ST Report: 22-Aug-97 #1334
From: Bruce D. Nelson (aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 08/22/97-05:45:16 PM Z
From: aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bruce D. Nelson)
Subject: ST Report: 22-Aug-97 #1334
Date: Fri Aug 22 17:45:16 1997
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>From the Editor's Desk...
Next weekend is Labor Day Weekend already! This summer has rocketed
by all of us. This week's issue is kinda short due to illness and other
shortcomings. Three of our mainstay columns didn't make it this week. Oh
well, such is life. Feel better Joe. Frank, hope you find some time
somewhere. Jason, you dropped the ball. Lloyd. try to condense or shorten
the size of your excellent offering so that we can see more of you. <g>
One thing though, What's up with the USDOJ?? Is Janet Reno the
professional Clinton thought she was or, is she really busy running "Witch
Hunts"?? Once again we see the name makers in the DOJ eagerly trying to
make a name for themselves by harrassing Microsoft. Microsoft provides
more jobs, provides a huge tax base both for the State of Washington and
Washington DC and pays more corporate taxes than any ten other US
corporations! What's up with this constant inquisition of MS?
Why doesn't Janet Reno clean her own house of the murderous clods who
shot up Waco and Ruby Ridge?? No, that would be far too decent. The DOJ
sees fit to excuse these career slimers. Three Cheers to the State of
Oregon for not taking any of the DOJ guff. At least they had the courage
to indict one of the shooters hiding behind the US Gov't. Texas ought to
take a few lessons from Oregon. Perhaps Texas is getting too much Fed
grant monies and either cannot or is incapable of standing up to the DOJ
whitewash brush.
Did you know, by any chance, the US courts in Texas actually JAILED
98% of the Branch Davidian survivors of WACO and did NOT charge anyone in
the government with ANYTHING relative to the WACO Massacre?? Talk about
setting a wonderful example for the rest of the nation and the world.
"Hide behind the Blue and Gold and you can get away with murder" seems to
be the Order of the Day! Apparently this "version" of the DOJ believes
it's OK to break the law to enforce the law.
Of course, George Bush set the warped stage for that type of thinking
when he ok'ed the armed invasion of another nation's sovereign soil, the
kidnapping of its president, the "trial" here in the US that reeks of
injustice and finally, the sequestering of Manuel Noriega of Panama.
(Noriega WORKED for Bush and the CIA!! Perhaps Noriega KNOWS TOO MUCH?)
Can you imagine what would happen if another country had done that very
same thing to old Georgie Boy Bush?? Can you say World War Three. Somehow
or other, this ain't the same country we sing about in the Star Spangled
Banner and America the Beautiful. Reno has got to go! She seemingly makes
Mitchell, Nixon, Meese and Agnew all look like patriots.
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STReport Headline News
LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS
Weekly Happenings in the Computer World
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
Net Can Disrupt Students' Lives
Psychologists are saying students who go online to seek information or
"chat" with fellow computer users may find the Internet interferes with
normal activities of daily life. Science writer Ed Susman, in a report
carried by United Press International, says researchers are reporting at
this week's American Psychological Association meeting in Chicago that in
about 8 percent of the cases, the time spent online causes "addiction-like
mood alterations which adversely affect professional, social and personal
lives."
Psychology professor Janet Morahan-Martin of Bryant College in Smithfield,
Rhode Island, studied 277 college students and found three of four admitted
their attraction to the Internet caused various problems. She said students
as a group are considered to be at high-risk for Internet abuse. Says
Susman, "Students had to admit to four or more symptoms in order to have
their Internet use deemed pathological -- addictive."
On her findings, Morahan-Martin commented, "Compared to others,
pathological users scored significantly higher (on a standard loneliness
scale), were more likely to go online to relax, talk to others with similar
interests, meet new people and for support."
Other findings:
z Internet addicts acknowledge it is easier to be friendly and open
online than in person.
z More men than women would be classified as being hooked on computers.
z Women are closing the gap in computer usage. Four years ago men
outnumbered women on the Internet 20-1; today it is 3-1.
z And women dominate electronic mail. "Females are more favorable
towards email than males," the professor said, "and are even more likely
than males to use the Internet for communication with friends and family."
Games, Chats Spur Net Addictions
A researcher says fantasy games and the chance to chat with other users
seem to be the main lures for people who appear addicted to the Internet.
Kimberly S. Young, an assistant professor of clinical psychology at the
University of Pittsburgh, says many of her study participants are drawn to
particular "chat rooms," cyberspace areas in which people can chat by
keyboard on specific topics, adding, "It's kind of like the Cheers bar,
where everybody gets to know their (online) name."
Reporting from Chicago, where Young presented her study of 396 users at the
annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, The Associated
Press quotes the researcher as saying women in the sample appeared
particularly drawn to making friends online, while men were more likely to
cite sexually tinged encounters in cyberspace. For instance, she said, men
reported indulging in sexual fantasies online with other users, adding,
"They said it's better than an X-rated movie."
Young said another lure is being able to create caricatures of oneself,
such as the self-described shy librarian who became a sex kitten online.
Also, in playing fantasy games in which different users take on different
roles, a "19-year-old with no life" can become "a great warrior, a
respected legend," she noted. "The problem with all this," says AP, "is
that people can spend so much time and concentration online that their real
life suffers. One woman forgot to pick the kids up after school and forgot
to make dinner... Some students reported failing in class because of their
online habit. Spouses can become jealous of the computer."
Young has been contacted by lawyers about divorces caused by the addiction
of a spouse to the Internet. She says Internet addiction is not a
recognized mental diagnosis, but "it has some real-life consequences we
have to look at." As reported above, the psychologists also have heard
reports that students who go online to seek information or "chat" with
fellow computer users may find the Internet interferes with normal
activities of daily life.
Healthy Growth Seen for CD Market
CD format disk drives are one of the fastest growing product families of
the decade, with healthy shipment increases underway for CD-ROM read-only
drives, CD-R/CD-RW writable drives and new DVD-ROM 4.7GB read-only models,
finds DISK/TREND, a storage industry market research firm. Starting with
annual shipments of less than a million drives at the beginning of the
1990s, the 1997 market for CD-ROM drives is expected to exceed 66 million,
supplemented by 2.2 million CD-R and CD-RW drives, plus more than 500,000
DVD-ROM models, reports the Mountain View, California, market research
firm. Total optical drive shipments are predicted to continue growing
throughout the rest of the decade, but CD-ROM drives will begin to decline
in 1999, with DVD-ROM drives taking over leadership of read-only drive
shipments in 2000. By 2000, worldwide shipments of all optical disk drives
are forecasted at 106 million, with sales revenues topping $10 billion.
International PC Sales Rise
Following a sluggish start to the year, PC sales figures in the Europe,
Middle East and Africa region improved in the second quarter, showing a 12
percent growth over the previous year, finds International Data Corp. This
is despite a rise of only three percent in PC sales in Germany -- by far
the largest PC market in the region, and the third biggest in the world.
But the Framingham, Massachusetts, market research notes that in Western
Europe as a whole, Germany's performance was offset by strong sales in the
other main country markets, driven largely by the business sector. For
example, PC shipments rose as much as 27 percent in Sweden year on year,
and the Italian market, long in a state of inertia, bounced back with a
rise of 19 percent.
