ST Report: 1-Aug-97 #1331
From: Bruce D. Nelson (aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 08/14/97-12:31:03 PM Z
From: aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bruce D. Nelson)
Subject: ST Report: 1-Aug-97 #1331
Date: Thu Aug 14 12:31:03 1997
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August 01, 1997 No.1331
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08/01/97 STR 1331 Celebrating Our Tenth Anniversary 1987-97!
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>From the Editor's Desk...
Is it a week already?? Unbelievable, this past week was spent
shutting down and bringing up the systems more times than I care to yap
about. The electrical storms this past week were horrid. Sure I have UPSs
and such but have you ever seen what lightning can do? I'd rather be safe
than sorry. Danny (The Hurricane) had us all concerned for some time.
Wasn't he the indecisive lad? All's well that ends well.
There's been quite a bit of speculation about the advent of "Windows
98". When will it ship? Is it really very different from Win95? How much
faster is it? What new features are included? Folks, truthfully speaking,
Windows 98 is a remarkable improvement and is getting closer and closer to
the ultimate goals. I believe it will be in distribution well in time to
not harm holiday sales and still please the vast majority of users. I've
seen Windows 98 come along very nicely and I'll tell you this much. you'll
not be disappointed in its positive changes, performance, value and
reliability.
The series of articles relative to Adobe's Masterful offerings in
DeskTop Publishing, Photo Editing and Document Creation are coming along
very nicely. Look for the series to start in the next week or so. It's
going to be quite revealing. I can almost hear the crying and verbal
squirming some of the other publishers and "two steppers" are going engage
in. Adobe has the "kind" why bother with the "also rans". We'll back that
up with plenty of information geared to reveal the bottom line about the
hype in the DTP and Photo-Editing world that's designed to relieve you of
your dollars while leaving you wondering what happened...
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LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS
Weekly Happenings in the Computer World
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
Happy Birthday, TRS-80
This weekend marks the 20th anniversary of the TRS-80, the first
mass-marketed home computer.
The TRS-80, which was developed by Tandy Corp. for less than $150,000, was
unveiled at New York's Warwick Hotel on August 3, 1977. Although primitive
by today's standards, the TRS-8O was a significant achievement at the time. It is widely recognized as the first completely assembled computer and the first affordable computer available at retail. Sold through Radio Shack stores, the $599.95 system featured a black-and-white-monitor, cassette tape storage, 4KB of RAM (expandable to 52K) and a Z80 8-bit 1.77MHz processor.
Windows 98 to Be Released Next Year
During the first three months of next year, look for release of Windows
98, the Microsoft Corp. program formerly code-named "Memphis." Business
writer George Tibbits of The Associated Press, reporting from Seattle, say Microsoft executives indicates the new version won't be the technological leap that marked the introduction of Windows 95 two years ago, but promise the software will blend Internet, radio, television and other media into personal computers, while being more reliable and far simpler to operate.
Adds Tibbits, "Microsoft said it was taking to heart the longstanding
complaints by computer users that software is too hard to use, unreliable
and unwieldy." Vice President Jon DeVaan of Microsoft's desktop
applications division said new versions of Microsoft programs, including
Windows and Office, will be far cheaper for businesses to maintain and
won't be "bloatware," adding, "Frankly, we haven't done as good a job as we
should at keeping our programs simple."
As noted, the initial "beta" version of Windows 98 was released June 30 to
a select group of software developers and testers. Jim Allchin, senior
vice president of the personal and business systems group, said an updated
version will go out soon and test results will determine the final
product's shipping date.
Editor Note: George. All I can say is you're close BUT you get NO Cigar.
Nice guess about the release times. I'm wagering we see Win'98 in time for
the Holidays. RFM
Intel Cuts Pentium Prices
Prices of the Pentium microprocessor are being slashed up to 50 percent
this weekend by Intel Corp. Reporter Kourosh Karimkhany of the Reuter
News Service notes Intel cuts Pentium prices about once a quarter, but this
year's scheduled summer price cut will be steeper than usual. "What's
more," Karimkhany adds, "Intel will cut prices again in November, a
scheduled price cut it skipped last year. Intel has to get rid of its
supply of an older generation of Pentium chips. The company also is moving
to stay ahead of competitors such as Advanced Micro Devices Inc. and Cyrix
Corp., which are supplying state-of-the-art chips for lower prices."
Microprocessor Report, an industry newsletter, says the price of the
low-end Pentium 133 and Pentium 150 are expected to be cut to $93 from
about $130 to $150 currently. The price of the high-end Pentium MMX 233
is expected to be cut to $375, down from $594. The Santa Clara,
California, chip giant introduced the Pentium MMX, a version with souped-up
graphics and sound capability, in January. Then in the spring, the company
introduced the Pentium II, a next-generation chip that runs most software
much faster.
"Demand for the Pentium MMX and the Pentium II has been tremendous,"
Reuters says, "but their popularity has annihilated demand for the
plain-vanilla Pentium without MMX, leaving Intel with too many older chips
and not enough newer ones."
Canon Cuts Color Printer Price
Canon Computer Systems Inc. has cut the price on its BJC- 620 Color Bubble
Jet printer by $30 to $299. The BJC-620, introduced last August, offers users photographic-quality printing on plain paper at a 720 by 720 dots per inch (dpi) resolution. The four-color ink system allows users to replace each individual color as needed, rather than the entire cartridge. Information about Canon printers is available on the Costa Mesa, California, company's Web site at www.ccsi.canon.com.
HP to Sell PCs for Under $1,000
Hewlett-Packard Co. is entering the crowded market for personal computers
costing less than $1,000, saying that by the fall, it will be shipping a
new Pavilion 3100 computer that will retail for $999. Reporting from HP's
Palo Alto, California, headquarters, The Wall Street Journal says the
machine will have a Pentium microprocessor whose speed has not yet been
determined, along with 16 megabytes of memory and a 2.1 gigabyte hard-disk
drive. "Bringing out a sub-$1,000 machine," adds the paper, "represents a
switch for HP, which earlier in the year said it saw no reason to sell such
a device."
The Journal adds the company was forced to change tack by the strong demand
for the low-cost units from home PC shoppers, who have made the sub-$1,000
systems from such firms as Compaq Computer Corp. and Packard Bell NEC Corp.
among the best-selling of all PCs. Beside the new low-cost PC, HP also will
introduce five Pavilion models priced from $1,899 to $2,999.
Claris Unveils ClarisWorks Office
Claris Corp. has introduced ClarisWorks Office, a small business software
bundle priced under $100. ClarisWorks Office features the new ClarisWorks
5.0 integrated software with word processing, spreadsheet and other program
modules; Claris Home Page Lite; and more than 230 ready-to-use business
documents.
"ClarisWorks Office is ideal for the home-based startup looking to build a
business, and also offers a lot for the small business," says Ray Boggs,
director of small business and home office research at IDC/LINK.
"ClarisWorks Office connects a number of key software building blocks to
let the entrepreneur's vision flourish without gobbling up all the space on
the hard drive." ClarisWorks Office is scheduled to ship in the U.S. in
September on Windows 95, NT 4.0 and Mac OS platforms.
Lotus to Bundle IE 4.0
Microsoft says it has reached an agreement with Lotus Development Corp. to
bundle its upcoming Internet Explorer 4.0 browser software with selected
Lotus products. According to Microsoft, Internet Explorer 4.0 will be
added to the Lotus Notes 4.6 client package, as well as to SmartSuite,
Lotus' business software suite, soon after the upgraded browser becomes
available. Lotus, an IBM subsidiary, has shipped Internet Explorer 3.0 with
selected products since early this year.
"Users need to know that their favorite products will work together, so
they can get on with their core business and not be distracted by dueling
interpretations of standards," says Jeff Papows, Lotus' president. "With
Notes 4.6, Lotus is taking an evolutionary step in client functionality by
extending the browser functionality beyond mere browsing.
"The collaborative approach between Microsoft and Lotus to make computing
easier not only meets the goals of our two companies, but will deliver
great benefits to our vast base of shared customers worldwide," adds Bill
Gates, chairman and CEO of Microsoft. "Lotus continues to deliver products
that are extremely well-integrated with Windows NT, and we anticipate that
interoperability with offerings like Notes and Domino will tighten further
with Windows NT 5.0."
Sanyo Has No-Glasses 3D Display
Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd. has developed a 15-inch, high- resolution 3-D
display that doesn't require users to wear special glasses. The Japanese
company notes that the LCD screen includes a sensor that detects the
position of the viewer's head and adjusts images automatically for the left
and right eyes. The display provides an XGA resolution of 1,024 by 768
dots. Sanyo already offers 4-inch, 6-inch and 10-inch 3D displays that
don't require glasses. The products are targeted at commercial, medical
and entertainment applications. The company hasn't announced a release
date or pricing for its new display.
Apple Board Member Resigns
Delano E. Lewis, president and CEO of National Public Radio, has resigned
from Apple Computer Inc.'s board of directors. The move leaves the
struggling computer maker with four open board seats. Lewis, 58,
submitted his resignation from Apple's board, citing pressing time demands
at National Public Radio. "I have appreciated the opportunity to serve
Apple and I wish the company every success facing the challenges for the
future," said Lewis in a statement issued by Apple. "I have every
confidence that the board, executive management team, and employees will
meet those challenges with confidence and vigor."
Jobs Returning as Apple Chairman?
A San Francisco newspaper is quoting insiders today as saying Apple
Computer Inc. co-founder Steve Jobs will be returning as company chairman.
The San Francisco Chronicle says sources close to the Cupertino,
California, computer maker tell it Jobs will be named chairman next
Wednesday at Boston's Macworld Expo. United Press International notes Jobs, who returned to Apple last December as a part-time adviser, is scheduled to deliver the keynote speech at the trade show.
As reported, Apple bought Jobs' Next Software Inc. shortly before hiring
him back to be a steadying influence and now, says UPI, "Apple's board of
directors reportedly feel Jobs would help map out a strategy for the
troubled company." Recently, Apple fired a number of executives, including
CEO/Chairman Gil Amelio and an unidentified Silicon Valley insider has told
The Chronicle, "Apple needs someone who can articulate a grand plan and
knows the business. They need to give the Macintosh market a reason to
believe."
Apple lost $1.6 billion over the past 17 months, with Macintosh sales
slipping to less than 5 percent of the U.S. computer market. "Observers
feel Apple is in dire need of a leader to prepare a solid, long-range plan
for Wall Street, Macintosh developers and consumers as the company tries to
turn around its sagging fortunes," UPI comments. "However, sources caution
that the appointment is not a certainty. Apple, which seeks to name a new
CEO within three months, has a history of changing plans at the last
minute."
