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Volume 1, Issue 9 Atari Online News, Etc. April 30, 1999 Published and Copyright (c) 1999 All Rights Reserved Atari Online News, Etc. A-ONE Online Magazine Dana P. Jacobson, Publisher/Managing Editor Joseph Mirando, Managing Editor Atari Online News, Etc. Staff Dana P. Jacobson -- Editor Joe Mirando -- "People Are Talking" Michael Burkley -- "Unabashed Atariophile" Albert Dayes -- CC: Classic Chips With Contributions by: Dan Iacovelli Remi Vanel Steve Delaney Donald A. Thomas, Jr. To subscribe to A-ONE, send a message to: dpj@delphi.com and your address will be added to the distribution list. To unsubscribe from A-ONE, send the following: Unsubscribe A-ONE Please make sure that you include the same address that you used to subscribed from. To download A-ONE, set your browser bookmarks to one of the following sites (more to be added soon): http://people.delphi.com/dpj/a-one.htm http://www.icwhen.com http://a1mag.atari.org http://homestead.dejanews.com/ssag Visit the Atari Advantage Forum on Delphi! http://forums.delphi.com/m/main.asp?sigdir=atari =~=~=~= A-ONE #0109 04/30/99 ~ People Are Talking! ~ Don Thomas CO on Delphi~ MS Case Heats Up! ~ Kid Spends Million! ~ FloppyShop Closes Up! ~ 'The Blame Game' ~ No Dream Cast for Sega ~ Avoiding Y2K Scams! ~ AVC Meeting Update ~ New Mountain Available ~ Gaming Goes Wireless! ~ 'Tarzan' to Swing! -* Chernobyl Author Identified *- -* Columbine Tragedy - Reader Feedback *- -* Apple Bullies Student to Hand Over Domain! *- =~=~=~= ->From the Editor's Keyboard "Saying it like it is!" """""""""""""""""""""""""" I promise to be very brief! There's no getting away from the recent tragic event in Littleton, Colorado. Nor should there for some time to come. When is society going to own up to its responsibility to own up to its own actions? There are millions of people on the internet and I guarantee they're not all looking up information on how best to plant roses this spring! There are millions of young people playing video games that contain a ton of violence. Millions see violence on television daily; read about it every day in newspapers and magazines. Millions listen to music that many deem unacceptable. I could cite numerous other examples. The point? We're not all out somewhere killing people because of the "evil influences" of these "things". But this type of tragedy should lead us to realize that we need to be more responsible in our everyday life rather than fuel the efforts of the zealots who want to sanitize what they consider to be the 'evils of society'. We _have_ met the enemy, and it is us. Until next time... Don Thomas To Be Guest in Delphi's Atari Advantage Forum! On Saturday, May 8th, at 8:00 p.m. EST, Don Thomas of VM Labs (formerly at Atari Corp. and SCEA [Sony's Entertainment Division - PSX]) will be the honored guest in Delphi's Atari Advantage Forum. Don will talk about Atari and a number of topics that Atari users can relate to - especially today's world of console gaming. Attendees will be able to ask questions, etc. This will be a formal conference. Please spread the word as we'd like to have a good crowd on hand for the conference - the more the merrier! The Atari Advantage Forum on Delphi can be reached via the web at the following address: http://forums.delphi.com/m/main.asp?sigdir=atari or on Delphi at GO COMP ATA Be there or be square! Atari Video Club From: Dan@AVC <Dan-AVC@usa.net> The next net meeting is may 2nd (first Sunday of may) from 5pm till 9pm(CT) at these following locations: IRC Efnet CH.#atarivideoclub Atari video club's web chat room(link is located at meeting page of AVC online) and on ICQ (my # is 14051068) Topics are that follows: sign ups for writers for the jaguar fest issue of the Atari Zone fanzine(this will be the last call for it) Sign ups for E-zine only membership Accepting high scores for Atarimania 8 (see the Atarimania page at AVC online for game that are used for this year) Also taking a poll for which atarimania game will be used for fest'99 in MN. (I'll also be taking about the happening at chicago-area meeting too (see below) The Chicago-Area meeting of the Atari Video Club is also on May 2nd from 1pm till 4:30pm(ct) at the westchester public library in Westchester, IL I might have the current issue of the Atari Zone Fanzine ready at the meeting. If you interested in attending please e-mail ASAP along with a list of game equipment you plan on bringing: TV's (most needed) Atari game systems (no computers yet sorry) Games Surge Protectors (also needed) and I'll E-mail you more information. thank you Daniel Iacovelli Atari Video Club chairperson Editor of the Atari Zone Fanzine and E-zine Webmaster of AVC Online =http://avconline.atari.org New Version of Mountain From: Remi Vanel <vanel@club-internet.fr> Hi! A new version of Mountain, my video editing software is available on my web-site. Here is the news on this version: Version 0.87 (19/2/99) ---------------------- + new effect "Vertical Wobbler" + Bug corrected in "Vertical mirror" + New TimeSpline mode : "Bezier", faster and more intuitive. + Interpolation active in "Manual" mode. + New screen LDG use, all display mode from 256 colors to 32 bits are supported. Version 0.88 (22/4/99) ---------------------- + new effect "RVB control" + Pre-calculated animated preview active (for registered users) Version 0.89 (24/4/99) ---------------------- + Bug fixes + Most windows are closed before starting an external viewer. + Improved redraw when re-sizing windows with Winix or Magic. Enjoy !! >> The New Team association << TNT Mag Online: http://perso.club-internet.fr/vanel Vanel Remi, (K woul / TNT) vanel@club-internet.fr ATARI rules ! Floppyshop's Final Farewell From: "Steve Delaney" <floppyshop@cyberstrider.org> Hi All, Welcome to the final message from Floppyshop. As you all know, we closed our doors for the last time in mid-February. A lot has happened since then and that's really why this message has taken so long to compose. When we announced our closure, we did not know what sort of reaction to expect from our customers. We were unsure as to whether we would be greeted by complete apathy, a trickle of nice letters or a total backlash of angry letters from those who considered us to be leaving the sinking ship. What we did get was none of the above and we were literally rendered speechless (those who know Steve will understand just how difficult it is to do that)! From day one, we were inundated with orders. Naturally the knock-down prices were a major contributory factor, but there was more to it than that. Customers were buying up everything they had been intending to get round to purchasing one day, and they wanted to stock up while they could. This mad rush only really slowed down after our official closing date of 30th January 1999, something which certainly surprised us! It showed a high level of trust from our customers, many of whom had been with us for 10 years or more. Nobody was concerned about us disappearing without trace and failing to supply their goods, like so many others in the Atari market have done. Accordingly, trust like that has to be earned and all orders (even those which arrived after our extended closing date of 12th February) were honoured up to the time our PO Box closed down. Equally important were the messages of support we received from customers during the course of the sale. They ranged from brief telephone calls to lengthy letters and emails, all of which were most welcome. The number of Atari users who took the time to thank us for the services we had provided for them over the years and wish us well in our future exploits, was phenomenal and indeed totally unexpected. From our point of view, we were only doing our job and we were not looking for gratitude, though such messages were well received and most appreciated. Please allow us to express our gratitude to you. Without an Atari Community in the first place, Floppyshop would never have existed. It was an important part of our lives and the memories will remain with us always. Many customers expressed concern about what would happen to our products after we closed down. We too had our doubts and were delighted when several companies and individuals approached us with a view to taking over remaining stocks. We are pleased to announce our surplus stock of commercial products and the distribution rights to most of our CD-ROM compilations have been acquired by our good friend Paul Glover at FaST Club. Paul was probably the first to start up a PDL shortly after the release of the ST and has a longer pedigree than us! His expansion into commercial software and magazine publishing has made FaST Club a household name worldwide. We would like to thank Paul for ensuring these products remain available to Atari users. Similarly, our Public Domain/Shareware Library has also been saved from extinction! In this case, our thanks go to Andrew Plumridge of Falcon's NeST PDL for his brave and salient rescue of this fine collection (well we would say that!). Andrew has pledged to update and expand the PDL with catalogue updates being sent to regular customers in the true Floppyshop tradition. These two staunch Atari supporters have been prepared to go out on a limb in order to ensure continuing support for the Atari Community. We trust you will repay them for their efforts with the same level of support you have always given us. It was only natural that all rights to our Sounds & Stuff CD-ROM should revert to Electronic Cow as they were responsible for its compilation. A number of the other packages we sold in the last couple of years are still available through Atari Computing's readers offers. The "Floppyshop Commemorative Site" is now on the Web. Funny how we had to close down to find time to finish the site! The main page leads to three distinctly separate sites. There's a potted history of Floppyshop in our "Ancient Burial Site" and and a quick roundup of the Atari Scene in our Contacts Site, finally there's the Virtual Christmas Party which is near identical to our Christmas 1998 site, suitably updated to take account of the changes which have taken place since then. "Our Virtual Christmas Party" site had over 1100 visits, we're looking forward to reaching our "second millenium" with this one! All the information on our former releases can be found here as well as full contact information, not only for those whose who have taken over the distribution of our products, but also to everyone who's anyone in the Atari scene. It's Been Fun, Of That There's No