The U.K., France and the Netherlands also prospered, notes IDC, with
aggressive price cuts from the leading vendors mounting the first phase of
an all-out attack on smaller businesses. Additionally, PC dealers and
distributors were eager to shed as much stock as possible not equipped with
new multimedia MMX chip technology. Consumers proved very reluctant to buy
PCs in most areas, notes the researcher. Compaq maintained its number one
position in the region during the second quarter, ending with a 14 percent
share, and taking on Dell head-to-head to show it could match the
efficiencies of its direct distribution model. Compaq widened its lead over
the runner-up IBM, whose Eastern European shipments fell.
It was Hewlett-Packard, Dell and Siemens Nixdorf that showed the best
growth over the previous year, reports IDC, as Apple's and Olivetti's
sales dropped. The PC market in the Middle East and Africa expanded by
15.1 percent, finds IDC. A country by country analysis shows contrasting
results: Saudi Arabia and Turkey rocketed ahead, with sales rising 62
percent and 28 percent year-on-year respectively, while the region's two
largest countries -- Israel and South Africa -- showed either no growth or
a slight decline. IDC's World Wide Web site (http://www.idc.com) contains
additional company information and recent news releases and offers
full-text searching of recent research.
CompuServe Network Services Grows
CompuServe Network Services has entered into agreements with four major
international networks to carry Internet traffic throughout Europe and
Asia. CompuServe Network Services has a long-standing practice of
"peering" with network partners around the world. Peering agreements allow
Internet service providers (ISPs) to directly exchange traffic destined for
another ISP's network.
In this most recent series of agreements, CompuServe Network Services has
established peering relationships with Ebone, a major pan-European backbone
with access to 76 networks in Western and Eastern Europe; DE-CIX, which
connects to 15 networks in Germany; MAE-Paris, with interconnections to
seven networks in France; and Internet Initiative Japan (IIJ), parent
company of A-Bone, which interconnects with seven networks across Asia into
Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong and
Taiwan.
"CompuServe Network Services is committed to the practice of peering to
expand its data communications services across the Internet," says Jason
Comstock, group manager of IP connectivity services. "By establishing
peering relationships with key Internet players, CompuServe can extend its
Internet backbone, ensuring the most reliable of Internet connections to a
vast number of cities and countries around the world." Additional
information on CompuServe Network Services can be found on the Web at
http://www.compuserve.net.
New President for CompuServe NS
CompuServe Corp. has announced that Peter Van Camp has been named president
of CompuServe Network Services. Van Camp, 41, has headed the Columbus,
Ohio-based unit as executive vice president and a corporate officer since
1995. "This promotion recognizes Peter's leadership in making CompuServe
Network Services one of the leading global network integrators for
corporations," says Frank Salizzoni, CompuServe's chairman and acting CEO.
"It also reflects the division's impressive growth and increased
contribution to the company under Peter's leadership."
Van Camp joined CompuServe Network Services in 1982 as a sales executive
and branch manager. Since then, he has held a number of positions within
the division, including vice president of sales and support and general
manager of point-of-sale networking business. He led important initiatives,
including the introduction of transaction services, which allowed the
division to win VISA, the division's largest customer today; and CompuServe
Network Service's expansion into strategic growth markets in Europe. Van
Camp graduated from Boston College with a bachelor of science degree in
accounting and computer science. Before joining CompuServe, he was employed
by Control Data Corp. in sales and marketing.
Net Magazines Bite the Dust
At least a dozen Internet-related magazines, many with a consumer focus,
have ceased publication since 1995 and observers say publishers are
unusually grim about the prospects for writing about the Net market.
"General-interest Net magazines simply aren't going to work," Vice
President Jonathan Simpson-Bint at Imagine Publishing Inc. in Brisbane,
California, told The Wall Street Journal. Journal reporter Nick Wingfield
notes Imagine is the latest major publisher to close down an Internet
magazine, suspending publication of
The Net magazine, a slick monthly (circulation 200,000) that offered
Web-site reviews and a CD-ROM packaged with each issue.
As reported, CMP Media Inc.'s NetGuide, with a circulation of more than
350,000, shut down in June, signaling a major shakeout for general-interest
magazines about the Internet, Wingfield says. "Internet magazines may be
falling victim to the success of the very medium they promote," he adds.
"Publications about cyberspace, which often feature TV Guide-style listings
about Net goings-on, are good training wheels for new Internet users, but
as they become more savvy, they can find more timely information about the
Internet simply by surfing it."
Analyst Dan Lavin at Dataquest Inc. comments, "People read about buying
cars. Very few people read about driving them -- even though they all (do
it.) Just because 100 million people do something does not mean 100 million
people want to read about it." Meanwhile, established computer
publications are modifying their focus to embrace the Internet. Trade
weeklies such as InfoWorld and PC Week have added sections that deal
exclusively with the Internet, while publications such as PC Magazine and
PC World often feature Internet stories on their covers.
Adscope Inc., a Eugene, Oregon, company that tracks high-tech advertising,
reports Net publications sold $54 million worth of advertisements between
January and July, a 60 percent increase over the same period in 1996.
"That's impressive compared to the print industry as a whole, where revenue
from ad sales only grew 15 percent in the first half of 1997," Wingfield
comments. "But Net publications' revenue from ad sales is tiny when
compared to the $1.3 billion garnered from all publications that accepted
technology ads." Even deep-pocketed corporate backers aren't saving Net
magazines.
Last month saw the demise of Internet Underground, a publication put out by
Ziff-Davis, while the backing of the Washington Post Co. couldn't save
Virtual City, a quarterly that folded in the spring of 1996. But it isn't
all gloom and doom, Wingfield finds, adding, "Media analysts believe that
in the near term, ad revenues can support a few of the better-funded
consumer publications, such as Ziff-Davis's monthly, called Yahoo! Internet
Life, and International Data's The Web."
UPI Launches Web Site
A site on the Internet's World Wide Web to sell and deliver news, photos
and audio reports has been launched by United Press International.
Speaking last week with a group of reporters, editors and other staff, UPI
CEO James Adams said, "You ain't seen nothing yet," that the launch of the
website (http://www.upi.com) signaled that the company was gaining
momentum. UPI says the site was developed in-house and beginning Sept. 8,
UPI photos will be offered for sale through the website. Breaking news, UPI
exclusives, archived news stories, new and archived photos and audio
reports all will be available. Owned by a group of Saudi investors as part
of the ARA Group International that also includes Middle East Broadcasting
Centre Ltd., ANA Radio and ANA Television, UPI is a 90-year-old news
company headquartered in Washington.
Glitch Worsens Net Credit Fears
An embarrassing computer glitch seems to have confirmed fears of consumer
advocates that selling credit reports over the Internet could allow the
wrong people to get hold of confidential information. Business writer
Michael White of The Associated Press says a deluge of electronic orders
early yesterday at Experian Inc.'s venture "caused some legitimately
purchased reports to go to the wrong customers, forcing one of the world's
largest information companies to close its site."
The problem occurred less than 48 hours after Experian quietly launched the
Internet site Wednesday night.
Says White, "There was no security breach, but news reports about the move
prompted a sudden deluge of requests for reports early Friday, causing the
technical breakdown." Martin Abrams, a vice president at the Orange,
California, company, told the wire service the site received 2,000 requests
for reports between
8 p.m. Thursday and early yesterday.
"Of those," says AP, "213 reports were transmitted electronically. The
company didn't know how many of those were misdirected, but planned to
contact all of the customers to find out. The company will restore the site
once the problems are resolved." Abrams says Experian put up the site
after receiving 15,000 consumer e-mail requests for Internet access to
credit reports. For a small fee ($8 in most states), individuals can look
at the reports, which include information about their loans, payment
patterns, past addresses and other details, after providing a Social
Security number, a personal credit card number and other private
information. The data transmission is encrypted to prevent Internet
eavesdroppers from intercepting it.
