*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*››           NEWSLETTER REVIEWS›             by Alan Sharkis›       OHAUG Newsletter Librarian›› Summer  is most definitely here.  The› usual suspects (user group newsletter› editors)  are  at  it again, and they› have been prolific.›› TYNE & WEAR for March/April  1998  --› This  issue  is  a hardware hacker's › dream.   Although  the  articles  are› old,  there  are  probably  many  who› would be interested in  them.   First› of  all,  there  is  a reprint of the› KENNETH L. SIDERS article on building› an  RVerter type of modem interface. › The user manual for the XL-It!  Atari› 8-bit  emulator,  which runs on a PC,› is reprinted.  MARKUS GIETZEN is  the› proud  author.   RICK  MICHAEL  (Rick› Cortese?)  contributes   a   one-chip› design  for an SIO2PC cable.  CHAD R.› KNUDSON gives us  construction  plans› for a dummy cartridge.  Also included› is a reprint from  the  A.C.E.C.  BBS› describing  the  construction  of THE› FREEZER,  a  device  to  cold-boot  a› computer from a ramdisk  and  protect› that   ramdisk.    From   KONRAD   M.› KOKOSZKIEWICZ   comes   a    detailed› description  of  the  Polish IDE Hard› Drive Interface built and marketed by› him and Jacek Zuk.›› The  PACESetter  for May 1998 -- From› the   now-defunct  AtariTech  BBS  in› Clearwater,   FL,  comes  an  article› about adding resistance  to  fix  the› console keys (HELP, START, SELECT and› OPTION)  in  the  130XE.   The  130XE› makes use of low-resistance contacts.› The  resistance  of  these   contacts› tends  to increase as the computer is› used.   But  unlike  the  other  keys› (including RESET,)  the console  keys› are  read  by  a  different  chip and› resistance is critical.  The solution› is to add resistance (how much may be› a   matter   of  experimentation)  in› parallel with the keys.   The  author› takes  us   through   the   process. › Valuable  for  those  of  us  who use› TextPro is a wall-chart  of  commands› for  version  5.20X  authored by DALE› WOOSTER   in  1995.   ROBERT  FASOLDT› concludes   his  tutorial  on  Flight› Simulator   II.   A  reprint  of  TOM› ANDREWS'   article   for   the  OHAUG› Newsletter on  USENET  also  appears,› along   with   the   usual   puzzles,› humorous     quotes,     and     PACE› happenings.›› IMAGE  for  May 1998 -- Edtor ED BAIZ› reports   that   Hasbro   intends  to› release 75 classic Atari games as  an› "Atari  Platinum"  series for the PC,› and that the Playstation will also be› supported.   He has heard rumors that› Wizztronics would  like  to  buy  the› rights  to TOS, which would mean that› the STs and beyond  will  again  have› ample  support.   He also doubts that› Hasbro  will  do  anything  with  the› Jaguar   aside   from   selling  some› completed, but unreleased games,  but› might  bring out a revised version of› the   Lynx.     Ed    also    reports› demonstrating   ST   Xformer   at   a› meeting,   running   ANSITERM  and  a› graphics program on it.›› JACG Newsletter for May 1998 --  Part› 3  of  DON  THOMAS' Catnips Epilog is› reprinted.    OHAUG  Newsletters  are› being printed out  and  sold  at  ten› cents  per  single-sided page at JACG› meetings.  Information on  the  Atari› World  98  show  in  Las   Vegas   is› included.   JOE  HICSWA  does  an in-› depth review, with examples,  of  the› LVAUG Newsletter.  There are lists of› Atari-related   Web   sites,    other› important  sites,  Atari  dealers and› developers,   and   an    interesting› cartoon.›› XIO3  for  May/June  1998  -- ROWLAND› GRANT's 8-Bit Affairs column  reports› that Andre Fachat is still working on› his   GeckOS/A65  operating  system. › This is an operating system that will› run on the Gecko Computer (popular in› Europe, seldom  seen  here)  and  the› Commodore 64.  He hopes that somebody› will be able to port the system  over› to the Apple ][ line and to the Atari› 8-bits.  This OS contains some  Unix-› like      features,      such      as› multithreading,  task priorities, and› support for  an  Internet  connection› via  SLIP.   ICD  will  put  up 8-bit› history pages on the Web,  and  plans› to  make  some  8-bit  hardware   and› replacement  parts   available   once› again.   