Jobs Running Apple Without Title
Word on Wall Street is that Steve Jobs has rejected offers from Apple
Computer Inc. to return to the helm of the company he co-founded as
chairman/CEO. "But he's taking charge anyway," writes reporter Jim Carlton
in The Wall Street Journal this morning, who adds, "Since Gilbert F.
Amelio was ousted as chairman and CEO three weeks ago, Mr. Jobs has been
running meetings, setting product direction and firing off internal memos
to the troops."
Carlton quotes one unidentified former Apple executive as saying that last
weekend, Jobs called day-long meetings of Apple's marketing and other
departments to review the company's strategy for the Macworld Expo trade
show next week in Boston, where he is scheduled to deliver the keynote
address.
As reported, The San Francisco Chronicle has quoted sources close to the
Cupertino, California, computer maker as saying Jobs will be named chairman
at next Wednesday's Macworld Expo. While Jobs is keeping mum on the
reports, the Journal quotes sources as saying he also has held meetings at
which he determined which products would be developed and which would not.
In fact, writes Carlton, "Jobs's influence was also clear when he issued a
companywide electronic memo several days ago announcing that the Apple
board had decided to reprice employee stock options in a morale-boosting
move that gave the options more value. The repricing had been considered
but not acted on during Dr. Amelio's tenure, as a tactic to slow an exodus
of workers from Apple."
And, notes the Journal, Jobs's memo was signed, "Steve and the Executive
Team," and it included a slogan going out on all companywide
correspondence these days: "You cannot mandate productivity, you must
provide the tools to let people become their best. Steve Jobs." Investors
seem bullish on Jobs coming back to Apple. The company's stock soared 5
percent yesterday on the strength of the San Francisco Chronicle story.
"Mr. Jobs brooded for years over the way he was forced out of the company
in 1985," Carlton comments, "and the posts he was offered over the past
three weeks would have given him more power than he had in the early days.
But people close to Mr. Jobs say he rejected the board's overtures, citing
his involvement in the company Pixar Animation Studios and a desire to
spend more time with his family."
A close Jobs associate told Carlton that Jobs wants simply to oversee
Apple's affairs long enough to "point them in a positive direction, hire a
great CEO and make sure the ship is sailing smoothly. I think Apple is deep
in his heart and he doesn't want the company to tank, but he doesn't want
to run it."
Gateway President Steps Down
In order to form a venture-capital company, Richard D. Snyder has resigned
as president/chief operating officer of Gateway 2000 Inc. The North Sioux
City, South Dakota, computer maker/retailer has launched a search for a
successor. The 38-year-old Snyder joined the firm in July 1991 as
executive vice president, chief operating officer and corporate secretary.
"In those roles," writes reporter Evan Ramstad of The Wall Street Journal
this morning, "he was widely viewed as second in command to Ted Waitt,
chairman and chief executive officer, who started the company with a friend
at his family farm in 1985."
Ramstad notes Snyder succeeded Waitt as president in January 1996, but
"further progress was unlikely, though, since Mr. Waitt is 34, owns 46
percent of the company and is considered unlikely to be leaving." Snyder
told the paper he has been considering launching a venture-capital firm for
months and decided to do so in Michigan, where he grew up, adding, "Most of
the venture-capital activities tend to be on the coasts. I think there's an
opportunity to support a lot of bright entrepreneurs in the Midwest. I've
got a business plan and several investors."
Digital Countersues Intel
Firing back on the antitrust front, Digital Equipment Corp. accuses Intel
Corp. of using "monopoly power" to harm Digital by demanding the return of
Intel technical documents. Reporters Dean Takahashi and By Jon G. Auerbach
write in The Wall Street Journal this morning the allegations are in a
response to a suit that Intel filed against Digital on May 27 in federal
court in San Jose, California. That suit demanded return of technical
information about its chips that Digital received as a major customer.
The Journal says Digital's response seeks a dismissal of that suit, arguing
it is an attempt to pressure Digital to drop a May 12 patent suit that
began the dispute. "Though Digital executives have verbally accused Intel
of monopolistic tactics," write Takahashi and Auerbach, "the new filing
escalates the fight by raising antitrust issues in court. The computer
maker's response argues that Intel's recall of the confidential data about
its chips could leave Digital stranded in the technology race, and is an
'unlawful refusal to deal under the antitrust laws.'"
Intel spokesman Chuck Mulloy characterized Digital's new filing as a
"rehash" of its previous public comments about the case and denied
violating antitrust laws. The Journal says Digital's original suit accused
Intel of violating patents on a Digital chip called Alpha. The ensuing
Intel suit demanded that Digital return confidential information about
upcoming microprocessors such as its Merced microprocessor being jointly
developed with Hewlett-Packard Co.
As reported earlier, Digital says it will return information about the
Merced chip but won't return other documents about chips that Intel
supplies to other computer makers to help design their products. "Digital
had the Merced information," says the Journal, "so that it could give
design feedback to Intel, but it decided it no longer needed the data since
it will not help Intel improve that design."
AT&T Files Net Scam Lawsuit
AT&T has filed a $7 million lawsuit against a California communications
company, alleging it was defrauded of millions of dollars in unpaid
charges for toll-free service. The suit, filed on July 28 in U.S. District
Court for the Central District of California, claims that Connect America,
parent company ICB Telecommunications, OneSource Communications and a
number of individuals set up fictitious accounts and resold the service for
profit to Internet service providers. The suit charges the defendants with
wire-fraud racketeering, civil conspiracy and violations of the
Communications Act.
AT&T claims that when it restricted the accounts for non-payment or
suspicious calling patterns, the group established additional fraudulent
accounts, substituting the restricted toll-free numbers with replacements.
AT&T says uncovered the alleged scam through a combination of improved
telecommunications systems monitoring and investigatory work. "AT&T
vigorously combats telecommunications fraud," says Dan Stark, vice
president of law for AT&T's business markets division. "We take swift and
decisive action against all those involved, as evidenced by this lawsuit."
AT&T is seeking an injunction and an attachment of the defendants' assets,
as well as compensatory and punitive damages.
Iomega Sues SyQuest
Iomega Corp. is suing SyQuest Technology Inc., claiming that the storage
device maker is infringing on patents used in Iomega's Jaz and Zip disk
drives. A lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for Delaware alleges
infringement of patents covering Iomega's read/write protection system and
the design of its Jaz cartridge. Iomega also charges that SyQuest caused
unfair competition through use of Iomega's "JET" trademarks. "This is a
simple case of protecting Iomega's intellectual property," says Kim
Edwards, Iomega's president and CEO. "Iomega's award-winning Jaz and Zip
products are fast emerging as the industry standard for removable personal
storage solutions and we intend to enforce our rights with respect to
Iomega's patented technology." Iomega is seeking injunctions and unspecified monetary damages.
National Semi Buys Cyrix Corp.
In a stock deal valued at $550 million, chipmaker National Semiconductor
Corp. has agreed to buy rival Cyrix Corp., a maker of Intel Corp. chip
clones. The deal, which lines up National as a major competitor with Intel
Corp., "is also a big bet by the stodgy semiconductor company on the future
of super-cheap personal computers and so-called information appliances,"
comments reporter Kieran Murray of the Reuter News Service.
Murray notes the Santa Clara, California, firm is best known for its older,
analog components, and more recently for networking chips.
However, National and Cyrix say they will develop new computer chip
technology aimed at the low-cost personal computer -- the sub-$500 market
-- and the information-appliance markets. Says National CEO Brian Halla,
"We have now put into place all of the pieces and building blocks necessary
to put a complete PC system on a chip ... Now it is truly possible to
enable computing and the information age to reach the masses." The firm
says the merger will allow them to offer chips for sub-$500 personal
computers and that these low-cost devices could be on the market by early
1998.
Cowen & Co. analyst Drew Peck told the wire service the most interesting
part of the deal "is that National believes that the inevitable march of
the PC is to the sub-$500 PC." And Dataquest Inc. analyst Nathan Brookwood
calls the deal a good one for Cyrix, which has lacked manufacturing.
"National Semi can manufacture the parts that Cyrix has designed, that's a
good thing for both," he said. The tax-free transaction, which still
requires approval by Cyrix shareholders, calls for Cyrix investors to
receive 0.825 of a National Semiconductor share for each Cyrix share held. The merger is expected to be completed in November. National says it will take an unspecified, one-time charge in that quarter.
It has been the week for chip industry consolidation. As reported, Intel
Corp. has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Chips and Technologies
Inc. of San Jose, California, a move aimed at advancing capabilities for
graphics and visual computing in mobile PCs. Adds Murray, "Analysts said
there will likely be even more consolidation in the industry, as more
semiconductor firms seek to develop 'system-on-a-chip' processors and
bigger firms buy smaller firms with the technology to complete the missing
pieces."
Web Ad Revenues Skyrocket
A new study finds that Web advertising revenue totaled $217.3 million
through the first six months of 1997, a 256.2 percent increase over the
$61.0 million recorded in the first six months of 1996. According to
Electronic Advertising & Marketplace Report, a newsletter published by
Stamford, Connecticut-based Cowles/Simba Information, Web advertising is
on pace to reach $446.0 million this year. "If Web advertising in 1997
follows the trends of 1996, Web publishers will experience a summer
slowdown in the third quarter in which revenue will drop, followed by a
booming fourth quarter as advertisers gear up for the holiday season," says
Matt Kinsman, the newsletter's editor.
Search engines continue to be the dominant advertising forum, notes the
study, accounting for 45 percent of ad revenue among the Web's top sites.
Technology publishers comprise the second largest market with 35 percent of
ad revenue among top sites, while the growing consumer/news category
represent 20 percent. "Despite the call for more targeted advertising,
search engines remain the most popular buy because they have the brands
that both advertisers and Web users are familiar with, and they
consistently provide a large consumer audience, something few other sites
can do at this time," says Kinsman. "Technology sites will retain their
status as the second most popular ad buy because their content and audience
remain the most compatible with the Web." Cowles/Simba Information's Web site is located at http://www.simbanet.com.
Greed, Not Glitches, Jams Net
Research suggests that instead of computer glitches and goof-ups, it is
greed; a failure to share the resources, that causes the occasional
gridlock on the Internet. In an article in Science journal, physicist
Bernardo Huberman and his student Rajan Lukose see Internet congestion as
an example of the classic sociological problem of "the tragedy of the
commons." "Given a finite communal resource," explains Associated Press
writer Elizabeth Weise, "individuals will seek to maximize their own gain.
If there is no outside force keeping them in line, they will eventually
destroy the resource for all."