Denying. All that remains is to wish the Atari Community well for the future and thank everyone for their friendship and trust over many years. In the words of my late grandfather, Tom Delaney, Everything In Your Favour's Against You, but as an Atari user, you'll rise above such things and face the future with a courage and determination no PC owner could ever hope to match. Thank you for everything, may you live long and prosper. Goodbye from Steve Delaney and Irene Lamb Commemorative Site at http://www.floppyshop.cyberstrider.org PS If you want to know what we're up to nowadays, our new company's site will be going live in a few weeks at http://www.mirrorimages.co.uk =~=~=~= PEOPLE ARE TALKING compiled by Joe Mirando jmirando@portone.com Hidi ho friends and neighbors. You know, there are times (many times) when I have no idea of what I'm going to write in this space until I actually sit down and stare at a blank STeno window for a while. Then there are times when I can't wait to get home from my day job to fill up that empty space. Today falls somewhere in between the two. I happened to be reading a newspaper today, and one of their sharp-as-a-tack columnists was woefully expounding upon the inability of his co-workers to go without commenting on his decision to grow a beard. Now a columnist is free to write about whatever he feels the need to write about, but c'mon guy, with all that's going on in this country and in this world, the best you could do was to whine about peoples' snide comments about facial hair?? And if anyone should be sensitive on the subject of beards, it should be me because I've had one for almost 20 years now. The plain and simple fact is that having to deal with second glances and witless comments just doesn't add up against what's going on in Colorado or Kosovo or even Washington DC. Back in the deep dark mists of time it would have taken weeks, days, or hours (depending on how far back into time you go) for the rest of the country to find out about what happened in Colorado, or what's going on in Kosovo, or even what's happening in DC. That's the reason that Election Day and Inauguration Day are separated by so many weeks. That way there was time to tally up the votes from all over the union and get the news out... to both the public and the winner, and make whatever preparations were necessary. But today we get news instantly. A few years ago we even got to surprise our own troops on the beach with the sparkling spotlights of news crews as they arrived in The Gulf. I'm still amazed that the troops didn't open fire on them. It would have served them right. We've come to see information as a right instead of as a privilege. There is no constitutional right to information. And yet so few of us are willing to actually go out and experience the things we seek knowledge of. We expect the data to be dumped in our laps in nice neat little bundles that we don't even have to mull over before we have an opinion. It's news-de-jour, and no one can even remember what yesterday's blue plate special was. Can you tell me whatever happened to Manuel Noriega? Was he ever tried or was he released? Is he still in jail somewhere or did we let him go? There are probably a few of you out there who know the answers, but most won't, and that's my point. It's one of my favorite gripes. The fact that most people don't even pay attention to what's going on, and don't even realize that they aren't connecting the dots. That's also what happens when you can simply pop a CD into your computer and do nothing more than press a button to get the latest and greatest doo-dads. Sure, the doo-dads are cool. I just installed a version of ICQ on my Atari, and I think it's a great resource to have. The difference between 'us' and 'them' is that we usually have to work at getting something like that. We get to see all the nooks and crannies and all the cracks in the molding, while most PC users see only the veneer that covers everything. That's okay if that's all you want, but I'm one of those guys that actually wants to know how something works. That's where you find knowledge, not from having information dumped in your lap. Well, let's get on with all the information I'm about to drop into your lap. <grin> From the comp.sys.atari.st NewsGroup ==================================== Dennis Bishop asks about a keyboard for his TT: "I've seen some posts saying the STe mega keyboard is the same [as the TT keyboard], but I've not seen one myself, so can't say, now if someone has an old broken STe Mega sitting around ..." John Logan tells Dennis: "I certainly have used TT and MegaST keyboards interchangeably. I have access to a MegaSTe but have not tried swapping keyboards but I would guess they would work." *Editor's note: The are the same keyboard in different colored cases. When Atari sold the last of their TTs, they were sold with Mega STE keyboards. Our old friend Sheldon Winick of Computer STudio adds: "Atari's TT030, MegaSTe and MegaST keyboards are completely interchangeable. Is there something wrong with your TT030 keyboard? Most TT-keyboard problems can be fixed with a new mylar circuit board -- its not a tough job to replace. If you need one, I still have plenty of them in stock." Dan Ackerman, author of CAB.OVL and AntMail, posts: "You wanted it, you got it. I believe I finally got the last of the annoying bugs out of my port of Micq to the STiK API. Micq is a very nice command line icq clone from the linux world. Micq is not my work in the least. I merely did the necessary changes to get it working under TOS and the STiK API. For complete info on the author and every place you need for micq help, read the documentation. I believe all the functions are working now and it has been tested under STiK and GlueSTiK. STiNG should also work as well. Now all you need is someone to make a GEM client out of it. Anyone interested feel free, the original code is under the GPL and I make no claims to my changes. They should all be #ifdef'd as well so porting future versions shouldn't be that hard. If you do decide to put a GEM interface on this code and have any questions about my changes feel free to email. Well all this is in the doc files in the archive, so I'll let you go. Have fun." This is the version of ICQ that I mentioned earlier. It seems to work quite well. Joakim H÷gberg replies to Dan and mirrors my own thoughts: "Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!" Dr. Clu, having seen the post in another newsgroup, asks: "So, is there a program for doing ICQ on the Atari yet?" James Haslam tells Dr. Clu: "Hot news from the Internet, is that ICQ for STiK/StiNG is finally available for the Atari!! Dan Ackerman has ported mICQ from Linux, and it's fully working! Get it from: http://www.netset.com/~baldrick/ It's a TOS program, but Dan has included the source code so that someone else could program a GEM version. I've tried it out and it seems pretty good, and it's fine under MagiC 6 on my Falcon." Mike Freeman adds his experience to the mix: "Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to want to work under Geneva/Neodesk. Anyone got it working yet with this setup? I get the TOS window to come up, the letter 'M' in the upper left corner, then four bombs. For some reason right now, setting it to Multitasking Off like I normally do isn't turning off the Multitasking mode for this program, too. I'm totally baffled by that. Anyway, it works under TOS 4.04, so if I absolutely have to I can use that, but I'd much prefer to get it running under Geneva, especially with Multitasking on, if possible." Martin Byttebier tells Mike: "Yep on my Hades 060 Micq works just fine with Geneva/Neodesk (both the last version). I don't use Geneva/Neodesk very often so I can't tell you right now the secret of my working setup." Adrian Salmond asks for help with STinG: "I am trying to get STinG up and running on my Ste. However, when I try to use the dialer, I get the message "serial driver not installed". I think I might need HSMODEM (according to the help docs). What is this and where can I get it??" Nick Bales tells Adrian: "Depending on your TOS version, HSModem is either needed or strongly recommended. HSModem is a serial port replacement driver. It replaces the built-in driver, fixes some bugs and gives you a more reliable connection. Contrary to common belief, it will not break the 19200bps barrier on an ST. You can get it from just about any FTP site, or the Quick FAQ. Just make sure it is running correctly: DRVIN.PRG first in the AUTO folder, then MFP.PRG, that's all you need from the HSModem package on a stock STE." Paul Mac tells Adrian: "On my setup I got this error message because serial.stx was not in the /sting/ folder. Make sure all the .stx's are in a /sting/ folder on your route drive (C:). Also don't forget to activate sting from the cpx." Tony Cianfaglione jumps in and asks: "What is an 'stx' and where would I find it? I've been getting this same message on my Falcon and haven't been able to proceed further." Nick Bales tells Tony and Adrian: "The STX files are the network drivers that come with the STinG package. They should go into the STING folder that is indicated in the STING.INF file." Paul Nurminen posts: "I just thought I'd let everyone know that my Falcon is now humming along quite nicely with it's newly installed Nemesis board! I made the trip to ATY Computer (in Oakland, CA) on Wednesday from Los Angeles, and it only took me 5 hours to get there. Anyway, Alex did a very thorough and professional installation job, as expected. I was in his shop the entire time, and watched as he effortlessly went about installing everything by the book, testing it as per the Nemesis manual all the way. I was a bit worried when we first took a look at the RAM SIMM I had in there. It was a 70ns model (72-pin / 16meg), but Alex assured me that it was of very high quality, and that there shouldn't be any problems. And it turns out the RAM board I have is also a good one. I don't recall the name but Alex told me it was a German model, and that it was also well suited for the Nemesis. I guess I never knew for sure which board was in there since I had an Atari shop in Los Angeles (Alternative Computing - now strictly MAC/PC) put the RAM board and SIMM in there back in 1995 when they were doing the Cubase Audio mods. Anyway, in the end, it all worked. The Falcon passed all the Nemesis testing, and runs quite happily in LO and HI. In fact, with the help of Videlity, I'm in 800x608x256 as I type this up in QED, and it looks very nice! No screen garbage