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Volume 15, Issue 31 Atari Online News, Etc. August 9, 2013 Published and Copyright (c) 1999 - 2013 All Rights Reserved Atari Online News, Etc. A-ONE Online Magazine Dana P. Jacobson, Publisher/Managing Editor Joseph Mirando, Managing Editor Rob Mahlert, Associate Editor Atari Online News, Etc. Staff Dana P. Jacobson -- Editor Joe Mirando -- "People Are Talking" Michael Burkley -- "Unabashed Atariophile" Albert Dayes -- "CC: Classic Chips" Rob Mahlert -- Web site Thomas J. Andrews -- "Keeper of the Flame" With Contributions by: Fred Horvat To subscribe to A-ONE, change e-mail addresses, or unsubscribe, log on to our website at: www.atarinews.org and click on "Subscriptions". OR subscribe to A-ONE by sending a message to: dpj@atarinews.org 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 subscribe from. To download A-ONE, set your browser bookmarks to one of the following sites: http://people.delphiforums.com/dpj/a-one.htm Now available: http://www.atarinews.org Visit the Atari Advantage Forum on Delphi! http://forums.delphiforums.com/atari/ =~=~=~= A-ONE #1531 08/09/13 ~ Biz, Pleasure Don't Mix ~ People Are Talking! ~ ACEC 2013 Swap Meet! ~ Wii U Still Losing $$$! ~ Amazon Tablet "Puzzle" ~ SOPA Revival News? ~ Latvia Extradition Hold ~ FF VII Web Series Woes ~ Amazon Console Soon! ~ 3-D Printing Mainstream ~ AOL Raises Its Prices! ~ Facebook Confession! -* German E-mail Gets Encrypted *- -* Obama, Tech Execs Talk Surveillance *- -* Lavabit Shutting Down As Snowden Protest! *- =~=~=~= ->From the Editor's Keyboard "Saying it like it is!" """""""""""""""""""""""""" I'll make this very quick this week. Internet access this week has been sporadic to nil all week due to issues with my cable provider; and it was finally resolved (hopefully!) earlier this evening. This week's issue has been put together hastily in order to get it out to our readers in a reasonable amount of time. So, without further delay, let's get to it! Until next time... =~=~=~= ->In This Week's Gaming Section - ACEC 2013 Vintage Computer and Video Game Swap Meet """"""""""""""""""""""""""""" Amazon Prepping Video Game Console for 2013 Launch? Nintendo Still Losing Money on Every Wii U It Sells! And more! =~=~=~= ->A-ONE's Game Console Industry News - The Latest Gaming News! """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Amazon Reportedly Prepping Video Game Console for 2013 Launch Amazon is reportedly working to launch an own-brand video game console powered by Android that will launch by the end of the year, possibly before Black Friday. The rumor comes from Game Informer, which cites multiple unnamed sources. The siteÆs report states that AmazonÆs upcoming console will play games already available in the Kindle FireÆs Amazon Appstore to ensure that a wide range of titles is available at launch. The company is also said to be developing its own dedicated gaming controller for the console, though no details about the controller were provided. Such a device would be the fourth piece of hardware Amazon plans to launch this year ù the online retail giant is also prepping three new Kindle Fire tablets, all of which have been exclusively detailed by BGR. Nintendo Is Still Losing Money on Every Wii U It Sells ItÆs safe to say that Nintendo has made some mistakes with the Wii U over the last year. GamesIndustry reports that Nintendo is still selling its newest console at a loss nearly nine months after its launch. The company said last year that it would be selling the Wii U at a loss only initially and that increased manufacturing efficiencies and lower component prices would shortly make the console profitable. That Nintendo still hasnÆt managed to turn any profit from Wii U sales is especially discouraging because the consoleÆs sales have been disastrously low so far this year and they have little hope of getting better now that Sony and Microsoft are both gearing up to launch their own next-generation consoles by the end of the year. Final Fantasy VII Web Series Threatened With Legal Action Last week, we brought to your attention a Final Fantasy VII miniseries being Kickstarted. The team behind the unofficial project was asking for $400,000 to create a web series based on Square EnixÆs most famous game. Well, Square Enix caught wind of it, and not surprisingly, it wants to protect its intellectual property. Kickstarter backers received the following message: This is a message from Kickstarter Support. We're writing to inform you that a project you backed, Final Fantasy VII: The Web Series (Unofficial Fan Project), is the subject of an intellectual property dispute. The project has been removed from public view until the dispute is resolved, which can take up to 30 days. The projectÆs funding and the countdown to its deadline have been stopped. If the project becomes available again, the countdown will continue and the new deadline will extend past the original deadline for as much time as the project was unavailable. You can find out more by reading our Copyright and DMCA Policy and our Trademark Policy. Additionally, Square EnixÆs claim, distributed by the companyÆs North American office in California, notes that ôSquare Enix is the owner of all intellectual property rights to the Final Fantasy franchise under which videogames, online services, and motion pictures have been publishedà The project itself is in infringement of our copyrights and should be removed entirely from Kickstarter.