ST Report: 27-Jun-97 #1326
From: Bruce D. Nelson (aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 07/10/97-07:28:22 PM Z
From: aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bruce D. Nelson)
Subject: ST Report: 27-Jun-97 #1326
Date: Thu Jul 10 19:28:22 1997
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June 27, 1997 No.1326
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>From the Editor's Desk...
Next week.. The USA will celebrate July Fourth, the birthday of our
Great Nation. Also next week, the world will be witness to the beginning
of the death of one of the most wonderful, magic filled cities in the
Orient. The blood encrusted jackboot of the Chinese Red Army will be so
firmly planted in the heart of Hong Kong that we will be able to hear the
moans `round the world. Oh, not immediately, that would embarrass the
connectionist who "gave away" Hong Kong to the beast known as Mao Tse
Tung's Red China. To those of you who wish to see Red China a world power,
all that can be said is either you are one of "them" or, you are among the
world's most uninformed. Then again, it may be that you are only another
in the long line of those who proclaim "peace at any price". Concessions
made unto tyrant nations have never resulted in "peace", they've resulted
in all out war. Anybody remember the last time concessions were made to a
tyrant nation which resulted in World War? Can you say Nazi Germany's
Adolph Hitler and the UK's Neville Chamberlain and now, because of Margaret
Thatcher's Hong Kong give-away concessions are we to see History's dark
side be repeated in a few short years?
Our own government's bestowing MFN (most favored nation) status for
trading purposes is a hypocrisy of the highest magnitude. We are offering
concessions to Red Chine for opportunity to enrich ourselves and fatten Red
China's treasury. This also sounds very familiar. Does anyone out there
know what became of the old, Third Avenue (BMT) Elevated Rail Line in
Manhattan? It like much other scrap steel available for sale from the US
was sold to Japan. It soon came back to haunt us and the world in the form
of new naval warships. Now, it appears we use the MFN status for China as
a cudgel over Japan in efforts to balance trade deficits.
MFN for a nation who is selling SCUD missiles to middle eastern
nations ready willing and able to use them against Israel, a faithful long
time ally of the US. Red China, a nation who has aided North Korea develop
its small but effective nuclear arsenal. Red China, a nation which at
every opportunity intimidates the Free Chinese in Taiwan and taunts the US
with aggressive displays of military might. Red China, a nation who
exports Nuclear Technology to enemies of the free world. Red China, a
nation who has slaughtered thousands of its citizens in Tienemen Square
when they protested the oppressive government they are forced to survive
under. So horrible was the slaughter Tienemen Square, World News telecast
videtapes of the tanks and other armored vehicles driving right over the
people and countless dead bodies in the square. Red China, in a massive
propaganda campaign, told the world the demonstration was "peaceful and
without major incident". While, at the same time, its agents were scouring
the world attempting to capture, arrest and return to China those protest
leaders who escaped the "police action" in the square. This is a nation
that the UK "GIVES" Hong Kong to? This is a nation that US plays kissy-
kissy with?? Red China is the nation that should, just like Iraq, Iran and
North Korea be embargoed until they shrivel up and either die or, their
populations replace the animals currently in power.
Here's an STReport prediction.. Within five years, the oppression,
subterfuge and human rights abuse emanating in Hong Kong at Red China's
direction will surpass much of what history has recorded worldwide in the
last decade. It becomes almost impossible to believe today's governments
are allowing History to embark upon the path of repetition. The World is,
once again, heading for a rude awakening. When will the goofy politicians
realize the "chasing of the almighty buck", coupled with "peace at any
price" and then topped off with "slaughter engendering concessions" make
for the "perfect formula" for another World Wide Conflagration?
Please enjoy your Fourth of July Weekend. I know we will. After all,
it's a double holiday for us. Its also mine and my son Ralph's birthday.
I pray to God . may we enjoy many, many more Fourth and Birthdays while
enjoying World Peace and for peace, prosperity and serenity for the City of
Hong Kong..
Ralph...
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STReport Headline News
LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS
Weekly Happenings in the Computer World
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
Court Backs Online Free Speech
In an historic decision, the U.S. Supreme Court today ruled the rights of
free speech are guaranteed in cyberspace. The high court says a
controversial federal law that attempted to restrict access to "smut" on
the Internet is unconstitutional. The 7-2 ruling marks the first time the
Supreme Court has granted full constitutional free-speech protections under the
First Amendment to the communications on the global Internet.
Within minutes of the ruling's announcement, praises of the court were
being sung by computer industry representatives, including CompuServe
Inc.'s Denny Matteucci, president of Interactive Services, who said, "The
court has placed the responsibility of online/Internet use with parents."
CompuServe, he said, has always been concerned about access by minors to
online materials deemed unsuitable by their parents and "we have been
providing the technological solutions to make these individual choices easy
to accomplish and will continue to do so."
Said Matteucci, "This precedent-setting victory also underscores the
court's understanding that the Internet is a global communications tool,
one not subject to regulation by any one government." Writing for the
Reuter News Service, reporter James Vicini notes the decision affirms last
year's ruling by a three-judge federal court in Philadelphia that all key
parts of the so-called "Communications Decency Act of 1996" violated
free-speech rights, amounting to illegal government censorship.
Today's decision, Vicini comments, also "dealt the Clinton administration a
major defeat by declaring unconstitutional the law that bans the
dissemination of sexually explicit material to anyone younger than 18."
Speaking for the court's majority in the 40-page opinion, Justice John Paul
Stevens wrote, "Notwithstanding the legitimacy and importance of the
congressional goal of protecting children from harmful materials, we agree
... that the statute abridges 'freedom of speech' protected by the First
Amendment."
The measure at issue would have levied fines of up to $250,000 and two-year
prison terms to those convicted of distributing to minors indecent or
"patently offensive" materials on the Internet. Actually, though, the CDA
never took effect because it was blocked by that three-judge panel.
Today's ruling is a major victory for the American Civil Liberties Union
and groups representing libraries, publishers and the computer online
industry, including CompuServe, all of which came together to bring the
suit challenging the law.
ACLU attorney Stefan Presser told Reuters, "Essentially the Supreme Court
of the United States took an idea from the 18th century -- that is, free
speech -- and said it has enduring quality, and will extend into the 21st
century, because government will not be allowed to censor what's on the
Internet." The court, citing cyberspace's unique characteristics as a
public forum for the exchange of ideas and information, said the Internet
deserved full First Amendment protection. The justices rejected arguments
that the Net is similar to the television and radio industries, where there
has been a history of extensive government regulation and where indecent
speech may be restricted.
Stevens wrote the CDA was "a content-based regulation of speech," adding,
"The vagueness of such a regulation raises special First Amendment concerns
because of its obvious chilling effect on free speech. As a matter of
constitutional tradition ... we presume that governmental regulation of the
content of speech is more likely to interfere with the free exchange of
ideas than to encourage it." Joining Stevens in the majority were justices
Antonin Scalia, Anthony M. Kennedy, David H. Souter, Clarence Thomas, Ruth
Bader Ginsburg and
Stephen G. Breyer.
Chief Justice William Rehnquist and Justice Sandra Day O'Connor agreed that
the law was unconstitutional in that it would restrict adults' access to
material they otherwise would be entitled to see. Vicini says O'Connor,
writing for the two, said they would invalidate the law only in those
circumstances. That part of the court's ruling was unanimous. However,
O'Connor also said for the two dissenters that she would uphold other
restrictions that prohibited the use of indecent speech in communications
between an adult and one or more minors.
Meanwhile, Associated Press writer Laurie Asseo quotes the Stevens majority
ruling as saying in online chat rooms "any person with a phone line can
become a town crier with a voice that resonates farther than it could from
any soapbox." The justice added the government's argument that offensive
material on the Internet was driving people away was "singularly
unpersuasive," adding that the growth of the Internet has been
"phenomenal."
Of course, the free-speech debate about "indecent" material online is not
over. There already is talk of a new "court-proof" bill being introduced by
Congress. Also, Cable News Network notes that the fight may be shifting to
the local arena. More than 20 state legislatures already have fashioned
their own legislation to regulate Internet speech, many of which face legal
challenges, of course, with the ACLU contending states cannot regulate
speech over the Internet, a global system. Finally, on that point, United
Press International finds significant in today's ruling the fact that the
Supreme Court is on the record with its first definition of the Internet as
global. Says the Stevens ruling, "The Internet is an international network
of interconnected computers." Justice Stevens further commented, "The
Internet is 'a unique and wholly new medium of worldwide human
communication.'"
Online Services Applaud Decision
The major online services are unanimously praising the Supreme Court
decision to overturn the Communications Decency Act. "The Court has placed
the responsibility of online/Internet use with parents," says Denny
Matteucci, president of interactive services for CompuServe Inc.
"CompuServe has always been concerned about access by minors to online
materials deemed unsuitable by their parents. We have been providing the
technological solutions to make these individual choices easy to accomplish
and will continue to do so. This precedent-setting victory also underscores
the court's understanding that the Internet is a global communications
tool, one not subject to regulation by any one government."
George Vradenburg, senior vice president and general counsel of America
Online Inc., notes, "The Court today emphasized three important points:
the roles of parents, technology and existing laws. We agree that the
court's reliance on parents and technology offers the best way for us to
protect children." Vradenburg adds, "This decision gives us an opportunity
to come together as an industry to work even harder on reaching our goal of
protecting children.
We're confident that our industry is well on the way to building solutions
that will ensure a safe, rewarding online experience for families and
children." Prodigy Inc. Vice President and General Counsel Marc Jacobson
notes, "This ruling represents a victory for the freedom of speech of every
American. We're pleased that the nation's highest court has confirmed
lower-court rulings that the CDA is unconstitutional and that the Internet
deserves the highest level of protection."
Senate Advances Computer Bill
A bill calling for continued regulation of computer encryption programs has
been moved ahead by the Senate Commerce Committee, drawing fire from
industry groups, including the powerful Business Software Alliance.
Reporting for The Associated Press, writer Cassandra Burrell notes that
over BSA objections, the committee sent the Senate a bill "that would give
makers of encryption devices strong incentives to provide law enforcement
with ways to crack their codes."
The BSA immediately called the vote a "significant step backwards," telling
AP the measure would endanger U.S. companies' ability to compete with
foreign businesses that export their most powerful privacy products without
restriction. Under the new bill, businesses would get permission to export
their most sophisticated products easier and quicker if they make available
decoding "keys" to law enforcement. Government investigators would not be
able to gain access to keys without subpoenas, under the bill.
"Products without keys would face a more extensive review by the Commerce
Department," says Burrell, adding, "Exceptions could be granted by the
president if similar foreign products are widely available." But the BSA
believes that although the bill's supporters say the key system is
voluntary, it effectively is not. In a written statement, the trade group
said, "If passed into law, it would further tie the hands of businesses and
individuals, forcing them to use a costly, unstable key recovery system
vulnerable to criminals and hackers, allowing potentially insecure
third-party access."
Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, and Sen. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, sponsors
of the bill, say the Clinton administration has threatened to veto other
bills moving through Congress that do not include a key system.
Said McCain, "It will be fruitless to move a bill that will never become
law. I am a supporter of a free market, but the free market cannot be
allowed to act in a manner that is contrary to our nation's security
needs."
However, an opponent, Sen. John Ashcroft, R-Missouri, likened the measure
to an attempt to "outlaw photography because somebody takes dirty
pictures." Burrell says a House bill that bars the government from
requiring a key system is expected to be taken up by a House subcommittee
next week.