Huberman says the principle that applies to grazing sheep also works for
Internet surfing. "Because users can't see how their use of the finite
pipelines that carry data online affects others," reports Weise, "they have
no incentive to use less so that there's enough to go around." Huberman
developed a statistical model of Internet usage at Xerox' Palo Alto
Research Center in California to study the problem. Says AP, "Rather than
following a simple Bell curve with gradual increases and decreases,
Internet use, they found, is fairly steady most of the time but is randomly
hit with sudden, steep increases in traffic followed by a less steep
declines."
How does this happen? The statistical model indicates:
z When enough people come online, things begin to slow down. But
everyone keeps surfing, despite the increasing lag times.
z At what appears to be a totally random point, suddenly enough people
are shipping around data that the pipelines start to fill up, and
everything comes to a near halt.
z Then the millions of individuals who are surfing the Net suddenly
decide almost collectively when enough is enough, and they all log off,
in the hope that things will be less congested when they come back.
In other words, while ordinary Net congestion follows the ebb and flow of
the day, these Net "storms" come at random times, generally happening
during a peak usage period -- but not during every peak usage period - -
and their very unpredictability makes them an interesting statistical
problem. So, what do we do about it? You aren't going to like this. Well,
says Huberman, since users treat the Internet as an unlimited resource, the
solution is the charge individuals in proportion to their consumption, just
as toll roads charge users per mile.
Net Growth Slumps in 2nd Quarter
America's love affair with the Internet may be cooling, with the second
quarter marking the lowest rate of growth for consumer online/Internet
services in nearly a decade, reports Telecommunications Reports
International Inc. The Washington-based company's Interactive Services
Report newsletter finds that household Internet accounts increased a meager
3.8 percent -- only 766,700 net new customers -- between April 1 and June
30, well below the 10 percent to 12 percent pace of the previous two
quarters.
As of June 30, U.S.-based service providers reached a total of 21,069,400
users, up from 20,302,700 at the end of March. "The reasons for the slower
growth are numerous," says Rod Kuckro, Interactive Services Report's
editor. "Traditionally, the second quarter is not as robust for the online
services as is the first quarter, when holiday PC purchasers activate
online accounts. For providers, new subscribers are harder to come by as
the combined price of a fully functional multimedia PC and the monthly cost
of an added phone line and service are out of the reach of most American
households. Kuckro adds that the delay in competition for local phone
service is slowing greater consumer access. "Indeed, many consumers may be
waiting for the widescale introduction of low-cost Internet-access
terminals or the maturation of Internet TV services," he says.
Poll Nixes 'Lonely Nerd' Image
Notions that Net surfers are "lonely nerds" are being challenged by a new
survey from London, which instead suggests Internet users are active,
affluent adults who use the Internet for work and leisure. ...And we're
probably all good lookin' too... "The 'lonely nerd' stereotype is now
invalid," say officials with Yahoo! UK, a provider of Internet search
engines which commissioned the poll by Continental Research.
Instead, adds Yahoo! UK, Netizens are "affluent, well-read adults with
careers, homes and families who live life to the full." The Reuter News
Service reports the survey of 1,258 respondents found:
z 59 percent of the service's users are aged 25 to 44, 83 percent are
part of households comprising two or more people, and 54 percent have
families.
z The average income for Yahoo! users in households of more than two
people is 44,000 pounds, more than three times the national average.
z 85 percent use the Internet in the office and at home, 97 percent
communicate by email, 73 percent use the Internet daily, and 59 percent
spend at least six hours a week using the Internet.
Adds Reuters, "As a result of spending time on the Internet, 56 percent of
respondents said they watch less television; 52 percent said they send
fewer letters and memos; 30 percent spend less time reading newspapers,
28 percent talk less on the telephone, 21 percent spend less time reading
magazines, and 15 percent reported working less."
Firm Said Selling Beer by Net
A North Carolina company has been accused by Missouri Attorney General Jay
Nixon of marketing and selling beer to minors over the Internet. Reporting
from St. Louis, United Press International says Nixon has filed suit
against Hog's Head Beer Cellars for allegedly accepting a credit card order
on its site on the World Wide Web from an 18-year-old who placed the order
at the behest of the attorney general's office and the state liquor control
division.
The suit contends that at no time did Hog's Head require the minor to prove
she was 21 or older, adding delivery was made July 15 without any
instructions to restrict it to an adult. Nixon told the wire service the
company is providing minors who obtain a credit card the ability "to buy
alcohol, no questions asked," adding his suit seeks a court order
preventing Hog's Head from marketing and selling alcohol without a Missouri
license and engaging in the sale of alcohol to minors or failing to verify
the age of a customer.
Schoolgirl Web Site Shut
A Web site that ranked 152 girls at a Palo Alto middle school by looks,
personality and sexuality has been shut down by the Geocities Web page
hosting service. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that school officials
are searching for the individuals responsible for the list. Irv Rollins,
assistant superintendent of the Palo Alto Unified School District, told
the newspaper he would recommend expulsion for the guilty parties if school
computers were used to create the Web site.
The Web page identified by name eighth-grade girls from Jane Lathrop
Stanford Middle School, giving them such labels as "wide load," "sexually
confused" and "scary big chick." School board president John Tuomy said
identifying the girls by name on the World Wide Web had placed them in
potential danger. A Geocities spokesman told the newspaper the site was
shut down because the user violated an anti-hate speech agreement with the
company.
Net's Junk Data Plagues Doctors
Junk data from the Internet is beginning to jam medical offices, doctors
are saying. For instance, Dr. Judith Hall of the University of British
Columbia in Vancouver is quoted by United Press International as saying it
is not unusual for families with genetic disorders to come to her clinic
with a foot-high stack of print-outs. However, many people, she says,
"don't have the ability to discriminate between proper studies,
peer-reviewed studies, and junk -- and there's a lot of junk out there."
Speaking as one of several researchers at an annual genetics briefing week
at the Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine, Hall says it took her about
eight hours to wade through a pile of Internet-generated papers given to
her by a patient. The bulk of it was useless. And fetal-test expert Dr.
Diana Bianchi of the New England Medical Center, Boston, says she fears
some patients may make the irreversible decision to terminate a pregnancy
following a worrisome prenatal diagnosis because of something they found on
the Internet.
Meanwhile, genetics researcher John A. Phillips of Vanderbilt University
Medical Center sees some good points to patients using the Internet to
research medical problems. Sometimes patients find something their doctor
missed. Hall said she would like to see a method of grading studies on the
Internet for scientific accuracy, but until then, she is suggesting people
with genetic conditions look for patient-organized support groups, which
are often careful about screening information.
School Technology Spending Rises
U.S. school districts will spend an estimated $5.2 billion on educational
technology during the 1997-98 school year, up from $4.3 billion in 1996-97,
finds a new report from Quality Education Data (QED), a Denver-based
research firm. "It has been several years since we have seen a projected
growth rate this high," says Jeanne Hayes, QED's president. "This increase
is due to a substantial infusion of extraordinary funds for technology from
federal, state and local grants, as well as from bond issues. QED reports
that Microsoft products lead the list of school districts' planned software
purchases, followed by programs from Broderbund, Claris, Tom Snyder
Productions, and Sunburst. "It is interesting to note the emphasis on
productivity tools in the software educators intend to purchase," says
Hayes. "This demonstrates a continuing commitment to exposing students to
technology tools that they will be using in their future workplace."
John Updike Starts Cyber Story
Pulitzer-Prize winning author John Updike has written the beginning of an
original story titled "Murder Makes the Magazine" exclusively for online
bookseller Amazon.com. The first paragraph is to appear on the
bookseller's Web site (http://www.amazon.com) today. Over the next 44 days,
visitors will be invited to write and submit their own paragraphs to
continue the story. Then on Sept. 12, Updike will write the final paragraph
of this collaborative tale. Writers of paragraphs selected by the
Amazon.com editorial staff to continue the story will each receive $1,000.
All visitors to the contest site may register to win a grand prize of
$100,000. The winner will be announced at the close of the contest. "This
is all about fun, Amazon.com founder/CEO Jeff Bezos said at the company's
Seattle headquarters. "We are pleased Mr. Updike decided to make his first
foray onto the Internet with Amazon.com. We are committed to giving our
customers rich and unique experiences. Forty-four talented people will get
to collaborate in real-time with John Updike, the greatest living writer.
We will all watch this collaboration unfold every day for 46 days."
CompuServe Adds Safeguards
CompuServe is launching a plan to keep children away from adult-oriented
content online, while at the same time enabling grown-ups to obtain
passwords and proof of age to enter the restricted areas. Starting next
week, members signing on with the Adult Community will receive passwords
and must provide their names, ages and other information. The company will
mail confirmation of access to account holders CompuServe already has
identified as adults. "This isn't foolproof, but it's a start," CompuServe
spokesman Steve Conway told The Associated Press. "Everybody is taking a
different approach to keep kids out of adult material. All online services
are trying to put controls and safeguards on adult-oriented material."
Conway, who is vice president of corporate communications, notes CompuServe
does not put pornography online but has allowed access to adult-oriented
material to meet demand of its 5.4 million customers worldwide. "We
recognize that demand but at the same time we want to provide some strong
standards and safeguards," he added. CompuServe says all adult chat
rooms, games and other materials on the system will be moved into the Adult
Community starting Aug. 5. The content of the Adult Community will be
controlled by Microsystems Software Inc., which already provides CompuServe
with software that allows parents to control what their children see. The
Framingham, Massachusetts-based Microsystems will use the SafeSurf Internet
Rating Standard, a voluntary system measuring sex, adult themes, violence,
intolerance, gambling, drug use and profanity. Content is rated on a scale
of 1 to 9, with 1 being the least potentially offensive. CompuServe said it
will not accept content rated higher than 5.
Net Names Consensus Sought
Various Internet interest groups converge on Washington today and tomorrow
in hopes of hammering out a consensus on expanding Internet addresses, a
controversy that is attracting the attention of several federal government
agencies.
Already:
z The Clinton White House has formed an inter-agency task force to
examine the address issue.
z The Commerce Department last month asked for suggestions on how the
Net naming system could be fixed.
z The Justice Department this month confirmed it was conducting an
antitrust probe into address registrations.
Reporter Aaron Pressman of the Reuter News Service comments, "The online
community has largely avoided government regulation on issues like privacy
and indecency by forging broad agreements relying on private-sector
solutions. But a red-hot feud has broken out over the seemingly mundane
question of how best to expand the number of network addresses, like
microsoft.com or whitehouse.gov, that direct email, web surfing and all
other Internet activity." Because the Commerce Department's comment period
ends next month with further possible government involvement imminent,
several Internet groups outside of the dispute scheduled these two days of
meetings at a Washington hotel to try to bring together the warring
factions.