ö While itÆs unclear why the creators of the Kickstarter ever thought they would be able to create a web series based on another companyÆs extremely valuable property, it remains to be seen whether Square Enix and the group behind the Kickstarter could come to some sort of agreement. But it's extremely unlikely. =~=~=~= ->A-ONE Gaming Online - Online Users Growl & Purr! """"""""""""""""""" ACEC 2013 VINTAGE COMPUTER AND VIDEO GAME SWAP MEET GREAT NEWS ATARI FANS!!! The Atari Computer Enthusiasts of Columbus will be holding the annual vintage computer and video game swap meet on Saturday August 24th 2013. This year we are going to include all vintage and classic computers and video games, systems, accessories, games, and software. Maynard Ave. United Methodist Church? 2350 Indianola Ave. Columbus, OH Right now the time for the swap meet is from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Admission is FREE! FREE! FREE! That is right, it is free for both vendors and shoppers! Vendors, please contact us to reserve tables. As it will be first come first serve. We may have to limit the number of tables for each vendor. We have a new feature this year that will allow dealers to pick out what particular tables they want. Please check out our web site for further information and updates. http://www.angelfire.com/oh4/acec/acec.html =~=~=~= A-ONE's Headline News The Latest in Computer Technology News Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson Obama, Tech Executives Meet To Discuss Surveillance U.S. President Barack Obama met with the CEOs of Apple Inc., AT&T Inc. as well as other top technology and privacy representatives on Thursday to discuss government surveillance in the wake of revelations about the programs, the White House confirmed on Friday. Google Inc. computer scientist Vint Cerf and transparency advocates also participated in the meeting, along with Apple's Tim Cook and AT&T's Randall Stephenson, according to the White House. "The meeting was part of the ongoing dialogue the president has called for on how to respect privacy while protecting national security in a digital era," a White House official said in confirming a report by Politico, which broke the news of the meeting. The closed-door session was not Inc.luded on Obama's daily public schedule for Thursday. It followed another private session on Tuesday of Obama administration officials, industry lobbyists and privacy advocates. The meetings follow disclosures about the U.S. government's secret surveillance tactics over emails and telephone data detailed in various media reports from information released by fugitive former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden. Obama is likely to face questions about the National Security Agency and the government's phone and electronic monitoring at his news conference later on Friday. Groups invited to Thursday's meeting Inc.luded Gigi Sohn, the head of the privacy and transparency group Public Knowledge, as well as representatives from other similar organizations such as the Center for Democracy and Technology, the White House said. Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet said the company considers protecting customer data a priority, adding, "we strongly advocate greater transparency around the demands we get from government agencies." AT&T declined to comment as did Public Knowledge, which advocates open access to the Internet. Other participants also had no comment or did not return requests for comment on the discussions at the meeting. SInc.e the NSA's vast data-gathering programs were revealed in June, the president has repeatedly said he would encourage a national conversation on the need for U.S. surveillance while respecting people's right to privacy. Critics have blasted the administration for the scope of the surveillance and blamed Congress for not carrying out proper oversight. Some lawmakers have vowed to push legislation calling for more accountability for the programs. Tuesday's session with Obama's chief of staff Denis McDonough, and top Obama lawyer Kathy Ruemmler Inc.luded representatives from tech lobbying groups Information Technology Industry Council, TechNet and TechAmerica as well as civil liberties groups, the White House confirmed. "There was broad concern among privacy advocates and the private sector about the impact of the NSA's surveillance efforts. Several of the private sector representatives worried that the international backlash against NSA collection of foreign data would harm