Judge Slams Encryption Policy
A federal judge in San Francisco says government policies restricting
transmission of computer encryption programs are no better than the rules
she last year declared to be unconstitutional. United Press International
reports U.S. District Judge Marilyn Hall Patel did not issue a ruling at
the end of a hearing in San Francisco earlier this week, but did indicate
she will find the regulations to be in violation of free speech
protections.
At issue is a suit by professor Daniel Bernstein of the University of
Illinois at Chicago who wants to publish his encryption program on the
Internet, primarily affects software companies that seek to export the
technology. In April 1996, Judge Patel rocked government and computer
circles by ruling computer codes -- including encryption -- are a form of
expression. The wire notes encryption is often used to send computer
messages that scrambled so that they can be read only by someone with a
decoding program.
Feds Exempt Microsoft, Netscape
The federal government has given Microsoft Corp. and Netscape
Communications Corp. an important exception to export Internet software for
electronic banking that contains more powerful encryption capabilities than
had previously been allowed. Reporting in The Wall Street Journal this
morning, writers Dean Takahashi and David Bank notes the Commerce
Department approval means both companies will avoid the expense of
maintaining two versions of their Internet software, one for domestic use
and one for export.
"More significantly," they write, "it puts them on an even playing field
with foreign competitors, some of whom have won customers simply by adding
stronger encryption to U.S.-made products." These are the first to be
issued under a policy announced last month by William Reinsch,
undersecretary for export administration, that loosens export controls on
encryption technology for financial institutions as part of an effort to
spur international electronic commerce.
The new policy is limited to financial institutions and does not, for
instance, allow the export of technology to enable individuals to talk to
other individuals using the most sophisticated security technology. As
reported earlier, makers of those types of applications can receive
licenses to export strong encryption technology only if they include
measures to allow government authorities to recover the keys needed to
decode electronic messages.
Says the paper, "Financial institutions, which are not required to have
such 'key recovery' plans, have insisted they need more powerful encryption
to stay ahead of the code-breaking skills of hackers and criminals. The new
products from Netscape and Microsoft use keys for encoding and decoding
messages that are 128 bits, or characters, in length. Such keys are many
times more difficult to crack than 64-bit keys, the previous limit for
financial institutions."
House Advances Encryption Bill
The U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate appear to be on a
collision course in the data encryption debate. Late yesterday, the House
International Relations Subcommittee on International Economic Policy and
Trade approved a measure to lift most encryption export restrictions. The
action comes less than a week after a similar bill in the Senate to relax
encryption-export controls was torpedoed when the Senate Commerce Committee
approved a substitute, sponsored by Nebraska Democrat Bob Kerrey and
Arizona Republican John McCain. That bill would only modestly ease export
restrictions and would effectively allow the government to crack encrypted
messages in the United States by gaining access to the software keys.
Writing for the Newsbytes computer news service, reporter Bill Pietrucha
notes the House subcommittee voted 14-1 yesterday to okay the Security and
Freedom through Encryption (SAFE) Act of 1997, H.R. 695, which would allow
US manufacturers to freely export encryption products. Sponsored by Rep.
Bob Goodlatte (R-Virginia), the bill unanimously passed the House of
Representatives Courts and Intellectual Property subcommittee in early May,
clearing the way for a full House Judiciary Committee vote. With more than
133 co-sponsors, the House bill now is awaiting action by the full
International Relations Committee and the Intelligence Committee.
Says Pietrucha, "The legislation may receive a full court press from the
Clinton Administration, however, when it reaches the full International
Relations Committee after the Fourth of July Congressional recess . The
administration's strong arm tactics were evident last Thursday, June 19,
when a compromise bill on encryption exports, S. 909, the Secure Public
Networks Act, passed the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Committee." Pietrucha says the Senate bill "is an attempt to find the
middle road on encryption policy," adding, "The bill would relax encryption
controls to only a 56-bit key length, and would require encryption software
used by the federal government, or purchased with federal funds for public
use, to include key recovery software."
Judge Knocks Down N.Y. Net Law
A federal judge has decided that a New York state law threatening
cyberspace pedophiles with prison terms is well-intentioned but
unconstitutional. Blocking enforcement of the law in a temporary
injunction issued late yesterday, U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska said
the Internet cannot become cluttered by conflicting and confusing
state-by-state legislation. Associated Press writer Larry McShane says the
judge wrote in her decision, "The protection of children from pedophilia is
an entirely valid and laudable goal of state legislation. The New York
act's attempts to effectuate that goal, however, fall afoul of the
(federal) Commerce Clause." As noted earlier, the U.S. Supreme Court is
expected to rule this month on federal Internet legislation.
Signed into law by Gov. George Pataki nine months ago, the New York
legislation attempted to make it a crime to send sexually explicit
materials to children via computer:
z Adults soliciting children for sex via the Internet faced felony
prosecution under the law.
z Those convicted of such crimes faced up to seven years in prison. The
state has not prosecuted anyone for violating the statute.
Ann Beeson, national staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union,
which filed suit to overturn the law, praised the judge's decision, telling
AP, "This is a very important victory. It sends a really strong message out
to state legislatures that you can't pass laws to censor the Internet."
Meanwhile, also yesterday a federal judge ruled a Georgia law barring
people from using false identities on the Internet can be challenged in
court. AP says U.S. District Judge Marvin Shoob denied the state's motion
to
dismiss the suit filed by the ACLU and others. That law, which took effect
last July, makes it illegal to use pseudonyms in computer messages. ACLU
attorney Gerry Weber told the wire service, "This law is susceptible to
selective prosecution that will stifle the speech of those who need
anonymity the most -- people in support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous,
victims of domestic violence, people with AIDS." The law also makes it a
crime for someone to use a company's trademark or symbol without
permission. AP says the judge also prohibited the state from enforcing the
law until there is a trial.
Mayors Fight Net Tax Ban
Federal legislation that would prevent state and local governments from
slapping new taxes on Internet transactions is being opposed by the
nation's mayors. Meeting in San Francisco this week, the U.S. Conference
of Mayors has adopted without debate a policy resolution by Chicago Mayor
Richard Daley and Dallas Mayor Ronald Kirk that opposes establishment of an
unlimited moratorium on state and local government taxation of electronic
transactions.
The Reuter News Service reports the resolution also urges the Clinton
administration and Congress to delay taking action on the issue until
"thorough and impartial" studies were completed. As reported, Rep.
Christopher Cox, R-California, and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, earlier this
year introduced identical bills to impose an
indefinite moratorium on state and local taxation of commerce over the
Internet. (Their bill would not affect existing taxes on goods and services
ordered through the Internet, as long as the taxes were the
same as those on mail order goods.)
Last month, Deputy Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers told a congressional
hearing the administration strongly supports the "goals and underlying
objectives" of the legislation. However, U.S. mayors's resolution contends
the bill intrudes on their powers and create budget problems. "The U.S.
Conference of Mayors supports the growth of legitimate, wholesome commerce
on the Internet," says the resolution, but "the proposed federal
legislation would create a virtually unprecedented intrusion into
inherently local affairs."
Net Gambling Eyed With Alarm
Wisconsin's state attorney general says he is alarmed that widespread
Internet gambling could become reality soon, potentially raking in hundreds
of billions of dollars. Speaking to the National Association of Attorneys
General meeting this week in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, James
Doyle said rapid progress is being made in overcoming technological
barriers to gambling on the Net -- such as slow speed and problems with
exchanging money -- opening the prospect of home computers becoming
gambling machines.
Reporter Adrian Croft of the Reuter News Service quotes Doyle as saying,
"The great concern here is that in a very short period of time, people will
have in essence a video gambling machine in their own home and they can go
and lose $500, $1,000, $1,500 just as their evening's entertainment instead
of sitting down in front of a television set. "That's going to put
enormous pressures on us in the states," he added, "not only law
enforcement, but the kind of social problems, financial problems that that
creates. You will be able to play a video blackjack game sitting in your
home."
Doyle says if Internet gambling takes off, huge amounts of money could
change hands, adding, "I think there's no doubt you're dealing with
hundreds of billions of dollars ... The amount of money we're talking about
is just astronomical." Croft reports a report prepared for the attorney
general association by staff members says that in the last year,
technological advances had brought widespread gambling on the Internet -- a
global network of computer networks -- closer to reality.
Adds the report, "The question is no longer whether there will be gambling
available on the Internet, but when it will be available and what states
can and should do when it gets here." Reuters says Net gambling is illegal
in most states, "although some states' gambling laws are outdated and may
not apply to the Internet." Doyle, who co-chairs NAAG's Internet Working
Group, said that unlike traditional forms of gambling, Internet gambling is
difficult to detect and difficult to regulate, adding said there are only
limited forms of gambling on the Internet now, but "we think we are a very
short time away from having much more wide open gambling."
Vandal Shuts Down Microsoft Site
An intruder was able to briefly shut down Microsoft Corp.'s World Wide Web
site last week by apparently taking advantage of a flaw in the company's
Internet server software. The Wall Street Journal this morning quotes a
Microsoft spokesman at the Redmond, Washington, headquarters as saying this
is the first time the popular Internet site had ever been taken down
maliciously. The Journal reports the attack began Thursday, and the
intruder "was twice able to disrupt some of the server computers that run
the company's Web site."
The paper adds the disruption lasted only about 10 minutes, "but the
company said users also may have encountered problems because it currently
is upgrading its servers." Microsoft marketing director Mike Nash told the
paper that because of a flaw in the company's Internet server software,
someone could shut down a Web site using the software by typing in a
specific Web address, or URL.
"These disruptive URLs," says the Journal, "are very lengthy - between
8,000 and 14,000 characters long -- and vary from computer to computer.
Hackers can write programs to test many combinations and find the right
URL." The Journal notes Microsoft had posted software to fix the bug by
Friday, the day after the flaw was discovered. Nash said getting an
afflicted Web site running again involves simply rebooting the computer.
Chile Skirts Gag Order by Net
In Chile, a judge's widely criticized gag order in one of the country's
most sensational court cases is being skirted by a newspaper through use
of the Internet. "In a move unprecedented in Chile," says the Reuter News
Service in a report from Santiago, "La Tercera opened a site on the World
Wide Web to give readers the stories it would have published on its front
page if a judge had not barred the news media from reporting on a
money-laundering case."
At issue is the case of businessman Mario Silva Leiva -- known as the Horse
Racing Kid because of his penchant for betting on horses -- who is accused
of leading a multimillion-dollar drug trafficking and money-laundering
ring. La Tercera national editor Luis Alvarez told the wire service, "The
information we are including (on the Web site) is a journalistic coup that
would have been splashed over the paper but that we can't publish because
of the gag rule."
Reuters says Judge Beatriz Pedrals imposed the news blackout last week,
three months after Silva was arrested in what police called their biggest
blow against the drug trade in Chile. The country has so far been spared
the violence and corruption associated with drug-trafficking elsewhere in
Latin America. Alvarez said the newspaper had to create the Web site
(http://www.infochile.com/tercer a) through an intermediary in New York to
avoid legal tangles. The paper's lawyers believe "that the judge's
authority does not go beyond the border of Chile," he said.
Tornado Advanced Warning system Donated to Public Safety
Fort Smith, Arkansas, June 9, 1997; 12 Noon - Neutronics Technologies
Corporation, an international leader of Artificial Intelligence research,
is announcing the donation of its patent rights and claims to the Tornado
Advance Warning System, better known as TAWS, to the public, and the
donation of the experimental equipment designed in the TAWS research
process to the City of Fort Smith's, Old Fort Museum April 21, 1996 Tornado
Exhibit.