President Harris Miller of the Information Technology Association of
America, which is co-sponsoring the meeting, told Pressman, "If we can
lower some of the divisiveness and get people talking in a constructive
way, we'll feel we've accomplished something. We hope at the end of the
conference that there is a constructive dialogue underway." Right now, all
Internet addresses end with two or three letter designation known as a top
level domain. Each country has its own top level domain, but most addresses
are registered in a handful of generic domains including ".com" for
commercial sites, ".edu" for schools and ".org" for non-profit groups.
As noted, Network Solutions Inc. of Herndon, Va. has an exclusive contract
from the National Science Foundation to register addresses in the most
popular generic top-level domains. But the agreement expires next March and
the science agency has said the contract will not be renewed. Now, as
available addresses in the popular domains begin shrinking, bidding wars
are breaking out over desirable names and even lawsuits are being filed by
trademark holders claiming infringement. In addition, Network Solutions has
been criticized for charging $100 for a two-year registration.
Last February, a group of traditional Internet standards-setting bodies
agreed on a plan to add seven new top-level domains and add up to 28
competing registries. The plan gained the support of some major players,
including MCI Communications Corp., but failed to garner the backing of
online services. Pressman says that plan still is expected to form the
basis of an eventual compromise, but Network Solutions has its own plan as
does a group of small Internet Service providers known as the Enhanced
Domain Name Service. Stay tuned.
Bill's Goal: More Net Privacy
A key telecommunications lawmaker has introduced a bill to give computer
users greater privacy protections particularly over personal information
that can be collected on them as the surf sites on the Internet. The
measure proposed by Rep. Billy Tauzin (R-La.) would bar companies from
disclosing or using without consent people's medical and financial records,
as well as government information such as social security numbers that are
available online. Associated Press writer Jeannine Aversa says Tauzin,
chairman of the House Commerce Committee's telecommunications
subcommittee, has considerable power to advance legislation through the
chamber. A hearing is planned for this fall. Tauzin spokesman Ken Johnson
says the bill also would require companies to adopt voluntary guidelines to
protect computer users' privacy when personal and other information is
collected from them online for marketing purposes.
Aversa notes owners of World Wide Web sites on the Internet can use
technology to track hobbies and buying habits of visitors. The owners can
then sell the information to advertisers and other interested parties
without the consent or knowledge of the computer user. As reported, the
Federal Trade Commission now is looking into the issue. Meanwhile, hoping
to head off regulatory action, companies including Microsoft Corp. and
Netscape Communications Corp. have proposed letting computer users specify
what personal information they are willing to share and with which Web
sites. Tauzin's bill also would require companies to adopt voluntary
guidelines aimed at reducing junk e-mail.
IBM Unveils Web Agent Technology
IBM has introduced a software agent technology that aims to make it easier
for businesses to obtain, distribute and control information on the World
Wide Web. Web Browser Intelligence (WBI) serves as an independent
intermediary between a Web browser and server. WBI (pronounced Webby) lets
users recall a previously visited Web site, search previously viewed sites
by keyword, receive alerts to link speeds, find changes at a Web site, rank
the order viewed sites by frequency or visit date, learn user patterns and
find shortcuts.
WBI could be used in customer service to personalize site visits by
remembering a visitor's personal history and usage patterns. It could also
alert customers to site changes and deliver custom content. "By using
agents to factor in more sophisticated user preferences, new levels of
control over Web information are delivered to users that go beyond today's
push and pull technologies," says Don Gilbert, manager of IBM's Intelligent
Agents Center. IBM is offering a free version of WBI for personal use at
http://www.networking.ibm.com/iag/iaghome.html
A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N
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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
Be back next Week..
EDUPAGE STR Focus Keeping the users informed
Edupage
Contents
AOL Won't Give Phone Numbers To
TelemarketersAT&T WorldNet
President Sees One Network For
Data, VoiceGateway Targets Business
CustomersCourt Forces Microsoft To
Give Benefits To Contract
WorkersWar Games Move To Electronic
RealmEducator Questions Computer
Use In K-12 Instruction
Steve Jobs May Become Chair Of
Apple Board
Why Is The Economy Humming?
"Computers," Says Greenspan
Virginia Tech Wants Graduate Work
Posted On Web
AOL Switches From Middleman To
Landlord
ISPs Unite Against Crackers
Intel, AMD, And National Semi Chip
Away At Each Other
Retailers Worry Windows 98 Might
Sabotage Holiday Sales
N2K Sells Single CD Tracks Online
Hundt Supports The BT/MCI Merger
Plan
NTT's Eye On America
Researchers Advocate Internet Use
Charge
Smaller Wireless Firms Unite
Hayes Merger
FTC Rejects Request To Investigate
Microsoft
Super-Speedy Web Graphics
Yahoo!, Visa Broaden E-Commerce
Partnership
Civil Libertarians Alarmed By
Library's New Internet Policy
Internet Call Manager
Motorola Aims New Mac At Power
Users
Entrust Skirts Export Rules On
Encryption Software
Amdahl Now Owned By Fujitsu
AOL WON'T GIVE PHONE NUMBERS TO TELEMARKETERS
In the face of a storm of protest from subscribers, America Online says
it's not going to give members' phone numbers away to telemarketing firms
after all. Instead, it will consider using its own employees to make
telephone sales pitches. AOL already sells its list of member names and
mailing addresses, but the move to combine phone numbers with other
personal information such as demographic profiles went too far. "We should
have been clearer about the fact that we changed the terms of service, and
about the rationale for the change," said CEO Steve Case in an online
statement. "Obviously, by not being more proactive, we've generated a lot
of confusion and concern." (AP 25 Jul 97)
AT&T WORLDNET PRESIDENT SEES
ONE NETWORK FOR DATA, VOICE
Tom Evslin, outgoing president of AT&T's WorldNet Services, sees a single
IP network replacing the switched circuit telephone network: "I predict
that in five years, there will be no separate telephony and Internet
networks, but a single network -- to homes and businesses -- which will
support wireless, telephony, Internet access, and possibly cable... There
will be a single seamless IP network, with more advanced security, that
will support different quality of service level guarantees. We will see
an end-to-end packet service, and voice will be in packets, just like any
other form of data." Evslin is leaving WorldNet to head up ITXC, a start-
up in which AT&T has a vested interest, which will focus on the Internet
and Internet telephony. (InfoWorld Electric 24 Jul 97)
GATEWAY TARGETS BUSINESS CUSTOMERS
Gateway 2000 is going after the corporate PC market, targeting the same
customers prized by Dell, Compaq and other big PC makers. In May, it
created a separate line of desktop PCs for business, and is banking on its
cheaper prices to lure business customers its way. The move is risky,
however, because corporate clients tend not to make decisions based solely
on price. Gateway will have to beef up both its sales force and its
customer support operations in order to make a place for itself in the
corporate market. Its presence, however, will put pressure on competitors
to keep their prices low. (Wall Street Journal 25 Jul 97)
COURT FORCES MICROSOFT TO GIVE BENEFITS
TO CONTRACT WORKERS
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has ruled that Microsoft
could not exclude freelance workers hired before 1990 from an employee
stock plan, which allowed participants to buy company stock at a 15%
discount. In 1990, when the Internal Revenue Service told Microsoft that
its software freelancers could not be considered independent contractors,
the company gave many of them staff positions, but some chose to remain
freelancers and work for Microsoft through temporary employment agencies.
A lawyer for an industry association supporting the Microsoft position
says: "Nobody forced these people to work for Microsoft. These people
knew they were not going to get benefits." (New York Times 25 Jul 97)
WAR GAMES MOVE TO ELECTRONIC REALM
The U.S. military, in conjunction with its allies, is conducting the Joint
Warrior Interoperability Demonstration 1997 -- with thousands of military
and civilian personnel testing information systems and satellite
communications under simulated warfare conditions. "These demonstrations
have profoundly changed the way we conduct coalition operations," says the
Army officer sponsoring the British part of the demo. This year, the
target is to integrate the U.S. Defense Department Messaging System with
its equivalent in the U.K., Canada, France, Australia, New Zealand and
Spain. "We will be looking at how we can move large data files around this
year... The aim is to find golden nuggets of technology that may have been
developed by someone else. We are taking lots of commercially available
off-the-shelf equipment and seeing what it has to offer." The hope is that
by finding a shrink-wrapped solution, the military will be able to sharply
reduce the millions of dollars it spends on information systems and
communications. (TechWire 24 Jul 97)
EDUCATOR QUESTIONS COMPUTER USE IN K-12 INSTRUCTION
Samuel Sava, head of the National Association of Elementary School
Principals, says: "I have not the slightest doubt about the value of
computers in our society. But I question whether we have learned to apply
this technology to K-8 instruction... If computers make a difference, it
has yet to show up in achievement. We must have the courage to resist the
public enthusiasm for sexy hardware and argue for the funds necessary to
train our teachers. We cannot send them into the computer room with
nothing but a user's manual. If you've ever read ne of those things . .
.they give new meaning to the phrase, 'English as a second language.'" (USA
Today 25-17 Jul 97)
STEVE JOBS MAY BECOME CHAIR OF APPLE BOARD
A resignation from Apple's board of directors by board member Delano E.
Lewis leaves the company now with total of only five members. Sources
close to the San Jose Mercury News, as well as the MacWorld Web site, say
that co-founder Steve Jobs may be named chairman of the board this week.
(San Jose Mercury News 26 Jul 97)
WHY IS THE ECONOMY HUMMING?
"COMPUTERS," SAYS GREENSPAN
Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan thinks the reason that inflation
seems to be under control in spite of vigorous growth in the current
economy is that information technology first introduced on a large scale in
the 1980s is finally producing better business performance in the 1990s.