or troubles at all. Who says 70ns RAM isn't fast enough? Ultimately, I am very pleased with the Nemesis. CAB 2.7 looks great in this resolution, and I have so much more desk space I don't know what to do with it! I'm also very impressed by how quickly JPEGs are displayed when in true- color mode, wow! But... *Some good news: -I'm using ICD Pro 6.5.5 and it too is working just fine. I did purchase HD Driver from Systems For Tomorrow though, but haven't installed it yet. -The serial port does work now at 115,200 (HSMODEM 7/STinG 1.15) *Some bad news: -I did have the hard drive do it's little "pause" thing once so far. And I thought that was supposed to be a thing of the past with the Nemesis buffer board installed!? :^( -I can get a nice 640x480 true-color display when I use the AUTO folder program HRTC.PRG, and everything looks fantastic and works well. But, if I try to use Videlity to get into true-color mode, I just get a blank white screen. And I've tried numerous true-color settings in Videlity (including of course 640x480). And unfortunately, the guy I bought the Nemesis/Videlity from in Finland forgot to send the Videlity manual, so I don't think I have all the information I need (yes I've read the Videlity HYP file). So, what's the deal? The Nemesis manual even says: "Using Videlity with Nemesis it is possible to realise true-color resolutions of 720x528 on a standard VGA monitor, although a multisync could take this further to 768x576!" Not here it can't. Even 640x480 is no go in true-color with Videlity. And running HRTC.PRG along with Videlity doesn't work either. And obviously 640x480 true-color is possible on my Falcon since as I said it works when I use HRTC.PRG, just not with Videlity. (And just to clarify, I'm running under MagiC 5.11/NVDI 4.10) Anyone have any solutions to this problem?" Dave Murphy tells Paul: "The SCSI fix on Nemesis gets rid of SCSI read/write errors when running some of the higher resolutions and higher clock speeds. Occasionally some drives may pause during transfers but we couldn't figure out what caused it. The main symptoms of SCSI problems are programs crashing for no apparent reason and corrupted data on the drive. Couple of suggestions here [for the blank white screen]. Firstly make sure that you're modifying the correct modecode. Double line OFF, 40 columns, TRUE in the modecode box of Videlity. The 80 column mode is only available on RGB monitors. Do not enable HRTC as well as Videlity - HRTC is simply a single mode version of Videlity & will interfere quite badly. Make sure Videlity runs *after* NVDI in the auto folder. You should find a line in your MAGX.INF file like this :- #_DEV 5 26 if the last number is unusually large then you've probably used Blowup before & the line needs to be changed to a valid modecode. The line above is 640x480x16 This one is 320x480x65536 #_DEV 5 20 Assuming that's ok the best way to proceed is to delete VIDELITY.INF from your auto folder so you get no modified modes. Reboot the machine & run VID_CONF. Select Double Line OFF, 40 Columns, TRUE in the mode code box. This should now display 320x480 and all you need to do is change the pixel size button to 1/4 to get 640x480. Save the modified mode (the disc icon at the bottom right) Under Magic change res to 32768 colours, 320x480 & you should get a 640x480 screen. ahem - that really does depend on the monitor. Basically, if you can display 640x480x256 you'll get 640x480x65536 though most people should be able to display a fair bit more. 720x528 displayed OK on an old AOC fixed frequency monitor so most should be able to display that. Follow the instructions in the Hypertext using the frequency lock button to get TC modes better than 640x480 or try some of the modes in the library provided - extra modes may be found on my web site at :- http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/dmurphy" Paul tells Dave: "Oh, I see. Well, it's only done the "pause" thing once so far - where drive light stays on for about 20-30 seconds, then resumes it's read/write. And it certainly did it a lot more before the Nemesis was installed. And perhaps this problem might in part be caused by the ICD Pro driver software? (version 6.5.5) I did buy HD Driver 7 but I've been too busy playing around with Nemesis/Videlity to install it yet. I'll do that next week and perhaps the little problem will go away." Clayton Murray tells Paul: "I don't think ICD Pro vs. 6.5.5 is what's causing the problem. I have the same version, and I've NEVER had either of my hard drives do a pause like that. In fact, before I got ICD I had AHDI (which came with my Falcon), and I never had a pause using that either. So I suspect it must be each Falcon's "personality" that causes it to do that pause-thing. I've never had the problem either before or after the Nemesis installation. I'm using TOS 4.04. No Magic or NVDI. I'm glad you're getting things worked out, and that you got NEMESIS finally installed." Derryck Croker adds: "Changing hard disk drivers was mentioned as a possible "cure" for this problem was mentioned in a back issue of Atari Computing. You should certainly try installing HDDriver." Well folks, that's it for this week. Tune in again next week, same time, same station, and be ready to listen to what they are saying when... PEOPLE ARE TALKING =~=~=~= ->A-ONE Reader Feedback! #1 """"""""""""""""""""""""" Hello there, First, let me say I love A-one! Ill be honest, when I first read it, I was disappointed. I was hoping there would be more atari content, and it really seemed like a PC mag with an Atari Title. Well then issue 2 came out, read it, loved it, then the third installment.. Anyways, I actually like how you cover everything, and I really like your writing style. Now, I actually get excited when I read in the newsgroup that a new issue is out :-) ... Take care, Bengy Collins collins@bulli.com MagiC Atari powered by nemesized Atari Falcon030. MagiC Mac powered by Apple iMac 233 Please visit MagiC Online http://bengy.atari.org =~=~=~= ->In This Week's Gaming Section - 'Tarzan' to Swing! THQ for GameBoy! """"""""""""""""""""""""""""" Sony Wins Round Against Connectix! Red Storm Announces '99 Lineup! Eidos' 'Greatest Hits'! And more! metro3D Signs With Nintendo! ->A-ONE's Game Console Industry News - The Latest Gaming News! """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Eidos Interactive's Fighting Force Joins Gaming's Elite as One of Playstation's Greatest Hits Core Design Developing Sequel for October Release Eidos Interactive, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of interactive entertainment, announced today that their beat 'em up classic, ``Fighting Force," has joined the elite titles chosen to become one of the PlayStation's Greatest Hits. Proven consumer demand adds to the value of ``Greatest Hits" titles, which have an MSRP of $24.99. ``Fighting Force" is the third Eidos title to be inducted into the ``Greatest Hits" series, following ``Tomb Raider" and ``Tomb Raider II." ``Fighting Force is proving to be an extremely successful title for Eidos and we're excited to see it join the 'Greatest Hits' series," said Paul Baldwin, vice president of marketing Eidos Interactive. ``When consumers see the green stripe on 'Greatest Hits' games, they know they will get a great game for a great price." Eidos has also confirmed the return of Hawk Manson in ``Fighting Force 2." Supporting an all-new 3D engine and a highly advanced combination of tactical action and adventure, ``Fighting Force 2" will make its debut in October for the Sony Playstation. ``Fighting Force 2" will be on display for the first time in the Eidos Interactive booth (#500, South Hall) at the Electronic Entertainment Exhibition (E3), which is taking place in Los Angeles May 13-15. Red Storm Entertainment Announces 1999 E3 Line-up The young game development powerhouse, Red Storm Entertainment, Inc. surprised the industry at last year's E3 convention with its instant hit Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six. This year the company plans to introduce a 1999 line-up like no other. Force 21, a real-time 3D tactical wargame, is the showcase for Red Storm Entertainment this year. The intense game is played from either the U.S. or Chinese side as players are put in the role of company commander during WWIII in the year 2015. Amazingly detailed realism is the highlight of Force 21, made possible by the game's producer, a former Army Intelligence Officer, and Red Storm's strategic military advisor, retired four star Army General, Frederick M. Franks Jr. With terrain based on true location maps from the National Imagery and Mapping Association and vehicles based on actual military prototypes, this game is sure to please the hard-core wargamer, sim player and action lover alike. Of course, this E3 show would not be complete without unveiling the sequel to Red Storm's hit game, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six. The full sequel, Tom Clancy's Rogue Spear will be featured in-depth on the E3 cover of PC Gamer and will be unveiled for the first time in public at the show. Also showing for the first time at E3 will be the Playstation and Nintendo 64 versions of Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six. As of this date, the Playstation version will be released only in Europe and the Nintendo 64 version will be released in both Europe and the U.S. Stop by to see how the popular PC game was re-created for these exciting console formats. In addition, Red Storm will be debuting another Europe-only release, Aironauts, the hot action/arcade game created by up-and-coming developer Red Lemon Studios. Red Storm Entertainment will also be offering a sneak peak into their end of the year title, Shadow Watch, the third installment in the Power Plays series, as well as a glimpse at what's coming up for the year 2000. metro3D Signs Licensing Agreement with Nintendo of America Inc. Aggressive New Contender in Gaming to Develop and Publish Titles on Leading Platforms metro3D, inc., an aggressive new contender in console and PC gaming, announced it has signed a strategic licensing agreement with Nintendo of America. Under the terms of the deal, metro3D will develop and publish games in North America for Game Boy Color as well as the Nintendo 64. Although a new company, metro3D boasts an accomplished executive team, including former Capcom heavyweights George Nakayama, president of metro3D, and Joe Morici, the company's vice president of sales and marketing, who managed Capcom's North American operations during its most