Neutronics Technologies Corporation CEO, Lee Kent Hempfling stated: "It has
always been our goal with TAWS to save lives. In order to speed up that
goal we have decided to give TAWS away. We will provide the method, the
process and the details of the TAWS system to any organization, domestic or
foreign, wishing to use it to save lives. We will cooperate fully in
helping whomever chooses to accept TAWS as a responsibility with the
development of the system and our company will provide teaching expertise
for the staff chosen to install and operate it. In addition, we will
permit our provisional patent application for TAWS to expire without
further activity on our part and we will grant the TAWS technology to
public domain".
NTC will provide the plans for the TAWS sensor and siren units to any
organization willing to manufacture them without paying license costs to
NTC. NTC's primary business is its CORE(tm) processor which will not be
included for use in the process. TAWS will function with relatively
primitive computer technology, even though it was designed to be used with
NTC's state of the art CORE(tm) processor. The CORE(tm) processor handles
a minimum of 3.24 trillion bits per second in a 28 hertz loop within a
logic system known as Triologic capable of an exponential increase in
processing power over and above the first generation of CORE(tm) products.
CORE(tm) stands for Correlational Opposition Ratio Enhanced Technology.
The company will however, assist with development of a less advanced
computer program, to be used with TAWS, should the CORE(tm) processor not
be used. NTC will retain its other patent procedures and technology, and
is requiring only that the system be called TAWS. However, NTC will not
exercise its trademark rights to the TAWS name, nor will any organization
be required to acknowledge or reference NTC for this privilege.
The continued loss of life and property due to tornado activity is proof
positive that the tornado warning systems currently in operation are
clearly inadequate. TAWS is unique in that it takes into account the fact
that in tornado prone areas of the country watches and warnings are sounded
frequently and many times are either false or not applicable to the part of
the county they are heard in.
Residents become accustomed to the false alarms. Soon, the sirens sound
and the residents are left wondering if it was just another false alarm or
if it was a warning intended for another part of the county. With the
present systems that are in place, residents have no way of knowing whether
they should or should not take action; whether their location is in danger
or whether it is not. Thus, many choose to do nothing and risk death. The
current systems reduce residents sense of urgency instead of heightening
it. What is needed is a system that takes into account these human
tendencies. TAWS provides a system of stepped awareness. When a watch is
issued nothing happens. Before an official warning is issued, level one
activates with beeping sounds that increase in volume as the threat
increases from all sensor arrays in the area. If an official warning is
issued TAWS will activate level two sounds from each sensor location. If no
rotation is present in the TAWS area, alarms do not increase to level
three. But, if rotation is sensed in the TAWS area, or nearly approaching
it, sensor sounds split and change to a level three siren sound with only
the zones effected by the rotation issuing level three sounds. The level
three siren sounds increase in volume as the threat increases. When there
is a vortex formation observed level four will sound from the sensors
effected by it in a high pitch warble with the initial design also
providing voice announcing ability for the areas effected so emergency
dispatchers can actually talk to the citizens. The residents in those
zones know it is THEIR home in danger not some false alarm and not some
other part of the county. All they have to do is drive toward a lower
level sound. After the recent tornado caused disasters it is clear to see
that what is needed is a more advanced warning system; a system that takes
human nature into account.
For more information about TAWS visit the NTC WEB site at
http://www.neutronicstechcorp.com National and international weather
organizations may acquire the TAWS process by writing on official
letterhead to TAWS , in care of Neutronics Technologies Corporation (USA)
523 Garrison Avenue , Fort Smith, Arkansas 72901, USA
For more information call 1-501-782-9999 or submit the request to
tawsinfo@neutronicstechcorp.com.
Neutronics Technologies Corporation (USA) is affiliated with Neutronics
Technologies Corporation Europe Limited, Birmingham, England.
Neutronics Technologies Corporation (USA)
523 Garrison Avenue Fort Smith, Ar 72901 admin@neutronicstechcorp.com
Voice: 501-782-9999 Toll Free: 1-888-ENTICY1 Fax:501-784-9520
World Wide Web: http://www.neutronicstechcorp.com
Educator Seymour Papert honored by Smithsonian Institution
and NEC
A lifetime spent making computers serve children
Seymour Papert, co-founder of the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at
MIT, has been named the 1997 winner of the Computerworld Smithsonian
Program's prestigious NEC Education Leadership Award. A record of
Papert's life and career will be included with those of other information
technology leaders in the Smithsonian's National Museum of American
History's archive of innovation.
Papert was born and educated in South Africa. After childhood years spent
in bush camps, his family moved to Johannesburg, where he became active in
the anti-apartheid movement. From 1954 to 1958 Papert pursued mathematical
research at the universities of Cambridge and Paris. He later worked with
Jean Piaget at the University of Geneva, which led him to consider using
mathematics in the quest to understand how children think and learn.
The Education Leadership Award was established in 1990 to ensure that the
National Museum of American History's archives included an accurate record
of the lives and achievements of the leaders of the information technology
revolution. "Without the partnership and support of private sector leaders
like NEC, we would not be able to record the dreams and achievements of
remarkable individuals like Seymour Papert who are leading change in our
times," said Dr. David Allison, chairman of the National Museum of American
History's Division of Information Technology and Society.
In the early 1960's, Papert co-founded the Artificial Intelligence
Laboratory at MIT with Marvin Minsky. He later helped launch the Media
Arts and Sciences Program and the MIT Media Laboratory. In 1970, he and
Minsky co-authored a seminal text on parallelism in computation, entitled
"Perceptrons." Since then, Papert has been a leader in research on the
creative applications of computers in education.
Papert invented the Logo computer language, the first and most important
effort to give children control over new technology. He founded the
Epistemology and Learning Group at the Media laboratory, and was named LEGO
Professor of Learning Research in 1988, a chair created for him. Papert
has written articles about mathematics, artificial intelligence, education,
learning and thinking. He has advised governmental agencies on the
application of technology in education in Africa, Latin America, Europe and
Asia. He has been called to testify before presidential commissions and
Congressional committees, and his work on education has received numerous
awards. Other Education Leadership Award Winners include: Governor Gaston
Caperton who developed a successful model for computer technology training
in the elementary schools of West Virginia; Linda Roberts, special advisor
to the Office of Education Technology, U.S. Department of Education;
Inabeth Miller, vice president of the Lightspan Partnership; Sharon McCoy
Bell, New Orleans School System; Ronald K. Thornton, Tufts University; Gail
Morse, a Christa McAuliffe Educator and science teacher; and Robert Tinker,
developer of the Technical Education Research Center.
Study Finds CompuServe Is Fastest
A new study sponsored by Boardwatch Magazine finds that CompuServe Inc.
operates the best-performing national Internet backbone. The study
measured the time it took to download a 50K Web page using a
56K bps modem. Measurements were taken from 27 cities every fifteen minutes
over a 30-day period from April 20 to May 20. The test was conducted by
Keynote Systems of San Mateo, California, which develops
software measurement agents.
CompuServe, with an overall download time of 1.543 seconds, led all other
national Internet backbone providers.The average download time for all
surveyed Internet providers was 9.928 seconds. GridNet, with a download
time of 2.949 seconds, was a distant second. AGIS at 3.267 seconds, UUNET
at 3.473 seconds and SAVVIS at 4.274 seconds rounded out the test's top
five performers. AT&T WorldNet had a download time of 4.921 seconds,
Sprint came in at 7.464 seconds and internetMCI was pegged at 9.851
seconds. The full results will be published in Boardwatch's July issue.
Web Site Name Auctioning Begins
How much would you pay for the rights to the World Wide Web address of
"program.com," do you think? Now, before you answer, consider that
"business.com" just went for a whopping $150,000. News of that sale has
encouraged Vertex Group, a Web site development company in Ashland, Oregon,
near the California border, to put a $75,000 price tag on "program.com."
Company officials tell Associated Press writer Jeff Barnard they hope to
sell the site to a software company or a publisher of software magazines.
Barnard notes, "In terms of physical property, program.com amounts to some
aging computer gear, a chair and a couple of tables in a small office with
a backyard view next to a grocery store. But the Web site is valuable as a
popular destination for computer programmers and software developers to
exchange information. It draws 10,000 visitors, or 'hits,' per month." He
says that when Vertex Group decided to sell program.com, business manager
Charles McHenry searched the Web and found two new firms started by former
real estate brokers who have started selling Web sites.
Instead, though, McHenry opted to solicit Globecomm Inc., a New York-based
company whose BestDomains subsidiary helps companies buy and sell Internet
intellectual properties such as site names. There, Globecomm Vice
President David Milligan comments that unlike traditional stocks," these
represent "a new wave of what you could call 'cyber-assets.'"
Privatization of Net Continues
The National Science Foundation has turned over to a non-profit
organization the assigning of numbers for Internet addresses, a move seen
as the continuation of its efforts to privatize the Net. Yesterday's
action will establish the American Registry for Internet Numbers that will
keep track of which numbers are assigned to what computers in the United
States, Canada and Mexico.
Reporter Elizabeth Weise of The Associated Press notes the NSF plan will
separate the assignment of names and numbers, as is already done in Asia
and Europe. "One reason to separate names and numbers," she adds, "is the
legal controversy over who has the right to assign and create Internet
domain names." Back when only scientists and researchers used the
Internet, no one much cared about who got which Net address, but now that
the Net has gone commercial, names are now worth thousands of dollars. For
instance, as reported, "business.com" recently sold for $150,000 and a
$75,000 price tag has been put on "program.com."
With those kinds of dollars involved, "exactly how and by whom they are to
be disbursed is in question," Weise notes. Until recently, the National
Science Foundation paid Virginia's Network Solutions Inc. to handle
numerical address assignments. But lately, as the Net has become more
commercial, the agency has sought to curtail its involvement and turn
functions over to the private sector.
Forum: CDROM Section: CD-Recordables
Subj: GO ADAPTEC Quits on 7/7
To : Jack Brown, 71333,2450 6/21/97 8:32 AM
>From : Deirdre Straughan, 74431,2004 #141239
>> Companies like Adaptec that have multiple places for support split their
personnel between the support arenas and don't do any of them well! Their
take on it is that since the web is 'free', they should put their support
there. <<
I have learned why Adaptec made this decision. Apparently, CSi is requiring
companies to have _different_ content in their forums than they do on their
Web sites, as the price of having a forum at all. I understand CSi's desire
to offer something that people can't find on the open Web (and charge them
for it), but to us it would mean the creation and upkeep of two different
sets of drivers and help files. We just don't have the manpower to spare
for that (as far as CD-R content is concerned, yours truly is about the
_only_ person developing it for Adaptec). It makes no economic sense for us
to try, since everyone online, including CSi users, can easily access our
Web site.
I strongly agree that it's a pity to lose the interactive help that is
possible in a CSi forum, but at this point we can't afford the price of
admission. Personally, I strive to provide similar kinds of interactive
help on Usenet groups and in this forum, but there's a limit to what one
person can do, and Adaptec tech support reps don't have time to go out
surfing for trouble the way I do. I'll be on the lookout for some way to
create a forum on the Adaptec Web site, something tech support would be
willing and able to participate in. With regret, I must suppose that that
won't be CompuServe.
>>this emigration won't stop unless we send a message to the firms
leaving.<<
It's CSi you need to send the message to. I think that most firms would be
happy to maintain their forums as chat-and-help areas alone, and/or with
help files etc. duplicated from their Web sites. But by forcing us
to create separate content in order to reach CSi users (who can in any case
be reached by other means), they're making it too expensive for us to help
them keep CSi attractive.
As for Adaptec CD-R software issues, another forum is available:
About the Adaptec_CDR List
The Adaptec_CDR list (formerly known as the Easy-CD list) is a service of
the Adaptec Software Products Group. It is a moderated forum for users of
Adaptec CD-R software (and anyone else interested in CD-recordable
technology) to help each other with technical and general CD-R questions.