"Defenders of the site," adds White, "said the records are widely available
to employers, landlords and others. But some consumer advocates contend
Experian hasn't done enough to keep criminals out." Beth Givens, director
of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a non-profit consumer group based in
San Diego, complain that "it's too easy for a very determined stalker or
anyone else who wants that information about you to ... retrieve those
credit reports." Experian began last year in a merger of TRW Information
Systems & Services, one of the largest U.S. credit information companies,
and CCN Group, Europe's largest credit reference agency.
Clinton to Fight Millenium Bug
Government computers would not be plagued by the "millennium bug,"
President Clinton vowed yesterday, referring to the highly publicized flaw
that will have some systems mistakenly calculating the year 2000 as 1900.
Speaking at the National Archives, the president said, "We can't have the
American people looking to a new century and a new millennium with their
computers, the very symbol of modernity in the modern age, holding them
back and we are determined to see that it doesn't happen."
As noted, the bug arises in older computers that are programmed to record
only the last two digits of the year. Such computers may treat the year
2000 as the year 1900, generating serious errors or even crashing the
systems. The Reuter News Service quotes Clinton as saying, "I want to
assure the American people that the federal government, in cooperation with
state and local government and the private sector, is taking steps to
prevent any interruption in government services."
It was Clinton's first public remarks addressing the year 2000 computer
issue. Reuters notes estimates for correcting the problem worldwide range
as high as $600 billion, but administration officials have said the
government can correct its computers for less than $3 billion. However,
industry officials and some lawmakers have warned that the cost could be
much higher. They said the government is moving too slowly to assess and
correct the flaws. A report by the Office of Management and Budget released
last month found 71 percent of the government's most important computers
yet to be repaired or replaced.
Sex Drives the Net, Experts Say
Researchers say sex is the most searched-for topic on the Internet and that
prurient interests are driving the Net's technological advances. In fact,
the Net "is going to be the next sexual revolution," says Al Cooper,
clinical director of the San Jose, California, Marital and Sexual Center.
"It's going to affect sex in a profound way." The Reuter News Service
quotes Cooper as saying online questions range from whether voyeurism in
cyberspace constitutes infidelity to whether meeting someone electronically
before visually might lead to better
long-term relationships.
And researcher Ray Noonan of New York University says, "The Internet is
probably one of the most profound changes in world society history, with
greater impact than the Gutenberg press and broadcast media...Sex drives
the technology of the Internet and the World Wide Web." The two were among
researchers who spoke in Chicago yesterday at a panel discussion on the
topic during the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association.
Cooper told the audience sex was the most searched-for topic on the
Internet, even though the number of sites or user groups devoted to it
represent a relatively small percentage of the masses of information
available in cyberspace. He said adult entertainment and sexually explicit
material are the "No. 1 income generator on the Internet" and he predicts
they will drive telephone sex services out of business in a few years.
Cooper said the phenomenon will have an impact on human sexuality by
offering information, education, the chance of a "first step" for the
otherwise timid and the possibility of linking those with similar sexual
orientations and tastes. And, he says, "There is also a potential for
better long-term relationships," if people get to know each other before
physical attraction occurs.
Intel Countersues Digital
Turning up the heat in their legal battle, chipmaker Intel Corp. has filed
a countersuit accusing Digital Equipment Corp. of infringing its patents.
The allegations are similar to those made earlier by Digital against Intel.
Reporting from Digital's Worcester, Massachusetts, headquarters, The
Associated Press says Intel accuses Digital of infringing 14 Intel patents
ranging from microprocessor architecture to chip manufacturing and design
of computer systems.
Intel contends Digital uses that technology throughout its product line of
chips, desktop computers and servers.
Digital released a statement calling the countersuit "a typical step for a
company that has been sued for patent infringement." As reported, Digital
sued Intel last May, accusing the Santa Clara, California, firm of
infringing 10 of its patents. It claimed Intel copied its technology to
monopolize the market for microprocessors, the silicon "brains" of personal
computers. Intel's chips are found in 85 percent of PCs.
Apple Clone Maker President Resigns
The president and chief operating officer of Power Computing Corp. has
resigned amid escalating arguments between that Macintosh clone maker and
Apple Computer Inc. over licensing terms. The resignation of Joel Kocher,
a 40-year-old former top executive at Dell Computer Corp., "apparently
signals that Power, a Round Rock, Texas, computer maker, wants to take a
more conciliatory approach toward Apple in a licensing dispute that has
dragged on for several months," says reporter Jim Carlton in The Wall
Street Journal this morning.
Adds Carlton, "Although Apple officials have indicated they intend to honor
existing licensing contracts, negotiations continue with Power and the
other clone makers, which include Motorola Inc. and Taiwan's Umax Data
Systems Inc. A key stumbling block is whether Apple intends to extend
licensing to include new technologies." The paper note Apple Vice
President Doug Solomon notified Power and Umax in a memo last Friday the
company "until further notice" wouldn't certify for sale any Macintosh
compatibles based on a new technology called the Common Hardware Reference
Platform.
At issue is the "CHRP design" developed by Apple, Motorola and IBM so Mac
systems can use more standard parts in the industry. Carlton finds many
analysts believe that Apple, under its de facto leader Steve Jobs, wants to
restructure the licensing program to compel cloner makers to take the
Macintosh into new markets. "The clone makers, instead, have attacked
Apple in all fields, including its own strongholds of education and desktop
publishing," says the paper. "As a result, Apple's sales and profits have
remained under pressure as overall Macintosh sales have continued to
decline."
Justice Questions Microsoft
The U.S. Justice Department has requested Microsoft Corp. send information
about its new streaming media business. In a statement from the company's
Redmond, Washington, headquarters, Microsoft said it intends to cooperate
with the Justice Department and won't comment on specifics of this
non-public inquiry, in deference to the Justice's Department's practice of
gathering information in a confidential manner. Of the technology that
allows people to watch live images from Web sites that have been translated
into digital form for transmission over the Internet, Microsoft said,
"Competition in the nascent streaming media business is intense, with many
large and small companies offering a wide range of innovative products."
The Dow Jones news service notes Microsoft is seeking to promote
compatibility and interoperability among streaming media products from all
vendors, which will benefit customers and further intensify competition. It
quotes Microsoft as saying, "We are confident that the Justice Department
will conclude that competition is robust once it reviews the facts." The
wire service notes that besides Microsoft, major competitors including
Oracle Corp., Netscape Communications Corp., Silicon Graphics Inc., IBM,
Sun Microsystems Inc. and many others have announced streaming media
products.
Microsoft-Apple Deal Scrutinized
Microsoft Corp.'s $150 million investment in Apple Computer Inc. now is
being scrutinized by the U.S. Justice Department to determine whether it
could crush competition in the technology. Department spokesman John
Russell told the Reuter News Service, "The Justice Department is looking
into Microsoft's planned investment in Apple." However, Russell said he
could not confirm a Washington Post report that cited an unnamed Justice
Department spokeswoman as saying that federal antitrust regulators also
were examining three recent deals between Microsoft and smaller companies
that have developed technology to transmit video images over the Internet.
