Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
Atari Online News, Etc. Volume 01 Issue 26
Volume 1, Issue 26 Atari Online News, Etc. August 27, 1999
Published and Copyright (c) 1999
All Rights Reserved
Atari Online News, Etc.
A-ONE Online Magazine
Dana P. Jacobson, Publisher/Managing Editor
Joseph Mirando, Managing Editor
Atari Online News, Etc. Staff
Dana P. Jacobson -- Editor
Joe Mirando -- "People Are Talking"
Michael Burkley -- "Unabashed Atariophile"
Albert Dayes -- CC: Classic Chips
With Contributions by:
Donald A. Thomas, Jr.
Olivier Booklage
Chris Cavanaugh
Rob Mahlert
Lee Krueger
Greg Goodwin
To subscribe to A-ONE, send a message to: dpj@delphi.com
and your address will be added to the distribution list.
To unsubscribe from A-ONE, send the following: Unsubscribe A-ONE
Please make sure that you include the same address that you used to
subscribed from.
To download A-ONE, set your browser bookmarks to one of the
following sites:
http://people.delphi.com/dpj/a-one.htm
http://www.icwhen.com
http://a1mag.atari.org
Visit the Atari Advantage Forum on Delphi!
http://forums.delphi.com/m/main.asp?sigdir=atari
=~=~=~=
A-ONE #0126 08/27/99
~ Stan Lee Goes Online! ~ People Are Talking! ~ New CAB.OVL!
~ Preview of Y2K: 9/9/99 ~ MSN Messenger Glitch! ~ Classics Museum!
~ MS and Sun Flip-Flop! ~ More CG Expo Reports! ~ CGExpo "Heroes"!
~ AOL Improves Messenger ~ 'Classic Gamer' Debuts ~ NFL Blitz 2000!
-* Don Thomas' Site Wins Award! *-
-* Whatever Happened To Screensavers?? *-
-* Free Web-based E-Mail At Atari-Users.Net!! *-
=~=~=~=
->From the Editor's Keyboard "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Last week I missed mentioning that we at A-ONE were celebrating a milestone
of sorts: our 25th issue. A minor event, but one that seemed worthy of
recognition. I remember a phone conversation I had a few days after our
third issue came out, with Don Thomas. During that conversation, Don wished
me congratulations on our third issue. I didn't understand the significance
of that particular feat, so I asked him. He told me that one issue was an
accomplishment in and of itself - that we set out to start something and did
so. The second issue is sort of obligatory - we did one, we had to do
another or the significance of the first would be lost. After our third
issue came out, three weeks in a row, we were committed and proved it.
So here we are, with our 26th issue in a row. It's satisfying that both Joe
Mirando and I set out to get out from under the safety net of writing for
someone else, with few concerns other than getting our columns done and in
on time. Now, not only do we get in our columns in on time, but put
everything else together also. And, we have help and support!
But, it doesn't end there. Once the text version of the issue is done,
uploaded to Delphi and CompuServe, or mailed out to our online subscription
list; both Joe and I put together a version for the Internet sites - an HTML
version. Let me tell you - Thursday and Friday nights are crunch time!
It's all a blur trying to get both "editions" done and available by 8:00
p.m. Friday evening!
So yes, Don, as I mentioned to you 23 issues ago, we're here to stay (or as
long as people are willing to read A-ONE!). It's been fun so far. No
problems (major ones, anyway), no stress, no nonsense. We're enjoying doing
A-ONE and seeing people enjoy reading it.
Have we accomplished many of the goals that we set out to do? I'd say we've
accomplished some. We're still striving to improve. We're still trying to
do some more exclusive stuff. We're looking for more feature columns and
articles. It takes time, especially when we're doing the collecting of
news, writing of articles/columns, and publishing it by ourselves! Those
things alone take up a lot of time; it doesn't leave much for the other
things we want to accomplish. But, we're still aiming for those goals.
With your support, we'll get there.
Meanwhile, I'll finish up the clean-up of this week's issue and then start
to enjoy the final week of my summer vacations.
Until next time...
New CAB.OVL for CAB/Stik/STinG
From: Olivier Booklage (res1@vcf-com.fr)
A new version of CAB.OVL for CAB/StiK/STinG is available on my Homepage.
*CAB.OVL V5.54 beta*
Near Fixed: No more 0 bytes/second during download.
New : The module check hotlist can be used for scanning changed
documents.
New : In configuration SETUP a turbo mode is added. Increase data flow for
medium documents.
Cheers,
Olivier.
Atari-Users.Net
From: Rob Mahlert
August 22, 1999
Atari-Users Network's New File Download Area is open.
The new area allows users to:
Upload Files, Search File Area by Name, type or platform.
*Netscape or MSIE 2.0+ required for uploading of files
Atari-Users Network is also offering FREE web based e-mail.
mail to: Webmaster@atari-Users.net
Are you in Atari-Users.Net's Links Engine?
Add Your Site Today!
WWW.Atari-Users.Net
Atari Chat, Forums, Links, Files and Banner Exchange.
mail to: Rob@Atari-Users.Net
http://www.Atari-Users.Net
ATARI COMPUTING REFLECTIONS
From: Greg Goodwin (clu-da-bard@geocities.com)
Well, to share for all, and if you would like to add in your magazine
(grin) feel free to do so.
MULTIVERSES
by Greg Goodwin
Atari was always a fun name to me. As a elementary student, I played
the Atari 2600. As a junior high and high school student I fought along
side other Atarians with my modified Atari 400 in the great
Atari/Commodore War on the BBS's.
Entering college, the 8-bit scene died away, and in America the ST
didn't appear to go anywhere, so I bought a Macintosh, and later a
Newton. Through the years the Mac proved to be a fine machine, but it
never had the games and the fun feel of my Atari days.
Nine years passed.
Through time I found myself returning to my old stomping grounds of
computer geekdom at the Dallas Infomart. The faces were all different,
and the computers where the standard PC and Mac, but it was good to be
back. The exchange of computer equipment, and charisma challenged
people made me feel at home. Then I looked at the schedule of user
meetings projected on a wall in the DFW/Exchange vendor room.
"Atari Users of North Texas... what!?!" On the seventh floor, just
like it had been a decade before. "Incredible!" With my wife to be
accompanying we entered the swift moving glass elevator. The beautiful
scenery of the "Crystal Palace" environment of wood paneling, glass, and
neon green lights rushed by us, and soon we were there, the seventh
level.
We walked to the place where DAL-ACE had been, but the large meeting
room capable of seating three hundred only met me with a rush of air
conditioned sterile air.
"Over here love!" I heard my lady call. I walked to where she was,
and found a heart warming scene compared to the hassle and bustle of the
business oriented user group I had left thirteen years before.
Stepping into the room, we found an old man with a beard leaning
against a folding table in front of an assortment of about nine other
people sitting in chairs listening. Little did I realize it, I had
entered a years long AUNT tradition of the grand sermon of Dave Acklam!
"Aha! Welcome... a new member!"
"A new / old member actually. I'm from the days of DAL-ACE!"
"Oh my gosh! You are old. Have a seat, welcome back!"
I introduced myself as an Atari 8-bit User. The group was astonished,
and many had been 8-bit users turned ST users through time. It became
quickly apparent that these people, while good natured, actually seemed
to see their computer as little more than just fun hobby machines,
though that could also be said.
As Dave preached on, my lady and I sat back in sheer bliss to see such
a charming group of people ranging from their late twenties to their
sixties. The later was more the case.
"Here we have the newest edition of the Pacesetter from our die hard
8-bit user friends in Florida. Amazing how those guys keep plugging
away on their 8-bit Ataris and meet and have fun in their retirement
community they seem to have there. But isn't that what the Atari stuff
is all about? Just having fun seeing what these old computers are still
capable of doing.
And speaking of which, I recently got the newest issue of ATARI
COMPUTING number ten, which is to the best of my knowledge, the only
professionally produced magazine in the world."
What was this? Had I fallen asleep? A computer platform with a
magazine? I had heard that Amiga had a fanatical following, but Atari?
The next meeting, Kent Kordes from SYSTEMS FOR TOMORROW came to our
meeting to sell his Atari merchandise while Dave Acklam displayed
importing files from digital cameras on a Falcon, and Michael White
displayed internet browsing with STIK. It was then I shelled out the
money and bought that magazine for my lady since it had a X-Files theme
to the cover.
Later I would thumb through the pages of the magazine. I was amazed to
see a magazine that had produced such a startling magazine with current
fandom material like X-Files to have been produced by an Atari Computer.