Topics for discussion include technical questions and problems, sales
information, suggestions for improvement, or anything else that relates to
CD-R. Adaptec will also from time to time use the list to announce new
releases, known bugs and fixes, etc. Representatives of Adaptec and other
companies in the CD-R field do respond to questions, but the primary
source of information in the list is you, the user. So feel free to respond
to other people's questions and comments; the exchange of ideas and
information helps all of us in the CD-R community.
IMPORTANT: This list is primarily an exchange of information among users.
Adaptec sponsors and moderates the list, but is not responsible for the
technical accuracy of information posted to the list (we do read
everything, and edit some things, but if we took the time necessary to
validate every statement, the list would slow down to the point of
uselessness). It is your responsibility to follow discussions to their end
and carefully weigh the opinions expressed and suggestions given. Please
don't call our tech support line and say, "Someone on the list said this
should work."
Where to Get More Information
Many frequently-asked questions you may want to ask in the list have
already been answered on the Adaptec Web site, specifically at
http://www.adaptec.com/cdrec. If you're new to CD-recordable technology,
you may want to visit there first.
For details and policies on the list itself, see
http://websvr1.adaptec.com/support/cdrec/ecdlist_policies.html
-------------------------------------------
To Subscribe
Send an e-mail message to
LISTSERV@LISTSERV.ADAPTEC.COM
with the following text in the body of the message:
subscribe adaptec_cdr
NOTE: This is a high-traffic list, often posting 50 messages per day. If
you prefer to receive them all in one lump, follow the instructions in the
Welcome message on how to set the digest option.
To Post Messages to the List
Post messages for the list to ADAPTEC_CDR@LISTSERV.ADAPTEC.COM. Messages
will be reviewed by the moderator and then distributed to all members on
the list.
Best regards, Deirdre' Straughan
Adaptec Software Products Group
"Largo al factotum del CD-R"
74431.2004@compuserve.com
http://www.adaptec.com/cdrec
21-Jun-97 at 10:19, in Iowa
tech support: support@adaptec.com
Gateway 2000 to Acquire ALR
Gateway 2000 Inc. has signed a definitive agreement to acquire PC maker
Advanced Logic Research Inc. for approximately $194 million. ALR, based in
Irvine, California, specializes in multiprocessor servers, with design,
manufacturing and marketing support targeted at the client/server and
high-end desktop markets. According to Gateway, ALR will operate as a
wholly-owned subsidiary and continue to market products under the ALR
brand through its established channels. Current ALR Chairman, CEO and
President Gene Lu will remain president of ALR and become a vice president
and officer of Gateway. "Combining Gateway and ALR represents a tremendous
opportunity, says Ted Waitt, chairman and CEO of Gateway 2000, which is
based in North Sioux City, South Dakota. "The new relationship gives
Gateway immediate access to established server technology, a key component
of the growth strategy for our Enterprise line."
Bill Gates, Kerry Packer Teaming Up
Two of the world's richest men -- Microsoft Corp.'s Bill Gates and
Australian media mogul Kerry Packer -- are teaming up to form an Internet
alliance between Packer's TV and publishing empire and Gates' software
business. Reporting from Sydney, Kevin Morrison of the Reuter News Service
says the joint venture Microsoft has formed with Packer's Publishing and
Broadcasting Ltd. will provide online news, sport, entertainment and
weather shows as well as financial and retail services.
"The venture," adds Morrison, "will utilize Microsoft's online technology
as well as draw content from the U.S. software giant's products and from
PBL's television arm Nine Network and magazine business Australian
Consolidated Press." Nine is Australia's highest rating TV network and ACP
is the country's largest magazine group, says Reuters, while ACP's
publications include the Australian Women's Weekly, Woman's Day, The
Bulletin, Cleo, Cosmopolitan, Dolly and Australian Personal Computer.
Look for the Australian online service to be launched in the next two to
four months and include Microsoft products, such as Microsoft Network.
entertainment guide Sidewalk, travel service Expedia and financial product
Investor. Reuters notes about 20 percent of Australian homes own
computers, one of the world's highest levels of home computer ownership and
making it one of MSN's fastest growing markets, according to MSN
International director Alan McGinnis.
Intel, Oracle Team on Database
A collaboration is being made between chipmaker Intel Corp. and software
publisher Oracle Corp. intending to optimize use of Oracle's new Oracle8
database software on Intel microprocessors. Reporting from Santa Clara,
California, the Reuter News Service quotes Intel Vice President John Miner
as saying the effort will focus on the next generation of Intel chips,
code-named Merced, including advanced cluster computing systems. "Intel's
Merced processor, expected to begin shipping in 1999, is a critical new
product family because it is based on a faster chip architecture," Reuters
adds.
Look for Oracle to formally introduce Oracle8 this week "with a flashy,
round-the-world event," says the wire service. Miner told Reuters the
widespread use of Intel processors and the early availability of Oracle's
flagship product for use on Intel platforms, he said, "should fuel even
more growth in this fast-moving, highest growth end of their business." In
addition, the collaboration marks what Reuters terms "the ever-increasing
power of Intel processors -- years ago databases were largely the province
of large, costly mainframe computers." Intel and Oracle also will work
together on cluster features for the Oracle Parallel Server and for a new
cluster communications standard known as VI Architecture.
Oracle Launches Net PC Blitz
Watch for Oracle Corp. to launch an all-out media blitz this week to
introduce Oracle8, the software said to be the key to the company's drive
to popularize the Network Computer, the new breed of bare-bones, Net-savvy
PCs. Business writer Patricia Lamiell of The Associated Press reports this
morning Oracle's new database software "is aimed at enabling large
companies to store information and manage data faster than before, but it
also is intended to help companies run 'network computers.'"
She says Oracle is spending $2.4 million to promote Oracle8 at a lavish
event today at Radio City Music Hall.
"As part of its initiative," says Lamiell, "Oracle is introducing the first
smart card that can be used with the network computers. The NC smart card,
a wallet-sized plastic card embedded with a silicon chip, enables users to
call up private computer files from any network computer. The technology
frees the user from carrying physical files or a laptop computer with files
in it, or even a floppy disk with information."
The NC Card, which carries information in encoded form, can be inserted
into any network computer that has been adapted to the new technology.
"After punching in a password," says the wire service, "the user can call
up desktop files linked to the network, read or send e-mail, perform
banking transactions, or purchase something on the Internet." The $5,000
software and cards are available immediately to companies and will be
offered for home use by the end of this summer, in the form of set-top
boxes made by RCA and Zenith Electronics. AP says the set-top boxes will
cost about $500 and can be hooked up to home television sets.
Corel Launches Spin-Off
Corel Corp. has launched a spin-off company incorporating its video and
network computing divisions.
The Ottawa-based software publisher says the new Corel Computer Corp., a
wholly-owned subsidiary, will offer corporate video conferencing and other
communications and network computing solutions. "The focus will be on
providing a complete computing and communications solution to clients,"
says Michael Cowpland, Corel's president and CEO and chairman of the new
company. "This new company will assemble a unique combination of knowledge
expertise and experience. New enterprises will now be able to use one
company to install an entire corporate computing and communications
infrastructure." Corel plans to make its new subsidiary a completely
independent company is about a year.
Compaq Buys Tandem
PC market leader Compaq Computer Corp. is buying Tandem Computers Inc. for
$3 billion in stock. The deal calls for Tandem to become a wholly owned
Compaq subsidiary. Tandem, based in Cupertino, California, specializes in
"business critical" computers for banks, insurance companies and other
major corporations that deal with massive amounts of information. "The
phenomenal rate of change in the IT industry demands a new business model,
one that depends on strategic partnering to stay competitive and to be a
market maker," says Roel Pieper, Tandem's CEO. "This merger is based on
this concept and will provide the added benefit of creating a broader range
of open customer solutions to the market." "We will truly offer complete
solutions, from handhelds and portables to networked desktops and
workstations, all the way to Windows NT servers and the Himalaya range of
massively parallel commercial systems," say Eckhard Pfeiffer, president and
CEO of Houston-based Compaq.
Unruh Resigns as Unisys Chief
James Unruh has resigned as chairman and CEO of Unisys Corp. after seven
tumultuous years leading the struggling computer maker. Unruh, 56, will
leave his CEO post once a successor has been named. He will remain chairman
until the company's next annual meeting in April 1998. "Unruh has overseen
four restructurings of Unisys," notes the Reuter News Service. "Under his
leadership, the company has laid off tens of thousands of employees, closed
plants, pared product lines and sold divisions, but has not been able to
consistently report revenue growth." Unisys, headquartered in Blue Bell,
Pennsylvania, was formed by the 1986 merger of Sperry Corp. and Burroughs
Corp. "It enjoyed a few years of growth, fueled mainly by cost-cutting, but
then entered a prolonged slump as mainframe computers, its chief product,
lost favor amid the rise of smaller, cheaper machines," observes Reuters.
Miniature Laptop Unveiled
A super-small laptop -- weighing just 1.8 pounds with a 6.1-inch display --
has been unveiled by Toshiba Corp. Called the $2,000 Libretto 50CT, the
"ultra-ultra portable... is brimming with color and fancy graphics," says
business writer David E. Kalish of The Associated Press. "The Microsoft
Windows 95 icon dances across the screen -- the same operating program that
runs most box-like computers on desks in workplaces and homes." Kalish
calls this "the latest step in the high-tech industry's relentless push to
make fancy computers ever lighter," adding, "While hand-held "palm-top"
computers tend to weigh less, most run on Microsoft's more basic Windows CE
operating system use a smaller keyboard and are limited in what they can
do." By contrast, the Libretto uses the same software as its bigger
cousins. However, Kalish doesn't advise trying any heavy-duty typing on
the cramped keyboard. The Libretto's keys are about 20 percent closer
together than a conventional laptop's keys.
DirecTV Japan Adding Data Service
DirectTV Inc. plans to add interactive data capabilities to its
direct-to-home satellite service in Japan. DirecTV Japan will use
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd.'s DVX (digital video eXtension)
technology for "InteracTV," an interactive multimedia data service.
DirecTV Japan expects to make services including news, sports and weather
reports; product information from home shopping channels; and concert
informationfrom music channels available to subscribers beginning next
year. The service will be available to subscribers automatically through
the satellite set-top box. "InteracTV is one of the interactive data
services that will allow DTVJ to stand apart from our competition," says
Gareth Chang, chairman of Tokyo-based DirecTV Japan. "The various
applications we are planning as part of this system will give subscribers
more program software and the only service of its kind in Japan at this
time."
HSN Inc. Forms Online Auction
An online auction site has been formed on the Web by HSN Inc.'s Internet
Shopping Network that is to go up against sites like Onsale Inc. for the
dollars of high-tech consumers. Reporting from Palo Alto, California, Sam
Perry of the Reuter News Service says the site is "further evidence of HSN
Chairman Barry Diller's commitment to electronic commerce. Internet
Shopping Network CEO Kirk Loevner told the wire service said the live First
Auction site (http://www.firstauction.com) should make more than $30
million to $35 million in revenues in its first year of operation, adding,
"Our focus is computers, consumer electronics and general merchandise."
Reuters says sales will include unique collectible goods as well as
sponsored promotions such as a "Great Maui Escape" sweepstakes currently on
offer. Partners in the deal AT&T's Worldnet Internet access service, Time
Warner Inc.'s Pathfinder Web site, the GeoCities Web site and Gannett Cos.