profitable period. The duo possesses extensive experience in bringing top-selling titles to market and were responsible for launching the Street Fighter II family of titles, which collectively sold over 13 million units, and the highly successful Megaman franchise. They were also instrumental in securing the first exclusive licensing agreement with the Walt Disney Company for interactive rights to key properties, prior to the formation of Disney Interactive. Some of these titles included The Little Mermaid, Mousecapades and Ducktales, among others. At metro3D, Nakayama and Morici intend to leverage their game expertise in operations, sales, marketing and distribution, and couple it with metro3D's existing development talent, to build a successful publishing business. Console titles for the popular Nintendo platforms will be the cornerstone of their operation in 1999. ``As a new game company with tremendous potential, we recognize the strength of being a Nintendo third-party licensee right from the start," noted Morici. ``Nintendo boasts a huge installed base and will enable us to bring our exciting line-up to as many gamers as possible. Our product line will consist of classic arcade favorites as well as original titles that are certain to resonate with Nintendo enthusiasts everywhere." Taking full advantage of the Nintendo platforms, metro3D's 1999 titles will be introduced at the forthcoming Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) this May. These include Game Boy Color titles Chase HQ: The Secret Police, Puzzle Master, Bubble Bobble, Ninja, Armada, and The Cage. The company will also showcase a number of titles for other next generation systems. ``We're pleased to add metro3D to the Nintendo third-party roster," stated Howard Lincoln, chairman, Nintendo of America. ``George and Joe have a deep understanding of the industry and know what it takes to bring great products to market. We're excited that the company's first titles will appear on the Nintendo platforms." Disney's Tarzan Swings Onto the Playstation Adding to an already impressive line-up of family-friendly titles, Sony Computer Entertainment America announced today the July 20 release of Disney's Tarzan - a 3D action platform game chronicling the courageous journeys of this legendary jungle hero. Based on the upcoming animated adventure of the same name from Walt Disney Pictures, Tarzan, available for the PlayStation game console, plunges gamers into an exciting tale of exploration and adventure. Taking on the role of Tarzan (and, in select levels, the role of Jane or Terk, Tarzan's ape friend), players must navigate through a variety of exotic and scenic environments, interact with an array of characters, and overcome challenging obstacles. The 14 different jungle environments are all brought to life through lush scenery and menacing enemies, and each level features its own unique setting and objective. As the second videogame title to be released under Sony Computer Entertainment America's publishing agreement with Disney Interactive, Inc., Disney's Tarzan combines the charm, emotion and drama from the movie to immediately immerse gamers into the feature film experience. "By integrating the storyline from the upcoming movie and offering challenging interactive gameplay, we expect Disney's Tarzan to appeal to gamers of all ages," said Ami Blaire, director, product marketing, Sony Computer Entertainment America. "As the latest addition to our growing library of family-friendly titles, Disney's Tarzan further strengthens PlayStation's position as a viable entertainment option for the entire family." Disney's Tarzan also features optional difficulty settings (from easy to hard) with gameplay complexity progressing from start to finish. This action-packed adventure utilizes a variety of different game scenarios, enabling Tarzan to ride on an elephant, swing from vines, climb up cliffs, and even surf on trees, all in a quest to save his family and find his place in the world. While exploring, players can also discover hidden areas to obtain bonuses and power-ups. Animated sequences from the feature film will be used throughout the game to help tell the story, and many of the original characters' voices from the movie will be featured in the game. Connectix Stops Sales Of PC Software for Sony PlayStation Connectix Corp. of the U.S. has been served an interim injunction by a U.S. district court on selling its software that allows people to play Sony PlayStation video games on their personal computers. Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., the developer of PlayStation, filed a request on Jan. 27 with the court to ban sales of the software. SCE claims Connectix infringed its copyright as the U.S. firm illegally copied part of PlayStation's internal program, SCE officials said Friday. Connectix is banned from selling the software until official judgment is given on the case. It claims developing the software did not infringe copyright. The California-based firm developed and marketed software allowing Macintosh computers made by Apple Computer Inc. to play PlayStation video games. The company was also developing similar software for use on personal computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system. Sony Lands Legal Punch in Round Two of Emulator Battle In what appears to be its first victory against PlayStation emulator makers, Sony Computer Entertainment America obtained a preliminary court injunction against Connectix, prohibiting the sale and distribution of the Mac and PC versions of its PSX emulator, Virtual Game Station (VGS). VGS is the best selling software ever on Connectix's online store (http://www.connectix.com), the company says. The San Francisco federal district court found that in developing VGS, Connectix infringed SCEA's copyrights and caused "trademark dilution." It also found that Connectix copied the PSX BIOS for use in the development of the emulator. Connectix President Roy McDonald acknowledges that his company used the PSX BIOS in its development of VGS. However, the finished product was "wholly-owned original code by Connectix," he tells mmWire. Despite the injunction - arising from the suit Sony filed in January (mmW, Jan. 29) - Connectix can and will develop updates to the Mac version and finish its PC version of VGS. The company is evaluating whether it can post the Mac updates on its Web site, but all past updates to the emulator will remain on the site, McDonald says. McDonald reiterates his desire to work with SCEA on the project in the long run and bring "enhanced consumer choice to the Macintosh and PlayStation communities." VGS v1.1 "has the technology to discriminate against pirated CDs," but could, in theory, play discs copied off a game's master CD, McDonald acknowledges. The injunction is good news for Sony, which last week had a request denied for a temporary restraining order to delay the launch of Bleem's PC-based PSX emulator bleem! THQ Extends Agreement With Electronic Arts for Flagship Titles On Game Boy Color Platform Hit List Includes: NHL 2000, NBA Live 2000, Madden NFL 2000, NASCAR 2001, TriplePlay 2001, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2000 and FIFA 2000 THQ Inc.today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Electronic Arts (EA) to develop and distribute several of EA SPORTS' top-selling games for Nintendo Game Boy Color. The titles include ``NHL 2000," ``NBA Live 2000," ``Madden NFL 2000," ``NASCAR 2001," ``Triple Play 2001," ``Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2000" and ``FIFA 2000." The products are scheduled for individual release in the last half of 1999 and early 2000. ``The ever-growing market for Game Boy Color should provide an excellent environment for these proven titles," stated Alison Locke, senior vice president of sales and marketing at THQ. ``Adding these well-known, sought-after titles to our extensive library should extend THQ's position as the premier provider of software for the Game Boy Color system." ``As in the past, our relationship with THQ continues to be instrumental in extending EA's line to all gaming audiences," stated Nancy Smith, senior vice president, Electronic Arts. ``We look forward to our future success in the Game Boy Color market." As the number one, third-party Game Boy publisher, THQ is set to compete strongly in the Game Boy Color market with a sports roster that offers something for every sports fan. Experience the thrill of authentic NASCAR tracks and drivers in ``NASCAR 2001." Hit the PGA tour with the man who revolutionized the game in ``Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2000." ``NBA Live 2000" offers exciting gameplay from the opening tip to the final buzzer. Kick your way into the World Cup ``FIFA 2000," the most successful soccer video game franchise ever. Make the big plays and earn a trip to the Super Bowl with Coach Madden in ``Madden NFL 2000." ``Triple Play 2001" brings major league baseball to life with inning after inning of homerun baseball action. Slam the boards and score a hat trick with ``NHL 2000." Multi-Platinum Hip-Hop Artists, Wu-Tang Clan, Join Forces With Activision to Create Title for Playstation Game Console Arena-Based Fighting Game, Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style, Slated for Fall Release Creating a new benchmark in popular culture, multi-platinum selling hip-hop recording artists the Wu-Tang Clan and their executive producer Oli ``Power" Grant have teamed up with Activision, Inc. to create Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style, an arena-based fighting game for the PlayStation game console. Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style marks the first time that an original video game property has been designed specifically for a rap group. The game, which is expected to be released this fall, will feature three exclusive never-before-heard music tracks from the influential hip-hop act. ``Wu-Tang is on the leading edge of a hip-hop phenomenon that is influencing youth culture around the world," said Mitch Lasky, senior vice president, Activision Studios. ``They are the perfect partner for a game, not only because they have instant credibility, but also because Wu-Tang has developed a highly evolved martial arts mythology that incorporates the unique personalities of the band members. In addition, Wu-Tang's diverse hip-hop audience lines up with the core PlayStation audience of 12- to 25-year olds." ``The urban/Asian influences we use in our music will provide an original look and feel for a video game -- especially a hardcore fighting game like Wu-Tang," said RZA, the creative force behind the Wu-Tang Clan. ``We are huge video game fans and are excited to be working with Activision to help us take our style to a whole new dimension. This game is going to be off the hook." Inspired by the Wu-Tang Clan's affinity for kung-fu films, Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style is an adrenaline-pumping, arena-based fighting game that allows players to assume the role of one of the nine Wu-Tang Clan members, including RZA, Method Man and Ol' Dirty Bastard. The game challenges players to master the art of fighting as they attack, block and counter attack menacing enemies in 10 realistic urban and ancient arenas modeled after New York and China. Wu-Tang's Shaolin martial arts philosophy is incorporated in the game's story mode which features 36 chambers that correspond to the 36 death points found on the human body. Players can attain each chamber in order to unlock secret doors and gain additional special moves. One of the first fighting games to offer a two- to four-person multi-player mode, Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style gives gamers the option to team with or against each other for quick, action-packed battles. The title also includes a practice mode in order for players to learn their character's unique moves. NYKO Technologies Introduces Exclusive 900MHz RF MAX 900, Permitting Wireless Gaming for Leading Game Systems Cordless System Brings More Fun to Family Gaming Centers, Expanding Multi-Player Gaming Capabilities and More! NYKO Technologies Inc., leading innovator and manufacturer of accessory products for video game fans, has introduced the RF MAX 900, a patented wireless accessory that delivers the RF wireless gaming experience to owners of the world's most popular video gaming systems including Sony PlayStation, Nintendo64, SNES and Sega DreamCast. Using state-of-the-art 900MHz wireless RF (radio frequency) technology, NYKO's RF MAX 900 accessory eliminates line-of-sight interference common with infrared (IR) type wireless devices. This means that kids and family pets can run between the TV and an active player without interrupting the action. Another benefit of this advanced RF technology is that it is able to transmit signals up to 30 feet away, allowing gamers to play comfortably from the sofa instead of huddled on the carpet in front of the TV set. The RF MAX 900 may even be used with multi-player games. In addition, 900MHz technology allows the gaming action to continue nonstop; there is no lag in transmitting signals that could slow up the game in process -- a problem commonly associated with infrared-type devices. And because wires never get in the way of a game's twists and turns, playing action is smoother and more natural than ever before. Designed for owners of PlayStation, Nintendo systems (N64 and SNES) and the soon-to-be-released Sega DreamCast, the NYKO RF MAX 900 is scheduled for late-spring delivery to major game and toy retailers with a suggested retail price of $39.95. The RF MAX 900 was designed and manufactured in the United States. NYKO's wireless technology allows use of virtually all controllers and game accessories, including specialized items such as dual-shock controllers, Rumble Paks(TM), mouse and trackball devices and memory paks. Avid gamers who rely on multi-tap adaptors will find that the NYKO RF MAX 900 helps them expand the number of players who can join together in the action, boosting the limit to eight players a session, up from three. ``NYKO's wireless accessory is truly convenient and a great addition to the family gaming center, offering more fun and flexibility than ever before," said Robert J. Rienick, vice president of sales and marketing, NYKO Technologies. ``The RF MAX 900 saves consumers money because it eliminates the need for extra RF adaptors and costly infrared wireless controllers. One product works perfectly with all your gaming accessories." NYKO's RF MAX 900 (UN-80080) has a 90-day limited warranty. Sega Downcast On Profits As Dreamcast Disappoints Japanese videogame giant Sega Enterprises Ltd. Wednesday forecast a gaping annual loss and admitted its dream of toppling rival Sony Corp.'s PlayStation remained elusive. Sega said it made an estimated consolidated net loss of 45 billion yen ($378 million) in the year ended March 31, due largely to write-offs from its overseas amusement facility operation and domestic inventories of its 32-bit Sega Saturn game consoles. The game maker recorded a consolidated net loss in 1997/98 of 35.6 billion yen ($299.2 million). Although ready to battle Sony last November with the debut of its powerful Dreamcast game console, Sega's sales of the 128-bit, Internet-capable Dreamcast console and software were smaller than hoped for and dashed the company's hopes of returning to profit. Like its rivals, the company suffered the dual woes of slow domestic sales amid Japan's recession and a strengthening yen, which eroded the value of repatriated profits and hurt its pricing power overseas. In the wake of its latest loss forecast, credit rating agency Moody's Investors Service Inc. announced it may downgrade Sega's Ba1 senior unsecured long-term debt rating, already at a speculative grade. ``Moody's will assess Sega's new restructuring plan, the potential success of Dreamcast, as well as its financial flexibility which could receive downward pressure," it said. Dubbing Dreamcast its ``PlayStation killer," Sega had high hopes of eroding the commanding market position held by Sony's popular console. It said in a statement those hopes were dashed, however, as "sales were negatively impacted by delays in overall development and production of the new console, coupled with more fierce competition with other makers especially after January 1999." Launched in Japan in November, Dreamcast sales totaled 900,000 units by March, falling short of Sega's forecast of one million. It said sales of software titles totaled three million units against a projected five million. ``It was the wrong move for Sega to pick a fight with giant Sony," said Makoto Ueno, a senior analyst at Daiwa Institute of Research. ``Just like Toyota and Honda in the auto industry, Sega must target a different type of game user in this mature market." Sony Wednesday said shipments of its PlayStation totaled 21.6 million units in 1998/99, up from 19.37 million units a year earlier. It is poised to launch the next-generation PlayStation II in Japan at Christmas. To help restore profitability, Sega said it would cut 25 percent of its work force, or about 1,000 workers, partly via voluntary retirements, by as early as March 2000. Sega also plans to close some 100 mostly small amusement facilities in 1999 and cut executive jobs and salaries. Sega Downgrades, Announces Restructuring Sega Enterprises Co. Ltd. said Wednesday that it expects full year sales and profits for the fiscal year just ended to come in below previous estimates and well below last year's figures. Reacting to the performance, it announced plans to close loss-making game centers and reduce its staff number. The latest forecasts from the company predict group sales for the year to March 31, 1999, will be 266.40 billion yen (US$2.24 billion), well below its previous forecast of 310.00 billion yen ($2.60 billion) and 19.7 percent lower than sales in the previous year. The group net earnings forecast was revised from a profit of 1.60 billion yen ($13.43 million) to a loss of 45.00 billion yen ($377.83 million). In fiscal 1997, the company reported a group net loss of 35.64 billion yen ($299.24 million). With sales down and profits sinking deeper into the red, Sega said it plans to close around 100, or 11 percent, of its unprofitable game centers across Japan. Job cuts at the company could be as higher as 1,000, or 25 percent of all employees, and come as early as March 2000, warned company president Shoichiro Irimajiri at a news conference. At parent company level, Sega revised its sales forecast to 214.50 billion yen ($1.80 billion) from 245.00 billion yen ($2.06 billion) and 271.41 billion yen ($2.28 billion) a year ago and said the year-earlier net loss of 43.30 billion yen ($363.56 million) is expected to grow to a loss of 32.80 billion yen ($275.40 million). It had previously predicted a parent net profit of 4.60 billion yen ($38.62 million). The bad news comes and Sega is locked in an all-or-nothing battle against Sony Corp. and Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. in the home game market. Its recently launched Dreamcast console offers superior graphics and performance to any machine on the market but Sony has hit back by revealing a successor to its PlayStation, dubbed PlayStation 2, is on the drawing board. Such is Sony's power in the market that the promise of a new machine could be enough to prevent many buying a Dreamcast now, destroying the one year lead Sega has on Sony. The new PlayStation will do more than just play games, offering users the ability to access the Internet and play DVD discs. Sega has recently announced plans to added a removable media drive to the Dreamcast to make it more suitable for Internet access and more competitive against the new PlayStation. Exchange rate: $1 = 119.10 yen =~=~=~= ->A-ONE Gaming Online - Online Users Growl & Purr! """"""""""""""""""" Littleton Reflection PLAY THE BLAME GAME By Donald A. Thomas, Jr. - curator@icwhen.com Permission to reprint in entirety Tuesday, April 27, 1999 * PR Newswire - "WAR GAMES, A Battle for Children's Minds" * States News Service - "Tipper Gore says parents must question their children about their violent video games" * BusinessWire - "Teen Violence -- Are Video-Games and Media the Enemy?" * States News Service - "Study Links Violence To Video Game" * Reuters - "House to seek report on kids, media violence" * ZDNet News - "Did the Internet contribute to Littleton?" Fifteen valuable souls were lost on Tuesday, April 20. Nearly a dozen more remain hurt or hospitalized. Many more are traumatized and may be cursed to a future of nightmares and flashbacks. To make things worse, these were mostly kids. Our children. Our hope and promise for the future. Today, April 27, the newswire services are filled with stories of how video games or movies may have contributed to the massacre one week ago at Columbine High school in Littleton, Colorado. I have been a part of the video game industry since the early eighties. I have worked for major game companies in this industry. I have been there