The magazine had a new book smell. It advertised the new Milan
computer, talked about shows in Europe, and possibilities of continuing
the Atari era through other platforms like a Macintosh. Then there was
talk about hardware hacks for existing Atari computers, pictures, adds,
and articles. An initial impression was that Atari had a very fun and
creative community eager to show what the world what their machines
could still do, in sometimes a different way, and sometimes better a
way.
Years ago there was a comic book released with Atari games called
"Atari Force" and in that series, the crew of a starship, complete with
"ATR 8000" onboard computer by the way, travelled through "Multiverses"
or realms of other possibilities of what could have been.
As I flipped through the pages of that magazine with the X-Files cover,
I stepped out of a world with a dominate PC computer with an lesser
Macintosh tag along to a multiverse where Atari computers were kept
alive and well by it's users and vendors. I had returned to the world
of computing that I knew, and I intend to stay.
Many thanks to the staff of ATARI COMPUTING for being that portal to a
multiverse that I may not have found otherwise.
Greg Goodwin (aka "Doctor Clu")
greg@atariusers.com
New ST User and editor of AUNT BYTES
http://www.atariusers.com/AUNT
=~=~=~=
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
compiled by Joe Mirando
jmirando@portone.com
Hidi ho friends and neighbors. Well, things are leveling out a bit at
my 'day job' and I'm now able to ponder the deeper questions in the
Universe.
Questions like "Should I dump Win98 in favor of Linux on my shiny new
laptop?", "Should I add more memory to it now, or wait until prices drop
yet again?", or "Should I just cut my losses now and go back to using
the TT and the Stacy full time?".
Yes folks, this wiz-bang laptop is faster than can be believed and
almost all of the new, awe-inspiring software and hardware that comes
out will be available for it, but it's still saddled with Microsoft and
Intel. Now, I know what you're going to say (or at least what some of
you are going to say)... "But Intel leads the world in microprocessors
and Microsoft is THE standard in operating systems."
And you'd be right. Both observations are correct... for the most part.
The fact is, Intel CPUs are still somewhat inelegant and "cludgy", and
Microsoft's offerings are the de facto standard because they got lucky
several times and in several important areas.
Both companies succeeded mainly because they tied their wagons to IBM's
star. Had any other company decided to rely on the offerings of
Microsoft and Intel, what became known as the "PC" would have quickly
died away in favor of other, more elegant and user-friendly solutions.
In a perfect world this would never have happened. But we don't live in
a perfect world, do we? We live in a world where might makes right, and
you can often make yourself 'right' by shouting louder than the other
guy.
Although I can, I seldom shout anymore. I prefer to go my own way and
offer my opinions only when I actually have opinions.
Now, where did I put that Linux installation disk? <g>
Well, let's get on with the reason for this column... the news, hints,
tips, and info about our favorite machine.
From the comp.sys.atari.st NewsGroup
====================================
Laurent Charrioe asks about Linux (of all things) and using it on an
Atari hard drive:
"I have an SCSI hard disk that was the main disk of an Atari Falcon
(under standard TOS). Now I have a PC (shame) under Linux with an SCSI
controller. Is there a way to read the files on the Atari HD under
Linux/x86?
More specifically, will the kernel (what version?) read the partition
table? (I think I had both GEM and BGM partitions) Will it recognize TOS
file systems?"
Michael Schmitz tells Laurent:
"Compile a kernel that includes Atari partition table format
(CONFIG_ATARI_PARTITION). Should be in 2.2 ..."
Those of you who are at least a little familiar with Linux will
understand. The rest of us will have to guess at the exact meaning.
Jes Sorensen adds:
"Only the m68k kernels, however it is in (distribution number) 2.3.14."
Paul Mac asks about installing STinG on his Falcon:
"I'm trying to setup STing on my Falcon but am encountering difficulties.
( audible moans :) )
When I dial up my ISP the dial script works fine until where on my STe it
would 'resolve the host' on my Falcon it says that it has 'failed to
pass the connection on to STING'. And hangs up.
However STing is installed and activated from the CPX. The setup is
copied from my STe , is there something I've missed?"
Steve Stupple asks Paul:
"Have you checked that STinG is using the correct port on the Falcon?"
Paul tells Steve:
"Yes. I think it must be,
I've read the hyp file, and the port problem with the Falcon is
mentioned.
I downloaded the latest STing, and set it up again, and this time it
hangs on 'Connected...'
I've set the dial.scr to modem 2, but can't find anything to change in
the STing setup, is there an option I've missed?
Do I need to activate a port in the sting port cpx? When I try and
activate Modem 2 I get a 'Activation of port 'modem2' failed! '
Are there any Falcon owners out there who have had a similar problem?"
Ben Hills tells Paul:
"I have had this error before and if I remember correctly it was caused
by an incorrect installation of HS Modem. Check that HS Modem is
installed correctly."
Tony Cianfaglione tells Paul:
"If it hangs on 'connected', check your password. It cannot be longer
than 8 characters as the SERIAL.CPX has a hard-coded 8 character limit by
mistake. That's what caught me. Once I changed the password to 8
characters from my earlier 10 characters, STinG connected fine."
Derryck Croker adds:
"Make sure that you have the correct drivers from HSModem installed for
the Falcon, and ensure that you put sting.prg AFTER HSmodem in the Auto
folder. You should be using modem2 in your script."
Paul tells everyone who helped out:
"Thanks for all your help , STing is certainly an education!!
mmm... the problem seemed to be that I didn't have HSModem installed.
However I didn't realise that HSModem HAD to be installed in order for
STing to connect? Because that is the case on my system. ( Falcon )
Anyone setting up STing should therefore should not underestimate the
importance of HSModem. Anyway thanks again for everyones help. I think I
have about 10 peoples scripts and config files on my HD. "
Alyre Chiasson asks for options for just about the only Y2K issue I've
heard about for ST computers:
"Having scanned the web for info on Atari computers and Y2K I came across
the statement that Superboot was not Y2K. This program has served me well
on my MEGA STE for years. However, I am now wondering with what program
I can replace it? Any suggestions? Rolling back the clock is not an
option as I want my files properly dated. Must work on a MegaSTe."
Steve Stupple tells Alyre:
"I gave up Superboot a while ago, I now use Xboot. It doesn't have all
the ribbons and bells Superboot has, but is dead easy to use and you can
have lots of boot up defaults.
You can also have 3 files that can be moved to the root of your boot
drive and can be different source in every config. The files I use them
for are: desktop.inf, newdesk.inf and assign.sys."
While on the subject, Gordy Tesla asks:
"I was wondering....can Superboot be used past the year 2000 as long as
you don't set the date and time with it or will I have to change
completely?"
David Bolt tells Gordy:
"It seems to work fine past 2000 as long as you don't have it setting the
date
Jochen Fietz tells David and Gordy:
"Bad news for you: I've checked XBoot and noticed, that it is NOT Y2k
compliant: set the clock to 1.1.2000 or later and then try to create a
new set - Xboot will crash. It's a pity cause I like Xboot too. Have a
look at TUBS, it will also do good work."
Chris Swinson asks:
"I was wondering if there was ever any kits or anything about converting
a STFM to 16 meg ? I know the MMU only takes up to 4 meg, but was there
ever anything to get around this ?"
NIcholas Bales tells Chris:
"There is the german Magnum board which allows this. It is pretty
expensive and requires TOS 2.06 too. I think it's from woller or aixit.
There aren't that many apps that would take advantage of this, so unless
you are multitasking like hell, there's probably not much benefit
considering the price."
Derryck Croker tells Chris:
"Yes, www.aixit.com, and there's a review in a back issue of Atari
Computing."
Well folks, that's it for this week. I've taken another whack at using
that PC laptop for gathering the posts for this column, and it just
ain't as easy as with NEWSie on a good ol' ST.
Do you think I'm kidding? I'll include one more post to prove my point.
In his own words, Louis Holleman tells us:
"Well, I've got this fast Winbox now, and it's fast indeed. Compared to
my 10-year old TT, pics load/display much faster, html-sites get in a lot
faster and also mail and news is fetched a lot faster.
Now before you think: another Windoze sucker, nope, I'm still glad I've
got this old TT. I used to run fidostuff with a BBS:
mailer/reader/maintainer. Especially the reader was pretty easy on the
configs. Never had a problem to select the msgs I wanted to keep and
others I wanted to discard. Next came the Internet stuff, same thing.
I've been working with Newsie, FireNews, and Okami/Newswatch and for this
stuff I only needed 15 minutes to figure out how it worked.
Not so on the Win platform: I've been trying NS Communicator, well,
sorry, after more than 1 day still haven't found out how to get stuff for
offline reading.
Since I couldn't find (so far) anything better, I reluctantly installed
Outlook Express 5, at least I know it does handle offline reading. Don't
ask me details, I can barely manage to get it done.