Inc.'s USA Today newspaper. ISN claims more than 120,000 members. The wire
service says ISN has invested more than $2 million in hardware, software
and technical expertise in building the site, Loevner said. It is the
company's second commerce site alongside (http://www.isn.com), an
electronic store it established in 1994.
Big Apple Gets Digital Clubhouse
A non-profit organization that's dedicated to supplying technology access
and education to youths, senior citizens, the disabled and other special
interest groups has opened a New York-based information center. The
Digital Clubhouse Network's New York Information Technology Center, located
at 55 Broad Street, aims to bring the organization's "digital literacy"
campaign to Manhattan's "Silicon Alley." "Information technology can be a
powerful tool for building a global community, provided everyone
understands and can fully utilize it," says Warren Hegg, co-founder and
principal evangelist for The Digital Clubhouse Network. "Today the computer
is not just for computation and calculation, it's about communication and
participation in the emerging Digital Age. It's about people of all ages
and backgrounds, learning how to use this technology productively, and in
turn, teaching others."
The New York location is the second site for the Digital Clubhouse Network.
The first center opened in Santa Clara, California, a year ago. The
organization wants to open centers in communities all around the world.
The Digital Clubhouse Network's sponsors include Iomega Corp.,
Hewlett-Packard Co., Adobe Systems Inc. and IBM Corp. Additional
information is available on the Web at http://www.digiclub.org
Online Services Lead Net Access
Commercial online services are the largest home-based providers of Internet
access, according to new research from PC Meter. The Port Washington, New
York, media measurement company collects its information digitally via
software that's installed on home PCs in 10,000 households. The households
are demographically balanced to represent the population of U.S. PC owners.
"The commercial online services are playing a key and complementary role in
the explosive growth of the Internet," says Doug McFarland, senior vice
president of PC Meter's advertising and media division.
Magazine Ranks PC Companies
PC Magazine has released its list of the most influential companies in the
personal computer industry. The list is led by Microsoft Corp., followed
by Intel Corp., IBM Corp., Netscape Inc., Sun Microsystems Inc., Compaq
Computer Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co. Rounding out the top 20 are Cisco
Systems Inc., Oracle Corp., Toshiba Corp., Dell Computer Corp., Apple
Computer Inc., Adobe Systems Inc, Gateway 2000 Inc., Novell Inc., 3Com
Corp., Corel Corp., AOL Inc, Pointcast Inc. and NEC Corp.
"This list is not based strictly on market share and annual revenue,"
states Michael Miller, PC Magazine's editor-in-chief. "These are the
companies that we feel are best positioned to lead the personal computing
industry in the coming year." The list was developed by three dozen
members of PC Magazine's editorial staff, who participated in a special
Lotus Notes discussion database. The magazine notes that the discussion was
supplemented by hundreds of e-mail messages and some heated disagreements.
Japan PCs Lag U.S. by 4-5 Years?
The president of chipmaker Intel Corp. says Japan is lagging behind the
United States by four to five years in the extent to which personal
computers have become established in homes and small businesses. Speaking
at a Tokyo seminar on computers, Intel president Craig Barrett is quoted by
the Reuter News Service as saying, "For Japan to continue to grow (in PC
sales)...we have to see a rapid expansion in sales in small businesses and
homes." He also noted a gender gap in Japan, saying PCs are used mostly by
men at home. Barrett said the penetration of PCs in Japanese homes was
about 15 percent in 1996, compared to 40 to 45 percent in the United
States. "The penetration of PCs in homes with children is also relatively
low in Japan," adds Reuters, "while the penetration levels in other Asian
countries such as Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan are similar to that of
the United States due to the fact that PC networks have become a vital part
of education."
For Immediate Release
Corel Puts New Face On Enterprise Communications
Ottawa, Canada- June 25, 1997 - Corel Corporation today announced the
launch of its spin-off company, Corel Computer Corp. The new company will
be comprised of Corel's Video and Network Computing divisions and will
focus on offering a complete hardware and software solution to the
corporate environment. The company, which today opened the doors of its
new corporate offices, will initially be a wholly owned subsidiary of
Corel Corporation.
"This is an exciting new development for Corel," says Dr. Michael
Cowpland, president and chief executive officer of Corel Corporation.
"This new company will assemble a unique combination of knowledge expertise
and experience. The focus will be on providing a complete computing and
communications solution to clients. New enterprises will now be able to
use one company to install an entire corporate computing and communications
infrastructure."
The new company will offer corporate video conferencing as well as
other communications and network computing solutions. Corel Computer
Corp.'s product offering will initially be built around CorelVIDEOT and the
forthcoming Corel Video Network ComputerT and the CorelVIDEOT Compression
CAM. CorelVIDEO delivers the convenience of videoconferencing to the
desktop, with tools such as video on demand, corporate broadcasts, and
business television that make it great for education and information
distribution as well. The Corel Video Network Computer will leverage
Corel's wealth of JavaT experience and is a cornerstone in Corel Computer
Corp.'s strategy to marry communications and computing on the corporate
desktop. The CorelVIDEO Compression CAM offers users an entry into video
communications either over the LAN or Plain Old Telephone System (POTS).
"This move has been made possible by new technological developments
such as the rapidly increasing bandwidth of LANs, network dependability and
the new popularity of open-standards compliant software and hardware," says
Eid Eid, president of Corel Computer Corp. "Corel Computer Corp. is poised
to capture a large segment of the market tired of rising computing and
communications costs."
Corel Corporation will have a majority stake in the new company and
has no plans of abandoning any of its new technology. Although at this
point the new subsidiary will be wholly owned by Corel, it is expected that
within 12 months or less the company will gain enough revenue from video
product and development work in the Java arena to stand on its own.
Services such as human resources, marketing and design services will be
contracted to the new company through Corel's existing resources. The
relationship between Corel Computer Corp. and Corel will be a close one as
they will both share Dr. Michael Cowpland as their chairman . The line of
business at Corel Computer Corp. may require more regional offices and more
of a focus on direct sales. It will also have a different distribution
model to fit its unique product line.
However, it will operate under the same open-door philosophy as Corel
with a horizontal management structure - advanced products, sales and
engineering concentration. Approximately 80 Corel employees will move to
the new company, which will be located in Ottawa but outside of Corel's
headquarters. Some members of Corel's current management team will be
moving to Corel Computer Corp. , including Eid Eid, Corel's VP of
Technology, who will head the new company as president. Roger Bryanton,
Corel's Director of Video Technology, will direct the engineering team.
Corel's chief engineer and developer of CorelVIDEO, Pat Beirne, will also
participate in the new venture. Mike Cowpland will take on an active role
as chairman of the board, however his focus will remain on Corel Corp's
business.
Corel Corporation
Incorporated in 1985, Corel Corporation is recognized internationally as an
award-winning developer and marketer of productivity applications, graphics
and Internet software. Corel's product line includes CorelDRAWT, Corelr
WordPerfectr Suite, Corelr Office Professional, Corelr WebMaster Suite,
CorelVIDEOT and CorelCADT. Corel's products run on most operating systems,
including: Windowsr, Macintoshr, UNIX, MS-DOS, and OpenVMS and are
consistently rated among the strongest in the industry. The company ships
its products in over 17 languages through a network of more than 160
distributors in 70 countries worldwide. Corel is traded on the Toronto
Stock Exchange (symbol: COS) and the NASDAQ - National Market System
(symbol: COSFF). For more information visit Corel's home page on the
Internet at http://www.corel.com.
Corel, WordPerfect, Presentations, CorelDRAW, CorelVIDEO and CorelCAD are
registered trademarks or trademarks of Corel Corporation or Corel
Corporation Limited. Sylvan and Sylvan Learning Systems Centers are
registered trademarks and Authorized Prometric Testing Centers and Sylvan
Prometric are trademarks of Sylvan Learning Systems, Inc., in the U.S. and
Canada. All product and company names are trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective companies.
A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N
LEXMARK OPTRA C
COLOR
LASER PRINTER
For a limited time only; If you wish to have a FREE sample printout sent to
you that demonstrates LEXMARK Optra C SUPERIOR QUALITY 600 dpi Laser Color
Output, please send a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope [SASE] (business
sized envelope please) to:
STReport's LEXMARK Printout Offer
P.O. Box 6672
Jacksonville, Florida 32205-6155
Folks, the LEXMARK Optra C has to be the very best yet in its price range.
It is far superior to anything we've seen or used as of yet. It is said
that ONE Picture is worth a thousand words. The out put from the Lexmark
Optra C is worth ten thousand words! Send for the free sample now. (For a
sample that's suitable for framing, see below) Guaranteed. you will be
amazed at the superb quality. (Please.. allow at least a two week turn-
around).
If you would like a sample printout that's suitable for framing. Yes
that's right! Suitable for Framing. Order this package. It'll be on
special stock and be of superb quality. We obtained a mint copy of a 1927
COLOR ENGRAVER'S YEAR BOOK. Our Scanner is doing "double duty"! The
results will absolutely blow you away. If you want this high quality
sample package please include a check or money order in the amount of $6.95
(Costs only) Please, make checks or money orders payable to; Ralph Mariano.
Be sure to include your full return address and telephone number . The
sample will be sent to you protected, not folded in a 9x12 envelope. Don't
hesitate.. you will not be disappointed. This "stuff" is gorgeous!
A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N
Shareware Treasure Chest STR Feature "The Latest & Greatest"
Shareware Treasure Chest
By Lloyd E. Pulley
lepulley@streport.com
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
July '97 definition update for Norton AntiVirus 6/22/97 1.50mb Free
This file is a complete replacement for any previous definitions set for
all of the Norton AntiVirus products. The product list includes Norton
AntiVirus 3.0 (DOS/Win 3.1), Norton AntiVirus for Windows 95, Norton
AntiVirus Scanner for Windows NT, and Norton AntiVirus for NetWare 1.0 and
2.0.
Home Page Site - http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/index.html
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
SecurityPlus 32-bit 4.01 6/20/97 2.00mb Shareware $29.95
File viewer with on-the-fly encryption/decryption. Supports 24 different
file formats including Animated GIF files. Zoom, Full view, Auto-Hide, JPG
options, File Info including CRC, Full privacy of images and any other
files, runs in the tray, +more.
SecurityPlus! is an Encryption/Decryption utility program for Windows95 and
Windows NT4.0 It should not be confused with a password protection type
program. Password protection simply applies a password to a file where as
Encryption/Decryption modifies the file. Files such as company records,
accounting records, correspondence, images, CAD drawings, programming
source files. executable files, and many other types of files that you may
consider either "sensitive" or "private" in nature may be encrypted to
prevent viewing by others. SecurityPlus! is the ultimate security program
for your files. Unlike other programs of this type, SecurityPlus! uses the
key as the algorithm thus only one key will work. Different files of course
may have different keys applied to them. The keys are not saved as in other
programs.
Home Page Site - http://www.softbytelabs.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
WinTune 97 for Win95 1.0 6/20/97 995kb Freeware
The award-winning Windows Magazine benchmarking utility - now for Win95!
Home Page Site - http://www.winmag.com/software/wt97.htm
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Eudora Pro 32-bit 3.0.3 beta 2 6/22/97 5.00mb Shareware
One of the best email clients around. It features:
z Enhanced message filtering
z Multiple e-mail accounts
z Plug-ins
z Stylized text
z "Drag and Drop" support and almost everything else you can think off.
Eudora Lite 32-bit 3.0.2 beta 5 6/22/97 4.10mb Free
The newest release of one of the best free email programs around.
Powerful Filters, Extended Message Services, Display stylized text, "Drag
and Drop" support, Active hot links and much more.
