortune
100 already use PGP domestically to secure their corporate data and
communications, says PGP.
"Now we are able to export strong encryption technology to the overseas
offices of more than 100 of the largest companies in America, without
compromising the integrity of the product or the strength of the
encryption," says Phil Dunkelberger, PGP's president. "We worked closely
with the State Department when they controlled the export of encryption,
and are now working with the Commerce Department. And we have never had a
license application denied."
The license allows export of strong encryption technology, without
government access to keys, to the overseas subsidiaries and branch offices
of more than 100 of the largest American companies, provided that the
offices are not located in embargoed countries, namely Cuba, Iran, Iraq,
Libya, North Korea, Sudan or Syria. "Pretty Good Privacy still opposes
export controls on cryptographic software, but this license is a major step
toward meeting the global security needs of American companies," says
Robert H. Kohn, vice president and general counsel of Pretty Good Privacy.
Pretty Good Privacy is on the World Wide Web at http://www.pgp.com.
White House Starts Stats Site
A new Internet site to make official statistics easier to find has been
unveiled by the White House. The World Wide Web page, located at
http://www.fedstats.gov, uses link and search capabilities to navigate
statistics from more than 70 federal agencies, the White House's Office of
Management and Budget said in a statement. The Reuter News Service quotes
OMB administrator Sally Katzen as saying, "FedStats takes advantage of
Internet technology to make federal statistics more accessible."
Feds to Launch Medical Site
Uncle Sam next year will launch a National Guideline Clearinghouse on the
Internet for patients who want to know the recommended treatments for their
medical problems. Officials with the Department of Health and Human
Services tell The Associated Press the World Wide Web feature, to include
the full range of treatment guidelines, is expected to be launched in fall
1998. It will be developed with the American Medical Association and the
American Association of Health Plans, which represents health maintenance
organizations and other managed care plans. In a statement, HHS Secretary
Donna Shalala said, "Internet technology makes it possible to provide the
rapid access to the latest information on medical treatments."
Says AP, "The Web site will offer summaries or full texts of the
recommended treatments for various conditions, compare different
recommendations on similar topics and offer electronic mailing lists to
allow discussions among people with similar interests." Dr. George Isham,
a leader in the HMO group, added the information should help respond to the
growing interest in quality of care. AP comments, "HMOs have been accused
by some of skimping on treatment to save money. Knowing the proper
guidelines, Isham said, will 'provide a solid scientific basis for
allocation of health care resources.'"
Feds Seek Ideas on Cyber Market
Federal securities regulators are seeking ideas on how they should
supervise the nation's technology-driven stock markets in the future.
Yesterday the four members of the Securities and Exchange Commission voted
unanimously to issue a "concept release" soliciting public comment on
regulation of so-called alternative trading systems and foreign stock
exchange activities in the United States as well as more traditional U.S.
stock markets. The Associated Press reports that before the vote, SEC
Chairman Arthur Levitt Jr. said, "We seek a forward-looking and enduring
approach that will permit diverse markets to evolve and compete, while
preserving marketwide transparency, oversight and fairness. While
technology has changed, the principal goals of regulation remain the same
-- to protect investors and to ensure our markets are fair and orderly. We
really approach this with a totally open mind."
AP adds the changes under consideration would mark the biggest shift in the
way the SEC regulates stock markets since the agency's formation in 1934.
Richard Lindsey, director of the SEC's division of market regulation, told
the wire service, "Paper and pen technology has gone the way of the
crossbow. Our regulatory scheme must be reassessed to allow new
technologies to flourish." There will be 90 days to comment on the
proposals after their publication in the Federal Register sometime next
week. Another version of the 150-page concept release written in plain
English is expected to be published in several weeks. AP says the
proposals call for the SEC to:
Establish a class of smaller, exempt stock exchanges that are supervised by
a self-regulatory organization and have limited disclosure requirements. If
such an exchange became larger, it would move into the category of
regulated exchange. Find new ways to regulate investors' access to foreign
stock markets that want to do business in the United States. "Stock trading
on the Internet is becoming increasing popular," AP notes, "and experts
believe it is only a matter of time before there is an Internet-based stock
exchange." Set up three levels of market regulation: the first one for the
smaller, exempt exchanges; the second for the biggest alternative trading
systems, not now regulated as markets, such as Instinet, Bloomberg, Island
and Terranova; and the third for traditional markets such as the New York
Stock Exchange and the regional exchanges.
Net Privacy Standard Boosted
A standard for handling the use of private information over the Internet --
a move intended to boost electronic commerce over the Web -- is being
proposed by browser publisher Netscape Communications Corp. and two other
leading Net companies. Writing for the Reuter News Service, reporter
Samuel Perry says representatives of Netscape, Firefly and Verisign already
have won widespread support for the proposal, which, he comments, "could
help manage a thorny issue of protecting privacy over the Internet while
promoting commerce." What they propose is a standard that would enable
people to exchange personal profile information over the Internet, while
still making it possible for individuals to limit the use and distribution
of their private information over the Web.
Last month, the Boston Consulting Group released a report estimating that
instituting measures to provide assurance of privacy over the Internet
could boost electronic commerce by $6 billion by 2000. Perry says the
proposed Open Profiling Standard would give each individual control over
his or her own personal profile and the ability to manage which personal
information gets disclosed or withheld from a particular Web site. The
profile data can then be used to provide targeted information, products and
services directly to individual users, while allowing them also to be
notified every time their profile information is being requested. (Personal
profiles contain information ranging from names, addresses, ZIP codes and
phone numbers to marital status, interests, hobbies and passwords.)
"Individuals could also allow certain sites to exchange the data with other
Internet parties," says Perry, "giving rise to the possibility of a whole
market for electronic profiles similar to existing demographic data
businesses." In addition, they also may choose to have different profiles
for business and home use, for example (and perhaps additional profiles for
what one expert described as "the darker side," to receive pornographic
material, for instance.) Look for a draft of the new proposed standard to
be filed this week with the Worldwide Web Consortium, or W3C, for
consideration and debate, a process expected to take months to complete.
Texas Suit Claims 'Spam' Onslaught
A suit has been brought in Austin, Texas, against a company and an
individual believed to be responsible for the mass distribution of junk
mail over the Internet, also called "spam." Plaintiffs contend C.N.
Enterprises and Craig Nowak of San Diego, California, sent thousands of
electronic messages selling information on "Free Cash Grants" for $19.95.
The suit contends the ad's content was not only misleading, but the
company's e-mail used a false return address, causing the electronic mail
boxes of several Austin residents to overflow with returned copies of the
junk mail.
"In effect," the lawsuit says, "C.N. Enterprises deliberately dumped tons
of its electronic garbage and pollution" into the Austin residents'
mailboxes. The lawsuit claims that the use of false return addresses on
junk e-mail, and the resulting fallout on those who own the addresses used,
is illegal under the traditional common law causes of action of nuisance,
trespass and conversion. Notable among the plaintiffs is Internet author
Tracy LaQuey Parker, who owns the Internet domain name ("flowers.com") used
by C.N. Enterprises without her permission.
"As a long-time Internet advocate," said Parker, "I am saddened that the
goodwill spirit of the Internet is being spoiled by irresponsible
individuals who forge their identity in order to make a quick buck. There
are plenty of examples of legitimate commercial uses of the Internet. This
isn't one of them." Meanwhile, writing for HotWired, the electronic
extension of Wired Magazine, reporter Ashley Craddock comments that
respondent Nowak "seems less the mass emailer out to trample cyberspace
than an online dilettante," noting, "After he and a few buddies decided
spamming would be a good way to pick up some hassle-free cash, Nowak
started sending out email advertising 'free cash grants' for $19.95."
Nowak told Craddock last night, "The software program we used said you
could just use any random name" for a return address. ... I don't know why
I picked 'Flowers.'" Plaintiffs' attorney Peter Kennedy argues
carelessness is no defense, that "there are reasonable regulations which
keep you from dumping your garbage on someone else's land. You shouldn't be
able to attach a false address to junk mail just so you don't have to deal
with all the junk that comes back at you when you send mail to a false
address."
Study Sees ISP Shakeout
A new study published by International Data Corp. forecasts a shakeout
among Internet service providers. At the end of 1996, the total market for
ISP services reached more than $3.3 billion, finds the study. The largest
percentage of revenues -- 58.5 percent -- came from corporate access
services, which reached $1.94 billion. The next-largest segment represented
individual access services, which reached $949.7 million at the end of
1996.
"The ISP market, which until this time has sustained thousands of ISPs,
will begin to constrict more rapidly over the next few years," says
Caroline Robertson, director of business network services and electronic
commerce research programs for the Framingham, Massachusetts, market
research firm. "Performance, reliability, and support expectations will
prevent a number of small ISPs from scaling up to compete on a regional or
national basis without merging." But at the same time, the study claims
that the market will sustain hundreds of local or regional ISPs that can
cost-effectively provide tailored services to a specific regional market or
town.
Man Sues Because of E-Mail
San Diego Internet provider ElectriCiti has been sued by a San Francisco
man who alleges he was harassed by someone posting Internet messages
accusing him of ritual sex abuse of children.
Retired Army Lt. Col. Michael Aquino says he is suing ElectriCiti after it
refused to help him track down his alleged harasser, United Press
International reports. The San Francisco Examiner says Aquino, who founded
the Temple of Set, a church devoted to alleged satanic worship, charges
ElectriCiti breached its duty to him by failing to cut off the anonymous
user and allowing that person to continue posting.
"The case is believed to be the first in California in which a service
provider is sued over libelous messages sent by a user," UPI says, adding
the newspaper reports the suit asks for $100,000 in emotional distress
damages and $150,000 in punitive damages. Aquino contends a person using
the Internet name "Curio" posted more than 500 defamatory messages against
him, including posting his address.
The suit says Curio accused Aquino and his wife of participating in the
molestations of dozens of children enrolled at the Presidio of San
Francisco's child day care center in 1985 and 1986. Police searched
Aquino's home at the time, but he was never charged. The suit says the
messages began on Dec. 2, 1996, and continue today. Meanwhile, ElectriCiti
contends that under the Communications Decency Act, passed by Congress in
1996, the company is not responsible for content posted by a user.
'Jurassic Park' Web Site Hacked
Wired wiseguys re-worked the Web site for the film "The Lost World:
Jurassic Park" this week. Replacing the film's trademark dinosaur logo,
vandals inserted a profile of a prehistoric-looking duck with the title
"The Lost Pond: Jurassic Duck." "As if there was any doubt," says the
Reuter News Service, in a report from Hollywood, "the pranksters left a
one-word calling card: 'hackers.:'" The site, located at
http://www.lost-world.com, was altered sometime Tuesday, says Alan Sutton,
Universal Studios vice president for distribution and marketing, who told
the wire service, "I thought it was amusing."
Sutton said a colleague in New York alerted him to the prank yesterday
morning. Sutton told technicians, who restored the page to its original
appearance, snarling dinosaur and all. He added, "We're taking a closer
look at our firewalls, obviously," referring to computer network security.
The studio has no plans to pursue the pranksters. Says Sutton, "It was just
done in a spirit of fun."
Alleged Cracker Wins Bail
Thirty-six-year-old Carlos Felipe Salgado Jr., accused of collecting
100,000 credit card numbers from a major Internet provider, has won bail on
the condition he not go near a computer. Salgado, known in the computing
underground as "Smak," is accused of inserting a program that gathered the
credit information from a dozen companies selling products over the
Internet. In San Francisco, FBI spokesman George Grotz told Associated
Press writer Richard Cole the suspect was arrested at his parents' home
after trying to sell the information to an undercover agent for $260,000.
AP says that if Salgado is convicted of charges of unauthorized access of
computers and trafficking in stolen credit card numbers, he faces up to 15
years in prison and fines of $500,000.
At yesterday's bail hearing, a federal magistrate released Salgado on a
$100,000 bond. As a condition of bail, says Grotz, "the judge forbids him
to come anywhere near a computer." The FBI alleges Salgado copied the
credit information and was able to encrypt it to be sold. Grotz says that
had Salgado succeeded, "at minimum we'd have 100,000 customers whose
accounts could have been compromised and would not have known it until they
got their bill at the end of the month." AP says technicians for the
unidentified San Diego-based Internet provider discovered the scheme during
maintenance, determining the intruder used a "packet sniffer" program,
which locates blocks of information, such as credit card numbers.
The FBI says it traced the intruder program to Salgado, who was using an
account with the University of California-San Francisco. The school has not
determined whether Salgado attended or worked there or how he got access to
the account. Says AP, "With the cooperation of a civilian computer user
who was in communication with Salgado, the FBI set up its sting. The FBI
first made two small buys from Salgado -- 710 numbers for $710 and later
580 numbers for $2,900, court papers show. Then, on Wednesday, the FBI
agents arranged to meet Salgado at San Francisco International Airport to
pay $260,000 for 100,000 credit card numbers with limits ranging to $25,000
each." The FBI says it has not found any evidence Salgado made any
purchases with the numbers himself.
Japanese Cops Charge Computerist
A 27-year-old computer engineer has been arrested by Tokyo police who
suspect him of replacing public weather charts on the Internet with
pornographic pictures. Koichi Kubojima, a resident of the northern Tokyo
suburb of Fujimi, is the first person in Japan to be arrested for suspected
violation of a 1987 computer vandalism law, a spokesman for Osaka police
TOLD the Reuter News Service. Reuters says Kubojima is accused of taking
over seven web pages of the Osaka-based television network Asahi
Broadcasting Co. last Sunday and replacing five of the seven weather charts
on the pages with pornographic pictures. He also faces charges under
Japan's anti-obscenity laws.
Reuters reports, "Police said Kubojima told investigators he was just
trying to have some fun and tried but failed to delete the pictures when he
learned that his own actions were being reported all over on the Internet.
He used a fake password obtained from a local Internet provider to enter
the website from his personal computer at home, but his operations were
retraced by investigators through phone records kept at the provider firm,
police said." If convicted, Kubojima faces a fine of $8,600 and a prison
term of up to five years under tough penalties adopted in 1992.
Missouri Challenges Net Gambling
An Internet gambling company has been banned from operating in Missouri by
a local judge, but look for the case to end up in federal court. Reporting
from Kansas City, United Press International reports the state judge's
ruling, issued Friday in Jackson County Circuit Court, bars
Pennsylvania-based Interactive Gaming & Communications Corp. from offering
or promoting gambling in Missouri. The company will have to post a message
on its homepage stating that Missouri residents cannot register to gamble.
Judge Stan Murphy also fined the company $66,000, although Interactive
Gaming has refused to pay, the Kansas City Star reports. Notes UPI, "The
Missouri ruling and a similar pending case in Wisconsin are drawing
attention to the growing business of online gambling. Cyber-gambling
companies, some of them based in offshore sites like the Caribbean, make
money by offering online versions of slot machines, roulette wheels and
other casino-style games. Customers send money to set up their own gambling
accounts."
The Interactive Gaming ruling represents the first time an online gambling
company has been sued and stopped in the United States, says Missouri
Attorney General Jay Nixon. But the attorney for Interactive says it isn't
over yet. Lawyer Lawrence Hirsch says he's planning a lawsuit in federal
court to stop regulators who he says are "trying to murder a legitimate
business."