American global competitiveness," American Civil Liberties Union President Susan Herman said. Herman added that despite such meetings, "It's not clear yet that the White House appreciates the need to scale back these surveillance programs substantially instead of just rationalizing or tinkering with them." Marc Rotenberg, president of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, said his group also attended on Tuesday and wants Obama to reform surveillance law, enact a Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights, and establish an international framework for privacy protection. An industry source familiar the earlier meeting also said the talks "reflected the reality of the world in which we live - a digital world in which the economy is driven by data and information crossing borders and oceans almost instantly." "That reality carries with it challenges that, working collaboratively, we can address," the source added. Email Service Linked to Edward Snowden Shuts Down A Texas-based email service reportedly used by National Security Agency systems analyst Edward Snowden said it was shutting down Thursday, explaining in a cryptic message that it would rather go out of business than "become complicit in crimes against the American people." The statement posted online by Lavabit owner Ladar Levison hinted that the Dallas-based company had been forbidden from revealing what was going on. "I wish that I could legally share with you the events that led to my decision," Levison's statement said. "As things currently stand, I cannot share my experiences over the last six weeks, even though I have twice made the appropriate requests." The post didn't name Snowden or refer to any particular investigation, but the statement's timing ù and other material in the public domain ù suggest that Lavabit shut down in protest at the U.S. government's pursuit of the 30-year-old leaker, whose disclosures have blown the lid off the NSA's secret domestic surveillance. For example, Russian human rights campaigner Tanya Lokshina said in a Facebook post hours before she met Snowden at a Moscow airport last month that the leaker had contacted her using a Lavabit email address. And an online database hosted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology showed that someone going by the name of "Ed Snowden" registered three addresses with Lavabit over the past four years. Lavabit might have been attractive to Snowden because the company advertised itself as a secure, privacy-conscious alternative to webmail services operated by Yahoo and Google. The company's promotional material ù it has since been pulled from the Internet ù said Lavabit's system was specifically designed to resist secret requests from U.S. law enforcement. Levison's statement said the firm had launched a legal defense fund and was preparing to go to court to "resurrect Lavabit as an American company." Attempts to reach Levison weren't immediately successful. German Companies To Automatically Encrypt Emails Two of Germany's biggest Internet service providers said Friday they will start encrypting customers' emails by default in response to user concerns about online snooping after reports that the U.S. National Security Agency monitors international electronic communications. The plan by Deutsche Telekom AG and United Internet AG is the digital equivalent of putting an envelope around a postcard. Currently most emails are sent across the web in plain view of anyone standing between the sender and the recipient. Initially the encryption will only be secure between customers of Deutsche Telekom's T-Online service and United Internet's GMX and WEB.DE services ù which together account for two-thirds of primary email addresses in Germany ù the companies said. "Germans are deeply unsettled by the latest reports on the potential interception of communication data," Deutsche Telekom CEO Rene Obermann said in a statement. "Our initiative is designed to counteract this concern and make email communication throughout Germany more secure in general." But Computer security specialists said the plan appeared to be little more than a publicity stunt, because the technology being used to encrypt the emails while in transit was outdated and didn't guarantee they were safe from prying eyes while on the companies' servers. "The technology employed doesn't prevent 'listening posts' from being established on the system," said Germany's Chaos Computer Club, which bills itself as Europe's largest association of hackers. NSA leaker Edward Snowden has alleged that the U.S. intelligence agency and some of its foreign partners routinely sift through online traffic as part of an effort to prevent terrorism. A spokesman for Deutsche Telekom, Philipp Blank, told The Associated Press that the company doesn't grant foreign intelligence agencies access to its traffic in Germany. But he added that "of course we are bound by German law." German law grants domestic security services broad powers to