Home Page Site - http://www.eudora.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
MemSnoop 32 1.06 6/15/97 45kb Shareware $10.00
A fully configurable tool which displays all information you need to keep
your Windows 95 system running smoothly: first of all it includes a CPU
monitor, but it also displays the swapfile size, free memory, system
resources, and very important, the free space on your hardisks. Though all
information is displayed graphicaly, MemSnoop 32 is extremly small in size
and and does consume nearly no resources itself.
Home Page Site - http://www.stud.uni-hannover.de/~borsum/memsnoop32.html
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Creative Inspire 32-bit 1.0 6/20/97 5.00mb Freeware
Requires
Internet Explorer 3.0 or higher
Creative Inspire is a multimedia software that offers a unique Internet
Community for music, games and entertainment enthusiasts. This all-in-one
software supports the most popular multimedia and Internet technologies
like RealAudio, VDOLive, Java, Shockwave and OnLive! Inspire, an Internet
cable network, broadcasts the best mix of music, games and entertainment
events and programs to you! Put on your gear and battle with online gamers,
perform music for all to hear, shop at the comfort of your home, play DJ
and run your own Inspire Radio Station, watch a movie, let others sample
your 'home-made' Java game, invite friends over to your personal chat room,
host an online seminar and create your own Inspire programs - just like in
a real community!
Home Page Site - http://www.creativeinspire.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Synthetic Audio Library 1.03 6/18/97 534kb Shareware $60.00
Add digital music (MOD,S3M,XM) and sound (WAV) quickly and easily to your
32-bit Windows programs. Supports C/C++, Visual BASIC, and Delphi.
Automatically uses DirectSound if available for faster mixing.
Home Page Site - http://www.egerter.com/seal/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
File Dog 32-bit 1.3 pre-release 6/21/97 2.90mb Shareware $39
Now, you can download files from the internet in the middle of the night.
File Dog is the fully automated file retrieval program that does it for
you. Plus, File Dog includes fully functional FTP and Zip modules. All for
one low price.
z Get all of the program updates, shareware, freeware, and other files
you want without wasting your time.
z Retrieve files faster, and reduce connect time, by automatically
downloading files in the middle of the night.
z End the hassle of trying to connect to overloaded files servers.
z Free your internet connection during the day. Put it to work at three
in the morning when it isn't doing anything and you're asleep.
z Download files from FTP servers, or HTTP (world-wide-web) pages and
much more.
Home Page Site - http://www.edgepub.com/fd/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Belarc Advisor for Win95 1.3 6/19/97 651kb Freeware
This Windows 95 Internet Utility works with any browser and helps you
shop for computer hardware and software products. Includes extensive system
information and benchmarking functions to do it's job automatically.
Home Page Site - http://www.belarc.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Personal Address Book 1.0 6/19/97 738kb Freeware
A simple database where you can store basic information (names
,addresses, phone numbers, e-mail, etc.) about other people. I tried to
make it as simple and intuitive as possible so you can easily enter and
quickly retrieve information from it. For people who don't have much
computer experience I also included a help file with the user manual.
Home Page Site - http://128.255.82.60/AddrBook.html
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Castanet Tuner 32-bit 1.1 beta 4 6/21/97 3.50mb Free
Castanet is a new technology for the distribution of channels over the
Internet and Intra-net. Each channel can be a stand-alone Java application,
a Java applet, or a Web site. Channels are stored locally, and can be used
repeatedly without waiting for them to reload every time. With the Castanet
Tuner you are able to subscribe, download, and update channels in an very
efficient and incremental manner. Once subscribed to a channel, it is
updated automatically, and it can be used even if you are currently not
connected! Castanet uses a new protocol to distribute and update channels
in a very scaleable manner. With the Castanet protocol it is possible to
distribute large, dynamic, and media-rich applications even over a slow
connection.
Home Page Site - http://www.marimba.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
McAfee Virus Scan Monthly Update Version June 6/22/97 1,060kb Freeware
This is the May update for Mcafee VirusScan version 3.0. Note: This will
not work with earlier versions of VirusScan.
Home Page Site - http://www.mcafee.com/down/dat.html
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Net Jumper 32-bit 2.5 plug-in 6/21/97 1.80mb Shareware
NetJumper is a first of its kind browser assistant that saves internet
users time surfing the net. The software lets you surf forward to what you
want to see, lets you build and share hot lists with others and allows
hands free viewing of sites using NetJumper's SlideShow Timer feature.
NetJumper is a compact toolbar. It loads all the links on a page and lets
you see them in the NetJumper Dropdown window or click to the next site on
the list using NetJumper's cool forward button.
Home Page Site - http://www.netjumper.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Connect 4 Version 1.1 6/20/97 880kb Shareware $5.00
A Windows 95 remake of the game in which the player who lines up four
counters together vertically, horizontally or diagonally first wins.
Includes 1 and 2 Player modes.
Home Page Site - http://indigo.ie/~barrett/c4home.html
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Mini Notetab 32-bit 2.62a 6/22/97 .43mb Freeware
Mini Notepad is not just another Windows Notepad replacement! It is a
feature-rich program with a selection of original productivity tools that
you will find in no other editor. Mini Notepad has been designed to use a
minimum amount of Windows system resources so you can safely keep the
editor open all the time. The program is capable of opening a very large
number of files (the actual limit is determined by the amount of free
system resources). Each document is displayed on a tabbed page making it
easy to switch between them. A separate window, called the Document
Selector, makes it easy to find a specific document when a large number of
them are open.
Home Page Site -
http://www.unige.ch/sciences/terre/geologie/fookes/mininote.htm
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Enigmacross for Windows 95 Version 4.0 6/20/97 956kb Shareware
$39.95
Solve and construct real acrostic puzzles on your windows 95 computer.
Just like the kind found in daily newspaper and magazines. Print acrostic
puzzles in a variety of formats and to most popular desktop publishing
programs. The registered version includes more than 50 challenging
acrostics.
Home Page Site - http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/crossdown/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
ShoveIt 32-bit 1.5 beta 6/22/97 .33mb Shareware $15
This little utility fixes a "bug" in Windows 95. The bug appears when the
taskbar is docked on the top of the screen (like a Mac) instead of the
bottom. The problem is that new application windows sometimes appear
underneath the taskbar so you can't click their caption bar. Since you
can't click their caption bar, you can't easily move the window to correct
this bug yourself. Well this will fix it for you.
Home Page Site - http://www.phord.com/shoveit.html
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Tray Temperature Version 1.0 6/24/97 2,710kb Shareware $9.95
Tray Temperature is one of the most important applications that was
mysteriously left out of Windows95. TrayTemp puts the current temperature
of your specific city at your fingertips by placing it in the system tray.
You can configure the city, interval of retrieval and even if you want it
to put a cloud in your tray if your forecast looks cloudy. TrayTemp is 32
bit shareware for Windows 95 and NT.
Home Page Site - http://www.futuresolution.com/TrayTemp/TrayTemp.htm
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
PointCast Network 32-bit 2.0 beta build 1290 6/22/97 3.30mb Freeware
The PointCast Network is a personalized news network and you're the head
of programming. PCN content is custom tailored to your needs and
automatically delivered to your desktop. You can either "tune in" to the
network whenever you need the latest breaking news, or when your computer
goes to "sleep", PointCast's patent-pending SmartScreen technology
automatically kicks in, replacing your screen saver with an up-to-the-
minute presentation of breaking headlines. It also acts as a plug-in for
Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer.
Home Page Site - http://www.pointcast.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
The People Keeper Version 1.1 6/24/97 6,800kb Shareware $10.00
A Family oriented Address manager. Keeps complete data for all family
members including multiple address books, both personal and business
addresses, multiple phone numbers, pictures, email/www data, a Wizard for
reports, and much more.
Home Page Site - http://rfs.simplenet.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Imperialism for Win95 6/23/97 23.00mb Commercial Demo
A highly addictive and challenging multi-player strategy game for those
who crave absolute power. Experience the vast technological advances
spanning the entire Industrial Revolution. Several paths to conquest
include: diplomatic, economic, and military - or whatever combinations the
player can devise. Plagued by indecision? Cabinet ministers provide advice
and direction, in amounts which vary according to difficulty level chosen.
Sophisticated Artificial Intelligence with a variety of strategic
personalities.
Home Page Site - http://www.imperialism.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
ChemBalance Wizard 32 Version 1.0 6/23/97 736kb Freeware
Accepts up to ten chemical species as input and produces one or more
balanced chemical equations. If no balanced equations exist for the given
species, the user is informed that none can be produced. The rapid
balancing of the chemical equations makes this program a useful tool for
students and teachers alike!
Home Page Site -
http://www.mines.edu/academic/chemistry/chembal/index.html
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Quick Color 32-bit 3.11 6/23/97 .30mb Shareware $20
The latest shareware release of QuickColor for Windows 95/NT is now
available, adding extended hotkey support, screen saving and DirectX
querying capabilities to an already rich feature set, including on-the-fly
color depth switching and support for over 500 monitors under NT. Up to 20
applications and shortcuts can be associated with specific display
settings, and launched from the Windows desktop, QuickColor toolbar or
system tray popup menu.
Home Page Site - http://www.entechtaiwan.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Turbo Browser 97 Version 5.3.15 6/23/97 1,749kb Shareware $59.00
This program is a significant addition to Windows 95 and NT4.0; replace
Explorer and a raft of utilities with one compact integrated program. It
looks and feels like Explorer - "97" style, so you can use it from day one.
The latest update supports ActiveX WYSIWYG HTML and Office 97 document
viewing, and more. Complete with zipping, unzipping, disk spanning, and
password. Macro processing with the Qbar.
Home Page Site - http://www.turbobrowser.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Snag-It 32-bit 4.0 6/23/97 .59mb $39.95
SnagIt allows users to capture all or a portion of the Windows display
using a "hotkey" combination. Once captured, SnagIt sends the image to the
printer, the clipboard, a file or as an e-mail attachment. Captured images
can be immediately pasted into other Windows applications, such as word
processors and desktop publishing programs, or saved to a graphic file for
future use. SnagIt/32 offers a variety of optional tuning parameters for
advanced screen capture needs. Automatic and manual image scaling,
adjustments to color balance and monochrome conversion parameters help
create the best possible graphic for the selected print device. SnagIt/32
saves captured images in a variety of popular graphic file formats.
Consecutive captures can be stored in automatically named files.
Home Page Site - http://www.techsmith.com/products/snagit/index.htm
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
DateChanger Version 1.00.0002 6/22/97 49kb Shareware
This application changes the date in the system clock of your computer.
It is knows how many days have passed since it did the change, therefore
the date which should have come if the change did not take place can be
restored. Useful for changing dates for only a short time!
Home Page Site - http://blue.nownuri.net/~wesley96/WDSoft/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
WinDownload 32-bit 3.41 6/24/97 1.80mb Shareware $20
WinDownload is a great utility that lets you schedule the download of
selected files. WinDownload is a 32 bit, multi-thread application which can
maximize bandwidth on any size pipe. Drag and drop a shortcut from Internet
Explorer or Netscape and keep browsing. You can download the files on
demand or schedule them to download anytime you want. Copy and paste a
valid URL from any file or copy shortcut from your browser or add a new URL
manually.
Home Page Site - http://mason.gmu.edu/~rmcclana/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Taskbar Smiley Version 1.0 6/23/97 1,217kb Shareware $10.00
A program that resides in your Windows system tray and plays the real,
soothing sounds of a Forest Stream, a Tropical Rainforest, an Ocean Surf,
and a Peaceful Night-time Surf sound.