Intel Sues Digital Over Data
Chipmaker Intel Corp. has sued Digital Equipment Corp., alleging the
computer maker has refused to return confidential information. In Santa
Clara, Calif., an Intel spokesman told the Reuter News Service the suit
covers a broad range of Intel technology used not only in Digital
microprocessors, but also in personal computers and other products marketed
by Digital. The suit comes on the heels of Digital's suit against Intel,
alleging Intel's family of Pentium processors violated several technology
patents held by Digital on its Alpha microprocessor line.
Intel said it asked Digital during the past week to return confidential
information pertaining to Intel products it had transferred to Digital over
the past few years. In its suit two weeks ago, Digital claimed Intel's
Pentium family violates patents associated with Digital's Alpha chip, an
advanced microprocessor it has sought unsuccessfully to position as a
mainstream rival to Intel chips.
Says Reuters, "The latest lawsuit is one in a long and twisted lineage of
intellectual property fights that have divided the highly competitive
microprocessor industry. For example, Advanced Micro Devices Inc., among
others, waged battle against Intel earlier in the decade in a successful
effort to win the right to make Intel-compatible microprocessors."
FBI Urged to Attack Valley Thefts
Silicon Valley business and political leaders want the FBI to step up its
investigations of a boom in thefts and espionage in the technology-rich
area. A letter from the region's bipartisan congressional delegation urges
FBI Director Louis Freeh to upgrade San Jose's satellite office, currently
under San Francisco headquarters, to a full bureau and increase its staff,
according to Associated Press writer Richard Cole. Locals say their losses
to crooks are staggering. AP quotes insurance companies as estimating
Silicon Valley companies lose $1 million a week to theft, both by outsiders
and employees. In a statement, the American Electronics Association says
that worldwide, in the $800 billion computer industry, "it would seem
reasonable to place theft losses in the billions of dollars."
AP says last year's major sting operation "has all but stopped the
invasion-style robberies, often by Southeast Asian gangs, who raided
Silicon Valley computer chip warehouses and manufacturers." However, the
wire service observes, the thieves simply changed tactics. Sgt. Don
Brister, head of the San Jose Police Department's high-tech squad, told the
wire service the gangs now are more likely to track and break into delivery
vans, making off with $50,000 to $100,000 in chips or computer parts at a
time. The FBI Computer Crimes Division estimates the average cost of each
high-tech theft at $500,000. The record is a $12 million 1995 armed
invasion of Centron Electronics in Irvine, Calif.
Internet Bomb Injures Teen
A bomb built reportedly from a recipe found on the Internet has injured a
teen-ager in Helsinki, Finland. Two 16-year-olds may face charges over the
explosion, Finland's second "Internet bomb" in a week. According to the
Reuter News Service, no one else was hurt in the blast, but about 60 people
were evacuated from the building in a northern Helsinki suburb. One of the
boys told authorities he watched as his friend's fingers were almost blown
off while he was manipulating a small quantity of the explosive cocktail.
He said he had not understood how dangerous the chemicals were. "The thing
is," said police commissioner Olli Koski, "they were using materials which
are freely available," referring to the household items that are listed on
several Internet sites alongside their chemical names and a list of recipes
for explosive devices.
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
LEXMARK OPTRA C
COLOR
LASER PRINTER
For a limited time only; If you wish to have a FREE sample printout sent to
you that demonstrates LEXMARK Optra C SUPERIOR QUALITY 600 dpi Laser Color
Output, please send a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope [SASE] (business
sized envelope please) to:
STReport's LEXMARK Printout Offer
P.O. Box 6672
Jacksonville, Florida 32205-6155
Folks, the LEXMARK Optra C has to be the very best yet in its price range.
It is far superior to anything we've seen or used as of yet. It is said
that ONE Picture is worth a thousand words. The out put from the Lexmark
Optra C is worth ten thousand words! Send for the free sample now. (For a
sample that's suitable for framing, see below) Guaranteed. you will be
amazed at the superb quality. (Please.. allow at least a two week turn-
around).
If you would like a sample printout that's suitable for framing. Yes
that's right! Suitable for Framing. Order this package. It'll be on
special stock and be of superb quality. We obtained a mint copy of a 1927
COLOR ENGRAVER'S YEAR BOOK. Our Scanner is doing "double duty"! The
results will absolutely blow you away. If you want this high quality
sample package please include a check or money order in the amount of $6.95
(Costs only) Please, make checks or money orders payable to; Ralph Mariano.
Be sure to include your full return address and telephone number . The
sample will be sent to you protected, not folded in a 9x12 envelope. Don't
hesitate.. you will not be disappointed. This "stuff" is gorgeous!
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
Shareware Treasure Chest STR Feature "The Latest & Greatest"
Shareware Treasure Chest
By Lloyd E. Pulley
lepulley@streport.com
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
AOL Instant Messenger 32-bit beta 5/23/97 1.50mb Free
AOL Instant Messenger is for anyone who wants to communicate "instantly"
with friends, family and business colleagues, on the Internet and AOL,
anywhere in the world. AOL Instant Messenger combines AOL's popular Buddy
List and Instant Message features. The Instant Message feature lets users
send and respond to messages immediately while the Buddy List feature lets
users know instantly when friends are online. Previously only available to
its 8 million members, AOL is now delivering these features to Internet
users worldwide.
Home Page Site - http://www.aol.com/buddylist/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
CU-SeeMe 32-bit 3.0 Official Release 5/23/97 5.80mb Shareware
$49
Enhanced CU-SeeMe is desktop videoconferencing software for use over the
Internet. Currently, it's one of the most popular. This new version
features:
*TCP/IP multicast support for LAN/WAN conferencing
*New Phone Book with Graphical Contact Cards
*Directory Services for locating other CU-SeeMe users
*Whiteboard and Chat for multiuser collaboration during conferences
*View up to 12 participant windows simultaneously
*Caller ID for incoming connections
*Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) video codec for high quality video over LANS and
ISDN or higher
connections
Home Page Site - http://www.cuseeme.com/cu-seeme.html
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Iron Wolves 1.20 for Win95 5/23/97 .66mb Free
Iron Wolves is a graphical 3D multiplayer real-time WWII Submarine
simulator. Currently in Free test Iron Wolves is a developing naval sim in
which you will be able to command a U-Boat, Corvette, Destroyer or
Merchantman. Requires DirectX
Home Page Site - http://www.on-line.co.uk/iw.html
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Resumeware 3.1 5/23/97 1,448kb Demo $29.95
This appplication will get you noticed with HR! Our shareware version
illustrates how easy it can be to have a Windowed startup screen with a
classical wave file playing background music that will compact to a Single
3.5 Floppy Diskette for distribution (396KB)! When the program has loaded a
Word Document Icon that contains your latest resume appears and requires
only a double click.This will carry HR off to your latest Up To The Minute
Resume! You may edit your Resume at any time and the startup screen will
remain the same! Pack it to a 3.5 Floppy Diskette or send it via email to
some major online corporations!
Home Page Site - http://www.gntech.net/media/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Small Utility Pack 1.31 5/23/97 342kb Shareware $20.00
A software package of many useful utilities. There are tools to increase
your productivity and potentiality.
Home Page Site - http://www.zdev.pair.com/utilpack/\
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
WorldView for Internet Explorer 2.0 5/23/97 6,394kb Freeware
WorldView for Netscape Navigator 2.0 5/23/97 6,335kb Freeware
A highly optimized VRML 2.0 compatible plug-in for Microsoft Internet
Explorer or Netscape Navigator. WorldView is the best way for you to
experience 3D worlds on the Internet, Intranet, or your own desktop.
Intervista Software provides WorldView 2.0 free of charge, so if you've got
Windows '95, just download and enjoy.
Home Page Site - http://www.intervista.com/products/worldview/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Magic Mail Monitor 2.1 5/22/97 40kb Freeware
Post Office Protocol v3 compliant e-mail notifier, ideal for multiple
account maintenance, convenient to handle and very descriptive. The latest
added features include quick delete and many, many more.
Home Page Site -
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Vista/2576/magic.html
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Pile'em 1.5 5/22/97 595kb Shareware $5.00
Rendered Graphics, music, sound and alot of fun, clear the grid of
coloured balls before the time runs out. Collect bonus points, explode
crusing flower pots but look out for the Time Stealer, Diamonds awarded for
mega piles, mega piles mean mega point, 99 levels of play, fast paced, this
game will keep you on your toes, full documentation included.
Home Page Site - http://members.aol.com/paulcraw/index.html
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
PrimaSoft Address Organizer 2.0 5/23/97 2,335kb Shareware $33.00
A powerful and flexible program that will help you organize your personal
or business addresses, emails, phones, web pages,.. Data entry is easy, and
you can customize the fields to fit your particular needs (some fields
include: first & last name, company, email, phones, web page, category,
notes, ...). Features: Unlimited number of records; Graphical fields;
Flexible sorting; Powerful reports; Printing labels, envelopes; Print
preview; Flexible filters; Custom fields; Customizable display; Dialing;
Integration with email program & web browser; and more. Graphical binder
style of the program, button bars, bubble help make the program easy-to-
use.
Home Page Site - http://www.primasoft.com/ado.htm
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
WinDownload 32-bit 3.4 5/24/97 1.00mb Shareware $20
WinDownload is a great utility that lets you schedule the download of
selected files. WinDownload is a 32 bit, multi-thread application which can
maximize bandwidth on any size pipe. Drag and drop a shortcut from Internet
Explorer or Netscape and keep browsing. You can download the files on
demand or schedule them to download anytime you want. Copy and paste a
valid URL from any file or copy shortcut from your browser or add a new URL
manually.
Home Page Site - http://mason.gmu.edu/~rmcclana/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Private Music Collection 1.21 5/23/97 979kb Shareware
A music database that is developed for use at home. You can keep track on
all information you want to. Up to the songs on an album and it's producer
or composer. This new version has some added features like reading the
track information from the CD and opening the database by putting it's path
as parameters in the command line. This way you can make an icon that
directly opens your own database.
Home Page Site -
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Netscape Communicator 32-bit 4.0 beta 5 5/24/97 13.59mb Free
The newest version of Netscape Communicator. Enhanced visual appearance
and user interface, Taskbar that enables easy access to Communicator
components and much more.
Home Page Site - http://www.netscape.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Coin Organizer 2.0 5/23/97 2,320kb Shareware $33.00
A powerful and flexible program that will help you organize your coin
collection. It has all the features that you have been asking for:
Unlimited Number of Records; Graphical Data Field for scanned-in images;
Flexible Sorting and Searching; Powerful Reports; Printing Labels; Print
Preview; Flexible Filters; and more.
Home Page Site - http://www.primasoft.com/coo.htm
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Adr_Book 5.0 5/23/97 989kb Shareware $24.95
An address book database program and phone dialer for Windows 95. This
program prints a 1/4 size address booklet, labels, envelopes, and serveral
reports. Adr_Book 5.0 now has a web server built into the software. This
means that Adr_Book is Internet aware, and can be accessed by any browser
on an Intranet or Internet. A browser connection can query, add, update,
and delete records. Whether you use the program as a traditional address
book, or open it to the web it is an extremely fast and efficient program.
Home Page Site - http://www.alaska.net/~mikeg/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Book Organizer 2.0 5/22/97 2,220kb Shareware $33.00
A powerful and flexible program that will help you organize your book
collection. It has all the features that you have been asking for:
Unlimited Number of Records; Graphical Data Field for scanned-in images;
Flexible Sorting; Powerful Reports; Printing Labels; Print Preview;
Flexible Filters; Custom Fields; Customizable Display, and more.
Home Page Site - http://www.primasoft.com/bko.htm
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
EmEditor Free 1.20 5/23/97 263kb Freeware
A simple text editor for general use instead of Notepad.
Win95/NT3.51/NT4.0. Unlimited size of files, Undo/Redo counts are
unlimited. Word wraps, auto wraps, no wrap words, hilite words. Link URLs
and mail addresses. Drag and drop. Keyboard, toolbar, font, color
customization. Can split into maximum of 4 panes. Double byte character
aware. IntelliMouse aware.
Home Page Site - http://www.emsoft.co.jp/index-e.htm
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
McAfee Virus Scan Monthly Update 5/22/97 1,060kb Freeware
This is the May update for Mcafee VirusScan version 3.0. Note: This will
not work with earlier versions of VirusScan.
Home Page Site - http://www.mcafee.com/down/dat.html
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Alien 3-D 2: Rebel's Revenge 1.1 5/24/97 2,596kb Freeware
A game unlike any other, the best way to explain is to try it, also
includes multiplayer support.
Home Page Site -
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/members/james.pickering/alien3-d 2.html
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
TheBook 1.1 5/25/97 817kb Freeware
A small, fast, intelligent Windows95/NT4 address book. It is designed to
be light on hard drive space and memory, yet contain all the features a
person should need. It includes TAPI telephone dialing, shell link
email/URL browsing, complete name, company and address fields, 6 phone
fields, 2 email and 2 URL fields, notes, minimize to tray support,
comma/tab seperated value import and export, searching and sorting on any
field, window and column size saving, and quickfind addressing along with a
wealth of other features.
Home Page Site - http://www.sonic.net/~tengel/thebook/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Personal Stock Moniter 32-bit 2.0.5 5/26/97 1.30mb Shareware
$25
Personal Stock Moniter runs in the background and at user defined
intervals checks the current price on selected stocks. It also has an alarm
feature to notify you if for example a stock reaches a new high, etc.
Home Page Site - http://www.clark.net/pub/aivasyuk/psm/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Direct Audio Player 32-bit 2.4 5/26/97 1.00mb Free
DirectAudio Player is a WAV, AU and GSM6.10 audio player for Windows. It
will play any Microsoft WAV file formats, Sun/Next .AU (8000 Hz/ 8bits "mu"
law encoded) files, and can also receive, expand and play GSM6.10 encoded
files in real time from any HTTP/1.0 (WWW) server on the Internet. GSM 6.10
is a lossy speech compression standard that has been developped for
cellular telephony applications. It is widely used in Europe and in over 60
countries over the world as the algorithm used for digitalisation of speech
for digital cellular telephony. This version also supports TrueSpeech
files.
Home Page Site - http://www.cam.org/~noelbou/gsm_wine.html
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
June '97 definition update for Norton AntiVirus 5/26/97 1.20mb Free
This file is a complete replacement for any previous definitions set for
all of the Norton AntiVirus products. The product list includes Norton
AntiVirus 3.0 (DOS/Win 3.1), Norton AntiVirus for Windows 95, Norton
AntiVirus Scanner for Windows NT, and Norton AntiVirus for NetWare 1.0 and
2.0.
Home Page Site - http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/index.html
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Thumbs Plus 32-bit 3.0g beta 5/27/97 2.60mb Shareware $65
ThumbsPlus is a graphic file viewer, locator and organizer which
simplifies the process of finding and maintaining graphics, clip-art files,
fonts and animations. It displays a small image (thumbnail) of each file.
You can use ThumbsPlus to browse, view, edit, crop, launch external
editors, and copy images to the clipboard. You can use drag-and-drop to
organize graphics files by moving them to appropriate directories.
ThumbsPlus will also create a slide show from selected graphics, and
install bitmap files as Windows wallpaper. You can print individual
graphics files, or the thumbnails themselves as a catalog. ThumbsPlus can
convert to several formats, either one at a time or in batch mode. You can
also perform image editing in batch mode. ThumbsPlus will also convert
metafile graphics to bitmaps (rasterize). One important new feature in 3.0g
is the ablity to generate Web pages of thumbnails.