"An expected result of the widespread and effective application of
information and other technologies would be a significant increase in
productivity and reduction in business costs." Is there also a downside to
the good news? Technological innovation has "brought with it a heightened
sense of job insecurity and, as a consequence, subdued wage gains ... It is
one thing to believe that the economy, indeed the job market, will do well
overall, but quite another to feel secure about one individual situation,
given the accelerated pace of corporate restructuring and the heightened
fear of skill obsolescence that has apparently characterized this
expansion." (Atlanta Journal-Constitution 27 Jul 97)
VIRGINIA TECH WANTS GRADUATE WORK POSTED ON WEB
Virginia Tech is the first American university to require that all graduate
theses and dissertations be posted on the Web. The new rule is intended
to make the latest graduate research more timely and accessible and to
strike a blow against the steadily increasing subscription prices of
scholarly journals. Journal publishers and other critics maintain that
posting of documents on the Internet diminishes the effectiveness of the
"peer review process" for reviewing original research, but Virginia Tech
vice president Earving L. Blythes says that the publishers are part of the
problem: "What we've seen is cartel-like behavior. Essentially, what's
happening is the research and scholarly work is produced on campus; they
want it published so they give it to publishers, who sell it at exorbitant
prices." (New York Times 28 Jul 97)
AOL SWITCHES FROM MIDDLEMAN TO LANDLORD
America Online is changing its strategy for making money off of online
shopping, opting to collect "rent" from its electronic retailers rather
than taking a cut of their online sales. The problem with the commission
model, says AOL, is that because there was no penalty for low sales, the
retailers incurred no risk in the arrangement. "No one loses, but no one
gains on the old model," says AOL's VP of electronic commerce. Under the
new system, AOL will be guaranteed a certain income up-front. The online
service says commissions won't disappear entirely, but they will play a
much smaller role in its overall revenue-generating activities. AOL's
redesigned mall, dubbed the Shopping Channel, will be divided into 15
channels, with the most prominent screen buttons renting for $250,000 a
year. (Wall Street Journal 28 Jul 97)
ISPs UNITE AGAINST CRACKERS
The nation's leading Internet service providers, led by CompuServe, MCI and
WorldCom, have formed the ISP Security Consortium to deal with Internet
users' security concerns and develop defenses against hackers and
crackers, who pose the greatest threat to the success of electronic
commerce ventures. (St. Petersburg Times 28 Jul 97)
INTEL, AMD, AND NATIONAL SEMI CHIP AWAY AT EACH OTHER
In a flurry of activity signaling consolidation in the computer chip
business, Intel has slashed prices on its Pentium microprocessors and
bought chip maker Chips & Technologies, while Advanced Micro Devices
responded with steep price cuts of its own, and National Semiconductor
announced it was buying the Cyrix Corporation. (Atlanta Journal-
Constitution 29 Jul 97)
RETAILERS WORRY WINDOWS 98 MIGHT
SABOTAGE HOLIDAY SALES
Microsoft's highly touted Windows 98 release, scheduled for the first
quarter of 1998, could undermine traditionally robust holiday sales, as
consumers put off purchases until machines with the latest operating
system are available. Meanwhile, the boxed Windows 98 upgrade could hit
the market later this year. "January isn't the best time to do a launch -
- we all know that," says a Microsoft product manager. "We're working
closely with PC makers to ensure it will be available the same time as the
retail box. We want a smooth and quick transition." The problem will be
mitigated somewhat by the inclusion of coupons and upgrade guarantees by
some system vendors. "If Microsoft does it right, it shouldn't affect
anybody," says one optimistic retailer. "If you said the Pentium III is
coming in January, then I'd be concerned." (Computer Retail Week 28 Jul
97)
NTK SELLS SINGLE CD TRACKS ONLINE
N2K Inc., an online music marketer, is selling CD-quality singles online.
The "e_mod" encoded music online delivery service sells single tunes for
99 cents apiece, with selections from artists such as Chick Corea and
Paquito D'Rivera. Buyers can create custom CDs using a compatible
recordable CD drive. A similar service is offered by Silicon Valley start-
up Global Music Outlet. (Broadcasting & Cable 21 Jul 97)
HUNDT SUPPORTS THE BT/MCI MERGER PLAN
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Reed E. Hundt says he will
endorse the $21-billion acquisition by British Telecommunications of U.S.
long-distance company MCI. His endorsement comes as a consequence of
concessions made by the two companies ensuring that their American and
British rivals would not be placed at an unfair advantage in competing for
transatlantic phone calls. (New York Times 28 Jul 97)
NTT'S EYE ON AMERICA
New laws passed in June will enable Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp., the
world's largest telephone company, to pursue international business
opportunities, and analysts are guessing as to where the communications
giant will invest first. "NTT is a huge company; it had more revenue last
year than AT&T," says an analyst with the Yankee Group in Tokyo. "But NTT
is coming a few years late to the international market, and it's not going
to be able to compete with a firm like BT/MCI at first... The FCC has said
it won't allow NTT and KDD [Japan's long-distance carrier] into the U.S.
domestic market because Japan is still maintaining a 20% investment cap"
in Japanese phone companies. One observer predicts that NTT will actively
move into other Asian markets, such as China and Thailand, and will form
strategic alliances to serve its Japanese customers' needs in Europe and
the U.S. Others predict NTT will hook up with one of the global
alliances -- Concert (BT/MCI), Global One (Sprint, Deutsche Telekom and
France Telecom), or World Partners (AT&T and others). (Investor's Business
Daily 28 Jul 97)
RESEARCHERS ADVOCATE INTERNET USE CHARGE
Researchers at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center conducted tests that
showed the average packet of digital data took 189 milliseconds to travel
from Stanford University to Cranfield University in Great Britain and then
back to Stanford. They then developed a statistical model of Internet
traffic showing that when users are encouraged by fast response times,
they ramp up their Internet activities, thus creating the "storms," or
bursts of congestion, that continually plague the Net. When the response
time slows to a crawl, users back off, and eventually things get back to
normal. To avoid the feast-or-famine scenario, the researchers advocate
charging all users according to the amount of bandwidth they use.
(Chronicle of Higher Education 1 Aug 97)
SMALLER WIRELESS FIRMS UNITE
A group of seven wireless phone companies in the U.S. and Canada have
banded together in a joint venture called GSM Alliance. The combined
coverage of the Alliance is about 97% of the U.S. and Canada, putting it
on a par with much larger companies such as Cellular One Group or MobiLink.
The group plans to use the GSM (global system for mobile communications)
standard for its digital wireless transmissions, and will offer customers
uniform rates for traveling outside their home service territories.
Included in the Alliance are Pacific Bell Mobile Services, Aerial
Communications Inc., Omnipoint Corp., Western Wireless Corp., Powertel
Inc., Microcell Telecommunications Inc., and BellSouth Mobility Inc.
(Wall Street Journal 31 Jul 97)
HAYES MERGER
Georgia-based modem manufacturer Hayes Microcomputer Products Inc. is
merging with Maryland-based Access Beyond Inc. (a manufacturer of servers
and other network and telecommunications equipment), to form
ommunications, a publicly traded company headquartered in Norcross,
Georgia. Hayes emerged last year from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and now has
company sales about half of those of market leader U.S. Robotics. (Atlanta
Journal-Constitution 30 Jul 97)
FTC REJECTS REQUEST TO INVESTIGATE MICROSOFT
The Federal Trade Commission will decline a request from four U.S. senators
that it investigate unfair trade charges against Microsoft. Netscape and
other companies have complained about Microsoft's practice of giving
discounts on its Windows 95 operating system to manufacturers who agree to
feature Microsoft's Explorer software for browsing the World Wide Web.
The Commission said such an investigation "could involve a substantial
duplication of effort as well as raise serious concerns about fairness to
the targets and potential witnesses." (New York Times 30 Jul 97)
SUPER-SPEEDY WEB GRAPHICS
A new technology called Rush promises to reduce the size of digital images
and graphics by 85% to 95%, enabling the data to zoom over the Internet at
Mach speeds. Rush, developed by RMX Technologies Inc. of Ottawa, Ont.,
uses a special software language to process bulky images into slim streams
of code containing all the details for reconstructing the original. On
the receiving end, special plug-in modules for Netscape Navigator and
Internet Explorer instantly reverse the process. (Business Week 4 Aug 97)
YAHOO!, VISA BROADEN E-COMMERCE PARTNERSHIP
Yahoo! Inc. and Visa International have restructured an existing
partnership, making Visa a shareholder in the fast-growing Internet search
service. The two companies plan to set up a comprehensive Web shopping
guide with listings for some 100,000 merchants, along with a co-branded
credit card that will be aimed specifically at Net users. In addition,
Visa will be designated the credit card of choice on Yahoo!, and will
expand its advertising throughout Yahoo!'s sites. (Wall Street Journal 30
Jul 97)
CIVIL LIBERTARIANS ALARMED BY
LIBRARY'S NEW INTERNET POLICY
Civil libertarians are concerned about a new policy adopted by the Loudoun
County (Va.) Library Board requiring that Net surfers younger than 17 who
want unfiltered access to the Internet must have a parent or guardian
present and that adults who want access to all Internet sites must request
it from a library employee. An attorney for the American Civil Liberties
Union says she is "alarmed by the fact that adults would have to make a
special request for information that is constitutionally protected."
(Washington Post 31 Jul 97)
INTERNET CALL MANAGER
The Internet Call Manager, developed by Canadian firm InfoInterActive Inc.,
enables users to field incoming hone calls at the same time they're
connected to the Internet, all on a single telephone line. If a user is
online and a call comes in, a caller ID window pops up on the computer
screen indicating who's on the line. "With Internet Call Manager, you
have a number of options. You can click 'answer,' which means
disconnecting and picking up the phone. You can acknowledge the call with
a message. You can ignore it, or you can redirect it to another number,"
says InfoInterActive's president. The $5 per month charge is much cheaper
than installing a second phone line, he points out. (Chronicle-Herald
Mail-Star 30 Jul 97)
MOTOROLA AIMS NEW MAC AT POWER USERS
Motorola's new Mac clone, the StarMax Pro 6000, runs on the newest PowerPC
chip at speeds up to 266 MHz and is targeted at "power hungry" users. The
company says the new model is the first system based on CHRP architecture,
which accepts a wider range of PC peripherals. Prices start at $3,900.
(Investor's Business Daily 31 Jul 97)
ENTRUST SKIRTS EXPORT RULES ON ENCRYPTION SOFTWARE
Ottawa-based Entrust Technologies has side-stepped controversial export
regulations, bringing software to individual and educational computer
users that allows them to protect their files and e-mail from prying eyes.
Entrust's software, called "Solo," can be downloaded free of charge from
the company's Web site and can be used by individuals to encrypt any kind
of computer file or message, to compress them, and to authenticate digital
signatures. It is part of a controversial class of software, encryption
technology that is so effective that many law enforcement agencies want it
severely restricted in an effort to prevent criminals from using it as an
impenetrable digital shield. Entrust will export Solo from Canada under a
section of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade that covers packaged
or shrink-wrapped software. The company notes the Canadian government has
ruled that Solo falls under that GATT section, and it maintains it complies
with both Canadian and American restrictions on the export of encryption
technology. The report pointed out that because Solo is being exported
from Canada, it does not require approval from the United States.
<http://www.entrust.com/ > (Toronto Globe & Mail 29 July 97)
AMDAHL NOW OWNED BY FUJITSU
Fujitsu Ltd. Of Japan, which already owned 42% of the Amdahl Corporation,
is paying $850 million to buy the rest of it, though both the Amdahl name
and its current management will be maintained. Amdahl has in recent years
been transforming itself from a traditional mainframe company to one
focused on software and services. (New York Times 31 Jul 97)
Edupage is written by John Gehl (gehl@educom.edu) & Suzanne Douglas
(douglas@educom.edu).