BOB  KLASS  (K-Products) has› released a CD-ROM with lots  of  what› the  first  Pool  Disk has, plus some› material  from  A.C.E.  of  Utah  and› S.P.A.C.E., along with  the  demo  of› BBS   Pro   and   some   user-written› extensions and games.  DAREK  MIHOCKA› (Emulators,  Inc.)  has  released  PC› XFormer  98.   The  Atari800 emulator› has also been upgraded in Europe  and› is    available    for     download. › OMC/HeiroGraphics  is  working  on an› original Atari game,  the  Assassin. › It  will  be  available  to  emulator› users.   MATHY  VAN   NISSELROY   has› successfully  connected an Iomega Zip› drive to his Atari through his  Black› Box.   Rowland  Grant also notes that› the Universal Serial  Bus  (USB)  now› being  touted  so  strongly in the PC› world, is strongly reminiscent of the› SIO  daisy  chain  idea  that   Atari› pioneered all those years ago.›› IMAGE for June 1998 -- Although there› was nothing that  was  8-bit-specific› in  this  issue,  there   were   some› interesting  general  and  ST-related› happenings reported.›› The  PACESetter  for  June 1998 -- We› note that  PACE  is  celebrating  its› 14th anniversary, and we congratulate› them for  their  longevity  and  fine› work.   We  also note that we'll soon› be in that  same  14-year  category! › PACE  notes  that  JOHN  FRIZZOLA,  a› recent  transplant  from Long Island,› has just joined their  club  and  has› contributed  many  items.   We wonder› why   we   haven't  heard  that  name› before, but we  know  that  John  has› joined  a  good  group  in  Florida. › Editor  WALT LEWIS writes an article,› complete  with  illustrations,  about› printing mini-icons  from  The  Print› Shop.   Walt  also  uses  an  article› originally  by  KEN WICKERT of ACE of› Syracuse (updated by Ken  and  THOMAS› J. ANDREWS and published in the OHAUG› Newsletter, Sept./Oct. 1994) which he› includes, to inspire further findings› of his own on disk and  file  copying› programs.   All  of  the  Print  Shop› icons  from  the club's April and May› DOMs are printed in  this  issue,  as› well as the usual puzzles, etc.›› JACG  Newsletter  for  June  1998  --› Editor  TOM  LASKOWSKI   provides  us› with  several  Atari  happenings.  He› states that Hasbro will  show  off  a› line  of computers at the upcoming E3› show.  Nowhere but in this newsletter› have  I heard that Hasbro is going to› produce computers, but we can  always› hope.   Tom  also states that JTS had› been actively  negotiating  regarding› the  Atari properties with Activision› before  the  Hasbro  purchase.   It's› interesting that the properties  were› valuable  to others.  JTS didn't seem› to  do  anything  with  them.   As  a› result, Tom reports,  a  class-action› suit  has  been  filed against JTS on› behalf   of   former   Atari    Corp.› stockholders  for failure to keep the› Atari lines alive.   Apparently,  JTS› had  made  such  a  promise and never› lived up to it.›› There   is  also  a  mention  of  the› intended  release  of  made-over  and› modernized Atari games to run on  the› PC  and  Playstation   platforms   by› Hasbro.  The information came from›› www.atarihq.com/news/1998/980316.html›› which is a site partially produced by› OHAUG member JOHN HARDIE.  JOE HICSWA› contributs an in-depth review of  the› LVAUG  News (an apparent continuation› from last month --  Ed.)   SAM  COREY› gives  us  a potpourri of interesting› technology-related items from various› news  sources.   There  is  also what› appears to  be  a  dump  from  a  Web› search    engine   on   Atari-related› articles.  This is  extensive  --  it› takes  up four pages.  There are also› reprints   from  a  variety  of  non-› traditional     sources     regarding› Hasbro's  re-release  of  the   games› mentioned above and a reprint from an› ST magazine that analyzes the Hasbro-› JTS  deal.   Finally,  on  the   back› cover,  is a tongue-in-cheek (I hope!› -- Ed.) "news item" stating that  one› Joseph  E.  Hicswa was grounded after› destroying several aircraft,  tearing› up  uninhabited  land  and terrifying› other pilots while  trying  to  teach› himself  to  fly from a manual.  This› report, was, of course, generated  by› Flight  Simulator  II,  which Joe had› reviewed  in  previous  issues.   Joe› stated that, "The FAA grounded me.  I› have  'NO COMMENT.'  The Judge issued› a Gag Order.  See my lawyer."›› *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*›››