Home Page Site - http://www.cerious.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Where Is it? 0.90.2 5/26/97 725kb Shareware $30.00
The latest in 32-bit Windows software, targeted on disk media cataloging.
Successor to outdated Floppy Master, WhereIsIt? extends its capabilities,
featuring full 32-bit, multithreaded coding, explorer-like user interface
and extensive search capabilities, while retaining small, compact and
easily relocatable catalogs. Detailed, easy to access info on every item in
the database, each with up to 4kB description and user defined categories
and flags, can mark the content of files and folders. User list is a place
where all items of interest can be gathered in one place, and report
generator is a very adjustable tool to produce reports in many different
ways, taking data from three different sources. This program is currently
released as pre-release, gathering user feedback and polishing up some last
final features.
Home Page Site - http://www.s-sser.lj.edus.si/robert/whereisit.html
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
PassWords Plus 32-bit 2.1a 5/27/97 1.10mb Shareware $5
Passwords Plus allows an unlimited number of users to each keep an
individual password-protected list of their passwords. Names and passwords
may be pasted into other applications using the standard Windows clipboard.
Passwords lists may be browsed and printed.
Home Page Site - http://www.dlcwest.com/~sorev/passplus.html
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Digital Business Card 7.0 5/26/97 7kb Freeware
A Single Click Digital Business Card featuring an animated slideshow with
background music and special effects to distribute freely to potential
clients. Insert your business or personal documents into our main startup
window. When you return after saving your work, your information remains!
Home Page Site - http://www.gntech.net/media/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
AutoWinNet 95 32-bit 2.5 5/27/97 2.0mb Shareware $29.95
Automated Internet for Windows95/NT. Allows scheduling common tasks for
unattended operation. Upgrades himself automatically, plus supports 30
steps, including FTP: retries busy sites, wildcard download and upload,
make/remove remote files and directories, plus customized logins. Email:
Sends mail with an advanced, feature packed editor, unlimited multiple
mailboxes, mailing lists, checks mail, or cleanup your mailbox. Auto-
Responder: Checks and responds to email, allowing custom variables and
attachments. WWW: Grab Html/binary files, local forecast, fetch 21 weather
maps, then view them with our internal graphics viewer. News: Binary usenet
posting with wildcards.
Home Page Site - http://www.webcom.com/autownet/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Gone Bowlin' 95 League Bowler Companion 5.0 5/25/97 990kb Shareware
$19.95
The perfect individual bowling statistician. Stats, graphs, and records
galore. Graphs show weekly series, running average, average by ball, by
lanes, by lane condition, by month, plus tons more! Requires the VB 4.0
Runtimes.
Home Page Site - http://members.aol.com/gbw95/index.html
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Schedule Wizard97 32-bit 1.3i 5/27/97 .76mb Shareware $25
Schedule Wizard allows you to schedule programs to run, schedule messages
to pop-up, keep a list of dated reminders or appointments, and keep a to do
list. Scheduling can be done with many variations including advanced
warnings and alarms, and most importantly, it can be done with ease!
Home Page Site - http://www.net1fx.com/ScheduleWizard/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
The Virtual Bar 2.0 5/26/97 1,876kb Shareware $30.00
Gives home and professional bartenders easy access to a database of more
than 3,100 drink recipes. You can search the database alphabetically, by
recipe ingredient, perform searches by name or generate a random list of
recipes. Turn on Your Virtual Bar and you'll see the real power of the
program. Simply enter the ingredients you have on hand and let the program
generate a list of only the drinks you can make! The ultimate party
companion.
Home Page Site - http://www.thevirtualbar.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Super Ice Qube Hopper 1.4 5/25/97 3,179kb Shareware $19.00
Classic Arcade Style game based upon Q*Bert in a 90's environment. Hop
from Qube to Qube cracking them while avoiding Snow Balls, Snow Men, and
Seals! Digital Voice, Digital Sound, High Resolution Graphics using
DirectX. Many screens, and construction set to make your own levels! Now
supports Force-Feedback Joysticks and Password Registration.
Requires DirectX 3.0 or higher.
Home Page Site - http://www.sgnstarline.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
X-Replace 32-bit 1.75 5/28/97 .48mb Shareware
XReplace-32 is designed to provide a secure and fast replacement of text
in text files (like .INI or .HTM). You can select as many files you like
that are accessible from your computer. You can replace a virtually
infinite number of strings at the same time. This new version features
redirections. Yes, you can redirect a file, a directory, a drive to
different locations, so replacements are made and files are written to the
target redirections with a different name (if you wish).
Home Page Site - http://www.infomaniak.ch/~dblock/xreplace.htm
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Klondike Deluxe 2.0 5/26/97 996kb Shareware $15.00
This is a Klondike Card game with the possibility to make your own
cardsets. The game is made for 32000 colors and higher. It supports drag n'
drop, background color changing, a midi play list and more.
Home Page Site - http://www.cybercomm.nl/~reko1/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Eudora Pro 32-bit 3.0.2 5/28/97 4.20mb Shareware
One of the best email clients around. It features:
*Enhanced message filtering
*Multiple e-mail accounts
*Plug-ins
*Stylized text
*"Drag and Drop" support and almost everything else you can think off.
This file is just the update to 3.0.2. You need a previous version already
installed to use it.
Home Page Site - http://www.eudora.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
1-Step Backup System Agent Extension Beta 2 5/28/97 14kb Freeware
Allows you to schedule backups using System Agent and Iomega 1-Step
Backup for Zip and Jaz. Once installed, you can schedule backups easily
using the familiar System Agent component of Microsoft Plus. Just put your
backup disk in your Zip or Jaz, set the time you want the backup to occur,
and your computer does the rest. (You must make the first backup manually
to set the options in the Iomega 1-Step Backup program).
Home Page Site - http://www.emeraldis.com/rsc/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
The Joke Collector 1.4 5/26/97 1,623kb Shareware $20.00
Enables you to easily store and view jokes using a category filing
system, where you use joke categories to keep track of the jokes you
collect. The Joke Collector features: Easy category selection using
notebook style tabs; Ability to quickly scroll through jokes; Rich Text
Formatting of jokes; Random joke viewing; Search facilities to find
suitable jokes; Joke editing facilities. Plus, as a bonus, I have included
my collection of over 260 jokes, so that you can quickly get your joke
collection started.
Home Page Site -
http://matu1.math.auckland.ac.nz/~emms/atfuros/joke_collector.htm
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
CRT 32-bit 2.0 beta 6 5/28/97 .97mb Shareware $30
CRT is a 32-bit terminal emulator designed for Internet and intranet use
with support for both the telnet and rlogin protocols. CRT is ideal for
connecting to remote systems running UNIX and VMS as well as the many BBS's
and databases that are now available via the Internet. CRT delivers quality
VT100, VT102, VT220 and ANSI terminal emulations. All of CRT's emulations
support ANSI color. CRT is packed with features. Some of the more popular
features include named sessions, auto login, printing, zmodem file
transfer, emacs mode, and SOCKS firewall support.
Home Page Site - http://www.vandyke.com/products/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Neko95 2.5 5/24/97 185kb Freeware
Neko is a little cat who sits on the desktop and chases the mouse
pointer. This version contains a bug-fixed configuration program and also
has support for sounds!
Home Page Site - http://www.uea.ac.uk/~u9530134/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
BackBround Changer - o - Matic 1.5 5/26/97 131kb Shareware $5.00
A program for managing your desktop wallpapers. Changes your Wallpaper
from your specified list. Changes your Wallpaper in your specified range of
time. Changes your Wallpaper minimized from the Icon tray. Changes your
Wallpaper in full 32 Code.
Home Page Site - http://www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/6696/bgc.htm
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
MileMarker 2.00.23 5/26/97 1,787kb Shareware $20.00
Allows you to easily track and report your reimbursable travel mileage.
MileMarker's intelligence and easy-to-use interface make entering your
trips fast and accurate. MileMarker remembers where you've been... You
never have to re-type locations you visit often. And MileMarker remembers
the distance between locations, so you rarely have to enter odometer
readings... MileMarker does it for you! Simply point-and-click to enter
your trips. MileMarker generates easy-to-read mileage reports you can
submit to your employer for reimbursement. This one-of-a-kind program is
perfect for employees who use their own vehicle for company business.
Home Page Site - http://www.emeraldis.com/rsc/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
WebSnake 32-bit 1.0 beta 3 5/29/97 1.70mb Shareware
Anawave WebSnake is a new off-line browser designed exclusively for
Windows 95/NT. In addition to off-line browsing, WebSnake is unique in that
it uses proprietary "intelligent pull" technology to search and retrieve
files from the World Wide Web. For example, WebSnake supports website
mirroring (including directory structure), retrieval of e-mail addresses,
site maps and advanced file search.
Home Page Site - http://www.anawave.com/websnake/index.html
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
MultiPlay '97 2.0 5/28/97 1,796kb Freeware
A 32-bit multimedia file player forWindows 95 and NT. Unlike the Media
Player, which requires you to manually select, open, and play each file,
MultiPlay requires only a single clickto open and play a file
automatically, and has built-in play list support. Supported file
typesinclude AVI, MIDI, MPEG, and WAV formats.
Home Page Site - http://home1.gte.net/jones/multiplay/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
System Editor 1.0 5/27/97 3,300kb Freeware
You've heard of the System Configuror that Windows gives you? Well I've
made an application that will let you customize your session and let you
decide which files should be loaded at start up. Plus, this application has
a user profile system similar to the one that Windows 95 gives you. Also,
this has backup and restore features.
Home Page Site - http://www.geocities.com/~jon999/syseditor/index.html
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Need for Speed 2 for Win95 5/29/97 17.00mb Commercial Demo
The second installment of EA's popular racing game. This version
features: The most exotic cars on the planet. Eight licensed, supercar and
concept machines.
*Full 3-D World: 50% more polygon detail means richer environments.
*Improved driving freedom: Full 360 degree POV.
Drive off road, stay in-car at all times, drive backwards on every
track.
*Six International Tracks: Exotic machines demand exotic tarmac.
We searched the world for the most demanding roads and mapped them onto
the game
NotesDirectX required to play.
Home Page Site - http://www.nfs2.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
AntiHack File Protector 2.0 5/28/97 156kb Shareware $80.00
As The Hackers go down to crack some AntiHack Files, finally they've done
a good job. They've succeeded of obtaining the password of an AntiHack
file. OK! That's not a problem, just upgrade all of your files which you've
protected with AntiHack v1.0, because some hackers can hack them. Protect
your files again with AntiHack v2.0 with powerful system security from
VisuaLand Technology. Don't worry anymore because this new system has a
high level security protection for your important files. AntiHack v2.0
Shareware version is a decendant of registered AntiHack, it has several new
technique of data protection.
Home Page Site - http://www.visualand.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
WinGate Pro 32-bit 2.0c 5/29/97 1.12mb Shareware
1 user=free 2 or more=$
Connect an entire LAN to the Internet with only one modem!WinGate allows
you to connect many LAN users to the Internet over a single dial-up link.
You can run your favourite WWW Browsers, email, news, FTP, Telnet, and
more, without the expense of setting up routers, or installing and running
additional phone lines. Most important though, WinGate can save you a lot
of time and money, and simplify the management of your Internet access.
Home Page Site - http://www.deerfield.com/wingate/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Rally Racers 1.0 5/28/97 2,902kb Shareware $19.95
An arcade racing challenge where you try to reclaim your ten flags
scattered across dozens of maze like race tracks. Sounds reasonable? Did we
mention there are a couple of road hazards on each track, you have only one
tank full of gas, and there are a couple of mean enemy car drivers on the
track that will do anything to stop you. But don't feel like it's all
against you cause there several bonus tracks and plenty of great graphics
and music scores for everyone. This arcade strategy race game is guaranteed
hours of thrills.
Home Page Site - http://www.tccons.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
WS-FTP 32-bit 4.50 build 97.05.17 5/29/97 .59mb Shareware
Designed for non-programmers but sophisticated enough for power users,
WS_FTP is widely recognized as the fastest, most powerful Windows file
transfer client application available. WS_FTP takes full advantage of
Windows' point-and-click capabilities. Its highly intuitive graphical user
interface with side-by-side directory windows for local and remote sites
makes it easy for users to select and transfer files.
Home Page Site - http://www.csra.net/junodj/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
bravo! 5.10 5/29/97 1,103kb Shareware $22.00
A trigonometric and scientific RPN calculator. Mathematic - Solution of
triangles - Complex numbers and vectors calculations - Measure converter:
112 different measures grouped in 12 categories - 8 stac-registers that may
be seen in a separate window. A must for every family! Absolutly necessary
for students and workers.
Home Page Site - http://www.freeyellow.com/members/lis/index.html
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Net.Medic 32-bit 1.1 5/29/97 1.00mb Shareware $39.95
Net.Medic is a browser companion, it works with your Internet browser to
monitor, isolate, diagnose, and correct problems that affect your Internet
experience. Now you can identify the source of your network bottleneck:
your PC, modem, your Internet Service Provider (ISP), the Internet
backbone, or remote Web site server. Net.Medic identifies problems in split
seconds, offers you recommendations for solving them, and in certain cases,
automatically fixes them for you. Net.Medic is the personal Internet
utility you've been waiting for, giving you actionable information that can
measurably improve your personal online experience. Before Net.Medic, you
could only talk about your frustration. Now you can do something about it.
Home Page Site - http://www.vitalsigns.com/
EDUPAGE STR Focus Keeping the users informed
Edupage
Contents
Apple's Newton Unit Seeking Investors
Internet Thief Apprehended
Advertisers, Privacy Advocates Debate Cookies
Higher Ed CIOs Come In All Sizes
Faster Modems Put ISPs In Lose-Lose Situation
Business Software Alliance Focuses On Florida
Cable Ads, By Special Delivery
Apple's Yellow Box
Resource Center For Cyberculture
IRS Gives Technology Another Try
More Schools Join Internet 2 Effort
What Is Possession Of Porn?
AT&T WorldNet Security Breach Is A Hoax
Low-Cost Log-Ons Overseas
Who's More Wired?
Digital VHS Due Out Soon
Weeding Out Info-Junk
FCC's Reed Hundt To Step Down
AT&T, SBC Discussing Mega-Merger
The Empire Strikes Back -- Intel Sues Digital
Individual Unloads Freeloader
Year 2000 Problem Will Cost EDS $144 Million
Microsoft-DirecTV Venture On Hold
Where Do You Put 100,000 Cell Phone Towers?
When E-Mail Slows To A Snail's Pace
Sega-Bandai Deal Called Off
APPLE'S NEWTON UNIT SEEKING INVESTORS
Apple Computer will restructure its Newton division into a wholly owned
subsidiary, able to attract outside investors and possibly go public. The
new company will have its own stock shares and board of directors. "Apple
was looking at several alternatives, but the conclusion was that the best
solution was to make it a free- standing company funded by Apple Computer,"
says an Apple VP. The company had sought to sell the unit outright, but
couldn't find anyone willing to pay the $50 million to $100 million price.