intercept communications and demand access to emails and phone data stored by commercial providers. It also allows them to pass information on to foreign intelligence agencies under certain circumstances. In one indication that German security services won't find their work hindered, the country's interior minister issued a statement welcoming the encryption move. Latvia Puts Extradition of Suspected Hacker to U.S. on Hold Latvia said on Thursday it had shelved the extradition to the United States of a man suspected of spreading the Gozi computer virus after the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) said it would take on the case. The Latvian government had agreed on Tuesday to extradite Deniss Calovskis to the U.S. where he and two other men are charged with creating and releasing the virus that infected more than a million computers, while Calovskis's attorney said he was taking the case to the ECHR. The Latvian foreign ministry said in a statement that Latvian officials had received a letter from the ECHR saying Calovskis should not be extradited for the duration of the proceedings before the court. "The government will comply with this ruling," Latvian Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis told a news conference. Kristine Lice, Latvia's representative in contacts with the ECHR, told Reuters it was not yet known when the court would hear the case. Calovskis's attorney, Lauris Liepa, told Latvian news website diena.lv that attorneys had asked the ECHR to review whether Latvia's court and government had respected Calovskis' human rights in deciding to extradite him. Calovskis, 27, was detained in Riga in December 2012. He denies the charges. The virus infected at least 40,000 computers in the United States, including more than 160 NASA computers. It was used to access personal bank account information from computer users and steal millions of dollars from customer accounts globally, according to papers filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan. SOPA Died in 2012, But Obama Administration Wants To Revive Part of It You probably remember the online outrage over the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) copyright enforcement proposal. Last week, the Department of CommerceÆs Internet Policy Task Force released a report on digital copyright policy that endorsed one piece of the controversial proposal: making the streaming of copyrighted works a felony. As it stands now, streaming a copyrighted work over the Internet is considered a violation of the public performance right. The violation is only punishable as a misdemeanor, rather than the felony charges that accompany the reproduction and distribution of copyrighted material. SOPA attempted to change that in Section 201, aptly titled ôStreaming of copyrighted works in violation of criminal law.ö Some have suggested that the SOPA version and an earlier stand-alone piece of legislation from Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) would have criminalized covers of songs shared on Youtube. One campaign against this particular type of copyright crackdown highlighted how such a law could have made Justin Bieber into a criminal. Bieber himself spoke out against KlobucharÆs bill, saying the senator should be ôlocked upùput away in cuffsö while noting he personally thinks it is ôawesomeö when he sees fans uploading their own covers of his songs. The Commerce Department report recommends ô[a]dopting the same range of penalties for criminal streaming of copyrighted works to the public as now exists for criminal reproduction and distribution,ö adding that ô[s]ince the most recent updates to the criminal copyright provisions, streaming (both audio and video) has become a significant if not dominant means for consumers to enjoy content online.ö ItÆs certainly true that as networks have built the capacity to stream large amounts of data, streaming has become a major way for people to consume entertainment online ù and not all of that consumption is officially sanctioned. But as the quality of legal streaming options has grown, so has the market for it. Netflix boasts ônearly 38 million membersö in 40 countries and the music streaming service Spotify claims over 24 million active users in more than 28 countries. Alleged Wife Killer Charged After Apparent Facebook Confession A Miami man who used his Facebook page to post a photograph of what he said was his wife's dead body, along with a statement that he had killed her, shot his wife after police said she began punching him. Derek Medina, 31, was charged with first-degree murder late Thursday after he spent the evening revealing to police details of what led him to allegedly fire multiple rounds into his wife, Jennifer Alfonso, 26, according to an arrest affidavit released today. He has not entered a plea and a lawyer has not been named. The couple had a verbal dispute around 10 a.m. Thursday, at which point police said Medina told them he pointed his firearm at Alfonso. She then