Next problem is the maintenance of the only group I hooked up thus far,
comp.sys.atari.st, I haven't figured out how to keep the interesting
ones and discard the rest in the last 24 hrs....
I know we've been discussing Atari browsers a lot lately, and for sure
the Win browsers are fast (I really love Opera; just too bad it won't
handle offline newsreading), I'm not complaining about Pegasus for e-mail,
but the bloody news stuff is giving me a headache here. User-friendly?
Stick with Atari please, it might be old but even a sucker figures out
the s/w within 15 minutes."
I'll leave you with that and remind you to keep your nose to the
grindstone and your ear to the wind so that you'll be able to hear what
they are saying when...
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
=~=~=~=
->In This Week's Gaming Section - More CGE '99 Reports & Comments!!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" 'Legacy of Kain'! Award to ICWHEN!
"Classic Gamer" Debuts! 'WCW Mayhem'!
'NFL Blitz 2000'! And much more!
->From the Editor's Controller - Playin' it like it is!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
The buzz from the recent Classic Gaming Expo '99 show is still alive. All
but one of the show reports I've seen so far have been extremely positive.
And yes, we have more reports for you this week! In fact, the one negative
report was from a gaming magazine reporter who seemed to want to spend more
time in the casino losing his money than doing his job and reporting on the
show. I'd be amazed if he spent more than an hour or two actually at the
weekend show.
So, while I continue to pore over the "goodies" that were sent to me from
the show, I'll let you read more about it, and the rest of the gaming news
we have in store this week.
Until next time...
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE's Game Console Industry News - The Latest Gaming News!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
NFL Blitz 2000 Kicks Off Ahead of Schedule
NFL Blitz 2000, the sequel to last season's highly successful NFL Blitz,
has hurdled out of training camp early. Midway Home Entertainment Inc.,
one of the industry's leading video game publishers and developers, today
announced that NFL Blitz 2000 has shipped to retail for the Nintendo 64 and
PlayStation game console. NFL Blitz 2000 will be available as a launch
title for Sega Dreamcast on September 9 and for the Game Boy Color and
PC in the fall.
``Our award-winning development team has added a host of new features to
the over-the-top, arcade-style game play that made NFL Blitz such a
tremendous success and the top-selling football game on the N64," said
Paula Cook, director of marketing at Midway Home Entertainment. ``Last
season NFL Blitz won several game of the year awards and to ensure that NFL
Blitz 2000 successfully defends that title, we are backing it with a
multi-million dollar marketing campaign with extensive network and cable
television advertising."
With no refs, no rules, and no mercy, NFL Blitz 2000 has emerged from the
development tunnel padded with a host of new features. A play editor allows
digital offensive and defensive coordinators to create their own plays.
After drawing up new plays, gamers can instantly check out their X's and
O's in action by utilizing the game's instant preview feature. NFL Blitz
2000 also includes team playbooks, four-player action, ``on-fire" mode,
updated 1999 rosters, fantasy stadiums, heightened play-select artificial
intelligence, improved weather effects, as well as new codes, field
conditions, camera angles, animations and secret players.
Based on the arcade hit, the highly successful NFL Blitz was released last
year for the PlayStation game console, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color and PC.
The rave reviews were widespread with Sports Illustrated stating that ``NFL
Blitz is simply the most fun game on the market." Electric Playground
added that ``Midway's astonishingly addictive NFL Blitz is possibly the
most fun and addictive game ever developed," while the Miami Herald
exclaimed, ``NFL Blitz sets the standard for football video games!" NFL
Blitz was also the recipient of several awards including Nintendo Power's,
``Best Sports Game of 1998," Videogames.com's, ``Game of the Year,"
IGN64.com's ``Best Sports Game of 1998," and was selected as one of the
``best games of 1998" in GQ.
An officially licensed product of the NFL and PLAYERS INC, NFL Blitz 2000
features all 31 teams, each comprised of seven of the best offensive and
defensive players from each team. With graphically detailed tackle
animations and killer artificial intelligence, NFL Blitz 2000 sets the
standard for arcade-style football video games.
Eidos Interactive Announces the Release of the
Highly Anticipated Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
for PlayStation
Raziel rises to battle the vampire hordes of Lord Kain, in this
revolutionary 3D action-adventure game from Eidos Interactive and developer
Crystal Dynamics.
Set amidst eerie, real-time environments with a dark storyline, vengeful
vampire Raziel journeys the underworld to Nosgoth where he must become a
reaver of souls, as he sets off to destroy his former master.
In Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, players guide Raziel as he battles his
former brethren on the path to his ultimate confrontation with Kain. As
Raziel absorbs the clan leader's souls, he gains their powers, which allows
him to explore new areas of the world. Featuring dynamic gameplay mechanics
such as gliding and soul-devouring to maintain life, plane-shifting, and an
innovative hand-to-hand combat system, Soul Reaver revolutionizes the
action adventure genre.
Initial reviews on Soul Reaver from the industry publications and online
gaming magazines have been exceptional. VideoGames.com recently posted a
9.0 out of 10 score and PS Extreme magazine reported a 98% review score.
The PC version will be available in early September.
Electronic Arts Ships Madden NFL 2000 for the PlayStation
Electronic Arts last week announced that it has shipped Madden NFL 2000 for
the PlayStation.
An increased framerate, improved running game and multitude of
revolutionary new features makes Madden NFL 2000 the deepest football
simulation available on the market. Madden NFL 2000 will be available on
the Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color and PC later this fall.
According to the TRSTS Video Game Report published by the NPD group, Madden
NFL 99 was the top selling PlayStation sports video game in 1998 in North
America. The NPD group reports that Madden NFL 99 on the PlayStation sold
1,128,366 units in 1998. That number is over 164,000 more than its closest
competitor in the sports category.
Madden NFL 2000 marks the ten-year anniversary for the John Madden
Football franchise. The first Madden football game from Electronic Arts
shipped in 1989. Ten years of experience has helped Madden and the team at
Electronic Arts create the best playing and best looking game in the
history of the franchise.
``The most important thing to me is that we keep pushing the limits of what
is possible in a video game," said John Madden, Emmy Award-winning
broadcaster and former Super Bowl-winning coach. ``The more we innovate
and work hard the longer we'll continue to be the leader. That's the way it
is in the NFL and that's the way it is in video games. We are passionate
about this game, and it shows. That's why everybody else is always playing
catch-up. We'll continue to lead the pack because we work the hardest for
the fans. After ten years of loyalty we owe it to them."
For the legions of die-hard Madden fans that demand deeper features and
control with each new version, Madden NFL 2000 really shines. All 31
current NFL teams, including the new Cleveland Browns, are represented in
the game. Numerous All-Time and Super Bowl teams provide a multitude of
match-ups for historical football fans.
A new Madden situation creator makes it possible to create any game
situation, such as having to drive 99 yards in the last two minutes of a
game. New dynamically enhanced audio and play-by-play help bring the game
to life. New on-field graphics include more detailed playing fields, nets
behind goalposts for kicks, TV-style first down markers, and players,
coaches and other personnel on the sideline.
New player taunts to get under your opponent's skin and rattle his nerves
bring the ``in-your-face" aspect of the game to new heights. New player
models feature high-resolution graphics so that hefty lineman, sleek wide
receivers and stocky linebackers now have body types proportionate to their
real life counterparts.
The weight and height of each player is now factored into collisions to
help determine how much ground a ball carrier gains as the tackle is made,
so that a small defensive back will have a tough time knocking a big
bruising fullback down. New Player Hot and Cold streaks enables a player to
get ``in the zone" and stay hot to make great plays, or get cold to keep
dropping passes, fumbling and hurting his team.
New route-based passing helps a quarterback lead a receiver and throw the
ball to the spot a receiver will be in, before the receiver makes his cut
on the covering defensive back. The new ``Madden Challenge" enables the
user to gain access to secret teams, stadiums and other treats if
statistical goals are met. An enhanced play editor lets the user design
custom plays with new receiver routes, and more control over motion and
play-action passes.
An expanded franchise mode allows multiple users to trade players and
juggle the salary cap over multiple seasons. A new player editor provides
the ability to change individual player ratings during the season.
``The team that creates John Madden Football is as talented and dedicated
as any in the business," said John Schappert, executive in charge of
production, Electronic Arts. ``It starts at the top with John himself, and
carries through to every member of the team. The results are plain to see.
Madden NFL 2000 is an incredible achievement."
For those new to video games that want a quick, easy, fun game with a short
learning curve, Madden delivers. Madden's revolutionary One-Button Mode
enables a user to hike the ball, hand off to a running back, throw the ball
to the open receiver, make a big tackle, spin the ball carrier, throw a
stiff-arm or hurdle to avoid a tackle by simply hitting the ``X" or
``action" button.