The new arrangement will give Apple the flexibility to spin off the new
company to shareholders, or bring it back inside the fold, should the
Newton become more successful. "This allows us to distance ourselves from
Apple. That had been a big problem for us. We spent a majority of our
time explaining to people that the Newton wasn't a little Macintosh," says
a Newton team member. (Wall Street Journal 23 May 97)
INTERNET THIEF APPREHENDED
A computer cracker who broke into a San Diego Internet service provider's
computer and stole 100,000 credit card numbers has been nabbed. The thief
used a "packet sniffer" program to gather the information from a dozen
companies selling products over the Internet, and was arrested as he tried
to peddle them to an undercover FBI agent for $260,000. "What is unique
about this case is that this individual was able to hack into this third
party, copy this information and encrypt it to be sold," says a Bureau
spokesman. The cracker was using an account at the University of
California at San Francisco, although authorities have not determined
whether he is affiliated with the university. (New York Times 23 May 97)
ADVERTISERS, PRIVACY ADVOCATES DEBATE COOKIES
A recent proposal by the Internet Engineering Task Force would make it
easier to control the use of "cookies" -- the technology that tracks a
user's clicks through a Web site -- by changing the default setting for
"third-party cookies." "The proposal will allow users to exercise greater
control over the creation and collection of personal information resulting
from transactions between we clients and web servers," say supporters in a
letter. Rumors of some Web sites sharing information -- for instance,
information given as part of a financial transaction combined with other
information collected by cookies -- have heightened fears of privacy
invasion, as the cross- referencing of this information could allow a
company to match up an individual's virtual persona with his or her real
identity. The IETF proposal would change the specifications for third
party cookies to direct the browser not to accept the cookie. The
Association of Online Professionals has come out against the proposal,
citing potential loss of services from online providers who rely on cookies
for passwords, preferences and other tasks; loss of a major method used to
assess the success of Web advertising; and loss of "hundreds of thousands
of man-hours for reprogramming Web sites." (BNA Daily Report for
Executives 23 May 97)
HIGHER ED CIOs COME IN ALL SIZES
"The three major problems that confront higher education today are quality,
costs and access," says Educom President Robert C. Heterick, Jr.
"Institutions that are trying to improve in those areas are invariably
looking to information technology." Meanwhile, Peter Segall, a partner in
Coopers & Lybrand's higher education consulting group, points out that
these information technology needs vary by institutional size, making the
academic CIO's role flexible: "You can't be a chief of anything at (large
research institutions) because they are feudal empires. Decision making
is decentralized to the local level where each dean runs the show." Mid-
sized universities with budgets ranging from $25 million to $200 million
are more manageable, while smaller colleges allow a CIO to have the most
influence: "Those CIOs have an easier time dictating technology decisions
because there's more acceptance of centralized control, particularly when
it comes to administrative computing," says Segall. (CIO 15 May 97)
FASTER MODEMS PUT ISPs IN LOSE-LOSE SITUATION
Internet service providers, struggling to make ends meet in a flat rate
environment, find themselves under even more pressure now that some
customers are investing in the new 56-kbps modems. The fact that it could
cost an ISP millions of dollars to upgrade their technology and access
equipment is bad enough, but because industry standards haven't yet been
set and probably won't be for another 18 months, providers that upgrade now
run the risk of having to spend even more down the road. The confusion
stems from the arrival of two separate and so far incompatible 56-kbps
modem technologies -- X2 from U.S. Robotics and K56flex from Lucent
Technologies and Rockwell International. "Most ISPs find they're in one
camp or another because of the access equipment deployed throughout their
networks," says a director at Pacific Bell Internet Services. "Is anybody
really going to put two sets of equipment out there? The economics of that
don't make a lot of sense." (tele.com May 97)
BUSINESS SOFTWARE ALLIANCE FOCUSES ON FLORIDA
The Business Software Alliance is targeting Florida as a major area for
software piracy: "We've noticed a disproportionate number of our hot line
calls are coming from Florida," says a BSA enforcement director. He cites
Florida's growing economy -- fueled primarily by small and mid-sized
companies, which are more susceptible to piracy -- and the state's
proximity to Latin America and the Caribbean as reasons for the problem.
Twenty-four Florida companies are currently under investigation, and the
BSA recently sent 50,000 smaller businesses in the state letters
describing their intent to track down and prosecute users of unlicensed
software. (St. Petersburg Times 25 May 97)
CABLE ADS, BY SPECIAL DELIVERY
Cable company advertisers are slicing and dicing cable viewers - targeting
their ads to more narrowly defined market segments. New digital ad
insertion technology from SeaChange International Inc. puts the ads into
digital form and then enables cable operators to run dozens of ads
simultaneously -- for instance, a couple in Chicago's swanky suburbs might
see a commercial for a nearby bakery, while downtown viewers would see an
ad for a local rib joint. The best part is, the cable company can sell the
same space over and over. (Business Week 26 May 97)
APPLE'S YELLOW BOX
Apple Computer is working on a development environment called Yellow Box,
an evolution of the OpenStep environment. The plan is to enable programs
written using Yellow Box to run on five desktop platforms: PowerPC,
Intel, MacOS, Windows 95 and Windows NT. (Information Week 19 May 97)
RESOURCE CENTER FOR CYBERCULTURE
A University of Maryland graduate student has developed a Web site that
serves as a networking center for academics dealing with cybercultural
issues. The Resource Center for Cyberculture Studies has a variety of
areas for teachers to explore, including an area where they can post
information on their classes or areas of study. Professors from other
institutions have found the site useful: "It's a good filter. The stuff
I've seen there is helpful," says a professor at the University of
Virginia. "One of the big challenges here is fighting link rot," he adds.
(Wired News 14 May 97) http://otal.umd.edu/~rccs
IRS GIVES TECHNOLOGY ANOTHER TRY
The IRS is endeavoring once again to modernize its aging computer system,
after the Treasury Department last year put a stop to a 10-year, $3.3-
billion Tax Systems Modernization program that turned out to be a bust.
The IRS admitted it had wasted $400-million over the last decade on the
failed effort. The new plan, which won't go into effect until October
1998, is expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars and could take
several years to complete. "This is the world's largest modernization of
all time; there is no question about that," says the IRS's assistant
commissioner in charge of technology. This time around, the agency plans
to ask private business to help it develop a "real world" information
system in increments, instead of having government staff design systems
that just weren't realistic. (Tampa Tribune 26 May 97)
MORE SCHOOLS JOIN INTERNET 2 EFFORT
Thirty-five more colleges and universities have signed on to participate in
the National Science Foundation's Internet 2 project, bringing the total
number of schools involved to 64. "We are now more than half of the way
to our goal of connecting the top 100 research institutions," says National
Science Foundation official Mark Luker, who coordinates NSF's vBNS
program. IBM pledged last week to donate $3.5 million to the project's
funding, in addition to the $12.3 million in federal grants for the 35
institutions. The Internet 2 project's goal is to create a network 100
times faster than the Internet that will be available for a variety of
academic and research purposes. (Chronicle of Higher Education 30 May 97)
WHAT IS POSSESSION OF PORN?
The Ontario Provincial Police anti-pornography unit says possession of
computer pornography occurs when an image is saved on a computer's hard
drive or diskette. A University of Waterloo computer science professor
notes, however, that most people have no idea what the software on their
computer can do. A McMaster University science professor points out that
anyone surfing the net who takes a peek just to satisfy their curiosity
may find their computer has made a copy of the illegal picture and stored
it indefinitely on the hard drive. Assistant Crown Attorney Denis Allan
says the courts have not yet addressed the issue of whether a person is
guilty of possession of illegal pornography if the images were loaded onto
the hard drive by the software and stored without the person's knowledge.
(Toronto Globe & Mail 26 May 97)
AT&T WORLDNET SECURITY BREACH IS A HOAX
The Georgia-based computer software engineer who previously told PC World
Online that he and a colleague had collected Internet packet data using a
"sniffer" program, now says he later discovered that his associate
hadgathered the data from hard disks on a LAN, not on the open Internet.
"It appears that there is no hole in the security on the WorldNet service.
The two gentlemen who were doing the network 'sniffing' misled me as to
where the data was coming from. To reach the WorldNet account page, they
had to be on the AT&T side of the security wall. This did not happen. I
was led to believe that they had hacked into the AT&T network and were
getting 'live' data streaming across the network. The data we captured was
not from users on the system that night. It was a ruse," he said in a
letter to AT&T. "By all indications, the security of the AT&T WorldNet
service was not compromised," says an AT&T WorldNet spokesman. (PC World
News Radio 23 May 97)
LOW-COST LOG-ONS OVERSEAS
Two innovative companies, AimQuest Corp. ( www.aimsoft.com ) and i-Pass
Alliance ( www.ipass.com ) now are offering worldwide Internet access to
global travelers through local Internet service providers. They use the
same type of network that allows automated teller machines to dispense cash
in foreign countries. No matter where you are, access time averages less
than $5 an hour. "Small companies have the least cushion for absorbing
the kind of expenses associated with international travel," says an
AimQuest spokesman. "We let users go with a local or regional provider
and still have access to the world." No special software is needed, but
your local ISP needs to sign up with one of the companies to offer the
service. (Home Office Computing May 97)
WHO'S MORE WIRED?
Although research indicates that the United States has more computer users
than any other country, a University of Guelph computer scientist re-
processed figures published by Web research company Morgan Stanley and
found that Canada beats the U.S. by a country mile. While the U.S. boasts
28,470 networks linked to the Internet and Canada has only 4,796, this
translates to 114 networks per 1-million in population compared to
Canada's 192 per million. In descending order, the seven most-wired
countries based on networks per million of population are: Canada (192),
United States (114), Australia (110), France (37), Britain (24), Germany
(22), and Japan (15). (Toronto Globe & Mail 23 May 97)
DIGITAL VHS DUE OUT SOON
VCRs capable of recording digital signals beamed from direct-broadcast
satellites and other digital sources should be out this fall, says JVC,
which developed the original VHS format. The D-VHS format will enable
five to seven hours of TV programming to be recorded on a tape similar to a
regular VHS tape, and will also record conventional analog television and
play analog tapes. (Popular Science May 97)
WEEDING OUT INFO-JUNK
Michael Dertouzos, head of MIT's Laboratory for Computer Science, says the
wealth of information on the Web needs to be filtered to be valuable:
"The question that businesspeople keep asking is: How do I exploit this
new information world to start a business? Bill Gates says buyers and
sellers will find each other frictionlessly, without middle people. I
take issue. I think there will be a tremendous amount of info-junk and
we're going to need intermediaries to sort through it. We will need info-
tailors, info-brokers, info-navigators... Search engines are not
satisfying. We do not know how to construct anthropomorphic agents one-
thousandth as capable as humans in general intelligence terms. A wave of
human agents? Now you're talking." (Forbes 2 Jun 97)
FCC'S REED HUNDT TO STEP DOWN
FCC Chairman Reed Hundt will step down from his post, saying he plans to
return to the private sector and spend more time with his family.
Potential replacements include William Kennard, the FCC's general counsel,
Commissioner Susan Ness, a Democratic appointee, and Kathleen Wallman,
former chief of the FCC's Common Carrier Bureau. (Wall Street Journal 28
May 97)
AT&T, SBC DISCUSSING MEGA-MERGER
AT&T and SBC Communications are considering tying the knot, just months
after SBC completed its merger with Pacific Telesis. The mega-union, if
completed, would be the largest corporate merger in history, valued at
more than $50 billion. "This is a remarkably grandiose proposition," says
a communications lawyer who prosecuted the federal government's antitrust
case against AT&T, resulting in the breakup of the Bell System. "It would
be very hard to get this approved any time soon." People close to the deal
say AT&T has also had talks with BellSouth Corp. and has looked at GTE
Corp. as possible partners. (New York Times 28 May 97)
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK -- INTEL SUES DIGITAL
In response to Digital's lawsuit against Intel, filed a couple of weeks
ago, Intel now has allegedly asked Digital to return confidential product-
related information that it had received as part of licensing arrangement.
"When you've got a situation where another company is accusing you of theft
and making accusations on your integrity, the last thing that you want to
do is take your confidential advanced intellectual property information
and supply that into that company," says an Intel spokesman. Digital has
not yet returned the information, so Intel sued. Meanwhile, Digital's
suit alleges that Intel stole Digital's Alpha microprocessor technology and
incorporated it into its Pentium-class chips. The acrimonious situation
between the two companies makes it highly unlikely that Intel will
continue to supply Digital with microprocessors for its products when that
contract expires next fall. (InfoWorld Electric 28 May 97)
INDIVIDUAL UNLOADS FREELOADER
Individual has discontinued its free, advertising-supported Freeloader
Internet service, which it had purchased a year ago. The service used
push technology to send personalized news and a customized selection of Web
sites to subscribers' desktops. Instead, Individual has formed a new
division to focus on Webcasting applications, and will be a channel
partner for Microsoft's Internet Explorer 4.0. (TechWire 28 May 97)
YEAR 2000 PROBLEM WILL COST EDS $144 MILLION
Electronic Data Systems will spend about $144 million over the next three
years to revamp its computer systems so they will function properly in the
year 2000. The company arrived at the estimate after studying contracts
and surveying its 9,000 customers, who rely on EDS for their computer
operations. Existing customers, because of the contract structure, won't
have to pay extra for the service. At the same time, EDS plans to
capitalize on its expertise: the company is hiring several hundred new
programmers, bringing old ones out of retirement, and is currently
negotiating new contracts for Year 2000 conversion worth about $350
million. (Wall Street Journal 28 May 97)
MICROSOFT-DIRECTV VENTURE ON HOLD
Microsoft says it won't have its new operating system, code-named Memphis,
ready this year for the software maker's joint venture with DirecTV --
meanwhile, DirecTV is said to be determined to launch its satellite-to-PC
service this year, and is rumored to be looking around for another software
partner. "We are looking at our options in developing contingency plans,"
says a DirecTV spokeswoman, who declined to elaborate. Microsoft had
announced the project with great fanfare last January, naming NBC, USA
Network as content partners and IBM, Gateway 2000 and Sony Corp. on the
technology side. A Microsoft spokesman says he thinks DirecTV is going to
have a hard time finding a substitute software partner: "If it was easy to
do, we would have done it already." (Broadcasting & Cable 26 May 97)
WHERE DO YOU PUT 100,000 CELL PHONE TOWERS?
While the U.S. government eagerly sells off portions of the electromagnetic
spectrum in the interest of balancing the federal budget, legislators are
overlooking a major hurdle for the companies that want to use these
frequencies. Unlike analog cellular service, which is supported by fewer
than 15,000 towers nationwide, the next-generation digital cellular -
known as PCS -- will require more than 100,000 cellular towers to provide
reliable service. More than 300 communities already have revolted,
imposing moratoria on cell tower construction, and the movement is
growing. Fueling the problem are fears that property values will be
adversely affected by the giant structures and suspicions that cellular
transmissions can cause increased instances of leukemia and other health
problems. "Today, there are 45 million users of wireless phones, yet we
are still unable to certify the safety of this product for American
consumers because adequate research apparently has not been performed,"
writes Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), who's asked the FDA to assess the
research done to date. (Investor's Business Daily 29 May 97)
WHEN E-MAIL SLOWS TO A SNAIL'S PACE
A recent study by Inverse Network Technology shows that on the average,
nearly 12% of e-mail takes more than five minutes to deliver, and some
providers keep 10% of their customers waiting more than an hour for their
mail. Inverse sent some 3,300 messages to and from each Internet service
provider to compile its data. "Generally speaking, you're not going to
lose mail," says Inverse's CEO. "What happens 99% of the time is that the
mail just sits in a machine somewhere for hours or even days." Some people
blame Internet gateways for most of the problems. Gateways are "where
reliability goes to hell," says the co-director of the Internet Mail
Consortium, who notes that flaky technology can play havoc with e-mail
attachments, such as spreadsheets or word-processing documents. "A bad
gateway will mishandle the attachment and drop it on the floor or turn it
into something you can't read." (Wall Street Journal 29 May 97 B1)
SEGA-BANDAI DEAL CALLED OFF
A proposed merger between Sega Enterprises and Bandai Co., Japan's leading
toy maker, has been called off, following a protest by Bandai middle
managers, who feared their "homey atmosphere" would dissolve in the more
structured, business-like Sega environment. The president of Bandai also
cited other unresolved differences that led to the collapse of the merger.