ever since "Pac-Man" has evolved from a whimsical dot-eating pie into the three-dimensional killing machines that are found in today's graphically exact virtual worlds full of blood and terror. For the record, I agree with all my heart that video games and movies and music have all played a big part in this and similar tragedies. I also think the teacher that taught these kids about Nazi Germany is at great fault. The linguist who dared to teach these kids how to speak the unspeakable in the German language should be questioned. The store that sells black trench coats is suspect. Al Gore, our self professed father of the Internet, sure has a lot to answer for open access to bomb-making information. Certainly the library had a significant role in all this and that includes the authors, the publishers as well as the librarians. Of course we should not forget to examine the parent's role. As our illustrious President William Jefferson Clinton recently stated, while pausing from the bombing in an undeclared war against Kosovo, "As parents, we need to teach our children that violence is not the answer to their problems". It's clear that Mr. and Mrs. Harris and Mr. and Mrs. Klebold failed to follow the President's lead on that one. So while all these factors clearly played a role in what added up to a "Doom"-like slaughter of fourteen cherished children and one heroic teacher, I wonder what we are willing to do to as a society to improve our lives and make a meaningful change. If the argument against video games has any validity at all, are our kid's lives worth the outright ban on games based on extreme violence? I say, "yes"! I would have given up all violent games to save just one teenager in Littleton. In the least and possibly more realistically, game publishers should invest some of their huge profits in channels to investigate the tendencies toward or the prevention of violence inspired by their products. Can we expect such announcements at the upcoming E3 video game industry tradeshow May 13 through 15 in Los Angeles? If trench coat apparel had any affect on this at all, are we willing to require kids to wear presentable clothing to school? If there is even the slightest possibility that gun control is a valid influence, are we prepared to stop the NRA from holding a conference on the front porch of Littleton's pain? If teachers are gun shy about disciplining children before they get out of control, are we prepared to look at ways to grant them more authority? If films can distract our children from leading productive lives in any way, are we prepared to hold theater owners responsible for upholding the rating system? Do we monitor what our kids rent or watch unsupervised? Will we set their television viewing patterns? How many parents are using this time to read the lyrics in their kids music just in case there is even a remote possibility that cop killer music does affect their thinking? I regret that I may know the answer to all these questions. I am afraid that the cost of careless freedom to most of us in the United States is selfishly worth the loss of a few dozen kid's souls each year. Personally, I am as angry right now as those kids that stormed the school. You won't believe me because I will not show it in the same way that they did. In the world I grew up in, society was responsible for teaching me how to endure life's pain and to look for constructive ways to vent my anger. Hence my article. Hence my web site: http://www.icwhen.com/columbine. Hence my question for you: "How are you going to play the blame game?" ->A-ONE Reader Feedback! #2 - Columbine HS Tragedy """"""""""""""""""""""""" [Editor's note: spelling errors edited for clarity] Hi, I made this lines in response to the editorial that writes Dana P. Jacobson and the article of Donald A. Thomas Jr. regarding the massacre that two children made in a school in Colorado. Psycologists always try to explain everybody that violence comes from all the external objects that the people (and in this case children) are exposed: movies, television, videogames, newspapers, music, etc., etc., etc. People almost always try to made a way to anything an end in itself. I know about students in the university that converts in professors, researchers, etc. in the university because they believe that this is the end of their career. They don't understand that the university is a way to fulfill the aspirations to be a professional, and their career at the university is also a way, not an end. That students (some were partners of mine in the careers) can't maintain a job in a company related to their professions, just because their limited vision of the end of the "life's road". The same principle applies to our lives and that of our children. We think that a videogame, or a book, or a TV program simply "insert an attitude" in our children, but they only takes that they were learner from his or her parents (and teachers). Seeing Friday, the 13th movie makes me a killer?... or play Street fighter makes me a racist?... Of course not. But, if I had learning that killing people isn't bad, and I have collect guns and learned to use it, and if my parents also mades me hate anybody that don't have my same skin color, etc., etc., etc., maybe at the beginning of my independent life I will be a killer, or at least a man that don't think twice if I must kill somebody for any reason. Our education at the first years of our life makes the difference if I play Quake (for example) just for fun or if I play it obsessed with kill all the monsters in the game, trying every time to kill them in a better way. I recently had an experience with my first daughter (she is 3 years old). At times she goes to sleep late and stays in our bed watching the same programs that we see. I see the TV programs normally as if she isn't in the room. I noted her attitude about killing people and death. She begins to see it naturally, without question why the other guy takes a gun and kills people. She begins to think at this way because of my fault. So my wife and I begins to explain why people dies and why, at times, people can hurt people. Explain her that this isn't good, and clarifying that those things that she see in TV are not real. This is the reason because I can't see Milennium!. We, as parents, are very busy with our daily labors to take all the time our children must get. But this is not an excuse to not educate her or him at the level they need. We also must watch every piece of information they learn, to help in the process of assimilation, and to question his or her teachers if something is wrong with that. Don't look for easy explanations that avoids our responsibility. The future of our society and our world is in our hands. We must make children that don't have discrimination or status prejudices, that can discriminate the good and the evil, that think that every life in the world is divine. Only in that way we could have a better world... And you see that we, and our children will continue playing Doom, Quake, etc., without worrying about it. Alejandro Aguilar R. P.S. Dana, I don't believe this is a political subject... [Editor's comment: Ale, thanks for your comments regarding the Columbine High School tragedy. I only disagree with your final comment regarding this being a political subject - it is. The reason that I say this is because of the massive attention and "blame" that this event has generated. I believe that this tragedy should receive a lot of attention. As to the blame, there's plenty to go around. I'll go as far as stating that these kids may have been "numbed" to violence because of the proliferation of it in games, the internet, and other sources. They may have felt ostracized for being different. Their parents probably (more likely than not) didn't understand their kids as well as they should have. But I do not believe that these things caused these kids to do what they did. They are the ones to blame. This was a long and premeditated act. These were intelligent kids. They didn't just react in a random fit of rage one day; this was carefully planned. Political? You bet. Just keep your eyes on the media and see what people and politicians attempt as a result of this tragedy.] Alejandro, You are correct and I agree with you. The only exception I take is with your final PS to Dana. It is very much a political issue. The political part, in my mind, is not your specific points, but how we get others to understand the validity of those points. It does no good for you and me to send messaages that agree with each other back and forth, we need to apply real, hard, politically-orientated peer pressure on other adults to bring their children up responsibly also. I am frustrated by the fact that the kinds of things you say are right, but we do not have society mechanisms in place any more to compel people to live by those standards. These are social problems, not individual ones in my view. --Don Best Wishes, - Donald A. Thomas, Jr., Curator curator@icwhen.com http://www.icwhen.com =~=~=~= A-ONE's Headline News The Latest in Computer Technology News Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson Taiwanese University Reveals CIH Author A Taiwanese University revealed the name of who it believes is the author of the destructive CIH computer virus on Thursday. Identified as Chen Ing-Hau -- whose initials spell CIH -- the alleged virus writer was a student at the Tatung Institute of Technology when he created the harmful software, according to an Associate Press report. The university had punished Chen last April when the virus damaged some of the Institute's systems, said Lee Chee-Chen, dean of student affairs at the Taiwanese school, according to the report. Chen -- a senior at the time -- was given a demerit but neither expelled nor criminally prosecuted, and later joined the military service to serve out Taiwan's two-year compulsory term, stated the report. The university did not hand down a harsher sentence on Chen because he had warned students not to spread the virus, stated Lee in the AP report. The CIH computer virus is the most destructive virus attack, yet. On Monday, CIH slammed South Korea and Turkey, crashing more than a half a million computers by reformatting hard drives and, in some cases, zapping a key chip on the computers' motherboards. The U.S. saw perhaps 10,000 cases, mainly in universities and with individual users at home. It was not immediately known whether those countries would seek prosecution of the CIH author. The virus, long suspected by U.S. anti-virus