Home Page Site - http://www.advancedaerials.com/plastic/index.htm
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Anonymous Cookie 32-bit 1.0 beta 1 6/24/97 1.40mb Free
Luckman's Anonymous Cookie for Internet Privacy is a free utility program
that lets you instantly disable all cookies in your browser's cookie
directory or file. This anonymous mode ensures total privacy since it hides
all your personal information from outside sources. Another mouse click re-
enables your user's cookies at any time during or after your Internet
session, again giving you total privacy control.
Home Page Site - http://www.luckman.com/anoncookie/anoncookiebody.html
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Xcell Version 4.0A 6/20/97 622kb Freeware
A game based on Microsoft's Freecell but offers many more features.
Home Page Site - http://huizen.dds.nl/~ren-hoek/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
FTP Voyager 32-bit 3.0.1.6 6/25/97 2.30mb Shareware $24.95
FTP Voyager is an FTP Client program for Windows 95/NT which allows you
to perform FTP operations in the same way you normally perform file
operations. FTP Voyager can connect to nearly any FTP Site, whether it's a
UNIX site or a Windows NT site. FTP Voyager looks and feels like the
Windows Explorer, in fact, you can even drag and drop files between them.
It features:
*Get, Put, and browse different sites at the same time
*Easy to use FTP Site Manager used to manage your favorite FTP sites
*Run, Open, and View files on an FTP site and more.
Home Page Site - http://www.rhinosoft.com/RhinoSoft/FtpVoyagerDesc.htm
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Address Book for WinWord 6.0 - 7.0 Version 5.6 6/20/97 226kb
Shareware $17.00
Store up to 8000 names, Addresses and phone numbers. Search for specific
record.Use filter. Insert the details directly to your document. The
desired details, in the way you want. Import and Export data. Create
reports. Normal report, and Wide report for mail merge. Automatically sort
after every change made. Included templates for creating letter, and
sending FAX.
Home Page Site - http://www.kagi.com/fuchs/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
WebVCR 6/25/97 1.70mb Shareware $19.95
WebVCR works like your home VCR: you program it with the sites you want,
it "records" the web sites using your preferences, and you view your sites
by "playing" them back on your favorite web browser. Unlike first
generation offline browsers, WebVCR has a powerful, wizard-driven Windows
95 interface that puts you in control of recorded content, allowing you to
specify exactly what you want to record and what you don't want to record.
Plus, WebVCR doesn't limit you to a single cache of downloaded web pages.
It allows you to create as many "Web Tapes" (recorded web pages stored in a
file) as you like in any location on any media (hard disk, Iomega Zip,
SyQuest SyJet, etc.) which makes it easy to archive, transfer, or
distribute the web content you've recorded.
Home Page Site - http://www.netresultscorp.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Graphcat Clip Art Cataloger for WordPerfect/Win95 Version 4.1
6/20/97 205kb Shareware $20.00
High-power graphics catalogs in WordPerfect 8, 7, 6.1, 6.0, 5.2,
5.2+/Win. New in 4.1: Adds support for Corel WP 8 /32-bit & WP7/16-bit.
Includes CD-ROM support, directory searching, uses all graphics supported
by WordPerfect. User has complete control of catalog page layout and image
options and size.
Home Page Site - http://www.graphcat.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
netWAR 32-bit beta 6/25/97 N/A Free
Requires DirectX
A new online action/shoot 'em up type game. In a way it's kind of similar
to the old console game Commando. Your an soldier and can either play
regular Deathmatch (you against everybody) or form small combat units to
attain your goals. The game takes a semi top down view of the action.
Home Page Site - http://www.net-wars.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Cookie Crusher 32-bit 1.5 6/26/97 .39mb Shareware $10
On the World Wide Web, 'cookies' can generate profiles of your visiting
habits. Many sites now utilize cookies and their use is expanding. Most web
users, when alerted to this, are very concerned about their browsing
privacy. Internet experts and analysts recommend against accepting cookies.
Protect yourself with Cookie Crusher! Cookie Crusher will automatically
reject cookies before they hit your hard drive. This true 32 bit program is
fully compatible with Netscape Navigator/Communicator and Microsoft
Internet Explorer under both Windows 95 and Windows NT.
Home Page Site - http://www.thelimitsoft.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Internet Touchtone 32-bit 1.2 plug-in 6/26/97 1.00mb Shareware
Internet Touchtone is a plug-in for use with Netscape Navigator/MSIE.
Users can create or convert hyperlinks that dial telephone numbers directly
from a web page. Users never have to dial from the telephone or manually
enter a telephone number into a dialer. Just point and click. Internet
Touchtone is ideal for keeping a list of frequently called numbers,
rosters, or creating address books consisting of friends and family.
Businesses with home pages can convert phone numbers on web pages into
hyperlinks so visitors can point, click, and be connected with a
salesperson or customer service representative in a matter of seconds.
Home Page Site - http://www.itserv.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
PureVoice Player-Recorder 32-bit 1.0 beta 4 6/26/97 1.30mb Free
Introducing PureVoice Technology and its first Internet application: A
Player-Recorder for voice messages that you can use with your email
software. There's a Plug-in specifically for Eudora software, and a
separate application for other email products. The sound quality is about
the same as you'd expect on a standard telphone call and are very small.
PureVoice files can be up to ten times smaller than comparable .wav files.
Home Page Site - http://www.eudora.com/eudorapro/purevoice.html/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Eddie's Yahtzee Version 1.0 6/20/97 500kb Freeware
Beautiful version of Yahtzee. This one features a very intuitive
interface, along with beautiful 16 bit graphics. And, most important of
all, it's fun! As an added bonus, it is also free, with no annoying nag
screens or guilt messages.
Home Page Site - http://www.tufts.edu/~esulliva/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
DiscPlay 32-bit 4.0.3 6/26/97 1.00mb Shareware $15
An audio CD player with some nice features such as: DiscPlay can search
your entire CD collection for tracks or albums; by title, artist, category,
owner, or user-defined information, DiscPlay offers five different window
sizes, and allows you to specify exactly what information will be displayed
in the window and on the title bar, and Editing playlists and disc
properties is as easy as dragging a track (or a file) onto a list. Web
browser integration, CDDB Internet database support, HTML document
generation, collection printing with visual template editor, and easy
collection management and statistical features, and more make Discplay a
great program.
Home Page Site - http://www.obvion.com/discplay/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Letter Rack Version 1.02 6/15/97 1,228kb Shareware $24.99
A challenging and traditional word board game written for Windows 95 / NT
for 1 - 4 players. Letter Rack has lots of new features and includes 7
dictionaries, the Official Letter Rack dictionary contains 190,000+ words,
other dictionaries are French, German, Portuguese and Spanish. Other 'bells
& whistles' are a user configurable board, a puzzle solver and a host of
other features.
Home Page Site - http://wkweb4.cableinet.co.uk/softspot.com/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
WinHacker 32-bit 2.02 6/26/97 1.10mb Shareware $18
WinHacker 95 is the best utility that you can use to configure the hidden
Windows 95 (and Windows NT) settings. Many of the settings that change the
way Windows 95 works and feels are hidden in the overwhelming registry, or
in configuration files. WinHacker 95 give you a easy way to configure those
settings through the GUI (graphical user interface)
Home Page Site - http://www.wojo.com/wedge/
Name/Version Release Date Size Price
Headliner 32-bit 1.2.0 6/26/97 2.80mb Free
HeadLiner automatically delivers and organizes your choice of news and
information from the Web. Structured, filtered, organized, updated and
presented just for you. Now you can manage the Web like it's never been
managed before! HeadLiner starts by asking you about your interests and
automatically providing sites for you. As your requirements change or
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Contents
Internet Restrictions Overturned In
New York, Georgia
Study Confirms Intranet Payback
Gateway 2000 To Buy Advanced Logic
Research
Wireless Carriers, Utilities Join
Forces In Tower Issue
News News Everywhere
There'll Be Music In The Air ...
And Over The Wires
BellSouth Says AT&T's Is
Procrastinating For A Purpose
Virtual Immortality, At Carnegie
Mellon
Gates Creates Library
FoundationCompaq To Acquire
TandemDigital CouponsQuebec And The
InternetBuy It And They Will
LearnRecording Industry Puts
Internet Pirates On Notice
Microsoft Web Site Victim Of
Cracker
On The Net, Talk Is Cheap ...
... And It's Making Telecoms
Nervous
C/Net Unveils Snap! Online
We Interrupt Your Work To Bring You
This Message
Court Overturns Provision Of
Communications Decency Act
Government Loosens Up (A Little) On
Encryption Export Policy
Wireless Bidders Threaten To
Default
Microsoft Will Spend $80-Million On
Cambridge Lab
Four Bells Join In Online Yellow
Pages
Cisco Still Buying
Ellison Not To Be Outdone In The
Philanthropy Department
Nonprofit Takes Over Registration
Of Internet Addresses
Information Technology And The
Wealth Of Nations
INTERNET RESTRICTIONS OVERTURNED
IN NEW YORK, GEORGIA
State laws in New York and Georgia putting limits on free speech over the
Internet were overturned Friday. In the New York case, a law similar to
the federal Communications Decency Act was declared unconstitutional
because it sought to regulate transactions occurring outside the state's
borders, thereby violating the Constitution's interstate commerce clause.
"The judge was waiting to hear the Supreme Court's decision on the CDA,
but decided that in any event it doesn't matter because under this commerce
law, it is too burdensome for people to speak at all in this medium," says
an American Civil Liberties Union attorney. In Georgia, a federal judge
issued a preliminary injunction against a law that made it illegal to use
a name that "falsely identifies" the sender of an electronic message, such
as a pseudonym or an anonymous e-mail address. (WiredNews 20 Jun 97)
STUDY CONFIRMS INTRANET PAYBACK
A study released Thursday by Meta Consulting Group indicates that 80% of
the companies polled realized a positive return on their investment in a
corporate intranet. Participating companies ranged in size from $2-million
to $35-billion in sales revenue, but an organization's size had no
apparent relationship to the returns generated, which averaged about 38%
on the initial investment. "The market for intranet services is moving
rapidly, and to date there has been little expense or cost justification
data available," says a Meta VP. "What does exist is vendor-focused rather
than reflecting the need and actual experience of end users." (Electronic
Buyers News 20 Jun 97)
GATEWAY 2000 TO BUY ADVANCED LOGIC RESEARCH
Direct computer sales pioneer Gateway 2000 has agreed to purchase server-
maker Advanced Logic Research for $194 million. "Adding a server offering
to our product line... ties in very well as a natural extension of our
push into the corporate market," says Gateway EO Ted Waitt. (InfoWorld
Electric 19 Jun 97)
WIRELESS CARRIERS, UTILITIES JOIN FORCES IN TOWER ISSUE
With community zoning boards clamping down hard on where new cellular phone
towers may be sited, wireless carriers in some cases are turning to
utility companies to help them out f their dilemma. The PowerMount,
designed by FWT Inc. of Fort Worth, Texas, modifies the utility's
electrical transmission towers to accommodate the carrier's communications
antennas. By co-siting their antennas on already existing power poles, the
carriers are finding that community opposition is virtually eliminated.
(Wireless Business Technology Jun 97)
NEWS NEWS EVERYWHERE
Are many people watching all-news cable channels (the Fox Channel, MSNBC,
and the now- venerable CNN)? Not compared to their network rivals.