As reported, Microsoft says it once again has received word of a Justice
Department investigation, this time into the software giant's multiple
investments in streaming-media companies. As noted, Microsoft entered the
streaming market last year when it bought a 5 percent stake in VDONet. Then
in July it purchased 10 percent of Progressive Networks, maker of RealAudio
and RealVideo. Finally, earlier this month, Microsoft made its biggest
commitment to date with its full acquisition of video concern VXtreme.
Notes Reuters, "Although a Microsoft spokesman could not confirm this was
so, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Justice Department was also
looking into the software company's recent purchase of a 7 percent stake in
Apple -- a largely symbolic deal intended to signal a new era of detente in
the computer world. The grounds for regulators looking askance on the Apple
holding are not yet clear."
Virgin Net Apologizes for Game
London-based Virgin Net, a company owned by Virgin Airlines chief Richard
Branson, has apologized after a game based on the massacre of 16 children
and their teacher in Scotland was found on its Internet site. Technical
Director Ivan Izikowitz told The Associated Press the company did not know
the web site contained such offensive material and removed it over the
weekend, as soon as it was discovered. Said Izikowitz, "We certainly
apologize for any hurt and distress that the part we played may have
caused."
Among those outraged by the game were families of the children and the
teacher killed by gunman Thomas Hamilton on March 13, 1996, in Dunblane,
Scotland. "I don't understand how someone could put something like this on
the Internet for entertainment," said Rod Mayor, whose wife Gwen died
protecting the students. Izikowitz said the game was placed on a site
created by one of the 6,000 people who access the Internet by subscribing
to Virgin Net. He said the subscription of the unidentified person who
created the massacre game had been terminated.
Digital Rolls Out New Notebooks
The first two notebook PCs in Digital Equipment Corp.'s new HiNote Ultra
2000 series were introduced today.
Reporting from Digital's Maynard, Mass., headquarters, the Reuter News
Service says the new models, which should retail for about $5,000 to
$6,000, have 12.1-inch and 14.1-inch screens with starting weights of about
five pounds, a profile 1.25 inches thin, multimedia, graphics and desktop
capabilities. Digital says the HiNote Ultra 2000 also features a 20X
CD-ROM drive, a "hot swappable" CD-ROM/diskette drive, and an international
56Kbps integrated modem.
Toshiba Unveils New PC Models
Toshiba America Information Systems Inc. has added two new models to its
Equium business desktop PC line. The Equium 5230D features an Intel 233MHz
Pentium MMX processor and is available now for $1,869. The Equium 6230D,
which comes equipped with Intel's Pentium II MMX processor, is scheduled to
become available the first week of September for $2,249. Standard
features on both models include a 3GB enhanced IDE hard drive, a 24-speed
CD-ROM drive and 32MB of high speed EDO DRAM.
The Equium 6230D includes Wake-on-LAN, which allows network administrators
to power up multiple PCs to troubleshoot problems from remote locations
even when the PC is turned off. Both models feature Toshiba's Secure Sleep
technology, which allows network administrators to remotely access systems
for software distribution, inventory and status without risk of a security
breach.
Sun, Oracle Strengthen Ties
To face off against Microsoft Corp., Sun Microsystems Inc. and Oracle Corp.
are tightening their alliance with an agreement to sell a package of
Oracle's database software with Sun's business computers. The Associated
Press reports the Sun computers, using Oracle's software, enable businesses
to run networks of smaller machines. "The deal," says AP, "is aimed at
staving off the growing threat of Microsoft's popular Windows NT operating
software."
As reported earlier, Oracle's new Oracle8 database software is intended to
help companies run "network computers," or stripped-down machines that use
software stored on a central computer. AP says Oracle8 will be offered for
Sun's new Enterprise 450 server, introduced Tuesday, which Sun claims is
similar in price to comparable Windows NT-based servers. The two also have
agreed to conduct joint marketing and sales, including a national
advertising campaign beginning this fall.
Microsoft Ships Updated Dictionary
Microsoft Corp. has released the third edition of its Microsoft Press
Computer Dictionary. The company notes that the 560-page book contains
nearly 50 percent more material than the second edition -- over 7,600
entries and more than 300 drawings, diagrams and photographs. The updated
text also includes pronunciation guides; coverage of Internet, Web and
intranet-related terms and acronyms; software products from all
manufacturers; PC, Macintosh and UNIX terminology; hardware; and words
relating to mathematical, mainframe, networking and programming concepts.
Online updates are scheduled to be made available every quarter on the
Internet at the Microsoft Press Web site, http://mspress.microsoft.com/.
The Microsoft Press Computer Dictionary, Third Edition is available now
for $29.99.
Xerox Offers Home Product
In what is said to be its first household product, Xerox Corp. is launching
a combination color scanner, printer and copier that sells for $499. The
New York Times reports this morning the new Document Home Center is
intended for people who like computers but are not computer sophisticates.
It will be marketed as the first low-end multifunction document-processing
product that incorporates a color scanner. The Times quotes analysts as
saying Xerox has gotten a jump on rival Hewlett-Packard, adding they do not
expect Hewlett-Packard to incorporate color scanners into its products
before next spring.
Zoom Ships 56K Modem Card
Zoom Telephonics has begun shipping the Zoom/PC Card 56K FaxModem. The
modem maker notes that the $229 card, based on Rockwell K56flex technology,
features flash memory for both the digital signal processor
(DSP) and controller, allowing software upgrades for feature enhancements
and new standards. "We waited to ship until we could use the latest
Rockwell controller," says Frank Manning, president and CEO of
Boston-based Zoom. "The higher speed produces more data throughput,
particularly with compressible files and bi-directional data transfers,
and also helps assure high performance with future standards." The Zoom/PC
Card 56K FaxModem is a Type II PCMCIA card that weighs 1.25 ounces. The
product can be used with a notebook, palmtop, PDA or any computer with a
compatible PCMCIA slot. Visit Zoom at its Web site
(http://www.zoomtel.com).
Netscape Has Standalone Browser
Escalating the browser wars, Netscape Communications Corp. has announced a
standalone version of its popular World Wide Web browser that it
previously had combined with other software programs for businesses.
"Netscape's strategy reversal eases relations with important allies such as
IBM Corp.," business writer Catalina Ortiz of The Associated Press
observes. "IBM's Lotus Notes software competes directly with components of
Netscape's broad suite of corporate software, called Communicator." Ortiz
notes IBM recently snubbed Netscape by deciding to include Microsoft's
Internet Explorer browser in its software suites, but now says it also will
offer Netscape's Navigator 4.0 browser as an option.
Netscape's decision to "unbundle" its Navigator 4.0 browser from
Communicator may help it expand into the home and small-business market, AP
says. However, industry analysts "viewed the move as a significant
strategic shift that underscores Netscape's difficulty in competing
against Microsoft," Ortiz reports. After only a year and a half in the
game, Microsoft has captured about one-third of the Web market that
Netscape
essentially created.
Initially, Netscape decided to make the latest version of its browser a
part of its recently released Communicator suite for businesses that
includes other programs, such as electronic mail, that let employees of a
company collaborate over a computer network. "Making Navigator part of the
Communicator package rather than a standalone product," says Ortiz, "was
intended to establish a 'beachhead' for it in the corporate software
market. ... But Microsoft has dealt a series of blows to Netscape. In
addition to IBM's agreement to bundle Microsoft's Internet Explorer in its
Lotus programs, Apple Computer Inc. two weeks ago said it would make the
program the most convenient browser on its new computers." Navigator 4.0
now is available as a separate program for $39, $20 cheaper than
Communicator.