Madden NFL 2000 for the PlayStation supports Analog Control delivering
force feedback. The suggested retail price is (U.S.) $39.95. Consumers may
purchase the game directly at the EA Store (www.ea.com/store) or by calling
EA Direct Sales at 800/245-4525. The game carries an ESRB rating of ``E"
(Everyone).
Electronic Arts Reveals Details On WCW Mayhem Video Game
and Announces Development of a Game Boy Color Version
Electronic Arts reveals more details on the highly-anticipated WCW Mayhem
for both the PlayStation and Nintendo 64 systems.
In addition, the industry leader announces the development of a Game Boy
Color system version, which marks one of the first ventures in which
Electronic Arts (EA) will directly publish and distribute a game for this
platform. The upcoming fall release of WCW Mayhem on all three platforms
stems from the exclusive long term partnership for interactive
entertainment game titles between EA and the World Championship Wrestling
Inc. (WCW), providers of power-packed family sports entertainment.
``It's been such an amazing and exciting experience to see how we have been
able to advance what has been done to date within the wrestling game
category," says Chuck Osieja, producer at Electronic Arts. ``WCW Mayhem
delivers the most innovative technology advancements and unique gameplay
features ever attempted within the genre, so we are more than confident
that this title will provide gamers and wrestling fans the ultimate
interactive wrestling experience."
Based on the world of WCW and its line up of high-profile wrestlers, WCW
Mayhem recreates an authentic professional wrestling environment by
utilizing realistic, cutting edge graphics, fluid audio presentation and
special effects. WCW Mayhem will allow gamers to wrestle in 15 different
WCW ring sets including Monday Nitro, Thursday Thunder, Saturday Night, as
well as all 12 WCW Pay Per View (PPV) settings.
The PPV mode lets players experience a four match PPV event simply by
entering a valid passcode that can be obtained via the official EA product
web site (www.wcwmayhem.com). Prior to each real-life WCW PPV event, gamers
will enter the code that will allow them to wrestle in matches that mirror
the actual PPV event for that month.
WCW Mayhem also extends beyond the boundaries of the traditional wrestling
game with its unique ``out of hand and out of the ring" gameplay aspect.
This feature, not found in other current wrestling titles, will allow
players to take the action 15 different backstage areas such as garages,
locker rooms and bathrooms -- all of which are located away from the main
event arenas. Adding to the overall experience, each of the backstage arena
action will been seen through a black and white security camera that will
randomly switch back to an actual in-game camera view.
Additionally, there will be items (i.e. chairs, traffic sign, steel gate,
trash can, baseball bat and even a kitchen sink) in the main event sets and
backstage areas that wrestlers will be able to pick up and use against one
another.
More than 50 top WCW wrestlers will be available in WCW Mayhem, in addition
to a ``create a custom wrestler" feature from a series of unique physical
characteristics, outfits and names. Celebrity WCW wrestlers and
commentators featured in the game will include:
Alex Wright Kevin "Big Sexy" Nash
Arn Anderson Billy Kidman
Bam Bam Bigelow Konnan
Barry Windham La Parka
Bobby Blaze Lash LeRoux
Bobby Duncum Jr. Lex Luger
"Beautiful" Bobby Eaton Lizmark Jr.
Booker T "Macho Man" Randy Savage
Bret "Hitman" Hart Mean Gene Okerlund
Buff Bagwell Norman Smiley
Chavo Guerrero Jr. Prince Iaukea
Chris "The Crippler" Benoit Psychosis
Chris Jericho Raven
Curt Hennig Rey Mysterio Jr.
Diamond Dallas Page Ric Flair
Dean Malenko Rick Steiner
Disco Inferno Sgt. Buddy Lee Parker
Doug Dellinger Perry Saturn
Eddy Guerrero Scott Hall
Eric Bischoff Scott Norton
Ernest "The Cat" Miller Scott "Big Poppa Pump" Steiner
Goldberg Sonny Onoo
Hollywood Hogan Steve "Mongo" McMichael
Horace Hogan Stevie Ray
Jimmy "The Mouth of the South" Hart Sting (standard)
Juventud Guerrera Sting (Wolfpac)
Kanyon Wrath
Kaz Hayashi
Kenny Kaos
WCW Mayhem will feature more than 600 motion captured animations that
provide every WCW wrestler character with a unique set of moves, including
signature taunts and finishing moves. The game will also feature more than
8,000 lines of stitched voice over dialogue to help provide seamless,
life-like play-by-play and color commentary from the actual WCW
broadcasters including Tony Schiavone, Bobby ``The Brain" Heenan and Mean
Gene Okerlund.
Helping to deliver a realistic experience, reactions from the Artificial
Intelligence (AI) crowd will vary with an array of chants, cheers or boos
according to how the match is going.
Both the PlayStation and Nintendo 64 version will support up to four
players (PlayStation via the multi-tap peripheral).
The Game Boy Color version of WCW Mayhem builds upon the ``out of hand, out
of the ring" experience ``out of the home" with its convenient
portability. The game will deliver a colorful, exciting arcade-oriented WCW
wrestling experience. Similar to its console system counterparts, the game
will offer an array of backstage areas including a back alley and locker
room, in addition to the main event arena.
Players will be able to choose from 12 WCW wrestlers such as Goldberg,
Hollywood Hogan, Sting, Kevin ``Big Sexy" Nash, ``Macho Man" Randy
Savage, Ric Flair, Diamond Dallas Page, Booker T, Bret ``Hitman" Hart, Bam
Bam Bigelow, Buff Bagwell and Lex Luger.
WCW Mayhem for the Game Boy Color will be the only wrestling title that
offers multi-player link support. Players will be able to connect two
machines via the link cable to engage in head-to-head wrestling matches.
Midway Unveils Multi-Million Dollar Domestic
Marketing Campaign for Ready 2 Rumble Boxing
TV Spot Features Special Appearance by
World-Renowned Boxing Announcer Michael
"Let's Get Ready to Rumble" Buffer
In support of its highly-anticipated Ready 2 Rumble Boxing video game,
Midway Home Entertainment Inc. is launching a multi-million dollar
marketing campaign for the company's Ready 2 Rumble Boxing game for the
Sega Dreamcast. This campaign is scheduled to begin with the launch of the
highly anticipated Dreamcast system on September 9 and will continue to
support the release of the PlayStation game console, Nintendo 64 and Game
Boy Color.
``Ready 2 Rumble Boxing has the potential to emerge as the flagship
installment in a new Midway franchise which expands the niche Midway has
created in arcade-style over-the-top sports titles," said Paula Cook,
director of Marketing for Midway Home Entertainment. ``With the backing of
this comprehensive advertising and marketing campaign, Midway will blitz
the media and consumers and ensure maximum exposure throughout TV, print,
internet and in-store promotional support for Ready 2 Rumble Boxing's
launch with the Sega Dreamcast on September 9 and continuing through the
holiday season."
Ready 2 Rumble Boxing gives players the opportunity to compete as one of 16
boxers, each with his own fighting style. Each boxer is hyper realistic
with an unlimited number of punch combinations for both realistic and
over-the-top boxing styles. Players can compete in arcade-style mode,
contend for a championship belt or play head-to-head on the system. Sega
Dreamcast, PlayStation game console and Nintendo 64 will all have special
characters exclusive to their systems while Game Boy Color will have a
built-in Rumble Pak feature.
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE Gaming Online - Online Users Growl & Purr!
"""""""""""""""""""
CGE '99 A Classic Games Enthusiasts View
From: Lee Krueger (resqsoft@earthlink.net)
CGE '99 A Classic Games Enthusiasts View
By Lee Krueger
I attended the Classic Gaming Expo in Las Vegas over the last weekend. I
went as an enthusiasts with no agenda other than hoping to have an
enjoyable time. I arrived Thursday night, arriving from Seattle on a
internet airfare special that I booked in advance. I think it cost me
$52 each way (excluding airport taxes and such). I stayed, like most at
the Plaza Hotel, sharing a room with a classic gaming friend (Rob
Brown), and my costs was $89 for the room from Thursday night thru
Sunday night. When you add the $27 I spent for the admission ticket to
the show, I think I invested a total of $220 (excluding food and
entertainment) to attend the CGE show. Below is summary of what I got
for my money.