Ratings from the Nielsen Company indicate that Fox is watched in 10,000
homes, MSNBC in 24,000 homes, and CNN in 274,000 homes ... whereas NBC's
network news is watched in 8 million homes -- well over 300 times the
number reached by MSNBC. The president of NBC defends MSNBC's small viewer
numbers, saying: "I don't want to sound naive; we all want audience. But
what's difficult for some people to understand is that you can have a
pretty decent business with a very small audience." (New York Times 22
Jun 97)
THERE'LL BE MUSIC IN THE AIR ... AND OVER THE WIRES
The New York-based Jupiter consulting group predicts that about $1.6-
billion worth of recorded music (approx. 7.5% of the total market) will be
sold online in the U.S. five years from now. (Financial Times 21 Jun 97)
BELLSOUTH SAYS AT&T IS PROCRASTINATING FOR A PURPOSE
BellSouth chief executive F. Duane Ackerman is accusing AT&T of
deliberately staying out of the local phone market because, according to
government rules, the long-distance carrier's entry into that market would
lead to the ability of local service providers such as BellSouth to
compete with AT&T for long-distance phone customers. Saying that federal
law has given AT&T a "powerful and perverse set of incentives" to delay
offering local service to customers," Ackerman argues that "it profits
AT&T to stay out of residential service to the tune of $1.6 billion a year
in the nine states BellSouth serves." (Atlanta Journal-Constitution 20 Jun
97)
VIRTUAL IMMORTALITY, AT CARNEGIE MELLON
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University envision a huge multimedia
database that could store minute-by-minute details of your waking life,
all packed on a hard disk the size of a quarter. "Your great great
grandchildren will be able to ask your database about your life and
times," says Dr. Raj Reddy, dean of the School of Computer Science. As
hard- drive prices plummet, "storing all your visual experiences during
your 5,840 waking hours per year, including all your creative expressions,
will soon cost less than $1,000," predicts the director of CMU's new Human
Computer Interaction Institute, who predicts that in about 15 years,
storage costs will fall to about $50 for 100 years of life. Meanwhile,
making computers think more like people is the goal of the new Center for
the Neural Basis of Cognition: "Every man, woman and child will soon be
using information technology as an integral part of their daily lives,"
says Reddy. "So we're spending intellectual capital to understand how to
make IT like driving a car. Most people drive, yet they don't care much
about how the engine works. Whereas 90 years ago, you had to be your own
mechanic." (Business Week 23 Jun 97)
GATES CREATES LIBRARY FOUNDATION
Microsoft chief executive Bill Gates is making a personal contribution of
$200 million over five years (matched by a contribution from the Microsoft
Corporation of software with a retail value of $200) to give public
libraries in lower income areas computers, software, training, and
Internet access. As many as half of the country's public libraries may
eventually benefit from the newly established Gates Library Foundation,
which will have as its president Patty Stonesifer, a former Microsoft
senior vice president. Unlike many large gifts, the $200 million is not
an endowment set up to generate interest-income for the recipient, but
rather a five-year spending total. (New York Times 24 Jun 97)
http://www.nytimes.com
COMPAQ TO ACQUIRE TANDEM
In a $3-billion stock swap, Compaq Computer -- best known as a personal
computer company - is buying Tandem Computers, a manufacturer of large
"fault-tolerant" computer systems deliberately built with redundant
components so that they can survive hard disk crashes, power failures, or
other major disruptions. Compaq Chief Executive Eckardt Pfeiffer says:
"It just happened, like two people falling in love. Neither one knows who
starts it." Tandem will become a subsidiary of Compaq, and no staff
reductions or relocations are expected. Compaq is located in Houston,
Texas, and Tandem is located in Cupertino, California. The combined
company is expected to be a major player in the world computer market.
(San Jose Mercury News 24 Jun 97) http://www.sjmercury.com
DIGITAL COUPONS
Open Market Inc. has developed technology to produce and deliver digital
coupons over the Internet, allowing Web sites to "mark down" specific
items for discounted sales to their best customers. Online marketers will
also be able to send e-mail to customers with embedded coupons that can be
redeemed within a given timeframe. The new technology will be included in
the new version of Open Market's Transact Internet commerce software.
(Wall Street Journal 24 Jun 97) http://www.wsj.com
QUEBEC AND THE INTERNET
Quebec's Culture and Communications Minister Louise Beaudoin says the
province's jurisdiction over consumer protection and advertising take
precedence over the federal jurisdiction for telecommunications, giving
the Quebec government the right to control language content for
commercial Websites on the Internet. Beaudoin contends that if left up to
the federal Heritage Minister, there would be no French-language content on
the Internet. (Montreal Gazette 20 Jun 97)
BUY IT AND THEY WILL LEARN
More than 2,800 pieces of classroom computers, printers or terminals are
broken or neglected in Fairfax County (VA) public schools. A school
official says: "The focus of attention was on buying the equipment, and
the support of that equipment was not taken into account. It was assumed
the current support systems would be able to handle things and that has
not proven to be the case." The school board's budget panel chief says the
board's decision not to hire additional technicians for this fiscal year
was influenced by its budget policy to hire administrators only when
absolutely necessary. (Washington Times 24 Jun 97)
http://www.washtimes.com
RECORDING INDUSTRY PUTS INTERNET PIRATES ON NOTICE
The Recording Industry Association of America has filed three lawsuits on
behalf of its members against operators of Web sites that allegedly are
involved in pirating and distributing copyrighted songs for free over the
Internet. "We are serving notice to other sites that we are going to
vigorously protect our copyrights," says the association's president.
(Tampa Tribune 23 Jun 97) http://www.tampatrib.com
MICROSOFT WEB SITE INTERRUPTED BY CRACKER
Microsoft's Web site was disrupted briefly by a computer cracker who broke
into the site's server computers by exploiting a flaw in the Microsoft
Internet server software. The site was down only about 10 minutes, but
company officials say users may have experienced more problems because the
company currently is upgrading its servers. Microsoft has posted a fix
for the flaw on its Web site, and a marketing director says all that was
needed to get the machines going again was a reboot. (Wall Street Journal
23 Jun 97) http://www.wsj.com
ON THE NET, TALK IS CHEAP ...
Innomedia, a small company in Singapore, has developed a device that can be
attached to a regular phone and used to make calls over the Internet,
simply by pressing the # sign after dialing a number. Called InfoTalk,
the product will be introduced in Singapore in October, and is expected
eventually to be sold in the U.S. for about $300 retail. Financial Times
24 Jun 97) http://www.ft.com
... AND IT'S MAKING TELECOMS NERVOUS
"We're afraid they're going to just start banning it all over the place,"
says an executive of IDT, a New Jersey company that has sold its Internet
phone systems to clients in Portugal, Hungary, the Czech Republic and
Micronesia. His fear is based on the fact an increasing number of nations
are banning or blocking Internet calls to protect their state-owned phone
companies; they can do this by blocking internal access to the Web site,
preventing customers from beginning the process of dialing out. An
international call from any country placed through IDT's equipment costs 10
cents a minute vs. more than $2 a minute using regular phone lines. (USA
Today 24 Jun 97) http://www.usatoday.com
C/NET UNVEILS SNAP! ONLINE
C/Net, a producer of computer-related Web sites and television shows, has
developed a new service to organize and present Web content. Earthlink
Network has agreed to distribute at least 10 million CD-ROMs featuring
Snap! Online, and C/Net has reached agreements with most of the major
Internet access providers, including AT&T's WorldNet, MCI Internet and
Sprint's Internet Passport. Snap! will offer "channels," such as news and
entertainment, that will then point users toward Web sites related to the
topic selected. (Wall Street Journal 23 Jun 97) http://www.wsj.com
WE INTERRUPT YOUR WORK TO BRING YOU THIS MESSAGE
A Gallup-San Jose State University survey of 972 executives, managers and
administrative staff at Fortune 1000 companies found that half of those
questioned said they were interrupted by messages six or more times an
hour, leaving them overwhelmed by the number of messages they receive. An
executive of Pitney Bowes, the office products company that sponsored the
study, says: "This phenomenon is beginning to have a seismic affect on
people's professional and private lives. Technology is not the problem,
it's how we use and control it." (Reuters 24 Jun 97)
COURT OVERTURNS PROVISION OF
COMMUNICATIONS DECENCY ACT
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that a provision of the
Communications Decency Act passed by the Congress last year violated free-
speech rights when its efforts to protect children from sexually explicit
material had the additional effect of keeping such material from adults.
Writing for the Court, Justice John Paul Stevens said: "It is true that we
have repeatedly recognized the governmental interest in protecting children
from harmful materials. But that interest does not justify an unnecessarily
broad suppression of speech addressed to adults. The government may not
reduce the adult population ... to ... only what is fit for children.''
(San Jose Mercury News 26 Jun 97) http://www.sjmercury.com/
GOVERNMENT LOOSENS UP A LITTLE ON
ENCRYPTION EXPORT POLICY
The U.S. Commerce Department has granted Netscape and Microsoft licenses to
export more secure versions of the software they sell to financial
institutions, but has not changed its policies regarding exportation of
strong encryption software for e-mail and other electronic communications.
(New York Times 25 Jun 97) http://www.nytimes.com/
WIRELESS BIDDERS CAN'T PAY THEIR BILLS
Winners of the much-ballyhooed wireless spectrum auction held last year now
say they can't pay the billions of dollars that they bid for licenses and
are threatening to default if the government doesn't agree to restructure
their debt. The auction generated bids totaling $10.2 billion for 493
licenses to offer personal communications services. The FCC faces a
difficult decision, as any reduction of debt would result in an outpouring
of complaints from competing bidders who lost and market rivals who paid
full freight for their licenses. At the same time, if the bidders
default, they could seek the protection of bankruptcy court, where the FCC
can't easily reclaim the licenses for re-auction. The CEO of NextWave,
the largest bidder in trouble, says that instead of the $10.2 billion the
government was expecting, bidders now ought to pay "roughly $2.7 billion,
including the $1 billion they've already paid in If they re-auction the
licenses, they probably won't get $2.7 billion," and if the debt's not
restructured, "every one of the C-block players would go into bankruptcy,
and the licenses would be tied up in court." (Wall Street Journal 26 Jun
(97) http://www.wsj.com
MICROSOFT WILL SPEND $80-MILLION ON CAMBRIDGE LAB
Microsoft has confirmed that it plans to spend $80 million over the next
five years on its first foreign research center, to be located at
Cambridge University in England. "It's a big step to go beyond the United
States, but our view was there were greater opportunities for us if we did
that," says Microsoft Chief Technology Officer Nathan Myhrvold. "We
really wanted to broaden our perspective, and Europe was a high priority."
The company also plans to invest an additional $16 million in venture
capital for local high-tech firms in Cambridge. (Science Online 26 Jun
97) http://www.sciencemag.org
FOUR BELLS JOIN IN ONLINE YELLOW PAGES
Ameritech, BellSouth, U S West and Pacific Bell (now owned by SBC
Communications) have developed a "shared" Yellow Pages service, which will
be housed on the popular Yahoo! search engine Web site. Users will be
transported to a map of the U.S., where they can click on a specific state
to search business listings. For states in the Northeast, where none of
the companies operate, listings purchased from a third party will provided.
(Wall Street Journal 25 Jun 97) http://www.wsj.com
CISCO STILL BUYING
Cisco Systems is adding to its networking empire through the purchase of
two companies -- Global Internet Software Group, for $40 million, and
Ardent Communications, for $156 million. The Global deal makes Cisco a
provider of Windows NT network security software, and the Ardent purchase
gives Cisco access to Ardent's technology used to transmit voice across
computer networks. (Investor's Business Daily 25 Jun 97)
http://www.investors.com
ELLISON NOT TO BE OUTDONE IN
THE PHILANTHROPY DEPARTMENT
One day after Microsoft CEO Bill Gates announced his intention to spend
$200 million of his personal money in addition to donating $200 million
worth of Microsoft software to bring computers and Internet access to
public libraries, Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison has pledged $100 million
to help schools put network computers on every child's desk. "This is an
unbelievable coincidence,"