IBM, Netscape Ink Navigator Deal
IBM Corp. and Netscape Communications Corp. have signed a licensing
agreement that provides IBM with the rights to include the Netscape
Navigator browser with IBM products and services. As a result of the deal,
Navigator will be included with IBM's OS/2 and AIX operating systems and
with IBM PC bundled with the IBM Internet Connection Service. The browser
will also be included in the client access software for the IBM AS/400, in
future IBM S/390 products and other IBM software products. Additionally,
Navigator will begin appearing as an optional offering in IBM subsidiary
Lotus Development Corp.'s software, including Lotus Notes and Lotus
SmartSuite.
"The combination of leading IBM offerings and Netscape Navigator will make
it easy for businesses to deliver powerful e-business applications to their
customers," says John M. Thompson, an IBM senior vice president and
software group executive. "Netscape Navigator's support of cross-platform
standards such as 100 percent Pure Java and CORBA will help users take full
advantage of the power of network computing."
Netscape President and CEO Jim Barksdale adds, "This new agreement between
Netscape and IBM ensures that IBM's customers have access to the full
advantages of Navigator for accessing information on the Internet,
intranets and extranets. Netscape and IBM have shown their commitment to
standards such as Java, JavaScript and CORBA, and the combination of our
technologies delivers the open standards-based solution that customers
demand."
ISOC Wants Domain Name Competition
Business brand names and Internet domain names "... go together like corned
beef and cabbage," according to Internet Society (ISOC) comments filed with
the National Telecommunications and Information Administration of the U.S.
Department of Commerce. According to the ISOC, true competition in domain
name registration is needed to stimulate the growth of global electronic
commerce.
The ISOC believes that domain names will be an integral part of the
marketing plans, and an increasingly important strategic asset, for many
companies. The organization claims it would be a "tragic mistake" to
emulate the early days of 800-service competition by allowing "monopolistic
practices to control domain name registrations, thereby restricting
customer freedom of choice." According to the ISOC, competition should be
implemented with a smooth transition process that involves appropriate
testing of any new systems. Increased competition, says the ISOC, "... will
guarantee better service and lower prices for registrants."
According to the ISOC, governments should become involved in the Internet
self-governance processes that will evolve, but in a manner so as not to
control the Internet, or restrict the free-flow of information. The ISOC
also notes that the Domain Name System should not be put under the control
of international governmental entities. Instead, there should be
coordination such as proposed by the International Ad Hoc Committee (IAHC)
"... under a consistent and organized system of self-governance, recognized
by the principal Internet-interested entities around the world."
The Department of Commerce request for comments on the registration and
administration of Internet domain names follows an industry-wide effort
over the past 10 months to resolve issues dealing with the current
registration of a limited number of generic Top Level Domain Names (gTLDs).
A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N
LEXMARK OPTRA C
COLOR
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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
FCC Approves Nynex, Bell Atlantic
Merger
Experiancing Security Problems
NEC Is Latest DVD Manufacturer To
Drop Industry "Standard"
Nokia Adds Support To Mobile Phone
Standards
The Future Of Software Distribution
Man Fingered By ISP Arrested On Net
Porn Charges
Productivity And Learning
Drudging Up Criticism
Time To Log Off! Do It Now! While
You Still Can! Seriously!
Xerox Introduces
Scanner-Printer-Copier For Home Use
Netscape Unbundles Navigator
Bell Atlantic's $5 Billion Spending
Plan
IBM Speeds Up Its AS/400 Workhouse
Counterfeiting By Computer
Justice Department Looking Again At
Microsoft
IBM Will Use Chips From Advanced
Micro Devices
What Will Happen To Apple Clones?
FCC Gives Ameritech Bad News And
Good News
Huge Jump Seen In PCs Linked To Net
Texas College Targets Term Paper
Plagiarism
Millennium Bomb Sirens Soon To Go
Off
Virtual Hospital
Corel Ditches Java
Sex On The Net
FCC APPROVES NYNEX, BELL ATLANTIC MERGER
The Federal Communications Commission has approved the $25.6 billion merger
of Bell Atlantic and Nynex into one giant phone company with a service
area stretching from Maine to Virginia. One condition the FCC placed on
the merger is that the two companies open up their 13-state market to
competition from rival phone companies. FCC chairman Reed Hundt says that
future merger proposals will not be approved if they don't foster serious
competition and warns against "any hypothetical merger of AT&T and a Bell,
or even a merger of two Bells." (New York Times 15 Aug 97)
EXPERIANCING SECURITY PROBLEMS
Two days after Experian Inc. (the national credit bureau formerly known as
TRW Information Systems & Services) began letting customers use the
Internet to view their personal credit reports, the company abruptly
discontinued the service after learning that at least four people were
given financial information about someone else. Georgetown University
computer science professor Dorothy Denning says that Experian's troubles
"tell you how hard it is to do good security online at the same time
you're trying to provide access." (Washington Post 16 Aug 97)
NEC IS LATEST DVD MANUFACTURER
TO DROP INDUSTRY "STANDARD"
Japanese manufacturing company NEC is going to proceed with development of
its own next-generation high-capacity rewritable disks for digital video,
audio and computer data. With the announcement, NEC becomes the fourth
major company (with Sony, Philips and Hewlett-Packard) to abandon the
"industry standard" for such disks. (Investor's Business Daily)
NOKIA ADDS SUPPORT TO MOBILE PHONE STANDARDS
Nokia, Europe's largest manufacturer of mobile phones, is joining rivals
Alcatel, Ericcson and Siemens in developing standardized GSM-based wireless
technology capable of handling very high-speed multimedia mail and
full-motion video. (Investor's Business Daily 15 Aug 97)
THE FUTURE OF SOFTWARE DISTRIBUTION
Microsoft and Marimba have agreed to adopt a standard for broadcasting
software updates over the Internet. The standard, which makes use of the
"Open Software Description" format, is also endorsed by Netscape and
Lotus. (Wall Street Journal 15 Aug 97)
MAN FINGERED BY ISP ARRESTED ON NET PORN CHARGES
An unidentified Internet Service Provider that was auditing a Colorado
man's account "for some business reason" alerted the police to the fact
that he'd used the Net to download more than 70 explicit color photos of
adults having sex with children. It is a misdemeanor to possess and a
felony to produce and distribute child pornography, and the man was
arrested. Dave Banisar of the Electronic Privacy Information Center warns
that privacy issues are involved. "Service providers don't do that kind of
thing. It's like phone companies. The phone company doesn't know what
you're talking about. (AP 16 Aug 97)
PRODUCTIVITY AND LEARNING
Educom vice president Mike Roberts is concerned that recent remarks he made
to the Washington Post (Edupage 12 Aug 97) may be mistakenly construed to
suggest that all faculty are resistant to technological change; Roberts
says that, to the contrary, there are many instances of faculty
enthusiastic the new educational technologies. But he adds: "On the
other hand, the notion that the academy can indefinitely resist internal
and external pressures for change and for the productive employment of
learning technology gets less realistic by the day." (Washington Post 10
Aug 97)
DRUDGING UP CRITICISM
Gossip columnist Matt Drudge, whose newsletter is distributed via America
Online and the World Wide Web, has been taking a drubbing for two recent
stories he -- one about President Clinton and another about White house
adviser Sidney Blumenthal. Blumenthal is considering a libel suit and the
New York Times has lamented editorially that Drudge's work is an example
of the kind of shoddy journalism encouraged by what it called
"www.anarchy.net." And Newsweek investigative reporter Michael Isikoff
says that Drudge is "a menace to honest, responsible journalism. He's
clearly willing to go with anything, whether he's got any legitimate
sourcing, anything approaching legitimate verification. He doesn't conform
to any journalistic standard or convention that I'm aware of. And to the
extent that he's read and people believe what they read, he's dangerous."