On friday I woke up late (well late for me as I usually get up at 5:00
a.m. every morning to go to work). I did notice the Plaza hotel seemed a
little dated and was obviously an older establishment in Vegas. However,
the accommodations were much better than I had just experienced a couple
of days before. I had just arrived back from an expedition in Northern
British Columbia where I spent every night in a tent swapping away
mosquitoes and horse flies for more than a week. On our way out to
breakfast Rob and I met up with the organizers (Sean, John, et. al.) in
the elevator. We followed them to the exhibit hall where we were
immediately recruited by Keita as volunteers to help unload the trucks
and setup. We gladly accepted the task as we were not planing on doing
much else that day except maybe sight see. As both, Rob and myself, are
from a much cooler and wetter climate in Seattle we didn't care to see
the smoke infested casinos and shows in 90+ degree heat. In any event,
we got to see the displays and meet many folks who would be rather busy
over the weekend during the show. Additionally, I was able to meet Ken
(his last name eludes me) who was with B&C Computers. Like me, Ken is an
Aerospace engineer from the McDonnell Douglas division in Long Beach. He
had worked on many airplanes throughout his career before retiring a few
years ago. As I work for Boeing (which recently bought out McD), it was
fascinating to hear and swap some of our stories and experiences at a
professional level. Something I rarely get to do outside of my work
environment. In any event, after everything was basically set up, we
were able look over the place, play a few video arcade games and chat
with more enthusiasts, including a one-on-one chat with Don Thomas in
regards to the last days of Atari and the Jaguar. It was NEAT.
On saturday, Rob and I arrived early to register and get in line for the
show. The nice part about this was the fact that since this was idle
time, I was able to meet and chat with many folks that I have emailed,
traded with and seen around on the newsgroups. It was very nice to put
faces to the names of the folks whom I have come to know as my virtual
gaming friends on the net. Unlike World of Atari, which I attended last,
there seemed to be less urgency or a rush for everyone to get in the
door when the doors opened. I think this situation was helped by the
fact that many show exclusive items were not for sale right away, such
as Eric Bacher's games (Pesco and Merlin's Walls). Maybe it was me, but
I seemed much more relaxed. I made it a point to quickly go around to
everyone's booth before the 1st presentation to scan and purchase any
items that I may want before they were gone. I was a little taken back
by Hasbro's booth, whom I expected to have a large presence at the show!
, was not that impressive. On the contrary however, as I came in the
door, I was immediately impressed with the booth that the Blue Sky
Rangers put up. It was very impressive and distinct. Kudos to those
folks. I didn't really get a chance to complete my rounds before the 1st
keynote presentation, however, I knew I'd be back.
There was a collectors swap meet in which one lucky collector (a friend
of mine from Redmond) was able to pick up a Video Life cart for FIVE
BUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was able to solidify a trade deal with that good
chap Marco Kerstens and I filled a couple of holes in my collection,
including Fathom for the Intellivision. All-in-all however, I did not
like the room or the setup for the swap meet. I wish there could have
been more tables for people to display their wares. It was tough moving
about without accidently stepping on someone's stuff.
I really enjoyed the keynote presentations that I was able to see. They
were varied and frequent. In fact, they were so frequent that I was
unable to attend all of them, so I was forced to choose which ones were
most important to me. I was able to attend and see the following, either
in part or in completeness:
Vectrex Guys (Group Speech)
Atari 2600 Programmers/Designers (Group Speech)
Blue Sky Rangers (Group Speech)
Imagic Guys (Group Speech)
Activision Guys (Group Speech)
Ralph Baer
John Harris
I found all these very interesting and informative. My only complaint
about the presentations was not with the content, but rather with the
room in which they were held. The room was only large enough to seat
about 120 people. As a result, some of the keynote presentations were a
little crowded. Seating for up to 50 more would have been more
comfortable for everyone.
At the closing of the show on Sunday, the CGE staff began tossing
hundreds of games on to the show floor for $0.50 each. Most were common
games, however, there were some pretty decent ones and I was able to get
a few shrinkwrapped titles for my personal collection. The whole thing
looked like a feeding frenzy of piranhas and sharks. My hand got stepped
on several times. At one point I almost broke my ankle as someone
stepped on it.
On another high point, I did get to meet a couple of folks from
Electronic Playground (a TV magazine of sorts dedicated to videogames in
Vancouver B.C..). Hopefully, they will work something out to send a
broadcast to the states, or at the very least, in Seattle.
Of the booths that I visited, the ones that most impressed me during the
show were as follows (No particular order):
Blue Sky Rangers-
They had the best presentation of all the dealers. Very professional
setup along with demos and games of unreleased prototypes. My favorite
of which was the Sea Duel game for the 2600. Also shown were Rocky &
BullWinkle (2600), Masters Of The Universe (Colecovision), Yogi's
Frustration and a couple of others. They also previewed the upcoming
compilation Intellivision Lives for the Playstation which appeared to
play much better than the Activison Classics. Best of all, they gave out
neat prizes, T-shirts and hats.
B&C Computers-
They had some cool Jag and Lynx stuff which I couldn't resist buying. I
really enjoy talking to Bruce when he had time.
Songbird Productions-
Carl Forhan had demos of Skyhammer and Protector up and running for the
Jaguar. Protector looks pretty cool (When can we get that damn
encryption code released!). I also picked up his creations for the Lynx
and played Cyber Virus, the unreleased game Lynx title from Beyond
Games.
CyberPunks -
I talked briefly with these guys and picked up the Stella at 20 video. I
am still not sure what their intentions are in regards to the 2600,
however, the Stella @ 20 video is very well done, save for the
soundtrack (very cool logo though). I sorely missed seeing Russ Perry
Jr. as I was hoping to meet him there.
Nyko-
Hey, I really like Dan Kramer. Dan works for them as a consultant on
the PSX trackball. Dan was the creator of the Atari 5200 trackball (
a real piece of work). I forgot to get one of his T-Shirts though.
Hasbro-
Saw previews of Missile Command, Q*Bert and Pong. The booth wasn't
impressive, but if you previewed their games you got a free Atari
Classic compilation disk for your PC (no Mac version unfortunately).
Telegames-
The best part of this was the fact that you could buy without the
typical S&H fees. However, they charged upwards of $300 for both, the TG
Express and the TG Duo. Too expensive for my tastes. They also had 2 new
Lynx games for sale, Hyperdrome and Sokomania. In addition they had Yars
Revenge for $19.95 for the Gameboy color. Very good translation. I
played this on the plane home.
Once Upon Atari -
Yars truly, Howard Scott Warshaw.... need I say more. Yeah, I bought his
video and he signed my carts.
Digital Press/Rolenta Press-
Got to meet Joe Santuli finally. I also got to meet and chat with
Leonard Herman as well. Although I am a subscriber to the Digital Press
and I have a copy of Leonard's book, it was still cool to hang with
these two gentlemen. I think Leonard had his book for an incredibly low
price of $12. Oh yeah.... they also had a sign up sheet for folks to get
information on the next edition of Worship The Woodgrain (Thanks guys)
Hits:
Eric Bacher's version of 2600 Pac-Man. It kicks butt!!!!!!! Too bad he
won't release it :-(
Getting to meet and talk with the programmers in a one-on-one situation.
Getting David Rolf's signature on my Beamrider cart.
Getting David Crane's signature on my Pitfall carts.
The Unreleased Protos from Blue Sky Rangers.
Talking with Dave Polaro at the airport on the way home.
Meeting and chatting with Ralph Baer.
Misses:
Not enough attendees.
Not enough vendors.
I hate to say it... no Nolan.
No Curt Vendel.
No Jerry Jessop.
Things I missed on my visit:
The Mustang Ranch's 2 for 1 going out of business sale :-)
A good night's sleep.
When I tally it it all up... I had a great time for my money. Your
mileage may vary of course.
Lee Krueger
- Twin Galaxies Award -
presented August 13, 1999
The Internet's Foremost
Video Game Archives.
This award was presented to Mr. Donald A. Thomas, Jr., curator of I.C. When
(http://www.icwhen.com) by Mr. Walter Day of the Twin Galaxies Intergalactic
Scoreboard (http://www.twingalagies.com) at the Classic Gaming Expo
(http://www.cgexpo.com) celebrity dinner on Friday, August 13, 1999. It
names I.C. When as the Internet's Foremost Video Game Archives and Mr.
Thomas as a pioneer in preserving video game history.
- My Heroes -
Copyright 1999 - Donald A. Thomas, Jr.
all rights reserved - http://www.icwhen.com
(Revised 08/22/99)
by Donald A. Thomas, Jr.
Typically, I try to be very careful when using emotionally-charged
descriptions of events. Such depictions can come across as mushy or
disingenuous. Just the same, I think it will be impossible to ignore
emotions to describe Classic Gaming Expo '99 (CGE99). It was more than just
re-visiting friends or having Ed Logg's daughter ask me for my autograph. It
was more than the award presented to ICWhen.com by Walter Day of Twin
Galaxies during the Friday night celebrity dinner. Although I admit those
things are memorable, they fall far short to describe the show's brilliant
ambiance.