The two companies say they plan to collaborate on consumer multimedia
products, although no details are available. Bandai is currently enjoying
a huge success with its Tamagotchi toy -- a miniature video game on a key
chain that features a little chick that must be fed and nurtured in order
to thrive. (New York Times 28 May 97)
Edupage is written by John Gehl (gehl@educom.edu) & Suzanne Douglas
(douglas@educom.edu).
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For Immediate Release
Adobe Systems Adds Ten New Fonts to Its Type Library
>From Movie Titles and Potato Chip Bags, to Greeting Cards and Jeep
Television Advertisements.
Everywhere You Look, Adobe Systems Fonts Catch Your Eye
San Jose, Calif., (May 27, 1997) (Nasdaq: ADBE) -- Today Adobe Systems Inc.
has made it even easier for consumers and designers to find the right font
for just about any given project, with the announcement of ten new Adobe
typeface packages; including the ever-popular Adobe(R) Originals, multiple
master designs and fonts, from small foundries, Adobe searched the world to
find. These new typefaces can be viewed via the Adobe World Wide Web site
at http://www.adobe.com/type and purchased by calling 1-800-445-8787.
Adobe fonts are not just for the high-end designer, but for every person
who wants to add flair to a home or office project. Designers have long
turned to Adobe's Type Library for its high quality and large selection of
fonts for use in advertisements like the recent Chevrolet Ad in National
Geographic Magazine, book titles and titles on Music TV. However, with
sales of home creativity software in North America reaching $337.7 million
in retail sales for 1996*, consumers are also using Adobe fonts to add
personal touches to projects like direct mail pieces for home businesses
and birthday cards for friends and family.
"Adobe developed its Type Library with creative types in mind. Adobe's font
designers do a good job of making the computer an extension of a person's
imagination. If someone thinks lettering in the shape of hospital beds or
animals would look cool in a project, chances are it can be found in
Adobe's Type Library," said Erik Breiter, Simi Valley, California-based
consultant/fontaholic.
Exciting New Adobe Font Software Programs
New Adobe Originals include Hot Singles(TM) Banshee(TM) and Nyx(TM), and
multiple masters (MM) Chaparral(TM) and Chaparral Expert. Adobe will also
introduce new Hot Singles Zipty Do(TM), Spumoni(TM) and Wiesbaden Swing
Dingbats. Other new programs include typeface families Bermuda(TM),
Coronet(TM)/Diskus and Kolo(TM).
"We are now seeing more and more designers use creative fonts as the core
of a piece, rather than as a complement to it. For example in the past, the
picture in an advertisement would stand out and draw the eyes of the
consumer, it is now the font which grabs attention," said Sharon Wienbar,
director, product marketing Type products. "I think consumers are very
aware of this, and in turn, are starting to use a variety of fonts to
become more creative with their own projects."
Highlights
Banshee(TM) - Pen and Ink on Paper Banshee, a new Adobe Original Hot
Single, was designed by British type designer and lettering artist Tim
Donaldson. To design Banshee, Donaldson often worked into the wee hours of
the night with the wind howling, rapidly writing letters with one of his
homemade "ruling" pens. A perfect choice for invitations, advertisements
and posters, with its ragged lines and counters, Banshee realistically
captures the irregularity of pen and ink on paper.
Nyx(TM) - The Greek Goddess of Night Nyx, also a new Adobe Original Hot
Single, was designed by lettering artist Rick Cusick and named after his
muse: the Greek goddess of night. Classic roman-capital forms underlie its
sharp, energetic surface. It is an excellent choice for any project needing
a dash of daring.
Chaparral(TM) and Chaparral Expert - Beautiful Design Fit for Any
Correspondence Chaparral and Chaparral Expert, designed by one of Adobe's
award-winning type designers, Carol Twombly, combine the legibility of slab
serif designs with the grace of 16th-century roman book lettering. The
result is a new Adobe Originals with a versatile, hybrid slab-serif design.
Since Chaparral is a multiple master typeface with axis for optical size,
it is clear and readable at smaller text settings while remaining subtle
and lively at display sizes. Chaparral looks beautiful in book design,
magazine text and personal correspondence.
Zipty Do(TM) - Imitations of Rough Marker Drawings For the first time ever,
Zipty Do is made available by Adobe as a Hot Single. Its letter forms were
originally created by lettering artist and type designer Robert Alonso as
rough marker drawings, which were then digitally scanned and refined on the
computer. Zipty Do's happy-go-lucky look fits well on greeting cards,
cartoons, labels and packaging.
New Freatures and Pricing Addendum
Banshee
Hot Single; $25.99. Adobe Originals. Only available from Adobe.
Nyx
Hot Single; $25.99. Adobe Originals. Only available from Adobe.
Chaparral MM and Chaparral Expert MM
Chaparral MM is a two-face multiple master; $95.99. Chaparral Expert MM is
also a two-face multiple master; $69.99. Adobe Originals. Only available
from Adobe.
Zipty Do
Hot Single; $25.99. Only available from Adobe.
Spumoni(TM) - Hand-Drawn Quality in a Digital Medium
Spumoni, designed by Garrett Boge, plays freely off the Bodoni typeface as
it appeared in a 1960s advertising lettering manual. While the art of
commercial lettering is rapidly disappearing, Spumoni conveys hand-drawn
quality in a digital medium. Its bouncy, energetic letters add a merry
touch to headlines, titles and blurbs of text. Hot Single; $25.99.
Wiesbaden Swing Dingbats - Childlike Freshness
After Rosemarie Kloos-Rau finished her playful script, Wiesbaden Swing, she
designed a set of charming pictures to complement it. They were first
released by Linotype-Hell AG in 1996 as Wiesbaden Swing Dingbats. While
they work naturally with their companion face, Wiesbaden Swing Dingbats
have a childlike freshness that can illustrate and personalize messages set
in many other typefaces as well. Hot Single; $25.99.
Bermuda - Fun and Friendly
Bermuda was designed by Garrett Boge and Paul Shaw in 1996. Jaunty, fun and
friendly, it evokes freely drawn showcard lettering. In fact, the original
drawings of Bermuda were made with a Speedball B-series pen nib, the stock
tool of showcard letterers. Bermuda Open is a stroked outline version and
its character shapes are repeated in the other three styles, each with a
separate fill -- Solids, dots and squiggles. Four-face package; $95.99.
Coronet/Diskus
Coronet - Soft and Comfortable A semiformal "ribbon" script designed by
Robert Hunter Middleton, Coronet was first released by Ludlow in 1937. The
small proportions of the lowercase letters are part of the elegance implied
by the name and work best at medium or large point sizes, such as short
blocks of display copy or headlines. The face has a soft, comfortable
quality that lends itself to a wide range of applications, from invitations
to bubble bath packaging.
Diskus - Simplicity
Diskus is a "ribbon" script, similar to Coronet, but less formal. It was
designed by Martin Wilke and first released by D. Stempel AG in 1955.
Simple forms and classic proportions deliver good readability, while the
angularity and contrasting weights of its design give it a liveliness that
transcends its historical period. Diskus is most effective when used in
display settings. Coronet/Diskus sells as a four-face package; $95.99.
Kolo - Inspired by Vienna's Secession
The Kolo family was designed by Paul Shaw. Inspired by the lettering of
Koloman Moser, Gustav Klimt, Alfred Roller and other members of the
Secession, Vienna's turn-of-the-century Art Nouveau movement, Kolo's family
variants - narrow, regular, wide and alternates - can stand alone as
display styles or be used to pack text creatively. Three-face package;
$69.99.
About Adobe Systems Inc.
Based in San Jose, Calif., Adobe Systems Incorporated develops and supports
products to help people express and use information in more imaginative and
meaningful ways, across all print and electronic media. Founded in 1982,
Adobe helped launch the desktop publishing revolution. Today, the company
offers a market-leading line of application software and type products for
creating and distributing visually rich communication materials; licenses
its industry-standard technologies to major hardware manufacturers,
software developers, and service providers; and offers integrated software
solutions to businesses of all sizes. For more information, see Adobe's
home page at http://www.adobe.com on the World Wide Web. Adobe, Nyx,
Banshee and Chaparral are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated.
Wiesbaden Swing and Diskus are trademarks of Linotype-Well and/or its
subsidiaries. * Software Publishers Association 1996 Software Report
Kids Computing Corner
Frank Sereno, Editor
fsereno@streport.com
The Kids' Computing Corner
Computer news and software reviews
from a parent's point of view
3D Ultra Mini Golf
Windows CD-ROM
about $39
for all ages
Sierra On-Line
Bellevue, WA 98007
1-800-757-7707
http://www.sierra.com
Program Requirements
OS: Windows 3.1
CPU: 486-66
HD Space: 10 MB
Memory: 8 MB
Graphics: 640 x 480, 256 colors
CD-ROM: Double-speed
Audio: Windows-compatible sound card
Other: mouse
review by Frank Sereno (fsereno@streport.com)
Ultra 3D Mini Golf combines stunning visuals, humorous interludes, snappy
tunes and multiple-level challenges into an entertaining experience for
your entire family. Young and old alike will delight in this latest
rendition of mini golf for the home computer. With three game variations,
numerous options and Internet play, this game will challenge and fascinate
players through many rounds.
The holes range from the familiar windmill hole to prehistoric fantasy to a
futuristic space station. Each hole is amazingly detailed in striking 3D
graphics. Be observant! Every hole has hidden penalties and shortcuts.
It will take many rounds to learn the secrets of the eighteen holes.
The program allows up to four players to compete in regular match play,
skins and speed golf games. The Hall of Fame scoreboard tracks the best
scores for each game variety. Players can choose to play either the front
or back nine holes, the eighteen-hole course, or to play a favorite
individual hole. The game also features two putting methods. Easy Putt
uses a swing gauge to indicate the strength and length of a stroke. True
Putt is the more realistic and challenging putting method. Players choose
the length and direction of the putt by drawing the mouse back and then
pushing it forward with the desired speed and direction.
I only found two flaws in the game. Occasionally, the ball would get stuck
on the course and I could not move it regardless of the force or direction
of my putts. At that point, you can click the right mouse button to bring
up a small window and choose to start the hole over. The other minor
distraction is that sometimes the camera angle was such that I could not
see the intended destination of my putt. In all other aspects, I found the
game to be terrific, especially the physics of the game. The ball takes
very true bounces and reacts naturally to the slope of the green.
The graphics are outstanding. The 3D effect is very realistic. I almost
felt like I should be plumb-bobbing my shots. The images are very detailed
and colorful. The holes feature some excellent animations. Combining the
graphics with the game's physics model, you get a very realistic gaming
experience.
The sounds in the game provide an aural treat. Each hole features a unique
toe-tapping tune. These melodies cover a variety of musical styles, but
the program does not use any grunge or alternative rock. Ambient sounds
abound from the realistic sound of rushing water to a blowing fan. You
have the option to enable background announcers who will praise or heckle
your efforts on the course. Sometimes they even tell jokes! And there is
nothing like the sound of the ball dropping into the bottom of the cup!
Ultra 3D Mini Golf has a moderate street price of around $39. Sierra is
currently offering a $10 rebate coupon with the purchase of this game. It
offers many hours of great family fun for a very modest price. Ultra 3D
Mini Golf is a hole-in-one hit!
Score Builder for the ACT
Windows and Mac Hybrid
street price about $30
for college-bound students
The Learning Company
6493 Kaiser Drive
Fremont, CA 94555
800-227-5609
http://www.learningco.com
Program Requirements
IBM Macintosh
OS: Windows 3.1, Windows 95 OS: System 7.0.1
CPU: 486/25 CPU: 68030/25
HD Space: 11 MB HD Space: 8 MB
Memory: 4 MB Memory: 5 MB
Graphics: 640 by 480 with 256 colors Graphics:
256 colors, 13" monitor
CD-ROM: Double-speed CD-ROM: Double-speed
Audio: Windows compatible sound card
Other: mouse
reviewed by Jason Sereno (jason.sereno@mules-ear.com)
If there is one thing that can make or break a student's chances for
getting into a college, it is the ACT test. Many students who do poorly on
it do not get accepted to the college of their choice and some find
themselves not entering any type of a vocational school at all. The ACT
test seems to be a thorn in the side of many kids who hope for higher
education. If you could break down the test and teach the basic
principles, it could prove to be an advantage to many of today's youths.
Score Builder for the ACT is made to help college-bound students do well on
the ACT test. It will improve a student's score over a period of time by
concentrating on the specific test areas. Score Builder for the ACT uses
QuickTime videos to guide you through the lessons and will gradually
increase your score. This program is fun and easy to use. It may be one
of the most important investments that you can make for your child's
future.
Barbara Budinger, the nation's leading ACT expert, with the help of her
friends Rance and Maia, will personally guide you through the English,
reading, math, science reasoning, and general tests. Barbara has prepared
over 30,000 students for the ACT and she founded the national ACT test-prep
course in 1979. She and the two other instructors will provide you with
the means and the motivation that will help you succeed at the test.
You will first have to tell the program how much time you have to use it.
You can choose a couple of days, a couple of months, or more. After you
have taken a diagnostic test, Score Builder for the ACT will determine
which of the 70+ lessons will most help you. The program places these
lessons in your study guide so you can begin working on your weaknesses and
turn them into your strengths. This personalizes the program so it doesn't
waste your time teaching you skills you have already.
When taking your lessons, a personal instructor will be at your side at all
times. You will hear your tutor as you are working on problems and he can
repeat his remarks so they really sink in. Maia will help you in the math
and science departments. Rance will be responsible for the English and
reading departments. The tutors will pinpoint the finer points of the many
different questions that the ACT test features. Rance and Maia will coach
you on strategies you should use and will describe the steps you will use
to solve equations and answer questions.
After you have completed your lessons and you feel that you are ready for
the ACT test, you can take two included practice tests. After taking the
tests, you may compare your scores on them with over 800 colleges
nationwide! You can determine which colleges you can expect to attain
admission and which ones you shouldn't count on sending you an acceptance
letter.
The tutors are presented in QuickTime movie format. The sound and video
match smoothly together. While you are taking tests and working on
problems, the tutors speak to you. When they talk, the sound quality is
high and is easy to understand. There is also some very hip theme music
played in the opening scene in the program. This will loosen up the
student using Score Builder and make each session more fun.
Score Builder for the ACT is a great program for juniors and seniors in
high school who are planning to attend college. Underclassmen who seek a
higher level of education can use it also. It is easy to use and has great
information, explanations, and strategies to help you "beat the test".
Special Notice!! STR Infofile File format for Articles
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z No Indenting on any paragraphs!!