(New York Times 15 & 17 Aug 97)
TIME TO LOG OFF! DO IT NOW!
WHILE YOU STILL CAN! SERIOUSLY!
University of Pittsburgh clinical psychologist Kimberly S. Young thinks
that cyberspace "chat rooms" and fantasy games are the main attractions
for people likely to become "addicted" to the Internet. ``It's kind of like
the Cheers bar, where everybody gets to know their name.'' Young says
she's been contacted by lawyers about divorces caused by the Net addiction
of a spouse. (AP 15 Aug 97)
XEROX INTRODUCES SCANNER-PRINTER-COPIER FOR HOME USE
Xerox is introducing a $499 machine that combines scanning, printing, and
copying capabilities with easy-to-use software. Industry analysts don't
expect rival manufacturer Hewlett-Packard to incorporate color scanners
into its products before next Spring. (New York Times 18 Aug 97)
NETSCAPE UNBUNDLES NAVIGATOR
Netscape Communications Corp. will offer its Navigator Web browser software
as a stand-alone product, separate from its much larger Communicator
software suite. The new Navigator will include many Communicator
features, such as dynamic HTML, but won't handle e-mail. For that, a user
must purchase the Communicator package. Other companies, particularly
Lotus Development Corp., have complained that the Communicator suite was
too large, and that they wanted a stripped-down version of the browser to
include with their machines. "Netscape and IBM had decided that this was
in everybody's interest," says a Lotus VP. "It was really a combination of
events led by the marketplace." (Boston Globe 19 Aug 97)
BELL ATLANTIC'S $5 BILLION SPENDING PLAN
Following one day after the FCC's approval of its $25.6 billion merger with
Nynex, the Bell Atlantic telephone company announced a plan to spend $5
billion to upgrade its system and said it hopes to have at least a 25%
share of the East Coast phone service market within five years.
(Investor's Business Daily 18 Aug 97)
IBM SPEEDS UP ITS AS/400 WORKHOUSE
Adding a little "e" to the name of its popular decade-old minicomputer, IBM
has increased the machine's speed by a factor of five, so that it can
process up to 25,000 transactions a minute. The company has also begun a
flashy $90 million advertising campaign to promote the AS/400e to small
businesses and to companies engaged in electronic commerce (thus, the "e").
Rather than targeting "techies," the ad campaign will be pitched to
business people and will use in-flight commercials, slick magazines, and
banners on the Web; an IBM executive says: "We are going to blast out
all the information so that it reaches well beyond information technology
buyers and existing AS/400 customers." (Wall Street Journal 18 Aug 97)
COUNTERFEITING BY COMPUTER
The U.S. Treasury Department says there has been a huge increase in recent
years in the number of counterfeiting cases involving the use of personal
computers and color copiers, much of it the work of amateurs, especially
young ones. One Secret Service agent says: "We're trying to get the word
out to these knucklehead kids that this is against the law." The sentence
for making counterfeit money is up to 15 years in prison. (New York Times
18 Aug 97)
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT LOOKING AGAIN AT MICROSOFT
The U.S. Justice Department is investigating possible anti-trust violations
by Microsoft in that company's purchase of VXtreme and other companies
that have developed technology to facilitate "video streaming," which
allows Internet users to watch videos on their computers without having to
download them prior to viewing. The investigation will also look into
Microsoft's recent $150 million investment in Apple Computer. (USA Today
19 Aug 97)
IBM WILL USE CHIPS FROM ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES
Some models of IBM's future line of Aptiva personal computers will make use
of new K6 MMX chips designed by AMD, in an agreement that industry analysts
say will give new credibility to AMD as an Intel rival. (Wall Street
Journal 19 Aug 97)
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO APPLE CLONES?
Joel Kocher, president of Apple clone-maker Power Computing, has resigned
as the result of an internal company dispute over how to negotiate with
Apple Computer over licensing terms. Kocher wanted to take an aggressive
position in opposition to Apple's apparent decision to deny clone-makers
licenses for Apple's next-generation Rhapsody operating system and to the
CHRP ("Common Reference Hardware Platform") technology co-developed by
Apple, Motorola, and IBM. Steve Jobs, Apple's moving spirit, wants to
restructure the licensing program so that clone-makers will take the
Macintosh into new markets rather than compete against Apple in all
markets. (Wall Street Journal 20 Aug 97)
FCC GIVES AMERITECH BAD NEWS AND GOOD NEWS
First the bad news: Saying that Ameritech has not proved it has really
opened its local markets to competition, the Federal Communications
Commission has denied a petition by that regional Bell operating system for
permission to offer long-distance service to its Michigan customers. The
good news? The FCC spelled out a plan that Ameritech -- and other Bells
-- can follow to qualify in the future to enter the long-distance market.
(New York Times 20 Aug 97)
HUGE JUMP SEEN IN PCs LINKED TO NET
The number of personal computers connected to the Internet will jump 71% by
the end of the year to 82 million, driven by use in the business market,
says market research firm Dataquest Inc. By 2001, about 268 million
computers will be linked to the global computer network, according to a
recent study. That will lead to more sales of Internet software and
services, which are expected to rise 60% to $12.2 billion (U.S.) by the end
of the year, up from $7.5 billion last year. The Internet software and
services market is expected to reach $32.2 billion by 2001, with the
services market alone reaching $7 billion in 1997 and rising to $29 billion
by 2001, says Dataquest. (Toronto Financial Post 21 Aug 97)
TEXAS COLLEGE TARGETS TERM PAPER PLAGIARISM
An administrator at South Plains College in Texas is warning businesses
that distribute term papers over the Web that their practices violate a
new state law that penalizes anyone who "prepares, sells, offers or
advertises for sale, or delivers to another person an academic product
when the person knows, or should reasonably have known, that a person
intends to submit or use the academic product to satisfy an academic
requirement." The law will take effect on September 1. "We strongly
suggest that you refrain from selling or exchanging term papers and other
academic products to anyone in Texas, especially our service area," says
the message, and adds that the college "will seek prosecution" of
violators. (Chronicle of Higher Education 15 Aug 97)
MILLENNIUM BOMB SIRENS SOON TO GO OFF
The Health and Safety agency in the U.K is concerned about the potential
malfunction of "embedded processors" (such as computers, which control
industrial robots) when the "millennium bomb" is triggered in the year
2000. At that time, many computer programs will miscalculate dates, because
they were programmed using two-digit dates that do not distinguish between
centuries. (So that, for example, "01" would be interpreted as 1901 rather
than 2001). The agency says it will prosecute manufacturers of safety
systems if they knowingly fail to warn their customers about bomb problems
inherent in their computers, leading to malfunction. The head of the
government task force studying the problem says "the problem is that
ministers in this government are so busy they do not have the time to think
about the bomb. They think it is a problem on the scale of AIDS or BSE but
it is very much bigger than that." (Financial Times 20 Aug 97)
VIRTUAL HOSPITAL
Sabratek Corp. has developed a MediVIEW system that can monitor patients
and adjust dosages in medication drip devices, all from a remote location.
"I will give you a scenario," says Sabratek's president. "At two in the
morning, a patient on a pain-management drug makes a call, tells a nurse
that he's feeling pain and says the medicine doesn't seem to be working.