John Hardie and Keita Iida have been video game fans for a very long time.
I remember them contacting Atari Corporation in Sunnyvale, California
frequently to learn about what we were working on. They were always
receptive to any freebies we might send them and always interested in any
great deals that Atari had not yet advertised. That may not be an unusual
story. Atari received thousands of such letters and phone calls every week.
But not too many fans planned their vacations to visit Atari or took time
off from work to attend a cross country trade show in which Atari was an
exhibitor.
These gentlemen regard the video game industry as a magical kingdom. The
pioneers of the industry are their greatest heroes and there is no
boundary, financial or otherwise, that holds these men back from their
greatest pleasures in life: Classic Video Gaming. I think that is where the
true magic begins. The magic that captivated the hearts of CGE99 organizers
was shared with everyone who attended.
For those who are not interested in classic video gaming, what John and
Keita have done has little meaning. Personally, I understand. I would have
little interest to meet a room full of archeologists at some type of bone
and fossil exposition. Notwithstanding, what these guys have done is no
less than remarkable. For the first time in video game history, a gathering
of the industry's most noted pioneers has taken place. Not at some private
resort. Not in a mansion accessible only by limousine. But at a place and
in a venue advertised to the public. These men and women put aside their
personal and corporate lives to attend a special event organized by a group
of young, energetic and inexperienced show promoters. Not only did CGE99
attract the industry's most noted personalities, but the floor was swarming
with lights and cameras from media opportunists hoping to interview even
half of the dozens of names that attended the show.
Not many of us will fully appreciate the obstacles that confront a trade
show organization of any size. Usually, a trade show is funded by some
greater source of cash, but CGE99 was fully funded by the remaining college
funds the organizers had saved; in many ways the show was funded by their
allowances. And the expenses are great. There are scouting trips, there are
t-shirt and caps that must be paid in advance. There are Las Vegas event
fees and hotel expenses. There was the fully paid celebrity dinner hosting
well over 100 people. There are the special favors that some guests
demanded, not appreciating the fact that the organizers were paying for
them from their own pockets. There were equipment rentals and catering
guarantees. Not to mention, time off from work and phone bills into the
hundreds of dollars.
If the financial issues are not enough, there's the sinister side of
individuals whom try to ruin the success of others. There were the online
controversies. There were unproven accusations by people who should know
better. There were newsgroup posts forged in the name of show organizers
and there were a few people bitter that CGE99 was not an opportunity to
make a lot of appearance fees.
Personally, I am very proud of Keita Iida, John Hardie, Sean Kelly, Don
Rogers, Larry Anderson and the numerous other volunteers who contributed to
this year's show. No, I'm not really proud of them as much as I'm proud to
know them as a new part of history that is in the making. In my view, they
have earned their positions as members of the video game industry as much
as any of the guests that attended. These guys are now my true heroes.
I look forward to sharing next year's show with my heroes.
Visit ICWhen.com for over 160 exclusive photos from CGE '99.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Classic Gamer Magazine
Chris Cavanaugh
Sarah Thomas
7770 Regents Road #113-293
San Diego, CA 92122
(858) 455-6562
(781) 846-0373 fax
Classic Gamer Magazine Debuts
Premieres at Classic Gaming Expo '99
LAS VEGAS, August 14, 1999 - Do you miss reading about the "good old days"
of videogames? Classic Gamer Magazine has arrived in Las Vegas to launch a
publication dedicated to classic videogames. Classic Gaming Expo '99 was
chosen as the debut location in order to pay tribute to the true videogame
pioneers.
"Classic Gamer Magazine is styled in the spirit of the original videogame
magazines of the 1980's," says Chris Cavanaugh, Editor in Chief. "We wanted
to create a publication that is informative, fun to read, and allows readers
to rediscover their favorite classic games. The resurgence of interest in
classic videogames demands a publication dedicated to these perennial
favorites." Classic Gamer Magazine answers that demand with news, reviews,
humor, and opinion about these ageless original games and their updated
counterparts.
The full-color magazine sells for $4.00 an issue; quarterly subscriptions
are available for $15.00. For further information, visit
www.classicgamer.com.
-Cav
Editor-In-Chief
Classic Gamer Magazine
http://www.classicgamer.com
=~=~=~=
A-ONE's Headline News
The Latest in Computer Technology News
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
Appeals Court Sides With Microsoft In Sun Lawsuit
In a victory for Microsoft Corp., a federal appeals court Monday
overturned an order that had forced the software giant to make changes in
its popular Windows 98 operating system and Internet Explorer browser.
The U.S. Appeals Court for the Ninth Circuit said a lower court erred in
presuming that Microsoft's contested implementation of the Java programming
language could have caused ``irreparable harm" to rival Sun Microsystems
Inc.
However, the three-judge appeals court panel agreed with U.S. District
Judge Ronald Whyte that Sun was likely to prevail on the merits of its
dispute with Microsoft over the interpretation of the 1996 licensing
agreement between the two computer industry leaders.
``Sufficient evidence supports the district court's finding that Sun
demonstrated a probability of success on the merits of its claim that
Microsoft's modifications of Java violated the TLDA (technology license and
distribution agreement)," the panel said in its ruling.
Microsoft was forced to make minor changes in its products after Whyte
issued an injunction last November, barring the company from shipping any
versions of Java that did not pass compatibility tests by Sun, which owns
rights to the language.
Sun has contended that Microsoft has distributed "polluted" versions of
Java in an effort to undermine the popularity of the language, which has
become increasingly popular for Internet applications.
Microsoft Injunction Reconsidered
A federal appeals court ordered reconsideration Monday of a judge's
restrictions against shipments by Microsoft Corp. of software containing
Java programming language.
U.S. District Judge Ronald Whyte of San Jose granted an injunction to Sun
Microsystems last November. He said Sun was likely to show that Microsoft
had violated a licensing agreement allowing it to use Sun's version of Java
in its products.
The injunction prohibited Microsoft from distributing products that used
Sun's Java copyrights, including Windows 98 and Internet Explorer 4.0,
unless Microsoft conformed to Sun's standards for Java.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday that there was evidence
to support Whyte's conclusion that Microsoft had violated the agreement by
designing a version of Java incompatible with other software. But the court
also said Whyte failed to explain why the alleged violation was a copyright
infringement, rather than a breach of contract.
The distinction is important. A contract violation can justify an
injunction against product shipments only if the innocent party can show it
is being harmed. Otherwise, it must allow the shipments, then sue for
damages.
Java, introduced by Sun in 1995, allows developers to write a software
application once and have it run on a variety of computers, regardless of
the underlying system. Sun has tried to promote its form of Java as a
universal programming language.
The court ordered the injunction lifted, but its ruling does not take
effect immediately. Sun can ask Whyte to restore the injunction while he
reconsiders the dispute.
AOL Rolls Out Upgraded Instant Messenger
America Online Inc. Tuesday launched a new version of its instant
electronic messaging service that is capable of delivering news and
financial information to all users, regardless of provider.
AOL Instant Messenger is available free and can be downloaded off the
Internet.
About 45 million people, including 15 million AOL subscribers, now use
Instant Messenger, the company said.
AOL has been under pressure from other Internet heavy hitters, such as
Microsoft Corp., to establish uniform technology that would make the hugely
popular messaging service universal.
AOL recently said it had reached agreement with Apple Computer Inc.,
EarthLink Network Inc., MindSpring Enterprises Inc., Juno Online Services
Inc. and Novell Inc. to offer their customers co-branded messaging products
or their own instant-messaging products linked to Instant Messenger.
Users of the AOL service also include users of CompuServe, Netscape,
International Business Machines Corp.'s Lotus Notes and Sametime, and
RealNetworks Inc.
Glitch Exposes E-Mail Passwords
Microsoft Corp. is promising to fix by this week's end a bug in its new
Internet chat software that permits co-workers and others to see a person's
e-mail password.
The glitch in the company's new MSN Messenger software means that others
who have access to a person's computer could impersonate that person to
read and even send e-mail using his Hotmail account without anyone's
knowledge.
Microsoft said that even if customers delete their saved password and enter
it manually, it still becomes visible if another person types a specific
sequence of keystrokes on that computer.
Microsoft, whose software runs most of the world's personal computers, said
it was made aware of the bug earlier this week but promised to fix it by
week's end.
Deanna Sanford, the product manager for MSN, said the bug's ill effects
were mitigated because a person must have physical access to the victim's
computer, meaning the problem will be worse in offices where co-workers
share machines than for home users.