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If there are any questions please use either E-Mail or call. On
another note. the ASCII version of STReport is fast approaching the "end of
the line" As the major Online Services move away from ASCII.. So shall
STReport. All in the name of progress and improved readability. The
amount of reader mail expressing a preference for our Adobe PDF enhanced
issue is running approximately 15 to 1 over the ASCII edition. I might add
however, the requests for our issues to be done in HTML far outnumber both
PDF and ascii. HTML is now under consideration. We'll keep you posted.
Besides, STReport will not be caught in the old, worn out "downward
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However, if the ASCII readership remains as high, rest assured. ASCII
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readers have nothing to worry themselves about. It looks like it is here
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Many grateful thanks in advance for your enthusiastic co-operation and
input.
Ralph F. Mariano, Editor
rmariano@streport.com
STReport International Online Magazine
Corel Announces RTM of Corel WordPerfect Suite 8
Ottawa, Canada-May 20, 1997- Corel Corporation announced today that its
highly-anticipated Corel WordPerfect Suite 8 has been released to
manufacturing and will be available in stores in June. Arriving
approximately one year after Corelr WordPerfectr Suite 7, Corel WordPerfect
Suite 8 continues to deliver innovative office technology with feature-
packed, easy-to-use applications. This Windowsr 95, Windows NTr 4.0 office
suite offers users 32-bit applications to unleash full productivity
potential. The four main goals behind the creation of Corel WordPerfect
Suite 8 were to help the customer communicate ideas, collaborate with
others through document review and revisions, connect to the world with
advanced Internet tools and transition easier through macros, file
conversions and the PerfectExpertT.
Corel WordPerfect Suite 8 is available for a suggested retail price of $395
US. WordPerfect users and users of competitive office suites may upgrade to
Corel WordPerfect Suite 8 for a suggested retail price of $179 US.
Customers requiring 3.5" diskettes can purchase them through Corel Customer
Service at 1-800-GO COREL for $29.99 US. Only Corel WordPerfect 8, not
additional applications, is available on 3.5" diskettes. Corel WordPerfect
Suite 8 Academic is available for a suggested retail price of $49 US for
all eligible academic customers. Within Canada and U.S.A., Corel will be
offering a $20 rebate for customers upgrading to Corel WordPerfect Suite 8.
See rebate coupon for details. Prices are subject to change without notice.
Dealers may sell for less.
"Corel WordPerfect Suite 8 includes state-of-the-art applications which
offer a new level of responsiveness and performance with advanced Internet
tools that make publishing and presenting on the Web a seamless process,"
said Dr. Michael Cowpland, president and chief executive officer of Corel
Corporation. "We expect Corel WordPerfect Suite 8 to meet tremendous
success on the market as it has been highly anticipated by our customer
base over the past year. The suite offers users the tools and features to
optimize productivity and get results quickly."
Corel WordPerfect Suite 8 recently collected several honors at the "Best of
RetailVision Awards", an event that gathers over 200 computer software and
hardware retail executives across North America and Europe. The suite won
awards for Best Product Productivity/Reference Software, Best New Product
Software and Best Retail Strategy.
Corel's new personal information manager, CorelCENTRALT, combines
calendaring, scheduling, to-do lists, an address book, contact log and
cardfile. In Corelr WordPerfectr Suite 8 Professional, due to ship late
summer, e-mail, Internet browser, discussion groups and conferencing will
be supported by an exclusive integration with Netscape CommunicatorT. Due
to the fact that Netscape Communicator will not ship until June,
CorelCENTRAL is not included in this release of Corel WordPerfect Suite 8.
Customers who purchase Corel WordPerfect Suite 8 without CorelCENTRAL 8
will receive a voucher to obtain the software upon its release. Additional
taxes, shipping and handling charges apply.
The Corel WordPerfect Suite 8 includes core applications Corelr
WordPerfectr 8, Corelr Quattror Pro 8 and Corelr PresentationsT 8 as well
as a number of bonus applications including:
z Corel BaristaT - a Java tool that allows users to easily publish
content-rich, attractive pages to the Web without complicated programming.
z Corel Photo HouseT 1.1 - photo-editing, touch-up effects and special
effects make it easy to touch up photos. Corelr Versionsr - Corel's
archiving software helps you keep track of document revisions.
z Desktop Application DirectorT - the powerful, customizable DADT gives
one-click access from the Windowsr 95 taskbar to all the core applications
and abilities of Corel WordPerfect Suite 8.
z EnvoyT 7 Viewer - allows users to view any document published to
Envoy, whether they have the software used to create it or not.
z Netscape NavigatorT 3.0
z Bitstreamr Font ManagerT
z 1000 top-quality fonts
z 10, 000+ clipart images
z 200 photos
z Corel WordPerfect Suite Software Development Kit (SDK). Corelr
WordPerfectr Suite 8 Highlights:The new PerfectExpertT provides help when
and how users need it; this new functionality goes beyond the limits of
traditional help systems to make even the most complex tasks seem easy.
z Consistent menus and tools across each of the core applications also
improves ease of use.
z The streamlined interface, context-sensitive Property Bar and the
Application Bar help maximize productivity. Rapid start-up, file open and
screen redraw help speed up work.
z Seamless integration among the suite's core applications boosts
efficiency.
z Each of the suite's core applications writes to HTML and can link to
the Web; Corel Barista technology lets users create layout-rich Web pages.
z TextArtT enables users to turn words into designs. Use predesigned
text shapes, or create unique ones, complete with color and texture. Corel
WordPerfect Suite 8 Core Application features:
Corelr WordPerfectr 8
z Same File Format - No file format change to ensure compatibility with
previous documents.
z Shadow Cursor - Allows users to simply click anywhere and begin typing
or drag and insert graphics. Grammar-As-You-Go - Helps eliminate most
common grammatical problems. Phrases in question are underlined and right-
clicking brings up a menu of possible suggestions.
z Versioning - Corelr Versionsr technology keeps track of revisions and
versions.
z Bullets and Numbering - Now both located in the same place.
z HTML Forms Support - Corel's Corel WordPerfect 8 Internet publishing
makes it easy to create HTML forms. Editing Existing HTML Documents - Using
Corel WordPerfect 8 SGML abilities, edit any HTML codes or markup in a Web
document including forms and tables.
z Drawing Layer - Use the new Drawing Layer to draw graphic objects
directly on top of text, group graphics, as well do z-ordering.
z International Standard Support - SGML features provide a graphical
interface to create structured documents. Table enhancements - Corel
WordPerfect 8 has exceptional table features with more power to size table
rows, join and split cells with a click of the mouse.
z Property Bars - Puts tools where they are needed; context-sensitive so
it adapts to tool selected.
z Hyperlinks - Automatically creates Internet links from text beginning
with www, http, mailto, etc. or add your own using natural language.
z PerfectExpert - Combines interactive help and advance Wizard
technology to provide help so users can get the job done quickly.
Corelr Quattror Pro 8
z Page View - A new WYSIWYG view to help control the design elements of
the spreadsheet.
z Cell Reference CheckerT - Ensures accuracy by checking and fixing
formulas that refer to other cells. QuickCellT - Drag any cell to the
status bar to see its updated value as other cells are changed elsewhere in
the spreadsheet.
z Cell Enhancements - Combine multiple cells with new Cell Join;
multiple fonts and attributes in a cell including superscript and
subscript.
z Auditing Tools - Auto Filter, Outlining and Auditing for working with
large sources of data.
z Property Bars - Context-sensitive.
z Hyperlinks - Creates Internet links as in Corel WordPerfect 8.
z PerfectExpert - Approximately 60 new tasks added for flexible help in
completing projects, even across applications.
Corelr PresentationsT 8
z Background and Layout Gallery - Mix and match backgrounds and layouts
on the fly.
z Intel MMXT support - Support for Intel's MMXT technology accelerates
transitions and bitmap editing on computers with Intel Pentiumr Processors.
z Show on the GoT - Package slide shows and easily distribute it via
disk or as an e-mail attachment.
z Internet Publishing - Publish slides, slide shows or graphics to the
Web.
z Integration - Cross-application integration leaps ahead as you send
your Corel Presentations 8 slide show to Corel WordPerfect 8.
z Compatibility - Import capabilities that continue a tradition of
excellence with new improvements, including Microsoftr PowerPointr.
z Customizable Backgrounds and Layouts - Customize the look of slide
shows by drawing on professionally designed, preformatted backgrounds and
layouts.
z Custom AudiencesT - Create custom slide show subsets to present to
different audiences.
z Scores of New Features - Royalty-free sound and video clips, Bubble
Charts, Transitions and Navigation Tabs. Technical SupportCorel is the only
software vendor to offer free, unlimited technical support (toll charges
apply) for the life of the product. The life of the product is defined as
the time period commencing when Corel last introduced the product until 6
months after Corel stops selling the product. Technical support subject to
change without notice.
Corel also offers these additional support options:
z IVAN: Corel's Interactive Voice Answering Network provides customers
with instant access to the most current product information available.
Customers can obtain this service 24-hours a day, 365 days a year by
calling (801) 765-4038. (Toll charges apply)
z Bulletin Board Service (BBS): A 24-hour product information and
program file resource that may be accessed by dialing (801) 221-5197.
z Fax on Demand Service: Customers may obtain faxed information by
calling (801) 765-4037.
z CompuServer Information Services: CompuServe subscribers can access
the Corel Technical Support forum by typing GO COREL.
z Corel's Home Page: offers product information, technical documentation
and press releases.
z E-mail service - Corel introduces technical e-mail support; affordable
convenience for English language products in North America only.
Customers can now submit support incidents over the Web at Corel's web site
at http://www.corel.com/support for the price of $14.95 US per incident,
payable by credit card. All transactions support industry standard secure
socket layer (SSL) protocol for secure transaction processing. Corel is
committed to working on technical e-mail support incidents within one
business day. There may be delays associated with the World Wide Web that
may prevent immediate response. Therefore, all mission critical support
incidents should be registered with telephone support. This new support
option expands the full range of products provided by Corel and will be
available in June.
Classics & Gaming Section
Editor Dana P. Jacobson
dpj@streport.com
>From the Atari Editor's Desk "Saying it like it is!"
Hope everyone had an enjoyable long weekend! I didn't do any cookouts, but
I did enjoy the weather with a few cold ones! It appears that Spring is
finally here, in the Northeast.
With a long weekend comes a shortened week - still have to cram 5 days
worth of work into 4 days! It's been hectic at home, work, and the online
arenas. So, to get this issue out at a reasonable hour, I'd better just
let you all get to the news and save the banter for another issue (and no,
we haven't found a house yet!).
Until next time...
From CompuServe:
Friends,
On May 28, 1987, CompuServe released GIF - the Graphics Interchange Format
- to the world through what was the Picture Support Forum. Since then,
literally hundreds of thousands of images on CompuServe alone have been
seen by people using a variety of computers, large and small, and uncounted
millions of photographs, drawings and artwork have been stored in the
format.
GIF (officially pronounced 'jif') has also become one of the top graphics
formats used on the World Wide Web, especially for animating logos and
buttons. While newer formats such as JPEG and PNG offer different and
sometimes better features, the volunteer workgroups which formed in the
eighties to create software to handle GIF have had no equal, and it's to
them that we tip our virtual hat on this day.
Happy birthday, GIF!
JTS Corporation Reports Record Revenues for First Quarter
SAN JOSE, CALIF. (May 22) BUSINESS WIRE -May 22, 1997--JTS Corporation
(AMEX:JTS), today announced record revenues for its first quarter of fiscal
1998, ended May 4, 1997.
First quarter revenue for fiscal 1998 was $73.4 million, up from $17.2
million of disk drive revenue for the first quarter of fiscal 1997. The
quarterly results announced today are up 32 percent from revenues of $55.6
million in the fourth quarter of 1997. First quarter gross margin was $3.2
million or 4.4 percent of revenues, up from a gross margin deficit of $5.7
million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 1997.
Operating expenses for the first quarter were $13.5 million, down from
$15.9 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 1997. The company incurred a
net loss of $11.8 million for the first quarter of fiscal 1998 compared
with a net loss of $25.8 million incurred in the fourth quarter of fiscal
1997.
Revenue levels were impacted in part by a sales shortfall of the 3.5-inch
disk drive products while the company transitioned from its old line of
drives to its new high-performance Champion drives, which began shipping
late in the quarter. In addition, the sales ramp of the company's Nordic
3.0-inch disk drives was slower than expected during the first fiscal
quarter. "Management increased its focus on reducing costs and expenses
during the quarter and we are pleased with the results," said Tom Mitchell,
president and chief executive officer of JTS, "particularly in regard to
the improvement in gross margins. During the quarter we were able to
increase our product yields and lower product costs, while reducing
operating expenses by 15 percent as compared to the fourth quarter of
fiscal 1997.
"We will continue to focus on controlling costs and operating expenses in
the second quarter of fiscal 1998. The completion of the previously
announced credit lines of up to $55 million will enable us to continue
sequential quarterly revenue growth for the remainder of the fiscal year,"
commented Mitchell. Towards the end of the first quarter of fiscal 1998,
the company completed the first shipments of its new high-performance
3.5-inch Champion disk drives for desktop computers. "We are particularly
excited about the Champion family, which is key to expanding our desktop
OEM customer base. We have now completed the transition from manufacturing
our old 3.5-inch drives to our new high-performance Champion drives.
"By the end of the first quarter, we added two new original equipment
manufacturer (OEM) customers for our 3.0-inch Nordic disk drives, bringing
the number of OEM customers for these drives to three. In late May, we
began to ramp sales and production of our 3.0-inch Nordic disk drives. We
look forward to further expansions in our OEM customer base given that our
3.0-inch Nordic disk drives are under evaluation at ten notebook
manufacturers," Mitchell added.
The company has an extensive program underway integrating magneto-resistive
(MR) head technology into JTS' desktop and notebook drives. "The
performance optimization we expect to achieve through the integration of MR
technology into our products supports our efforts to lead the market in
technologically advanced product offerings. The MR head technology
combined with our 3.0-inch Nordic disk drives will enable these drives to
provide customers even better performance and higher capacities than
2.5-inch disk drives. The new drives will be available later this year,"
concluded Mitchell.
Gaming Section
Ubi Soft! AirCars! Lost World!
Bandai Merger?!
"Vs"!
New CD-R Device!
And more!
>From the Editor's Controller - Playin' it like it is!
Lots of different gaming news going on. For the Jaguar, Aircars will
see the light of day in a couple of weeks. Not sure about this one folks,
but it sounds like an interesting game. I've heard a lot of negative when
this game was being worked on a couple of years ago - anything could have
happened in the meantime. We'll hope for the best for this, yet another
new game for the big cat machine. Speaking of new Jaguar games, I
understand that the remaining prospective games from Telegames have been
pushed back - no surprise there. We'll keep you informed as we learn of
some firm news. In the meantime, let's see what's happening in the rest of
the game console world!
Until next time...
Industry News STR Game Console NewsFile - The Latest Gaming News!
"The Lost World: Jurassic Park" Found on Sega
REDWOOD CITY, CALIF. (May 28) ENTERTAINMENT WIRE - May 28, 1997 - Sega
introduces "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" video game in four exciting ways
to play four different versions of the game. The video game, based on the
blockbuster movie released Memorial Day Weekend, will play on Sega video
game systems ranging from the hand-held Game Gear to the stand-up arcade
units. Sega Saturn: A 3-D action game in which players control a series of
five characters (Compy, Raptor, Human Hunter, T-Rex and Human Scientist)
struggling to survive amid natural and man-made perils. The game features
advanced animation techniques that make the dinosaurs move with realistic
features. Working closely with the game's design team at Dreamworks
Interactive, Sega is creating gameplay features specific to the Sega Saturn
version. Ship date: September 1997. Sega Arcade: Combines the fast-paced
action of a shooter with the mind-bending challenges of a puzzle game.