software firms to have originated in Taiwan, infects computers running Windows 95 and 98 when a previously-infected program - one with the .EXE extension -- is run. The most common, year-old variant is known as Chernobyl, because the date on which it activates is April 26, the anniversary of that nuclear disaster in the former Soviet Union. That variant was the main culprit in Monday's attack. It's also the original virus written by Chen. Other variants of CIH trigger on June 26 and the 26th of every month. The virus was first identified in the United States last May. On Tuesday, anti-virus software makers stated they believed the writer would not be caught. "Ninety-nine percent of virus writers won't ever be found," said Dan Takata, senior software support engineer with computer management firm Data Fellows Inc., on Tuesday. "For CIH ... the writer knows a lot. No way [he's going to be found]." Apparently, none of the companies knew that the Tatung Institute of Technology had already identified the writer. Canadian Teenager Settles Trademark Dispute With Apple A Canadian high school student who made international headlines earlier this year in a trademark dispute with California computer giant Apple Computer Inc. has pulled the plug on his David vs. Goliath crusade. Abdul Traya, a 17-year-old student at Crescent Heights High School in Calgary, Alberta, agreed late last week to withdraw his claim to the domain name appleimac.com, which he registered last summer for his home-based Internet-site hosting service. The domain name, essentially an address on the fast-growing World Wide Web, eventually drew the wrath of Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple and its lawyers. The computer maker, which had just launched its new translucent computer, the iMac, fired off a stern legal letter in February condemning Traya's ``blatant cyberpiracy" and demanding surrender of the domain name. Traya, a self-confessed admirer of Apple, countered with a demand that Apple donate 30 iMacs to a Calgary school. The dispute simmered for a couple of months as Traya became a cause celebre to hundreds of thousands of followers in the online and offline worlds. His Web site received about half a million visitors in the week following Apple's warning. Interest in his business also blossomed. But the would-be cyber warrior, apparently fatigued by the legal battle, finally surrendered his slice of the apple in exchange for a pocketful of legal fees and a token payment from the computer maker. Apple refused to comment on the case, but Traya's lawyer confirmed the legal battle was over. ``The matter has been resolved to the satisfaction of both parties," Brian Clark told Reuters. Ownership of domain names has become one of the most nebulous issues in the growing Internet-related business world. U.S. toy maker Mattel Inc. recently launched two separate lawsuits against holders of Web sites for allegedly violating the trademark of its 40-year-old Barbie doll. Microsoft To Question Rivals' Executives Microsoft Corp. will pursue a new line of defense against antitrust charges when it questions executives from rival technology companies during an ever-growing recess from its trial. In an effort to buttress Microsoft's claim that the trial has become irrelevant, lawyers for the software giant will examine an executive from Netscape Communications Corp. in Washington Wednesday and a senior officer of Sun Microsystems in San Francisco Friday. Next week, Microsoft will examine America Online Inc. Chief Executive Officer Steve Case and another AOL executive in Washington. Microsoft's civil trial, which was supposed to resume in April and then on May 10, will likely be delayed again as Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson continues to hear a criminal drugs case. The Justice Department and 19 states allege Microsoft abused monopoly power it holds over the Windows operating system for personal computers. In a trial that began last September and adjourned in February, the government has tried to prove that Microsoft competed unfairly, focusing on the company's bitter battle over Web browsers against Netscape Communications Corp. But Microsoft says America Online Inc.'s acquisition of Netscape makes the government approach irrelevant. It hopes to use the depositions of Netscape executive vice president Peter Currie and Sun chief operating officer Michael Papov this week, and others later, to prove its point. ``We believe this entire transaction undermines the government's case and proves that there is extraordinary competition throughout the industry," said Jim Cullinan, a spokesman for Microsoft. ``These depositions can be valuable in resolving this lawsuit, by showing the intense competition this deal brings to the industry." On May 5, the AOL president of the Interactive Services Group, Barry Schuler, will testify. Case will testify on May 7. The Justice Department had no comment. The depositions will be the first in the case open to the public, because of an appellate court ruling. A number of news organizations, including Reuters, has gone to court to seek the open examinations. However it is expected that Sun and AOL will try to close much of the questioning, arguing it will deal with confidential forward-looking business plans. Microsoft will have plenty of time to depose the witnesses it needs because of the slow pace of Judge Jackson's criminal drug case. Prosecutors have been presenting evidence for five weeks and it's unclear when they will finish and the defense will begin. When the Microsoft trial does begin again, the two sides will each present rebuttal witnesses. Those witnesses are to be identified next week. One other slim possibility is that the case may be settled. Last month, after a court hearing about when the trial should resume, Microsoft and the government announced that they would pursue settlement negotiations. The two sides said there would be no information about the talks and whether they were taking place. So far, that silence has not been breached. Case Against Microsoft Supported Executives from the nation's fifth-largest computer maker complain in newly disclosed testimony about restrictions they face from industry-giant Microsoft Corp., which the government contends limits choices for consumers. But in a surprising admission, one of those executives from Packard Bell NEC Inc. also complained that Microsoft refused to let Packard Bell impose its own limits on which Internet providers customers could easily use. The frank exchange was included in 270 pages of transcripts released Monday, and came during a deposition last fall with lawyers preparing for the Microsoft antitrust case. The trial is currently in a lengthy recess and is not expected to resume before the middle of next month. In a strange twist to government claims that Microsoft restricts consumer choice, Mark Donahue told lawyers that Packard Bell NEC over the summer had asked to remove the software giant's list of Internet providers within Windows and substitute its own. Microsoft balked. Those companies, listed within a special ``Online Services" folder, allow consumers to open subscription accounts easily and begin using the Internet within minutes of turning on a new computer. Karma Giulianelli, a Justice Department lawyer, asked Donahue how Microsoft's decision affected Packard Bell NEC's ability to make lucrative sales deals, called ``bounties," for itself with Internet providers. ``I suppose it allows for multiple choices for the end user, whereas Packard Bell NEC would like to limit the choices to the end user for the purpose of signing up for an online service," said Donahue, a senior product manager. He added that his company's request to Microsoft was motivated by ``financial reasons." Giulianelli appeared so surprised by Donahue's candor that she said abruptly: ``I have no further questions right now." Of the three interviews with Packard Bell NEC officials, Donahue's was by far the most favorable toward Microsoft. A senior executive for the computer maker, Mal Ransom, complained that Microsoft can afford to impose tight restrictions because Windows is ``the only viable choice" among computer operating systems. Another official, Jon Kies, told lawyers that previous requests for Microsoft to be more flexible, such as allowing tailored installations of Windows for some customers, are met with the question: ``What is the benefit to Microsoft?" ``If we cannot find or provide a solid benefit to Microsoft, then there's not much likelihood that the request is going to be granted," complained Kies, a senior product manager. As part of its antitrust case, the government alleges that Microsoft illegally wields its influence as the manufacturer of Windows, the software that runs most of the world's personal computers. It complains, for example, that Microsoft forces computer makers who buy Windows also to include its Web software, discouraging them from distributing rival Internet software, such as Netscape's popular browser. Ransom, a senior vice president of marketing, said it makes no sense for computer makers to offer both Internet products because they're so similar: ``It's kind of like which brand of water do you want?" Transcripts from those interviews were among the first to be released of more than 90 taken in preparation for the trial. The others, including those of Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, were expected to be made public later this week. A federal appeals court ruled this year that an obscure 1913 law allows the public to read the transcripts from those depositions, which come from some of the high-tech industry's most powerful players. Netscape Wondered If Fear Might Scuttle AOL Deal A Netscape executive testified Wednesday his company wondered at one point if America Online's fear of Microsoft Corp. might scuttle AOL's plans to purchase Netscape. But Peter Currie, chief financial officer of what is now the Netscape unit of AOL, said in his out-of-court deposition for the Microsoft antitrust trial that the deal finally went through at a value of $10 billion. ``We did wonder if AOL would by acquiring Netscape secure the animus of Microsoft," Currie said in answer to questions from a Microsoft lawyer. Currie said that AOL's fears became Netscape's concern because his company believed that if ``AOL got weak-kneed or cold feet this deal would vanish." Currie was called as part of Microsoft's preparation to rebut government charges that it illegally used monopoly power. The Justice Department and 19 states