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Apple/Mac Section
Help Wanted
STR Editor's Mail Call "...a place for the readers to be heard"
Editor's MailBag
Messages * NOT EDITED * for content
In reply to our editorial about the ONGOING Decline of Apple Corp.
To: rmariano@streport.com
From: dbsmith@microserve.net (David Smith)
Subject: Apple Death Spiral, ed #1330
X-UIDL: 09f6c533b0a6443cc81c3ab634c1a61b
Would it be possible to keeping STReport's articles more factual, without
the hyperbole? The short filler article "New Mac OS Gives Apple New Lease
on Life." Was just too much not to comment on. I found the comment "...but
it is not enought to pull Apple out of its death spiral." to be gratuitous.
The article "New Mac OS: Hit or Hype?" also deserves at least some
criticism. The article with it's "less prone to crash" comment implies
that the Mac OS is prone to crashing. That is just not so.
I have owned computers runing DOS, Atari TOS, Windows and Mac OS. None
were or are more stable than my current setup. I have not experienced a
crash since the installation of Mac OS 7.6 on Independence Day this year. I
know that is less than a month past, but I do not expect the crash free
characterisic of my computer to change.
You may find the following article interesting:
This announcement is from:
Frans Susilo, <fsusilo@virtech-ca.com>
July 15, 1997, VANCOUVER, BC -- After one and a half months, the Vanhacking
Challenge contest has come to an end. On June 1, 1997, the challenge was
announced to the global hacker community as an invitation to bypass the
security of a Macintosh World Wide Web server. The good news is --
according to contest sponsor VirTech Communications Inc.-- there is no
winner!
"This proves that Macintosh server is definitely one of the most secure
servers on the planet," comments Frans Susilo, VirTech's Director of
Operations.
Much excitement surrounds the Vanhacking Challenge contest which is part of
VirTech's Internet security campaign to make the streets of Cyberspace a
safe place to do business. The contest was mentioned by Wired Magazine,
MacWorld Sweden, The Boston Globe, The San Jose Mercury News, and twice on
the front page of Apple Computer's web site.
The site has generated 283,479 hits since its launching on June 1, 1997.
Analysis of the site log shows that there have been approximately 127,456
serious crack attempts on the server. The extraordinary extent of the
Internet and the interest generated by the contest is evident from the
site's domain log: Trinidad and Tobago, Australia, Indonesia, Brazil,
Germany, Canada, The Netherlands, Romania, Singapore, South Africa,
Switzerland, Taiwan, The United Arab Emirates, The United States, and
Zimbabwe, among others. Notable interested visitors have been registered
from such influential entities as Apple Computer Inc., Intel, Microsoft,
Oracle, PGP Inc., the US Navy, the US Military, and the US government.
To share the benefits and findings of the Vanhacking Challenge outcome,
VirTech will place a summary of the server preparation, system
configuration, and the events logs from the duration of the contest at the
Vanhacking site (www.vanhacking.com) by the end of this week. VirTech will
soon be transforming the site into a global forum for the discussion of
World Wide Web security issues and solutions. At the future site, news
about online security will be updated periodically from people all over the
world. As well, there will be a helpful section about tips and tricks for
securing company networks. VirTech plans to unite the online community in
an effort to make electronic security effective and resistant. VirTech
will work together with companies worldwide to affirm that the Internet is
a secure and dependable place to do business.
VirTech Communications Inc. is a privately held Vancouver-based company
specializing in developing new media business solutions for corporate
clients. VirTech's web site is located at <http://www.virtech-ca.com>
Contact info:
ATT. VANHACKING CONTEST
VirTech Communications Inc.
2043 Quebec Street
Vancouver, BC V7S 2A3 Canada
(604) 879-3022
<mailto:info@virtech-ca.com>
General information: <http://www.virtech-ca.com>
Vanhacking site: <http://www.vanhacking.com/>
I have been an STReport reader for many years. Considering your history
with the Atari ST, I am amazed at your negative attitude toward Mac.
We all benefit from "techno-diversity" and we all loose when that diversity
diminishes. Nice article Joe, now if the rest of STReport would support
techno-diversity, we would all benefit. I do disagree about Microsoft's
intent. They have repeatedly choosen to market competing 'standards'
rather than support existing standards they could not control. The most
recent example is the marketing of JDirect instead of supporting '100% Pure
Java'.
As a request, I would like to see STReport publish an article, stating why
the Apple Macintosh is deserving of such negative press.
In parting, are you so sure you want your computing experience to be as
Bill Gates wants it to be, that you willingly use this medium to
discourage others from examining the choices that exist?
David, Williamsport, PA. US http://www.williamsport-pa.com/
mail, dbsmith@microserve.net http://www.microserve.net/
using; PowerComputing PB 200, Mac OS 7.6 http://www.powercc.com/
Hewlett Packard 200LX, ROM DOS 5.0 http://www.palmtop.net/
Dave,
I certainly appreciate your viewpoint but. (you knew that was coming)
when one considers the losses thus far by the bungling, inept, elitist and
very highly paid Apple Management most of whom are gone by now with
another, I might add, leaving this week. $1.6 BILLION down the "proverbial
tubes" ain't HAY! <g> Apple had plenty of "Editorial Advice" and
Commentary coming from many different directions including our own
editorials well over four years ago. You see, I was coming fresh from the
Atari tradgedy, it was rather easy for me to see it coming straight for
Apple. Ask Randy Noak about how I felt relative to Apple and its future.
Randy heard it all from me.
For your benefit I'll let you in on a "little secret.." Apple could
pull out of their misery tommorrow if only they'd wake up today and begin
to manufacture ultra high quality clones. Clones with muscle power
motherboards and super fast performance. To continue down the MOT "68000"
trail is only going to lead to a "Killing Cliff" same as the Indians used
in deliberately harvesting stampeded Buffalo.
I include the following for your reading pleasure...
This message was forwarded to you from ZDNet AnchorDesk -
http://www.anchordesk.com If you would like to receive further high-tech
news alerts, simply forward this message to on@anchordesk.com and you will
automatically receive a free sample.
Berst Alert
Jesse Berst, Editorial Director ZDNet AnchorDesk
Monday, July 28, 1997
Regular AnchorDesk readers know I've warned for a long time that Apple was
headed for trouble. Recent events have borne out my predictions. But some
of you say I'm part of the problem, for spotlighting problems without
offering solutions. In response to your suggestions, I propose we put our
heads together to bail out Apple.
Here's the plan. The industry sorely needs a robust alternative to the
Wintel monopoly. (Even if you use Windows, you want Microsoft to stay on
its toes, right?) Thanks to the Internet, we have the technology to reach
agreement on what needs to be done (see the Save-the-Mac link in the
sidebar). Once we reach consensus, I'll take your message to Cupertino.
First we need to determine what that message should be. I've compiled five
possible strategies. Go to our Save-the-Mac page and choose which message
you want delivered to Apple HQ. Use the comment box for additional
suggestions. Sell the company to a strong partner. A number of names have
been suggested -- Sun Microsystems, Oracle, even Microsoft (see the
Inter@ctive Week column linked in the sidebar for more on that).
Hire a marketing whiz. Many of you argue that Apple's technology has
suffered at the hands of inept marketers. If you choose this option, it
means you want the board to hire a CEO with experience in the customer-
driven marketing wars. Fund the Next Big Idea. This is a Dave Winer
recommendation I mentioned previously (see link in sidebar). Apple would
direct its energies to funding innovative startups and trying to cash in on
the Next Big Idea.
Focus on hardware. Get rid of the software and focus on computers for
consumers and graphics specialists. Produce fewer models but pack them with
options; go direct to consumers over the Net and build-to-order the way
Dell and Gateway do in the Wintel market. Focus on software. Specialize in
building great operating systems and extensions; let someone else
manufacture the low-margin hardware.
Additional suggestions. If you think there's a better way to save Apple
than the options listed above, click here and use the comment box to
forward your suggestion. To vote, just click the Save-the-Mac link above.
To send me a personal message about this matter, click the Post TalkBack
link below. I'll post the best responses right below this story. And if
you'd like to discuss this issue with other AnchorDesk readers, join
Jesse's Berst Alerts forum.
I'm waiting for your votes and your suggestions. Once you've made it clear
what you want Apple to do next, I'll take your message to the executives
and report their response to you.
To continue.
Granted, Berst may possibly be capitalizing on Apple's misery.
Regardless HE like many others, myself included, are telling the truth.
The fact remains that "where there is smoke there is fire." At Apple its
already a four alarmer! Apple is, once again, being guided by Steve Jobs.
I hope he has the visionary abilities and willful strength to realize it's
the not same as when he was there before and that he must pull some pretty
fancy rabbits out of the hat. Now Dave, if this upsets you its time for
you to take three steps back and calm down. This sort of thing happens all
the time in the computing world. Can you say Osborne? Or, Wang? Just for
openers. The bottom line is really quite simple. The truth is, Apple is
losing it and if something isn't done forthwith they'll soon be part of
history and not part of the contemporary computing scene.
Thanks for reading STReport and especially for writing. One thing io
certain there's always sumthin' happenin' in the world of `Putes. <g>
Ralph.
Kids Computing Corner
Frank Sereno, Editor
fsereno@streport.com
CalComp UltraSlate
6x9 Graphics Tablet
http://www.calcomp.com
(800)932-1212
Suggested Retail $340 - $670
Review by Donna Lines
I received a CalComp UltraSlate (PC version) for review. This is a Plug N
Play 6" by 9" active area graphics tablet with overlay. The unit itself
measures 11" x 12" and weighs only 1.7 pounds. Bundled software includes
Fractal Design's DabblerT or Live Picture's Live Pix SET. The package
contains everything you need to get started: tablet; battery-less,
pressure-sensitive pen; adapter cable; CD-ROM software & on-line manual;
and interchangeable logo strips.
The test system - a Pentium Pro 200 running Windows 95 -- had difficulty
detecting the new hardware. The PC version uses a free serial port (com
port) and also connects through your keyboard port. After 5 attempts to
install the unit, the PC finally recognized it. This may have been due, in
part, to the Plug `n Play modem on the test system not being assigned a
specific com port. The unit shipped with version 4.0 of the drivers.
Technical Support sent the 4.2 version of the drivers and a new pen during
testing due to some erratica I experienced with the tablet. Both versions
of the drivers were stable.
Features of the tablet include a cordless, battery-less pen. Two
programmable side buttons let you assign commands, i.e., left click, right
click, eraser, etc. The pen can be detected up to .4 inches above the
surface of the tablet. This allows you to trace materials placed on the
tablet or under the overlay. The power light on the tablet goes out when
the pen is in range of the tablet surface. When the pen is out of range,
the light goes on. This is the opposite of some of the other CalComp
tablets, such as the DrawingSlate. The pen features "fumble free" erasing.