Realistic environments come to life with 3-D graphics and polygon-based
characters. Ship date: August 1997. Sega Genesis: An action adventure
shooting game where gamers must capture dinosaurs for bounty. The game
features 360 movement in which gamers navigate jeeps, Humvee Snagglers,
boats and dinosaur transports. Ship date: August 1997. Game Gear: A
side-scrolling action adventure shooting game with six dinosaur species,
plus a T-Rex bonus level. Ship date: August 1997.
Ubi Soft Entertainment: Ten New Titles
MAY 28, 1997, M2 Communications - If you're coming to E3, hang onto your
hat! Ubi Soft Entertainment, those wonderful folks who brought you the
oddball action-adventure hit Rayman and the doomsday racing game POD, has
10 new titles that will blow you (or your hat) away. They include a worthy
successor to Rayman starring a clumsy extraterrestrial named Ed, plus an
add-on for Rayman itself; three racing games; a soccer game; two multimedia
music tutorials; and the first learn-to-draw program ever to come to the
computer screen. Here are the details. The real thing will be at Booth
4961 in the West Hall. See you there!
Tonic Trouble
Hilarious real-time 3D action adventure game for PC CD-ROM, PC DVD and the
Nintendo 64.
An action/adventure game about a friendly extraterrestrial, Ed, who has to
retrieve a mysterious can that he accidentally dropped from space onto
Earth. The contents of this can have provoked bizarre unnatural reactions
on Earth, turning the entire planet upside down. Ed must fix the mishap and
stop Grogh the Hellish from using the contents of the can to dominate the
world. The player takes on the role of Ed to explore different worlds
within the game, solve problems and avoid enemy traps and attacks. The
adventure takes place in a real-time, 3D graphically stunning, cartoon-like
environment.
Release Dates: PC CD Fall 1997
$39.95
PC DVD Fall 1997 $39.95
Nintendo 64 Spring 1998
$69.95
F1 Pole Position 64
The first Formula 1 racer for the Nintendo 64 featuring a blend of arcade
and simulation styling, using F1 cars, courses, and precision handling. F1
Pole Position 64 has all of the realism, excitement and energy of the 1996
Formula 1 season. All 16 tracks are based on the actual Grand Prix, built
with solid 3D polygons allowing texture maps on the racetracks, buildings
and course banks. The game features 22 authentic 3D generated F1 racing
cars, 30 drivers, spinouts and skid turns, and all of the real Formula 1
data! Players will also contend with engine trouble, transmission damage,
spinouts and electrical trouble! And, F1 Pole Position 64 is the first game
to have Wireless Pit Communication, giving players the sensation of driving
while listening to their radio.
Release Date: Fall 1997
Price: $69.95
F1 Racing Simulation
A real-time Formula 1 simulation game featuring 22 cars, the most famous
drivers, and 16 Formula 1 World Championship tracks. For PC CD-ROM.
Highlights include opponent cars utilizing the most advanced artificial
intelligence, real-time pit stops, more than 12 high-precision car
settings, data logs, television replays and more. Multi-player capabilities
allow up to 4 players to race against each other using a network link or
modem or up to 8 players over the Internet. Through Ubi Soft's on-line game
service challenge other racers, download ghosts and cars, and much more.
Release Date: Fall 1997
Price: $39.95
World Soccer
A 2D simulation designed for top speed, intense realism and tons of
options! For PC CD-ROM.
Soccer players and fans created the game's artificial intelligence using
358 teams from around the world and 5,610 players from the best European
soccer clubs. World Soccer has extensive options which include adjustable
speed, 5 game modes, various difficulty levels and strategies, 3 camera
angles, and a variety of sound effects. And, multi-player capabilities
allow up to 4 players to play with a link as well as online access to the
soccer database.
Release Date: Fall 1997
Price: $39.95
Vivid Racing
The 32 bit 3D racing and fighting game with stunning graphics, unrivaled
gameplay, and revolutionary flexibility in animation and movement.
Available for the Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn. The year is 3001 and
nine super computers dominate the world, each code-named after a Wild Cat.
So powerful and intelligent are these systems that they are able to create
virtual worlds and events like the series of highly competitive races
taking place on tracks created by each cat in their favorite environment. A
32 bit racing and fighting game set in full 3D environments with stunning
graphics and unrivaled gameplay, Vivid Racer has the most flexibility in
animation and movement that technology allows. A fun game for the entire
family!
Release Date: Fall 1997
Price: $39.95
Rayman Gold
All the tools needed to create and update 24 new Rayman maps! Includes
special on-line features, 17 maps from the original adventure, and more!
For PC CD-ROM. Ubi Soft invested significant time in developing tools to
create the stunning environments in the hit action/adventure game Rayman.
With Rayman Gold, Ubi Soft is making these tools available to allow players
to create their own game environments! Now anyone can create and update
their own Rayman adventures. Included are 24 new maps, plus direct access
to a special on-line platform which will enable all connected players to
exchange and download new levels as well as a site for receiving help and
customer support.
Release Date: Summer 1997
Price: $39.95
Classic Rock Guitar, Volume 3
All new songs combined with exciting new features such as multi-track
recording. For PC. With the latest volume in Ubi Soft's award-winning
Learn & Play series, beginning to intermediate guitarists of all ages will
perfect their skills by learning all-time guitar favorites. The program
offers 7 guitar arrangements each with a lead guitar, vocal, and
accompaniment track; 160 interactive lessons with over 30 minutes of video
and a record-and-playback feature; synchronized video, audio, notation, and
animated chord diagrams; an electronic tuner; a built-in metronome; and
song maps analyzing the user's progress.
Release Date: Fall 1997
Price: $59.95
Piano Hits Volume 1
Enhance your piano playing skills through the fun of all-time piano
favorites combined with state of the art interactive instruction. For PC
CD-ROM. In this new title in Ubi Soft's Learn & Play series, beginning to
intermediate pianists of all ages will enhance their skills by learning
all-time piano favorites. The program offers 8 piano arrangements each with
a piano, vocal, and accompaniment track; 160 interactive lessons that
analyze a user's progress; over 1 hour of MPEG-II video; synchronized
video, audio, notation and animated keyboard; and midi playback allowing
user to adjust the playback speed of any song or exercise.
Release Date: Fall 1997
Price: $59.95
Artist! Drawing 101
First-of-its-kind program for PC CD-ROM redefines traditional drawing
instruction through a fun, comprehensive series of interactive lessons.
Artist! Drawing 101, the first title in Ubi Soft's new Arts Factory series,
presents a complete introduction to drawing for budding artists of all
ages. This software tutorial is logically divided into five main chapters
representing the five main types of models (e.g., still life, landscape,
and human figure). The user learns to recreate reality with his pencil
through narrated, step-by-step demonstrations of how to draw various images
and through an accompanying breadth of interactive lessons (e.g., shading,
framing, and perspective).
Release Date: Fall 1997
Price: $59.95
Choose Your Adventure with Valdo
The unrivaled adventure game with 9 different endings! For all kids with a
taste for adventure stories and a strong case of wanderlust, Ubi Soft
Entertainment presents Choose Your Adventure with Valdo, the unrivaled
adventure game for kids 8 and up. Players assume the role of a 16th Century
Portuguese boy sailing across the ocean on a journey to Japan. The catch is
that a mischievous ghost has torn-up the only map in existence into
thousands of fragments, so players have to reconstruct the map in order to
make it to the end of their journey!
Release Date: Fall 1997
Price: $29.95
Other titles to be shown on the Ubi Soft stand for International purposes
include: Tim the 7th, The Cosmic Family, Rayman Petit and Learn Languages
with Rayman! The above titles are to be launched this year world-wide.
Also being shown on the stand is Guillemot International's Maxi Sound sound
card line including the Maxi Sound Game Theater 64 and the Maxi Sound Home
Studio Pro 64. Maxi Sound Game Theater 64 gets gamers into the action as
the 4 speaker surround sound creates an ultra-realistic gaming experience!
Geared for the home musician, audiofile or multimedia developer Maxi Sound
Home Studio Pro is a state-of-art audio card providing a variety of
high-end studio features like real-time multi effects processing and
digital input and output on a PC sound card.
Ubi Soft Entertainment, a $60 million European-based software publishing
and distribution company, was founded in 1986 in France. Ubi Soft entered
the software development arena in 1991 after its continued success in
software distribution, representing 35% of all entertainment software to
the French market. It is best known in the U.S. for Rayman, a blockbuster
action/adventure game for all ages that debuted in 1995. In addition to its
U.S. offices in California and its headquarters in France, Ubi Soft has
offices in Japan, Germany, Spain, Italy, England, Australia China and
Canada.
DDB Needham Dallas and McCann-Erickson Southwest Victors
CORSICANA, TEXAS (May 22) BUSINESS WIRE - May 22, 1997 -- DDB Needham
Dallas and McCann-Erickson Southwest have emerged as the victors in Midway
Home Entertainment's recent agency review "Kombat." The announcement was
made by Paula Cook, Director of Advertising and Public Relations for Midway
Home Entertainment. According to the agreement announced today, DDB Needham
Dallas will begin work on the 1997 launch of Midway's highly-anticipated
Mortal Kombat(R) Mythologies: SUB-ZERO(TM), Wayne Gretzky's(TM) 3D Hockey
'98, QUAKE(TM), and Rampage(TM) World Tour video game titles.
Simultaneously, McCann-Erickson Southwest will handle Midway's
eagerly-awaited San Francisco RUSH(TM), MACE(TM), Maximum Force(TM), and
Arcade's Greatest Hits(TM) titles.
Billings have not been disclosed. Targeting teen and young adult audiences,
both agency's campaigns for Midway will include television, print, direct
mail, promotions, and point-of-purchase. In addition, DDB Needham Dallas
will also be responsible for the development of a Mortal Kombat
Mythologies: SUB-ZERO website, which will be produced by Dallas-based DDB
Interactive, and will be located within the PepsiWorld
website at http://www.pepsi.com .
"Both DDB Needham and McCann-Erickson delivered killer presentations," said
Cook. "Their strong creative talents, future-forward vision, and extensive
resources make them the ideal agencies to partner within the creation and
execution of the high-profile advertising and marketing programs we
envision for our video game titles." "Our charge is to stimulate demand
before Midway's games hit the market," said Jake Schroepfer, DDB Needham
Dallas' president and chief executive officer.
"Generating anticipation and awareness among hard-core video game players,
as well as the general public, is crucial to the games' success at retail."
In regard to the assignment Tony Pace, general manager of McCann-Erickson
Southwest, stated, "We'll provide Midway with every bit of the creative
firepower they need, but we'll also go way beyond, to get involved in all
aspects of their advertising and marketing communications for these
titles."
THQ to Develop, Publish Original Fighting Game: "Vs"
CALABASAS, CALIF. (May 22) BUSINESS WIRE -May 22, 1997--THQ Inc. (NASDAQ
NMS: THQI) Thursday announced that it intends to publish, develop and
distribute "Vs." (Versus), the company's first original fighting game for
the Sony PlayStation, worldwide in the fall of 1997.
Played against a contemporary soundtrack by emerging alternative bands,
"Vs." utilizes state-of-the-art motion capture with 3-D polygon technology
and a lighting fast 60 frames per second pace to create the smoothest, most
realistic action possible on the PlayStation. "Vs." is proprietary to THQ
who owns the content and characters. The combatants, a spectrum of today's
American youth, are designed by comic artist Kurtis Fujita, recently with
Marvel Comics, and the motion capture and programming are being provided by
Polygon Magic's Tokyo studios. The soundtrack features songs by Razed in
Black, Los Infernos, Suicide Machines and Pigs in Space.
"Vs." thrusts the game player onto the streets of modern America where he
or she must face a "survival of the fittest" -- whether at the beach, on
campus or in the 'hood -- in order to earn respect while protecting his or
her own turf from outsiders. "Vs." places special emphasis on quick
response and incorporates a variety of moves including defensive blocking
moves and fighting style.
"We wanted to design a fighting game with American characters, familiar
locales and today's music," said Michael Haller, senior vice president,
THQ. "Other fighting games feature mostly esoteric and ancient Asian
martial arts characters. This game brings the genre to the streets of
America with the feel of a contemporary movie or music video."
ADVISORY/PlayStation Picks: Popular PlayStation ...
WHAT:
"NBA Shoot Out '97," the all-new popular basketball videogame by Sony
Computer Entertainment America Inc., exclusive for the PlayStation(TM),
will be used to predict the NBA finals. The moment the NBA conference
finals end, "NBA Shoot Out '97" will be played on the PlayStation, pitting
the two final teams against each other in a best of seven series to
determine who will take home the NBA championship title.
HOW:
"NBA Shoot Out '97," which has been referred to by NBA players as the best
playing PlayStation basketball videogame, is built with all the real teams
and players. Players aren't just represented in the game by a jersey
number and name, but are rated and designed to play to their actual ability
-- making "PlayStation Picks" worth paying attention to.
WHEN:
Will it be a repeat championship for the Bulls? "PlayStation Picks" will
have that answer before the two final teams ever hit the court. Who will be
making the monster dunks? Will Rodman's hair be red, green or yellow? The
play-by-play videogame sports highlights reel from "PlayStation Picks" of
the NBA Championship will be available via Satellite feed prior to June 1
-- the first possible game of the NBA Championship. Hard copy beta
broadcast quality copies of "PlayStation Picks" will also be available by
request only.
Sega Nixes Power Ranger Buyout
A planned $1.09 billion acquisition of Bandai Co., maker of Power Rangers
action figures, by Japanese video game giant Sega Enterprises Ltd. has
scrapped because of opposition among Bandai's middle managers. In Tokyo
today, The Associated Press quotes the firms as saying they will instead
create a joint venture to develop their consumer businesses, merchandise
Bandai characters and develop new multimedia products.
Says Sega president Hayao Nakayama, "Although we can't merge, we'd like to
maintain the spirit and purpose of our agreement." AP said the deal,
announced in January, was seen as an opportunity for Sega to reinvigorate
its video game business, which has been under siege by rivals like Nintendo
Co. and Sony Corp. Notes the wire service, "Sega's newest Saturn game
machine performed only modestly in the United States during Christmas,
struggling against the more powerful Nintendo 64 machine and Sony's
PlayStation."
Psygnosis Releases Codename: Tenka for PlayStation
FOSTER CITY, CALIF. (May 28) BUSINESS WIRE -May 28, 1997--Today, Psygnosis
released Codename: Tenka(TM) for the PlayStation(TM) game console, a 3D
first-person shooter that promises to blow the typical first-person
blast-'em-up genre apart. Developed in-house by Psygnosis, Codename:
Tenka has built-up an enthusiastic underground buzz since its announcement
at E3 1996.
Next Generation magazine says Codename: Tenka "...promises to rival ID
Software's Quake ... rejuvenate the first-person shooting genre...," and
goes on to note that, "it's the smoothest 32-bit 3D environment yet seen."