walked away from the argument, the affidavit said, and returned a few minutes later to tell Medina she was leaving him. Medina said he followed his wife into the kitchen to confront her, at which point she began punching him, according to the affidavit. Police said Medina told them he then went upstairs, grabbed his gun once again, and held it in his right hand as he walked downstairs toward Alfonso, who responded by grabbing a knife. Medina grabbed the knife and put it in a drawer, according to the affidavit, at which point Alfonso began punching him, prompting Medina to allegedly fire multiple shots into his wife. A photo of a woman in a black outfit, slumped over backwards in the kitchen with blood on her left arm and face was posted on Medina's Facebook page around the time of the shooting, along with the apparent confession. "I'm going to prison or death sentence for killing my wife love you guys miss you guys take care Facebook people you will see me in the news my wife was punching me and I am not going to stand anymore with the abuse so I did what I did I hope u understand me," the post on Medina's Facebook page said. Friends replied to the post in disbelief and asked Medina what had happened. His Facebook profile was removed about five hours after the shooting, according to ABC News' Miami affiliate WPLG-TV. Authorities have declined to discuss the Facebook postings or say whether Medina made them. After Medina killed his wife, according to the affidavit, he changed his clothes and went to his family's home to confess before he went to the South Miami police station and told the person working the front desk that he had shot her. Medina was taken into custody after police found Alfonso's bullet-riddled body in the kitchen area, according to the affidavit. Alfonso's 10-year-old daughter from a previous relationship was at the residence with her mother's body and was unharmed, according to police, who quickly escorted her out of the home. Medina's occupation was listed as property manager on the arrest affidavit, but his Facebook page also listed him as an actor on USA Network's show "Burn Notice." He reportedly appeared as an extra on one episode of the show. Medina seemed to share his life openly online and posted videos to his YouTube channel of his kicking a punching bag, sailing and singing the song "Ain't No Sunshine." He also authored six e-books on spirituality and self-help topics, which he touted on his YouTube channel and on his website. Among the list of long-winded titles is, "How I Saved Someone's Life And Marriage And Family Problems Thru Communication." A summary on his website said, "this book is a great book to learn how to make your marriage and relationship with others better by understanding the meaning of life and the purpose of living and being there for loved ones." Final Piece of AmazonÆs Tablet Puzzle AmazonÆs high-definition Kindle Fire HD tablets stole the spotlight last fall, but the companyÆs entry-level Kindle Fire might have been the real star of the show. At just $159, AmazonÆs tiny tablet continued the companyÆs original tablet strategy and steered clear of AppleÆs iPad in favor of affordability and mass-market appeal. The second-generation Kindle Fire was better, faster and cheaper than the original model but it was still a bit buggy and left plenty of room for improvement. Fortunately, big improvements are exactly what we can expect from AmazonÆs third-generation Kindle Fire model set to debut this coming fall. BGR already published exclusive details on AmazonÆs complete tablet lineup for 2013, and we followed up our original report with full specs for both the 7-inch and 8.9-inch versions of the upcoming Kindle Fire HD. Now, trusted sources have provided us with complete specs for AmazonÆs next-generation entry-level Kindle Fire tablet. Where the new HD models have moved on to bigger and better things with QualcommÆs Snapdragon 800 chipset, the new Kindle Fire is apparently having some trouble letting go of the past. Our sources say AmazonÆs 2013 Kindle Fire model will utilize a 1.5GHz dual-core Texas Instruments OMAP4 4470 processor with PowerVR SGX544 graphics ù the same chipset that currently powers both versions of the first-generation Kindle Fire HD. This is a nice bump from the old 1.2GHz OMAP4 4430 chipset in AmazonÆs current Kindle Fire, and benchmark tests performed on a prototype yielded scores that were about two times better than the current model. The new Kindle Fire will likely be the last Amazon device to utilize TI processors. According to a recent report from Taiwan-based Economic Daily, next yearÆs entry-level Kindle Fire tablet will be powered by a quad-core MediaTek 8135 chipset. Back to this yearÆs model, weÆre told the third-generation Kindle Fire will also stick with 1GB of RAM instead of getting a boost to 2GB alongside the new HD models, but it will be powered by Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean just like AmazonÆs upcoming high-end tablets. As