The nurse calls the doctor, who increases the dosage. In the old system,
the nurse would need to get up at 2 a.m. and drive to the patient's home to
reset the device. This may cost $75 to $100 per trip. Using MediVIEW,
you can connect that device to a computer through a regular phone line and
change the dosage from your own bedside. And a doctor can download data to
see what's going on with the patient." To enhance its capabilities,
Sabratek recently invested in a computer system called Medically Oriented
Operating Network (MOON) that enables continuous online, real-time
monitoring, charting, recording and reporting of clinical patient
information from any location. "Combining smart monitoring and infusion
devices with the MOON system, we can create a virtual hospital at someone's
home." (Investor's Business Daily 21 Aug 97)
COREL DITCHES JAVA
Corel has abandoned a key element of its offensive against Microsoft,
scrapping its efforts to develop a version of its office software based on
the Java programming language. Corel's vision of the Java initiative as
the strategy to break Microsoft's tight grip on the market for office
software has collided with the reality of the corporate market place,
where demand for Java programs has yet to reach a level that would
undermine Microsoft. (Toronto Globe & Mail 19 Aug 97)
SEX ON THE NET
Media Metrix/PC Meter, a company that monitors consumer activity online,
says that 28.2% of Americans (presumably Americans with Net access)
visited "adult" Web sites in May, compared to 23% a year ago. But
Vanderbilt University marketing professor Donna Hoffman notes that
sex-related sites make up only 2% to 3% of the Web's approximately 200,000
commercial sites (and an even smaller percentage of about 500,000 Web
sites overall). Hoffman says that "sex is a small part of the Net
experience in general and a small part of the commercial Web experience."
(USA Today 20 Aug 97)
Edupage is written by John Gehl (gehl@educom.edu) & Suzanne Douglas
(douglas@educom.edu).
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Apple/Mac Section
Help Wanted
We NEED a staff person here.. Anyone interested??
Kids Computing Corner
Frank Sereno, Editor
fsereno@streport.com
1996 season: Updated drivers, teams, tracks: Challenge Bobby Labonte and
Mark Martin, as well as your favorite NASCAR driver in a race for the 1996
championship.
16 officially licensed tracks: All 16 tracks in one package, many of which
have been completely redone to reflect 1996 changes as well as greater
8 Player network play: Race against up to 7 of your friends over an IPX
network
Spotter/Crew chief audio: Hear what is going on around the track. This
feature will give the player better clues about on track events and
happenings. Pay close attention to the advice from your spotter and crew
chief. It may be the difference between failure and victory lane.
Arcade mode: Whether you are a novice player or just looking for a quick
race, jump right into NASCAR Racing 2 with the all new Arcade mode. Easier
to drive, easier to play, more fun.
The Garage: Fully customizable car options: tune your car just like real
NASCAR mechanics.
Paintkit: Customize your car's paint job with a full-featured paintkit.
Requirements:
SVGA (640x480): 100% IBM compatible, Pentium (75 or faster), 16MB RAM,
sound card, 2x or faster CD-ROM drive, Windows95 or DOS.
VGA (320x200): 486 66Mhz or greater, 16MB RAM, sound card, 2x or faster CD-
ROM drive, Windows95 or DOS.
Recommended: Joystick or wheel/pedal combo, modem (9600 bps or faster).
Jason's Jive
Jason Sereno, STR Staff
jsereno@streport.com
Hmmmm
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Ralph F. Mariano, Editor
rmariano@streport.com
STReport International Online Magazine
Gaming Hotwire STR Feature - The World of Contemporary Gaming
VALDERAMMA
Bring this year's site of The Ryder Cup to your desktop with the newest
Links LS Championship Course from Access Software: Valderrama of
Sotogrande, Spain! Tune in your TV and turn on you PC for the most
interactive Ryder Cup ever!
Beat the pros to the course with the latest edition to the Links LS lineup:
Valderrama, Site of the 1997 Ryder Cup. With Access Software's timely
release of Valderrama, desktop golfers everywhere will have an opportunity
to play the digitized version before, during, and after the world's
greatest golf contest. In the mid-80s, Robert Trent Jones, Jr. was
commissioned to fine-tune his original design of the Spanish course that
would become Valderrama. Resting between the grandeur of the Sierra Blanca
mountains and the Mediterranean, Valderrama features distant views of
Gibraltar and North Africa from higher ground. Gnarled cork trees garnish
the terrain, accompanied by scattered olive trees and wildflowers in
abundance. In '91, '93 and '95, Golf World voted Valderrama the #1 golf
club in Europe. This home of the annual Volvo Masters tournament was
richly rewarded in '94 when the Ryder Cup committee selected Valderrama as
the host of the '97 matches.
Included with the course are exclusive multimedia tours of Valderrama,
Virtual Reality tours, and course fly-bys of each hole.
Valderrama Championship Course Product Information
1. Compatibility: This LINKS LS Championship Coure is compatible with all
versions of LINKS (both MAC and PC) and with Microsoft Golf 1.0, 2.0, or
3.0. (Multimedia and VR only playable with LS versions of LINKS.)
2. Requirements for use: Requires one of the software titles listed
above. Hardware must run at least one of the software titles listed above.
3. Format: Multi format CD-ROM for Macintosh and MS-DOS (fully compatible
with WINDOWS).
Classics & Gaming Section
Editor Dana P. Jacobson
dpj@streport.com
>From the Atari Editor's Desk "Saying it like it is!"
As anticipated, there isn't going to be an Atari section this week,
nor Gaming. Most of my time has been devoted to finalizing what's left for
paperwork getting ready for the house-closing next week. It's been a non-
stop week - fill this out, sign this, write another check... And then the
packing!! I always knew that I was a pack-rat, but I must have grown into
a rat-pack! Boxes and boxes of STUFF everywhere! It's almost over,
however. No more paperwork until the closing, so I can concentrate on
finishing up the packing and hopefully get it done by the middle of next
week. I don't even want to think about unpacking it all! <grin>
There likely won't be an Atari section next week either. It'll depend
on the progress of our packing, and how soon/late I pack up my Falcon and
peripherals. I may pack the Falcon and leave one of the Stacys out to stay
in touch, but I'll make that decision next week.
There is one serious Atari topic that I will briefly mention this week
that has me concerned. Piracy has always been a computing problem, and
seemingly even more emphatic on the smaller computing platforms such as
Atari. The rationalizations are incredible. And they never seem to
change. It used to be the pirate BBS that was a major concern providing
their "warez" to members. Now, it's the Internet.
It's been brought to my attention that there's at least one "major"
site providing hundreds/thousands of commercial programs for download!
And, promoting the availability of CDROMs full of the same stuff! Needless
to say, we're looking into it. It'll be slow until I can get back to full
speed after the move, but we will do some serious investigating.
With the move, it'll mean that our BBS, Toad Hall, will be going with
us. For those of you who are current users of the BBS, and those of you
who might interested in checking out one of the longest-running Atari
bulletin boards ont he East coast (almost 10 years!), our number is
changing as of September 3rd. The MichTron system will be going offline
for good; I'm going to miss that software even though it was vastly out-of-
date. The RatSoft system will be the sole system; and the new number will
be (508) 670-5896. Please make note that Massachusetts _may_ be going
through an area code change very soon. If this occurs, our new area code
will be '978', so the new number could eventually be (978) 670-5896.
Please be sure to change your dial directories. We hope to see all of old
members at the new site, and welcome all new members!
Until next time...
ONLINE WEEKLY STReport OnLine The wires are a hummin'!