The Associated Press says, "Tenka delivers...everything about the corridor
genre is here in spades...everything is smooth and seamless." In addition
to its 3D real-time environments (curved ceilings, sloping tunnels, and
trenches), Codename: Tenka features completely 3D polygon-based enemies
which, once seen, make the pixellated opponents in other games look flat by
comparison.
In the game, where the lines between super-corporations and government have
blurred, you play the character of Tenka, an armed and dangerous twisted
freak from an off-world colony. You must fight your way through a
manufacturing plant inhabited by out-of-control "bionoids" -- hybrid
genetic/mechanical law enforcement agents. Fighting tools at your disposal
range from automatic weapons and lasers to mini rocket launchers and homing
missiles, plus the smoothest freedom-of-movement of any game in the shooter
genre.
Codename: Tenka rivals the quality of many games already in the market
place as Psygnosis' development team has perfected the gameplay to go
beyond the typical routines of other first-person 3D games. In addition to
technical features like attenuated point light sourcing, the game
introduces a history of events and an evolving plotline. Missions vary from
simple "shoot-to-survive" to more detailed tasks such as discovering
tactical information from the brain pattern recordings of cyborg prisoners.
Other features include multi-directional conveyor belt floors, shootable
windows, moving laser trip wires, sentry guns, interactive crushers, steam
effects and bionoid construction machines that create enemies right in
front of the player. As a true second generation action game, Codename:
Tenka represents a giant step forward in PlayStation game console
development.
THQ flies to New Heights with Launch of "Bravo"
CALABASAS, CALIF. (May 29) BUSINESS WIRE -May 29, 1997--THQ Inc.
(NASDAQ/NMS:THQI) Thursday announced that it intends to publish and
distribute the unique 3-D authentic air racing game, "Bravo Air Race," in
the United States and Europe in September 1997. The game, which is the
first racing game to take to the air on the Sony PlayStation, is being
developed by XING Inc., who will publish the game in Japan under the name,
"Recipro Heat 5000," later this year.
The game sends fans screaming through canyons and city streets, scraping
walls and buzzing treetops. Choosing from seven scenic courses, players
fly at lightning fast speeds in one of 11 true-to-life fighter jets
including a stealth bomber and World War II vintage biplane. "Bravo Air
Race" also boasts accurate speed and flight control characteristics and
utilizes an innovative autopilot-assistance feature to help beginners stay
on track. "THQ is introducing a new genre of racing to the PlayStation by
delivering 'Bravo Air Race,' the first true-to-life air racing game that
gives players uncompromising control, authentic machines modeled after
actual planes, and sound barrier-breaking speeds for the ultimate air
racing experiences," said Steve Ryno, vice president of development, THQ.
New Product Makes CD-R Mastering Simple and Easy to Use
CD-R duplication took a turn for the best as ACS Innovations Inc. Wednesday
announced its new COMPRO CD-Master Recorder/Duplicator machine technology.
Targeted for shipment June 1, 1997, the new machine will be available at a
street price under $2,500. "Businesses and consumers alike wanted a CD-R
mastering machine that even non-technical people can use right at their
desks," said Michael Ho, executive vice president for ACS Innovations.
"Our new CD-Master was created to fit the needs of this market. It's
perfect for the office or user who wants to produce from one to large
numbers of CDs for their own use, or for distribution. Even unskilled
operators can be trained to perform the simple one-step duplication
procedures in just minutes. And, for a long time to come, CDs will
undoubtedly be the cheapest form of storage media around."
The COMPRO CD-Master Recorder/Duplicator allows computer users to create
their own audio CDs, video or data CDs with up to 650 MB of data within
minutes. Using the COMPRO CD-Master is easy. A clear LCD display allows
the user to select copy tracks for copying with a user-friendly one-button
operation. No installation is required. There's no messing around with
hardware or software -- it's a friendly one-button operation. Audio
support is exceptional. Sound tracks from multiple CDs can be stored on
the built-in 2 gigabyte hard disk and then written to CD in the way the
user prefers.
"Since you can hook up the COMPRO CD-Master to an audio mixer, aspiring
rock groups and bands now can make their own affordable sample music CDs to
send out to record labels," added Ho. "And these recorded audio discs can
be played back on any CD player, as well as any computer-based CD-ROM
drive, in the marketplace." The CD-Master is equipped with a stereo
line-in to feed in external audio sources. The CD-Master will
automatically convert an analog signal to a digital format suitable for
writing to CD. A MIC input is also provided to easily create custom
Karaoke CDs.
Corporate use of CDs as a backup medium is growing rapidly since CDs are
100 percent compatible in more than 200 million installations of PCs using
CD-ROMs worldwide. Different locations of corporate offices can now get
identical software and data recorded on a CD in just minutes. Software
publishers can now send out beta versions without having to produce
expensive small volumes of discs. For banks, CDs are great for backup
storage, instead of using microfiche. Government storage of email is
another practical low-cost use of CDs.
With the COMPRO CD-Master, a user can also copy most kinds of CD discs,
including those used in Sony PlayStations. The user doesn't have to tie up
a computer to use it, however, at any time, a PC can be hooked up to the
COMPRO CD-Master and that computer's hard drive can be copied as a full
backup. The COMPRO CD-Master supports Red Book Audio, CD-ROM Mode 1 & 2,
CD-ROM XA Form 1 & 2, CD-I and Orange Book Part 2. For data reading, the
drive also supports CD-Plus, PhotoCD (single and multiple sessions) and
CD-WO.
ACS Innovations manufactures a wide range of interrelated "Internet Ready"
products under the COMPRO name, including Sound Boards, Multimedia Kits,
Digital Color Internet Cameras, Video CD Players, CD-Recording Media,
CD-Recorder Kits and unique, software upgradeable 33.6 Fax Modems. Its new
COMPRO Digital Color Internet Camera, released in July 1996, is designed
for use in Internet-based two-way communications, video teleconferencing,
and as a digital capture camera for high quality color motion and still
images.
Please note: color images of the COMPRO CD-Master can be downloaded from
http://www.acscompro.com/webpic/general/cd-dup.gif .
Jaguar Online STR InfoFile - Online Users Growl & Purr!
AIRCARS ... New Jaguar Release!
May 24, 1997 Rockford, IL - ICD, Inc. is pleased to announce a limited
release of Aircars for the Atari Jaguar. Aircars was developed by the
MidNite Entertainment Group and completed in 1995. It was reviewed by
several game magazines but with a less than enthusiastic press response and
company financial difficulties, it was held up and never published.
The game is set in the wake of a nuclear holocaust. Your job is to pilot
an Aircar, to pick up weapons, and destroy key installations within each
complex (base). Then teleport to the next base and repeat. There are at
least 28 bases which must be neutralized in order to save the new world.
Aircars supports up to 8 players networked by ICD's CatBox. It also
supports Ataris Jaglink in a 2 player mode. The networking code is solid
and works reliably. Each player is allowed to select an 8 character name
and is assigned a different colored Aircar. There are also robot Aircars
and tanks in the game.
For the network modes, each Jaguar (player) requires an Aircars game
cartridge and a CatBox. Aircars will be produced in a standard Atari
plastic cartridge shell with a full color cartridge label. The game manual
will be printed in black & white. They will be shrinkwrapped together in a
standard inner box without the normal outer box. Aircars will begin
shipping by June 11th at a cost of $59.95 plus $5 S&H in N.A. There is no
shipping charge on retail orders of two or more in North America. Please
book your orders now. Since this is a limited release and uses more
expensive parts than production Jaguar cartridges, do not expect any price
reductions. Our margins are very thin and Aircars will only be available
for a limited time.
ICD will accept Visa or Mastercard and checks or Money Orders as long as
supplies last. Contact ICD at 815-968-2228 ext 222, fax 815-968-6888,
or EMAIL Icdinc@aol.com.
ICD, Inc., 1220 Rock Street, Rockford, IL 61101, USA.
http://www.millcomm.com/~forhan/jaguar.html for more game details.
ONLINE WEEKLY STReport OnLine The wires are a hummin'!
PEOPLE... ARE TALKING
On CompuServe
Compiled by Joe Mirando
jmirando@streport.com
Well friends, another week has come and gone. It seems like it was only
yesterday that we were getting ready for the holidays, and now we're
heading full-force toward summer. What has this got to do with using an
Atari computer, you ask? The answer is simple... nothing! I just find it
interesting that time is so variable. Sometimes, like when you buy a
computer and spend time learning about it and using it, it seems like it's
always been there in the corner of your room or on the card table in the
family room, and that it will always be there; a familiar and comfortable
friend that knows what you need to do. Other times, like when counting the
march of the seasons, it seems that time really does fly and that someone
has been fooling with the calender on you.
Once I noticed this, I sent away for a special clock. It's a small desk
clock that uses a special radio receiver to access the NIST (National
Institute of Standards and Technology... what used to be the Bureau of
Standards and Measures) atomic clock in Bolder, Colorado. While, in non-
technical terms, the NIST atomic clock is accurate to one millionth of a
second, my little desk clock is only accurate to about one hundredth of a
second at its best. Still, that's good enough to help me keep an eye on
time (not to mention having a really cool conversation piece). They also
make a version that will connect to a PC, by the way. I guess that PCs
just aren't advanced enough to keep time on their own <grin>. Well, let's
get to the reason for this column in the first place... All the great news,
hints, tips, and info available right here on CompuServe.
From the Atari Computing Forum
Matt Drury posts:
"On May 28, 1987, CompuServe released GIF - the Graphics
Interchange Format - to the world through what was the Picture
Support Forum. Since then, literally hundreds of thousands of
images on CompuServe alone have been seen by people using a variety
of computers, large and small, and uncounted millions of
photographs, drawings and artwork have been stored in the format.
GIF (officially pronounced 'jif') has also become one of the top
graphics formats used on the World Wide Web, especially for
animating logos and buttons. While newer formats such as JPEG and
PNG offer different and sometimes better features, the volunteer
workgroups which formed in the eighties to create software to
handle GIF have had no equal, and it's to them that we tip our
virtual hat on this day.
Happy birthday, GIF!"
Albert Dayes tells Matt:
"That is amazing that it has been 10 years for GIF already. I
assume PNT is the successor to GIF?"
You see what I mean about time flying? I can remember when GIF was
first announced. It DOES seem like it was yesterday... well, maybe a
year or two ago. But definitely not ten! Carl Barron jumps in and
tells Albert:
"PNT is a successor to gif, it will compress 24 bit with alpha
channel images, with lossless compression, and it is officially a
web standard format. It uses the gzip library for compression, and
is the atari source to the png and gzip C libriaries are on umich
archive. See also O'Reilly & Associates, "Encyclopedia of Graphics
Formats".
Tom Harker of ICD adds:
"You forgot the part about the opportunists at Unisys latching on
to GIF as their own intellectual property and after it became
established on the web as a standard, charging royalties for its
use. Will we be celebrating GIFs demise as well?"
This is a bit one-sided and somewhat misleading, but it is true that
Unisys decided to enforce a patent. It is also true that they have the
legal right to do this. You see, Unisys owns the rights to the type of
compression that GIF uses. They always had the right to charge a fee
for the use of the compression method, but didn't until about a year and
a half ago. Since GIF graphics are the most visible usage of the
compression method, that's what stands out most.
Mark Showalter asks:
"Can someone tell me how to use Desk Manager's Spectrum 512 Picture
Handler prg? I have a 1040 Ste w/ 4 meg ram, I'm running NewDesk
3.02 & I have an Atari SC1224 color monitor. I'm not sure when to
put the different files that make up the prg, or is there some
other prg that will work better?"
Rob Rasmussen tells Mark:
"I used to use the PICMAN program that let Desk Manager display
different Spectrum files when it started up. Is this is the same
one you're talking about? If so, I think you just have to have it
in your auto folder along with Desk Manager, and put all your SPC
pics in a folder inside Auto called DESKMGR. One pic must be
re-named to DESKMGR.SPC for it to start working."
Paul Westerman asks:
"Can anyone give me the name of a reliable defragmenter for my ST
and STe? I am aware of Diamond Edge II but didn't want to pay L50.
Does anyone have a copy to sell or a public domain alternative?"
Albert Dayes tells Paul:
"ST TOOLS v1.9x comes to mind as PD/shareware. You can find it in
the library."
Carsten Baron adds:
"There is a tool from ASH (Application System Heidelberg)
"Semprini". But I don't know how much expensive it is."
Joe Villarreal adds:
"St Tools 1.93 will defragment a drive, although it's slow. It's
in the database. CHKDSK3 from Atari will also defragment a drive.
I don't know the status of this program; it comes with no docs.
It's available at the Atari Archives at UMICH on the internet.
Diamond Edge 2.xx is very fast compared to the others; well worth
the price of it."
Rob Rasmussen asks Joe:
"Do you have the internet address for the Atari archives at UMICH
that you mentioned?"
Carl Barron jumps in and tells Rob:
"here is a mirror at
ftp to :wuarchive.wustl.edu
directory /systems/atari/umich.edu"
Joe tells Rob:
"If you have FTP access on the internet you might try ftp.toad.net
or ftp.beast.toad.net.; I have seen it there. I have seen it
accessible from several web sites also; sometimes it's hard to get
on though."
On the subject of Iron Soldier II for the Jaguar, Fred Horvat posts:
"In one weeks play I've finished missions 1-10. It is indeed
tough, even on easy. That was 2 weeks ago since I last played the
game, but from what I remember is that you start out in the South
East portion of the city facing North West. You want to go almost
due West. The first car bomb will be traveling North and will most
likely behind an office building and then going West. Take this
car out first! Then there will be a car parked to your right side
or North East. Then travel the road that the first car bomb was
going to travel. Then the key is to look between each building for
parked cars. You have to stop and look down. It took me about 10
tries to figure out that's where they were hiding. Then keep
traveling North and when at the North side of the City head East.
Always looking between buildings for parked cars! Then when at the
end of the main road after going East turn right and go South about
4-6 buildings and stop. The last 2-3 cars will come to you. A
couple of other helpfull hints, choose your weapons carefully.
Don't use grenades! You are supposed to save the buildings and not
waste then like the car bombs! I don't remeber which weapons I
used but I think I had the ShotGun, Rail Cannon, and Shoulder
Mounted Gatlin Gun. Also if I remeber correctly take out any
traveling cars ASAP. Because if memory is correct when they do
stop they will explode shortly after stopping. I think there were
12 or more car bombs total."
Richard Turner tells Fred:
"Thanks very much for the help on the "car bomb" mission. Every
time I thought I had it, new bombs seem to go off in areas where I
could not get to- very frustrating. I'll try your suggestions, not
sure how different they'll be to what I've been doing until I've
tried, and am going to do that. Hope your memory was right!"
Gary Kato posts:
"I just bought an Atari Jaguar system (was $35 at KayBee Toys in
Alameda, CA). It came with a Cybermorph cart and I bought an Iron
Soldier cart (the only Jag game they had at the time). My first
impression (although I have to look through the difficulty
settings) was the graphics looked somewhat primitive and the
gameplay was pretty slow. I was wondering how these games rated as
Jag games. Seem Iron Soldier was a favorite with many here.
Are there any games that show off the Jaguar better?"
Albert Dayes tells Gary:
"Alien vs. Predator and Tempest 2000 come to mind."
There are several others that should be added to the list: DOOM, ZOOP,
Ultra Vortek, Wolfenstein 3D, and HoverStrike to name a few.
Well folks, that's about it for this week. Tune in again next week, same
time, same station, and be ready to listen to what they are saying when...
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
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