allege that Microsoft competed unfairly against Netscape in the market for Web browsers. Microsoft wants to show that that the competitive landscape changed once AOL acquired Netscape and formed an alliance with Sun Microsystems Inc. Currie was called for the narrow purpose of describing how the deal was put together. The depositions continue Friday in San Francisco and again next week in Washington, when AOL Chief Executive Officer Steve Case will testify. Meanwhile, thousands of pages of past depositions were being made public. Justice Department lawyer David Boies cautioned reporters not to expect much from those documents. ``If you find anything in those pages that is not already in evidence at the trial we have not done our job," he said. ``Our job was to pick out what is best." He said that, at most, reporters could expect to find supporting evidence. Boies also said that the trial would begin again in late May. Lawsuit Filing Says Microsoft Tried Squashing Rival Microsoft Corp. pressured computer makers and aggressively used its publicity machine to smash the threat posed by a rival operating system a decade ago, according to court documents. Caldera Inc., which owns rights to the system known as DR-DOS, filed a private antitrust suit against Microsoft in 1996 seeking $1 billion or more in damages. Its court filing Wednesday outlined what it said was a seven-year campaign by the software group to maintain dominance of its MS-DOS operating system. According to Caldera, the campaign culminated with the strategic decision by Microsoft to merge MS-DOS and Windows into Windows 95, not for any technical reasons, but to, ``put a bullet in the head of would-be competitors." Microsoft, which has moved to dismiss the lawsuit, said the court filing was publicity stunt of no legal importance. ``This is exactly what you would expect someone to do if they were trying to prop up a groundless lawsuit," said Mark Murray, a Microsoft spokesman. Caldera's story extends back to the earliest days of the personal computer industry and Microsoft Corp.'s origins in the 1970s. But it sheds a harsh new light on the company's aggressive business practices of the 1990s being challenged by government regulators in a separate antitrust suit. In particular, Caldera's allegation that Microsoft integrated its MS-DOS operating system and Windows interface chiefly to harm its competitors could bolster government charges that Microsoft used similar tactics in the browser wars. The government says Microsoft integrated its Internet Explorer browser with Windows mainly to harm rival Netscape Communications Corp. Caldera's 188 page ``statement of facts" filed in federal court in Salt Lake City and posted on the Internet contends that Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates identified the rival DR-DOS as a threat soon after the product was released in 1988. Gates initially sought ways to ``break" DR-DOS, by making it incompatible with certain applications and finally Windows, according to the Caldera documents. Later, Gates and other executives hit on the idea of giving computer makers a significant price break if they agreed to pay Microsoft based on how many computers they shipped -- regardless of which operating system was installed. The practice, which Microsoft agreed to end in a 1994 antitrust consent decree, effectively eliminated competition from rival operating system makers. In one case, Microsoft offered computer maker Commodore Business Machines the option of paying $1.65 million for 55,000 copies of MS-DOS, or $30 per copy, or $1.8 million for 220,000 licenses on a per-processor basis, about $8 per copy. Rival DR-DOS would have had to charge less than $1 per copy for its operating system to be competitive, said Caldera, which bought the rights to the product after former owner Novell Inc. stopped marketing it in 1994. Microsoft contends that its practices were aimed at simplifying the licensing process, not harming rivals. In another case, Microsoft successfully pressured Vobis Microcomputer AG, Germany's biggest computer maker, to stop shipping its computers with DR-DOS, according to depositions cited in the court papers. In what Caldera calls a case of naked tying, Microsoft executive Joachim Kempim told Vobis it would have to pay more for Windows alone than for Windows and MS-DOS together. The Caldera papers also outline a practice of using influential trade publications to sow fear, uncertainty and doubt, known as FUD in the computer industry, in the minds of Microsoft customers. In response to the well-received DR-DOS version 5.0, Microsoft began planting stories that it planned its own advanced version of DOS long before any such product was close to shipping," Caldera says. One internal Microsoft document cited in the filing refers to, ``an 'aggressive leak' campaign...to build an anticipation for MS-DOS 5.0." A separate Microsoft document detailed the company's objective to, ``FUD DR-DOS with every editorial contact made." Microsoft says its public statements were consistent with internal shipping schedules, which sometimes slipped. Microsoft went further and denied Novell access to early test versions of Windows in an effort to ensure incompatibilities. In some test versions, Microsoft created a pop-up message warning users against attempting to run Windows on non-Microsoft versions of DOS, according to the documents. Tips To Guard Against Y2K Scams Federal Trade Commission advice for consumers to guard against Y2K scams: -Never provide personal information, including bank account or credit card numbers, over the phone or online unless you're familiar with the business and have initiated the contact. Scam artists can use that information to commit fraud against you. -Be on the alert for unauthorized charges to your credit card. If you haven't authorized a charge, don't pay it - dispute it. Follow your credit card issuer's procedures for disputing a charge. -Ask your financial service provider about its plans to deal with Y2K. If you're uncomfortable with the response, consider doing business elsewhere. -If you don't normally keep financial records, start doing so. That way you'll have proof if something happens to the computerized records. At a minimum, keep a six-month paper trail - three months before and after the date change - on significant transactions, such as mortgages, stocks and insurance, as well as banking and credit card records. -Consumers can call the federal Year 2000 hotline for more information or to call a specialist toll-free at 1-888-USA-4-Y2K. Boy Bids $1 Million on Internet Site A 13-year-old New Jersey boy probably won't soon forget who Sir John A. Macdonald is after bidding $900,000 on the Internet for Canada's first prime minister's bed. The boy's parents have also discovered their son placed several bids totalling more than $1 million over the last month using the facilities of eBay, a giant U.S.-based Internet auction house. ``I'm really not supposed to talk about it," the boy told the Kingston Whig-Standard on Saturday afternoon. ``I'm off the Internet now." During his eBay shopping spree, the boy - identified by The Star-Ledger of Newark in Wednesday's editions as Andrew Tyler of Haddonfield, N.J. - placed several other bids including $15,000 for a 1955 Ford convertible and $125,000 for a Superman comic. He also placed bids on a physician's office clinic in Florida, two mobile kitchens for movie shoots and a Van Gogh painting. Internet Auction House says the boy sent his bid on the 1860s era bedroom suite, purported to have once been owned by Canada's father of confederation, last Tuesday evening. The suite went up for auction April 15 and had gained bids of up to $12,000 before the boy's bid arrived. Because of eBay's bidding system, the boy - who has become what is known at eBay as a `deadbeat' bidder - would have been billed only $400,000 because his bid hit the reserve bid price demanded by the suite's owners and no other bidder offered more than $400,000. Auction House owner Aubrey Garrett spoke to the boy's mother over the weekend. ``I said he bought a $400,000 bedroom suite and she said, `I'm hyperventilating'," Garrett said. ``We're not looking at this as a funny story," the boy's father said Saturday, asking that reporters stop calling his home. On Monday, eBay spokeswoman Jennifer Chou said minors are not allowed to place bids. But, she admitted the company operates on an honour system, and anyone with a computer online can sign on. The Internet Auction House is considering legal action against eBay for failing to head off the prank. EBay officials said Monday they had suspended the boy's account. Intel Unveils Fastest Celeron Chip Semiconductor maker Intel Corp. introduced its fastest chip yet for the low end of the PC market, a Celeron chip running at 466 megahertz, in an ongoing drive to gain market share in the low-cost consumer segment. Intel also launched a chipset to work with the Celeron, adding more functions and reducing the overall cost of a PC motherboard, the main board of a personal computer. ``We are deadly serious about this segment," said Paul Otellini, executive vice president and general manager of Intel's architecture business group, at a press briefing. ``We are very, very cognizant that this is where the growth is." Otellini pointed to data released over the weekend by two leading market research firms which showed that PC unit shipments saw better-than-expected growth, including an unexpected surge in the low-end consumer sector. The chipset, called the Intel 810 chipset, integrates three dimensional graphics and enables software-based audio, modem and digital versatile disk functions that would typically require additional add-in cards. ``It reduces the cost (of the total PC at retail) by $50 to $100, depending on their price points," Otellini said. Intel said that the chipset will be available in June and that Dell Computer Corp. and International Business Machines Corp. plan to launch new PCs with the fastest Celeron and the chipset at that time. Other PC makers, including Compaq Computer Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co., and Gateway Inc. are launching new systems with the Celeron 466 this week. Intel said that the 466 megahertz Celeron is priced at $169, in quantites of 1,000. The Intel 810 chipset will range in price from $25.50 to $32, depending on the cache memory, in quantities of 10,000. =~=~=~= Atari Online News, Etc.is a weekly publication covering the entire Atari community. 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