You assign a button for the eraser and -- when you're using software that
supports this feature -- you simply click the button to begin erasing with
the tip of the pen. This worked well in CorelDRAW, Corel Photo-PaintT, and
Meta Creations/Fractal Design PainterT. The pen supports up to 512 levels
of pressure, and has a resolution of up to 2,540 lines per inch.
The UltraSlate provides on-screen pop-up hot keys like a tool box so you
will never have to look down at the tablet. Because the hot keys are
programmable, you can customize the tablet to fit your needs. Just program
in your most used commands, then click the hot key button and select the on-
screen hot key to execute the command. The hot keys were very easy to
program. However, I found the button for the hot key to be a little
touchy. You have to have perfect timing to get it right on the first try.
The hot key tool box rarely opened on the first click. Unfortunately,
unlike the mouse, you cannot customize the click speed on the UltraSlate
pen buttons. Hopefully, this will be a feature that CalComp will
incorporate in the future.
There are many user-customizable settings in the CalComp Tablet Control
Panel. You can set the pen pressure, or even use the mapping feature to
utilize the entire active tablet area in relation to the screen size or map
out only a small section to reflect the available on-screen drawing area.
You can even rotate the tablet in 90' increments to accommodate your
drawing style.
CalComp offers toll free telephone support and assistance at their web
site. They offer additional support via a fax back service and through
their BBS. I found the Technical Support personnel to be very
knowledgeable about the product and very helpful.
I found the tablet easy to balance on my lap and easy to use. However, it
is rather easy to accidentally hit a side button while you are drawing.
Overall, I would recommend the tablet. A graphics tablet is an absolute
must have if you are using a paint or graphics program. Not only does it
give you greater control, but it is ergonomically better suited for your
hand than even the best designed mouse. Once you try an UltraSlate, you
won't want to live without it.
System Requirements:
IBM PC AT, PS/2 or compatible
8 MB RAM
serial and keyboard port
Microsoft Windows (3.1, NT 3.51 or 95)
CD-ROM Drive
Special Notice!! STR Infofile File format for Articles
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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
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STReport. All in the name of progress and improved readability. The
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issue is running approximately 15 to 1 over the ASCII edition. I might add
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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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STReport International Online Magazine
Pelican Hill Now Available For Links Pro
CD & Mac Versions of Links!
With the Launch of Pelican Hill, Access Software Now Offers 24 Courses
For Play With Links LS!
Once you're at the tee on The Ocean Course at Pelican Hill Golf Club,
you'll easily see why this seaside golfing paradise was named "The Best New
Resort Course" by Golf Digest in January 1993. Carved into the canyons and
bluffs north of Crystal Cove in Newport Coast, CA, this Tom Fazio designed
course features the Pacific as a backdrop on every hole.
Access Software has rendered the software version of Pelican Hill to be
accurate to within inches of every tree and shrub. This Links Championship
Course is the product of months of research, topographical mapping, aerial
photography and digitized rendering.
Although its $175 green fees would discourage many, Pelican Hill has played
close to capacity since the first day it opened on November 16, 1991. From
Bermuda fairways lined by eucalyptus and pine trees, to dramatic
canyon-crossing tee shots, The Ocean Course at Pelican Hill is 6,634 yards
of golfing splendor.
Two of Pelican Hill's more memorable holes are the 16th and 18th, the
latter being a quintessential finishing hole with the tee box chiseled into
the canyon wall. It requires a 1 75-yard first drive over a chasm to make
the fairway and then the dogleg right forces golfers to hit back over the
winding canyon. The 16th hole looks like the last golf hole on the edge of
the earth--across a canyon on the point of a knoll sits a lone Toyon tree
with the flag silhouetted by the ocean. The lonely beauty of the l 6th hole
is one of the most memorable images in golf.
Access Software Inc. is currently in its sixteenth year producing the
highest quality entertainment software possible.
4750 WILEY POST WAY, BUILDING 1 SUITE 200, SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH 84116 z
(801359-2900 z WATTS (800) . 800-4880 z FAX (801)359-2968
Classics & Gaming Section
Editor Dana P. Jacobson
dpj@streport.com
>From the Atari Editor's Desk "Saying it like it is!"
This has been a really slow week, both personally and editorially and
content-wise for this issue. Well, not so much personally, I guess. The
packing is on-going for the pending move to the new house. It's almost
become a ritual as I've moved a number of times over the years, starting
when I was in college some twenty-odd years ago.
Atari-wise, things are happening for me which are supplementing my
current support for Atari users. In addition to my activity with my Atari
BBS and STReport, today marks my debut as Forum Manager in the Atari forum
on the Delphi online service. Long-time Atari-supporter and Forum Manager,
Clay Walnum has decided he needs to devote more time to other activities
and couldn't maintain the online activity and support that he felt that it
deserved.
Since I'm already an active member on Delphi already, I felt that the
extra responsibilities wouldn't be over-burdensome for me. I try to help
out as much as I can now - hey, we're Atari users and always look out for
each other! It's not something really new for me. So, it should be fun.
Which leads me to something that most people are aware, but perhaps not as
conscious of as they once were: online services. Sure, the Internet is the
current buzzword these days. And for good reason. The Internet has a lot
to offer; and for a monthly fee, people can log on to almost anywhere on
the Web. But, it's my opinion that the Internet lacks something that and
online service, or BBS, can provide - personal interactions.
We need places like Delphi, CompuServe, and Genie. Historically, they
have been a huge meeting place for Atari users to meet, discuss, learn, and
download. I look at the Internet as something Atari users have to
supplement our online activity - not replace it. And for those of you who
do like the Internet, the online services have those capabilities to add to
your online experiences. If you've never experienced an online service or
BBS - you should at least try it. If you've done it but have moved on for
one reason or another, you might want to reconsider it again. There's
nothing like it.
Those of you who are trying to read between the lines and think that
all I'm doing is trying to promote Delphi - forget about it. I'm an avid
member of both CompuServe and Delphi (I dropped GEnie). I have many
friends on each system; and in some instances, in both. Will I be
promoting Delphi? You betcha. Will I still recommend CompuServe? Right
again. It's not the service, but the activity that keeps me positive.
Bulletin boards and the online services have been what has kept me going
all these years. Without them, my Atari experience would likely have
rapidly diminished. It would not have been the same without them. Where
could I go if they weren't around? An Atari dealer? They were rare in
Atari's heyday, much less today.
Think about it. I did some introspection when asked to take over for
Clay. It's my online experience, coupled with what I already do within the
Atari community that made me realize [again] just how important the online
experience has been for me and many like me, and continues to be. What I'm
suggesting is there's an ongoing alternative/supplement to the Internet.
If you like the Internet, you'll really enjoy a service such as CompuServe
or Delphi (and others).
Until next time...
Gaming Section
"Enemy Zero"
Midway Distribution
Industry News STR Game Console NewsFile - The Latest Gaming News!
Luscious Jackson Joins Sega to Create
the Sci-Fi Video Game "Enemy Zero"
Luscious Jackson lead singer Jill Cunniff comes together with Sega(R) of
America to create the highly anticipated video game/interactive movie,
"Enemy Zero(TM)," as she records the voice for the strong-willed lead
character, Laura Lewis. Coming to the Sega Saturn(TM) and PC this
November, "Enemy Zero" is an alien adventure game that requires players to
rely on all their senses to kill a deadly attacker they cannot see.
Crystal Dynamics Forms Distribution Partnership With Midway
Midway to Handle U.S. Distribution of Crystal Dynamics Premium
Titles: GEX: Enter the Gecko and Pandemonium 2;
Midway Also Committed to Bringing GEX to Nintendo 64
MENLO PARK, Calif., July 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Crystal Dynamics, a leading
Sony PlayStation and PC CD-ROM game publisher, today announced that gaming
veteran Midway will distribute two of its most highly anticipated action
games in the U.S. -- GEX: Enter the Gecko and Pandemonium 2.
Under the agreement, Midway has secured the exclusive U.S. distribution
rights to both Crystal Dynamics titles for the Sony PlayStation and PC. The
company will release the PlayStation versions of both titles in 1997 with
PC versions following shortly thereafter. In addition, Midway has also
committed to bringing GEX: Enter the Gecko to the Nintendo 64 with new and
exclusive levels and features.
"GEX: Enter the Gecko is one of the hottest properties on the gaming
horizon today. It pushes the PlayStation to limits that were cited as
unattainable just a few months ago and thus is ideally positioned to
smoothly move to the Nintendo 64," said Rob Dyer, president of Crystal
Dynamics. "Our stellar titles, combined with Midway's expertise and
industry credibility, will ensure that we have a major impact on this
year's holiday season."
The relationship with Midway continues Crystal Dynamics' commitment to its
entertainment studio model. This model allows the company to focus its
resources on what it does best: design and market original gaming
software. This frees the company from the costly burden of product
distribution by securing strategic partnerships with industry leaders such
as Midway to distribute its Crystal-branded entertainment software
titles.
"Both titles fill a very important niche for us and perfectly complement
our existing product lineup. Needless to say, we are thrilled to be
working with Crystal Dynamics," said Byron Cook, president of Midway Home
Entertainment.
As sequels to popular titles that originally appeared on the PlayStation,
GEX: Enter the Gecko and Pandemonium 2 are both character-based action
games that utilize the latest in 3D gaming technology including entirely
free-roaming gameplay, dynamic backgrounds and environments. Pandemonium 2
will be available in October, and GEX: Enter the Gecko will be available
for the holidays.
Out of Sight! Atari Celebrates 25 Years!
By Donald A. Thomas, Jr. 1997
(datj@compuserve.com)
Those who know me, know my undying commitment to remember how much fun I
had with Atari products throughout the early years of the industry's
evolution. Atari was once one of the most popular tradenames in the
world. It ranked almost as high as Coca-Cola in brand name recognition and
household members either read about it, spoke about it or played an Atari
product virtually every day of their lives.
Aside from the pure entertainment value that Atari provided over the years,
Atari has influenced the industry in ways that most of us will never
fathom. Apple Computer was born of Atari employees and the first Apple
system ever manufactured is said to have been of parts "borrowed" from
Atari engineering labs. Today, Apple Computer suffers from many of the
same symptoms that Atari experienced prior to its unceremonious passing
not long ago. After all these years, even Steve Jobs is wisely backing away
from an "opportunity" at the helm. Apple might be wise to call on ex-Atari
executives to advise them what not to do. SC&T, a formidable maker of
video game driving controllers was founded by an ex-Atari employee and so
was Activision. Ex-Atari people work at 3Com, AverMedia, Capcom, Creative
Labs, Electronic Arts, Intel, JTS Corporation, Midway, NetManage,
Photronics, Piiceon, Playnet, Reality Quest, Sega of America, Silicon
Gaming, Sony Computer Entertainment America, Sun Microsystems, Super
Dimension, Tecnomatix Technologies, U.S. Robotics, . . . virtually every
imaginable Silicon Valley technology company in existence. In each case,
their experiences from Atari help shape what they do in their present jobs
and they will affect the way we enjoy tomorrow's technology.