``In a shared office environment, if you trust the people you work with,
this will probably never be an issue," Sanford said. But she said
Microsoft recommends protecting each computer with a password.
The problem was the latest embarrassment for Microsoft over its attempt to
capture part of the burgeoning market for Internet chat software, currently
dominated by America Online Inc.'s Instant Messenger software.
When Microsoft unveiled its chat software earlier this month, AOL
complained that Microsoft engineers had hacked into its proprietary network
to let MSN customers communicate with AOL's customers.
AOL successfully blocked Microsoft's software several times, but with each
attempt Microsoft redesigned its chat software to bypass AOL's blocking
attempts.
MSN Messenger customers currently can chat with people using AOL's
software, and Microsoft - in a bid for the moral high ground - announced
earlier this week it will release its software protocols so that other
companies can design software that interpolates with MSN.
The latest Microsoft bug occurs when customers use the software to check
their e-mail using Microsoft's popular Web-based Hotmail service. If a
person stops the resulting Internet page from loading and looks at
the
underlying software code - which requires merely three clicks with the
mouse - the user's e-mail name and password are displayed.
Sanford said Microsoft will scramble the information in the upcoming
patched version using encryption technology.
MS Releases New Media Software
Microsoft Corp. has released a new version of its digital media platform,
called Microsoft Windows Media Technologies 4, as it prepares to go after
other streaming companies such as RealNetworks Inc.
The market for delivering media content such as audio and video is becoming
more popular as more companies look to the Web to get their movies, music
and other content to consumers. Through Windows Media Technology, Microsoft
is trying to set a new standard -- and perhaps unseat other companies that
have already gained a foothold.
"They're kind of playing catch-up," said International Data Corp. analyst
Kevin Hause.
Microsoft said the software can deliver CD-quality audio that takes up half
the space of competing formats, such as MP3. But the Windows Media content
may not be as crisp, Hause said. "You do lose a little of the quality."
Like RealNetwork's technology, the player offers more than just audio:
Microsoft is also promising near-TV-quality video and no per-stream charge.
To prove its technology is taking off, Microsoft rolled out a press release
in which several companies praised the product, including one that said it
ditched RealAudio. "It was an easy choice for us to drop support for
RealAudio in favor of Windows Media in our newest release, MusicMatch
Jukebox 4.1."
Another jukebox maker, Sonic Foundry, said it also will support Windows
Media. A jukebox is an advanced digital media player -- desktop software
that allows people to easily sort and retrieve their music.
Microsoft said the new technology will let publishers control the
distribution and use of digital audio and video content. Some music
companies have complained that the digital music revolution has made
unauthorized use of the products much more prevalent.
That may have prompted Columbia Records to introduce Maria Carey's new song
"HeartBreaker" on Monday, only on Windows Media.
RealNetworks spokesman Jay Wampold said his company isn't worried about
Microsoft's new product because the software giant has been trying to enter
the digital media player market for a while, and still only has a tiny
sliver compared with Real's more than 80 percent share.
"I think we've proven over time we've found a way to win," Wampold said.
"They keep us honest, and we're moving quickly."
A few weeks ago, Real released the first test version of its RealJukebox.
Y2K Chiefs Prepare For Dry Run On 9/9/99
A little-known computer glitch that could cause system failures on
Sept. 9 -- 9/9/99 -- is about to get a lot of attention.
In a kind of dry run for the Year 2000 glitch, authorities and computer
scientists worldwide will be scrutinizing networks on that Thursday for any
fallout from the so-called ``Nines Problem."
At issue is the impact of an old programming convention that used four
nines in a row -- 9999 -- to tell computers to stop processing data or to
perform a special task.
In the relatively unlikely case that systems misread Sept. 9 as 9999 --
without zeros as in 09/09 -- they might confuse the nines with what
programmers call an ``end of file" marker.
Four nines in the date field could also trigger a grand total or a sorting
operation, said Jim Kelton, president of Software Unlimited, an Irvine,
California, software consulting firm specialized in networks and Y2K.
``All nines could be interpreted as almost anything," he said. For
instance, the nines might cause computers to disregard data received after
Sept. 9, causing a cutoff in the updating of bank records.
The glitch, which the financial industry has been fixing as part of its $9
billion Y2K preparations, could figure in customized applications written
in decades-old computer languages such as FORTRAN, COBOL and RPG, experts
say.
Robert Banghart, director of development at Unisolve, a Costa Mesa,
California, software firm working on the Y2K glitch, said a string of nines
long had been used to tell computers to "end a routine," or no longer
execute certain instructions. In a worst-case scenario, four nines in a
date field could spark problems not unlike Y2K, a coding glitch that
threatens to keep ill-prepared computers from distinguishing the year 2000
from the year 1900.
The U.N.-backed International Y2K Cooperation Center, a global clearing
house for millennium bug data, is using Sept. 9 to rehearse a plan aimed at
keeping up-to-the-minute tabs on how the world is faring as it enters 2000.
``It's a dry run for the rollover date," said Lisa Pelegrin, spokeswoman
for the Washington-based, World Bank-funded center. ``We will be testing
our reporting system."
That reporting system, to be updated in real time on the center's Web site,
www.iy2kcc.org, ultimately will reflect the input of 170 or more national
Y2K coordinators.
On the center's Sept. 9 shakeout run, about 15 countries are expected to
take part. For the most part, they are members of its steering committee --
Britain, Bulgaria, Chile, Gambia, Iceland, Japan, Mexico, Morocco,
Netherlands, Philippines, South Korea and the United States.
New Zealand and Australia, also active backers, are due to report in.
Graeme Inchley, Australia's Y2K coordinator, told Reuters that he was
``absolutely convinced" Sept. 9 would go by without a hitch.
Sept. 9 also will mark the first test of a $40 million-dollar U.S.
inter-agency Y2K center meant to give U.S. decision makers a
round-the-clock view of Y2K problems in their areas of responsibility.
Likewise, on Sept. 8 and 9, the North American Electric Reliability
Council, an industry group, will rehearse an emergency scenario to test
operating, communications and contingency responses for the Y2K transition.
``If all goes well in this drill, the electric utilities can pat themselves
on the back; if not, they may be tempted to blame the 'nines'," said Janis
Gogan, an information technology expert at Bentley College in Waltham,
Mass.
Mitch Ratcliffe, editorial director of publisher Ziff Davis's Y2K Web site,
rated Sept. 9's chance of triggering problems as extremely low because the
date would have to be misrepresented -- without zeros as in 09/09 -- ``in a
way that defies logic."
``The Nines Problem is almost totally a myth," he said.
Screen Savers -- A Fading Art Form
When home computers became popular, it appeared that they would give rise
to an innovative art form -- the screen saver.
Sold as a way to prevent a persistent image from leaving a permanent ghost
on your monitor, screen savers quickly evolved into clever, complex
programs that were more fun than most of the programs you could run.
But now, the art form is languishing. Berkeley Systems
(http://www.berksys.com), which built its reputation on toasters that fly
across the screen when you were not using your computer, has branched off
into other fields. New screen saver products are few and far between, and
too many of today's screen savers seem flat and unimaginative.
And there's no sign of a Renaissance on the horizon.
Blame it on the Internet, blame it on Bill Gates, and, ironically, blame it
on improvements in monitor design.
``Screen savers were originally meant to save your screen. Now, with better
monitors that don't burn in an image, there's no practical reason for
them," Julie Kanarowski, an associate product marketing manager at
Berkeley, said.
You can blame it on Gates because Microsoft made a handful of screen savers
standard equipment on Windows 95 and Windows 98. Why pay $60 for an
innovative package of screen savers when you got some with Windows? It
didn't matter to some Windows 98 users if the ``Sports" screen saver was
just a bunch of Xs, Os and arrows on a chalkboard, or if the other choices
were equally anemic. They were free.
But they aren't much better than what you can find on the Internet.
At ScreenSaver.com (http://www.screensaver.com), the newly-renovated Web
site that boasts 200 screen savers, you can see how the art form is still a
long way from its potential. For example, there is a Garfield screen saver
where the cartoon character simply takes an object out of the refrigerator.
Then the screen goes blank and he's seen taking out something else. It's
free, but it is an example of you get what you pay for.
On the other hand, I liked the quirkiness of the bouncing sheep screen
saver, which is also free, and the ``Attack of the Y2K Bug," which sells
for $10.
Eric Robichaud of ScreenSaver.com said there are a lot of garbage screen
savers floating around.
``We post maybe 8 percent of all the screen savers we see," said
Robichaud, who also runs R.I. Soft Systems, which makes some of the better
screen savers released these days. ``Anybody who buys a compiler can go out
and build one. But there are very few people who can write a screen saver
with enough depth."