noted in our earlier exclusive report, the new entry-level Kindle Fire tablet will feature a high-definition display with a resolution of 1,280 x 800 pixels. Essentially, AmazonÆs next-generation base Kindle Fire tablet model will feature specs that align with the current-generation 7-inch Kindle Fire HD. Amazon did not respond to a request for comment. In terms of styling, weÆre told that the new design identity of AmazonÆs next-generation Kindle Fire HD tablets is also found on the new low-end model, including the sharper angles on the case-back design we described earlier. The new entry-level Kindle Fire might not be as impressive as AmazonÆs next-generation Kindle Fire HD lineup, but it packs significantly more punch than the current base model and our sources say that Amazon will likely offer it at the same price point: just $159 for the 8GB version. Amazon will also offer two new versions of the tablet, weÆre told ù one with 16GB of storage and one with 32GB ù though pricing is unknown at this point. AmazonÆs three new tablets are expected to be unveiled this fall, possibly as soon as late next month. 3-D Printing Going Mainstream At first glance, Ben Wittbrodt's room looks like any other 23-year-old's room, but if you ask him where he got his stuff, you'll get an unexpected answer: a 3-D printer. For those not familiar with the technology, instead of printing ink on paper, these printers squeeze or spray a material, commonly plastic, onto a surface in layers to create a three-dimensional object. "I've gone through probably around 10 pounds of plastic through my printer," he said. "I've printed out key chains, scale versions of Lego figures four times their actual size, trinkets for my girlfriend." While 3-D printing has picked up steam with scientists, engineers and even veterinarians, who recently printed a prosthetic leg for a duck, Wittbrodt is one of many who have started to use the technology to print everyday items, including a shower head and trinkets. Wittbrodt was introduced to the idea of 3-D printing a year ago while doing research as an engineering graduate student at Michigan Technological University. Since then, he's become an expert in the field, writing his master's thesis on it, building his own 3-D printer at home and even running his own 3-D printing business. "I've been selling iPhone cases like there's no tomorrow," he said. "I've been printing designs that people can't really find online or go to Apple or Best Buy and find." 3-D printing has been around for a while. The first working 3-D printer was created in 1984, mainly used by companies to create prototypes and architectural models. These industrial grade machines used by professionals in the engineering, architectural and manufacturing industries can cost tens of thousands of dollars. They're also complicated in design, with hundreds of parts in each machine, requiring some 3-D printer knowledge to operate. For these reasons, they've mostly stayed inside the lab, but associate professor at Michigan Technological University Joshua Pearce recently conducted a study that predicts the three-dimensional printers will be in every home in just a few years. The study, published in a July issue of Mechatronics Journal, explains 3-D printing is about to go mainstream, and Pearce says the reason is financial. "We're looking at the next stage where 3-D printing costs have gone down so far that the average family can use it," Pearce said. In the study, Pearce and his team worked with 20 common household items listed on Thingiverse, a website containing designs of all sorts of things that can be 3D printed. Ranging from toy figurines of black dragons to customizable bracelets and rings, the designs are used and contributed by members of the community. Pearce's team then used Google Shopping to find out the maximum and minimum cost of buying those 20 items online and compared the costs to making the items with a 3D printer. The conclusion? It would cost the average consumer anywhere from $312 to $1,944 to buy those 20 things compared to $18 to make them in several hours. So that's what Wittbrodt did. He has even printed his own showerhead that he has been using for a couple months now. "It's pretty much whenever I'm going through day to day life and I find something or if I break something, and I think I kind of need this, I look online and nine times out of 10 it's already online." But for the rest of us who don't know how to build our own 3-D printers, there are plenty of companies out there who have done the work for us. One of the cheapest and simplest non-assembled 3-D printers is made by Printrbot and costs just $299. But Pearce says if you have trouble hooking up a normal 2-D printer, it's probably best to buy one that has already been assembled. Printrbot sells those for $399. Their website provides instructions and video tutorials for assembly. MakerBot, based in Brooklyn, New York is one of the biggest 3D printer companies and has been producing 3D printers