Those like me that remember Atari so fondly clearly recall "Pong", but many
of us will remember different forms of the game. The Silicon Valley
remembers a coin-operated stand-up system that had electronics affixed to
an oversized electronics board and played through an off-the-shelf black-
and-white Zenith television. Much of the country may remember a dedicated
home-based console with two integrated paddles and several modes for one
or two players. But what assuredly everyone over 18 remembers is the Atari
Video Computer System (VCS aka 2600) and the elaborate forms of "Pong" it
could play in color. And soon forthcoming was "Air/Sea Battle",
"Breakout", "Combat", "Outlaw", "Slot Racer", "Super Breakout", "Surround",
"Video Olympics" and many other innovative titles that exploited the pixel
in every 2k way possible.
On Tuesday, June 27, 1972, Atari was incorporated. Although Atari had roots
that traced back more than a year prior, this is the date that many people
recognize was the formal birth date. . . making Atari 25 years old in the
year 1997.
On Friday, July 12, 1996, Atari Corporation was informed by the Securities
Exchange Commission (SEC) that their intentions to merge with Jugi Tandon
Storage, Inc. (JTS) was approved pending the formality of a Shareholder's
vote.
On Tuesday, July 30, Atari Corporation hosted a special meeting of
stockholders in the offices of Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati, P.C. in
Palo Alto, California. The meeting was said to have taken about four to six
minutes. With an outcome of approximately 42 million votes in favor and
about 11,000 against, the stockholders ratified the decision to merge.
Trading of ATC shares were halted at the end of the day. Upon the
conclusion of the meeting, Mr. Sam Tramiel arranged to pick up the
severance checks for himself and his siblings.
Mr. Jack Tramiel, former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Atari
Corporation, remained to assist with a smooth transition with the handful
of surviving Atari personnel.
Essentially, July 30 was the final day Atari existed as an entity of its
own. A handful of ex-Atari employees, who had remained faithful in a hope
that someone or something would hear a heartbeat and jolt it back to life,
accepted no new checks with an Atari logo. JTS stepped in, delegated any
remaining liabilities and reassigned the staff to the task of selling hard
disk drives.
On Monday, July 28, a friend of mine sent to my attention the following
notice:
ATARI ALUMNI REUNION
Wednesday, August 13, 6-9 PM
San Jose Live!
150 South First Street, San Jose
(408-294-5483)
z 25 years ago, in June of 1972, Atari was born!
z Come join Atarians from all the ages as we celebrate 25 years of
innovation, technology, and countless memories.
z Come play Pong (1972) and San Francisco Rush (1997) and see what 25
years of technology hath wrought.
SPREAD THE WORD!
All current and former Atari employees are welcome!
z Bring old photos and memorabilla - come swap lies with some of the
best!
z Open Bar from 6 to 8 PM
z Video Games. Video Games. Video Games.
z Spotlight Event: High Stakes cash prize Video Game contest starring
former Atari executives.
z Please RSVP by phone, fax or E-mail to:
Karen (Graham) Jefferson
408-434-3738
408-434-3910 (fax)
jefferson@agames.com
Deborah Geyer
408-473-9427
408-473-9488 (fax)
geyer@agames.com
COME CELEBRATE
ATARI'S
25th ANNIVERSARY
The notice clearly states that the event on August 13 is open to "all
current and former Atari employees". The festivities will banner Atari's
25th Anniversary and historic being. I have a copy of the original flyer
and I
noticed some interesting things:
z The word "Atari" (or a derivative) appears 6 times.
z There are 25 lines of type on the actual announcement.
z The expression "Video Game" is found 4 times.
z The term "25 years" or "25th anniversary" appears 4 times.
z Both RSVP e-mail addresses end in @agames.com
"@agames"? Atari Games? Hmmm. I don't know much about San Jose Live! or how
big the establishment is, but could this event be intended for just Atari
Games?
Flashback to the "wee hours" of Monday, July 2, 1984, when Tramel
Technology, Ltd. (Mr. Jack Tramiel) acquired the assets of Atari from
Warner Communications by promising $240 million in long-term notes and a
32% interest in the home-computer and home-game divisions. The resulting
deal specified that Warner communications retain the arcade game and
telecommunications (AtariTel) divisions of Atari. The deal with the
Tramiels was initiated by Warner with a phone call to Mr. Garry Tramiel who
was working as a broker at Merill-Lynch in Sunnyvale.
Since that time in 1984, Atari Coin-op and Atari Home Consumer Products
were more than separate divisions, they were entirely separate companies,
but the deal that Jack made with Warner saved both companies and Atari
survived as two companies for over a decade more.
Quite frankly, I'm not sure what they will be celebrating at San Jose Live!
On Wednesday, August 13, but it definitely is not an Atari Alumni Reunion.
When I spoke to Karen to RSVP, she pointed out that this was only for the
coin-op company which is currently owned by Williams and still calls itself
Atari Games. Interesting, the terms "Atari Games", "Coin-Op" and "Consumer
Products Atari not invited" appear no where on the invitation.
How does that phrase go? . . . Out of sight, out of mind?
ONLINE WEEKLY STReport OnLine The wires are a hummin'!
PEOPLE... ARE TALKING
On CompuServe
Compiled by Joe Mirando
jmirando@streport.com
Hidi ho friends and neighbors! I really hate to show off but, guess
what I'm getting! An Atari TT! Yep, that's right. All that can be called
the state of the art in the computer world... and only seven or eight years
late. <grin>
The fact is that, when Atari decided to clear out their warehouse a
few years ago, I tried to purchase one of the TTs they had left. I was too
late unfortunately, and had to content myself with the thought that someone
who _had_ "made the cut" would end up selling theirs. And that's exactly
what happened.
Now I know that some of you are saying "Hey, I thought that Joe said
he'd get a PC when he finally got another computer!", and you're right.
But when this chance came up, I saw that it was just too good a deal to
walk away from. The fact is that I will end up getting a PC one of these
days, but... not today! <grin>
Of course the transition from Mega STe to TT is going to be almost as
traumatic as if I had gone from the Mega to a PC, but when all is said and
done, I'll still have my favorite desktop and most of my favorite programs
to use. I've tried doing some of the things I do with my Mega STe (like
capturing info for, and actually compiling this column) with a PC, up to
and including a 200 MHz Pentium, and can honestly say that TOS makes it
much easier.
I've been called a fanatic and told that I'm anti-progress. This
simply isn't true. I've very pro-progress (Con- gress is the opposite of
progress <grin>). I just don't consider spending ten times the money to do
half as much progress. When you factor in all the new software I'd have to
buy, the time I'd have to spend learning to work around problems, and the
fact that a new PC would probably become useless to me much faster than the
TT will, it seems that I made a pretty good choice... At least for now.
Well, let's take a look at all the news, hints, tips, and info available
every week here on CompuServe.
From the Atari Computing Forum
Since cruising the internet's web pages, ftp sites, and newsgroups has
become so popular I've heard many people complain about getting into the
Atari Archives at The University of Michigan's FTP (File transfer Protocol)
site.
Rick Detlefsen posts:
"I have found that if I can't get into atari.archive.umich.edu, I
don't have a problem getting into amiga.archive.umich.edu, then
using cd to change to the atari dir."
Sysop Bob Retelle tells Rick:
"Heh.... that's a good trick, Rick... using the Amiga "backdoor"
to get into the Atari archives. I'll have to remember that..!"
Me too! That's an ingenious idea. Just the kind of thing an Atari user
would come up with. See that? That's the difference between an Atari
user and a PC user right there! While the Atari user finds a way
around the problem, a PC user would whine and cry like a baby girl (my
apologies to all the baby girls out there) about the problem and tell
anyone who would listen that this is just not right... that they are
_entitled_ to be able to do whatever they want to do just because they
want to do it. Score one for the good guys.
Meanwhile, on the subject of my problems with getting ICDs boot
utilities to work with MagiC, Michel Tavir tells me:
"We're using SCSITOOLS and HUSHI both on our ST and our Falcon, we
don't have any problems with them, and our Atari man here says it's
much better than ICD or HDX. Actually after trying to re-partition
the Falcon's IDE hard disk with HDX that was on it (we'd bought it
second hand), we ended up with a C-drive which couldn't boot any
more, and nobody knows how to fix this! To boot our Falcon, now, it
has to read the HUSHI.SYS file from a floppy or from a second hard
disk which is on the SCSI chain.
Oh, yes, and Magic is booting fine from the Falcon! BUT... I think
I remember also experiencing your problem (not passing the second
boot-up at some other time - maybe when the set-up of the MAGIC.INF
file didn't fit to the computer being used (someone had to tell us
to give a certain value to a variable _ the FLG maybe? , a value
which was specific to the Falcon and didn't appear in Magic's
documentation. If this might be the case, I'll try to research
into it if you want to."
I tell Michel:
"I would appreciate any information that _anyone_ can give! I'm
now using HDDriver, and it does allow me to boot MagiC, but it will
NOT allow proper use of my Insite FLOPtical. Any disks in that
drive must first be formatted using an AHDI-compatable scheme.
This greatly reduces the usefullness of the drive, since I
routinely use it for reading Atari/PC formatted 1.44 Meg disks.
I've looked at the MAGIC.INF file and found nothing that might be
causing the problem with the ICD software. Of course, there might
be a variable that is _not_ in the INF file that should be. In
that case, I wouldn't notice that it wasn't there."
Michel tells me:
"Sorry, I just don't know at this point: not familiar with that
set-up. As said, try maybe SCSICTRL instead?"
Joris Vincken posts this:
"Copying files from Atari to PC.
I use Cubase on a Atari Falcon,and write CD's on my pentium,so I
have to transfer big files all the time(up to 600mb).I use a 1 gig
hard drive wich I swap from my PC to my Falcon.I formatted it with
win95. On the Falcon I use 'big Dos', a program wich let's you read
up to 2 gigabyte DOS partitions.This works perfect.The only thing
is that you need a SCSI card on your PC,and on your Atari(if you
don t have a Falcon). But SCSI is the best thing to go on a PC
anyway if you're doing audio."
Well folks, I know that the column is a bit short this week but, like
me, many folks are on vacation and not posting in the forum much, so we'll
just end it here and say goodnight. Be sure to tune in again next week,
same time, same station, and be ready to listen to what they are saying
when...
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
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