It's not that consumers are not looking for good screen savers, Robichaud
said. When people are searching the Internet by topic, screen savers are
right behind sex sites and MP3 music files in popularity. ScreenSaver.com
gets about a million visitors per month.
Good screen savers are hard to find on the Internet because browsers are
not willing to pay for them -- and the best ones cost a lot to create.
``When we did the 'Terminator 2' screen saver back in '94, it had 10
different modules. You could watch them for hours and not see something
twice," Robichaud said. ``But it was extremely expensive to produce. It
took us six months to develop it with four people really pushing."
Because today's consumers ``are looking for something for free or at low
cost, a lot don't have the same depth" as a few years ago, he said.
Perhaps because the typical Internet screen saver is so bad, Berkeley
Systems still gets a lot of mileage out of its older products. It sold
82,000 copies of ``After Dark 4.0" in 1998 -- two years after its original
release.
Next month, Kanarowski said, Berkeley is coming out with its first new
screen saver product since 1996. Celebrating the 10th anniversary of its
flying toasters, it is a repackaging of its most popular screen savers,
plus two new ones.
``It does take a lot of effort and it is quite cost-intensive (to create a
good screen saver), and the size of the product category has declined,
especially in terms of the high value screen saver," Kanarowski said.
``The average price is $14 to $15 and the products tend to be nichier."
``After Dark 4.0," which once sold for $69, now sells its package of 20
screen savers for $30 or less. ``Totally Twisted Screen Savers," which
features bungee-jumping animals, fish swimming in a toxic waste pond, and
playful kittens who can get a little too close to a riding mower, now sells
for $15.
Berkeley has also branched out by featuring its screen saver characters in
a collection of mini-games, a few of which are surprisingly addicting.
``After Dark Games," which originally sold for $30 when it was released a
year ago, is down to $20.
Will the screen saver ever bloom again as a thriving art form? Robichaud
said it will happen as more artists develop programming skills, or when
fewer programming skills are required to build one.
``Computers have only been around for 20 years and screen savers for 10,"
Kanarowski said. ``Although the category went through a much bigger peak
and has declined, I don't see screen savers totally going away. People will
always enjoy screen saving. People like to be entertained, and the screen
savers will keep getting better."
Stan Lee Updates Comics With Internet
Stan Lee, the creator of Spiderman, the Incredible Hulk and the X-Men, is
updating his pantheon of superheroes with, what else -- an Internet twist
and a public stock listing.
Lee, who breathed life into some of the most enduring and profitable comic
book characters, Monday took his new company, Stan Lee Media, public in a
move to gather support for a flashy assault on the Internet and the comics
industry.
The Encino, Calif.-based company will officially launch Tuesday a Web site
that the 76-year-old honorary chairman of Marvel Comics plans to build up
into a network of fresh superhero content in cyberspace.
``I'm hoping we will be the most comfortable, the most interesting place,
the most exciting place for young people who are interested in comics,
science fiction...and things that are over the top," Lee said in an
interview.
``The Internet is such a bigger, more powerful, more globe-spanning medium
than comics. I'm excited to have a chance to do it again. The possibilities
just boggle my mind."
The site, (http://www.stanlee.net), will weave e-commerce and merchandising
with a made-for-Internet comic and a community of personal Web pages
devoted to superheroes and their evil counterparts.
Lee's earlier creations will not be an official part of the site. Instead,
Lee is overseeing the creation of a new Internet-only comic, called ``The
Seventh Portal," about seven youths from different countries, who, well,
maybe it's best to let Lee explain:
``Because of the Internet, in some mystical way, they get transported into
some other dimension and they find the warlord of that dimension is
planning to attack our dimension," Lee said. Animation and voices will
replace panel drawings and dialogue boxes. Visitors will tune in biweekly
for updates.
Eventually, Lee plans to hand over the creative reins to a staff of writers
and artists who will fashion more good guys and bad guys. It is hoped the
characters will migrate out of cyberspace and on to store shelves.
``If they are as successful as I hope they will be, we'll spin them off
into Saturday morning cartoons, toys and merchandise or whatever we can
do," Lee said.
Like Mr. Fantastic, the leader of the Fantastic Four, Lee also has
marshaled his own cabal of super-talent, including Internet animation
pioneers from Disney and members of the Academy-award winning digital
effects team from ``Titanic."
``I feel the way I felt years ago when I was at Marvel, working with who I
thought were the best artists and writers in the business," Lee said.
The company's listing as a bulletin-board stock was more low-key than some
Internet plays, coming through a merger with a publicly listed shell
company. But executives said a main motive for the move was to hook key
talent through the coveted currency of the Internet economy -- stock
options.
``We felt we needed a security to attract talented people and assets,"
said Jim Lucas, an investor relations executive with the company. The stock
rose $2.625 to $9 Monday. ``We think that the company is in a position to
meet the Nasdaq small-cap requirements soon," Lucas said.
Museum Celebrates Personal Computer
From vacuum tubes and paper tape to Atari Pong and Apple IIs, the Computer
Museum of America offers trip down technology lane.
The collection of more than 200 pieces spans a century of computing from a
1900 circular slide rule that looks like a pocket watch to an IBM 360
mainframe computer from the 1960s that's about the size of three gym
lockers.
The nonprofit museum's newest addition is a 22-year-old MITS Altair 8800b,
donated Thursday by a Winnetka, Ill., patent lawyer who won a contest for
having the oldest personal computer still in use.
``I've got a basement full of computer stuff that my wife says I need to
get rid of," said John Shepard, who paid $1,300 for the MITS computer kit
in late 1976 and kept modifying it over the years. ``Maybe this is the new
home for it."
To mark the 25th anniversary of the personal computer, Texas-based Dell
Computer held the contest. Shepard got a $15,000 new system as a
replacement for his museum donation.
Old clunkers like the MITS Altair, one of the earliest commercially
available personal computers, and IBM card punch machines are the
foundation of the museum, one of just a few in the country dedicated to
preserving the history of computer technology.
Jim and Marie Petroff, founders of the San Diego Chapter of Independent
Computer Consultants Association, started the museum in 1983 because they
were worried about companies junking their old machines when upgrading to
new ones.
``We just really hated to see it go into the trash heap, when we would say
20 years from now, 'Geez, we wish we had saved that," Petroff said in
literature provided by the museum.
Using their connections with other consultants and scores of computer
companies, the couple, who now live north of Los Angeles, built their
collection but didn't find a permanent home for it until 1992.
Coleman College, the second-oldest computer college in the country, gave
the couple some space at its suburban San Diego campus - in what was once a
bowling alley.
The prize pieces are the Hollerith Manual Card Punch, based on a Herman
Hollerith invention for taking the 1890 U.S. Census, and the Royal
Precision Vacuum Tube Computer. Built in 1963, the Royal Precision cost
$50,000 new. It contains 113 vacuum tubes, a drum memory disk and a paper
tape reader and punch.
A display case shows the progression of storage disks, starting with one
from 1965 that's the size of a tractor-trailer tire. It held 2.5 megabytes
of data and had to be sandblasted to be erased.
Curator David Weil said he has had many offers to donate old Tandy TRS-80s
or Apple IIe computers, but his stock room is full of those popular mid-80s
computers.
He's looking for more MITA Atairs or the even rarer Apple I, single-board
computer built by Stephen Wozniak. Only about 220 were sold by Wozniak and
Steve Jobs for $666.66 before they upgraded the system and started Apple
Computer Inc. in 1977.
``If it's older than 1983, we're interested in it," said Weil, one of just
two full-time staffers.
Those who visit the museum usually see a computer that jogs their memory
and ``it's like seeing an old friend again," said Rush Glick, education
coordinator for the museum. ``And, everybody's got a war story to tell."
For more information about the museum, call 619-465-8226 or visit the Web
site at www.computer-museum.org.
=~=~=~=
Atari Online News, Etc.is a weekly publication covering the entire
Atari community. Reprint permission is granted, unless otherwise noted
at the beginning of any article, to Atari user groups and not for
profit publications only under the following terms: articles must
remain unedited and include the issue number and author at the top of
each article reprinted. Other reprints granted upon approval of
request. Send requests to: dpj@delphi.com
No issue of Atari Online News, Etc. may be included on any commercial
media, nor uploaded or transmitted to any commercial online service or
internet site, in whole or in part, by any agent or means, without
the expressed consent or permission from the Publisher or Editor of
Atari Online News, Etc.
Opinions presented herein are those of the individual authors and do
not necessarily reflect those of the staff, or of the publishers. All
material herein is believed to be accurate at the time of publishing.