since 2009. They have sold 22,000 units. Their printers sell from $2,199. One of their biggest competitors is Type A Machines. Espen Sivertsen, COO of Type A Machines, says 3D printing technology is growing very quickly and will become even more affordable and user-friendly in the next couple of years. His company sells 3D printers for just under $1,700. The instructions fit on a single 8.5 by 11 sheet of paper. "If you work with your hands, using things like power tools, a 3D printer is fairly easy to pick up," Sivertsen said. "It's like driving a car. A bit of a learning curve at first but once you get it, it's not hard." As of now, plastic is the most common material used, but Sivertsen says by the end of the year, a whole range of materials will likely be available. He also predicts people will be able to walk into local hardware stores and get 3D printed parts. "The thing that makes me really excited about 3D printing is it's an extension of your imagination," Sivertsen said. "You can get some interesting developments of objects that weren't possible before." AOL Cruelly Increases Prices for Dial-up Subscribers If thereÆs one thing thatÆs worse than being trapped in AOL dial-up hell, itÆs paying even more money to stay there. Dan Frommer at SplatF notes that AOLÆs average monthly revenue per dial-up subscriber is now $20.03, which is a 12% year-over-year increase from 2012. One reason why the company might be increasing its prices for users even as its dial-up subscriber numbers dwindle to 2.6 million because the users it has left simply have no alternative other than sticking with its slow, tedious service. AOLÆs dial-up subscription business is still the companyÆs top money-maker so itÆs not surprising that it is willing to squeeze ever-more cash out of the comparatively few customers it has left. Business and Pleasure Don't Mix on Facebook When it comes to Facebook, most employees would rather not mix business with pleasure. A new study from the staffing service OfficeTeam revealed that more than three-quarters of workers are uncomfortable being friended by a client or vendor on the social networking giant. It's not just those people outside of the office that employees would prefer to avoid on Facebook. More than 60 percent of those surveyed don't want to be Facebook friends with a boss or someone they manage, while nearly half of employees aren't interested in having a personal relationship with their co-workers on social networks. Robert Hosking, executive director of OfficeTeam, said people have different comfort levels when it comes to social media, so it's best not to blanket colleagues with friend requests. "Although some people are hesitant to reach out to business contacts via social networks, there can be a benefit to doing so ù if you approach it the right way." OfficeTeam offers five tips to help employees determine if they should connect with co-workers on Facebook: Follow the leader: Employees should let their boss or those more senior than them make the first move. Proactively sending a friend request could create an awkward situation. Scope it out: Check out whether colleagues have other employees in their networks before asking them to connect.If their lists are limited to favorite work pals, they may not be eager to friend a wider group of co-workers. Ask first: When in doubt, ask individuals whether they would be interested in connecting on social media before sending an invite. Do a self-check: Employees must review their profile and make sure there isn't anything posted that could damage their professional image. They may prefer that colleagues not see spring break photos, game updates or quiz results. Don't give in to peer pressure: Employees aren't obligated to share social media updates with everyone in the office. If they're concerned about slighting people by turning down invites, they should accept friend requests but use privacy settings and lists to control who can view certain content. The study was based on surveys of 1,000 senior managers are companies with 20 or more employees. =~=~=~= Atari Online News, Etc. is a weekly publication covering the entire Atari community. Reprint permission is granted, unless otherwise noted at the beginning of any article, to Atari user groups and not for profit publications only under the following terms: articles must remain unedited and include the issue number and author at the top of each article reprinted. Other reprints granted upon approval of request. Send requests to: dpj@atarinews.org No issue of Atari Online News, Etc. may be included on any commercial media, nor uploaded or transmitted to any commercial online service or internet site, in whole or in part, by any agent or means, without the expressed consent or permission from the Publisher or Editor of Atari Online News, Etc. Opinions presented herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the staff, or of the publishers. All material herein is believed to be accurate at the time of publishing.