PEOPLE... ARE TALKING
On CompuServe
Compiled by Joe Mirando
jmirando@streport.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMPUSERVE REDUCES LOSS TO 4 CENTS IN FIRST QUARTER,
ANNOUNCES FLAT-RATE PRICING OPTION FOR U.S. AND CANADA
COLUMBUS, Ohio, August 20, 1997 - CompuServe Corporation (Nasdaq: CSRV)
today reported a sharply reduced loss for the first quarter ended July 31,
1997, of $4.1 million, or $.04 per share, on revenues of $206 million.
This compares with a fourth-quarter loss, before one-time charges, of $12.2
million, or $.13 per share, on revenues of $208 million. In the prior-year
first quarter, the company lost $17.1 million before one-time charges, or
$.19 per share, on revenues of $209 million.
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA)
improved to $27.7 million, versus $12.8 million in the fourth quarter and
$9.4 million in the third quarter of the prior fiscal year. This marked
the third successive quarter of improved, positive operational cash flows.
The first-quarter improvement was driven by a three percentage-point
increase in gross margin, from 40 percent in the fourth quarter to 43
percent in the most recent quarter. Gross margin in the year-ago first
quarter stood at 33 percent.
Cash, cash equivalents and investments increased to $168 million in the
first quarter from $161 million in the fourth quarter, the first such
increase since the company's initial public offering in April 1996. In
addition, the company said that in September 1997 it will receive just
over $70 million from majority owner H&R Block, Inc., reflecting the tax
benefit to H&R Block resulting from CompuServe's loss in the 1996 calendar
year.
New Flat-Rate Pricing Option
CompuServe also announced plans to introduce a $24.95 per month flat-rate
pricing option in the U.S. and Canada. "For a single, flat-rate price, we
will provide unlimited access to the Internet plus our award-winning
CompuServe Interactive service. In addition, subscribers will be able to
use our network, rated number one in the industry for reliable access and
speed," said Salizzoni. Certain value-added surcharged services will
continue to carry additional fees, he said.
"We will initially make this pricing option available only to U.S. and
Canadian subscribers as of October 1, 1997. We want to take care of
current subscribers and those who join by October 1 before making this
option available to a broader customer base," he said
Recent pricing tests confirmed demand for the flat-rate option. "Users
wanting the flat-rate option said CompuServe's added value is worth $24.95
per month, compared with the typical $19.95 monthly flat-rate fee charged
by mass consumer online services," he said.
According to Salizzoni, the pricing tests also showed continuing demand for
current pricing plans. "There will be no involuntary upgrades from
current plans to the flat-rate plan," Salizzoni said. "We will let
subscribers
choose."
He said the $24.95 flat-rate option is consistent with the company's
previously stated view that flat-rate pricing below $20 per month is
unprofitable for online services and does not reflect the value of the
CompuServe Interactive service.
"We believe the new flat-rate option is an appropriate step as we work to
reverse the decline in our U.S. subscriber base during the past year,"
Salizzoni said. "However, because we cannot predict its impact with any
certainty, this new pricing plan may affect our ability to achieve our
stated goal to reach or exceed the break- even point in earnings sometime
in the second half of the current 1998 fiscal year."
Network Services
CompuServe Network Services added a net 57 corporate customers during the
quarter to bring the division's customer total to 1,257 for complete,
fully integrated Internet, Intranet, and Extranet connectivity solutions.
Revenues from Network Services grew 27 percent over the same quarter last
year to $75.4 million, representing 37 percent of the company's total.
Examples of first-quarter 1998 competitive wins for multi-year contracts
include: new customers Honeywell Inc., Imation, and Times Mirror
Companies; and renewing customers FedEx, Met Life, and ProSource.
CompuServe Network Services maintained a contract renewal rate in excess of
90 percent.
Other CompuServe Network Services highlights during or after the close of
the quarter included:
z An alliance with OpenConnect Systems (Dallas, Tex.) to provide the
first integrated services solution to permit secure remote access to
mainframe data through web browser software.
z Continued network expansion into Vietnam, Singapore and Argentina; and
expanded network peering (reciprocal traffic) agreements in Europe and
Asia.
Interactive Services
Revenues were $124.2 million, compared with the fourth-quarter figure of
$132.6 million and the year-ago first-quarter figure of $141.4 million. As
of July 31, 1997, CompuServe had 5,341,000 direct and licensed
subscribers, compared with 5,373,000 as of April 30, 1997. Worldwide
subscribers to the company's CompuServe Interactive online service
declined to 2,637,000 at the end of the quarter from 2,767,000 at the
fourth-quarter close.
The first-quarter revenue decline was due primarily to continued CompuServe
Interactive subscriber losses in the United States. CompuServe
Interactive subscribers in the U.S. declined 94,000 to 1,433,000, compared
with a fourth-quarter decline of 127,000 to 1,527,000 subscribers.
Without the full impact of increased direct marketing in the U.S.,
CompuServe Interactive monthly revenue per member declined to $14.58 from
$14.82 in the fourth quarter, as a higher percentage of new members
continued to subscribe through OEM channels. Members joining CompuServe
Interactive from OEM channels typically spend less time online than those
brought in by the company's direct marketing programs.
European CompuServe Interactive subscribers stood at 872,000 at the end of
the first quarter, compared with 892,000 at the fourth-quarter close.
CompuServeInteractive subscribers in other international geographies
totaled 332,000, compared with 348,000 at the end of the fourth quarter.
SPRYNET, CompuServe's Internet-only access service, continued to grow with
287,000 subscribers at the end of this quarter, versus 280,000 for the
previous quarter.
CompuServe's Japanese licensee, NIFTY, continued growth with 2,417,000
subscribers at the end of the quarter, up from 2,326,000 at the end of the
fourth quarter.
Founded in 1969, CompuServe Incorporated provides the world's most
comprehensive online/Internet access through its two brands, CompuServe
Interactive and SPRYNET. Through CompuServe, its Japanese licensee NIFTY-
Serve and its affiliates around the world, more than 5 million home and
business users in more than 185 countries are connected online and to the
Internet. CompuServe Network Services, a leading network integrator,
provides more than 1,200 companies around the world with complete,fully
integrated, Internet, Intranet, and Extranet connectivity solutions. With
world headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, the CompuServe organization
includes offices in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Switzerland and
the Netherlands.
Except for historical information contained herein, the matters set forth
in this press release are forward-looking statements that are subject to
risks and uncertainty which could cause actual results to differ
materially. CompuServe cannot assure, for example, that its strategy and
related marketing programs will produce the anticipated results, or that
earnings will continue to improve and reach or exceed the breakeven point
during the 1998 fiscal year.
STReport International Magazine
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http://WWW.STREPORT.COM
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All Items quoted, in whole or in part, are done so under the provisions of
The Fair Use Law of The Copyright Laws of the U.S.A. Views, Opinions and
Editorial Articles presented herein are not necessarily those of the
editors/staff of STReport International OnLine Magazine. Permission to
reprint articles is hereby granted, unless otherwise noted. Reprints
must, without exception, include the name of the publication, date, issue
number and the author's name. STR, CPU, STReport and/or portions therein
may not be edited, used, duplicated or transmitted in any way without prior
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believed reasonably accurate. STR, CPU, STReport, are trademarks of
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contributors are not and cannot be held responsible in any way for the use
or misuse of information contained herein or the results obtained
therefrom.
STReport "YOUR INDEPENDENT NEWS SOURCE" August 15, 1997
Since 1987 Copyrightc1997 All Rights Reserved Issue No. 1333
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